Our long wait is finally over! Team WHR has been in a state of avid anticipation ever since we witnessed the Caprica cast at Comic-Con reveal that a surprise was in store and now we all know what it is! Caprica is back!
The second half of the first season of Caprica returns tonight in the United States with the episode “Unvanquished” at 10 PM Eastern and Pacific immediately following Stargate Universe on SyFy for the second half of the first season.
Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
The surprise announcement sent Caprica fans into absolute glee while it shocked others expecting Sanctuary to follow Stargate Universe, this after we confirmed same when we checked the previously published SyFy schedule for the return of Sanctuary on September 28, 2010. Well things do change in the world of science fiction and so do they in the real world at NBC Universal, parent company of SyFy.
Caprica will now follow Stargate Universe on Tuesday evenings beginning October 05, 2010 much to the delight of Battlestar Galactica fans who had wondered when the second half of the Caprica season would air. Although hinted at by the Caprica cast during Comic-Con 2010 that a “surprise” was coming. Today’s announcement is all that and more. This reporter finds this development most interesting from a programming perspective.
As most are aware, SyFy is building a new “anchor” night of science fiction, with the next cornerstone of their new foundation occurring on Tuesdays in the United States. The addition of Caprica to the Tuesday evening lineup will strongly solidify their plans for expanding their burgeoning array of science fiction offerings. We include the original SyFy Press Release courtesy of NBC for your edification including a few promotional images courtesy of SyFy and NBC Universal.
Fear not science fiction fans, our team will be covering all three series when they return to our screens with our typical detailed reviews. In closing for now, please feel free to leave a spam free comment here or by visiting the WHR Team or me on Twitter by clicking the text links or avatars herein.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 09, 2010
CAPRICA RETURN ON SYFY SHIFTS TO OCTOBER 5, 2010
NEW YORK – September 9, 2010 – The highly anticipated return of Syfy’s critically-acclaimed series Caprica will come even sooner than anticipated. The second half of season one will now premiere on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 10:00PM ET/PT, the channel announced today. Fans will no longer have to wait until January to watch the series exciting kick-off, as the citizens of Caprica deal with the chaotic aftermath of the mid-season finale’s harrowing events.
The second half of season one will transport us from stunningly vivid, twisted Virtual realities to the fascinating outer worlds of the 12 Colonies. Along the way, revolutionary tensions rise, family power shifts and our characters grapple with the physical and emotional consequences of their questionable decisions. As the season races towards its stunning conclusion, each episode lays the groundwork for the inevitable (and brutal) clash between the new Cylon race and its human creators.
“Though we initially announced the January return of Caprica, we still had hopes of finding a way to get the series back on the air sooner,” said Mark Stern, Executive Vice President of Original Programming, Syfy and Co-Head of Content for Universal Cable Productions. “We’ve been able to successfully re-work our schedule, and are thrilled to bring the show back during what is traditionally Syfy’s most-watched time of the year. The outcome should also please fans who expressed their wishes for a shorter mid-season hiatus.”
Caprica will immediately follow new episodes of Stargate Universe (Tuesdays @ 9PM).
The third season premiere of Sanctuary will now launch in its former time slot on Friday, October 15 at 10:00PM ET/PT immediately following Friday Night Smackdown on Syfy at 8:00PM ET/PT.
Produced by Universal Cable Productions, Caprica is a prequel to the award-winning series Battlestar Galactica, and is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Jonas Pate serves as co-executive producer and director.
Universal Cable Productions creates quality content across multiple media platforms for USA, Syfy and other networks. A leader in innovative and critically acclaimed programming, UCP is the studio behind USA’s Royal Pains, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Psych, In Plain Sight, Covert Affairs and Facing Kate, as well as Syfy’s Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Caprica. The studio also produced the long-running series Monk and Battlestar Galactica. UCP is a division of NBC Universal.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
After preview night I had a feeling I had gotten myself into something massive.
I had no idea how right I was.
Yikes!
Thursday
I was up early but slow moving. Not a good start for the first full day of the convention. Not surprisingly, parking was hard to find. We went to five or six full parking lots before we found a space.. We almost missed getting into Hall H, the biggest panel room at the convention center. I think it holds over 6,500 people. When I finally DID make it in, I couldn’t believe how many people were there. It was standing room only for the entire day. I could feel the excitement. They don’t clear out the panel rooms and there was plenty I wanted to see in Hall H, so I decided to keep my seat and watch the panels there all day. It meant missing some panels in other rooms, but these are the decisions you have to make when going to a larger convention. It’s impossible to see and do everything.
Megamind was the first panel of the day. I didn’t know much about it aside from knowing it is another DreamWorks movie. I’m a huge DreamWorks fan so I had a feeling I’d love what I was about to see. Also, I was given 3-D glasses when I walked into the theater. Everyone was really excited when the MC came out and said we had a special guest. I was sitting a bit far from the stage but I saw a guy in blue paint and a funny costume come running out onto the stage. He said he’d brought donuts for everyone and wasn’t aware there’d be so many of us. I realized he was Will Ferrell badly dressed as Megamind. Ferrell stars as the villain in the DreamWorks movie. It’s their first superhero movie and from the 3-D clip I saw, it looks hilarious. Not only that but I definitely think I can bring both my nine and sixteen year old daughters to see it.
What is Megamind? Many people have asked. It’s DreamWorks’ first super hero movie. It stars Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill and Brad Pitt. After seeing the preview, in 3-D, I have to say it looks AWESOME! Basically it’s a “what if the bad guy wins” story. Tina Fey then joined Ferrell on the stage. She looked beautiful and was dressed nicely, no surprise there. Jonah Hill looked adorable in his blazer and pants. He was the last one on the panel. Well, that’s not totally true. They did bring Brad Pitt out—in cardboard cutout form. Megamind will be out in theaters this November. I can’t wait!
Tron was next. I have to say I have been geeking out over a new Tron movie. I did love the first one. To call this version a reboot is an understatement. As Jeff Bridges put it, the new movie makes the original look like an old black and white film. This is another 3-D movie that I cannot wait to see in the theater. The few minutes I saw have completely sold me on it. I love that Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner are both in the new version. Patton Oswalt was the moderator for this panel. I loved that the original creator of Tron, Steven Lisberger, was also a guest. It seems they have tried hard to keep the integrity of Tron in the movie but improve it so it fits in with this millennium instead of the last one.
It’s been 27 years since the first Tron was in theaters. Wow. That makes me feel old. I’m not going to lie. Starring in the movie are Michael Sheen and Olivia Wilde. After we saw the movie clip we were told if we were a good audience we’d get to be in the movie. They needed crowd noises. We were instructed to look at the screen and say exactly what was on the screen with the bouncing disk (get it, not a ball because it’s Tron) landed on the word. So… if you listen closely in the movie you may be able hear me yelling. We had to say things like, “Disk! Wars!” and “Rinz! Ler!” and “Dee! Rez!” Then they wanted foot stomping. It may not sound exciting but just trying doing that in a room full of 6,500 geeks and not get excited. I could not help myself. It was fun even if we’re not actually used in the movie.
Tron will be coming to theaters December 17, 2010.
Jack Sparrow interrupted our break in Hall H to tell us he was not looking for pirates to sail with him on a new Adventure. Apparently Disney will be releasing the fourth pirates movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, next May. Also, Gillermo del Toro came on stage to let us know about a new “Haunted Mansion” reboot. They won’t be calling Eddie Murphy for this one. Del Toro said it will be scary so be sure to bring your children. I’m a Haunted Mansion fan, I love the ride. I’ve grown up going on it. I really hope the reboot is an improvement over the last version.
During the break between panels, Pauly Shore walked in and signed autos for people. That was bizarre. Although, as I would later find out, not terribly bizarre. Guests have a habit of walking in on other panels and surprising the fans. That’s certainly a cool thing about Comic Con.
Next up was the “Salt” panel starring Angelina Jolie. She looked gorgeous as ever. I was impressed to learn that she did her own stunts for the movie. I saw the preview and I think the woman has no fear. If you’re an Angelina Jolie fan and/or an adrenaline nut you’ll probably want to check out this movie. It’s already in theaters.
I have to say the fan oddly dressed as Spider-man that went to the Q&A mic surprised us all by asking a serious question about stunts. What did he ask exactly? I can’t remember. I just know we were all so distracted from his outfit that we were laughing. All of us, that is, aside from Angelina Jolie. She listened and answered him. She was very respectful of the fans and gracious, too.
I’d never heard of Battle Los Angeles. I do like the whole “aliens invade earth and we have to fight them or die” type of movie. Like Independence Day or even Signs. Battle Los Angeles is this type of movie. It stars Michelle Rodriguez and Aaron Eckhart, is produced by Neal Moritz and will be out in theaters March 11, 2011.
I took a break from Comic Con because I was invited to take a tour of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. How could I pass that up? Captain Mueller was kind enough to get us on board and show us as much of the carrier ship as we could handle in about two hours. I feel like I crawled all over every inch of that place.
I’m guessing that we only saw less than a sixth of it. We were very spoiled as we were allowed into the bridge. What amazed me is how high-tech it all is. Don’t mess with the Lincoln. With five thousand troops on board and people watching both the surface and the skies, not to mention all the fire power, you’ll regret starting a fight with that ship.
After such a long tour of climbing up and down stairs (hey! It’s a workout! You try it and then tell me it’s not!), we went for dinner on Coronado Island. Then I was done for the day. Even though Thursday was a crazy busy day I knew that Friday would make Thursday look like a cakewalk. I needed all the rest I could get. What I wondered as I went to bed was, “Will I survive Friday?”
Friday
Another early start. Up and out of the condo before 6:15 am. I’d spent part of the previous day running around one of the largest conventions in existence and the other part of the day running around one of the largest carrier vessels ever created. I really didn’t want to miss any panels, so I was up and ready to start the second busiest day of Comic Con. And according to TagHive on Twitter, I was already the top tweeter for the convention. I had my work cut out for me.
Of all the things on the agenda for Friday, I was most looking forward to the Tweet House party that night. We realized that while parking near the U. S. S. Midway was a good idea it meant a very long walk to the convention center. Luckily we found a rickshaw for hire! So we hopped in and our driver got us to the convention in record time. Plus, he was kind of cute.
Today we would spend the majority of the day in Ballroom 20. I think it’s the second largest panel room. The Stargate Universe panel was up first. I noticed that Louis Ferriera’s name was not up on the table but Alaina Huffman’s name was. Although I was sad about missing Ferriera, I was excited to see Huffman again. She’s absolutely a wonder-person.
The guests were Alaina Huffman, Ming Na, Robert Carlyle and last but certainly not least, David Blue. The moderator was none other than Robert Cooper. I could not wait for this panel to begin. Finally, Mr. Cooper introduced the guests and the fun began. Ming Na cracked us all up by petting her iPhone and calling it her iPrecious.
David Blue said that nerds need love too. As a nerd I could not agree more. I think nerds may even need more love than non-nerd people. The news that surprised many people is Eli finally gets love. Apparently he winds up involved with a Lucian Alliance woman. I’m hoping Eli is treated well.
Alaina Huffman was asked how she can play a character who seems the complete opposite of her. I have to agree. TJ is very serious and even sad. In contrast, Huffman is bubbly, happy and fun to be around. Huffman explained that she lives in the moment. She also said that “work is a relax” for her. She juggles three kids, a husband and a brother at home. She is one busy woman. Ming Na had us all applaud Huffman for being able to handle all those responsibilities. There is no doubt that this cast greatly appreciates and respects one another.
Robert Carlyle directs an episode in the next part of season two. It will be called “Pathogen.” I also here we will get to see the bridge, finally, of the Destiny. And emotions are escalated. It sounds like season two is just getting started.
The biggest news of the entire panel is that David Hewlett and Robert Picardo will be making guest appearances on Stargate Universe as a crossover type episode with Stargate Atlantis. I’ve mentioned I’m a squirrel. For those of you who haven’t heard me shout that from the rooftops, being a squirrel means I’m a fan of David Hewlett’s. I have missed Rodney so much! That should be a fantastic episode. And honestly, I’ve missed Woolsey, too. It will be great to see both of them.
All too soon the SGU panel was over. Next up was Caprica. I’ll be honest. I don’t watch Caprica. Nothing against it. I just watch way too much television (if there is such a thing) and cannot watch everything. Although I’d really like too. Anyway, the Caprica panel was cool. I think it’s the first James Marsters panel I’ve seen. I was excited about that because I’m a fan of his since I saw him play Spike on Buffy.
The cast says to expect great things for the next season of the show. Alessandra Torresani says that you won’t expect what’s happening. Sounds like there is definite girl power to be seen. Marsters made a joke about being on Buffy and how maybe, just maybe he’d seen tough girls fight. He said he can actually identify with his character, Barnabas Greeley, but thinks he carries things too far. And Alessandra says that she has to show most of her character’s emotions through her eyes which is tough to do. Sasha Roiz also stars on the show and was at the panel. Caprica sounds like a complicated, thought provoking show.
Bazinga! I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was UBER excited about the Big Bang Theory panel. I’ve been watching this show since the pilot and have been hooked ever since. In fact, I’m in major withdrawal without new episodes to watch each week. I knew that something was different about this panel because they brought out instruments like a cello, accordion and an acoustic guitar. I’d never seen that before and couldn’t figure out what they were up to. Not even when they handed us all lyrics to the theme song for the show. It’s performed by a band I love, The Bare Naked Ladies. The panel was being introduced and we were asked if we liked the theme song. Of course everyone in the room is agreeing when all of a sudden the Bare Naked Ladies were introduced! They jumped out on stage literally just feet in front of me and started playing the theme song. I could NOT believe my eyes. Fortunately we had cameras with us. I have pictures to remind myself it did happen.
We got to sing along with one of my favorite bands to a theme song to one of my favorite shows. Does life get any better than this? It does! Because then they brought out almost the entire cast of the show. All the big names were there, Penny, Sheldon, Wolowitz, Raj and Leonard (Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, and Johnny Galecki respectively). Not only that, Wil Wheaton was the moderator. Wheaton plays an evil version of himself on the show. It was a fantastic panel.
I was surprised when Wheaton said he believes Cuoco is the geekiest one on the set. I’m still not sure if that’s true or not. Although she’s a massive Harry Potter fan and was the first one on the set to have a Kindle, she didn’t know who Wheaton is when she was told he would be guest starring on the show.
A fan wanted to know if there would be any chance of The Big Bang Theory going to Comic Con. The producers gave one of the best answers, “We’re an indoor cat.” They said they are so used to filming on sets and in controlled environments that they would not be sure how to attempt filming at Comic Con. That’s too bad, though. It would be a funny episode, I’m sure, if they could figure out how to be an outside cat.
Expect to see the evil Wil Wheaton appearing at some point. I’m looking forward to that. I think Wheaton has brought something extra geeky and special to the show. For any Star Trek/Big Bang Theory fans out there I’m sure you know what I mean.
Then the cast treated us to a live performance of “Soft Kitty.” Although at first Parsons complained when the request was made, saying it’s only for when you’re sick. Mayim Bialik is also expected to appear in the upcoming season. All too soon, the panel was over. I was actually sad. It was the first Big Bang Theory fix I’d had in weeks. Now I have to wait for the new episodes beginning this September.
I decided to take a break from panels and go check out the Exhibitor Hall again. I did some shopping and more window shopping. Then I was hungry. I decided to try out Café Diem. I’d heard it was pretty cool and also had good food. The thought of sitting down at a restaurant a bit away from the crowd sounded very appealing, too.
Café Diem was a lot of fun. Syfy seemed to go all out transforming the place into the restaurant on Eureka. Even the menus were all Syfy foods. I rested my tired feet and filled my empty belly. It was a much needed break from all the crazy chaos of the convention. I was done eating and doing some writing when someone caught my eye. I looked over and had to laugh to myself. There was a guy walking around who looked just like Eureka’s Sheriff Carter. The fabulous and talented Colin Ferguson. But I knew it wasn’t him. I mean, if I were him would I show up at Café Diem? Well, actually that is something I would do. Then I realized a girl with a remarkable resemblance to Zoe Carter, the sheriff’s daughter, was standing next to him. Finally it dawned on me: I was looking at THE Colin Ferguson and THE Jordan Hinson! How crazy is that?!
I had to run over and introduce myself. They were very gracious and allowed me to take a picture with both of them. I have to say that both Ferguson and Hinson are wonderful people. Plus Hinson is even more adorable in person, as if that’s possible.
I went back and sat down and just as I did so in walked Sasha Roiz and Alessandra Of Caprica! While Alessandra was busy getting her picture taken in the Syfy picture machine, I asked Sasha if I could have a picture with him. He generously agreed. As you can see from the picture he’s a very short man. And I told him so. I think I confused him at first but then he laughed and said that somehow he looks so tall on camera but is actually very short in person. I’m guessing he comes in at just under 6’ 6”. Small fry.
Next up was the Tweet House party aboard the U.S.S. Midway. I know, I know, TWO carrier ships in the same number of days. I was a lucky girl. I wanted to arrive at the party on time because rumor had it none other than William Shatner would be landing a helicopter on the ship. Wasn’t I bummed to find out that Shatner landed almost an hour before the party started. However, he did stay and talk a bit. So that was good.
There was also a Pixar panel and a couple of bands played including Heavy Young Heathens. I was exhausted at this point. So it was time to call it a night. After all, the biggest day, Saturday, was still ahead of me. I had been warned that it would make the other days so far pale in comparison.
Saturday
I was surprised I woke up for my alarm. And I hurt all over. I was so tempted to sleep in and miss half the day. Comic Con is like running a marathon. Or so I would guess. I’ve never actually run a marathon. I felt like I had, though. Or that I’d been hit by a truck. However there were places to go and people to gawk at! I got up and forced myself to get dressed and ready for the day.
To be honest there was one word that kept me motivated: Chuck! First up was the Chuck panel. I’m a huge Chuck fan, haven’t missed an episode yet, and could not wait for the panel. I’d been told that Jeffster actually performed at last year’s Comic Con. We were told to expect something different. Some of us speculated if someone different would be performing. I was hoping that wasn’t the case, I did want to see Jeffster live.
Turns out there was a Jeffster video done to Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance. Naturally it was hilarious! As we’re watching the video and laughing, I start hearing people cheering. I look away from the video screen and see Jeffster on stage! They were dancing for us! EPIC!
They danced for a bit and had the entire crowd laughing. Then the entire cast of Chuck came out! I mean basically EVERYONE I would consider a major or somewhat important character. Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Sarah Lancaster, Adam Baldwin, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence joined Vik Sahay and Scott Krinsky on stage. And that wasn’t all! After they all danced for us they threw “Nerd” tee shirts out into the audience. Thanks to the great arm on Jeremy, I am now the proud own of a “Nerd” shirt thrown by non other than Chuck himself! Woohoo! I’ll wear it with major geek pride. I mean nerd pride.
They certainly gave us some spoilers. Such as who will be playing Chuck’s mother, will Jeffster return and what guest stars we can expect to see on the show. The answers are Linda Hamilton, yes and the Old Spice Guy, Isaiah Mustafa respectively. The next season of Chuck is going to be everything I’ve come to love in the show and more. I will certainly be tuning in to watch.
Family Guy followed the Chuck panel. What I will remember most is how Seth MacFarlane sang as the voice of Stewie while we watched a video of it, live. That was pretty amazing. I don’t think he made a single mistake. Singing is hard enough, but add to that singing in another character’s voice live in front of 4,500 people AND timing it right so it’s in sync with a video is nothing less than fantastic. I kept looking back and forth from the video to MacFarlane. It was very weird — and also extremely cool.
I was about to watch the Cleveland panel when I got a phone call. It was time for my Robert Cooper interview and I had to leave the convention center and find the hotel where the Stargate Universe cast was. I practically ran with all my stuff and made it there fairly quickly. The rest of the Wormholeriders team was there, too, accept for Rigel, aka SciFiFanGirl616. We would be interviewing Cooper, Ming Na, Robert Carlyle and David Blue. My interview with Cooper was first.
Actually, this was my first ever interview. Was I nervous? No. Not at all. Am I lying right now? Oh heck yeah! I was so nervous. However I was also excited to be the one interviewing Cooper. He is a pillar in the Stargate franchise and someone I personally think is wonderful. He’s had a hand in some of my all-time favorite Stargate episodes and has worked on all three shows. The news that he is taking a step back from Stargate is sad. You can see the interview here: (http://wormholeriders.com/blog/?p=16706)
I thought the interview went fairly well since I didn’t lose consciousness, cry, or run away. And thankfully, neither did Mr. Cooper. I do want to thank Robert Cooper for his time and for allowing me to interview him. Also, thank you Syfy and MGM Studios. It was such an honor.
I was wandering the hotel and happened to run into some of the cast from Warehouse 13. I could not believe my luck! I got to hug Saul Rubinek as well as Eddie McClintock. I also got to talk to Allison Scagliotti. Seriously good times. If you don’t know, I happen to cover Warehouse 13. If you don’t watch the show, why not? It’s a fun show! What are you waiting for?
I had to go back to the convention center because I had press room access for the series “V.” I am a fan of the show and had the pleasure of interviewing both Morris Chestnut (Ryan) and Laura Vandervoort (Lisa). Both lovely and talented actors. It sounds like there are some very cool things in store for us “V” fans in the upcoming season. Why am I getting the feeling that I’m going to have way too many shows to watch in the coming months? Stay tuned to the Wormholeriders site for my interviews with Chestnut and Vandervoort.
After the “V” press room I was free! I had survived Saturday! HORRAY! I was happy but so exhausted. And starving. I think aside from half a yogurt at like five in the morning I’d eaten a cookie. So on the way back to my in-laws condo we got sushi. Delicious, filling sushi. And then I pretty much crashed. I had to get up early yet again for Sunday. I did not want to miss the Smallville and Supernatural panels.
Sunday
I was up bright and early again. Even before the sun. I seemed to be making a painful habit out of it. However it was for a worthy cause. I was excited about the Smallville panel. Good thing I was up early because literally thousands of other Comic Con attendees were excited about the Smallville panel too. I was able to get in line and eventually, after a two hour wait, get a seat inside the room. It wasn’t the first row but I didn’t care. I was in the room!
First I want to congratulate Smallville for holding the title now as the longest running science fiction show. As a steadfast Stargate fan this is a sad moment for me; I’ll be honest. Smallville has now passed up Stargate SG-1. However, I congratulate Smallville. Science fiction shows are starting to finally have the longevity they deserve. However, the tenth and final season of Smallville looks astounding. I think this show is going out with a bang. In a good way. As they said at the panel they are throwing everything including the kitchen sink into the final season. They showed us the sneak peak and I have to say it looks like a very meaty season. Even Clark’s father, Jonathan, will be back. And, the question most Superman fans have been waiting for: Will Kal-El fly? We were told that we know how the comic book turns out. So that’s a yes. Finally we get to see him fly!
Supernatural: My final panel of Comic Con. I’ve been a fan of this show since the pilot. This show seems to be that cat with nine lives. I’m told this is the final season of Supernatural, however I am pretty sure I’ve heard that in past seasons. Still, the upcoming season looks very interesting. What are fans to expect? Weekly monsters returns, the brothers still work on their relationship, Cass may have a Russian accent (ok not really) and no more kissing for Bobby. When asked how Sam will get out of Hell, Jared Padalecki said he wasn’t sure but maybe he gets out with practice. He was alluding to the fact that this isn’t Sam’s first trip to Hell. In fact, Dean and their father have been to Hell. Trips to Hell, and getting out, seem to be a family trait.
When asked if Chuck, the prophet, was actually God, the panel would not give an answer. Apparently the writers want each person to interpret who God is on their own. So for all you fans out there thinking Chuck is really God, well, keep thinking that. It’s your prerogative.
Gag reels can either be hilarious or lame. I had never seen a Supernatural gag reel before and I have to say I have been missing out. We were shown a sneak peak of the gag reel and I literally laughed so hard I cried. Of course, with fantastic premier episode music and a hilarious performance of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” to rule ALL “Eye of the Tiger” performances, I should have known the gag reel would be epic. Even if you’re not a Supernatural fan you should check it out. I have a feeling it will win you over. Supernatural’s final (as far as we know) season seems to keep that snarkastic sense of humor that gives the show it’s edge over other horror type shows.
Sadly the gag reel and Supernatural panel had to come to an end. I had just one last thing to do before my Comic Con experience was over: interview the Scooby Doo people.
I’ve been a Scooby Doo fan literally my whole life. Not only did I grow up watching the show, I grew up with Great Danes. When we bought our house I turned my oldest daughter’s bedroom, playroom and bathroom into Scooby rooms. I painted the characters on the walls and decorated with whatever Scooby knick-knacks I could find. To say I was excited about interview the people making the newest Scooby incarnation was an understatement. I was thrilled!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Matthew Lillard, the voice of Shaggy, supervising producers Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone, producer Mitch Watson, and art director Dan Krall. My interviews will be up on Wormholeriders soon. I will say that I loved speaking with these people and picking their brain about one of my favorite shows. They certainly have me excited about Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated airing Mondays at 7pm on Cartoon Network. Many of these talented people have worked on classic shows like Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain and Freakazoid! Need I say more.
And with the last of my interviews, my work was done at Comic Con. As I walked away from the convention center I realized, happily, that I had survived! Yay! I also knew I’d need about a week of sleep when I finally made it back home. Unfortunately, I had an early flight back home the next morning. One more painfully early wake up call for me. I could sleep on the plane though. And I did.
No more waiting in lines… that is until the next convention!
Thank you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future!
Thanks so much for reading about my crazy and exhausting experience at San Diego Comic-Con, and many thanks to Kenn for making it all possible~! Please feel free to leave a comment here or click on my twitter name or image and drop me a line on Twitter. Until the next convention!
This series continues to deliver character-rich episodes week after week and what a cliffhanger w“Ghosts in the Machine” was the second-to-last episode of the front 10 episodes of the season. From tonight’s episode, the overall theme was the extremes Joseph and Daniel will go in order to achieve their goals.
Both are trying to find their daughters, but after tonight, I believe Daniel might care more about business than he does his daughter. An outstanding performance was given by Dmitry Chepovetsky, guest-starring as Cereberus in the Mysteries club in New Cap City, and our main actors, Eric Stolz and Alessandra Torresani.
Joseph has been connected to New Cap City for a while, judging from the condition of his self-care and immediate environment. Emmanuelle has changed his virtual look and introduces him to an “amp” which she describes “a hack that bypasses the holobands’ safeties, interacting with the visual cortex to heighten player’s senses and reflexes.” Joseph uses it in the virtual game, but you can see his physical body in the real world has a response to it, almost like a methamphetamine.
Daniel powers up U-87. He wants a sign Avatar Zoe is in there. Zoe, however, will not respond; U-87 does respond to Daniel’s command to look at him. At the Graystone lab, Daniel is trying everything he can to get a response out of Zoe. While putting U-87 through gun-assembly drills, he tries to agitate Zoe with things that she hates. First, he starts smoking. He talks in great detail about why Zoe hates his smoking. There was a fire when she was 5 in the home that Amanda told Clarice in a previous episode was Zoe’s favorite house. The fire started in Daniel’s home lab and had completely engulfed the house. Zoe was trapped in the attic. Daniel describes hearing her screams of her being trapped in a box (which would explain why U-87/Avatar Zoe freaked out when she was placed in a box for transport, as if it was a coffin), the fire making screams of its own, and those being the longest 7 minutes in Daniel’s life.
As he lights another cigarette, his lighter no longer works so he uses a match. Whether or not this is deliberate, I cannot tell for sure (I believe it was), he allowed the flame to burn his hand. When he screams, “Ow!”, it is then U-87/Avatar Zoe pauses in her gun assembly and then in another reflex that made the viewer believe that she realized that and that is the release we see in the second movement.
Amanda visits the site of the accident in which her brother was killed. As she looks up from the tree they hit, she sees her dead brother, Darius, driving in a car that passes.
Zoe is livid and vents to Lacy. Lacy ponders if Zoe should just let Daniel know she is in there. Zoe does not trust him. She says, “Business first, same old daddy.” She then realizes exactly what he was trying to do: Get her to react. Zoe tells Lacy she just needs to be the robot. Lacy laments if she can even do that anymore.
In New Cap City, Joseph and Emmanuelle stumble on to Joseph’s home. He wonders if Tamara is in there. A drug abuser is occupying the home (actor Stefan Arngrim, V, Fringe, BSG). The word “motherfracker” is finally used in the Caprica series at this time, which made me smile, having missed this term from Battlestar Galactica. He shows him a picture of Tamara. His character, credited as Amphead, says that she is the dead girl and may be at a club called “Mysteries.” Another character, credited as “Shotgun” enters (actor Ron Selmour, Stargate Atlantis, BSG), who wants some payback with Tamara. A shoot-out occurs. Thank goodness Joseph had Emmanuelle along because he had difficulty pulling the trigger. She was able to take all of them down, getting only grazed in the process. She tells Joseph to leave until he learns not to hesitate when shooting.
Clarice and Amanda chat about seeing her brother Darius and the exact car that was in the accident in the last episode, Imperfections. During their conversation, apparently Clarice got Amanda to ask Daniel about Zoe’s avatar and Clarice tells her that the program was unstable.
Finally outside the lab, U-87/Avatar Zoe is forced to listen to Daniel explaining to her that he saw her “tell”, that he knows she is in there. A very emotional scene ensues between them. He tells her no matter what she did or what she is, he still loves her. She still does not respond. Then in a moment that shocked me, he shows his dark side again. Exploiting her fear of fire, he encircles U-87/Avatar Zoe with gasoline. He tells her all she has to do is take 4 steps out to clear the fire. Then he orders U-87, however, to stay. He throws the cigarette on the ring and flames engulf U-87/Avatar Zoe. There is only one point in that where U-87 moves the hand slightly, but I do not believe Daniel sees it. Zoe, however, seems to be hyperventilating. Once the flames die down, she is pissed. Awesome special effects with U-87 and Zoe (the cut scenes between the two of them) with the fire, giving us a camera view from her perspective as well.
Sam visits a disheveled Joseph. Joseph shocks Sam when he asks him what goes through Sam’s head when he kills someone. Thinking it is important to what is currently going on with Joseph, he says that that he tells himself it is not real, that they are not people but targets, and the whole thing becomes a game.
I loved the subtle red in the monochromic theme in Emmanuelle’s dress that tied directly into the name of the place, “Mysteries” back in New Cap City. This place lives up to its name. Emmanuelle warns Joseph to steer clear of the person who asks riddles. Of course, the entertainer picks him right out of the crowd and brings him on stage to ask him a riddle, asking if the stranger is their new Prometheus. Throughout the scene, you do not know who the name of this character is, but when I saw it in the credits, it was perfect: Cereberus (played by Dmitry Chepovetsky, Stargate SG-1). There are a few actors here that play on other shows we follow: Bouncer #2 was King Lau (Human Target); Cigarette Man was Amos Stern (Fringe); Weasley Bouncer was actor Patrick Sabongui (Fringe, Stargate Atlantis as Kanaan).
This segment is so rich in mythology it is fascinating. Cereberus in Greek and Roman mythology is the multiheaded (most commonly depicted by three heads) guardian of the gates of Hades to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx (the river between Earth and Hades) from ever escaping. He was the son of Echidna, a hybrid half-woman, half-serpent, and Typhon, a fire-breathing giant. Each of Cereberus’ heads is said to have an appetite for only live meat and thus allows the spirits of the dead (perhaps Tamara) to freely enter the underworld, but allowed none to leave. Capturing Cereberus alive without using weapons was the final task assigned to Heracles (another character in Caprica, who helped Tamara and then helped Joseph try to find Tamara) by King Eurystheus for Heracles killing his own wife and children after he was driven insane by Hera (the first Cylon/human hybrid child in Battlestar Galactica). After being given the task, Heracles went to Eleusis to be initiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries (the club Mysteries in Caprica?) so that he could learn how to enter and exit the underworld alive. The Mysteries are possibly related to the myths surrounding Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, which is known in the Homeric Hymns (around 650 BC). According to the hymn, Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, was gathering flowers (Tamara represents the letter “T” in her name with a sunflower), when she was seized by her uncle, Hades, with the consent of father, Zeus. Hades took Persephone to the underworld kingdom. Demeter searched everywhere for her daughter (perhaps this is represented by Joseph?). Another thought was that the Eleusinian Mysteries were begun around 1600 BC. Modern scholars believed “to elevate man above the human sphere into the divine and to assure his redemption by making him a god and so conferring immortality upon him.” (Reference: Nilsson, Martin P. Greek Popular Religion “The Religion of Eleusis” New York: Columbia University Press, 1947. pages 42 – 64).
Prometheus was a Titan, son of Iapetus and Themis. He was a champion of human-kind and known for his wily intelligence. He is also known for fire-stealing and giving it back to mankind. Again, Heracles is connected to this mythological figure. When Prometheus is chained to a rock where his liver is eaten out daily by an eagle only to to regenerate at night (because of immortality), Heracles shoots the eagle and frees Prometheus from his chains.
Now back to Caprica. The riddle is asked: “As the gods overthrow the Titans, so has man overthrown the gods, but when man visits his sins upon his children, how shall he be repaid?
There are two very rich things in just that simple sentence. First is from our own mythology: The Titans were the 12 supreme deities, sons and daughters of Gaia and Uranus. They were eventually overthrown by 12 younger gods, known as the Olympians (which includes, in Greek mythology, Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Ares, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus; in Roman mythology, Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, Minerva, Mars, Ceres, Apollo, Diana, Vulcan, Venus, Mercury, Bacchus). Secondly, is how it relates back to Battlestar Galactica, in the miniseries, where Commander William Adama gives his speech for the decommissioning of the Battlestar Galactica (before the Cylons attack): “The Cylon War is long over, yet we must not forget the reasons why so many sacrificed so much in the cause of freedom. The cost of wearing the uniform can be high, but…sometimes, it’s too high. You know, when we fought the Cylons, we did it to save ourselves from extinction. But we never answered the question, why? Why are we as a people worth saving? We still commit murder because of greed, spite, jealousy. And we still visit all of our sins upon our children. We refuse to accept the responsibility for anything that we’ve done. Like we did with the Cylons. We decided to play God, create life. When that life turned against us, we comforted ourselves in the knowledge that it really wasn’t our fault, not really. You cannot play God then wash your hands of that you’ve created. Sooner or later, the day comes when you can’t hide from the things that you’ve done anymore.”
Joseph cannot answer the question and begs to help him find his daughter. He is escorted out. He is about ready to leave when he sees the “T” that is similar to how Tamara used to write her name. Double-amping himself, he shoots the gun-check man. He goes back into the club and shoots many there until he gives them a chance to take off their holobands and leave on their own, after all, if you are shot in New Cap City, you can never come back again. Interrogating Cereberus, he finds out that Tamara was on the stage seeking answers to the afterlife. As Emmanuelle shows him the backway out, Cereberus smells a sunflower. The first thing I thought was that Tamara has changed the look of her avatar and that was actually her hiding from her father, just as Avatar Zoe is hiding from Daniel.
I love the small details they do not leave out on the show. Like on the backstage door, it says “Astra” which means stars, as in that was the stars’ entrance.
As soon as they walk out, Joseph sees a wall of the “T”’s that Tamara has written. The head is in the shape of a sunflower, which is symbolic for adoration and longevity, and let’s face it, Tamara’s longevity as a one of the two ghosts in the machine is guaranteed at this point.
Tomas Vergis visits the Graystone home to put his plan into motion of destroying everything Daniel holds dear. His target for this visit: Amanda. He shares what happened to his 2 employees and how the MCP was stolen, only for Daniel to have an identical MCP just a few days later. To her credit, she does not show any signs of knowing this information. She asks Tom to leave.
Setting up one more test in the lab for U-87/Avatar Zoe, you can see Daniel’s eyes are red and tired. He commands U-87 to shoot the dog. He loves the dog, but he loves his daughter more. I drew in a deep breath, not knowing for sure whether the writers would allow the dog to be shot. I thought certainly no, but…..? I have been shocked before. U-87 pulls the trigger, the dog winces, and my heart stops. Yes, I know the irony there that I am more upset about the dog being shot than the other characters in the show. But I am a big dog lover. I scream, “Holy frack!” And in a split second, Daniel informs U-87 that the robot did not miss; they were blanks. He then commands U-87 to shut itself down for the night.
Daniel comes out of the lab, grabs something to drink, and watches videos of Zoe on the window. Amanda is sitting outside, undoubtedly processing the information Vergis gave her. There is such beauty in the shot. There is a great divide between Daniel and Amanda, the void as big as the distance of where each were presently sitting. Also, I noticed that Daniel was “inside” while Amanda was “outside.” I am sure she was feeling very outside once Tomas Vergis shared with her that tidbit of information.
Back in the V-club, Zoe tells Lacy that the robot knew that the bullets were blank because of the weight. Had there been real bullets, she might have shot her father instead. Zoe tells Lacy she better get her out of there soon before something happens that she is going to regret.
In seeing the scenes from next week’s episode, I believe that unfortunately becomes reality for Zoe. Syfy promotes that someone is going to die. They show various scenarios of who that might be. I have not seen the actual episode so this is a 100% guess on my part based on watching the promo over and over again. I think Philomon dies next week. You see U-87 trying to get out of the lab, then you see U-87 driving the van (the lights from the helicopters following it shine through the driver’s side. It looks like Philomon might get whacked with U-87’s arm near his head. The coroner is at the Graystone’s house, what looks to be the lab, with Daniel and Cyrus present. Cyrus tells Daniel he is losing control of the project. Amanda looks like she is going to jump, but that could just be a dream she is having. Clarice has a gun to Barnabus’ head. Lacy joins STO, and Joseph and Tamara point guns in each other’s faces). This mid-season finale (the end of the first 10 episodes) is going to be a wild ride.
Thanks to Kenn for video embedding. Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments!
We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future!
Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
I hope you enjoyed Friday’s episode of Caprica as much as I did. Starting off things with a bang, another bombing occurs which Agent Durham believes is another message from the Soldiers of The One (STO). Agent Durham was able to secure a search warrant for the Athenian Academy, with media in tow, and another for the Graystone’s home.
Back at Sister Clarice’s home, we get a further peek into what a bisexual group marriage looks like. At least on this particular evening, four in the group are waking up together: Clarice and Desiree have a good morning exchange while Nestor and Olaf are greeting each other for the day. Then Desiree moves over as Nestor takes her place, sharing a good morning exchange with each other in the process, and ending with Clarice greeting Nestor and Olaf snuggling with Desiree. Clarice receives an urgent call and rushes from the bed.
Dressed and walking about Caprica City, Clarice bumps into a messenger who tells her on her computer sheet that the school is about to be raided. She dumps the computer sheet in the trash. The students at Athenian Academy who are part of the STO are also notified via computer sheet. Keon, who was Ben Stark’s friend (the suicide bomber in the pilot), is removing dynamite and fuses from his locker.
As Daniel Graystone’s colleagues prepare him for his show appearance on Baxter Sarno’s show. Amanda Graystone is not pleased. She says to Daniel, “I can’t believe you are going out there to dance on her grave like this.” Daniel explains to her that he has to do this because of the actions she took. Amanda says, “We’re not company spokespeople; we’re parents.” Daniel replies, “Actually, no, we’re not.”
Poor Serge! He just wants to help and is treated just like the machine that he is.
Witnessing the scene at the Graystone’s is Sam Adama who watches from his car, a Tauron bull on his dashboard. He waits for his opportunity to kill Amanda Graystone while questioning Joseph’s commitment to this request.
After the raid, Sister Clarice looks like she is about to cry, but as she shrinks into the floor, an unexpected burst of anger appears. Have I said lately what a phenomenal actress Polly Walker is? I loved her in the HBO series “Rome.” How lucky we are to have such talent on a show such as this.
U-87/Avatar Zoe hacks back into the V-club, but is interrupted by Philomon, the kind technician from the episode “Rebirth.” I think Avatar Zoe has a crush on him.
At the Adama residence, Willie Adama and his aunt have a discussion about what he would like to do right now in his life. Willie wants to work at Mr. Graystone’s pyramid team in the locker room, but he did not think his father, Joseph, would approve. My favorite line from the grandmother is: “You think you only get things from friends? You get the BEST things from enemies because they’re scared of you.” Sam Adama continues to observe the Graystone residence. Joseph is growing impatient. Sam tells Joseph the GDD is doing a search of the house. Agent Durham assures Amanda that they will not hurt anything; they just need to search. Amanda asks him, “What is this to you? Did you lose someone on the train?” Agent Durham replies, “I lost everyone on that train.”
Lacy Rand meets with Keon. She reminds him that he promised to help her get “something” to Gemenon.
Agent Durham tells his boss, Gara Singh, that the parents had cleaned out the home already and the lockers of the kids at school were much too clean. He wants a higher level of clearance to monitor communications because he knows something is there. Back at the lab, Philomon puts on some music during a diagnostic being run on U-87/Avatar Zoe. As he is scanning through the stations, one can hear the music for the original Battlestar Galactica. Nice touch! He finally settles on something appropriate and he tries to teach U-87/Avatar Zoe how to dance. Interesting to see Avatar Zoe dancing in a floating, flirty and sexy way with Philomon and they would cut the camera angle to just U-87 dancing which was quite clumsy. At the end of the song, he walks away. U-87/Avatar Zoe’s red eye follows him. Yes, it is definitely looks like a mutual crush is developing here. Our little girl is growing up. Joseph and Grandma talk. She tells Joseph that Tauron children play jacks with the finger bones of the Tauron children who loose the jacks. Joseph is horrified. But grandma lets out an evil laugh and says, “That was a joke. They were from chicken feet.” The grandmother reminds Joseph that Taurons believe the dead do not really die until their deaths are avenged. She is happy that Joseph is going to “take care of it.” But Joseph looks like he may be having doubts. I have to be honest; the grandmother would be fun to have around on Halloween.Daniel goes on Sarno’s show and it spirals downward. Amanda arrives at the studio to inform Daniel and his colleagues about the GDD raid. However, when she sees Daniel stumbling with his words out on the stage, she goes out there in a moment that reminds me of the movie “Touch” with Skeet Ulrich. She winds up saving the interview. Daniel announces that all holoband licensing will be free from now on and all profits made from holoband sales will be donated to a foundation they will set up to help teens find the right experience and the right values. Cyrus, his colleagues mentions to Pryah, the holobands are 60% of the net of the company. Sam shows up also at the studio and meets a fellow Tauron, an usher. He sees her tattoo and in the language of Tauron, asks for a pass into the studio, which she freely gives him. At home, Joseph and Grandma are watching the Sarno show. She notes that she could kill Amanda with her own hands and sleep well every night. Creepy. She says to Joseph, “Couldn’t you?” After the show is over, Sam introduces himself to Amanda as “Baxter Sarno’s driver” and that he could take her home. She freely goes with him. Lacy asks Keon if he had something in his locker and did he get a warning. He tells her he can’t say. Lacy has to go to Gemenon and take Zoe’s package with her. Keon tells Lacy he could set up a meeting with Barabus. He would decide whether she would get the STO’s help. Lacy thanks him and they have a touching moment. I think love might be blossoming for these two. Amanda admires Sam’s tattoos. She mentions that she is a plastic surgeon (note--they must have changed this at some point because during the pilot and the commentary, they said she was a neurosurgeon). He shares they are cultural, Tauron. Amanda knows the have meanings. They carry on a discussion about them. I always find it fascinating that assassins share so much of themselves to the one they are about to kill. She mentions that they are not going the correct way and Sam says something about traffic. Joseph has been texting Sam and calling others to get in touch with Sam to cancel the hit on Amanda. Sam escalates in scaring Amanda, telling her he lost a sister-in-law and a niece in the bombing. Sam comes home and starts cleaning up. He gives Joseph the details about how he killed Amanda. When Joseph finishes hearing the story, you could see the conflict in his eyes. Sam tells him, however, not to jack him around like that anymore. He noted the 60 text messages that he received from Joseph. Sam did not kill her; he just scared her a bit.Back at the Willow’s, Clarice keeps replaying Sarno’s show, intent on the part where Daniel says he created Zoe’s avatar. You can see the wheels churning in her brain. Daniel and Amanda talk about their appearance on Sarno and Daniel’s public confession that he creator an avatar of Zoe. Daniel downplays it, but does not share that it was Real Zoe’s avatar and that he stole the program to put into a robot. Amanda, however, says, “Yeah, I know how an avatar works, and so do you.” Next week’s episode looks very exciting as we get to know more about Tamara Adama and her journey to get free of the V-club, not realizing she is just an avatar and not a human being anymore. Hope to see you all there!Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!"PBMom
The title, “Reins of a Waterfall” describes this episode perfectly. The noun “reins” as a means to guide, control, check or restrain. In tarot cards, the waterfall represents emotion and the subconscious. In Chinese symbolism, it represents the feminine. In dream analysis, waterfalls are a symbol of rebirth or can represent a form of baptism or initiation. Since the last episode was “Rebirth”, this episode would typify the guidance of that rebirth, the next step in the journey of creation.
Entering into this episode, we are sampling through Caprica television like a remote control, seeing the cultural aftermath of Dr. Amanda Graystone’s public statement that her daughter Zoe was a terrorist involved with the MagLev bombing and the Soldiers of the One (STO). Dr. Graystone has had to resign her position at the hospital. Lacy Rand’s classmates at the Athenian Academy ostracize her. Daniel Graystone’s company appears on the verge of collapse.
As Daniel lets off steam in the boxing ring, his colleague, Cyrus, pleads with him to hire Pryah (Luciana Carro, “Kat” on Battlestar Galactica) to the open public relations position to counter the negative press. Cyrus wants Daniel to go on television to speak out. Daniel refuses.
As he leaves the gym, Daniel’s driver relinquishes the keys quite quickly to Sam Adama, but Daniel does not realize exactly who he is. Daniel performs a pre-emptive first strike blow, but Sam quickly shows him who is boss in this encounter. Joseph Adama walks up and introduces Daniel to his brother, Sam. Joseph seems to be embracing his Tauron roots whole-heartedly. I have a feeling Daniel will no longer refuse a phone call from Joseph again.
I thought Sam’s statement to Daniel was ironic about his niece, Tamara: “She’s dead because you raised a terrorist and I frakkin’ hate terrorists.” Sam belongs to the mob and likely has inflicted terror into the hearts of many in addition to the routine assassinations he carries out for the Guatrau (the Godfather).
Joseph wants to see Tamara, his daughter, again in the virtual world. Daniel tries to explain the program is gone, but Joseph reminds him that he said Daniel “thought” it was gone. As Daniel walks out of the ally, a single crow or raven flies behind him. Crows are powerful symbols that can be associated as being messengers, and symbols of death, wisdom, communication and the underworld.
In a scene reminiscent of Goodfellas, Willie skips school again to hang out with his Uncle Sam at his off-track betting establishment, bringing food to the men in the back room, including Francis (Christian Tessier, “Duck” from Battlestar Galactica). Sam admonishes Willie, telling him he needs to wait until attendance is taken and THEN he can skip out. To cover his absence, Sam plans to call in and use a made-up Tauron holiday as an excuse because he does not think the school will know any better. While watching scenes with Sam and the future Admiral William Adama, I cannot help but wonder how many lessons he learned from Sam that helped in the salvation of the survivors in the Battlestar Galactica story.
A beaten-up Daniel comes home and rebuffs Serge’s desire to assist him medically. He walks down to his lab. Amanda comes home and they both shocked at each other’s wounds. There is a glaring medical error here in the script. Amanda is a neurosurgeon. Keeping a sterile environment becomes second nature to a physician. She goes over to the wound glue (which is known as Dermabond here on our planet) and applies it to her contaminated finger before applying it to Daniel’s facial wound. The normal procedure in a hospital would be to open a singly-packed cotton swab, apply the medication to the swab, and apply the swab to the wound. Being in the medical field, it was something that I noticed. Amanda apologizes for her public statement. Daniel chuckles that she would do it again if she could which she acknowledges. The range of emotions carried by these phenomenal actors in this scene is astounding. Eric Stoltz and Paula Malcomson are to be applauded. The love that exists between Daniel and Amanda is palpable. Daniel wants to bond her wounds with the glue; Amanda wants to bond in a different sort of way.
All of this is going on in front of U-87/Zoe. U-87/Zoe looks confused and alarmed that her parents think she was part of the bombing. Since this is Avatar Zoe in U-87’s body, I believe this would be news to her as well. Although Real Zoe and Avatar Zoe were in a biofeedback loop at the time of the explosion, electrical impulses and/or feelings were being transmitted, not actual documentation of seeing Ben opening up his jacket with the bomb strapped to Ben’s body, totally unknown to Real Zoe. When her parents start having sex in the lab, the poor soul cannot leave the U-87 body. The writing here gets quite clever as they show U-87/Zoe giving them as much privacy as possible. The robot’s red eye goes from the left mid center to the far left several times to avoid looking at her parents having sex to the right of her.
On January 22, 2010, the Syfy Channel will launch Caprica, its new drama set in a science-fiction world. Taking place 58 years before the fall of Caprica and the other colonies to the Cylons, one does not need to have watched any of Battlestar Galactica (BSG) to love this show.
Fans of BSG, however, will be rewarded in knowing the genesis of creative elements from that show. Writers Ronald D. Moore and Remi Aubuchon(Persons Unknown, Summerland, 24) do not shy away from the same social-commenting topics that earned Battlestar Galactica The George Foster Peabody Award for excellence.
The story focuses mainly on the Graystone family and the Adama family (known to us at first as Adams). The technology engineering genius, Daniel Graystone, is played meticulously by Eric Stoltz (Grey’s Anatomy, Medium, The Triangle). Esai Morales, of Jericho, Vanished, NYPD Blue fame, brings to us the complicated character of Joseph Adama. The SyFy video embed below also includes Zoe Graystone and other Caprica mini-clips.
Directed by Jeffery Reinerof Friday Nights Light, the pilot brought a new style and feel to Caprica to define it as its own series, apart from Battlestar Galactica. Released previously on DVD and digital download April 21, 2009, it will be this particular story that airs on January 22, 2010 to start the entire new series on SyFy (check local listings for times).
On-board as executive producers are Ronald D. Moore, David Eick, Jane Espenson and the main showrunner, Kevin Murphy. Bear McCready continues to provide the cutting-edge music that we have come to love on Battlestar Galactica.
Rounding out the main cast are Paula Malcomson (Deadwood, ER, Lost, Star Trek Enterprise), who plays Amanda Graystone, wife of Daniel; the fabulous Polly Walker (Cane, Rome) playing Sister Clarice of the Athena Academy; and Sasha Roiz (Lie to Me, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), as Sam Adama, brother of Joseph. Actor Sina Najafi plays William Adama, the son, the future Admiral of BSG, in the pilot episode. Science fiction fans will love spotting their favorite guest stars from other science fiction shows, like Brian Markinson who plays Jordan Duram, the investigator, who has been on Stargate SG-1, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek Voyager; Hiro Kanagawa, who plays Cyrus Xander (Sanctuary, Stargate SG-1); Panou as Olaf Willow (Sanctuary, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1); Terence Kelly, who played the mayor (Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Eureka among many others).
The DVD pilot opens in the Virtual Club where we are introduced to Zoe Graystone (Alessandra Torresani of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and CSI), her friend, Lacy Rand (Magda Apanowicz of Kyle XY), and boyfriend, Ben Stark (a relative newcomer, Avan Jogia). Much of the V-Club, I imagine may be edited from the broadcast pilot episode because of the graphic sex and violence. It is an important story element to note, however, that this virtual club is a place into where teenagers hack in order to do anything they want without limits or consequences. It reminded me a great deal of the movie Minority Report as did the holographic bands.
Circumstances bring Adama’s wife, Shannon (Anna Galvin, Stargate Universe, Stargate Atlantis) and daughter Tamara (Genevieve Buechner, Supernatural, 4400) together with Zoe Graystone where their lives are cut short by an extreme act of terrorism. Joseph and Daniel bond over their respective losses.
In just the pilot episode alone, we are introduced to themes of organized crime, monotheism, polytheism, prejudice, moral dilemmas of artificial intelligence, religious zealots and acts of terrorism.
Stylistically, Caprica City looks like any modern city of today. It is filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia where most of our beloved science-fiction shows now call home. I enjoyed the duplicity of having computers that were as thin as a sheet of paper, yet people were still driving in cars.
Having experienced the agonizing event of the death of a child, it is an intriguing thought that is voiced by the dialogue, “What would you do if you had the chance to be with your child again?” The pain is something I can only described as having the air being sucked out of your lungs while your heart is being sliced open by a sharp knife while some part of you dies with them; it is a piece of yourself you never recover. It is something you never “get over”; you just learn how to live life differently. I could see myself in both Daniel and Joseph, wanting to do anything I could for even just one last time to say things unsaid, but ultimately realizing, like Joseph, that it was an “abomination” of the circle of life. People go through great lengths to keep that attachment to their loved ones. Some individuals are cloning their beloved pets. Many seek the guidance of mediums to contact their loved ones on other planes of existence. In Caprica City it is no different.
As with the Catholic faith doctrine, belief in evolution of mankind’s body, but believes the soul is eternal, the thing given to us by God in our evolved bodies. The pilot produces a question for me: Can you reproduce or clone the soul? The people cloning their pets would have you believe that it is indeed possible; they will swear their pet is exactly the same. One hundred years ago, however, the technology was just not there to make it happen. Will our technology some day catch up to the point where we can download our consciousness into new bodies?
Another theme I took away from this pilot was the recurrence presence of love and devotion. It is extreme love and devotion of one’s religion that drives a character to their act of terrorism; that same love and devotion to religion leads another to create rather than destroy. It is extreme love and devotion that drives Daniel Graystone to finish what his daughter started, not only for love of daughter but for love of his company. It is love of heritage that makes Joseph Adams want to be Joseph Adama once again. It was the love and devotion of a friend who heals the virtual body of a virtual character with a simple hug. As with Battlestar Galactica, it leaves the viewer to decide for themselves what is right and wrong and in between those polar dichotomies.
The pilot episode ends with a tantalizing cliffhanger that lives up to the jaw-dropping disbelief for which Ronald D. Moore has become famous. The DVD viewers have had to wait 9 long months for this story to evolve. Those watching on January 22 will only have to wait until January 29 for the next episode. It’s going to be a wild ride.
Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments!
We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future!
Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
second half of the first season. 
Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
The DVD pilot opens in the Virtual Club where we are introduced to Zoe Graystone (
