TV Review: Caprica Pilot Episode

Many people when thinking about something in the Sci-fi genre might think of a farfetched space setting (Star Trek) or a futuristic society and with shallow characters and even shallower plot with little endear it to viewers outside of flashy special effects (99.9 % of all sci-fi). Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of sci-fi’s and especially those flashy special effects, but I’ve always hoped someone would try and push it further: to make a sci-fi with some depth and meaning. Firefly seemed to tease at that but it didn’t get enough viewers to justify itself to the axe wielding big-wigs at FOX who gave it the chop after just one season. Perhaps viewers just weren’t interested in that type of show.

Then along came Battlestar Galactica. I don’t know how many of you have seen it, but I highly recommend it. Far from being generic sci-fi show no.6, it had the perfect mix of drama, action and even moments of humour, usually revolving around frequently hallucinating Gaius Baltar (played by Brit actor James Callis). Think Eastenders in space but actually good and your getting close to it.

Caprica is the prequel for Battlestar, telling a story set 58 years earlier and showing the creation of the robotic Cylons who would eventually go onto be the great villains of Battlestar Galactica.

I was very impressed with the pilot episode, which showed life on the planet Caprica as very similar to western society in say 20-30 years time, yet at the same time Caprica City (the capital and focus for most of the story) felt like it could be any modern earth city; London on one of the rare sunny days. I loved the way the cultures of each of the colonies shone through and bore similarities to earth cultures. For example the Virgons, who having grown up on a world devoid of resources, are reminiscent of Sicilian gangsters with a deep belief in loyalty between comrades and other Virgons often standing out due to gang markings on their faces to distinguish them.



The special thing about Caprica and also Battlestar before it was the depth of the themes, though the latter got some criticism for it. Personally I’m a fan of things that address the whole Robots vs. Human thing, especially when the robots have machine guns built into the arms! And more than that it’s a sci-fi which seems to fearlessly regards religion beyond the standard “HAHA, now we are in space, who needs God!” and is able to discuss something which for some reason is apparently impossible to have in space sci-fis.

I was a little wary of the slow pace of the pilot. Unlike Galactica, there isn’t going to be (or at least I don’t think there will be) much space for grand special effects battles or action set pieces to switch things up, and despite the excellent thought inducing content of the show I worry that it might become a little droll. But that’s a minor concern and I’ve got faith that cast, crew and producers of Caprica can produce something to the pedigree of Battlestar.

Caprica is available for purchase (if you’re into that type of thing) on DVD in the US for about $14.99, which by the time you read this is probably equivalent to £500. Unfortunately no word on a UK release date but SkyOne have picked up the rights to the full series when it airs early next year so keep your eyes open for the pilot showing sometime before then.

Overall (not an average): 8/10