Catching Up With Caprica: Recap of the Series So Far

Posted by Bryan in Reviews, Television & Web Series on February 18th, 2010

The Battlestar Galactica series finale pretty much defined polarizing. While many of the series’ longtime followers felt that the conclusion provided a satisfying sense of closure, it seems that just as many perceived it as a copout of extreme measures. It was on this shaky ground that Caprica announced itself a year ago by means of a 2-hour pilot on DVD. Set 58 years prior to the events of Battlestar, but inhabiting the same conceptual universe, Caprica has since established itself as a capable successor to that show, and one well worth watching for those who haven’t yet.

If reports are to be believed, not many people are watching Caprica, and its not hard to understand why. By encouragingly marketing the show as a spin-off, a distinction producers reject, SyFy has created a bit of a pickle. Because the show bears so few similarities to its predecessor, those tuning in looking for a continuation of the Battlestar story are bound to be disappointed. Likewise, potential new viewers are turned away by the belief that a previous knowledge of the existing universe is required to make sense of what’s going on.

In actuality, the show does a skillful job of exploring many of the same themes as its parent show, while creating its own distinct style and setting that should feel accommodating to first-time viewers. The series revolves around two grieving families — the Graystones, headed by technology mogul Daniel (Eric Stoltz), and the Adamas, led by proud and vengeful father Joseph (Esai Morales). After a terrorist attack claims the lives of both their daughters, the two men strike an uneasy bond that has only grown more complicated as the series has progressed.

In its first three episodes, the show has constructed a world that is vivid in detail — meticulously constructed to be familiar to us, despite glaring technological differences. In the same way Battlestar explored contemporary political and social issues through allegory, Caprica depicts a prosperous world in decline that forces us to find parallels to our own. And maybe the most exciting thing about the show in the early going is the sense of ambition on display for what the showrunners are doing and where they could be headed.

While Battlestar maintained a constant tension through its straightforward dramatic structure (run from the Cylons; find Earth), Caprica strives for a more complex tone that is constantly shifting. Because there is such a wide variety of characters on the show, bouncing around from one to the next becomes almost like genre-hopping. One moment the show can be an angsty teen drama, the next a slapstick comedy, the next a mob drama, and the next a science-fiction thriller. By blending all these tones, its conceivable that just about anyone could tune in at a particular moment and find something to enjoy.

Starting next Friday, we’ll provide weekly thoughts following the airing of new episodes, and until then you can catch up with the series, which can be found on Hulu.com.