‘Caprica’ recap: Clarice Willow gets some action
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The women (only the corporeal ones, sorry Zoe 2.0) drove the action in this “Retribution” episode of “Caprica,” and -- I may as well say it again -- it’s the most movement that the show has seen in its entire run.
Even among a talented ensemble, Polly Walker stood out as Clarice Willow, and though this could change, “Caprica’s” center has shifted over the last couple of episodes. Clarice is now the driving force, though surely Zoe and maybe Daniel will step back in at some point. Last week, she was introducing Apotheosis and consolidating power, while this week she showed us what this power meant. It’s always good when storylines converge, too, as hers and Lacey’s do at the end.
But I just skipped ahead ... First, there was the botched bombing by Lacey and the Barnabus lackeys. It was no one’s fault really, just poor planning. It just gave us the chance to meet the victims and targets of Clarice’s retribution. A television in the bathtub and a fatal meeting in a rain-soaked alley later, and half of those who tried to kill Clarice are dead. Clarice’s line, “I forgive you, but it’s God you have to worry about,” as she pushed the TV in the water was ruthless and awesome.
Meanwhile, Clarice’s friend Dr. Amanda Graystone is waking up -- in so many ways. She’s still a bit off to me -- she was smoking in her hospital bed when Daniel went to see her! -- but it seems that of all of the characters, she’s the one that’s actually figuring things out for herself.
Agent Duram’s revelations about Clarice being on Gemenon and her possible involvement in recruiting Zoe to the STO weigh heavily on her. And despite her grabbing a gun to off Clarice, choosing to spy on her will be an even more dangerous mission. Hope she can keep it together.
Amanda’s husband Daniel is in danger too -- of losing his soul. Though we’ve never known Daniel as a completely honorable man, his association with Joseph and Sam and the Taurons, and his willingness, however reluctant, to help blackmail and destroy people’s lives in order to get back his company is ... unsettling. We only got to see one example of the strong-arm tactics, but the suicide was unexpected for us and strangely has no impact on Daniel. Vergis was a punk (a punk with an honor code, maybe) with his ‘my dream is to kill your dream’ attitude, but it’s hard to root for Daniel either as he sits in the back of expensive cars and drives away from distraught widows calling him a murderer. We’ll also have to see if Robo Zoe plays a part in future dealings.
Zoe’s best friend Lacey is continuing to spiral. She rejoins Barnabus, who’s over-the-top paranoid, but with good reason. Lacey’s buddy Keon, who helped her get into the STO, finally realizes that it’s time to go. But here’s a lesson, folks, never turn your back on a paranoid guy pointing a gun at you. Goodbye Keon, hello Clarice. So timely, she steps right in and assembles a bomb, handcuffs Barnabus, and leaves him to die in the explosion. That looked to be a long elevator ride down to the car, so I don’t think he’s dead. Guy’s too slippery.
As a fellow “Caprica” follower noted, the plotting was pretty even here, even without Zoe ... but where do they go from here? Every major character, except Joseph, is on a destructive path. Joseph is already in the eye of the hurricane since he works for a criminal organization. Surely Clarice will use Lacey somehow, and surely Daniel will use Robo Zoe.
And speaking of destructive ... did you see the promo for next week? Tamara vs. Zoe in V-World is the fight we’ve -- OK, I -- have been waiting to see.
-- Jevon Phillips
