Caprica on SPACE
Nov. 8th, 2010 05:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chaniI have seen "Blowback" finally!
I wasn't blown away. I think that most of the stuff was phoned and the twists were cheap. Actually "Blowback" is the most formulaic episode I've seen so far...
But, funnily enough, it's probably the episode that would please the average audience the most.
It is not too demanding, with an accessible writing focusing on action and lacking the usual layers and parallels that I enjoy; much more familiar in terms of tv writing.
Me? I was disappointed. Who could have not guessed that Singh( Peter Wingfield's character) was the leak at the GDD? It was obvious from the first episode of the series! But at least they didn't keep that "big reveal" for the end, I have to give them that.
As for the highjack of the STO shuttle? Come one, it was obvious that it was a training/initiation exercice. I guessed it was one the minute the ship appeared and boarded the shuttle; I was sure I was right because of the way Diego reacted, and how easily he was overcome. Later when they executed the hostages it was even more obvious. Okay the human-like body we saw being airlocked from afar made me wondered for a few seconds, but the whole thing has been on screen many times for decades either on tv or in films (and Spike Lee did it again in The Inside Man), the writing here just followed an overused formula, so I wonder how they can still think they would fool the audience. I'd like to think that the main goal was to establish a bond between Odin and Lacey and show a kick-ass Lacey, but I do believe that they also wanted to fool the audience.
Same with the supposed suspense about whom Clarice was waiting to kill! What a waste of time when we knew that Durham had already figured out that his boss was the leak and was setting him up while solving Amanda's problem about suspicious Marbeth! I so rolled my eyes when we got a glimpse of fair hair on the shot showing Clarice following her victim, while her target was still unveiled.
BTW I still love Durham. "I work for Caprica" was a great line. He is the Kale Ingram of Caprica (minus the homosexuality)!
And there's the scene between Daniel and Amanda. It's obvious the writers wanted to fool the audience again, after having played it the other way round in "False Labor". We expected Amanda-A again and actually this time it's the real one who chatted and had sex with Daniel...except that it didn't work for me. I wasn't surprised at all. I guess it's probably because she wasn't walking, but sitting on the couch next him, just like she was standing in the kitchen but not moving, in a similar scene in "False Labor". Both time I immediately smelled a rat and I was right. Last time they gave it away quickly by making her walk on her high heels (a clue it was the avatar, before she forgave Daniel and professed her love); this time they wanted to make it last longer and I guess we were only supposed to understand it was really Amanda when seeing her in bed with Daniel the next morning. Was it OCC for Amanda to fall back in her husband's arms? I don't think so. She's come a long way since she's left their home, she's told many lies.. Now she can't come back, not because of him but because she has a mission. And frankly if Eric Stoltz looked at me the way he looked at her just before she kissed him, I would jump his bones too!
Despite all of this cheap and easy stuff the episode is worth watching for three moments:
- the Daniel/Sam/Joseph scene revealing that the Guatrau did start a Cylon black market and sold a robot to the STO. I didn't see that coming!
- The Guatrau giving Sam a coin "for Doctor Graystone's journey" and, above all, Joseph's reaction to this ! Morales' best performance so far! Joseph's journey is going to take a new turn because of it. I think he will turn his back on the Ha'La'Tha. And I know in my heart that Joseph can't let his Daniel being killed!
- the last scene with Lacey and Odin witnessing the execution of those who failed the test, and Lacey seeing the Cylon who did the dirty job. Lacey's journey continues to be interesting and I think that the STO has no idea what they have been created. I've always liked her character much more than Zoe and I think that a second season might have made her shine even more.
*sigh*.
I wasn't blown away. I think that most of the stuff was phoned and the twists were cheap. Actually "Blowback" is the most formulaic episode I've seen so far...
But, funnily enough, it's probably the episode that would please the average audience the most.
It is not too demanding, with an accessible writing focusing on action and lacking the usual layers and parallels that I enjoy; much more familiar in terms of tv writing.
Me? I was disappointed. Who could have not guessed that Singh( Peter Wingfield's character) was the leak at the GDD? It was obvious from the first episode of the series! But at least they didn't keep that "big reveal" for the end, I have to give them that.
As for the highjack of the STO shuttle? Come one, it was obvious that it was a training/initiation exercice. I guessed it was one the minute the ship appeared and boarded the shuttle; I was sure I was right because of the way Diego reacted, and how easily he was overcome. Later when they executed the hostages it was even more obvious. Okay the human-like body we saw being airlocked from afar made me wondered for a few seconds, but the whole thing has been on screen many times for decades either on tv or in films (and Spike Lee did it again in The Inside Man), the writing here just followed an overused formula, so I wonder how they can still think they would fool the audience. I'd like to think that the main goal was to establish a bond between Odin and Lacey and show a kick-ass Lacey, but I do believe that they also wanted to fool the audience.
Same with the supposed suspense about whom Clarice was waiting to kill! What a waste of time when we knew that Durham had already figured out that his boss was the leak and was setting him up while solving Amanda's problem about suspicious Marbeth! I so rolled my eyes when we got a glimpse of fair hair on the shot showing Clarice following her victim, while her target was still unveiled.
BTW I still love Durham. "I work for Caprica" was a great line. He is the Kale Ingram of Caprica (minus the homosexuality)!
And there's the scene between Daniel and Amanda. It's obvious the writers wanted to fool the audience again, after having played it the other way round in "False Labor". We expected Amanda-A again and actually this time it's the real one who chatted and had sex with Daniel...except that it didn't work for me. I wasn't surprised at all. I guess it's probably because she wasn't walking, but sitting on the couch next him, just like she was standing in the kitchen but not moving, in a similar scene in "False Labor". Both time I immediately smelled a rat and I was right. Last time they gave it away quickly by making her walk on her high heels (a clue it was the avatar, before she forgave Daniel and professed her love); this time they wanted to make it last longer and I guess we were only supposed to understand it was really Amanda when seeing her in bed with Daniel the next morning. Was it OCC for Amanda to fall back in her husband's arms? I don't think so. She's come a long way since she's left their home, she's told many lies.. Now she can't come back, not because of him but because she has a mission. And frankly if Eric Stoltz looked at me the way he looked at her just before she kissed him, I would jump his bones too!
Despite all of this cheap and easy stuff the episode is worth watching for three moments:
- the Daniel/Sam/Joseph scene revealing that the Guatrau did start a Cylon black market and sold a robot to the STO. I didn't see that coming!
- The Guatrau giving Sam a coin "for Doctor Graystone's journey" and, above all, Joseph's reaction to this ! Morales' best performance so far! Joseph's journey is going to take a new turn because of it. I think he will turn his back on the Ha'La'Tha. And I know in my heart that Joseph can't let his Daniel being killed!
- the last scene with Lacey and Odin witnessing the execution of those who failed the test, and Lacey seeing the Cylon who did the dirty job. Lacey's journey continues to be interesting and I think that the STO has no idea what they have been created. I've always liked her character much more than Zoe and I think that a second season might have made her shine even more.
*sigh*.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-11-08 10:29 pm (UTC)But I'm posting just to show off my new FRINGE avatar with Peter, Olivia, and Walter.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-09 09:27 am (UTC)I still don't understand the reason Syfy allowed Space to air the episodes in Canada while Americans had to wait. Many American fans were upset and willing to catch the episodes online...so they might not tune in when Syfy decides to air them finally. The ratings are going to be even lower than before.
Do you think it's a strategy to justify the cancellation a posteriori?
no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 03:18 am (UTC)I may just forget about it.
The whole idea has me bummed.