1. She’s Smart
Zoe comes from brilliant parents: one a computer mogul, the other a doctor. But she’s not content to rest on those laurels. On her own—and with barely a high school education under her belt—she created the first artificial intelligence in the universe , then set it free in her world’s version of the Internet. Granted, she did so as part of a terrorist plot, and her actions ultimately end up wiping out human civilization, but if you’re going to be a genius, you gotta think big.
2. She’s Sexy
This goes without saying, of course, but Zoe’s sexiness transcends mere good looks. She can rock all manner of styles and still make them appealing. Shy nerdy girl, decked-out clubber, virtual overlord… whatever the outfit, she makes it look good. She even gets mileage out of that clunky proto-Cylon body, seducing an unfortunate lab tech with little more than a synthesized voice chip and a crushingly strong grip. Wear whatever you like, baby. Even if it’s a burlap sack, we know it’s going to turn heads.
3. She’s Powerful
Zoe’s strength comes from a number of sources: her Cylon body is capable of demolishing concrete, her virtual form has proven nigh indestructible, and she actually reformatted an entire section of Caprica’s V-world through sheer force of will (though admittedly, she had a little help from her friends). But more than her power, it’s what she does with it that makes her so desirable. Not only does she save her parents from the depredations of Clarice Willow, but she brings down Willow’s virtual heaven and reinvents herself as “God” in the process. And you thought your girlfriend was tough because she wore leather boots that one time.
4. She’s Rebellious
Like all things Zoe, her typical teenage rebellious streak goes to 11, making her utterly irresistible in the process. Most teenage girls drive their parents nuts. Zoe drives one of them to a suicide attempt… as well as blowing up a train full of people in an unprecedented act of terrorism. And she doesn’t limit her iconoclasm to the real world either: overthrowing the den of iniquity that is New Cap City and remaking it in her own image. We loves us the bad girl, but Zoe is far and away the baddest.
5. She’s a Blast to Hang Out With
In some ways, we mean that quite literally, considering the havoc she wreaks. However, she’s never too busy with all her mayhem to show a fella a good time. Whether it’s a visit to a romantic (virtual ) lake, a trip to a hot (virtual) night club/abattoir , or an impromptu breakout from the (non-virtual) Graystone labs—complete with police escort—this girl knows how to deliver an evening we’ll never forget. Coupled with all her other qualities, it makes her just too delicious to resist. We salute you Zoe Graystone: you ensured that—though Caprica is gone—it will never truly be forgotten.
James O'Ehley has been the webmaster of The Sci-Fi Movie Page (www.scifimoviepage.com), the Web's premier science fiction site, since 1997.