Caprica Review

Spoilers..

Watching the pilot episode of Caprica I definitely thought 'this is a little slow' compared to Battlestar Galactica. But then, we really should not compare this show to Battlestar Galactica anyway since from the outset it was very clear that this would be a whole new format for the Battlestar Galactica saga.

There are no Space Battles, no External Scenes in Space whatsoever (At least not in the pilot)

This show is set on the planet Caprica, 58 years before the fall and approx 18 years before the 1st Cylon war.

The only familiar elements in this show are the child' William Adams' (Adama) and his lawyer father which we knew about in BSG. The whole idea of this show seems to play upon the ethical conundrum that comes into play when a parent loses a child and has an opportunity to bring that child back, using artificial means. Here we have the birth of AI.

The Birth of the Cylon.

There is one hope for this show in my mind, that it will 'trick' non sci fi viewers into watching it.

In fact I reckon there are plenty of scenes where you could be watching for a good 20-30 minutes without realising for one moment that this show is actually set on another world, over 150,000 years ago. (hopefully this will trick those sci-fi haters out there :-))

I reserved judgement until he very end of this show before I decided if I liked it or not, and I do, I like it a lot.

I can tell you this for sure. This is no 'Crusade'. (The Ill-fated Babylon 5 Followup Show)

This is no cheap spin-off to a successful show for the sake of making more money. There are solid ideas here, solid ideas indeed. But how long will they last?

This is the show outline given by Wikipedia:

Whereas the dark, post-apocalyptic reimagined series revolved around a final bid for survival, Caprica is preoccupied with a world intoxicated by success. "It's about a society that's running out of control with a wild-eyed glint in its eye," states Ronald D. Moore.

The Twelve Colonies are at their peak, self-involved, oblivious and mesmerized by the seemingly unlimited promise of technology. Framed by the conflict between the Adamas and the Graystones over the resurrection of loved-ones lost in an act of terror, the series will explore ethical implications of advances in artificial intelligence and robotics.

Set against the backdrop of a society with technology a few decades ahead of our own, Caprica is more of a regular drama than a traditional space opera. Instead of space, violent conflict and a plot driven by action, Caprica features cityscapes and unfolds in stories which focus on corporate, political, familial and personal intrigue. With the troubled relationship between two families at its center, the series has even been likened to classic 1970s and 1980s prime time soap operas Dallas and Dynasty, garnering accolades such as "television's first science fiction family saga."

Though Caprica is a prequel, it is self-contained and viewers can join without having seen Battlestar Galactica. While it will explore elements of the backstory of the reimagined series, notably the emergence of artificial life and its progeny the Cylons, it will do so in a manner which requires no prior knowledge.

I for sure recommend you get this show on DVD and give it a go!

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