Caprica

I am a huge fan of Battlestar Galactica. As such, over the last few months since that series ended, I have been looking forward to this spin-off prequel with great anticipation.

Caprica is a different type of show. It’s about a different time, taking place 58 years before the events of the Battlestar Galactica miniseries. The society is decadent, it’s bloated, advanced, and is troubled.

Caprica may feel like a “soap opera” but that’s the nature of the show. It’s more drama than sci-fi action.

Since this is only a pilot to a series that is coming in 2010 - long after the SciFi Channel changes its name to the vastly inferior “SyFy” – there isn’t “much” here to go on. A traditional film would expend far too much time and development too quickly. For an introduction into the series, the film serves its purposes just fine.

This show should even be interesting to those who are unfamiliar with the previous series Battlestar Galactica. It builds on the events leading up to the first Cylon war, where the Cylons, a robotic race is created and eventually rebels against their Human masters. No prior knowledge is necessary, though minor subtleties may be lost or be found to be unimportant when they show up. This is not like the Star Wars prequels, which I can’t imagine being “fun” to watch in any respects if you have no prior knowledge of who Obi-Wan Kenobi is, or why we should care if the Jedi are killed off. I knew what happened and I still didn’t care!

Eric Stoltz stars as Daniel Graystone, who is spurred to try and resurrect his daughter Zoe (Alessandra Toreson) after she dies in a terrorist attack. Esai Morales is Joseph Adams, who’s wife and daughter are both killed in that same attack and who is left to raise his son, William. Also starring is Paula Malcomson as Amanda Graystone, Daniel’s wife; Polly Walker as Sister Clarice Willow; and Sasha Roiz as Sam Adama, Joseph’s brother.

I know this will eventually make its way into a box set. I realize that, but don’t mind – since I’m viewing this an entire year before the box set (which I’ll pick up on Blu-Ray) will be released. This will tide me over just fine.

*** 1/2 out of *****