“Caprica: Rebirth, Reigns of Waterfall”
Starring: Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Alessandra Torresani.
Airdates: Friday, January 29 & February 5
Slice of SciFi Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
After the pilot episode of “Caprica” hit DVD last year, many fans (this one included) walked away cautiously optimistic about the series’ potential and curious to see where and how this world would be expanded and explored on a weekly basis.
Now having seen the first two regular episodes, the biggest thing that springs to mind is that it’s kind of a shame that this series is tied to the “Galactica” universe. I don’t say that to belittle the superb work done on the re-imagined “Galactica” but instead to say that “Caprica” is a solid enough project that it could have stood on its own without necessarily being a prequel.
The first two episodes begin to dig a bit deeper into the characters we met in the pilot episode. And just like the original series, not everyone here is wholly likable. But the stories do a fascinating job of painting the characters in such a way that while we may not always like or agree with what they’re doing or how they’re acting, we will at least understand their motivation. Eric Stoltz leads the cast and watching his obsession with trying to replicate the successful test from the end of the pilot is fascinating and compelling. Equally interesting is seeing the Zoe avatar surviving inside the Cylon body and the questions of identity that the show is raising in its initial storylines.
The story also works on a world-building level, allowing us to see a bit more into the world we only got hints of during the original “Galactica” run.
However, the show does have a few stumbling points. Early on, the mob storyline involving a young William Adama seems a bit too forced and doesn’t really cover any new or interesting ground. It may also lead to a lot of nitpicking among hard-core fans about the character arc and whether or not this fits into what we know about Adama from the former series.
But so far, “Caprica” is working hard to make sure the show is accessible to new fans as well as providing rewards for “Galactica” fanatics. And while the planetbound nature of the series means we won’t get any space battles or shows of the ship falling through the atmosphere, the real fireworks could come from the fascinating characters and the world-building aspect of the show.
I agree with your review of Caprica. It’s a shame this is a prequel because this looks to be an excellent series in it’s on right.
I do wish the foldable computer we saw in the pilot was possible. Imagine be able to fold up your computer and put in your pocket.
I couldn’t even finish the movie it was so bad/boring/lame/add your own adjective here… I don’t see the series lasting long unless it is a LOT better than the pilot! But that’s just ME!
1) Why should it matter if the show is (loosely) tied to BSG? We don’t hear about it. The only way anyone would know this is if they were familiar with BSG.
So as far as that’s concerned, the show DOES stand on its own.
2) @Me: if you dislike the show that much, then I hope you’re not being forced to watch.
I happen to like the way they’re taking their time building this world and introducing us to these characters.
That’s the job of a Pilot. That’s why they call them Pilots.
Personall, if the premise of a show interests me enough to watch the pilot, I will watch at least 2 shows in from the pilot to see how the real show goes.
I don’t understand how someone can deem a WHOLE SERIES ‘lame’, etc…just from watching (PART) of the bloody PILOT.
Like I said, right now I’m having no problem with ‘Caprica’.
But that’s just ME.
I’m with ‘Me’ just not my cup of tea the way the BSG humans a portrayed with massive neurosci (i.e. animal, human sacrifice other depravities) May be the Cylons were right and the human race should go extinct before they spread across the universe. … Oops to late.
’nuff said
Honestly, after seeing the pilot on DVD back whenever it was released, I felt like the story had been told at that point. I can connect the dots between the end of the Caprica pilot and the BSG series. The pilot was not strong enough to warrant the series going forward. I wish it the best, but I won’t be watching.
Honestly, the pilot just failed to capture me. While I understand that this is a vehicle for storytelling and there could be some very captivating human drama surrounding the series, I just don’t know if it’ll hold my attention long enough.
If given a choice for a prequel, I would much rather see this leading up to the first Human/Cylon war with a young Bill “Husker” Adama and Saul Tigh.
I felt that this pilot would have been stronger, if they gave up being part of the Galactica universe and created a new one.
I agree with your comment about it being tied to BSG. I’ve always said, that BSG should have been called something else. The looks you get from people when you try to tell them what a great show it is, are terrible. Had RM called it something else, it may have received an even bigger following.
Most people, who don’t read SciFi websites, think of Lorne Greene when they think of BSG. And to them, it’s all ridiculous cheese. Right now, SyFy and the producers are only marketing the show to people they already know will give it a chance.
A show like this transcends the Sci Fi stigma/stereo types and SyFy should do a much better job marketing it to the masses. It’s as good as or better than anything on the Broadcasts networks.
Should’ve just done a series surrounding The First Cylon War with “Husker” from the Razor Flashbacks. I know they didn’t want to do more of the same…but I think in this case, Moore of the same thing would’ve been better than this slow boring splinter of a series. I can see why the network initially had passed on it pre-writer’s strike. I guess after the strike they just had to go with something that could get up and running quickly. Shame.