Caprica

Fast Learner · Jan 26, 2010

Yeah, that's the only thing that really bugged me, that "download" meant "move" rather than "copy." Maybe if they'd used "transfer."

Thornir Alekeg · Feb 1, 2010

2 episodes in and my interest level is falling quickly. I'm willing to go a little longer, but if all this show is about is a bunch of angst and guilt-ridden people paving the way for the cylon uprising, then I will be giving up soon.

Thinking about it more after the show, I realized part of the problem is that there isn't a single character that I like in any way. BSG had flawed characters, but almost all of them had something to like or at least make you interested in them. So far I feel nothing, except perhaps annoyance, with the Caprica characters.

Jack7 · Feb 1, 2010

I like the show for the ideas and the concepts explored. But you may have a real point here:

Thinking about it more after the show, I realized part of the problem is that there isn't a single character that I like in any way. BSG had flawed characters, but almost all of them had something to like or at least make you interested in them. So far I feel nothing, except perhaps annoyance, with the Caprica characters.

Most of the characters are very hard to relate to yet, especially the father. The way he decided to manipulate his daughter's avatar without really fully investigating her claims and her potential, strikes me, as a father, rather Miltonian-Satanic.

The Adama situation now makes me understand a little better why Adama was so initially adamant (pun intended) about his "we built them" relationship with the Cylons.

I do however like Zoe and so far the boy who likes her as a Cylon/robot and potentially Cylon/person.

And I like the religious angle, though again, that's more concept so far than characterization. I somehow doubt the dead boy will remain dead. But, we'll see.

Remus Lupin · Feb 8, 2010

One small detail that bothered me: Eric Stolz has red hair. His wife in the series is blond. Yet Zoe has black hair. Couldn't they have at least attempted to make the daughter resemble one of the parents? I mean, they've got a perfectly acceptable blond girl already cast in the series. I suppose in the end maybe the mom's just a bottle blond, but still!

On the substance: I still think the show has some potential, and it's not like there's a lot else in the science fiction category for me to watch on Friday now that Dollhouse is dead. I can watch it and still catch "Numb3rs" afterwards. So it's all good.

Merkuri · Feb 8, 2010

Remus Lupin said:
One small detail that bothered me: Eric Stolz has red hair. His wife in the series is blond. Yet Zoe has black hair.

It's possible the girl dyed her hair out of rebellion. She wouldn't be the first teen to want to look different than her parents.

Jack7 · Feb 8, 2010

It could be as simple as antecedent recessive genetic traits. I've yet to see anything about the grandparents or any other extended family members regarding Zoe, but you see much of the extended family of the Adamas.

However it has already also occurred to me that she may be adopted, or that her father is not really who he appears to be. This could be because the father was sterile (she may have even been implanted into the mother), or because of an affair. (Then again the mother could have been infertile and it was a procedure which was later transferred to her womb.)

I'm also, as much as I hate to admit this, but given the nature of BG, and given the nature of how the father has been acting in background - pretty well convinced that the father knew far more about what Zoe was up to, her possible associates, and may have even known of her involvement with the STO than he has thus far let on.

I didn't get to see the Friday night episode, I watched Absolute Justice with the wife and kids. But I'll try and catch it in reruns.

But the relationship between the father and daughter seems suspect to me in more than one way. (I'm not saying Graystone didn't love her, I'm saying it is a far more subversive relationship I suspect that immediately meets the eye. Just a detective's intuition. If I were investigating the case I'd start there, not with the mother.)

I also wouldn't be surprised if she were someone else's genetic daughter.

But in any case I instinctively feel there is much left unexposed at this point regarding that family and their relations with one another. Too much is fuzzy and out of place.

Remus Lupin · Feb 8, 2010

Eric Stolz is so good at playing bad guys who are good guys who are really bad guys. I like him so much as an actor I wish that he'd play more characters I could root for, but at least in this show, I buy him as being genuinely conflicted, genuinely hurt and grieving, and yet ultimately ruthless and willing to do what's necessary to achieve his goals.

Mustrum_Ridcully · Feb 8, 2010

Speaking of hurt and grieving - Joseph Adama seems to be going over the line now. I wonder if his brother will fulfill his request or if something will avoid it (if so, possibly something else even worse will happen instead, like his brother getting killed or something like that.)

The past two episodes did also well in establishing some of the differences between the Caprican and our culture. First we see the group family of the teacher, and now we see Joseph's brother and his husband. Of course, we're mostly seeing it from their perspectives, but it seems as if both is a lot more accepted and integrated in the society of the 12 Colonies. Considering that Joseph's brother is working for organized crime, essentially an equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia or something like that from Earth, I doubt we'll find many criminal organization very accepting of gays (especially those build on family ties and ethnic heritage.)
Battlestar Galactica never got to show off much of this part (aside from the webisodes about Gaeta), but it did at least establish a genuine gender equality.
But, there clearly still is racism - or rather "colonialism".

I really dig the Caprica setting.