Partially eye candy, partially for acting/script.
I like Zoe’s voice, and I don’t think she looks haggard. They could do a slightly better eye look for her, but she’s not “saggy eyed” by any means.
Sam Adama, on the other hand, is prettier than everyone else on the show, and he has an adorable husband and great tattoos, in addition to getting interesting things to do, scriptwise.
I’ll give it at least this season, to see how they will explore the multiple possible issues. Zoe as a multi-dimensional being* is pretty fascinating (I loved her dancing with Tech Guy). And, although it seems that most Dopers have nothing to do with religion, it is, nonetheless, a prime motivator in many peoples’ lives (and has been throughout history), so I’m interested in how they navigate this. Polytheism vs monotheism vs non(?)theism has been debated/warred over since man discovered fire.
As to how Zoe-robot leads to sentient Cylons and war against the humans, I hope they don’t go down that road. You don’t have to explain one thing to tell a different story.
*She thinks of herself as Zoe the person, Zoe the Avatar, and Zoe the huge frakking robot, all at once.
Interestingly, I had just this same reaction to this episode, and considered dropping the show, but did you see the next-episode-previews at the end of the episode? If I wasn’t completely mistaken, it looks like it will focus on the avatar of Tamara Graystone, stuck in the virtual world and figuring out what kind of things she can do while in there.
It looked like just the kind of sci-fi candy you were talking about, and I for one think it would be an interesting sub-plot for a few episodes.
Can I point out that I told you it sucked Feb 6, 2009?
Do I get a prize?
It’s got that Star Wars VI feel to it. One of the main draws is that you want to see how the character Zoe/Anakin goes from being a humanitarian to KILL, KILL, KILL!!
That said, I still like the show all though I would like to see them pick up the pace. Don’t need sci-fi eye candy, just better writing.
I watched the pilot (not by my own choice) and couldn’t stand it. I’m also not in the target audience as I didn’t watch any of the BSG reboot.
From what I’ve seen, though, it’s got the same things going on that has made me absolutely hate SGU. Not that I’ll hijack this thread with SGU, but it does seem that SyFy has told writers that people like 40 minutes of whining about the same things each and every week.
Now I haven’t had that reraction to SGU (not to hijack, but I think it’s fair to compare Caprica to other SyFy, er, fare). I think SGU balances its elements better, so I’m staying with it for now.
We’re still watching but we want MORE. Some elements are intriguing, or at least they are trying- the nun in a plural marriage, the gangster who is gay, and these are throwaways rather than OMG LOOK AT US BEING HIP.
It better start moving a bit more quickly, though.
But having said that, Esai Morales and Eric Stoltz on TV is always great.
I’m happy with it. Science fiction doesn’t have to be about spaceships and 'splosions, ya know. Sometimes it’s about ideas, and this is a good one. Well-acted, too.
My biggest concern is with the cars. Sam Adama drives a '62 Ford Galaxie? Joseph has a Citroen DS? At least it makes sense - it will be another couple of generations before the Hummer dealership in Caprica City opens, as we know.
Oh, I thoroughly agree. I don’t need 'splodey eye-candy to be hooked. I just wish they’d move a little more expeditiously onto the development of the story.
I find it irritating how they keep alternating between hulking great cylon and short-ass girl… and the creepy ‘relationship’ between the nerdy lad and the cylon.
Overall I’m easilly turned off by a tv show or film that isn’t engaging me. And so far Caprica has managed to keep me engaged.
It doesn’t ‘stink’ It’s just not BSG.
ETA: Short anecdote: When I first heard about Caprica shortly after watching the last BSG, and saw the premise, I thought “Wow, that sounds like it’s going to be really shit”
Cut to months later and seeing the Pilot… “Wow, that was surprisingly good. Better than I imagined”
I don’t think she will - I think that the Adama girl will somehow get into a Cylon body (probably by doing horrifically violent things), and she will be the one who turns the Cylons into the joyless killbots we know and love. Zoebot has problems, but on the whole, she’s adjusted pretty well to the whole AI/Robot thing. The Adamabot, though - she’s getting her head frakked with in some pretty major ways. Who could blame her for frakking the worlds right back?
Yeah, but what happens when Zoebot gets jilted by the tech guy for a real girl in a real girl’s body? This is the Galactica Universe, there’s now way she will take it remotely well.
Picture a teenage girl's sense of drama mixed with a universe where everybody is already an unbalanced collection of personality disorders. Now put that into the body of a killer robot.Sort of a Trinity, if you think about it.
Yeah, like that’ll happen.
I agree it’s gonna be the Adama girl that goes psychokiller, based on the end of the last episode. I don’t know how to spoilerize so I’m not saying any more than that.
I never watched BSG so I come to this just as an old sci-fi fan with no expectations. It could have more action and less brooding, but I’m still watching.
It is really picking up steam. Now with the Greystone company going completely open source on their com-band technology, I can see it being implemented into absolutely everything - and giving Tamara (and any other avatars created) access to it.
And now that Joseph Adama will be off on a wild goose chase trying to find Tamara across the network, we’ll see where Bill Adama gets his hatred for all things networky (other than, you know, the inevitable and massive Cylon war he gets involved in…).
Wait, so it’s going to turn out that Bill Adama’s older sister is the original sentient Cylon and instigator of the war? As much as I enjoyed all 4 seasons of BSG and the finale, I may just have to join Cervaise in RDM’s molten CD nasal irrigation.
I like the show, it is a drama and it is a bit slow, but I still very much enjoy watching it.
It is a bit much isn’t it?
Still, as I said earlier, I hate the characterization of Zoe and I like Tamara, so I’d much rather the story focus on her. Fiction is always built on these coincidences to some extant, and really, so is life. If they planned it that way from the beginning, I think molten CDs might be needed, but I wouldn’t want them to turn down a good storyline that presents itself just because it involves the Adamas.