Really, it was Adele/Topher that worked for me in this episode - one bright, graceful note in an otherwise lackluster ending for me.

To me, having Paul live in Echo's head is a strange "happy" ending. There really is no way for them to have a relationship that would do either one of them any good that way, and Paul's pointess, random death seemed more like a "trick" that Whedon has done one too many times. Alpha's presence actually annoyed me as well, as his evoluation had to be taken completely on faith, and his quick disappearance again at the end of the episode was illogical (they're in the only place safe from the wave, so why did he leave it? Where else is better???)

I'm a sci-fi girl too, and I'm enjoying Caprica so far. Enough that I've rented Battlestar Galactica, which I've never seen, to start watching!