Caprica: This Is Not Your Father's Sci-Fi
Caprica: This Is Not Your Father’s Sci-Fi
By Bria L./helplessdancer
Imagine: you live on a planet that looks like it could have been from the Thirties or Forties except for the distinctly sci-fi touch of mobiles and robots and other more high-tech things. The planet is Caprica, one of the Twelve Colonies, and you’ve just found yourself fifty-eight years before their destruction. Welcome to the world of Caprica, Sy-Fy’s new spin-off show from its reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Caprica takes its viewers to a world before the Cylons, sentient robots who are able to cheat death, have even been created much less before they launch two wars against humanity.
Caprica follows the lives of two families, the Adamas and the Greystones, through the creation of the Cylons. Both families are destroyed by a terrorist attack on the Caprica City subway. Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) loses his wife and daughter and the Greystones lose their daughter Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) who was with the boy who detonated the bomb. Daniel Greystone (Eric Stoltz), a brilliant scientist and programmer, discovers his daughter’s own groundbreaking work, which will be the foundation for the Cylons’ minds, and uses it to complete his military contract for the creation of perfect soldiers. Joseph and Daniel meet and form something that oscillates between friendship and enmity over their respective losses and from that meeting and Zoe’s work with virtual avatars come the birth of the Cylons. Joseph seeks justice for his wife and daughter’s deaths while Daniel can focus only on perfecting his Cylon and preserving his company’s image. The wild card in the deck is Zoe herself who survives through her virtual avatar in the prototype Cylon body unbeknownst to anyone but her best friend Lacy. Each of them is striving to find a new status quo in the ruins over their old lives.
Many members of the original Battlestar Galactica crew remain on board for Caprica but there are certainly new minds involved as well such as the current show runner Kevin Murphy. BSG fans need not fear though: Ron Moore, David Eick, Jane Espenson and many others still remain. Mostly importantly though, the brilliant composer Bear McCreary continues to write for this universe, adding his own fantastic touch to the show. Like all spin-offs, Caprica will have to constantly fight an uphill battle against the expectations set by Battlestar Galactica. Being a prequel, Caprica will also be unable to use established characters and actors from the original series to whom viewers are already attached. However, this works partially in the show’s favour as new fans can start watching without feeling obligated to watch all of the original show. The important information from BSG can be easily gleaned from the material presented within while still allowing for the occasional Easter egg or casual reference that BSG fans will appreciate. However, Caprica certainly strives to differentiate itself from its mothershow both in tone and through themes while still maintaining the same basic fictional universe.
One of the most fascinating things about Caprica actually stems from these differences. While family ties were certainly a factor in Battlestar Galactica, they did not play the key role that they do here. Caprica revolves around the family bonds and expands upon the Tauron culture that that Adamas are a part of despite Joseph’s previous attempts to distance himself. Human and family interaction comes first in this show with Cylons in the background. It is through these interactions that this fantastic cast is allowed to shine especially with Morales and Stoltz. Both men deliver fantastic performances and have viewers believing in their characters from their first appearances. The entire ensemble cast work well together from the main actors to the secondary players. Caprica has created a more believable world through fleshing out the Caprica colony and the Tauron culture in less than four episodes than some shows would able to do in four seasons.
While so many established shows seem to be on a downhill slope, now could be the perfect time to find a new show. Since only four episodes have aired thus far, why not give Caprica a try? Between the strong cast, crew, and interesting storylines, you could find yourself pleasantly surprised.
You can watch Caprica Friday nights at 10pm EST on the SyFy channel or else, catch episode the next day on Hulu.
By Bria L./helplessdancer
Imagine: you live on a planet that looks like it could have been from the Thirties or Forties except for the distinctly sci-fi touch of mobiles and robots and other more high-tech things. The planet is Caprica, one of the Twelve Colonies, and you’ve just found yourself fifty-eight years before their destruction. Welcome to the world of Caprica, Sy-Fy’s new spin-off show from its reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Caprica takes its viewers to a world before the Cylons, sentient robots who are able to cheat death, have even been created much less before they launch two wars against humanity.
Click to viewCaprica follows the lives of two families, the Adamas and the Greystones, through the creation of the Cylons. Both families are destroyed by a terrorist attack on the Caprica City subway. Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) loses his wife and daughter and the Greystones lose their daughter Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) who was with the boy who detonated the bomb. Daniel Greystone (Eric Stoltz), a brilliant scientist and programmer, discovers his daughter’s own groundbreaking work, which will be the foundation for the Cylons’ minds, and uses it to complete his military contract for the creation of perfect soldiers. Joseph and Daniel meet and form something that oscillates between friendship and enmity over their respective losses and from that meeting and Zoe’s work with virtual avatars come the birth of the Cylons. Joseph seeks justice for his wife and daughter’s deaths while Daniel can focus only on perfecting his Cylon and preserving his company’s image. The wild card in the deck is Zoe herself who survives through her virtual avatar in the prototype Cylon body unbeknownst to anyone but her best friend Lacy. Each of them is striving to find a new status quo in the ruins over their old lives.
Many members of the original Battlestar Galactica crew remain on board for Caprica but there are certainly new minds involved as well such as the current show runner Kevin Murphy. BSG fans need not fear though: Ron Moore, David Eick, Jane Espenson and many others still remain. Mostly importantly though, the brilliant composer Bear McCreary continues to write for this universe, adding his own fantastic touch to the show. Like all spin-offs, Caprica will have to constantly fight an uphill battle against the expectations set by Battlestar Galactica. Being a prequel, Caprica will also be unable to use established characters and actors from the original series to whom viewers are already attached. However, this works partially in the show’s favour as new fans can start watching without feeling obligated to watch all of the original show. The important information from BSG can be easily gleaned from the material presented within while still allowing for the occasional Easter egg or casual reference that BSG fans will appreciate. However, Caprica certainly strives to differentiate itself from its mothershow both in tone and through themes while still maintaining the same basic fictional universe.
One of the most fascinating things about Caprica actually stems from these differences. While family ties were certainly a factor in Battlestar Galactica, they did not play the key role that they do here. Caprica revolves around the family bonds and expands upon the Tauron culture that that Adamas are a part of despite Joseph’s previous attempts to distance himself. Human and family interaction comes first in this show with Cylons in the background. It is through these interactions that this fantastic cast is allowed to shine especially with Morales and Stoltz. Both men deliver fantastic performances and have viewers believing in their characters from their first appearances. The entire ensemble cast work well together from the main actors to the secondary players. Caprica has created a more believable world through fleshing out the Caprica colony and the Tauron culture in less than four episodes than some shows would able to do in four seasons.
While so many established shows seem to be on a downhill slope, now could be the perfect time to find a new show. Since only four episodes have aired thus far, why not give Caprica a try? Between the strong cast, crew, and interesting storylines, you could find yourself pleasantly surprised.
You can watch Caprica Friday nights at 10pm EST on the SyFy channel or else, catch episode the next day on Hulu.