Posted on March 13th, 2010 by Samuel Walters
Caprica takes a small step backward with “The Imperfections of Memory.” It’s not that the series has truly stumbled, however, this episode isn’t nearly as focused or thematically coherent as the previous two installments. Instead, we get a return to the scattershot approach of the early episodes of the series. And while there is a clear improvement in writing — particularly in terms of dialogue. There is a very solid, and welcome, plot twist at the very end of this episode. But on the whole, the unfocused approach proves to be more of a liability than a strength.
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Posted on March 6th, 2010 by Samuel Walters
“Know Thy Enemy” continues the slow evolution of Caprica as a series. Unlike the first few episodes, this one has a fairly concise narrative, one that serves to focus the plot and characters. This is good because the series certainly needs a much clearer direction for its story. What holds the episode back, though, is the fact that it is, mostly, setup. Once again, new characters and conflicts are introduced, adding to what is, already, an overload of such elements. The episode works, because it manages to stay close to one specific narrative thread — and thanks to a few tantalizing and compelling scenes — but it doesn’t represent a giant leap forward for the series as a whole.
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Posted on February 27th, 2010 by Samuel Walters
There are some very promising elements in Caprica’s “There Is Another Sky” and it will be interesting to see how they develop. However, the series is still terribly unfocused and uneven. Instead of more deeply exploring existing characters and plot threads, it adds new ones. It’s the classic case of quantity over quality. Fortunately for this episode, though, there are enough tantalizing ideas and developments to make it just slightly above average. It works here. But it’s not a formula that can sustain the series.
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Posted on February 20th, 2010 by Samuel Walters
“Gravedancing” is an awkward, meandering, and mostly unremarkable episode of Caprica. Very little happens either naturally or organically. Most of the situations and conflicts are forced. And there’s almost no dramatic payoff. There are a few glimmers of hope, mostly toward the end of the episode. But otherwise, this is very much a subpar outing for a series that is in desperate need of a truly good episode.
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Posted on February 14th, 2010 by Samuel Walters
“Reins of a Waterfall” is an improvement for Caprica. On the whole, the series is doing a very good job of developing its central mysteries. But character inconsistencies notwithstanding, this is an episode that really delves into the deeper elements of the overall story arc — elements like trust, revenge, faith, conspiracy, love, and thirst for power. Make no mistake, this is a melodrama on a very grand scale. But the unabashed approach is, in some ways, refreshing. This isn’t a show that is afraid to hides its over-the-top style. As such, the drastic events are a bit easier to swallow — even if they are, you know, radical for both viewers and the characters themselves.
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Posted on January 30th, 2010 by Samuel Walters
Coming on the heels of its pilot, “Rebirth” is the first official “episode” of Caprica. To that end, the episode has the responsibility of building on the foundation of the story, as well as setting the tone and approach the series plans to take as it unfolds. With that in mind, the episode is true to the billing: An expansive, melodramatic show, focused on characters, with a smattering of sci-fi, religious and philosophical ideas tossed into the mix. The question, of course, is whether or not it’s any good. If you’re okay with the soapy melodrama, then the answer is decidedly: Yes. If not? It may be difficult to sit through all the extraneous interpersonal, interfamilial conflicts in order to get into the real heart of the story.
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Posted on October 28th, 2009 by Samuel Walters
“The Cylons were created by man. They rebelled. They evolved. They look – and feel – human. Some are programmed to believe they are human. There are many copies. And they have a plan.”
So began the first episodes of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. After four tumultuous seasons, the series returns to its beginnings with the made-for-television (sorta) movie, titled The Plan — which is, ostensibly, a prequel and retcon (retroactive continuity) of the first two season of the series. This is a film for fans of BSG – for those who have seen all four seasons and are looking for an explanation to the original words which accompanied the opening credits to the show. That such an explanation is necessary at all is an indictment of the series itself. But that’s a discussion for another time. What matters is: does this movie not only return BSG to form, but also make up for the missing elements?
Well … not quite.
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Posted on April 21st, 2009 by Samuel Walters
Caprica, set “58 Years Before The Fall” of the Colonies, is the precursor to the successful Battlestar Galactica series. This is the story of how humanity came to create Artificial Intelligence and set itself on a path to near annihilation. Caprica has long been billed as a change of pace from its gritty, militant predecessor. And in that respect, the series certainly has an entirely different look and feel. But at its most basic level, Caprica isn’t all that different from BSG, not where it matters most: the manner in which character interrelationships are portrayed. Make no mistake, this is a grand melodrama. But unlike BSG, which tried to portray itself as something else, Caprica is unabashed in its approach – something which I can respect, even if I don’t find it particularly tasteful. But let’s face it, if you’re gonna make a melodrama, go for broke, be proud about it, shout it from the rooftops … and all that jazz.
And that’s exactly what the opening episode drives home.
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Posted on April 11th, 2009 by Samuel Walters
So yeah. With Battlestar Galactica having reached its final conclusion, I figured it’s time to start reflecting on the series as a whole. There are the inevitable post-mortems that declare BSG an all-time classic, or an all-world failure. I certainly have my own thoughts on the matter. But before delving into the minutiae of the series as a whole, providing a final verdict on its worth, I thought it’d be worthwhile to answer the question: If you wanted to fast-forward through the series, and spend the equivalent of a single season doing so, which episodes are “must see”?
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Posted on March 22nd, 2009 by Samuel Walters
A review of BSG’s series finale, episode “4.20 – Daybreak, Part II” is now available:
“There are those who believe that life here began out there, far across the universe, with tribes of humans who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. That they may have been the architects of the great pyramids, or the lost civilizations of Lemuria or Atlantis …”
- Opening Credits: Battlestar Galactica (1978)
With “Daybreak, Part II” Battlestar Galactica comes to its definitive conclusion. For anyone wondering whether or not there would be closure for the series – rest assured, nearly every plot line comes to some final reckoning. The question is, of course, how satisfying is the ending? I suspect that for the BSG fanatics – the ones who choose not to see any of its flaws – this will be a worthy, fulfilling and triumphant finale. For the rest of us, though, the ending falls flat thanks to some very poor pacing that leaves the final denouement far too rushed, hollow and perfunctory to be considered truly exceptional.
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