Flashes of brilliance coupled with some mis-steps for a flawed first half of season one.
Love it or hate it, “Battlestar Galactica” was a huge hit for SciFi. So, when Ron Moore announced that he’d decided to wrap it up after four seasons, it’s easy to see why the network would want to continue to offer viewers the chance to revisit the universe.
That led to “Caprica,” a prequel series looking at the creation of the Cylons some seventy-odd years before the events of “Battlestar Galactica.”
And while no series could ever come close to recapture the buzz and interested “Galactica” had during its first two stellar seasons, that doesn’t mean you can necessarily dismiss “Caprica” as a derivative spin-off.
However, that’s not to say that the series is an out of the gate home run in the same way “BSG” was during its first season. Less a space opera and more a soap opera, “Caprica” follows the creation of the Cylons by Dr. Daniel Graystone.
As a series, “Caprica” charts the rise of the artificial intelligence that will later become the Cylons against the background of a world torn apart by political and religious unrest. A vocal group called the Solder of the One believe in the “one true god” as opposed to the gods of most members of the twelve colonies and Caprica. And they’re determined to make their views known by whatever means possible, including terrorism. In fact, it’s an act of terrorism that brings together the two families of this series–the Graystones and the Adams. The death of two daughters is the catalyst for what unfolds during the first half of season one.
Very different from the show that spawned it, “Caprica” still has a great deal to recommend about it. If you’re looking for space battles along the lines of “BSG” you’ll be disappointed. But if you want a serious examination of some fascinating issues inside this universe, you’ll find it here. The series is at its best when Daniel Graystone is developing the Cylon technology and trying to reach the construct of his daughter that is hiding inside. Actors Eric Stoltz and Alessandra Torresani give some superb performance, especially in an episode where Graystone is trying to get Zoe to reveal herself. The ever-escalating battle of wills is easily among the best moments the show has produced.
However, the series isn’t without its fault. The biggest is that early on, the series isn’t quite sure how to portray Sister Clarica as played by Polly Walker. Early episodes want to see her as a darkly comic figure like Gaius Balter on “BSG” but those attempts fall short. Eventually the writer jettison this tactic and the character begins to evolve into something different, but early on, things are a bit rough.
Also rough is a subplot involving Adams’ pursuit of his daughter’s avatar within a virtual world. The problem is that the storyline runs for an episode or two too long and removes Adams from the main thrust of the other storylines. It’s possible this could pay off down the road as the rest of the season and series unfolds, but watching it again here it never really gels.
Released as a four DVD set, “Caprica Season 1.0” collects all nine episodes from the first half of season one. It includes two versions of the pilot–the aired and the unrated version that hit DVD right after “BSG” ended. Thee major difference between the two is a bit of nudity that takes place.
There are also some commentaries by producer David Eick and others from the crew. Eick is clearly trying to take up the mantle of Ron Moore on the original “BSG” and while he gives it a good try, the commentaries aren’t quite as entertaining or interesting as Moore’s.
On the whole, “Caprica” is an interesting series and one that has a lot of potential. It’s also not one that is easy to jump into late in the game. If you missed the first half of the season, this is a great way to catch-up. If you’re on the fence, it may or may not convince you keep with the show, but the good news is the episodes do get better as the season goes along.
#Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
# Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
# Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
# Number of discs: 4
# Rated: NR (Not Rated)
# Studio: SyFy
