The Dirteaters is an episode of the 2009 TV series Caprica.
Plot[]
Joseph and Sam Adama are invited over to Goldie's, where they are officially promoted by the Gautrau to be his advisers. Joseph is having second thoughts, not liking how he has orders to execute Daniel Graystone.
In a flashback to thirty years before - 1912 - Joseph is to be given his mark of manhood. His father, William, tells him to go find his robes for the ritual, and tells the younger, Sam, to be happy for his brother as he wants to a mark too. He has Sam go help Joseph as his wife Isabelle comes in. She has seen Heraclitus troops advancing into the farmland, which he understands to be a reprisal for the Ha'la'tha blowing up a grain silo, something he warned would happen. The two realise they may soon die, and due to food shortages their neighbours will be desperate enough to sell them out for food. Rather than flee, the two accept their fate, and William tells the children about their grandfather, who chose the time to return to the soil as is the Tauron way. He explains he has ties to the Ha'la'tha, and their capture will risk the resistance being compromised. The two boys are handed drugs to kill themselves with rather than be captured.
In the night, Holoband users attend the Sinny McNutts Slash & Cut bar in New Cap City, its motto being the "Den of Iniquity". Zoe-A and Tamara-A enter the bar, frightening patrons into quitting the game to escape cyber-death. A handful of gamers remain, hoping to see a fight. Olaf and Nestor Willow are in attendance, Olaf having been a regular for five years. As the rules of the bar state that guns are prohibited, they are armed with swords and challenge Zoe-A and Tamara-A. Olaf is unaware that Zoe-A has anything to do with the avatar program, and believes she is an NPC created for the game by a programmer who couldn't make a realistic-looking Zoe Graystone copy. Zoe-A and Tamara-A take out guns, not caring for the bar's rules and shoot them. The two de-rez in Clarice's room, unable to ever return. Sister Clarice Willow interrupts the two as they bicker about being banned, wanting to know why he hasn't yet collected Mar-beth's possessions. Olaf wants them thrown out with the rubbish, but Clarice wants her son to grow up with them. Nestor asks what they should tell "Terror Mom", and Clarice suggests they tell Amanda she's left the house for now, and calls him out for addressing her by that name. Nestor offers Clarice his Holoband so she can play New Cap City, thinking she may enjoy meeting the Avenging Angels as one of the NPCs is playing "dress-up" as Zoe's avatar. The whole conversation is being monitored by the GDD camera hidden in a box on the shelf.
Joseph and Daniel are boxing in his private court. He talks about the benefits of the resurrection technology, and how he needs more than just two weeks. Joseph gives him mid-game training, that since Joseph is stronger he should anticipate his movements and be agile. Returning home, Daniel decides to dig up information on the Taurons. Starting with Sam's criminal records which identify him as a refugee, he moves on to a documentary on the history of Tauron. It discusses the Tauron Uprising, when poorly-armed native Tauron rebels - the Ha'la'tha - attacked the Presidential barracks, initiating the two-year civil war. Following this, the Heraclitus troops began a genocidal campaign through the use of death squads to put down any chance of further rebellion, with many dying of starvation and the survivors fleeing to the other Twelve Worlds. Daniel has Serge move on to the Guatrau's shell company on Leonis known for insider trading. Five companies that have recently been bought-out by the Guatrau's have been liquidated or declared bankrupt. All five CEOs have since died.
CAP News reports on a recent investigation on Sagittaron which uncovered a massive gun running operation to support Tauron rebels. Caprica's government has likewise responded to the gunrunning controversy that they will not be sending Caprican troops to the planet, and they suspect the rebels may in fact win, which may lead to Tauron refugees heading back home. In other news, the Avenging Angels have become a hit even outside of New Cap City, with gamers buying TV shirts with the faces of Zoe-A and Tamara-A on.
Cutting back to 1912, Joseph and Sam wake up to hear people fighting outside. A group of men armed with crowbars beat a man down; Sam climbs out of the window and takes the man's gun. He hides it when he gets back for protection.
Daniel goes into Little Tauron to meet with Sam. He asks about the inevitable - when will he be assassinated - and believes Sam will be the one tasked with doing the job owing to his tattoos and a new one he has bandaged. He begins reciting Tauron, saying "When the tree surrenders all its fruit... it's time to trim from the top down." Sam jokes about Daniel's sudden dedication to Tauron culture, and Daniel responds that the Gautrau is as Caprican as himself, having sold many U-87s to the Soldiers of the One but not even one to the agrarian rebels despite how significant a contribution it will become. Daniel offers to use his backdoor access to Graystone Industries' mainframe and private transportation to transport U-87s without getting the Gautrau's attention. Sam will get the Cylon shipment only on the condition of preventing his execution.
Joseph is in bed with Evelyn, who spots the lighter she got him for law-school. He stopped smoking after becoming a lawyer until only a few months ago, so it still looks fairly new. Joseph is still having problems with his new job, unable to come to terms with the Guatrau's refusal to help Tauron.
Back in the flashback, there is a knock on the door during breakfast. Isabelle has the boys hidden in while William answers the door. A herac unit enters the house, curious why he took so long to open up. The leader notices they have more than two plates, and William tells them their children are out playing. She asks if they heard anything last night, and reveals a herac was murdered and none of the "dirteaters" seems to have heard it happen. One of the heracs finds the gun Sam stole, thus implicating William in his murder.
At the Willow residence, Amanda changes the SD cards in the camera hidden in Clarice's room.
At the GDD office, Gara Singh wants to meet Agent Jordan Duram immediately. Singh takes him into an internal affairs meeting where he accuses Duram of improper use of GDD resources. As he destroyed the confidential informant files on Duram's advice, there is no physical evidence in the office that Mar-beth was under GDD protection. Singh uses footage of their earlier meeting before Duram changed his mind, where he openly refused to name the informant. Without evidence otherwise, Duram has no choice but to accept his suspension.
Amanda rings up the GDD office to arrange handing the card to Agent Duram, but is told by a receptionist he no longer works for them.
Back in 1912, Sam and Joseph watch from the kitchen closet as William is strapped to a chair and beaten by the Heracs for information, though he accuses them of planting the gun. The unit leader orders Isabelle be dragged away and beaten to make William more co-operative. He refuses to name any Ha'la'tha members, and Isabelle is beaten by all three Heracs. The boys get out of the closet and try to untie him, but he tells them he has hurt his legs so cannot run, and they should run out while they still can. Sam steals the gun and they hide again as William demands the Heracs stop beating his wife. The Herac leader returns to interrogate him, and smokes a cigarette as Isabelle is shot.
Walking down a street at night, Daniel spots a man wearing an Avenging Angels shirt. He offers to buy it off the man, who recognises him as Daniel Graystone and accepts the offer. He tells him how the avatar looks like his daughter, and runs back home to go to his Holoband.
In New Cap City, Daniel spawns in the game and quickly makes his way to Sinny McNutts Slash & Cut, where Zoe-A and Tamara-A are famous for always showing up. The bartender tells him how the girls have become such icons that just the honour of getting killed by them would make anyone famous. Zoe-A recognises Daniel and leaves with Tamara-A. Daniel tries to get her to stop so he can talk to her, but is stopped by the other patrons, armed with swords, as they have an agreed rota on who faces them. The two hide out on a rooftop, realising they must have become popular in the real world. Rather than hide elsewhere in V-World, Zoe-A insists they stay in New Cap City, as they can use its rules to their advantage. They have the power of gods here, and she insists they use their powers to destroy the game world and create a haven for themselves. The buildings are quickly destroyed, replaced by mountains and forests, with themselves in a castle.
Clarice meets with Olaf and Nestor about how their cyber world for the resurrected. Clarice is disguised by their designs and, even though the avatar program will allow the resurrected beings to be able to create their own heaven, she wants a beautiful scene for their introduction with statues of herself.
Sam has a U-87 taken into a truck, having Willie take watch to keep Joseph from spotting it. He spots the truck, but not what was being transported. Back home he asks about it as dinner is being made, and is told Sam is doing his bit to help out their people. In another flashback to 1912, Sam watches the interrogation of William and raises the gun. William starts naming the Ha'la'tha members, but hearing "Sarah" the Herac leader points out he's just naming the same people. The Herac leader threatens the lives of his children if he doesn't name anyone else. Joseph insists Sam use the gun, but he can't. Joseph takes the gun off him and fires instead, killing two of the men and shooting the leader in the neck. At Daniel's insistence, Joseph then executes him as the woman bleeds out. In the present, Joseph has changed his mind and decides they should work with Sam to kill the Guatrau. In the flashback, Joseph performs Sam's tattoo ceremony, quoting his father. He tells them they have to be faithful to one another.
Daniel is trying to find Zoe-A in V-World by using his personal terminal, but she cannot be traced. Amanda asks about him, and he tells her Zoe is alive. Amanda wants to see her, and they head out to V-World together to do find her.
Production[]
Writing[]
The production name of this episode was "Adamarama", due to its heavy focus on the Adama family plotline. The scene of Sam and Daniel at Goldie's went through a number of re-writes due to feelings by Sam's actor it wasn't believable for him to side with Daniel out of the blue. In the scene where Amanda is on the phone to the GDD, she gives her name as "Cybil Cassiopeia". As the DVD has no deleted scenes for this episode, it is not known if this part was ever filmed.
Directing[]
This episode was shot in November 2009.
Casting[]
The show's two Readers, Nicola Anderson and William Vaughan, were each given minor roles in this episode, with Anderson cast as the "GDD receptionist" and Vaughan as the "Fan Boy" who Daniel buys the T-shirt from. Sina Najafi and Alison Araya were cast late in pre-production, to the point that the roles of William and Isabelle had to be covered by producer Tom Lieber and Paula Malcomson during rehearsals.
Post-production[]
The boxing sequence was done in front of a green-screen. The scene where Tamara-A and Zoe-A stand on the roof of a building was also heavily edited, with only the corner their arms rest on being real.
Cast[]
| Actor | Characters |
| Eric Stoltz | Daniel Graystone |
| Esai Morales | Joseph Adama |
| Paula Malcomson | Amanda Graystone |
| Alessandra Torresani | Zoe Graystone |
| Sasha Roiz | Sam Adama |
| Brian Markinson | Jordan Durham |
| Polly Walker | Clarice Willow |
| Scott Porter | Nestor |
| Peter Wingfield | GDD Director Gara Singh |
| Jorge Montesi | The Guatrau |
| Aleks Paunovic | William Adama Sr. |
| Christopher Heyerdahl | Kevin Riekel |
| Elisabeth Rosen | Kolibri |
| Sina Najafi | William Adama |
| Genevieve Buechner | Tamara Adama |
| Panou | Olaf |
| Teryl Rothery | Evelyn |
| Jim Thomson | Serge (voice) |
| Christian Tessier | Francis |
| Alison Araya | Isabelle Adama |
| Daleal Monjazeb | Young Joseph Adama |
| Alexander Kambolis | Young Sam Adama |
| Diego Diablo Del Mar | Bartender |
| William Vaughan | Fan Boy |
| Nicola Anderson | GDD Receptionist |
| Colin Decker | Herac Soldier |
Sources[]
External links[]
| ||||||||