The most remarkable thing about the recent crop of science fiction movies and TV shows is that the best of them are real actors' productions. Even some of the most revered sci-fi of the past put their flesh and blood performers in a distant second for attention compared to neato special effects. Whether it's because of budgetary constraints or an actual shift in the way sci-fi is produced, shows like Caprica invest a lot more care in their actors and so they end up being that much more compelling. "Know Thy Enemy" was an excellent display of Caprica's strongest asset: Its players.

First, let's get the geek love out of the way. James Marsters, most famous for playing Spike on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has finally made his debut on Caprica. He plays Barnabas, a hardcore flagellant who lives on the fringes and does a lot risky criminal work for the Soldiers of The One. We've heard whispers about him for a few weeks now, but this is the first we've actually seen of him. Marsters plays Barnabas as an alternately careless and menacing figure. Certainly not a top-dog in any respect, but also someone you wouldn't want to mess with.

The meeting with Barnabas also brought Lacy deeper into the dark dealings of the STO. Magda Apanowicz has done a great job thus far conveying Lacy's complexity. She's a convincing mix of curiosity, determination and raw fear, one of those troubled monotheists that have made Ron Moore's devout characters more than just zealots.

But the main concern of "Know Thy Enemy" is Tomas Vergis (originally played by Roger Cross and replaced after the pilot by John Pyper-Ferguson), the CEO of the Vergis Corporation on Tauron from which Daniel stole the meta-cognitive processor chip. He shows up unannounced at a Graystone gala and reveals that he knows about the theft and also that two Vergis Corporation employees were murdered in the process. This creates some major waves in Daniel's life as well as the Adama family.

But Vergis isn't interested in prosecuting Daniel. Being a ruthless businessman as well as a secretly traditional Tauron, he would much rather have revenge. He and Daniel do some intellectual sparring, but it's clear that this whole thing is more likely to erupt into an interplanetary gang war than any kind of corporate intrigue.

Actually, all the espionage in this episode was committed by a known terrorist. Sister Clarice talks her way into the Graystone residence and uses a high-tech gizmo to steal an as yet unknown chunk of secret data from Daniel's computer, searching for Zoe's avatar and the tech she used to build it. Anyone detect the beginnings of the Resurrection process?

In less than compelling plot land, Zoe-bot seduces Philomon the nerdy Graystone Industries scientist who talks to her not knowing who she really is. It seems to me that Zoe is more often a dead end than an interesting plot element anymore. Unless this development results in something strange or important, it won't serve any purpose other than to keep Zoe in the story.

Best Moment: Daniel's last meeting with Vergis. It was chilling and very well-acted. Let's hope John Pyper-Ferguson isn't a stranger to the series.

Notes: We got our first look at a different planet this week. Tauron wasn't as provincial as I expected, but it's definitely much less built-up than Caprica.

Episode Rating: 4.8/5- If it weren't for the Zoe business, the episode would have been solid. Everything else was engrossing, excellently played and full of plot momentum.