Amanda Graystone
| |||||
| Amanda Graystone | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
|
Name |
{{{name}}} | |
| Age | ||
| Colony | Caprica | |
| Birth place | {{{birthplace}}} | |
| Birth Name | {{{birthname}}} | |
| Birth Date | {{{birthdate}}} | |
| Callsign | ||
| Nickname | {{{nickname}}} | |
| Introduced | Caprica | |
| Death | ||
| Parents | ||
| Siblings | Darius† | |
| Children | Zoe Graystone† | |
| Marital Status | Married to Daniel | |
| Family Tree | View | |
| Role | Plastic surgeon | |
| Rank | ||
| Serial Number | {{{serial}}} | |
| Portrayed by | Kassandra Kingsborough Paula Malcomson | |
| Amanda Graystone is a Cylon | ||
| Amanda Graystone is a Final Five Cylon | ||
| Amanda Graystone is a Human/Cylon Hybrid | ||
| Amanda Graystone is an Original Series Cylon | ||
| Related Media | ||
| @ BW Media | ||
| Additional Information | ||
| [[Image:|200px|Amanda Graystone]] | ||
Amanda Graystone was a successful Caprican plastic surgeon married to Daniel Graystone, the computer engineer who created the Cylons. She was the mother of Zoe Graystone.
Early Life
Amanda Graystone experienced tragedy early in her life when a car crash killed her brother Darius. Surviving the car crash took its toll on Graystone, causing her to have frequent hallucinations in which her brother appeared. The resulting nervous breakdown and suicide attempt sent Graystone to the Delphi Convalescent Institute, where she spent two and a half years recovering (CAP: "The Imperfections of Memory", "End of Line").
When she met a young Daniel Graystone, Amanda described herself as "crazy", though he proved to be a source of emotional stability for her. Following their marriage, Amanda unexpectedly became pregnant with the Graystones' only daughter Zoe. Graystone struggled through the pregnancy, coming at a time when Amanda was focused on building her medical practice. Though she loved her daughter, Amanda believed that her unhappy pregnancy and postpartum depression affected her relationship with Zoe and contributed to their frequent conflicts (CAP: "End of Line", "False Labor").
Following the birth of Zoe, the Graystones struggled through tough economic times and even a devastating fire that destroyed their first home. Still, the Graystones found success - Daniel making his way through the MicroCap company to eventually become CEO of Graystone Industries, and Amanda becoming a successful plastic surgeon (CAP: "Ghosts in the Machine", "There Is Another Sky").
Moving to a lavish new seaside estate, Graystone enjoyed playing tennis with her husband though her relationship with her daughter, Zoe, was difficult, even hostile (CAP: "Pilot", "Retribution").
Losing a Daughter
Fifty-eight years before the Fall, Graystone experienced an enormous loss when her daughter, Zoe, was killed in the MagLev bombing, perpetrated by Zoe's boyfriend Ben Stark. Devastated by the event, Graystone lost much connection with Daniel, drawing inward in mourning. Learning that Zoe herself may have played a part in the MLMT bombing, Graystone sought answers from her daughter's best friend, Lacy Rand who could only say that Zoe planned to find a new family on Gemenon (CAP: "Pilot", "Reins of a Waterfall").
Pressed by Global Defense Department Agent Jordan Duram during the investigation into the bombing, Graystone insisted that Zoe neither had radical political leanings nor even a boyfriend. At the bombing memorial service at Apollo Park, however, Graystone was approached by Natalie Stark - Ben Stark's mother - who confirmed the relationship and returned costume jewelery that had belonged to Zoe. Discovering that the jewelery in fact bore the symbol of the monotheist terror group the STO, Graystone was incensed. Grief stricken, Graystone chose to speak at the service, revealing to a stunned crowd that Zoe was a terrorist and responsible for the attack (CAP: "Rebirth").
With footage of the revelation played on networks all over the Twelve Worlds, Graystone resigned (or was fired) from her position at Caprica General Hospital and was met with mobs of angry protesters. Despite the ramifications and the conflict that arose between her and Daniel, Graystone admitted that she would do it again, saying that she truly believed Zoe was responsible for the bombing. In these revelatory moments, Graystone found the ability to come close to Daniel again (CAP: "Reins of a Waterfall").
As a result of Graystone's outburst at the memorial, the Graystones became hated figures. In response to the controversy, Daniel was forced to go on the Baxter Sarno television show to repair his family and company image. Watching her husband from offstage struggling to defend himself, Graystone burst onstage and joined in the debate, helping to portray Zoe as a normal - if troubled - young girl. On her way from the Sarno studio, however, Graystone was approached by a Sam Adama claiming to be Sarno's driver and offering her a ride home. In his car, Adama - an enforcer in the Ha'la'tha crime syndicate - proceeded to intimidate Graystone, making her fear for her life for the deaths of Adama's sister-in-law and niece in the bombing. Coming away unscathed, Graystone chalked the incident up to anger over the bombing, unaware of how close to death she may have been (CAP: "Gravedancing").
Coping with Loss
As the investigation into the bombing continued, GDD agents obtained a warrant to search the Graystone residence. Despite Graystone's protestations, Defense Department investigators removed most of Zoe's belongings, leaving only a few pieces of furniture behind (CAP: "Gravedancing).
- In a deleted scene from "Know Thy Enemy", Amanda disassembles the remaining furniture and contemplates turning Zoe's former room into a photography studio. Later in the episode as aired, photography equipment can be seen in the room, but it is not until "The Imperfections of Memory" that Amanda's interest in photography is mentioned.
Taking advantage of Graystone's grieving, Athena Academy Sister Clarice Willow - in secret an STO cell leader searching for Zoe Graystone's avatar - gained access to the Graystone's home, claiming to be returning books that once belonged to Zoe. With only a few pieces of tongue depressor art in Daniel's lab, Graystone was eager to have anything from Zoe's life and welcomed Willow. Bonding over Scorpian Ambrosia, the two women became fast friends, Graystone confiding in Willow (CAP: "Know Thy Enemy").
While on the street, Graystone witnessed a minor car crash and rushed to aid the injured. As a crowd assembled, Graystone was shocked to see what appeared to be her dead brother Darius among the onlookers. Pursuing the vision of her brother into a parking structure, Graystone found a poster depicting the bridge on which Darius was killed. Distraught over the vision, Graystone sought Sister Clarice's counsel (CAP: "The Imperfections of Memory").
With Daniel retreating into corporate politics, Graystone was increasingly left alone. Still haunted by the visions of Darius, Graystone began drinking heavily, mixing alcohol and prescription medications, and descended into a deep depression (CAP: "Ghosts in the Machine", "End of Line").
Confronted by Tomas Vergis about corporate espionage perpetrated by Daniel that resulted in the deaths of two men, Graystone was pushed over the edge. During their Eros Day dinner, Graystone challenged her husband over Vergis' accusation. Learning that it was true, Graystone walked out on Daniel, strolling to the Pantheon Bridge and jumping off (CAP: "End of Line").
Unvanquished
Surviving the fall into Caprican Bay, Graystone was rushed to a nearby hospital. There she refused to see her husband, but was comforted by Sister Clarice. Together, the two women took up residence in a cabin outside of Caprica City where Graystone recovered. Despite the relative peace of the cabin, however, Graystone was still tormented by the loss of her daughter and haunted by prescient dreams indicating Zoe's connection to the U-87 robot (CAP: "Unvanquished", "Retribution").
Walking with the use of a cane, Graystone met with GDD investigator Jordan Duram at a holocafe. There Duram revealed to Graystone that Sister Clarice was a member of the STO terrorist organization and likely responsible for the brainwashing and death of Zoe. At first skeptical, Graystone later began to see the connections and agreed to help Duram, sneaking back into her home and retrieving a gun from her closet (CAP: "Retribution").
Unable to find any evidence linking Willow to the STO in the cabin, Graystone pleaded with Sister Clarice to be allowed to live with her in her family home. Though Willow at first refused, she later acquiesced, bringing Graystone home with her - much to the objection of her wife Mar-Beth Willow. While Mar-Beth and Graystone at first butted heads, they ultimately moved past their differences, with Graystone even assisting in the birth of Mar-Beth's child (CAP: "Things We Lock Away", "False Labor").
Amanda-A
Estranged from his wife, Daniel Graystone struggled with life without Amanda Graystone, refusing to sleep in their bed and drinking heavily. As Daniel worked to regain control of his company, Graystone sought the aid of the Ha'la'tha crime syndicate, promising them substantial profits from the creation of the resurrection program - a product that would bring loved ones back from the dead in the virtual world (CAP: "Unvanquished", "Retribution", "False Labor").
To this end, Graystone created a holographic avatar of Amanda as a test case. Basing it off of an existing holoband character template, the Amanda avatar was augmented with the personal journal entries of the Graystone Family, including Zoe's. Still, the avatar was unable to surpass her base programming which heavily emphasized sexuality and a desire to please. Instead of truly remembering the events of Amanda Graystone's life, the Amanda avatar would simply repeat passages from the journal entries (CAP: "False Labor").
Though she was not the "perfect copy" that the Zoe avatar had been, the Amanda avatar displayed some signs of true self awareness and appeared frustrated that she was not what Daniel had hoped she would be. Testing her responses, Graystone revealed to the avatar that he had been responsible for the deaths of two men working for the Vergis Corporation. Though it was a heated exchange, the avatar failed to react as the true Amanda Graystone would and - in a moment of defeat - Daniel choked her, causing her to derez (CAP: "False Labor").
Following the "awful derezzing incident" - as the Amanda avatar put it - Daniel Graystone made one final attempt to perfect the program. With the project predicted to take three months to complete, the Ha'la'tha's Guatrau gave Daniel only two weeks to show him promising results. Under enormous pressure, Graystone visited the Amanda avatar in V-World where she again made a concerted effort to behave as a fully realized person. Still, despite showing sarcasm, neuroses, and even anger, the avatar was unconvincing and Graystone deleted it and the backup copy (CAP: "Blowback").
| |||||
The STO & The GDD
As a confidential informant for Jordan Duram, Amanda Graystone used her position in the Willow home to pass information about STO operations to the GDD, frequently meeting with Duram in Caprica City's Orpheus Park (CAP: "False Labor", "Blowback").
Misdirection
Though she had at least temporarily earned the trust of Mar-Beth Willow, Graystone again raised suspicion when she was caught by Mar-Beth spying on Clarice Willow. Graystone quickly covered, telling Mar-Beth that she believed Clarice had relapsed and was once again using opium. Mar-Beth, however, was unconvinced (CAP: "Blowback").
Telling Duram that Mar-Beth was her chief obstacle in fully infiltrating the Willow Family, Graystone convinced the GDD investigator to provide her with a listening device that could be planted in Clarice Willow's bedroom. Himself suspicious that a mole within the GDD might be funneling information to the STO, Duram at first refused to reveal the identity of his confidential informant to Director Gara Singh. However, after evidence in the MagLev bombing case, housed at the GDD, turned up missing, Duram decided to mislead Singh, providing information that implicated Mar-Beth Willow as the CI (CAP: "Blowback").
When Mar-Beth turned up missing - having been murdered and mutilated by Clarice Willow - the mole within the GDD was revealed as Director Singh himself; and Amanda Graystone's position as a confidential informant remained hidden (CAP: "Blowback").
The Holoband
To prevent him from continuing the investigation and likely revealing him as a traitor, Director Singh removed Agent Duram from active duty, citing the death of his "confidential informant", Mar-Beth. Briefly leaving, Amanda Graystone in the dark, Duram resurfaced, meeting Amanda at Orpheus Park to continue the operation without GDD backing (CAP: "The Dirteaters","The Heavens Will Rise").
Following Mar-Beth's death, the Willow Family - Amanda observed - was spooked, moving into the attic of their home to plan some kind of operation. With the listening device planted in Clarice's bedroom now useless, Duram persuaded Amanda to switch Willow's personal holoband with a fake (CAP: "The Heavens Will Rise").
Sometime later, Amanda returned to the park to deliver Willow's holoband, briefly discussing the case with Duram who quickly proved himself to be as much a zealot as those he was trying to fight. Disgusted, Graystone left just before Duram was hit by a sniper's bullet, sending him tumbling down a hill. Rushing to his aid, Amanda tried to stop the bleeding, calling for emergency services and listing Duram as "John Doe" to protect him (CAP: "The Heavens Will Rise").
Back at the Willow residence, Clarice and her spouses quickly discovered her holoband was a fake, realizing that Amanda Graystone was the true mole (CAP: "The Heavens Will Rise").
Zoe Lives
As Amanda Graystone worked to bring down the Soldiers of the One, Daniel Graystone worked to find his daughter, tracing her to the V-world gaming environment known as New Cap City. With Amanda finally returning home, Daniel revealed the truth about Zoe, telling Amanda that their daughter was alive (CAP: "The Heavens Will Rise").
V-World
Immediately volunteering to enter V-world to find Zoe, Amanda first decided to clear the air with Daniel, revealing her involvement in bringing down Clarice Willow's STO cell. A short time later, Amanda and Daniel, along with Sam Adama, entered the reconfigured New Cap City - now a wooded mountain pass - to retrieve the avatars of Zoe and Tamara Adama (CAP: "The Heavens Will Rise").
Pressing on the through the dense virtual forest, the Graystones were amazed by the reality of the digital environment Zoe had created. Unaware of just how angry this version of her daughter was, Amanda was surprised when Zoe lashed out, transforming their horses into dragons that nearly killed her . Despite the narrow escape, Amanda pressed on. Overhearing her husband and Adama discussing possibly killing the Tamara avatar - and remembering how threatening he had been in their previous encounter - Amanda shot and derezzed Sam Adama, leaving her alone with her husband in the forbidding territory (CAP: "The Heavens Will Rise").
After many hours of hiking and a horrific night in woods containing all manner of frightening creatures, the Graystones finally encountered their daughter. Angry, Zoe screamed at Amanda, telling her that they had never met and that she wasn't their true daughter. Still, Amanda got through to Zoe, holding her in her arms and telling her that there was a virtual version of their home waiting for her, when she decided to come home. Leaving it at that, the Graystrones removed their holobands... (CAP: "Here Be Dragons").
The Break-In
...And discovered that their house had been broken into, the power drained and emergency defenses raise. Trapped in the basement lab, Amanda and Daniel watched as monitors showed Clarice Willow and her husbands Olaf and Nestor attempting to raise the barricade separating them from the Graystones. Helpless, Amanda and Daniel watched as the Willows finally broke through, holding them at gunpoint and demanding they return Clarice's stolen holoband (CAP: "Here Be Dragons").
Despite her spouses' aggressive behavior, Clarice Willow was calm, approaching Amanda and telling her she loved her and Zoe. Amanda balked, accusing Clarice of sending Zoe to die on the MLMT train. Despite her initial kindness, Willow became enraged, telling the Graystones that she was going to kill them. The intruders, though, were surprised when the U-87 - under repair in the lab - suddenly came to life, attacking and killing Nestor before chasing Clarice and Olaf away (CAP: "Here Be Dragons").
Meeting Zoe in the virtual version of their home, the Graystones greeted their daughter, telling her that she could live there while they perfected a new body for her, this one with skin - a "skinjob" (CAP: "Here Be Dragons").
Bomb Plot
In the aftermath of the break in, Global Defense Department agents, under Gara Singh, stormed the Graystone home, accusing them of being the true terrorists and planners of the MLMT bombing. Ripping from her daughters arms in V-world and into the real world, Amanda was forced to leave Zoe behind as she and Daniel escaped in their private Phoenix aircraft. Believing the key to defeating Clarice was on that stolen holoband, Amanda instructed the pilot to bring them to Orpheus Park, where the holoband might still be. Landing in the park, the Graystones went to work searching the area. Quickly locating Clarice's band, Daniel activated it, viewing a simulated bombing of Atlas Arena - the rehearsal for a real attack to occur that same day (CAP: "Apotheosis").
Rushing to Atlas Arena, Amanda and Daniel scalped tickets and entered the stadium in disguise, breaking into a press box and incapacitating the journalist inside. As Amanda restrained the journalist, Daniel activated his remote link to a squadron of U-87 soldiers, bringing them to Atlas Arena. As the Caprica City Police attempted to force their way in to arrest the Graystones, Amanda held them off, giving Daniel enough time to command the robots to eliminate the suicide bombers and prevent the explosion (CAP: "Apotheosis").
The Future
In the aftermath of the destruction of the battle at Atlas Arena, Amanda and Daniel Graystone were cleared of the charges leveled against them and devoted their attention and resources to the development of Zoe's "skinjob." As Cylons became commonplace in the Twelve Colonies, Daniel Graystone utilized his expertise in robotics and Amanda her experience in plastic surgery to construct a robotic body for their daughter, composed of a mechanical skeletal structure with human-looking skin and hair. The body was activated in Daniel's private lab - a perfect, robotic copy of the Graystones' daughter and the true rebirth of Zoe Graystone into her Amanda and Daniel's arms (CAP: "Apotheosis").
Notes
- Amanda Graystone was played by Irish actress Paula Malcomson who originally auditioned for the role of Sister Clarice.
- In the podcast commentary for the same episode, Paula Malcolmson stated that she believed Amanda hailed from a colony other than Caprica. This assertion is supported by dialogue in "Know Thy Enemy" in which she and Clarice call native Capricans "babies". [1]
- Of her character, Malcolmson stated "As an actor you have to sort of put aside your own judgments in terms of whether your character is necessarily good or bad. ...t was tough and I did think about it: particularly that many people would perhaps find Amanda unsympathetic. I just really tried to tap into the character’s loss and pain as well as the fact that she has made mistakes and then go from there, you know?" [2]