Caprica TV Series Connects

The first installment of the new Caprica TV Series is an emotional roller coaster that seeming has something for everyone. We’re not going to count each and every scene which has an emotional element, but suffice it to say that it does try to connect with many different emotions and perspectives. Combined with action, violence, treachery, debauchery, lavishly luxurious sets, deadly robots, youthful defiance, to name just a few, there are more hooks than a fishing derby.

The opening scene in the V-Club includes plenty of gratuitous sex, violence, technology in what appears to be a rave set to a soundtrack that would do justice to Matrix or Blade.

And since the V-Club is a virtual reality, all bets are off, with many other activities waaay out there, such as ritual killings. Admittedly, it might be cathartic to do it in a virtual world rather than the real one.

Yes, this Caprica TV Series has little in common with the original Battlestar Galactica, aside from a few familiar names and places, and the all too familiar Cylon Centurions.

The battle on behalf of the One True God is a pervasive theme throughout the pilot episode, particularly with the rebellion, suicide bombing, and conspiracy at the Academy all being interrelated. We get an early glimpse of this when three key youth come together.

Zoe Graystone, the absolute key character to this series, is very intelligent, and has a sharp tongue as well. Occasionally, her barbed comments don’t meet with approval, such as when she refers to her mother marrying into money and gets a smack.

We can’t help drooling a bit once we see just how filthy rich the Graystone family have become, as witnessed in this lovely shot of their estate

This is just the very tip of the iceberg, and one which we recommend you explore by purchasing the DVD or paid for download. Enjoy it now, before the season begins.

Joe Adama

One of the lead characters in the new Caprica tv series is Esai Morales who plays Joe Adama.

Esai was born in Brooklyn, New York to Puerto Rican parents. Early on in life, Esai developed an interest in acting, and was fortunate to attend New York’s illustrious High School for the Performing Arts. This great start played a pivotal role in preparing and propelling Morales to a career in Hollywood.

Esai Morales made debuted in El Hermano at the Ensemble Studio Theater and further went on to appear in Joe Papp’s interpretative production of The Tempest at the Shakespeare in the Park festival. Further experience in theater also includes working with Al Pacino in Salome, as well as earning an LA Drama Critics Circle Award for a noteworthy performance in Tamer of Horses at the LA Theater Center. He’s even starred in musical theater with a lead performance in 2002′s The Mambo Kings in San Francisco.

Esai first appeared on the big screen in 1983 by appearing opposite opposite Sean Penn in Bad Boys before starring in La Bamba, the most successful commercial Latino-themed motion in history. He’s also starred in Fast Food Nation, The Burning Season, American Fusion, The Virgin of Juarez, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca and Kill Kill Faster Faster.

Esai’s upcoming movie appearances include the character Pelon in La Linea, where he is head of the Salazar Crime Cartel, as well as roles in Cherry and King of the Avenue.

Esai’s next tv series is Caprica, prequel to the smash hit television series Battlestar Galactica, where he plays Joseph ‘Joe’ Adama. The two hour pilot episode has premiered on DVD and digital download, is available online, and will hopefully become a hit weekly series on the Sci-Fi Network starting in January 2010.

Esai currently lives in Los Angeles with his dog, Frankie.

This background on Esai Morales is great, but what Caprica fans care about is what is his role in Caprica, what has been revealed about his character, and what is to come…

*SPOILER ALERT*

We’re first introduced to Joe Adama, speaking to his mobile phone with his wife and daughter, having a cup of coffee, on his way to work, for what seems an ordinary day.

After a bit of conversation, we next see him immediately following the suicide bombing. Amazingly, he is close enough to hear the blast, and probably feel the shockwaves.

With incredible special effects right off the bat, Caprica has the right blend of energy, drama and effects to capture many segments. With actors like Esai Morales, we have characters that we can relate and get drawn into such as Joe Adama.

The relationship between Joe Adama and Daniel Graystone is a pivotal one in at least the early parts of this series, and the first meeting between Joe and Daniel comes shortly following the bombing.

There is a lot more to be seen of Joe Adama in the pilot episode of Caprica TV Series, but you’ll either have to buy the DVD, pay to download it, or wait for future installments in the promising new series.

Caprica Pilot Episode

Watch Caprica

If you would like to see the new Caprica series pilot episode, it is currently available for purchase online at several shops.  Otherwise, you’ll need to wait for the season to begin in January 2010.

The V Club

One of the four videoblog clips to accompany the Caprica series pilot, this introduces us to the V Club, which is a truly amazing place in the new Caprica environment.

Thankfully this clip is not only the directors, but rather is presented by Alessandra Torresani and Avan Jogia, two of the main characters in the new series.

The V Club has anything from virtual sex, killing, drugs, just about everything imaginable. The pilot episode does it much more justice than this brief clip.

What the Frak is Caprica?

This is another of the four videoblogs released in association with the pilot episode of the new television series Caprica.

An explanation that this is a family drama set in space, but not a space drama, making it very different from BSG. Because it’s at the brink of Caprican society coming to a fall, the timing is critical for the setting of this series.

In addition to directorial interview, also on tape is Alessandra Torresani, the new Zoe Graystone, aka Zoe-R, aka the first Cylon.

There are also a few very brief clips featuring the main Caprica characters, which is just enough to create interest, without giving much away.

The Directors Process

This behind the scenes look again puts us in an interview videoblog situation with the directors as they explain the script writing and filming process, how they go about things, and how revolutionary the approach really is.

Although the new Caprica TV Series officially airs in 2010, the pilot has been released via DVD sales and digital downloads across the internet, something which in and of itself is quite revolutionary!

As the directors point out, this Caprica is very different from the Battlestar Galactica series, despite having many familiar references and concepts.

Birth of a Cylon

In this behind the scenes video peek, we get to see a few insights into the new Caprica series via director interview, a discussion about the birth of a Cylon and some of the gear that is included in the making of each robot.

The video does let us know that in the first episode, we find answers to many questions about how the Cylon’s started, who built the first Cylon, and why, and much more. We also get a Frankenstein moment (which is when Zoe realizes that she is a Cylon).

Caprica Pilot Episode Gallery

The Caprica pilot episode gallery is a collection of select images of interest for the all new tv series Caprica.

Athenian Academy

Graystone Estate

Infinity Symbol (Soldiers of The One)

Lev Explosion

Serge the Housebot

Zoe-A De-Resing

Zoe-R

Zoe using Holoband

Zoe using Holopaper

Pilot Other Characters

There were a number of characters, other than Adama and Graystone family members, who play an important role in the new Caprica TV Series, as launched in the pilot episode.

As the terrorist attack (blowing up the lev in the pilot) was conducted by the Soldiers of the One, those involved in this organization and event are key to the plot development.

Ben Stark, close friend of Zoe Graystone and Lacy Rand, was also a student at the Athenian Academy prior to the blast. Ben is seen as an instigator, and inferred to be a recruiter, in actions which support his beliefs in the monotheistic movement. Though his blowing up the lev train was stated as ‘premature’ and ‘unauthorized’, he was said to be fighting evil with all his heart. Ben was definitely a true believer, and one willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in support of the cause.

Lacy Rand, near and dear to Zoe and Ben, seems to be much less of a true believer, more of a tag along sort and generally a much weaker character. She backs out of boarding the lev, thinking Zoe and Ben were merely running away to Geminon. Though she is a believer in the one true God, she doesn’t appear to be a STO member. Thankfully, when she finds Sister Clarice is also a member, she is relieved that she is not alone in her beliefs.

Sister Clarice Willow, an apparently important figure for the Athenian Academy, outwardly professes to be multi-theistic (as the Academy is founded on the following of Athena), though inwardly believes in and is somehow associated with the Soldiers of the One. Although she espouses the Athenian belief in loving they enemy, as discussed in an interview with Agent Duram, her association with this radical group lead us to believe she has a much more radical view.

Agent Jordan Duram, of the Global Defense Department, is the lead investigator into the lev bombing and is clearly committed to knowing and pursuing the enemy, despite acknowledging that the STO (Soldiers of The One) had previously been dormant for 10 years. Through his interviews with Amanda Graystone, Lacy Rand, and Clarice Willow, we see him in relentless pursuit of the terrorists identity.

Cyrus Xander is the right-hand man of Daniel Graystone and on more than one occasion shows that he has inside knowledge into the contract woes of the Cyber Combat Unit as well as development of the Meta Cognitive Processor by the Vergis Corporation. It is this independent artificial brain which is responsible for transforming the Cyber Combat Unit from being a mediocre robot into a Cylon killing machine.

Sam is a representative of the Halatha Crime Syndicate, and errand boy for the Guatrau (one of the leaders of this mafia-esque organization) on Caprica. Sam is charged with passing bribe money along, delivering orders dispatched from the Guatrau, and occasionally reminding Joe of his obligations to the organization (and penalties for deviating from them).

Serge, the Graystone family security bot, is an interesting addition. Though he has none of the cool mechanical components as seen on the Cylons, he has some sort of appeal. It could be his simplicity, or the fact that he strongly resembles the shooting target dummies massacred by the Cylon in its final test… Regardless, he will seen again in future episodes, perhaps with a greater purpose at some point.

Casting:

Lacy Rand – Magda Apanowicz
Ben Stark – Avan Jogia
Sister Clarice Willow – Polly Walker
Jordan Duram – Brian Markinson
Sam – Sasha Roiz
Cyrus Xander – Hiro Kanagawa
The Guatrau – Jorge Montesi
Voice of Serge – Jim Thomson

Post-Pilot Episode Conclusions for the Other Characters:

Despite many other speaking part players in the cast of the Caprica TV Series pilot, the above represent those who made an impression on us. None of these seem to be out of place, and none of them seem to have been mis-cast in their role. They are well integrated into the plot, and though not major characters, do serve to enrich the plot and enhance the story line.

Graystone Family

As inventors of the Cylons, the Graystone family plays an integral role in the new TV series Caprica.

The Graystones are comprised of Dr. Daniel Graystone, husband to Dr. Amanda Graystone, and father to Zoe Graystone. A wealthy Caprican family, who live outside Caprica City, in a very luxurious estate on the coast, the Graystones are living the dream. They have incredible views, a private tennis court (complete with computerized line judge and umpires), and a personal servant robot named Serge.

Daniel is the lead character in the pilot episode, which makes sense given the fact that he is credited as being creator of the Cylons. He is a computer whiz, running a company which not only invented the holoband (a visor which allow users to experience a virtual world in 3D), but also carries key defense department contracts. His exact wealth is anyone’s guess, but he does donate enough to Apollo University to get a building named after him. Daniel is a bit aloof, a product of his status in life, and yet is a very engaging character, perhaps due to his computer wizardry, the cool gadgets he has everywhere, and his willingness to go to any length to get his daughter back after the terrorist attack.

Amanda, Daniel’s wife, is a doctor in her own right, apparently working at some type of medical facility. Little is known initially about her expertise, but she appears to have earned her credentials, unlike her wealth which she reported married into. She is in many ways what you would expect from the wife of a successful husband – competitive with him and angry at her disobedient daughter. She shows a wide range of emotions, joy, sadness, humor, and denial, among others. She is far from the snotty, filthy rich woman one might expect in this scenario. She comes across as very down to earth, committed, and easy to identify with.

Zoe, the 16 year old daughter, has a massive role in this series. She starts off the pilot as a true believer (as a member of the Soldiers of the One True God), disillusioned with the degradation of society, and like many has had her turn at sampling the vices society has to offer. She is a computer genius, shocking her father with the ability to convert synaptic information about people (coupled with a download of their memories) into usable data.

Zoe managed to create an AI version of herself as an avatar (oft referred to as Zoe-A). The virtual Zoe-A exists and can be interacted with by those using a holoband, provided of course they visit the underground virtual nightclub (or V-Club) where she resides.

Eventually, Daniel finds a way to integrate the Zoe-A consciousness with a robotic body, thus creating the first Cybernetic Life Form Node (Cylon), spawning Zoe-R. Though her human body died in the lev train bombing, Zoe-R continues on and will likely be a critical part of the uprising between Cylon and humans which is destined to follow. Zoe is a very complex character and one who will undoubtedly feature throughout the new Caprica TV Series.

Casting:

Daniel Graystone – Eric Stoltz
Amanda Graystone – Paula Malcolmson
Zoe Graystone – Alessandra Torresani

Post-Pilot Episode Conclusions for the Graystone Family:

Casting for the Graystone’s was an achievement! They are interesting, detailed, multi-faceted, and we want to know more about what makes them tick, what they have done, and what they will do next. Kudos for this line-up.

Next Page »