Pilot Other Characters

There were a number of characters, other than Adama and Graystone family members, who play an important role in the new Caprica TV Series, as launched in the pilot episode.

As the terrorist attack (blowing up the lev in the pilot) was conducted by the Soldiers of the One, those involved in this organization and event are key to the plot development.

Ben Stark, close friend of Zoe Graystone and Lacy Rand, was also a student at the Athenian Academy prior to the blast. Ben is seen as an instigator, and inferred to be a recruiter, in actions which support his beliefs in the monotheistic movement. Though his blowing up the lev train was stated as ‘premature’ and ‘unauthorized’, he was said to be fighting evil with all his heart. Ben was definitely a true believer, and one willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in support of the cause.

Lacy Rand, near and dear to Zoe and Ben, seems to be much less of a true believer, more of a tag along sort and generally a much weaker character. She backs out of boarding the lev, thinking Zoe and Ben were merely running away to Geminon. Though she is a believer in the one true God, she doesn’t appear to be a STO member. Thankfully, when she finds Sister Clarice is also a member, she is relieved that she is not alone in her beliefs.

Sister Clarice Willow, an apparently important figure for the Athenian Academy, outwardly professes to be multi-theistic (as the Academy is founded on the following of Athena), though inwardly believes in and is somehow associated with the Soldiers of the One. Although she espouses the Athenian belief in loving they enemy, as discussed in an interview with Agent Duram, her association with this radical group lead us to believe she has a much more radical view.

Agent Jordan Duram, of the Global Defense Department, is the lead investigator into the lev bombing and is clearly committed to knowing and pursuing the enemy, despite acknowledging that the STO (Soldiers of The One) had previously been dormant for 10 years. Through his interviews with Amanda Graystone, Lacy Rand, and Clarice Willow, we see him in relentless pursuit of the terrorists identity.

Cyrus Xander is the right-hand man of Daniel Graystone and on more than one occasion shows that he has inside knowledge into the contract woes of the Cyber Combat Unit as well as development of the Meta Cognitive Processor by the Vergis Corporation. It is this independent artificial brain which is responsible for transforming the Cyber Combat Unit from being a mediocre robot into a Cylon killing machine.

Sam is a representative of the Halatha Crime Syndicate, and errand boy for the Guatrau (one of the leaders of this mafia-esque organization) on Caprica. Sam is charged with passing bribe money along, delivering orders dispatched from the Guatrau, and occasionally reminding Joe of his obligations to the organization (and penalties for deviating from them).

Serge, the Graystone family security bot, is an interesting addition. Though he has none of the cool mechanical components as seen on the Cylons, he has some sort of appeal. It could be his simplicity, or the fact that he strongly resembles the shooting target dummies massacred by the Cylon in its final test… Regardless, he will seen again in future episodes, perhaps with a greater purpose at some point.

Casting:

Lacy Rand – Magda Apanowicz
Ben Stark – Avan Jogia
Sister Clarice Willow – Polly Walker
Jordan Duram – Brian Markinson
Sam – Sasha Roiz
Cyrus Xander – Hiro Kanagawa
The Guatrau – Jorge Montesi
Voice of Serge – Jim Thomson

Post-Pilot Episode Conclusions for the Other Characters:

Despite many other speaking part players in the cast of the Caprica TV Series pilot, the above represent those who made an impression on us. None of these seem to be out of place, and none of them seem to have been mis-cast in their role. They are well integrated into the plot, and though not major characters, do serve to enrich the plot and enhance the story line.

Graystone Family

As inventors of the Cylons, the Graystone family plays an integral role in the new TV series Caprica.

The Graystones are comprised of Dr. Daniel Graystone, husband to Dr. Amanda Graystone, and father to Zoe Graystone. A wealthy Caprican family, who live outside Caprica City, in a very luxurious estate on the coast, the Graystones are living the dream. They have incredible views, a private tennis court (complete with computerized line judge and umpires), and a personal servant robot named Serge.

Daniel is the lead character in the pilot episode, which makes sense given the fact that he is credited as being creator of the Cylons. He is a computer whiz, running a company which not only invented the holoband (a visor which allow users to experience a virtual world in 3D), but also carries key defense department contracts. His exact wealth is anyone’s guess, but he does donate enough to Apollo University to get a building named after him. Daniel is a bit aloof, a product of his status in life, and yet is a very engaging character, perhaps due to his computer wizardry, the cool gadgets he has everywhere, and his willingness to go to any length to get his daughter back after the terrorist attack.

Amanda, Daniel’s wife, is a doctor in her own right, apparently working at some type of medical facility. Little is known initially about her expertise, but she appears to have earned her credentials, unlike her wealth which she reported married into. She is in many ways what you would expect from the wife of a successful husband – competitive with him and angry at her disobedient daughter. She shows a wide range of emotions, joy, sadness, humor, and denial, among others. She is far from the snotty, filthy rich woman one might expect in this scenario. She comes across as very down to earth, committed, and easy to identify with.

Zoe, the 16 year old daughter, has a massive role in this series. She starts off the pilot as a true believer (as a member of the Soldiers of the One True God), disillusioned with the degradation of society, and like many has had her turn at sampling the vices society has to offer. She is a computer genius, shocking her father with the ability to convert synaptic information about people (coupled with a download of their memories) into usable data.

Zoe managed to create an AI version of herself as an avatar (oft referred to as Zoe-A). The virtual Zoe-A exists and can be interacted with by those using a holoband, provided of course they visit the underground virtual nightclub (or V-Club) where she resides.

Eventually, Daniel finds a way to integrate the Zoe-A consciousness with a robotic body, thus creating the first Cybernetic Life Form Node (Cylon), spawning Zoe-R. Though her human body died in the lev train bombing, Zoe-R continues on and will likely be a critical part of the uprising between Cylon and humans which is destined to follow. Zoe is a very complex character and one who will undoubtedly feature throughout the new Caprica TV Series.

Casting:

Daniel Graystone – Eric Stoltz
Amanda Graystone – Paula Malcolmson
Zoe Graystone – Alessandra Torresani

Post-Pilot Episode Conclusions for the Graystone Family:

Casting for the Graystone’s was an achievement! They are interesting, detailed, multi-faceted, and we want to know more about what makes them tick, what they have done, and what they will do next. Kudos for this line-up.

Adama Family

The Adama family we have all grown to know and love from the previous Battlestar Galactica series is set to play a key role in the new Caprica TV Series prequel. It’s pretty exciting news because we have come to know the family over the years, watching them while we eat dinner or visit PartyPoker.com. We are genuinely interested as to where they will go next as characters.

The Adama family come from a long line of Tauron peasants, many of whom died during the Tauron civil war. In fact, at that time, all of the family except for Joseph Adama and his brother were killed during that uprising. The two of them were taken to Caprica and put into an orphanage.

In the pilot episode, we meet Joseph Adama, who had changed his name to Adams in order to avoid the bitter racism felt on Caprica against the Tauron’s. Joseph is often referred to as Joe by those who know him and Youself by Tauron friends and associates. We also are introduced to young William Adama, also called Will or Willie, who will later become Admiral Bill Adama. We also get to meet Shannon Adama, wife of Joe, and Tamara, their daughter (sister of Willie). We even get a glimpse of William’s grandmother in one scene.

Joe Adama is a dichotomy on many levels. For example, he is associated with the Halatha Crime Syndicate, run by the Guatrau. This group paid his way through law school and now require his services from time to time. Though he complies with their wishes, he shoes great angst and remorse for the consequences of his involvement.

Joe is a stoic man who often follows the ‘old ways’ such as not shedding a tear, wearing black gloves when in mourning, though does show glimpses of emotional undertones which run throughout. He did admit that the one and only time he shed a tear was the first time he saw flowers, something that doesn’t exist on Tauron, as they were approaching the orphanage in Caprica for the first time.

We see Shannon Adama for only a few minutes in the pilot episode, as she boards the fateful lev (train) prior to the terrorist attack, a lead-in for the escalating battle which will surely boil over at some point in the Caprica TV Series.

Tamara Adama, Willie’s sister, appears to be stereotypical in many ways. She gives her father Joe a lot of attitude in reminding him it’s Willie’s birthday, and that he better not be home late for the party. Later, she is terrified of her new surroundings, as she is reborn in the virtual world.

William Adama, the youngest in the family, attends classes at Wilson Elementary School. Like most boys his age, he enjoys shaved ice, going to a Bucs game (the pyramid team owned by Daniel Graystone), doesn’t fully understand life and death, and also comes across as very stereotypical. He has no moments of rage or joy, but is seen throughout the pilot episode as a rather flat, sad creature, mourning the loss of his mother and sister in his own way. The only time he lights up at all is following the pyramid game (lost by the Bucs) in which he gets to meet with the team while Joe and Daniel discuss important matters (about the whole virtual world concept and bringing dead family members back to life).

Casting:

Joe Adama – Esai Morales
William Adama – Sina Najafi
Tamara Adams – Genevieve Buechner
Shannon Adams – Anna Galvin

Post-Pilot Episode Conclusions for the Adama Family:

Esai is a very believable Joe Adama. The stoic, troubled, yet strong father of the family… very well done. The jury is still out on all the rest, but Joe is a character that is easily liked, identified with, and one that we want to see more.