One word to describe the Caprica pilot: dense. So much potential for drama, I don’t even feel sorry Battlestar Galactica is over anymore. Beware of SPOILERS.

I always thought the audiovisual landscape lacked some “Social Scifi” programs; even though it’s a genre that allows powerful parallels with our own life experiences, science-fiction is still for the most part confined to the realm of either war and spaceships or fantasy in popular media. I believe it’s William Gibson who said that (and I might paraphrase a bit here), what’s interesting about science fiction is not science itself, but how science and what it allows changes and affects people.  Caprica looks like it’s going to drive us along this idea.

To elaborate a bit more on the pilot itself, it’s interesting to see each of the main characters having pieces of the puzzle. As they don’t communicate on these, the moment of truth of each situation is left hanging until later: for instance, Graystone sees the infinity symbol and discovers the technology that makes Cylons possible, but doesn’t know what the sign implies. His wife knows nothing about what her daughter has accomplished, but knows of her involvement with the terrorist group named “Soldier of the One”. Finally, Adama knows about the technology, but doesn’t know about Zoe’s involvement in the death of his wife and daughter. All of these threads are left open by the end of the pilot, but not in the way a juggler would throw too many props in the air: everything remains connected, logical and I can’t wait to see what will happen when all these threads will join. The impact of these revelations even seems to be more of  a driver than the larger questions (namely the emergence of Cylon technology).

Another important thread is the misunderstanding revolving around Zoe’s intentions and reason to be present on the bombed train: she just wanted to leave Caprica for Gemenon, while Ben wanted to leave Caprica as a martyr. From the outside, it all looks the same, which sends a horrible message to Zoe’s mother: her baby child is indeed a terrorist. This will probably haunt her for some times and have important developments.

Lastly, the Battlestar Galactica franchise was firmly set in my mind as a daring franchise from the moment they portrayed a “justifiable” suicide bombing on New Caprica right when the war in Irak was at its worse. Similarly, Caprica pilot writer and supposedly showrunner Remi Aubuchon delighted me with a scene on religion. Very interested by the fact that the colonists from Battlestar Galactica were polytheists, I had my illusions quickly shattered, as very little additional information was disclosed about this. With the emergence of religious movements at its center, Caprica doesn’t seem to be so shy on the subject. In this scene, Global Defense Department investigator Duram is quizzing Sister Clarice on monotheism in her  school:

- Where does the Athenian Academy stand on the question of monotheism, Sister?

[...]

- The Academy is dedicated to following the path of the Gods, the Goddess Athena being our patroness. We are, however, open to all forms of worship, including belief in a singular God.

- That’s very tolerant. And how many of your students are practicing monotheists?

- You know I can’t answer that.

- It doesn’t concern you, Sister, that kind of absolutism view of the universe? Right and wrong determined solely by a single all-knowing, all-powerful being whose judgment cannot be questioned and in whose name the most horrendous of acts can be sanctioned without appeal?

Overlooking the very last minute that felt a little bit like cheap drama (the little girl trapped in a killing machine, calling on her girlfriend), Caprica is a very rich and promising series that will probably complement BSG very well. Long live Caprica!