Caprica (Battlestar Galactica Prequel)

I loved the first two seasons of the new BSG (hereafter jst BSG), even more than I detested the original. It was some of the best TV I've ever seen, not quite rivaling my beloved Firefly. The space battles were just incredible, the characters were compelling, the acting, directing, and writing first rate. Then the wheels started to come off and I lost interest most of the way through the third season. As you can imagine, I was not all that enthused at news of a new prequel series. When the the reviews were luke warm and my friends who have seen it had mixed feelings, I pretty much decided to skip the whole thing. Last night, not feeling like watching anything else, I decided to watch it with my family.

So far I've only seen the pilot, but I loved it. The characters and acting were very good, the story was highly compelling, and some of the concepts and sci-fi gadgets were enough to hook me all on their own. The pacing was a bit ponderous, just like the first episode(s) of the new BSG, but it fit the somber events being portrayed. This is a very strong story of how the Cylons came to be, and goes a long way toward explaining just about everything about their semi-mystical origins, which were constantly danced around in BSG. I like all the actors and have real hopes for the series, at least in the short term. Way too cerebral and esoteric for heartland America, so I don't expect it to last, but I am much impressed.