MARON Saved By A "Mexican Angel"

Article first published as MARON Saved By A "Mexican Angel" on TheTVKing.

I didn't review the first episode of IFC's Maron because I didn't much care for it and didn't know why exactly. I like Marc Maron, who essentially plays a heightened version of himself, similar to Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, but the pilot was just boring. It didn't make much use of Maron's particular comic style and didn't seem to go anywhere.

However, having recently marathoned the entire first season, which ended last night with "Projections" and "Mexican Angel," I have completely changed my mind. From episode two on, it is immediately clear that Maron goes on the upswing, finding its voice and knowing what it is about. Most episodes are kind of meandering, but each have some very funny things in them, and the wandering feels like a conscious choice, not a plodding misstep.

"Projections" is very interesting. While meeting an old friend for lunch (Eric Stoltz, Caprica), Marc imagines how his live could be differently, including seeing himself as a family man, one half of a gay couple, a cook who has given up on his comedy career, and a successful movie star. None of these make Marc happy, nor is happy in reality, which just proves that he is not destined to be satisfied.

"Projections" is the most unique of the first season episodes. It's not completely new to imagine alternate realities, but the understated way in which Maron, not giving into ridiculous, cartoonish situations, does it, sets it apart. It feels a lot like the artistic Louie, created by Louis C.K. Maron perhaps doesn't reach the levels of hilarity Louie has yet, but it's certainly on the right track, and not at all a copy, no matter the dark, depressing similarities.

They say that if you want to be happy, remain ignorant. Perhaps it's Marc's world-weary, hard-fought wisdom that keeps him from achieving emotional and mental peace. Maybe it's because he can't just do what he loves, having not found enough of a following to be the type of comedian he wants to be. Could he still have hope, or is he just destined to always be this crabby person?

The conceit we need to ignore, which is the same one suspended for Louie, is that this show won't get Marc to where he wants to be. With his very successful podcast and now this series, surely Marc is doing what he wants to do, and probably making a decent living at it (on on track to do so). It definitely seems like Marc has a lot of creative control, given how closely the tone of the show matches his public persona. As long as the series itself doesn't add Maron in, though, in some kind of meta twist, the character of Marc is believable enough to sustain the premise.

Marc does have a shot at improving his outlook, as he sort of lets his younger girlfriend, Jen (Nora Zehetner, Grey's Anatomy), move in with him in "Mexican Angel." Marc isn't sure he wants her there, sabotaging himself, as usual. Yet, he definitely has feelings for her, which he admits after being confronted by the "Mexican Angel" outside. Why can't he just accept how he is? Thankfully, she knows exactly the type of guy Maron is, and despite his outbursts, she sticks by him, somehow making it believable that she would do so.

Introduced as someone that seems like a crazy stalker, the more we learn about Jen, the less there is to worry about. I think this shift is achieved because Maron does such a great job of letting the viewer see her from Marc's perspective. When we finally find out in the season finale that much of the issue is just an age gap, it makes total sense. But as someone who much closer to Jen's age than Marc's, I'm impressed at how I was immersed into Marc's viewpoint. This, more than anything else, presents the singular, clear voice of the show, and proves the high quality.

Which is why I'm sad that Maron is over for the year. I have not heard if it will be renewed yet, but I sincerely hope that it is. We need more creativity on television, and Maron is fresh and brilliant.

The Kent Chronicles now on DVD

Back in the 1970s, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Declaration on Independence, John Jake wrote a series of eight best selling novels. Collectively know as The Kent Family Chronicles, or The American Bicentennial Series, they tell the story of Phillipe Charboneau, a Frenchmen who travels through England and the New World in Revolutionary times, changing his name to Philip Kent, and interacting with a surprisingly large number of historical figures. The series continues with Philip's descendants, eventually ending in 1890.

Given the books' popularity, it should come as no surprise that they would be adapted for the screen. Or, the first three were, anyway, as television miniseries. Acorn Media has released a DVD set of these called The Kent Chronicles. This three disc edition contains the trio of films, broadcast in 1978 and 1979, and each over three hours long.

The first in the series is The Bastard. Here, Phillipe Charboneau (Andrew Stevens, Dallas, The Boondock Saints) is 17-years-old when he learns that he is the son of the Duke of Kent. The Duke is ill and won't claim his bastard child. Feuding with the legitimate family, and too poor to go home, Phillipe flees to London. There he meets Benjamin Franklin (Tom Bosley, Happy Days), who convinces Phillipe that America is the place to go.

Changing his name to Philip Kent, the protagonist is not in Boston very long before getting involved with the rebels and participating in the Boston Tea Party. Philip concurrently plays a role in the early dispute for the colonies, while haunted by the past he left in England, which follows him across the pond. The Bastard culminates in love and the Battle of Concord.

Picking up months later, The Rebels continues Philip's role in the war. This takes him away from home, leaving his wife, Anne Kent (Kim Cattrall, Sex and the City) to fend for herself, which, to make a long story short, does not go well.

The Rebels also follows Philip's friend, Judson Fletcher (Don Johnson, Miami Vice, Nash Bridges), a drunk and a womanizer. Judson's luck may even by worse than Philip's, as it's awfully hard to build a life for oneself when constantly offending others. If only Judson could give up the women and the booze, he might stand a chance.

In the third chapter, The Seekers, the Kent family has grown older. Philip's son, Abraham (Randolph Mantooth, Emergency!), is the new focus, and he's trying to build a life on the frontier. Family squabbling rears its ugly head again, resulting in some severe falling outs. Eventually the family is caught up in the War of 1812.

After watching The Kent Chronicles, it's really a shame more adaptations weren't made from the rest of the books. The Bastard and The Rebels tells Philip's tale pretty completely. But The Seekers mostly sets up his kids and grandkids for stories that never make it to screen. The books have the luxury of additional volumes. This DVD set does not, making the third installment, while still enjoyable, inferior to the first two.

On the whole though these are excellent specials, and a big draw is seeing all of the famous faces that pop up throughout the saga. William Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal) plays Paul Revere. Buddy Ebsen (The Beverly Hillbillies) is Benjamin Edes. Lorne Green (Bonanza) is Bishop Francis. Peter Graves (Mission: Impossible, Airplane!) plays George Washington. Harry Morgan (M*A*S*H), John de Lancie (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jim Backus (Gilligan's Island), William Daniels (Boy Meets World), Robert Vaughn (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), Delta Burke (Designing Women), Robert Reed (The Brady Bunch), Ed Harris (The Hours), Olivia Hussey (Romeo & Juliet), and Eric Stoltz (Caprica) also appear, among others.

The Kent Chronicles is sort of like a Roots for white people. Yes, the suffering is often brought more upon themselves in this series than the historic African-American one. But it depicts several generations of a family, showing the story of how they got to America, and what happened after. It's also a little bit like Forrest Gump in that the fictional narrative is interwoven with many important real events. It might not be quite as entertaining or renowned as either of those, but it's still a very good story, well executed here.

The Kent Chronicles is most definitely a product of the era in which it was made. More soapy than political, the budget wasn't available to get too gritty or realistic. The story frequently sways into the cheesy and melodramatic. However, if you keep in mind not only the time period in which the action is set, but also when the miniseries were made, it's easy to just enjoy this escapist television, not worrying about plot holes or historical inconsistencies.

Visually, too, The Kent Chronicles is a bit lacking by today's standards, but perfectly acceptable for the time. The quality isn't bad for the late 1970s, though one wishes a little more work would have been put into restoring it. It's presented full screen. But given that this is the only release available for these shows, most fans will just be grateful for any edition.

Sadly, there is a severe lack of bonus features. All that is included is a two minute trailer and a biography of the books' author, John Jakes. Couldn't the actors have been interviewed? Historians consulted to give perspective? Ah, well. Maybe, if The Kent Chronicles sells well enough, we'll get extras and a better restoration when it comes out on Blu-ray.

The Kent Chronicles is available now wherever DVDs are sold.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as DVD Review: The Kent Chronicles 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.

On the Fringe

    Last night, Fringe returned to Fox with a very special episode called "Peter".  Almost all of it was set in 1985, where we saw a young Walter Bishop (John Noble) lose his son, Peter (usually played by Joshua Jackson), and how he dealt with it.  It was a very emotional story of a father's loss, and his fight to stop himself from loosing even more.  It showed how Walter's intentions were good, and that he never intended to kidnap the alternate Peter, only heal him and return him to his own world.  On that level, it fully succeeded.

     Bigger than that was what the episode established in the Fringe mythology.  Not only was Nina Sharp's (Blair Brown) injury explained, but also what cause the cracking between the universes in the first place.  Everything that happens now, all of the bad, mysterious deaths and frequent attacks from the other side are Walter's fault.  It is why he is such a tortured man, why he had to be put away in an institution.  It even got the Observers involved in a more active way, and revealed fully the special connection between Walter and one of the bald man in particular, now established to be named September (Michael Cerveris).  Further, it set Peter up for something great, as he "has to live".  But why?  It revealed so much that it felt like a spectacular season, or even series, finale.  Yet, it wasn't.  It was just the kickoff for the third of the season still left to air.

    Besides how important the episode was, there was also much fun and whimsy included by the writers.  The theme song was completely redone, to show that fringe science in 1985 included things like in vitro fertilization, stealth technology. and laser surgery.  The music and graphics were also redone to fit the time period.  Plus, a knowledge of things that were supposed to be, but didn't come about were in evidence.  For example, Eric Stoltz (Caprica) was originally going to star in Back to the Future, and he did, in the other reality.  It makes me wish we would launch some zepplins again and let them dock at the Empire State Building, as intended.

     John Noble, who had proved his acting chops previously, did a fantastic job letting the subtextual elements of the story unfold without being over the top.  His reverse aging makeup was fully believable, and he truly has created a memorable character.  Blair Brown didn't do as well, but perhaps she was just given nothing to work with.  Introduced was Peter's mother, Walter's wife, Elizabeth (Orla Brady, Shark).  The real shame in the whole thing was, despite ample opportunity, William Bell (Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek) never showed up, and he should have been there in several key spots, in my opinion.  Instead he was 'in Europe'.  Is there another story there?  I certainly hope so.

     Fringe airs on Fox Thursday nights at 9pm.

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.