TV Review: Caprica – Pilot

“If one does what God does enough times, one will become as God is.” – Hannibal Lecktor, Manhunter

Fans, just like any other collective, are a fickle bunch. So passionate were fans of the original Battlestar Galactica that blood might have literally boiled when word spread in 2003 of a “re-imagined” version of the show in the works. Now, admittedly, this was rising out of the ashes just a couple of years after the promise of a continuation series, not to mention, that fans must still be burned over 20 years later by the quick-cash shitfest that was Galactica 1980 (a show so poor that it can neither be used or excused as a comparison). Obviously, many gave the show a chance and soon understood why it was getting the refreshing treatment it did. Flash forward 6 years later and as the critically acclaimed series is laid to rest, a prequel is set to carry the mantle; and just as it was before, it seemed that some fans of the newer Galactica seem determined to cast dispersions, even those before having even laid eyes on the prequel series. Seriously, it’s like someone laughing at a joke that they don’t realise is about them. With that in mind, I’ll admit that I had my own reservations.

In addition to the fear that the series would fall back on the sleek and clean mold of science fiction clichés past, I was, in general, apprehensive of how the premise could be longed out to supply enough material for an ongoing series, or if the creative force can strike more riches from another vein. Having watched the pilot, I’m suffice with having my fear more or less terminated with my only lingering doubt being the support of those particular fraction of fans. If they let their idiotic, self-righteous, restrictive boxed-in minds rule, then the series may have itself tethered to a very short run. Hopefully, the critical acclaim the pilot has received is a good window into what audiences will get out of this and, assuming it retains its quality, the show will have a good run.

While the series certainly has a great benefit of being an extension of Battlestar Galactica, there is enough independently spun meat on this bone to keep it quite interesting all by itself. With the risk of driving it into the ground, it should be advised that Caprica is not Battlestar Galactica. There are no space battles (or any space at all, so far), no military, none of the “limited resources” like circumstances, or any grand guessing games. Well, the last one remains to be seen, but it’s safe to bet that the “who’s a Cylon?” question will never come into play. The only storytelling continuity betwixt the two is the use of character-driven drama. The new series even eschews the shaky-cam technique because, as it’s explained in one of the video blogs, the series is set in a considerably less chaotic time.

Part of the appeal to Galactica fans is that Caprica is delivered with a promise to fans that it will be half the answer(s) to some of the questions left over from the finale – the other being the telefilm The Plan. However, while The Plan dedicates itself to covering the more superficial plot aspects of the show first two seasons with a moral comb, Caprica assumes the role of laying out a much grander framework for a larger part of the story.

The series is set 58 years before “The Fall”, i.e. the desolation of the dozen habitable planetary bodies known collectively as the Twelve Colonies. The show’s title is taken from the name of one of these colonies and where the entire pilot is – and most, if not the entirety of the subsequent series will be – set. As made evident in Battlestar Galactica, the planet Caprica is the centre of the colonies in virtually every respect except literally, and even then, a lack of celestial map leaves this fact open. Underneath its shiny surface bubbles a war, one between a multitude of gods known as the Lords of Kobol and that of a single, all knowing, powerful entity referred to only as God. This battle shines a light on a clash of titans that fans had assumed began to rumble only in the time of the Cylons.

It turns out battles were being fought not only decades earlier under different circumstances, but also between mere humans. It seems that many have secretly shunned the polytheistic idea of petty, warring deities, a belief that has clearly not led to a better society. In fact, the world is quite hedonistic with the teenage population congregating in a VR-like experience called the V-Club. There you can fuck, kill, beat the shit out of one another, and even sacrifice a virgin to the goddess of the underworld. Nothing really that far off from the flavour of those Grand Theft Auto video games.

Three teens seem to be regulars, but visit seemingly just to scoff at the decadence and ignorance of the participants. However, they also have an avatar of one of themselves, Zoe Graystone, daughter of brilliant computer engineer and, by a not-so coincidental collision, creator of the holoband, a device that allows one to enter the V-Club and commit aforementioned debauchery. This avatar has been enabled all of its flesh and blood counterpart’s memories and characteristics. Evidently, this avatar was created for a special purpose, a tidbit of information not expanded on at all in the pilot. To initialise this vague plan, the three set to travel to the planet of Gemenon, but Lucy Rand pusses out, an act that saves her life. Unbeknownst to the two girls, Zoe’s boyfriend, Ben Stark, strikes a mighty blow for the “one true God” by blowing himself up in His name aboard a train.

From there, the plot of the story kicks into gear. Among the casualties is the wife and daughter of attorney Joseph Adama who Galactica fans know is the father of future battlestar commander William Adama (seen in the series as an 11-year-old). He and Graystone strike up an engaging relationship in the pilot, as the two are literally from different worlds. Adama grew up in Tauron, its people distrusted and often referred to as “dirt eaters”; his brother is a member of the criminal organisation Ha’la’tha whom he often represents against his better moral judgement; and so desperate to shake off prejudice, changed the family name from Adama to Adams.

On the other hand, Graystone is pretty a rich white person. That’s the best way to put it because not much information is brought up concerning his past; in fact, despite having created the beings that would wage war against and subsequently exterminate the human population, his name is suspiciously never brought up at all in Battlestar Galactica. Nevertheless, his wealth and corporate power gives him very few disadvantage, like owning a sports team. The best way to paint him is to say that, in some ways, he seems to be a precursor to Gaius Baltar, save for his weakness for self-preservation and women. The similarities are clear when you realise that the Graystone home looks like Baltar’s own Caprican house and say nothing of their connections to the Cylons and God. I can’t help but think there’s meant to be some kind of parallel drawn between the two men. We shall have to wait to see what more can be drawn from this. Back to point, Graystone, while well-composed, does seem to become unraveled when he realises that the avatar left behind by and of his daughter can be a key to bringing her back in some fashion. Before the pilot is done, he has already requested of Adama to use his own mob ties to retrieve a valuable component that could very well bring her back to the real world. Surely, a theme we will see is what lines these two men will or won’t cross.

One of the facets to the series as a Galactica expansion is that in the very first episode, we already see certain things becoming more clearly. I obviously won’t detail the Battlestar Galactica finale, but just by viewing the pilot, one already has a sense that the conclusion of said series is a kind of “coming full circle” from the sequence of events initiated in Caprica. A much larger story is being told here and puts the finale in a larger perspective. The mythology of this particular universe is based on the idea that it’s kind of stuck on a repeat cycle. When you make just a cursory examination of the environment, you see where the story is going… and will go again. That’s all I can indulge myself to say.

Nonetheless, the series draws out a very apt depiction of our society as it is now. In fact, this helps drive a frightening aspect home: though set before the 9/11esque Cylon attacks, the series builds a fairly accurate reflection of our post-9/11 society. The impression to be had here once again strikes on the chord of “all this has happened before and all of this will happen again.” Simple complacency is the key factor. Everyone is so involved in sliding down with the moral decline, they don’t see the storm that’s brewing just on the horizon. The only thing missing to help reconstruct our own soulless society is vacuous celebrities like Paris Hilton or the cast of The Hills who’ve been sold fame for the task of taking up space. Nevertheless, we have suicide bombings.

It’s not technically a new detail, but whereas those depicted before were under the act of military tactics and/or severe civil disobedience, this is the first time it’s seen done in the role of religious extremism, which is surprising given the dogmatic duel of dual faiths in the series. However, its use here helps to mirror our own society. And the fact that we are watching a prequel, with the knowledge of where the sinful course of actions will lead the people of the colonies works incredibly well in telling this story. This makes the sequence of events more compelling without the time travelling plot device utilised by the Terminator mythos. Without running such interference, we can see an unperverted peek into just how things can go downhill so well.

Another element that should not and will not be overlooked is the social commentary that made Galactica its critical success. Both series ask the fundamental question regarding what exactly is that consists of a human being. In Galactica, it tackles this using the idea of a humanoid Cylon. In this respect, they definitely look human and suffer the many slings and arrows, emotionally, mentally, and physically; however, they evolved from machines, have a stronger endurance level, can physically interact with computers and even download. Thus, the question becomes whether humanity is something physically or a series of intangible flaws and strengths. In Caprica, the existential question is propped up by the use of copying memories and personality. If “I think, therefore I am,” then can someone who thinks and behaves as I do technically be me? Like the Cylon analogy, the question proposed cannot be answered very simply. Instead, the series will no doubt thoroughly examine it over the course of a series of episodes, or at least I hope it does. And while I’m still not entirely clear on how the series will manage to expand on a story about the Cylons’ further development and eventual rebellion without filler or some serious heel-dragging, enough set-up and potential is cemented in the groundwork that is this pilot to ensure that there is going to be something to watch.

By the end of the episode, we have already reached a significant point in their design (which very well maybe an answer to a central question of the Cylon backstory) and there is a conspiracy plot involving the Soldiers of the One, a fanatical religious group that no doubt draws some inspiration from the likes of Al-Qaeda; as well as an investigation of Jordan Duram, an agent of the Global Defense Department (read: Department of Homeland Security) into the terrorist bombing. The character comes off very determined to do his job, but is a bit an asshole about it, as if it’s not enough to do his job; he has to be self-righteous about it. It seems to be a quite likely set-up for another ethical contest in the series, this one between the two collective entities as a reflection of their real-life counterparts. This would seem to take less of the spiritual analysis Battlestar Galactica and more of the political and governmental one.

Though I’ve prattled on about the story, the technical aspects hold up to the same par. It’s probably not surprising seeing as how many of the crew that worked on the pilot contributed to Galactica. Fucking hell, even creator of the original series Glen A. Larson retains a superficial Consulting Producer credit. The other carry-overs are composer Bear McCreary, and the special effects team, both of which bring the same level of integrity that stood out in Galactica. The most immediate of the newcomers are co-writer and Executive Producer Remi Aubuchon (whose basic idea for an originally unrelated project laid out the conceptual frame for the series) and director Jeffrey Reiner. It’s hard to tell how much contribution Aubuchon gave to the teleplay, but fresh meat like he and Reiner gave the impression that they can carry the weight being passed onto them from those that came before while still niching a distinctive feel and style for Caprica.

Caprica per the pilot maintains a level of distinction from Battlestar Galactica, with no one in front or behind the camera making lame attempts to imitate anything superficial in hopes of recapturing that proverbial lightning in the bottle. The episode-slash-film establishes that the series to follow will stand on its own feet, that while not being able to shake its sibling of a series, can stand up to and with its predecessor.

Jeffrey Reiner (director) / Remi Aubuchon, Ronald D. Moore (screenplay)
CAST: Eric Stoltz … Daniel Graystone
Esai Morales … Joseph Adama
Alessandra Torresani … Zoe Graystone
Hiro Kanagawa … Cyrus Xander
Brian Markinson … jordan Duram
Panou … Olaf Willow
Alex Arsenault … Philomon
Avan Jogia … Ben Stark
Genevieve Buechner … Tamara Adams
Leah Gibson … Emmanuelle