When I heard that the pilot for Caprica, the BSG prequel series, would be released on DVD almost a year before the actual series started its run, my first thought was that this is an obvious cash grab by Sci Fi Channel (sorry, Syfy {hock-ptoo}). BSG ended just a month ago and the media jerked off all over the finale (UN Conference, anyone?), so why not release the new series pilot on DVD while the fans are still in mourning and telling all their friends unfamiliar with the show to wise up? Whether this was their scheme or not, I didn’t give a shit anymore after watching Caprica.

The pilot takes place “58 years before the fall” and successfully retains the tone of BSG while stripping the sci-fi elements down to a minimum. The series explores the deeper themes that ran through BSG: racism, family dynamics, religious fanaticism, and, most prominently, hubris. The pilot clearly establishes the promise of creator Ron Moore that Caprica will be more grounded in human drama. Can the series accomplish this without teetering into the melodramatic realm of a soap-opera? Ron fucking Moore is at the helm, of course it can, turkey.

Eric Stoltz is phenomenal as the grief-driven scientist Daniel Graystone who opens up the Cylon Pandora’s Box through his desire to revive his daughter Zoe (Alessandra Torresani, who I am now in love with). Esai Morales also delivers as Joseph Adama, a Tauron-born lawyer with connections to a criminal organization. He’s also the neglectful father of our beloved BIll Adama, who we see glimpses of as a boy in the pilot. Seems patriarchal issues run deep in the Adama family, as does weeping. Jeffrey Reiner, my favorite Friday Night Lights director, delivered downright hypnotizing visuals to the pilot and he’ll hopefully continue to work for the show. The pilot DVD is advertised as “extended” and it’s obvious that will they’ll cut for air is the millions of boobs shown in the first five minutes.

Will BSG diehards be into Caprica? I have a feeling stalwart fans watched BSG more for the drama than the action anyways, so the shift to Caprica’s “grounded” motif should be painless. But we have to wait a year until Ron and Co. can officially prove themselves all over again. Fucking great.

- Oh Mars