Caprica

[Dredd]

Just finished watching the last few episodes of this today, and I have to say, I'm utterly blown away with it.

I could have just included this in Retro's "what are you watching right now" thread, but it's more important that to be ignored after a couple of comments, so that's why I'm giving it it's own dedicated thread.

For those not in the know, and that was me, Caprica is a prequel type series set 50 year before the events occurring in the re-vamped Battlestar Galactica show from the last few years. It explains the rise of the Cylons, and the political and religious ramifications of certain groups actions.

Now, I came to the show having watched none of the new BSG series, but that wasn't important, as Caprica the series exists as it's own entity.

Caprica centres around the billionaire industrialist Graystone family and the Adama family when the heads of both families lose loved ones in a terrorist attack on the planet Caprica, one of 12 human inhabited planets named after the signs of the zodiac hundreds of years into the future.

What follows is a wonderfully textured, thick, involving show that handles very steep themes such as religious fundamentalism, mono-theism, ethnic sub-cultures in such a way that it parallels what is happening in the now, whilst simultaneously carving a believable fiction.

Despite the odd moment of jarring "hey, that's actually an old citroen car" bit of breaking of the suspension of disbelief, the series holds it's own weight fantastically well.

Even the maturity in handling homosexuality was brilliant. I normally balk at that because I'm so used to Russell T. Davies thrusting it down my unwilling throat (oo-er), about how "hey, this is the future, it's perfectly normal to be gay and if you don't like it, then you are the one with the problem" in Dr. Who and Torchwood, when the way it is forced onto the screen is anything BUT perfectly normal, more, a reason to get John Barrowman back in the raincoat so he can tongue some fellas.

But in Caprica, it's represented in a very loving and respectful way, gay and polygamous marriage and all, which never once made me uncomfortable with it.

But if there is a downside it's that the show is a slow boiler. There are no single episodes that stand out as reasons that the show is a "must watch", you really need to experience it fully. And that's why it got cancelled I believe. People didn't invest the time in it after the first few slow episodes, and to see the show end where it did, making the show seem like it was just a one off series (the show's creators must have done that after finding out it was going to be cancelled), is gut busting, as further series would have expanded the lore and been even more gripping.

I'm going out on a limb here when I say it, but I much prefer this over Firefly - THAT shows you how series I am about it.

I could go on and on about it, as if I already haven't, but I'd just be spoiling it for you.

If you ever get the chance to watch the series from start to finish, please do, you'll honestly not see a more fantastic show on telly.

[RetroAEROSMITH]

I did start to watch the new BSG then found out i had to watch the prequal 2episodes first . i ended up forgetting about it and just got bored. its a shame really coz i start to watch things then they get tedious or lost in translation. i need action or good stuff at least every 15 mins. im reeealy struggling with the wire-8 eps in and i find nothing interesting...8 hours of tedium.

if caprica is also a slow boiler its probably best i give it a wide berth.

[sample BLACK]

It's been a while since I watched it, but I did get really into it when it first aired. They left it at that almighty cliffhanger and then cancelled it.
I liked how they build a truly believable world that could easily have existed before humanity was made a refugee by the Cylons.

And yes, the fact that the brother who was a ruthless assassin for the mob and just happened to be gay was brilliantly done. They didn't get a big neon sign saying 'GAY!", he just... was.

Better than Firefly though? Not for me. Firefly I can watch countless times, but I'm not sure I'd sit through all of Caprica again (although I did wake up early one morning recently and caught a random episode which I watched).

I mentioned the show when it first started airing on Sky One back in 2010, but I think I was the only one who was watching it at the time.

http://www.gamer.tm/forums/showthread.ph...ht=caprica

[Dredd]

Firefly received (rightfully so) the legendary status it has because each episode is brilliant, which is a rareity, which makes it all the more heartbreaking it was cancelled.

You can't say that about individual episodes of Caprica, but bythe end of each of the series, Firefly has been a collection of awesome individual episodes, whereas the series long story arc of Caprica makes it the better show for me.

If I had the money to put into making a second series, I'd give it to Caprica.

And if you aren't enjoying The Wire series 1 by episode 8, then I'm afraid you may not like it at all retro. I love police procedurals, many don't. I suspect that's you. As for action, I think across the entire 5 series, the police only shoot a gun twice, and each time it's the same guy each time, usually as a mistaken misfire or accidental discharge.

[zapiy]

I watched the first 3 episodes. If its a good as you say I am going to give it another chance. Hopefully it picks up the pace a bit.

[Dredd]

I totally know what you are saying.

I think I got to about 6 episodes in and thought to myself that I could easily stop watching and not felt the lack, but thankfully my series record kept me true, and I've never been more surprised at how brilliant a show it turned out to be.