UPDATE: ‘Caprica’: What you have to look forward to in 2010
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We know. We miss “Battlestar Galactica” too. So much so that the idea of “Caprica,” a prequel set 58 years before Cylons (nearly) wiped out their human makers, was initially unappealing. We could see it all: No vipers or raptors, no sneaky-but-sexy Cylons, no drunken CAG with an identity-destiny crisis, no Gaius Baltar…
But now that show is really gone, we’re happy to have the ‘Caprica’ pilot DVD out today. We’re in a world off the ship. Specifically, we’re in Caprica and now following the stories of two men who, more or less, become responsible for the “BSG” showdown between man and machine. Daniel Greystone (Eric Stoltz) is a powerful businessman-scientist who creates the “holo-band,” an accessory that creates virtual realities for the user; Joseph Adams is a lawyer from the colony of Tauron. They cross paths when Daniel’s daughter Zoe and Joseph’s wife and daughter are killed by a terrorist attack.
How Daniel copes is where the drama begins: In his attempt to recreate his daughter using the holo-band and one very large robot -- a mission which Joseph objects to -- he will create the race of Cylons that will eventually overthrow humans. Joseph’s son will grow up to be Admiral Bill Adama.
It’s different than “Battlestar,’ to be sure. But we loved it. The worst part is that the rest won’t be airing on Syfy (formerly Sci Fi Channel, sigh) until sometime in 2010.
We break it down below. Obviously, spoilers ahead:
To frak or not to frak: Things are racier right off the bat in “Caprica.” The show opens to the blare of heavy house music. The sons and daughters of Caprica are partying like it’s the end of the world in an anything-goes nightclub. And by anything goes, we mean human sacrifices, group sex rooms, the works. It all turns out to be the virtual reality inside Zoe’s holo-band, but it’s a place we’ll come back to several times during the pilot. Society run amok, gods replacing God, the world as Zoe sees it. Yeah, ‘Caprica’ is racier, and heavier too.
No, really, it’s a hard R: Syfy will not be airing this DVD version. Before the place where the first commercial break would be, there is nudity, gratuitous sex and a disturbing suicide bombing. Speaking of...
It’s slow and somber: ... but we’ll be darned if that slow burn doesn’t feel good. Daniel loses a daughter, Joe loses his wife and daughter, and a lot of people lose their lives in a train explosion. That’s a heck of a tone to set for a series opener, but it’s that tragedy that gets everything else -- including the biggie: reanimation -- moving. In ‘BSG,’ humans are running away from the Cylons. In ‘Caprica,’ they’re not running away from something scary; they’re running toward it.
Adama vs. Adama: Can Joseph compare to his future son? Absolutely. We see where Admiral Adama got his pride. Not only does Joseph object to the idea of bringing his daughter back by any means, he comes out of hiding behind a changed surname, ‘Adams,’ once it’s time to start teaching his son what’s important.
Intergalactic race wars: Before there were Cylons, there were Taurons. And here, Taurons all appear to be tattooed and Latin. Capricans are, by contrast, snow white. Ah, humans. We always have to be at war with somebody.
Religious zealotry will get you everywhere: The ‘BSG’ series finale divided fans who felt like it was too preachy, and those who thought it was, heh, divine. The former group may not be able to get behind ‘Caprica,’ which starts with that suicide bombing, done in the name of one God, as opposed to the many who populate the belief system in this world. Monotheistic vs. polytheistic beliefs cause the first major domino to fall in the ‘BSG’ universe and here it plays out not so subtly. And they’ll just keep falling harder and harder until the clash of religions becomes the driving force for the Cylons. Get ready.
Ooooh, shiny! On ‘Caprica,’ technology is new and helpful, not murderous with parental issues. The machines answer the door, act as security guards, and are all together pretty sweet.
And hey, there’s the first Cylon: Think the first “Terminator.” Clunkier, not so accurate, still getting its bearings, but, knowing what’s ahead, altogether scary and ominous.
What did you all think? Did Ron Moore do ‘Battlestar’ proud or should he have left well enough alone?
--Jevon Phillips and Denise Martin
Update: An earlier version of this story referred to William Adama as Joseph’s grandson. He is Joseph’s son.
