Blu-ray Review: Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome on Blogcritics.

Now on Blu-ray and DVD, and downloadable, is Universal's Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome. Set 10 years into the First Cylon War, after the events of Caprica, and several decades before the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, Blood & Chrome follows young William Adama (Luke Pasqualino, The Borgias, Skins) on his very first mission, which goes horribly wrong.

For those BG fans who complain that Caprica isn't action-packed enough (I am definitely not one of them), Blood & Chrome swings to the opposite extreme, a high-octane thrill ride with simulated battles filling in the gaps where "not enough" is happening in the real world. It's a dark, at times scary, war story, taken to the front line and behind enemy lines.

Unfortunately, that means there isn't a lot of time for character development. BG works because of the actors, and the nuance with which they play their dealings with one another. It is as much about politics and religion as interpersonal relationships, and the fights with the Cylons come as secondary. Blood & Chrome moves the latter to center stage, making it fun when you're watching, but a bit hollow in retrospect. This works well for a web series, which one can tell Blood & Chrome is, edited together now into a not-quite-seamless television movie.

I'll be honest, I'm torn on Pasqualino as Adama. He is the fourth actor to tackle the role in the official franchise, and I see a bit of the Caprica take in some of his dialogue and mannerisms, when he isn't being way too cocky. I don't, however, see the grown up Adama at all. Perhaps that is intended to come later, in the unlikely event this project is pushed forward as a series, but it's missing here.

Blood & Chrome is sold to us as a potential pilot, but it's not clear what the series would feel like from this first episode. Rather than setting up the full cast or what the characters will be doing, it follows only three people for a large part of the movie: Adama, his co-pilot Coker (Ben Cotton, Hellcats), who is near the end of his tour of duty, and just wants a calm last few weeks, having lost the fighting spirit, and Dr. Becca Kelly (Lili Bordan, Cherry.), who has a secret mission for them, and claims she can turn the tide of the war. One of those three, I won't reveal which, wouldn't even get to continue if the story went on.

For the most part, I enjoy the hour and a half, even if it doesn't make me miss Battlestar Galactica less. But there are enough hokey missteps, like Adama hooking up with Becca, the creepy half-machine cave worms, and yet another new Cylon soldier, as well as a glimpse at an early attempt of a human-model Cylon (interestingly voiced by Six herself, Tricia Helfer), that prevent this from being quality entertainment. Adama is close enough to events in Caprica to understand what the Cylons actually are. Why doesn't that play a role here?

What really kills Blood & Chrome for me is the reuse of BG and Caprica alum as new characters. Cotton only has a bit part in BG: Razor, so that's not too bad, but most of the rest of the cast, including Adrian Holes, Leo Li Chiang, Mike Dopud, Carmen Moore, Allison Warnyca, Sebastian Spence, Zak Santiago, Colin Corrigan, Jill Teed, Ty Olsson, Brian Markinson, and John Pyper-Ferguson are already present in other stories as different characters, and still recognizable from their previous roles. This really destroys any believability, and is definitely the absolute worst thing about Blood & Chrome.

On the positive side of the chart, for those keeping score, are the special effects. One would swear previous BG sets have just been upgraded, but pretty much this entire movie is green screen, so they've actually been digitally re-created. It's OK that the hanger bay and control room are busier and fuller than in the previous series, because this is Galactica at the height of her service, fully manned and equipped. It all looks so real, if they hadn't included an intriguing twenty-two minute featurette as an extra, showing how they created the sets, I wouldn't believe it. I can't think of another series that has done effects this good.

Which means that Blood & Chrome looks and sounds spectacular in high definition. Much care goes into every detail of the design, and with all the computer work, they are able to make everything super sharp. The colors are mostly of a dark palate, but there is such a broad spectrum represented that one could easily forget that, seeing how rich it looks. The soundtrack is not as sweeping as its predecessors, but again, is flawless.

Blood & Chrome is made by design and programming nerds, and it shows. Story takes a back seat to effects, and the visuals are mind-blowing. It's an example of what a new BG could look like, and is definitely an argument to bring some incarnation of the show back. Just not this one, because we need the story part of it, too.

Besides the aforementioned featurette, there are about ten or so deleted scenes. That's it on the extras, sadly.

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome is available as a Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy / Ultraviolet combo pack now.

Follow The Following

Article first published as The Following Series Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 97%

FOX is known for high-octane action dramas that are also about good storytelling. In THE FOLLOWING, premiering this Monday at 9 p.m. ET, not only does it follow in this proud traditional, but it uses a well-known group of actors and a seasoned creator, Kevin Williamson (Scream, Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries), to deliver one of the best network series in the genre to date.

As the story opens, after a suitably intense first scene, we meet agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon, Mystic River, Apollo 13), an alcoholic, washed-up fed who once captured a notorious serial killer named Joe Carroll (James Purefoy, Rome, Resident Evil). Joe is on the loose, and with some new agents by his side (X-Men’s Shawn Ashmore, not to be confused with twin Aaron, and Law & Order’s Annie Parisse), Ryan has to track down Joe all over again.

While the hunt is on, THE FOLLOWING takes time to show us some of the previous events in a series of flashbacks. We are introduced to Sarah (Maggie Grace, Lost, Taken), the victim Ryan saved from Joe’s killing spree, and Claire Matthews (Natalie Zea, Justified, The Other Guys), Joe’s wife, whom Ryan previously had a sexual relationship with, during the first go-round with Joe. Ryan checks in on them both in the present day, concerned, and hoping that they can lead him to Joe.

Other than that, it’s hard to tell you much. FOX would like me not to spoil the various plot twists that make up the hour, and after thoroughly enjoying the story, I agree that everyone should watch the episode for themselves. It’s a thrilling ride, with plenty of the unexpected happening, and it would be pretty rude to give you a heads up about those things.

This also makes it hard to talk about the series going forward, or what it will be. The story is significantly different at the end from what it appears to be at the beginning. so I can’t write about the premise very much without spoiling. So I won’t.

What THE FOLLOWING does well is set up an intense situation. As publicly released materials on the show’s official website have already revealed, the show will deal a lot with what would happen if serial killers in many different areas formed a network, rallying around a central figure. It takes an element of society that it already dangerous, and heightens the threat, with a support network helping the bad guys complete their evil missions. This is exactly what is happening.

There is also the Battlestar Galactica element of the enemy hiding among us. On that sci-fi show, the villains are Cylons, robots that look like humans, live as humans, and may not even know they aren’t humans. In THE FOLLOWING, serial killers masquerade as normal people, and like in BG, they could be anybody. This makes for a high-stakes guessing game sure to engage viewers.

Of course, we have the flawed hero in Ryan, a familiar enough trope at this point. Bacon brings something fresh to the table, though, as the latest in a string of well-respected, highly talented film stars that are transitioning to the small screen for the great roles offered. Bacon takes Ryan, and immediately sets up someone fans will get behind and root for, even as we wish we could help him through the internal and external traumas he is dealing with, forgiving him his slipups because of what he has endured.

There is a simmering tension in the air, as THE FOLLOWING makes us wonder what a person is capable of. We get both sides of the spectrum, hero and villain, both intelligent and capable, and both ripe for exploring humanity through the prism of. Obviously, Joe’s actions are heinous, but the show seeks to get into his head a bit. At the same time, Ryan has clearly taken almost all he can possibly take, but, somehow, he has to find a way to overcome his failings and be the man the public need him to be to protect them.

Ryan is starting a step behind, Joe, of course, not knowing the game is already afoot. But the chemistry between these leads is great, and surely the upper hand will go back and forth between them repeatedly over the run of the program.

What makes THE FOLLOWING even better than the typical series are the literary and artistic references. Edgar Allen Poe plays a huge role in influence, with a thumping heart beat even accompanying one scene in a brilliant way. Joe thinks that there is a beauty in the murders he commits, and while THE FOLLOWING will not glamorize or agree with Joe, we see the elements in his act that he attributes to the more noble pursuits.

In short, THE FOLLOWING works on many levels, and is extremely well put together in every category. It takes what FOX did with Prison Break and 24, testosterone-fueled dramas, and pumps it up with some braininess that elevates the game. This is a fascinating story with plenty of mystery and suspense. It should become a much-watch for many very quickly.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Television Reboots

With a new year upon us, thoughts turn to fresh starts and new horizons. However, what will be dramatically different for us in 2013 than in 2012? Most people's lives are likely to stay very similar to how they are now. The trick is to make everything old new again. It's a feat our pop culture seems quite dedicated to, especially as of late.

I refer, of course, to reboots and remakes of television series. In this day and age, we cannot leave well enough alone, or commit just to original ideas. So many television shows are new incarnations of old ones, or based on movies or other material, that it seems like they outnumber the fresh concepts. Sometimes this can be bad, and other times, it's so well done that one can't complain.

Sci-fi seems to be the biggest beneficiary of good remakes. Battlestar Galactica springs to mind as a top notch effort, a show that took a poorly executed concept from decades ago (so I've heard, I haven't actually got around to watching the original), and managed to make it a grand political, religious, war-intensive, philosophical thriller. Interweaving the things that our society hinges on, and seeing them laid bare, with the trappings of B.S. stripped away, it is a true triumph.

Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Stargate also have found new lives, continually updating themselves to stay up with the current trends. The first two of these three had some pretty solid stories in the old days, but the technology just wasn't advanced enough to satisfyingly portray them. Now, not only have the special effects gotten better, but so has the depth and complexity of the tales. Dark sells better these days, and so the optimism gives ways to dystopia.

Next up in this category: Star Wars should soon get a long-awaited, live-action small screen adaptation.

Fantasy is right up there with the sci-fi. Once Upon a Time has shown us what can be done with children's stories when they are reinterpreted with a fresh eye and a creative wit. It helps that it is starting to feel a lot like Lost, which it borrows from almost as heavily as the source material. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, arguably one of the best television shows of all time, has its roots in a crappy film. These are the types of shows that give rebooting a good name.

And then there's Game of Thrones. Previously a book series, this epic tale has capitalized on the Lord of the Rings' success, and taken the genre to a new level. It's the amount of characters, mixed with the willingness to take risks in storytelling, throwing stereotypes out the window, performed by an all-around amazing cast, that makes this one soar.

Sadly, Mockingbird Lane failed to join this list. Despite a wonderful cast and stunning visuals, the characters just weren't good enough to earn a pick-up. The concept was solid enough, making a goofy comedy into an hour-long drama, but the execution, which sold itself short, going for the easy path, rather than breaking new ground, is what killed it.

Staying in a similar vein, superheroes are still the rage. Even after the ill-fated Heroes, they continue to be attempted over and over again, taking their roots from popular comics. Smallville is the biggest so far, and is about two-thirds good, amid some terrible arcs. But Arrow shows promise as a suitable CW replacement, with many critics calling it one of the best freshman shows of this past fall. Both of these took liberties from the original stories, but stay close enough to convention to be accessible for general audiences who haven't read the books.

Of course, if one really wants to look at comic adaptation done right, look no further than The Walking Dead. The genius of the show, in which the creator of the comics also helps with the TV series, is that both incarnations embrace their medium fully. What works on the page won't necessarily translate to the screen, and the writers have been brilliant about making those distinctions, while keeping the premise at heart. Plus, killing characters off at different points and in different ways keeps viewers guessing, and makes the show its own unique experience.

We Americans sometimes look across the pond for inspiration. One of the best examples of a remake here that made the premise its own is The Office, finally bowing out this spring after a long, mostly enjoyable run. Similarly, Ugly Betty took a Mexican telenovela and turned it into something great in English.

Being Human is doing its own thing, in a good way, and Homeland and The Killing do for drama what The Office does for comedy. All of these owe American ignorance of other cultures for their praise. After all, if the original is good, why remake it? Except, many of us still refuse to watch the originals, especially if we have to do it with subtitles. This seems a glaring flaw in our national makeup, but one not likely to be corrected anytime soon. As long as our versions are as good as those I've just mentioned, and not another failed attempt at Coupling, we're OK.

CBS's Elementary has been an interesting experiment this year. In a landscape so flooded with current Sherlock Holmes iterations, this one still manages to be different than its peers, and entertaining. I have a few complaints, but overall, it's been a pretty solid fall run.

The pitfall Elementary must avoid is sticking too close to its crime procedural set up. After all, aren't all the CSIs and NCISs just remakes of themselves? Hawaii Five-0 is also in this category, though I hear that the new episodes remain pretty decent; I gave up because crimes of the week usually get pretty boring, pretty quickly.

I could say the same thing about medical dramas, except, for some reason, these tend to be more character-driven. Maybe Grey's Anatomy owes its roots to ER, but if they're both good, why complain? (Disclosure: I did not watch ER).

One tactic I applaud is continuing a previous series. Perhaps Dallas was ready to end after spending the better part of two decades on the air (I don't know for sure, I was too young to watch), but I am glad they brought it back now, as it was a highlight of last summer. I cannot wait for Arrested Development to make its highly anticipated return on Netflix. I wish more shows would do this, calling back the cast members who made the show special in the first place, rather than trying to completely revamp itself, a la 90210.

I think, again, we could learn from the British. Obviously, its Doctor Who is a continuation, and a very, very good one at that. But it's far from the first time they made new episodes of a series that was over and done with. Absolutely Fabulous had new entries last year. Sure, we occasionally get a TV movie, like we used to with The Waltons and The Brady Bunch continuations, but mostly, nowadays, once a show is over here, it's over. Why? This doesn't make sense to me.

I've mostly listed the good shows, but I'll give you a few of the recent bad here, without too much explanation, as they don't deserve it: The Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Melrose Place, Free Agents, Eastwick, V, Flash Gordon, Skins, American Gladiators, Crusoe, Kath & Kim, Knight Rider. These are some of the many reasons folks argue against a reboot.

It's pretty clear that reboots and remakes are not going away anytime soon. And I don't necessarily want them to, not when there are so many great ones to list above, including some of my favorite programs on television. I guess, the point is, when considering a reboot, those in the creative industry should ruminate more fully on what has worked and what has not. If it's obvious to the fans the reasons some of these shows soar and some flop, it should also be apparent to execs. There are lessons to be learned. Take them to heart, and we'll all be happier.

After all, we do not want a new Gilligan's Island on the fall 2013 slate. Unless there's a smoke monster.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first published as Television Reboots on Blogcritics.

Futurama builds "The Six Million Dollar Mon"

In the latest installment of Comedy Central's Futurama, "The Six Million Dollar Mon," Hermes (Phil LaMarr) is disgraced after being rated the least valuable employee at Planet Express and fired, replaced by a machine. It doesn't matter that he is the one who does the firing to himself, it still hurts. Adding insult to injury, Hermes is almost mugged by crazy Roberto (David Herman). To cope with these events, Hermes begins getting robot implants, until there is nothing human left about him.

"The Six Million Dollar Mon" is, overall, a very good episode. It really focuses on the characters of Hermes and Zoidberg (Billy West), exploring their relationship, and their personalities. Futurama is at its strongest when it takes the time to work with what it already has, which are fully developed, complex characters. Adventures are nice, but character exploration is what makes good television great.

The episode uses these individuals and their quirks to be funny. When Zoidberg thinks Hermes's meanness towards him is Hermes's way of showing affection, it's sweet. When we learn that Hermes really does hate Zoidberg, it informs on the way their characters interact, and is tragically amusing. Zoidberg building the Hermes puppet continues this trend, simultaneous making us laugh at the visual gag, but also feel sorry for poor, pathetic Zoidberg, knowing this is his way of coping with not truly having any friends. Many people can relate to this.

Add to that, Professor Farnsworth (also West) acting as a mad scientist, and Scruffy (also Herman) refusing to fix anything that is not a boiler or a toilet, and there are some truly classic moments. Best of all is Bender (John DiMaggio) being fascinated with a machine that bends, and appearing jealous of Hermes's shiny metal ass, a trademark catchphrase of Bender's.

There are a couple of smart plot twists in "The Six Million Dollar Mon." Once Roberto is executed, and then Mecha Hermes wants a robot brain, it's fairly predictable what is going to happen. Still, it seems clever, even if it's a trope used in other fiction, because of the sincerity it is played with. Ditto for Zoidberg rebuilding Hermes piece by piece. One can see where the writers are going, but it's still fun to be taken along for the ride. It's the seamless way it all ties together that kicks the story a notch above the norm.

Plus, Futurama really delivers the references in this episode. From the title, a play on the television show of almost the same name, Hermes getting a Cylon eye, and seeing Helper's grave in the robot cemetery, "The Six Millon Dollar Mon" has goodies for geeks galore, whether one is a fan of The Venture Brothers or Battlestar Galactica. These are more than just cut scenes, a la Family Guy, but actually add to the value of the plot here.

That being said, it isn't a perfect episode. The sequence where LaBarbara's (Dawnn Lewis) curry drips through a number of different places, finally burning the Robot Devil (Dan Castellaneta), is a throwback to the other animated shows that lack the ingenuity and cleverness of Futurama. Worse, Leela (Katey Sagal) and Amy (Lauren Tom) invite a distracted Fry (West again) to shower with them in a cheap joke that is totally out of character for all involved.

Still, Futurama delivers more consistently than most, and remains a must-watch show, even after the many years of episodes that have come before this one. Catch Futurama Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.

Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com.  If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published on TheTVKing

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.

Top Shows to Buy for Christmas

     While television is flooded with terrible offerings, such as Jersey Shore, $#*! My Dad Says, Two and a Half Men and The Mentalist, there are plenty of great things out there that not enough people are watching. By not enough, in some cases, almost everyone would be enough, because they are truly awesome shows.  Though not a complete list, here are a few recent triumphs to add to your Christmas lists for any loved ones that love TV:

24 The Complete Series ~ Here's something to tide you over until Jack Bauer makes the leap to big screen. Even more fun, watch each season in one day. You can probably do it in about 18 hours without the commercials.

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series ~ If you saw the old version of this show from 30 years ago, you may have been disappointed by the cheese. This newer series has none of that, and it amazing with the questions it raises. Check it out.

Caprica: Season One (1st half on sale now, 2nd half December 21st) ~ Sadly this Battlestar Galactica is already canceled. In fact, a lot of the 2nd half hasn't even aired. But it is a mixture of terrorism, religion, and beliefs in general that deserves attention. A new Galactica prequel has already been ordered.

Cougar Town Season One ~ Yeah, yeah, yeah. The worst titled show on TV. But after a rocky start, the series ditched the old woman dating younger man concept and became something more in the vein of friends, a group of close people who love each other and drink far too much.  Give it another chance.

Glee Season One ~ Although season two has been much sharper, this first season really had us going with the musical numbers and teen drama.

 Lost: The Complete Series ~ Did you tune out after several years of not knowing what was going on? That's ok. Now the complete series is available in one collection, and you can watch it straight through. It will make it easier to understand, and no less exciting.

Parks and Recreation Season Two ~ After a wildly unstable first season, the series settled into consistent funny in season two. It is one of the smartest written shows on TV, and will have you rolling.  Too bad NBC kept it off the air this fall, though season three will begin in January.


     Some shows are just so good, that even though they currently aren't available on DVD, pre-order them a put an IOU note in a giftbox. You will still be loved for it:

Justified Season One (releases January 18th) ~ This fascinating surprise about a Kentucky marshall, which is not a crime-of-the-week show, but instead, a wonderfully detailed and nuanced character study deserves any attention it gets.

Nurse Jackie Season Two (releases February 22nd) ~ Season two had Jackie's secrets threatening to burst at the seams, and though she tried to break off the affair with Eddie, he struck up a friendship with her husband.  Great stuff.

The Walking Dead Season One (releases March 8th) ~ If you missed AMC's zombie show, you are really missing out. It was about so much more than monsters. It was about people surviving. And morality. And sacrifice. And yes, zombies that ate you alive.

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.

FlashForward fizzles out

     ABC tried a bold experiment this year with FlashForward, a show we were told would be wrapped up in one season, should it be canceled, though I am having trouble locating the interview where that was promised now, and I've wasted too much time already on the show to keep looking.  The season, and series, finale, "Future Shock", did anything but tie it all together.  Part of that could be because it was not known at the time to filming if the show would be coming to an end, or getting another season.  However, since the ratings weren't strong, it should have been assumed.  It would have been easy enough, with a few different scenes at the end, to finish it nicely, but the producers chose not to.  And so anyone that invested twenty-two hours into the show has had their time wasted.

     The entire season was uneven, walking a fine line between cheesy and brilliant, but frequently teetering onto the former side.  The cast was packed with wonderful actors - John Cho, Sonya Walger, Jack Davenport, Dominic Monaghan, Courtney B. Vance, Christine Woods.  It was almost worth watching the whole series to see Battlestar Galactica's James Callis deliver his newest crazy-man, and prove that he has even more range than has been known.  But the writing was frequently weak, and did not do justice to the talent involved.

     The the last episode, for instance.  Much of this season has been about choices, and if fate is more powerful than free will.  So far, every time, free will has won out.  And then, each character, one by one, made it to the place they saw in their vision way back at the beginning of the season.  Sure, there were differences.  Lloyd (Davenport) and Olivia (Walger) didn't sleep together.  Janis (Woods) was pregnant with a boy instead of a girl.  But the basics were all there.  The only one who seemed to have twarted fate, for now anyway, was Demetri (Cho), because he was alive at all.  But in the episodes leading up to the finale, it seems fairly likely that he will soon be shot to death anyway, as fate has a way of catching up.  It's like Final Destination the series.

     The ending of it all was the most disappointing.  First, it was established that December 2016 would be the end of the world.  Did a show that had such a hard time catching on really think it would get more seasons than the far more intelligent Lost that it was trying to replace?  The bad guys who caused the flash forwards were never caught, and so remain at large to stir up more trouble.  In this case, they caused another flash forward to end the series on.  This time, though, it appeared that different people flashed to different times, all between 2010 and 2016.  I say this because I freeze framed through the various images and caught at least three different dates.  What does it all mean?  We'll never know.

     I don't have a problem taking a chance on something complicated and involved.  I loved Lost.  But when the show promises not to leave you hanging if they're canceled, it looks likely they are going to be canceled, and yet, they film a cliffhanger anyway, I am not please.  Sadly, it will make me much less likely to trust ABC on the future.

24: The Dana Walsh Problem

     After eight years, it has become apparent that Fox’s 24, despite all of the exciting twists, turns, and torture, is a formula show.  It feels fresh every year, but there are certain elements in place.  For instance, we all know that there will be a mole in CTU, the CTU boss will clash heads and not listen to Jack at some point, and Jack will be proven right and save the day, but suffer some personal sacrifice.  The part of the formula, however, that doesn’t work, but keeps popping up, is the whiny CTU agent with some family or personal issue.

      This season that subplot is made worse by the fact that the character is Dana Walsh, who is played by the great Katee Sackhoff.  Fans of Battlestar Galactica, thrilled that Starbucks would be on the action packed series, tuned in excitedly, waiting for Dana to kick some butt.  Instead, she sits in an office and calls her ex-boyfriend, blackmailed and subservient.  It has gone on for a third of the season now, and still has not dissipated.  Surely, Dana will eventually get to do something cool once the whole mess is behind her, but when will that be?  Instead, it’s dragging down the otherwise awesome show.

      Why must 24 even go down this road, time after time?  It’s not like they can’t write better stuff.  They do.  And yet, it keeps coming back.  Perhaps it’s reasoned as a time filler, a way to bring down the adrenaline for a few minutes.  After all, audiences would have a stroke if Jack keeps running and shooting for twenty four hours straight.  But please, please, please remember next season, if there is a next season, to leave the whiny character at home, not in the action, and do not make it Starbuck.

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.

The Closer closes fifth season

     I am not a fan of Kyra Sedgwick, and as such, have never given The Closer a chance.  This, despite the fact that it is the highest watched cable series ever, and the number of viewers has grown every season.  So when I received the screener DVD for tonight's season five finale, I decided to give it a shot.  After all, I can't stand Sarah Jessica Parker, but I liked Sex and the City.  I thought that maybe this would be the same.  I soon confirmed my suspicion, though, that this was a procedural show, not serial, and so while I may like an episode, it is not something I would probably watch regularly.  The following review does contain some slight spoilers, but does not ruin any big twists or the ending of the episode, which airs tonight on TNT.

     This was a great episode.  Sedgwick's Brenda Leigh Johnson is a tad annoying, but she is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, especially J.K. Simmons (Spiderman trilogy) as Chief Pope.  He is grumbling, but lovable, and this week, he has a major beef with Johnson that goes beyond the current case.  If only she knew what it was, she might also discover why her live-in boyfriend Fritz (Jon Tenney, who recently did an arc on Brothers & Sisters) seems irritated with her as well.  The answer to that question may throw quite a wrench into her relationships with both men.  Or maybe not.  You'll find out if you watch the episode.

     The rest of the police team really gelled.  I don't know if they've been fleshed out as individuals, as they all sort of blurred together this week, aside from Taylor (Robert Gossett), who's tough demeanor with the warm center, played apart from the stereotypical, would make a welcome addition to any show, crime related or not.

     This week's main case revolved around the suspected abuse of an officer under the command of Captain Raydor (Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica), returning as a nemesis to Johnson.  Raydor wants Johnson to investigate if one of her women is being beat by her husband, but wants Johnson to tread lightly, though the officer refuses to cooperate.  Of course, things do get ratcheted up a notch, and while the conclusion was predictable, (I knew what really happened as soon as Johnson arrived at the crime scene) watching Sedgwick and McDonnell spar was massively entertaining.  It was a great dynamic, and were McDonnell to return to the show, I'd certainly be interested in watching again.

     Even if you have never watched The Closer, I do recommend turning it on.  You might be pleasantly surprised by what you see.  No prior knowledge needed.

Lock Up The Prisoner

    AMC remade the British classic, The Prisoner, but unfortunately, it was a snooze fest.  For purposes of full disclosure, I have never seen the former version, and though I enjoy the AMC original series Breaking Bad, I find their critical hit Mad Men to be incredibly boring.  So if your opinion of the network differs from mine, you may not be pleased with this review.

     The story centers on 6, a man known only by a number, waking up in some strange desert town called The Village (no, not the same Village from M. Night Shyamalan).  The residents of the Village insist that there is no other world outside of this place, but 6 is plagued by dreams of another life, and doesn't remember being there before, though he has a house.  The mystery deepens as he struggles to find out why an old man has died, and why others dream strange dreams and sketch landmarks such as Big Ben and the Statue of Liberty.  Running The Village is 2, who has a son 11-12, and whose mother is in a coma.  The first major twist is when 6 discovers that 16, who told him they were brothers, was lying, but for what purpose?  Every time 6 seems close to figuring out a piece of the puzzle, someone is killed or disappears or distracts him.

     The problem is, the story is just not that interesting.  James Caviezel (Jesus in The Passion of the Christ) plays a 6 that doesn't have viewers rooting for him at all.  He seems more annoying that heroic.  Similarly, 11-12, who is supposed to have major subplot, just comes across as whiny and cold.  The female love interests are not in the least attractive nor compelling.  And by the time something starts to happen in the 5th and 6th hours, a 2 and 6 duplicate have shown up and made things even more confusing.  Is it all happening in their heads, or is there really an isolated Village?  I don't really care, nor do I care about the evil company behind it.  It's been done before, and with more talent behind it.  Admittedly, this show was made in the sixties, so it predates many of the stories I am comparing it to, but since this is a new miniseries, it faces those comparisons.

     The bright spot is Sir Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, X-Men) playing 2.  He is always a wonderful actor, and this is no exception.  Surrounded by dullards, he manages to shine even more by comparison.  His is clearly a complicated character, with much motivation hidden eternally, and yet, McKellen manages to convey those secrets.  He is the only reason I still have the 6th hour running on my TV as I write this article, already having given up on 2's plight.

     One final comment, the tone and mood of this miniseries, as well as the score and special effects, lead one to conclude that this show would have more appropriately aired on the SyFy channel.  Previous efforts of their's, Flash Gordon and Tin Man come to mind, were similar.  Though SyFy doesn't always have the best judgment on their programming (Battlestar Galactica excepted), one has to wonder if perhaps they weren't offered the show and wisely passed.

The Plan for Galactica

     Battlestar Galactica: The Plan came out on DVD October 27th. For fans of the recent four season series, this was a worthy side story. For the first hour and twenty-five minutes or so, it just seemed to fill in some gaps from the miniseries and first two seasons, but the last twenty minutes made the whole thing worth it and really gave the story meaning. In those moments, the viewer will see certain Cylons in a whole new light, and understand even more what their intentions were.

      The made for tv movie, that has not yet aired, stars Dean Stockwell as Brother Cavil. The whole thing really hinges on him, book-ended by the death of two of his models. Not only do we get to finally see what he was doing before he showed up on screen, we actually see a version of him that is a bit sympathetic. I have always maintained that he is the only truly evil character in the show, everyone else falling in some shade of grey. In this, there is the evil Cavil, but there is also one who sees the perspective of human love, and understands what is happening to the other Cylon models. It gives the part new meaning, and really allows Stockwell an opportunity he didn't have in the series.

      Also featured are Ricky Worthy's Simon Cylon and Lymari Nadal as Giana. You may (or more likely may not) remember Giana from the miniseries, played by Edward James Olmos's real-life wife. She gets a meaty story that combines with Simon's. All of the other Cylons also show up, though Diana and Tori only briefly, and Ellen only slightly more. None of the other Galactica characters appear to have shot new footage, but there are scenes from the series mixed in, cut seamlessly together. If I had not watched the series, I would not have realized that they were recycled, so well it is put together. There are also some awesome new special effects, and fans will love to see planet-side action just before the series began.

     All in all, this wasn't earth shattering. It couldn't have been. The series concluded very satisfactorily. And if you haven't ever watched the show, you'll be more than a little lost. But for fans who craved just a little more, this does a fine job of giving you that. Directed by Edward James Olmos, who played Adama, and written by Buffy's Jane Espenson, I recommend that fans of the show add it to their Christmas list.