Caprica (TV Series) Rebirth (2010) User Reviews

Direct continuation of the pilot....

[zerobeat · 7/10 · 30 January 2010]

Unlike BSG, where the first episode in the series was definitely an improvement from the 4 hour pilot miniseries, which is saying a lot because the miniseries was already quite good, Caprica's 1st post-pilot episode is roughly the same as its pilot (I give it one notch lower).

I have problems with the notion that CylonZoe would want to hide what she is to everybody except Lacie. When Daniel initially uploads Zoe's consciousness into the Cylon shell, she definitely tries to reach out to her dad (even by speaking), and she doesn't know the experiment will (seemingly) fail, so for all she knows it'll work and it'll be evident to everybody that there's a "human" consciousness driving this robotic shell now called a Cylon. So when she wakes up later, it would have made most sense for her to say "hey Dad, here I am.. it worked!!"

There's another flaw in the notion that Zoe would wonder why people are treating her Cylon self as just an object, a machine. She knows damn well that until now, robots aren't sentient at all, and that until she makes it known to somebody that this particular Cylon is sentient because it contains her consciousness, there's no reason to "respect" this robot any more than respecting a toaster or even the robot Serge. She even laments that her step mother said she looked like a monster she once saw in a movie... that's because the Cylon really is a scary looking thing, and the comment wasn't directed a Zoe but simply at a non-sentient thing that ostensibly has no feelings at all. If I managed to put my consciousness inside a rock on the beach, why would I be offended if somebody picked me up and threw me in the water?

So on one hand she's trying to hide the fact that this Cylon is sentient. But on the other hand she is doing stuff (like responding to stimuli, chopping off the guy's finger, trying to escape) that might betray this secret.

I also wondered how Lacie managed to gain access to such a top secret lab, housing this Cylon. Maybe there could have been a scene showing CylonZoe telling Serge to allow Lacie access? Serge is maybe confused, but then allows it. And later on Daniel wonders how Lacie gained access and Serge says it's because Zoe allowed it.... then more chips fall where they may!

Captivating and strained story, jaw dropping Cylon Zoe, smart contrasts, award winning performances, empathic character development and fascinating dystopia

[igoatabase · 9/10 · 26 March 2010]

Before watching its second episode I didn't worry about Caprica's fate considering how strong its pilot was. It's definitely the prequel Battlestar Galactica deserved and Rebirth confirmed the excellent first impression I expressed in my review. After what happened to Zoe I was wondering if Alessandra Torresani would still play her or if the Cylon would only be featured. Well I really liked the compromise they chose because it's a mix of both, flesh and metal. It reminded me of the ghosts from dead people in shows like Six Feet Under and Dexter for example. But they depicted these two characters with a twist and even brought the concept to a whole new level. Indeed it's not just about the way she and it looks, it's also about the way they interact with their environment. So you better both open your eyes and ears to make sure you won't miss the astonishing work done by the creative team : CG robot animator, sound editor, director, visual editors and actress of course. In fact like in the pilot the CG effects are so perfectly mixed with the set visuals that the Cylon just looks real. The last time I was so impressed and scared by a robot was while watching Terminator 2 : Judgment Day and its shapeshifting and unbreakable T-1000. But in my opinion the Cylon is even more fascinating because we know what it will become and the most intriguing thing is that like Zoe we learn how it behaves. In some way she's a dark and mechanical version of the Kyle XY show protagonist. But don't get me wrong Caprica is not all black or white because the creature has emotions. In fact like in Lost there're explicit references to taoism, like two men playing go in the street.

But beside that awesome blend of form and contents there're also many elements that make the show stands above its peers. First the relationship between Daniel Graystone and Joseph Adama developed further and even if their only scene together didn't last long I'm sure the upcoming episodes will better cover it. Moreover the second is portrayed by Esai Morales and I was inspired by his charisma and the moral values of his dual character. Eric Stoltz and the other performers were also quite convincing so for the acting part I'm sure a few awards await them. Second the story was captivating and some scenes were quite intense and a few even shocking. I also remember laughing so you should feel many diverse emotions. That's why the immersion is total because you instantly relate to the characters and they should quickly grow on you. I really care about their fate and wonder about the decisions they'll make. Moreover after the pilot I was wondering if Daniel would find out about Zoe. An other element I appreciated was the believable near future. My opinion was mixed after the pilot but some details changed my mind : Futuristic vehicles and sports, high-end architecture… I also find the contrast between innovation and tradition quite interesting. Daniel reads a paper documentation but his wife was watching Zoe tapes on a giant wall screen. The creators vision is so modern that it makes you curious about what's going on in fields like robotics and artificial intelligence. We all have seen videos of running robots, androids and other barking screws so we know what's coming.

That's why Caprica is so important. It's a major piece of the contemporary puzzle we all work on, life. It's also an excellent introduction to many topics and should even help people to better comprehend the world they live in. But it's also a dystopia, a vision of a possible future society. Will we be able to avoid chaos or will we repeat the same mistakes over and over ? That's why so many people write or film about it. And that's why reading and watching masterpieces like Caprica should be mandatory.