THE BIG BANG THEORY - THE COMPLETE NINTH SEASON

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Ninth Season' on Blogcritics.

Some television shows begin to show their age after nearly a decade on the air, especially sitcoms, which tend to thrive on one-off stories. Their lack of complexity makes them fun in the short-term, but it’s hard to sustain a high quality level of humor and enthusiasm year after year without the cast and the audience beginning to grow bored. An exception to that generalization is The Big Bang Theory, which is releasing it’s ninth season on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD this week, and shows little sign of slowing down.

If you’re not familiar with the show (though it’s hard to imagine you aren’t, with the series being the most-watched comedy of the last several years), it’s about four geeky scientists and the women that they love. The Big Bang Theory didn’t start with much in the way of female representation; the sole woman in the early days was Penny (Kaley Cuoco), and she was mostly just there to be a dream girl for Leonard (Johnny Galecki) to pine for. But over time, that changed, and other girls came along and stuck.

I think that’s part of the key to The Big Bang Theory‘s success: it has allowed itself to evolve and grow over time. Penny and Leonard marry in the season premiere of this release, but it’s no longer a one-sided affection, nor is it shallow these days. They have come to appreciate one another for a variety of reasons, and work as a couple because they’ve both changed through their exposure to one another. They seem like a solid pairing.

This rings true, also, for Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), the former of whom is still getting over his mother’s death from last season as they move into her house this year. They begin to think about starting a family in season nine, and we can see how they have stabilized, the man child ready to be a man with a child, and the woman who has thankfully pushed him towards that point.

Raj (Kunal Nayyar) is far less settled, dating two women at once. It’s not as skeezy as it sounds (usually), as Raj really does care deeply for both Emily (Laura Spencer) and Claire (Alessandra Torresani, Caprica), and he doesn’t lie to them (much). But even with the negatives in the story, it’s a big leap for Raj from the shy man who couldn’t even speak in the presence of women at the start.

Even famously particular Sheldon (Jim Parsons) is softening, forced to face the fact that he may lose Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) if he doesn’t learn how to express his affections both vocally and physically. The results of these growing pains are funny, yes, but they’re also painful as we learn what makes Sheldon tick, as happens arguably more this season than in any other.

If that makes the guys and Penny sound totally different from where they started, they are. Yet, all of this evolution has been gradual and authentic, changing as real people do over time. They rub off on one another, and it has made them all more complex, mature individuals. The Big Bang Theory hasn’t lost its premise or what made it special; it simply enhanced and deepened it as the years went by, a sure recipe for success. I can’t wait to see what season ten has in store this fall.

The Complete Ninth Season has a bunch of bonus features, though I would rank it middling in what is offer. Two sets of “#JustAskBBT” has cast members responding to fan questions, though most of them aren’t very good questions, and it’s puzzling why this is in two parts instead of just one. “Love is Rocket Science” is basically just a recap of the romantic relationships at this point, which is emotionally satisfying, but doesn’t really add anything to what we’ve already seen. But “The Big Bang Theory Gives Back” is better, highlighting how the series has positively helped college students going into STEM fields. And the included gag reel is predictably, comfortably funny.

While I’m lukewarm on the extras, I’m clearly not on the episodes, which attract guest stars like Bob Newhart, Christine Baranski, Laurie Metcalf, Judd Hirsh, Keith Carradine, Wil Wheaton, Adam Nimoy, Stephen Merchant, Elon Musk, Adam West, Stephen Hawking, June Squibb, and more in just this season alone. Whether you’ve been a faithful watcher from the beginning, have only caught a few episodes here and there, or want to jump in for the first time, I can unequivocally recommend The Big Bang Theory – The Complete Ninth Season, available September 13th.

American Horror Story celebrates "Halloween"

     This week and last, FX's big horror drama, American Horror Story, pulls out all the stops for a two-part "Halloween" showdown. Because of the holiday, the walls between the ghost world and the "real" one are thin, and the house's previous residents manifest more than ever. What's more, they can leave the property, and they do. This provides trouble for Ben (Dylan McDermott) when Hayden (Kate Mara) insists on telling Vivien (Connie Britton) the truth, and possibly microwaves her dog. A gang of teenagers come after Tate (Evan Peters) as he tries to enjoy his date with Violet (Taissa Farmiga). And feuding gay couple Chad (Zachary Quinto, Star Trek, Heroes) and Patrick (Teddy Sears, Torchwood, Raising the Bar) try to help decorate their former home.

     When a series hinges on the creepy, as American Horror Story does, it makes total sense to celebrate "Halloween" in a big way. As such, the series brings in a ton of guest stars for this episode. Not only do Chad and Patrick, the most recently deceased residents, pop up, but so does virtually every ghost seen in the first few episodes, including Nora (Lily Rabe), Charles (Matt Ross, Big Love), Angie (Missy Doty, Shameless), and Maria (Rosa Salazar, Parenthood). As if that isn't enough, the gang of teenagers that chases Tate boasts some recognizable faces, such as Alessandra Torresani (Husbands, Caprica) and Ashley Rickards (Awkward.). One would think that this means "Halloween" is just a stunt episode, but it's not. Each extra performer is used sparingly, but importantly. They enhance the plot without distracting from it. Good thing American Horror Story gets a full two hours to tell this tale, because there is far too much going on for a standard episode length.

     Of course, horror stories are not nearly as scary without death. "Halloween Part 1" delivers a significant, and unexpected, one when Adelaide (Jamie Brewer) is hit by a car. Desperate to save her, her mother Constance (Jessica Lange) pulls Adelaide frantically towards the property where the haunted house sits. This seems to support what has been suspected, that people who die on the property do not follow the same rules as the ordinary dead. Sadly, it looks like Constance doesn't quite make it, and so Adelaide will be absent for the remainder of the series. Unless the creators are just trying to trick the audience, a possibility they could choose to utilize right away, or save for years from now. Or she can still return next Halloween, either way.

     There are further rules revealed for the ghosts in "Halloween." It is already known to viewers that Moira (Frances Conroy) is dead. But it seems that she cannot normally leave the property, except on Halloween, when the barriers are down. She uses this opportunity to visit her mother in the hospital, and ends her mom's life. Her mother asks Moira to come with her to the other side, but Moira says that she can't. Why not? What holds Moira back? The house must have a draw that not only lets the dead speak to the living the dwell there, but also keeps them from crossing over to peaceful bliss. It's evil as well as scary.

     Of course, Hayden causes the most trouble by far. Upset that Larry (Denis O'Hare) kills her, and Ben builds a gazebo over her body, she is determined to let Vivien know that she has Ben's unborn child in her belly. When Vivien doesn't want to listen, Hayden grows more and more upset. It is unclear if she actually microwaves Vivien's dog, making it now one of the house's many ghost inhabitants, or a tomato, as she tells the security officer, Luke (Morris Chestnut, V). I suspect the former. But learning that Vivien is also with child seems to change things for her. She thinks that might be why Ben didn't leave Vivien, though in reality, that's hardly the only reason. Either way, it appears that Hayden may stop causing trouble, at least for now.

     Is Tate a ghost? This is a question that lingers throughout American Horror Story. The teenagers that chase him at "Halloween" claim that he killed them. They also say they would be in their thirties if he hadn't. Since Tate still looks like a teenager, that means he must be dead, too, not aging. A brief cut scene also might back up their story. Unless they have the wrong guy, as Tate says. Since Tate is only seen on the property, except in "Halloween," and he can easily get in through some unknown way, he may very well be a ghost. The teens might only be able to appear on Halloween, not having been killed on the property. Did Tate then go there, maybe because he might live in the house, and kill himself?

     Equally interesting is the revelation that Tate is Constance's son. Constance worries what the news of Adelaide's death might do to him. This would lend credence to the ghost teens' story, showing that Tate has a temper, and can act violently. As such, Constance's conversation with Violet lends as much support to the Tate as a ghost theory as the teenagers hunting him do. Whatever is real or not, Tate is a vital part of the house's story, and thus, an important thread of American Horror Story.

     So what might change, now that Vivien hires Luke to help with security? Clearly, he lends a hand with the angry Hayden, and can cart her away, at least temporarily. But now he's going to suspect some stranger happenings, considering that Hayden disappears from his patrol car as morning breaks. It doesn't make a lot of sense that a security guard can provide much protection against the dead. But if he knows what's really going on, maybe he could be some sort of help. If nothing else, it will give Vivien some peace of mind.

     She'll need all the peace of mind she can get once she's in the house alone without her husband.  Now that Vivien has kicked out Ben, it makes her all the more vulnerable. True, Vivien is a tough lady, and can take care of herself. But when facing off against ghosts, the more help one has, the better. Without Ben around, that is one more protection that she doesn't have. Or maybe she's safer without Ben, considering what the house drives Larry to do when he lives there.

     Larry must be permanently changed by the house, unable to leave it, unwilling to stop interacting with the current owners. Larry is probably not a ghost, because Ben interacts with him outside of the home in a previous episode. But he still looks like he's from another time, and is heavily involved in the goings on there, like Constance. Thus, Larry is likely to keep going after Ben for money, if for no other reason than to stay involved. How soon until his continued presence tips off Vivien about Hayden's fate, and Ben's part in it?


     For anyone who likes a good scare, or a decent mystery, American Horror Story is a series to watch. Having just been renewed for a second season, like its ghosts, it is not going anywhere.

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Article first published as TV Review: American Horror Story - "Halloween: Part 1 & Part 2" on Blogcritics.

Caprica Ends Run Brilliantly

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

***SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details of the end of Caprica, including the series finale.***

     When SyFy's critically beloved Battlestar Galactica went off the air after only four seasons, I was depressed. It was one of the best TV shows ever made, in my opinion, combining religion and politics with morality and space battles. When a prequel series was announced, called Caprica, I was elated. Set fifty-eight years prior, it also took a lot of those same elements (except space battles), and leaned heavily on family and terrorism. It was brilliant, a worthy addition to the Galactia universe, but also it's own thing entirely. Then came news of its cancellation, and depression has set in again.

     Why was it canceled? The popular opinion is that it was too cerebral. People missed the space battles. AMC, you want to pick this one up? I promise you, I will watch, and so will many other people. I can't guarantee you any solid numbers, but the show would probably fit better with AMC's lineup than SyFy's.

     Last night marked the premiere on SyFy of the final five (Ha! Final Five!) episodes of Caprica. They were already released on DVD. Expecting unanswered cliffhangers and incomplete arcs, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that was not the case at all. Every single one of the plots began in the two hour pilot last year concluded naturally, and while I would have liked to see more development on some fronts, it was a full story. A look at future scenes capped the final episode, providing some idea of where the show would have gone, but more importantly, some events that came out of this year's plots. Despite only one season, Caprica joins my list of Best Shows Ever, made even better by no cliffhangers.

     I will miss the Graystones the most: Daniel (Eric Stoltz), Amanda (Paula Malcomson), and Zoe (Alessandra Torresani). They were the heart of Caprica, and often the characters with the most screen time. They were not in Galactica, and likely will not be in any other incarnation of the universe, as their story was concluded. Two grieving parents fought for the life of their daughter, who lived on in a virtual world. Their struggle was what birthed the greatest threat to humanity ever seen, and how the Cylons came to be what they were. It was the ultimate prequel, a fantastic and unexpected set up to what the original series featured. The rising of the 'skinjob' Zoe out of the bath in the future scenes was the ending of their journey, but the effects they had on the rest of the world will live on for far longer.

     I loved the Graystones, but they also provided the only inconsistency with Galactica. We learned in the previous show that the Cylons had been created before this era and will be again. The 'skinjobs' had only twelve models, and none of them were Zoe. Given more time, I'm sure this could have been addressed. In the next show, though the Graystones aren't expected to be featured, I hope it is dealt with in some way. While I think the family was given enough, there is still that one unanswered question left in the universe. However, surely practically no one but the Graystones ever found out about Zoe's new body, so if they are not part of the new story, it makes it hard to foresee the answer I seek.

     Lacy (Magda Apanowicz) was the most cheated by the finale. We saw her defeat the leaders at the STO camp and take control of their Cylon army in the previous episode, but she did not appear in the finale until the future scenes, when it was shown that she became the new Mother to the STO. Sure, that was perfect, fitting plot, but I would have expected, if the show hadn't taken time for the future stuff, a scene where Lacy and the Cylons take down Mother and her minions. Oh, well. Perhaps on the DVD.

     I like that Sister Clarice (Polly Walker) lost her organization, but lives to fight another day. In future spin-offs, I would really like to see what happened to Clarice, after she became preacher-to-the-toasters. Clarice was truly the Big Bad of the series, though that label was not apparent at first. Her fanatical beliefs were outdone by her oversize ego. She should have perished with her followers, but she didn't, because her will to survive is too strong. There are few characters on television played with such a mix of warring, and often hidden, agendas, and Walker was one of the best elements in an amazing show.

     The Tauron story concluded nicely, with the assassination of the Guatrau (Jorge Montesi) by Joseph (Esai Morales) and Sam (Sasha Roiz) Adama. It was almost a plot written into a corner, where the Adams faced certain death, or at least, having to flee the planet Caprica, which we know to be the homeworld of young Bill Adama, Joseph's son. Joseph had been anything but heroic yet in the series, and given Bill's later disagreements with the man, as told in Galactica, it wasn't surprising. What this plot twist sets up is a Joseph far more involved in the gang wars of his homeworld, though hopefully with a less villainous syndicate boss. Joseph always walked a fine line between noble and patsy; this development makes that balance even more complicated.

     Many people were surely shocked at the death of young William Adama (Sina Najafi) in the penultimate episode, widely believed to be the younger version of Commander William Adama, played by Edward James Olmos in Battlestar Galactica. Considering the young Bill introduced in the future scenes is at least ten years younger than Willie, this should have been something fans had already suspected, but I don't think it was.

     In October 2011, a new two hour TV movie called Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome will air on SyFy, with the possibility of a series pickup. Nico Cortez will reprise his version of Bill Adama from the Razor flashbacks. It will feature a new cast of characters, and is set ten years into the first Cylon war, with Adama in his twenties, so at least twenty-some years after Caprica. Ensign Adama is newly assigned to Galactica. A press release proclaims: "The talented but hot-headed risk-taker soon finds himself leading a dangerous top secret mission that, if successful, will turn the tide of the decade long war in favor of the desperate fleet." Exciting, no?

     While I am excited about this newest prequel, which will attempt to add more action, something some people (not myself, especially after the finale) thought Caprica was lacking, Ideally, I want to see Lacy Rand return, and possibly Sister Clarice. I also want Esai Morales to reprise his role, obviously with aging makeup, as well as other members of his family. I love the actress who played Lacy, but she's probably too young, even with a makeup job. None of this will happen in the pilot, but if the series is picked up, I surely hope it will pay homage to Caprica, as well as being its own thing.

     Until then, so say we all.

Article first published as TV Review: Caprica Ends Run Brilliantly on Blogcritics.

Caprica is risen again

One may not expect SyFy's Caprica to be the most religious show on television. It's set in the very distant past in another part of space, fifty-eight years before another recent SyFy show, Battlestar Galactica. According to Galactica's finale, our ancestors came from Caprica and the other eleven worlds, which we remember through the signs of the zodiac. Caprica was sold to Galactica's audience as the origin of the robots known as Cylons. By the end of Galactica, we knew that it had to be about more, but it's exceeded my expectations.

Caprica is world at the brink of civil war, torn between monotheistic and polytheistic beliefs. The tone is one of Ancient Greece, or perhaps Rome, not long before it's fall. Fans of the previous series know how it will end, but this show is so different that it is easy to forget what's coming. The monos, represented most prominently in the series by terrorist organization STO, seek to discredit and destroy the polys, whom they blame for the corruption of their world.

The world in question is in sorry shape, indeed. Teenagers escape to virtual reality, where they populate clubs bent on human sacrifice and orgies. A mob from nearby planet Tauron thrives. Suicide bombers blow up crowded trains. Which is, in fact, how Zoe Graystone (Alessandra Torresani) perished in the pilot, though her foray into virtual worlds, and mixing avatars with reality, has allowed her to still be a main character. Whether the existing Zoe, who lives only in computers, is real is a questions to be debated among the various religions.

Sister Clarice Willow (Polly Walker) seeks to be the voice to lead the Capricans into the next golden era. Last night's season premiere began with Clarice overseeing a group of people, some of them children, as they smuggled explosives into a crowded sports arena. The stadium and everyone in it spectacularly were leveled. But it wasn't real. Clarice has developed a recruiting technique for her organization. She wants to promise believers reality post-death, in a virtual world, like the one where she showed the destruction. Her group's leaders are wary, and order her assassination. But her support is strong, and her friends kill the messenger. Seeing little choice, the leader of them all, known as Mother (Meg Tilly, The Big Chill), asks Clarice what she needs to fulfill her plan.

I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled with Clarice's character when the show began. Somehow, though, in just ten hours, I've decided that she is my favorite character. She certainly had the strongest held belief-system, her morals are unique, and she has dangerous layers that have yet to be peeled back. She's more powerful than I think we as an audience realize, and she's highly intelligent. I don't know how much of her success is due to actress Polly Walker, but I am certainly a fan.

Back on Caprica, Clarice's one-time student, Lacy Rand (Magda Apanowicz) has stayed with terrorist leader Barnabas Greeley (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's James Marsters). Barnaby made Lacy blow up Clarice's car in last spring's mid-season finale in exchange for helping her get Cylon Zoe off the planet. Both missions failed, but Lacy seems drawn to Barnabas. She's still an impressionable teen, rocked by recent tragedy. She's perfect prey for a leader such as Greeley.

Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) is grieving, too. For most of this week's episode, Daniel had us assuming that both daughter Zoe and his wife, Amanda (Paula Malcomson), last seen jumping from a bridge, perished. More on them in a moment. Daniel is sleeping on his couch and getting drunk at all hours. But he has a plan to get back on top, and it centers on taking back his company, which he recently lost to a rival. To do that, he approaches Tauron mobsters Sam (Sasha Roiz) and Joseph (Esai Morales) Adama. Joseph wants no part in Daniel's immoral science, but their boss orders them to help Daniel. What Daniel's exact plan is, and how the Taurons expect to use him, is still a mystery.

Zoe spent the first nine episodes of the series in the body of the first metallic Cylon that the current population of the Twelve Worlds has seen (in Galactica we learned that there were Cylons before, as "all of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again"). The Cylon was severely damaged when Zoe tried to drive it in a van through a roadblock. Daniel, who figured out that his late daughter was in his metal creation, believes her lost. But late in the first hour, we discover Zoe's consciousness (spirit?) alive and well in the virtual world. Although Zoe's appearance was brief, we do now know that she is trying to track down the other dead-girl-avatar in existence, Joseph's daughter, Tamara Adama (Genevieve Buechner). What she wants with her is anyone's guess.

The biggest surprise was to find Amanda Graystone alive and well, now sharing a cabin with Sister Clarice. I don't think they exactly appeared romantic, though Clarice comes across as bi-sexual. Instead, Amanda may have sought Clarice's spiritual guidance after the tragic death of her daughter and her own attempted suicide. What is clear is that Amanda has left Daniel, at least for now.

Somehow, Caprica manages to pack more plot into each episode than most shows, and yet delves into greater depths. I'm relieved none of the main characters (except Zoe, of course) is dead... yet. The second half of season one, airing six months after the first half, has much to get through. But the first nine episodes did a fine job painting a vivid world. It's like nothing else on television, and so worth the watch. It will challenge your mind and your beliefs, and quite a bit of action gets through, too. I can't possibly fairly compare it to Galactica, as the two are so very different, but that means you don't have to have seen the first series to understand what's going on in this one. If you haven't been watching Caprica, I highly recommend you catch up on what you missed (the first half of the season was recently released on DVD) and join the party.

Caprica airs Tuesdays at 10pm on SyFy.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.



Article first published as TV Review: Caprica Is Risen Again on Blogcritics.

Caprica ends mid-season finale with much up in the air

     ...literally.  Amanda Graystone (Paula Malcomson) was still in the air the last we saw her, as she jumped from the bridge in an attempted suicide.  How ever knew how crazy that woman was?  The Zoe Graystone Cylon (Alessandra Torresani) was also careening through the air as the van she had stolen slammed into the police barricade and was tossed up.  Also, pieces of Sister Clarice's (Polly Walker) car were in the air, as Lacy (Magda Apanowicz) detonated the bomb.  Is that enough for you?

     After a long, long wait, SyFy chose to only give us nine episodes, counting the pilot that was put out on DVD nearly a year ago, before taking six months off.  There are eight more scheduled to air beginning September 17th.  SyFy is notorious for making fans of the franchise wait way too long for new installments.  Remember the nine month wait for the second half of the finale season of Battlestar Galactica?  It just proves that the network has no idea how to handle a good thing.

    And another good thing is what they have with this series.  Despite a few fun references from time to time, the show has certainly set itself apart from the series it is technically a prequel to.  Everything we thought we know from watching Galactica has been turned on it's head, and the political and personal drama is even deeper than expected.  Aside from one or two episodes in the middle, the show has really delivered.
     Besides the Graystone saga, which has also included the slow slip of Daniel Graystone's (Eric Stoltz) morality and sanity, the Adama story isn't quite as intriguing.  Perhaps in an effort to not exclusively tie themselves into a family already established in the universe, though they are main characters, the balance has been a little heavy on the Graystones.  However, things heated up in the past few weeks as Joseph (Esai Morales) battled a V-world addiction while searching for his daughter's avatar (Genevieve Buechner).

    When Caprica returns this fall, I do expect to see the Adamas and Graystones get further intertwined, and the fallout from all the bad things the main characters did.  I also want better closure on the Tamara plot.  But assuming James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) sticks around, I'm sure it will deliver.

     Caprica airs on SyFy channel Friday nights at 9pm.

Caprica different from Galactica, in a good way

     For fans of Battlestar Galactica, it was a sad, though very satisfying, day when the series when dark for good last spring.  Four years, a wonderful story, and a heck of a conclusion.  It wasn't about space.  It was about the characters.  Now, we have a replacement, in the same world, but with a totally different concept.  Well, not totally different.  It's still about the characters.  It is important to note that viewers should be able to start watching this show with no prior knowledge of Galactica, as it takes place many years before, and is clearly it's own thing.  But for fans, we get to see a barely-heard-about chapter unfurl in full life, a real treat.

     While Caprica premieres tonight on SyFy, the pilot has been available on DVD since last April.  The show already has fans, before it even launches.  I can report that it is an intriguing, exciting, and dark pilot, scratching the surface of grief that will surely be delved into.  I won't spoil any major twists, in case you still haven't seen the episode, but I can tell you that one of the main characters, (yes, one of the ones mentioned below) dies early in the episode, and it launches what will be a hell of an adventure.  This person's death has far reaching repercussions, and after the twist at the end of the two hours, fans of Galactica will be surprised, hopefully in a good way, about a connection between the character and the previous series.  Viewers will see the 'invention' of the Cylons, though we know that Cylons have been around much longer than the humans in this show will think they have.

     Set fifty eight years before the events of Battlestar Galactica, it doesn't feature humans running for their lives.  Instead, two families are brought together by the deaths of their loved ones, from a suicide bomber.  There are heavy religious tones to this series, even more so than Galactica.  It is a world on the brink of sin, with teenagers escaping into virtual clubs that feature group sex and human sacrifice.  Technology is god, and Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz), a genius, is at the forefront.  He works so hard that he practically ignores his equally inventive daughter, Zoe (Alessandra Torresani).  He does, however, seem to spend time with his wife, Amanda (Paula Malcomson, Deadwood).  Zoe doesn't get along with her mother, either.

     The other family is immediately recognizable.  We have heard about Joseph Adama (Esai Morales, NYPD Blue) and his eleven year old son, William, (Sina Najafi) who was of course the commander of Galactica, portrayed by Edward James Olmos.  While not obvious in the pilot, the other important Adama in this series is Joseph's brother, Sam (Sasha Roiz).  The Adamas are from Tauron, and are only working on Caprica.  They are looked down on for that, although Joseph, a.k.a. Yosef, seems to often reject his heritage to fit in on the world, even publicly using the last name Adams instead of Adama.  At this point, the Twelve Colonies do not have one united government.

     The show also stars Polly Walker (Rome) and my personal favorite, Magda Apanowicz (Kyle XY).  Nineteen episodes, not including the pilot, have been made.  It airs on SyFy Friday nights at 9pm.