Ep 1. Caprica (Unrated)

Caprica is a science-fiction series set in an alternate universe where humans live in 12 colonies. The show takes place 58 years before the events of the hit series Battlestar Galactica and explores the origins of the Cylons – a robotic race that eventually goes to war against their human creators.

The first episode of Caprica, simply titled "Caprica (Unrated)," sets the stage for the rest of the series by introducing us to the main characters and laying the groundwork for the complex, multi-layered plot that will unfold over the course of the show's 18 episodes.

The episode opens with a scene of chaos and destruction – a group of young men, apparently members of a religious cult known as the Soldiers of the One, have just blown up a train traveling through the city of Caprica. We quickly learn that this act of terrorism is just the latest in a series of attacks that have been plaguing the colonies for some time.

From there, we are introduced to the Graystone family – wealthy businessman Daniel Graystone (played by Eric Stoltz), his wife Amanda (Paula Malcomson), and their daughter Zoe (Alessandra Torresani). Zoe is a brilliant computer programmer and has been secretly working on a project that aims to create artificial intelligence – a technology that has so far eluded even the most advanced researchers.

When we first meet Zoe, she is attending a memorial service for her friend Ben, who was killed in the train bombing. We soon learn that Ben was a member of the Soldiers of the One and that he and Zoe were romantically involved. As the episode progresses, we see the toll that Ben's death is taking on Zoe – she is convinced that he is still somehow "alive" in the digital world and becomes increasingly obsessed with trying to bring him back.

Meanwhile, Daniel Graystone is dealing with his own set of issues – his company is on the brink of financial ruin, and he is desperate to find a way to turn things around. When he learns of Zoe's research into artificial intelligence, he sees it as a potential lifeline for his struggling business. He approaches Zoe with an offer – he will fund her project in exchange for her help in creating a full-scale version of her AI creation that he can market and sell.

As the episode progresses, we see the various threads of the plot beginning to converge – Zoe's obsession with bringing Ben back to life, Daniel's desperation to save his company, and the ongoing threat of terrorism from the Soldiers of the One all come together in a climactic sequence that sets the stage for the rest of the series.

Overall, Caprica (Unrated) is a strong opening to the series – it's a bit slow-paced in places, but it does an excellent job of setting up the complicated, multi-layered narrative that will drive the rest of the show. The performances are uniformly strong, with particular standouts from Stoltz and Torresani. Fans of Battlestar Galactica will find plenty to enjoy here – although the show has a different tone and focus, it shares the same DNA as its predecessor and explores many of the same themes.