Caprica
Reviewed by Jonathan Shearon
June 16, 2009

I would count myself as a fan of the highest order of the rebooted Battlestar: Galactica series. I was hooked from the moment I saw the pilot, and followed the show all the way to its masterfully executed finale in season 4. I was likewise smitten with the eclectic and consistently excellent scoring from Bear McCreary, who picked up the baton in the first season and by season two, I never wanted him to put it down.

Still, even I was a little skeptical when they announced that they would be developing a prequel spin-off series about the origin of the Cylons that featured none of the original characters, and to top it off wasn't even set in space. The one other attempt to expand the new Battlestar universe, the TV movie Razor, was mildly interesting but ultimately superfluous.

After seeing the pilot for Caprica, it's clear the creators have made a solid effort, but I still have my doubts as to whether they can maintain the same kind of drama and intensity that made BSG a hit, and even greater doubts that they'll get anyone to watch it since they've essentially taken away most of the science fiction elements and replaced them with schadenfreude.

Bear McCreary's score is definitely set in the same universe as Battlestar: Galactica, but this is a more subtle and refined sound. The instrumentation is certainly more traditional here. Mostly discarded are the thundering taiko drums and ethnic flourishes that were BSG's signature motifs. Replacing them is a very serious string and woodwind score that could easily fit into any traditional drama. At its heart, Caprica is a tragedy and the melancholy that permeates McCreary's music is a reflection of the tormented inner lives of the lonely quintet of characters we are introduced to in this first episode.

The score rests primarily on the shoulders of two mournful themes, one for the Graystone family (“The Graystone Family”) and the other for Joseph Adama (“Tamara's Heartbeat”). They pop up all over the disc, and McCreary does a great job of developing both themes. Particularly good is “A Tauron Sacrifice” which plays both themes off of each other over a bubbling ostinato that builds to a finale seething with anger and resentment. There are also some fun little nuggets for fans of BSG, such as the reference to Bill Adama's celtic theme in “The Adama Name”.

If there's a problem with the score, I fear that it's a little too introspective and solemn for its own good. The new Battlestar: Galactica managed to balance its seriousness with action, intrigue and big ideas. Caprica, the music and the show, both seem too heavily weighed down by melodrama without any of those other elements to buoy it. All angst and no action is sure to drive the fans away. Still, creator Ron Moore taught us nothing if not patience during the previous incarnation, so perhaps these issues will work themselves out as the show finds its legs. In the meantime, enjoy a great dramatic score from one of the best composers in television.

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