• Network: Syfy
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 22, 2010
  • Season #: 1 , 2
Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. The new offering, from executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick (the team behind "BSG"), stands on its own and in many ways might be more inviting to viewers who are not hard-core sci-fi fans.
  2. Reviewed by: Keith StaskiewicZ
    91
    Less action-packed than BSG, but still awash in the familiar themes of life, loss, identity, and big frakkin' robots with guns.
  3. Reviewed by: Diane Werts
    83
    Caprica feels torn between soulfully mature ruminations and adolescent "accessibility" for gamers wondering where the space action went. Let's hope the pilot's spellbinding second hour points the way toward greatness.
  4. 80
    Great drama is great drama. And Caprica shows all the signs of turning into another great drama.
  5. Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    80
    If this prequel can maintain the quality of its initial salvo, that will likely motivate at least those viewers to beseech whatever gods they pray to that Caprica be blessed with a prolonged stay in this place called Earth.
  6. Thankfully, Caprica can be enjoyed without any reference to the literal past or the figurative future.
  7. 80
    There's enough going on in Caprica to keep a sci-fi fan, or anyone who likes to settle into a good story, satisfied and even beguiled--and though it's shot too dark those watching on an upscale, big-screen TV will be treated to a visual spectacular.
  8. 80
    While the technology is inventive, fear, frustration, and anguish still drive the plot. We're back in "Battlestar'' territory, and that feels good.
  9. Executive producer David Eick said, "We wanted to make it less about escapism and more about moral complexity and great characters." In its early episodes, Caprica certainly succeeds in achieving those goals.
  10. Reviewed by: Kris King
    75
    While fans of Battlestar should be happy to hear inventive use of the word "frak" again, they might be put off by Caprica feeling like Moore's own version of Dallas.
  11. 75
    Caprica is still finding itself, but it's worth your while, and if it can knit its various elements into a more coherent whole, it could get even better.
  12. Beautifully shot and marvelously acted, Caprica is infused with all manner of intriguing bits of business....After the two-hour pilot, available on DVD last year, early episodes move with an often creaky slowness that seems at odds with its spry and comely cast.
  13. I've since seen two more episodes, which in some ways intrigued me even more than the pilot. It's not "Battlestar Galactica", in that it swaps out the military components of that show for a bit of teen angst and soap opera intrigue, but I really like the lead performances by Eric Stoltz and Esai Morales (two actors who in previous roles often made me feel like there was something missing), and the social commentary is just as sharp here as it was on "BSG."
  14. Friday's moody pilot unfolds at a listless pace and, occasionally, gets bogged down in its own density. But in it's favor, there are enough compelling characters and tantalizing questions to keep us engaged for the time being.
  15. Caprica is well-crafted and good-looking, with solid acting. It's also encouraging that Syfy is willing to commit the resources to do it. Recruiting new voyagers will be the challenge.
  16. Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    60
    Caprica takes itself awfully seriously, with plenty of thematic integrity but not so much intensity. So far, it's a bit dramatically anemic.
  17. Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    50
    You'd expect the back story of how humanity nearly brings about its own destruction (in only 58 years!) to be serious, but through the three episodes sent to critics Caprica stays on that one note; it hasn't yet developed enough humor or authentic domestic drama to move beyond the "Galactica" fan base.
  18. How it all goes awry is the question that provides Caprica with its ripe potential. Unfortunately, a serious storytelling mistake in the early going has left me with doubts about whether it has the wherewithal to get there.
  19. 50
    Somehow the same clunky philosophizing and heartfelt confessions fall flat in Caprica. Although the second and third episodes of the prequel are a little more intriguing and less gummed up with melodrama than the pilot, the overall picture is a world apart from the dynamism and intensity of "Battlestar."
  20. 50
    Again, if you loved all things Battlestar beyond measure, Caprica may satisfy. For all others, this is a planet best left unvisited.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 64 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. 9
    Awesome show. I was skeptical but once i got into the 2nd episode i realized how much potential this show had and they really lived up to it. How goddamn cool would it be to have a virtual world you can go to that is populated with millions of other people. One section of it is a huge game where if you get killed in the game you are not allowed back so your actions have repercussions not like the video games of today where you can keep trying over and over. Such a solid idea. Worth watching a few episodes to see if you get sucked in. Full Review »
  2. Did not follow Battlestar Gallactica but prequel, Caprica, caught my eye and my imagination. Very well-crafted, acting is quite good, and the storyline is riveting . Full Review »
  3. A very sexy, stylish, and well written show that was as good and in many ways even better than its predeceasor. I was captivated by the characters and the story throughout. I think one of the reasons why this wasn't as popular as it could have been is because of the heavy parallels between the Caprican Monotheistic cult and the behaviors of real-life religious fanatacism. I think it might have been a bit too painful for fundamentalist types. It was likely even a bit controversial for a conservative. Caprica painted a very bleak and dreary image of an interplanetary society of superficial murdering businessmen, cigarette smoking gansters, religious fanatic terrorists, and other would be frak-talkers. Although this likely was part of the show's success, it would have been great to see more sunny days on the colonies. Full Review »