A Man. And His Blog.

Syfy's BSG prequel aired between January and March 2010, October 2010 and January 2011

The Caprica pilot takes place 58 years before the Battlestar Galactica miniseries. It follows the lives of two families, the Graystone’s and the Adama’s. A startling development occurs by the end of the pilot — the creation of the first cybernetic life-form node, shortly called “Cylon”. The Graystone family includes the father Daniel (Eric Stoltz) and mother Amanda (Paula Malcomson), a computer scientist and surgeon respectively. When their daughter Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) dies due to the religious fanaticism of her boyfriend, Ben Stark (Avan Jogia), her father manages to resurrect her. Already having acquired a digital clone of her personality developed by Zoe herself, he uses stolen technology to create a robotic version of his daughter, the first step towards creating the Cylon race. The same terrorist attack claims the lives of Joseph Adama’s (Esai Morales) wife Shannon and daughter Tamara (Genevieve Buechner). Together with Daniel Graystone he initially works on bringing back their children, but is appalled at his partner’s methods and ethics. However, as a result of this tragedy, he grows closer to his eleven-year old son William (Sina Najafi).

Episode 01: Pilot
I reviewed this one during the last midseason. Go back in time, click on this link and read the review. 8/10

Episode 02: Rebirth
A good episode, and it is surprisingly not a stand-alone episode. This one really felt like a small part of something bigger, without any one- or two-episoded side plots or something similar. Though it could be exactly that at the end of episode four or so, the writers did a good job in things regarding the bigger picture of the series and the series universe in a whole.
I liked the style the producers changed between Zoe and the robot, though it seemed a bit awkward in the beginning that we are always seeing both of them, always changing during interactions with other characters. It gives the robot more of a soul and a real life, while the producers save money with not showing the robot all the time, and can spend money on Alessandra Torresani.
The story of the episode was alright; we only saw how Zoe tried to come clear in the body of a robot, while she probably tries to prevent Daniel from putting more versions of her into other machines – here the writers have to be clear, because Zoe’s intentions are unknown right now. But it was nice to see Magda Apanowicz in the main cast, I had a few doubts after the pilot movie, when I took a peek in her IMDB file, in which she was credited for only two episodes. 7.5/10

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Well then… For a series finale actually pretty good, even though it ends on an open basis. But since the history is known, thanks to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, the end was not so open after all. CAPRICA could be considered the history piece before the Cylons even thought about a revolution and about to live their lives as God’s children.

It was a really good episode, maybe the best of the series, and on the same level like the pilot. The story was great, the last four minutes were great, and the confrontations were pushed to the limits, all with their final ends. That Daniel (Eric Stoltz) and Amanda (Paula Malcomson) felt called upon preventing the STO from blowing up the stadium was predictable since the last episode, but it was great how they did it. All of a sudden, an army of Cylons lands in the stadium, and snipers the STO martyrs – very cool and so unexpected. With this scene, the second season could have been so interesting to watch, when it came to the development of the Cylons, and their first action in the open (after all, those robots just killed six people in front of millions and TV cameras).

The only thing about the Daniel/Amanda team-up: Zoe’s (Alessandra Torresani) story came too short, and at the end the development of the resurrection program was way too rushed. Instead the writers decided to put Zoe against Clarice’s (Polly Walker) heaven world, which is alright for the episode, but at the end it wasn’t enough for me. Especially since the resurrection program is still confusing, since it doesn’t explain why the skinjob-Cylons need the “bath” to be resurrected. But other than that, Zoe’s scenes in Clarice’s virtual world were great, when she came with “I am God”, balled her fists and changed the world in front of everybody.

The rest of the episode was okay. I missed Lacy (Magda Apanowicz) and her friends plus Cylons – this storyline was completely gone in the finale, and was only mentioned during the four-minute-ending, when Lacy was the Mother of Gemenon, and could basically kick Clarice’s ass. Furthermore, the first part of the episode was lame. Daniel and Amanda are on the run, and it was mentioned that the whole world was looking for them, but I’ve never had the feeling that they were enemies of the state. It could have been a better story, when the writers would have began with it a couple of episodes earlier.

The unimportant storyline: the Adama’s. Again it felt like it didn’t belong into the series, and again I’ve never developed some interest in any of it. And the twist with “Willie” having died: Now the other brother comes around, is renamed Bill (Marcus Towfigh), and is the future commander of the Galactica. That twist was a bit lame, but as long as it was “tradition”, I can’t say much about it.

It was a good episode, a good finale, and thanks to the four-minute-ending, it even works as a series finale. I wasn’t expecting for CAPRICA to roll out the best what it had during the last episodes. Thankfully it did, so the series isn’t that boring at the end. 8/10

A Cylon is ready for some live-action

And in the virtual world, Clarice loses everything

This was a good episode. Confusing too, since I still don’t get the storyline involving Joseph (Esai Morales)  and Sam (Sasha Roiz). But this was an episode, which kinda finishes one storyline and prepares another one for the season finale, as well as the second season, if it would have been ordered.

The story in the virtual world was good. That Amanda (Paula Malcomson) killed Sam off the game was a nice surprise, but that the “fight” in Zoe’s (Alessandra Torresani) world was so lame and easy to pass, was a disappointment – just a few virtual dragons, and discussions between the characters without any important content, except Daniel (Eric Stoltz) and Amanda growing closer to each other again. The episode could have done more with the story in the virtual world, instead of letting Daniel and Amanda wandering around in the woods; and the ending of it all was ridiculous too: How did Zoe get back to the Cylon body? After all, she suddenly landed in the virtual world after the destruction of U-87 (no reason given how and why she did), but now it is so easy for her to accept her family and return to the Cylon body? Or did I miss something. At least the final scene was great, when Zoe-Cylon smashed Nestor (Scott Porter) to death with its arm – very neat.

Again I missed the larger reason behind Clarice’s (Polly Walker) break-in into the Graystone house. Was it all just about the stolen band and killing Amanda for spying, or was there more behind? Somehow the writers manage to bring more meaning into a storyline, which half of the meaning is actually meaningful, while the other half helps me to understand the whole thing. Unfortunately I’m always missing or sleeping through the other half and always get the first half of it. Anyway…

Lacy’s (Magda Apanowicz) storyline was okay. Some of the STO terrorist are dead now, and Lacy plans something big with the Cylon robots. I don’t know why, but it could be a good storyline for the finale. And of course Odin (Ryan Kennedy) was kinda spying on Lacy. Okay, he wanted to stay out of it, but that the STO wanted him to kill her… predictable. That he didn’t kill her and instead wanted to kill the STO terrorists… predictable. That the gun was empty… predictable. But it was still a nice scene, when the others came out and killed the terrorist. Now Lacy is basically the leader of the STO on Gemenon. Is the first battle with the robots coming now?

Francis (Christian Tessier) tried to kill Joseph – not really an interesting story. It felt out of place and I was almost thinking that it had nothing to do with the storylines of the series. But somehow the writers managed to bring the storyline into a connection with the Cylons being sold around. That Willie (Sina Najafi) was shot at the end was a surprise though. Not that he is dying in the finale, and all the mythology around BATTLESTAR GALACTICA has to be changed…

On the other hand: I’m happy that the series finale is coming now. 7/10

Lacy commands some Cylons...

And Zoe is about to cry...

Well, I don’t really know what to make of this episode. Somehow it was good, somehow it was teasing the season (series) finale throughout the whole episode. Nothing much happened, instead of some revelations, but at least the episode felt like it was preparing the finale.

The stories were alright. Sam (Sasha Roiz) came a bit short again, though I was expecting him to be in the center of the series. He still has to do the job of killing Daniel (Eric Stoltz), or not? Why don’t I see anything about it anymore? Either the writers forgot about it, or they just knew they couldn’t do anything with the story, considering that Daniel is a major character and would have been part of the second season. Furthermore I still ask myself why the series even focuses on Sam. He is the only major character, who had the least interesting storylines, and who looks like a supporting character, who coincidentally appears in almost every episode.

Daniel’s search for Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) in the virtual world was interesting. First I was surprised that Zoe killed him out of the game, but during the second half of the episode, I was disappointed when it came to the return of Daniel into the game. I always thought that it was impossible to return to the game, but Daniel does it with a bit of patience, pressure and money. I wonder why nobody else is doing the same to return to the game. The cliffhanger (“Let them come”) was lame though – I don’t know what Zoe is up to in the virtual world: Is she about to start a battle to win the world for herself?

Lacy’s (Magda Apanowicz) storyline was really interesting, despite her little make-out-session with Odin (Ryan Kennedy). That she could command the robots was cool and creepy (I want to know the reason, though I think she can lead them, because some of Zoe’s avatar is left in the other robots), that she was hoping to find Zoe in one of the robots was alright (but I believed she knew that Zoe would be gone for ever), that she basically stands against the STO is even more cool. I still don’t know what to make of Lacy as a STO terrorist, but now it seems she has every reason not to martyr herself or kill other people. Is she about to save lives in the next two episodes? By the way: I believe that Oden is spying on Lacy. His comment “Don’t you trust me?” was just awkward.

And Clarice (Polly Walker) is  finally realizes that Amanda (Paula Malcomson) is the spy. It could be a thrilling storyline in the next episode, when the STO is about to bomb the stadium (finally, it’s a real storyline, after the virtual fake-out in the tenth episode). And it could be interesting to watch, if Clarice is bitchy enough to kill Amanda or save her life, because she is her friend.

For CAPRICA standards it was a solid episode, but it was too much teasing for the next two episodes – it could have had more story. 6.5/10

Lacy talks to a Cylon...

The married couple is going on a virtual tour

I just hope that the episode was just a filler between the last two good episodes and the last three episodes, where the story seriously needs to be fast-paced to save the season. Because this episode was just another one of those boring one-hour dramas, which tried to be intellectual, but still can’t get any important and/or interesting storylines.

I was happy that the story returned to Virtual Caprica, even though it was only the teasing of the avenging angels storyline, as well as Tamara (Genevieve Buechner) and Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) with not enough screentime. The story started good, when they entered the bar, and everybody was escaping out fo the game, and when they killed the two other husbands out of it, but the rest of it was not really that interesting. At least Daniel (Eric Stoltz) knows now that Zoe is still alive, though I ask myself how he knows that – after all, he still could think that it is Zoe’s avatar which is still alive. The gods theme was interesting though, when Zoe said to Tamara, the two are gods in this world.

So, Sam (Sasha Roiz) has to kill Daniel to get accepted by his new family, and Daniel knows all about it… Somewhat interesting, most of the time boring, thanks to the flashbacks, which I didn’t need much. The scenes in the flashbacks were emotional, especially when Sam’s and Joseph’s mother was beaten, and when Joseph killed his father, but other than that half of it was a waste of time (for me). Furthermore the episode didn’t really focus on Sam here, which could be considered a mistake – especially after Sam enters the family, and when he got the mission of quietly killing Daniel, and because of the fact that Daniel is trying to make a deal with him. On the other hand: The series never really focused much on Sam, which is already a shame.

The story around Amanda (Paula Malcomson) was boring too. I’ve already forgotten most parts of it, since it seems so out of place. Now Amanda doesn’t have her contact anymore, and she probably can’t spy on Clarice (Polly Walker) anymore. Yes, that was definitely a story stop so short before the finale. Very lame.

Why is it always V-Caprica, who kinda-saves the episode? 5.5/10

The avenging angels are ready to drink. And to kill you

What happens, when you witness a child murdering its father

Damn, that was a good episode. It’s the second time in a row where I asked myself why the whole season could have looked like this. One thrilling storyline with a terrible ending, one storyline which looks like a conspiracy, and another storyline I don’t really want to understand. I almost have to say that the writing is working for the last episodes of the season (and series).

The hostage situation in the air was a thrilling storyline, and even though I absolutely hated the fact that it was all a test to see, whether the new STO recruits can hold under pressure, I liked every second of it. How the two “chosen” kids were killed, how the other kid lost faith in everything and announced a change of god, as well as the whisper discussions, if a counterattack would be meaningful – these were all great scenes, and when Lacy (Magda Apanowicz) and her friend Odin (Ryan Kennedy) finally attacked, I wanted it all to be an awesome storyline. Until the “twist” came. The two dead kids are suddenly alive, everything was an exercise, and all was for nothing. I’m just forgetting that part of the story and fast forward to the scene on Gemenon, where the guys were killed, who changed their gods in the face of death. That it was a Cylon who killed them was not a surprise though, and the last scene wanted to be creepy, but wasn’t really.

As for the rest of the episode: I don’t understand why Graystone Industries made business with the STO and why they didn’t do anything, when Cylons were delivered to the STO. Not just am I missing how the STO actually knew of the technology and why they need Cylons, but I don’t get the connection between Daniel’s (Eric Stoltz) business and the STO at the moment. It is possible that the writers gave me an answer already, but in the midst of a somewhat terrible story development, I lost all the information again. But at least it looks like everything is coming to play now.

Clarice’s (Polly Walker) storyline was good. Now that she knew she had a spy in her house, she could act like a crazy woman and kill somebody. Clarice could actually be a nice villain in a separated storyline, and this episode made some good steps forward to it, but I can’t understand why she didn’t realize that Amanda (Paula Malcomson) was the spy. The kill scene was creepy though, when she just took the baby. One thing I didn’t get: Why is Singh (Peter Wingfield) suddenly so important in the series?

It was a solid episode, one of the best of CAPRICA; and now I would wish that the rest of the series would have this quality, without the terrible “twists” though. 7/10

That is a mad Clarice!

That is a desperate Lacy!

CAPRICA still has the problems it had for 12 episodes now, but it seems like I’m seeing a greater good behind all the storylines. Though I was expecting for Daniel (Eric Stoltz) to develop the resurrection program, after the destruction and the boxing of the Zoe-Cylon, it should have been developed from the pilot on. Going deeper into the elements, which were used later in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is a good idea, explaining them and showing how they were developed, is a good idea, but I can’t understand why the writers were needing half of a season to start these storylines. At least I can understand now, why Zoe’s storyline was over after the Cylon’s “car accident” in the midseason cliffhanger.

The episode was alright, though Daniel’s storyline seemed to be a filler. He is still trying to figure out the resurrection program, and he is wasting all his time in the program with Amanda (Paula Malcomson), and how he exercised to tell her the truth. The second encounter between Daniel and Amanda’s avatar looked real at first, and it reminded me of the opening scene of season 1.5, when the stadium exploded, but all of it was fake and virtual, just to prove a point. Again the writers wasted a good emotional storyline with this virtual crap, instead of bringing the characters and the storylines forward. And what did Daniel’s story bring at the end? Maybe he knows now how to talk to Amanda, and we know that he wants to love her. The only thing is: It doesn’t develop his character.

But finally Sam (Sasha Roiz) got his own storyline for once. I’ve had the feeling it was his first one in the series, and it was a good one. I don’t know where his new enemies were coming from, and why everybody was so interested in killing each other, but I liked Sam’s “revenge” – though I don’t know how Sam got to a Cylon for his stunt. The scene in the hotel suite (or whatever they were in) was nice, and it brings a bit action into the show WITH a Cylon, which brings some connections to the original series.

Only Clarice’s (Polly Walker) storyline was boring as hell, and didn’t bring anything as well. That Amanda is lying for the sake of blowing up the STO is an alright-story, which should have been more in the focus of this episode. The birth storyline was lame, and I asked myself why the polygamy story was picked up again – I thought it was over already?

And no Zoe? No Lacy? I kinda missed them here… 6/10

A Cylon in action

Life doesn't have good quality anymore, when it flickers all the time

In the middle of everything: Zoe (right), who died

Who didn’t like the series finale of Battlestar Galactica? I read some reviews about the three-part “Daybreak”, aired last year on SyFy, and everybody hated it. It was funny to read on one side that fans totally loved the ending of the series, on the other side series freaks hated the ending for its ridiculousness and therefor hated the last two seasons of Battlestar Galactica.
Now, SyFy starts the prequel Caprica, which plays 58 years before the fall, and how do the haters react now? I am not one of them – I liked Battlestar Galactica’s series finale – and I liked the pilot of Caprica. Basically

First: You don’t have to know Battlestar Galactica to understand the series. But, as always, it would help to understand all the connections. And not just because the writers always built some connections into the show, which are unnecessary and kinda ridiculous (for example Joseph Adama being the father of William – future commander of the Galactica -, and involved in the development of the Cylons). The series doesn’t need the character connections, it just needs the “religious” views BSG had during its run: believing in the Gods, the twelve colonies, the stories about the thirteenth colony named Earth… Bringing William Adama’s father into the game of the prequel was really unnecessary, and the writers could have told the same story with another father character.
This is practically the most biggest critic point I have with this pilot movie, because I quite liked the rest. It was some sort of family drama, cybernetic science fiction resembling Terminator or Transformers, and a virtual world reality with stepping from one world to another. All these genres could be interesting, when the writers try to manage the balance will all these genres.

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