Episode Commentary: Reins of a Waterfall

In “Battlestar Galactica,” Lee Adama reveals a treasured childhood memory to Romo Lampkin: when he and his brother would visit, his grandfather, Joseph, used to call him over and conspiratorially say, “Be a good boy, Lee – just not too good.”

Although “Caprica” is absolutely faithful to this somewhat shady interpretation of the civic lawyer, it remains a miracle that young Willie (Sina Najafi) grows up to be the staunchly virtuous Admiral Adama of the Colonial Navy.

Growing increasingly involved with the Tauron mob, the young Ha’la’tha protégé is steadily learning to lie, cheat and co-exist with the criminal underworld – all after his attendance is counted at school, of course.
As for the events of this particular episode, the aftermath of the last absolutely had to be huge.

Whether or not you agree that Amanda Graystone’s (Paula Malcomson) public confession was a psychological debacle, there were certainly going to be disastrous results, of cataclysmic proportions.

The Graystone stock is unsurprisingly falling, but Daniel (Eric Stoltz) continues to refuse a public relations representative. Of course, every principle has its limit.

Joseph (Esai Morales) and Sam Adama (Sasha Roiz) corner the robotics genius outside of his job and provide some Ha’la’tha-flavored encouragement, especially since a certain future admiral’s father is desperate to see his daughter (Genevieve Buechner) again.

How lucky it is that Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) and Lacy (Magda Apanowicz) stumble upon the avatar of a young girl in a dark room – trembling and desperately searching for a heartbeat. They bring her out into Club V, where she insists that she can find her way out, and Zoe – fully aware that she is a pure avatar and hitherto unexposed to the interactive pleasure dome – actually leaves her to fend for herself.

“Caprica” has admittedly been highly cerebral, expertly-written entertainment thus far, but this particular move by the avatar of a computer genius is more than asinine, since the confused copy has absolutely no chance of leaving the holoband without assistance.

Undoubtedly, this plot device will be explored in future installments, but rest of the episode is so thrilling that a flaw as tiny as this is easily forgivable.

The return of Tamara Adams is a welcome turn and rife for a variety of pleasant results, and the mystery surrounding Sister Clarice Willow’s (Polly Walker) virtual visit to the clandestine Soldiers of the One stronghold is a captivating turn of events.

Ending on a characteristically riveting note, “Reins of a Waterfall” continues the thus far Caprican trend of living up to its name – trapping the viewer so deep in its tangled web of captivating intrigue that the might of a Centurion is hardly enough to break out.

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