V: Pilot

Reboot Time!

V is the latest in the line of network's rebooting old series' that were one thought "un-rebootable". (yep, made that word up, it works.)

You all should know the story, but if you don't, here it is.

When the world is seeming to be at the brink of self-destruction, an alien race that calls themselves the Visitors land their ships over 29 major US cities. Their leader, The Queen Anna, (in 1980's it was Diana) states that they are in need of Earth's water and a mineral that is abundant on our planet. We grace them with open arms, the trick? The V's are not human but reptilian creatures taht camouflage themselves with human skin. And they have a plan. To destroy us.


While many people are skeptic as to V's quality, compared to is original form this new version is very interesting and very well done. Here are some reasons

They have been here: The Visitors  did not just "find" Earth. They have been here before and have been seeding themselves in our society.
There is a resistance movement: Before when the V's existence was not confirmed but suspected a small group of people banded together to fight against their influence. The group came back together when the V's showed up.
Its not centered around the journalist: This is probably the thing that bothered viewers the most. Instead of V telling the story of a low level journalist discovering the truth of the V's, the show centers around an FBI agent and her discovery of the Vs. There is a jornalist but it is not HIS story so much as an ensemble.
It reflects our current issues: War, economic distress, and many other issues are reflected and the V's show up promising to "leave this place better than they found it". Which leads to....
There is a master plan: The whole idea of this series is that there is an "endgame" or "master plan". Each episode is apparently going to be designed to reveal a small part of this plan until we get the full picture.

An unconventional review but this is the best way to sum up about how I feel about the series, Excited!

Stargate Universe: Air Parts 1 & 2

Stargate Universe is the third canon installment in the Stargate franchise. It follows a group of humans who board an ancient ship named the "Destiny" which is on the other side of the universe.

"I say canon due to the fact there was an animated series named Stargate Infinity and is not considered part of the regular Stargate story"


In keeping with the same format of its predecessors, this episode was 2 hours, but the change that I in a way didnt really care for too much. instead of following a straight timeline the show featured flashbacks. To note I do like flashback episodes, just not in a pilot.

SGU is very different from it two predecessors (SG-1 and Atlantis). SGU is darker. Not very dark but it is definitely darker than the other two, which helps set itself apart. The pilot is very serious about establishing who its characters are and their basic story very early. This can help move the story along quicker so we aren't completely drawn down by character backstories.

Moral debates are seeming to be very prevalent in the show. In the second half when the team is needing to conserve air everyone immediately jumps into a debate on who to sacrifice. While this show is seeming to take some of the "discussing moral issues" notes from its predecessors, SGU is taking a very different step in a "we can't avoid it" kind of way.

SGU is shaping up to be a very interesting series by keeping the Stargate story alive but adding a different look and feel to it.

Caprica: Pilot

NOTE: This review is based off of the DVD release of Caprica, There are some changes made in the broadcast version

Joseph Adama and Daniel Graystone

Caprica is the prequel to the 2003 remake of Battlestar Galactica. For the readers sake I will not explain what Battlestar Galactica is in this review, but will shelve that for the BSG reviews. Caprica is set 58 years before the events of the mother show and details the two families that play a major role in the creation of the Cylons. These two families are:

1. The Graystone family, a wealthy aristocratic family in which the patriarch, Daniel is the scientist that not only made the Cylons but the Holoband technology that is responsible for the events of the series.
2. The Adam[a]s, a Tauron family that lives on Caprica and has dealings with the Tauron mob, The Ha'la'tha. 

 Caprica continues to showcase Ron Moore's mission of turning regular television into works of art. Everything is carefully planned. From the choice of characters and their actors, to the entire look and feel of the enviroment around you it is a visual masterpiece.

And that is just the looks

The writing leaves nothing to be desired. every line can be important and be a driving force in something to come in the future. It is all by design. se/prequel shows usually are not up to par as far as quality compared to its mother show, Caprica however does not follow that suit. The simple thing to keep in mind is that Caprica is somewhat different from Battlestar Galactica. It is made to be a different kind of dark, not as intensely dark but has themes that makes it its own brand.

Caprica is desinged to answer questions about the Cylons origin as well as answer fan questions pertaining to the Cylon's creation, how they were treated, and how they became to believe in the One True God.

The show is religious

The people of the twelve colonies for the most part polytheistic. The gods and goddesses refelect those of ancient Rome and Greece. Enter, the STO. The Soldiers of the One (STO) are introduced in the pilot as a revolutionary religious movement that have a belief in a singular loving god, it is the purpose of the STO to bring the word and teachings of the One True God to the people with force, believing there there is no room for people who think differently.

Battlestar walked a fine line when they started becoming heavily religious but in the end payed off. Caprica continues that story with an STO member, Zoe Graystone being killed by her [also STO] boyfriend Ben Stark. Zoe  created a Vworld avatar of herself that was designed for a purpose and ended up being her back up, and exact copy of her with memories, personality, (and a debated topic) her soul. Zoe-A is transferred into one of her father's cylons as a way of bringing her into the real world.

A Social commentary you say? Why Yes!
The show also serves as a social commentary for our current society and how we interact with each other. From religion, to technology, to race relations, Caprica starts to cover a lot of ground.

Race relations seems to be the #2 idea that the creators seem to want to cover. The pilot introduces us to two very different cultures. The Caprican's, a wealthy colony that is the leader of business and enterprise. And Taurons, a poorer working class race of people are seen as bottom of the barrel class of society. They are often referred to as "Dirt-eaters".

This is perhaps my new #1 performance from Eric Stoltz (Daniel Graystone) just below that would of course be The Butterfly Effect



The Breakdown:

What I Loved: The show is dense, I mean REALLY dense. It's not a flippy, fun Sci Fi drama that you can laugh and not take seriously. The cinematography was well done, each family/ race had a certain coloration to it. The story is very solid. and it is a great start to the Battlestar saga.

What I didn't like: As much as the show tries to seperate itself from its predecessor, to get the full grasp of the show and some of the important parts it stresses you have to have some knowledge of Battlestar Galactica.