Breaking with a tradition of episode-by-episde reviews, I shall summarize my feelings on the entire first half season of Caprica in this one post — and a minimum of paragraphs.

Anyone with some interest in the pilot could skip all the episodes between then and the last two (Ghosts In The Machine and the half-season finale End Of Line), and not really miss anything — and probably like the series better. Everything said in an earlier post regarding my disappointment with the series essentially still applies (Caprica: So Say We Don’t).

The half season finale did wrap up some long-running threads, but in uninteresting ways. I’m still dumbfounded that the so-called computer genius Daniel Graystone took this long to figure out where his daughter’s avatar ended up and what to do about it in regards to his business. The Cylon prototype making a run for it was a so-bad-its-good moment. I’m annoyed by the sudden death of one character, unenthused by the potential suicide of another, and disappointed by the rug basically ripped out from beneath Joe Adama (he travelled all that way, through so many episodes, for this?).

It’s a bad sign when terrible things happen to characters and you just don’t care, because no emotional connection exists. I never felt invested in these characters’ fates.

Rumor has SyFy wanting to create another BSG spinoff show, presumably to replace Caprica since it’s still struggling to find an audience. Whether Caprica will be renewed for a second season is unknown. I personally, am not likely watch the second half of season one when (in true Syfy fashion) it airs in October.

The series’ best moment was Daniel Graystone orders the Cylon prototype to shoot his pet dog. I hope SyFy shoots this dog (Caprica) — and doesn’t use blanks.

What with watching and devoting many blog posts to Battlestar Galactica, checking out this season of Caprica is a given, and I had high hopes for this new series.

The hope is fading, and I may reneg on that obligation.

The first new episode (Rebirth) began with an unsettling, Star Wars prequels feeling. We have a CGI introduction of a city scape and an impossible camera move into a pyramid game. The show’s ornate credits try to explain visually, several characters and their purpose, but can’t, as the show’s scope is already quite complicated. Computer genius Daniel Graystone, inventor of the Cylons, has unwittingly placed his dead daughter Zoe in the body of a robot. She was a terrorist, with connections to a mysterious monotheistic cult, of which a school headmaster is a member. Meanwhile, a family of gangsters has tragic connection to the computer genius, and the best friend of the daughter in the robot… are you confused yet?

Yet despite this ambitious scope and myriad of characters to draw upon, the show moves way too slowly. Already, after just two new episodes, there’s a long roster of new characters and situations I can’t keep track of, while wondering why. It’s a messy mix of teen drama, family conflict, sci fi, religious allusions, and a cop show. Not helping: the characters aren’t as strongly defined as those of Battlestar Galactica — no paranoid selfish, Baltar, gruff Tigh, or even hot Cylons to gawk at. The Capricans seem like early models of the relatively dull Billy, Helo, or Tory.

The only character I have any interest in, is Zoe Graystone. Unfortunately, she’s dead, only existing as a digital “avatar” residing in a Cylon body. Perhaps realizing the dramatic limitations, scenes alternate between a CGI cylon and the actress. She does appear in the virtual world along with her friend Lacy’s avatar and Joe Adama’s dead daughter, but so far, the series hasn’t spent much time there.

I can’t help but recall Battlestar Galactica’s first season, which had a very clear, straightforward premise — the human race, overwhelmed by the mysterious cylons is struggling to survive. A one sentence explanation of what’s going on and why you should be watching. One viewing of 33 and I was hooked.

Yes, Caprica is a very different show than BSG. But I ask myself during each viewing: would I be watching this, if it had no connection to that other show? The answer so far, is clearly, no.

Really hope the show picks up the pace and starts tying these threads together, or it’s on a clear path to cancellation.

Synopsis

Set fifty years before Battlestar Galactica, successful technologist Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and lawyer Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) face some tough ethical choices regarding cutting-edge technology after their daughters perish in a terrorist attack.

= 4 stars

The Good

• Although Battestar Galactica was able to comment on current events (9/11, terrorism) it could only go so far because of its spaceship environment. Caprica’s world is more similar to ours: high school kids, tennis, lawyers, corporate intrigue, religion, racism, and crime syndicates, and sets the stage for more direct analogies.
• Decent motivation for the creation of humanoid robots. Above his defense contract, Daniel (wealthy creator of the holoband, who I imagined as a cross between Jobs and Gates) wants to provide a body for his dead daughter, Zoe, who exists solely as a digital avatar in virtual reality.
• The initial apocalypse of Battlestar Galactica hangs over everything like a shroud. The partying in a virtual world resembles the fall of the Roman Empire, Caligula style, references to the “one God” have a larger resonance, and the creation of the first Cylon can only be seen as sowing the seeds of eventual doom. Therefore, small moments — a prototype Cylon fires paint balls at Daniel, or three high school friends saying “so say we all” — are unsettling.
• Hints at a personally intriguing theme: technology is just a tool, and how it’s used by imperfect humanity that screws it up. There’s a great back and forth between Daniel and Joseph regarding whether Zoe’s avatar should even be resurrected. Joe calls it an aberration, while Daniel considers his plan a fatherly duty. Very appropriate that interactions with the avatars occur in complete darkness.
• The odd, Frankenstein ending is quite disturbing on further thought. There’s potential to go even darker than Battlestar Galactica, which would be a good thing.

The Bad

• Slow pacing, especially during the dialogue-heavy middle. It picks up again about an hour in where Daniel introduces Joseph to the holoband.
• Will the high school stuff become Gossip Girl in space?
• No space battles.

Conclusion

While slow at times, Caprica retains enough themes from Battlestar Galactica while differentiating itself in look and feel to be a separate, compelling series in its own right. It’s well positioned to make some interesting commentary on the use of technology in our own society. This is a world where technology lets humanity revel in our darkest nature (the holoband), people can be resurrected from the lives they lead online, and there is a great need for religion as savior. The pilot has a strange staying power, which is good, because the series proper won’t start until next year. This leaves plenty of time to watch this pilot again a few months hence, and I intend to.

Esai Morales plays Joseph Adama, a civil liberties lawyer and Bill’s (the eventual Admiral) father. This would be the same lawyer Lee tries to emulate for Baltar’s trial. Eric Stoltz plays Daniel Graystone, a brilliant scientist whose robotic experiments eventually lead to the Cylons.

The trailer shows a teenage robot girl causing confusion among several cast members — overall, reminding me of the Spielberg misfire AI, a bit of Blade Runner, and of course, good, soon to be old-and-classic, Battlestar Galactica.

The more detail-obsessed may imagine some clues to the forth-coming conclusion of Battlestar Galactica.

Here’s the trailer, let the drooling commence:

Update: YouTube took the trailer down; here it is at SciFi Channel.