CBS' "Extant" is setting itself apart from other mystery, science-fiction dramas with a lot more intrigue, fast plotlines and award-winning acting.

Episode 2 "Extinct" is an exploration into "What is in a name?" And, secrets, lies and videotapes.

On Earth, Ethan gets invited to a birthday party, held at a state-of-the-art museum with a 3D interactive Elephant and a school of fish. Luckily, Ethan is not completely psychopathic this episode. Pierce Gagnon's Ethan has a quiet calm that he appears to be mirroring from his surrogate mother, Halle Berry's Molly Woods. But just like a human child -- Ethan is a "humanics robot" -- when he gets separated from the group, he wants to explore.

Molly then promises not to tell John that Ethan ran off; and Ethan promises not to tell John that Molly fainted and had something that looked like five orbs growing out of her belly. (It is not as bad as it sounds.) The secrets between the two begins. Molly convinces Ethan that a lie is used to protect someone because you do not want to hurt them. Well played, Molly. You could use that on a child but not on an adult.

Still on Earth, more lies, secrets and videotapes circle Molly like Magneto attracting metal. Molly lies to her surrogate son; she lies to her husband; she lies to the NASA-like organization, that is paying her to get results from the Seraphim station; and she is getting her friend Sam Barton to keep her pregnancy a secret.

And then there is the video. Molly wants to do investigating of her own to find out what happened to the previous crew member Harmon Kryger, played brilliantly by Brad Beyer. Spoilers! Sorry, Molly. You were not the only one that got exposed to those alien-like creatures on the Seraphim.

When Harmon gets exposed to the creature, what he saw was his mother, and his reaction was one of anger, terror and murderous rage; while when Molly saw her dead ex-boyfriend, she was far more open, helpful, in love and overwhelmed. But both Harmon and Molly had the same reaction, they just wanted to erase the event.

When the two finally meet, they are no closer to the truth. What are these things on the Seraphim station? What have they been doing to us? What do we do? Molly dares not utter a word about her pregnancy, but she cannot keep that big of a secret for long.

Meanwhile, Hideki Yasumoto, the billionaire scientist, and Alan Sparks, the head of the NASA-like organization, are working in consort, but neither of them is closer to what they want either. Yasumoto and Sparks' relationship seems both domineering, instructive and manipulative. But they want the same thing, and this is what binds them. What do they want exactly? Yasumoto brings up Sparks dead daughter? What does that mean?

And Yasumoto has secrets of his own. He appears to be dying. Hiroyuki Sanada's Yasumoto checks his vital signs on something that looks like a porcelain plate. The machine blurts out something like over 100 days left.

There is one thing that is relevant to the story that you all could sink your teeth into. The meaning of the word Seraphim, which could blow the lid off of the entire series. Seraphim means "an angelic being, regarded in traditional Christian religion and belonging to the highest order of the 'ninefold celestial hierarchy' associated with light, ardor, and purity," according to FreeDictionary.com. Seraphim in other translations also means "Burning Ones."

Are these beings "angelic like?" Is the Seraphim station a gateway to their home? But why are they seeing their dead relatives?