Caprica: DVD Review

Caprica is the latest from Ronald D. Moore and is set in a Battlestar Galactica world 58 years before the fall (or when the miniseries starts).  Caprica is a planned series that is to come to SyFy (aka SciFi) later this year. This DVD release is a preview release and I think it's very smart on the part of the producers.  Give the fans something to hold onto and look forward to while the series finale is fresh in everyone's head.  Additionally, they can gauge fan reaction and make adjustments before it airs.

Before I talk further about Caprica, let me take a step back and talk about the series finale of Battlestar Galactica.  I think many of the scenes that are found in the last three hours of the finale is to help us transition into the world of Caprica.  We saw Baltar and Six, Rosalyn, Bill,  Helen and Saul  living their life in Caprica.  We see the dark side of Caprica with Bill, Helen and Saul at a unisex strip club, this is really the first time in the series that we see that Caprica isn't unlike our own society. 

The final scenes are filled with images showing us how we maybe falling into the same pattern of advancing technology farther then it's meant to go.  Very moving scenes that was meant for us to reflect on technology and how it will affect us in the future, arguably a sign of good science fiction.

In Caprica, we are given the view of Caprica 58 years before the Cylons surprise attack on the colonies that ultimately sent a rag-tag fleet across space in a desperate attempt to survive.  We are taken back to the beginning of the end as it were.  These are the events that eventually doomed the human race.  Caprica isn't so much different then the world we live in today except for their technology which is obviously years ahead of where we are.  But their society exhibit the same problems we are familiar with, corruption, greed, control for power and teenagers looking for their independence.

When the show starts we are instantly shown a world that is full of sin.  Rampant sex orgies (w/ nudity), people shooting each other, a ceremony that involves a sacrifice of a virgin woman.  But what we are seeing isn't Caprica but a virtual world that teenagers have created to escape reality and indulge in fantasies that are so far from reality.  In essence we are seeing what a social networking site might look like in the future (a realistic Second-life) and see how it might devolve into a free-for-all of indulgence.

With in this world is were Zoe Graystone is working on making a avatar of herself that captures her thoughts, memories, personality and what she was feeling in the outside world.    But Zoe's work is cut short when she is killed when a suicide bomber blows up the monorail she was on.

In the grieving process Zoe's father, Daniel Graystone, a computer scientist who is working on the AI programming for robotic soldiers, meets another man who lost both his wife and his daughter to the bombing, Joe Adama, father of Bill and grandfather of Lee Adama. The two work with each other driven by their passion of the the possibilities of being able to create their daughters again in real life.

If you remember from the third season finale of Battlestar Galactica during Baltars trial we learned a little bit about Joe Adama.  We learned that he was a lawyer.  We now see Joe being that lawyer but we learn that he is corrupt as he is heavily influenced by the Tauron Mob.  It's this connection to the mob that makes it possible for Daniel to take what Zoe programmed in the virtual world and transplant it into the AI program that he is working with.  It's such an ironic twist from the all mighty full of honor Bill Adama and can't be corrupt Lee Adama that we learned to trust and love in Battlestar Galactica.  Ironic, that the Adama family is the cause of the fall and cause of the new beginning.

I'll be honest, my expectations about the series wasn't very high.  I had thought that this can't be as good as Battlestar.  But I was pleasantly surprised.   There is enough tie into the Battlestar world that this is really fascinating and it's answers questions of the backstory of the Cylons creation and evolution.  Seeing unfinished prototypes of the old style cylon models was great.  We are even given a "By your command" line to make the true fan jump up and down in their seat.

I found myself trying to figure out the middle as I watched and more and more was revealed.  Unfortunately, the story of the final five cylons from Battlestar Galactica can't be plotted together without some help from the show to piece that together.

After seeing this I am left wanting more. This will definitely be a series that will be on my DVR and I'll be first in line to get the DVD Season when released.  You'll definitely need to be familiar with the Battlestar series before seeing this as there are alot of events that tie together.  If you are coming into this cold I think it can stand on it's own but you won't enjoy it as much. Ron Moore is a genius when it comes to science fiction, he has a great knack for relating the sci fi world to reality.  He did it masterfully in Battlestar and he does it here is Caprica.

Some of the DVD extras explain the shooting style of the show.  It's shot completely different then Battlestar was shot.  Battlestar was shot with shoulder cameras to give that in your face chaotic feel that you were right there with them.  Caprica is shot on rolling carts and has the feel that everything is peaceful and calm because we are seeing Caprica during a peaceful time.

If you are a fan of Battlestar Galactica then I highly recommend that you see Caprica.  If you haven't seen Battlestar Galactica or haven't yet finished the series yet (what are you waiting for?) Caprica is a prequel and won't ruin the ending of Battlestar for you,  but I would at least have watched the miniseries before starting on Caprica.