Caprica Pilot script – CliqueClack review – Guest Clack

Ivey West is back Guest-clacking for us again….

First, I guess I should soundly state for the record that this script review will include spoilers. Lots of them. Oodles in fact. If that’s something you have a problem with, I would suggest scrolling down to the next post. Hopefully, it won’t be another bashing How I Met Your Mother.

There is nothing quite like a father’s love for his daughter. As I haven’t yet had the experience, I will go on the loving “interviews” that have been meeting the fathers of some of the women I’ve dated as experience. The backbone of the Caprica pilot script I read was one part father’s love, one part hubris, and one part the delicious Polly Walker doing what she does best.

The story follows the path of two fathers and how they deal with the tragedy that is the loss of their daughters (and in Joseph Adams’ case, his wife as well). A terrorist train bombing takes the lives of these characters, and many more, very early on.

The Greystones

Daniel (Eric Stoltz, of, you know, Eric Stoltz) and Amanda (Paula Malcomson: John From Cincinnati, ER) are the Bill and Melinda Gates of Caprica. Their rebellious teenage daughter, Zoe (Alessandra Toreson), however, might outstripe her dad, as it turns out she’s developed the technology to clone individuals into detailed digital avatars. Her involvement with a religious sect advocating the One True God, whose mission is to “drive out the many gods,” was key, but to me, left a little too ambiguous. Her incredible technical talents seem very important to the groups leaders, but I don’t understand why, in that case, she was allowed to be a simple pawn. Daniel eventually uploads the avatar of Zoe into a robotic body and special brain, becoming the first cybernetic life-form node (Or, you know, Cylon).

The Adams

Or, the Adamas. The name change is a plot point at the end, one that will probably raise the ire of some of those fans that are continuity conscious (And I promise I’m not talking about regular commenter Akbar. Nope, not at all). Turns out the Adamas aren’t geneologically Caprican, but from Tauron (You’ll remember that the Taurons are the redheaded step children of the 12 colonies, and are the subject of quite a bit of racial discrimination throughout the pilot.).

Joseph Adama (Esai Morales: Jericho, NYPD Blue) is the defense attorney, but not yet the Civil Rights activist we’ve heard him remembered as. Instead, he’s a bit of a cog in a seemingly corrupt judicial system, having been put through law school on the Tauronese maffia’s dollar. Joseph has this sniveling kid William (OK, the loss of the mother and sister truly excuses that) that I think might go onto big things later in life (just maybe). Joseph decides to return his family to their original name (presumably changed in the past to avoid discrimination) near the end of the installment so that William will be closer to his heritage. I’m curious, though, to go back and watch the episodes of BSG that dealt with the Taurons and the prejudices they experienced, and to see how, if at all, the Admiral played in that dynamic.

Everyone Else

Zoe’s boyfriend Ben was enough of a convert of the religious group to blow up a train with his girlfriend on it (without really including her in the plan). Lacy is the third of their trio that survives the blast, only to fall further under a manipulative thumb. Amanda is having an affair with her husband’s business competitor Tomas Vergis (Roger Cross: 24’s Curtis). Vergis is also Tauronese. We’re also introduced to several other ancillary characters that may or may not have larger roles as the season goes on, including the cop investigating the bombing, and Daniel’s king of the lab. There’s one other character that deserves particular mention. Joseph has a brother Sam that is more connected to the mob than he is (yes, that’s right, there’s a character in the script presumably named Sam Adams).

The thing that I look most forward to (and dread at the same time) is the exploration of the political and theological distinctions between the (I daresay Cylon’s) One True God, and the polytheistic system widely accepted in the Colonies. A central figure in how that will play out is Sister Clarice Willow (Polly Walker: Rome, Patriot Games) the Madame Morrible-esque (see Wicked) head of the school that Zoe, Ben, and Lacy attend. She is the manipulative puppet master that is the link between the three and the religious cult, The Soldiers of the One. I can’t wait to see Walker play this role after seeing her as Atia on Rome. What I dread, however, is that while I will find this exploration of religion interesting, I’m concerned that the challenge of making it interesting to casual fans might be too much to overcome.

The script leaves many open questions, and sets out a relatively clear direction for the series to go in. The dialog, writing attributed to BSG creator Ronald D. Moore and former 24 scribe/producer Remi Aubuchon, was smart and interesting. The version I read was dated September of 2006, and was indicated as the fifth draft. The pilot wasn’t greenlit until a year later, but this was supposedly the shooting script.

After having read the script, I’m looking forward to the show more now than I was. I think that Walker’s Willow and Morale’s Adama will be by far the most interesting characters (and, in my opinion, the more dynamic actors currently attached). I’m weary of Stoltz’s Greystone not being worthy of being the apparent father of the Cylons, and didn’t really connect with Amanda at all. I do have faith, however, in Moore’s ability to make this an incredibly interesting show, and cannot wait to see what future episodes bring.

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Jan 02, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT