Caprica Retribution (2009–2010) Online

Caprica, Caprica. Science fiction or drama ? In Gravedancing I already pointed out that the show was too much drama heavy at times but now the story has matured it's not really a problem.

Indeed Amanda and Daniel Graystone are two interesting characters and it's captivating to see how they respectively deal with their life crisis. I never expected her to show up at the end of Unvanquished. I really liked the way her character was developed in Retribution. From the flashbacks to her sneaking scenes she's starting to become one of the strongest persona on the show. Moreover Paula Malcomson probably gave her best performance so far, at least since The Imperfections of Memory. Her lines were minimal so she had to convey emotions through her awkward moves and intriguing facial expressions. As for Daniel his pact with the Adama family is starting to shape a new destiny to the scientist. The Cylon remained in its box but I suspect a major wake up call in the upcoming episodes. His quest to get his company back has already begun and this installment proved that it should be bloody. An other arc I really enjoyed was the one featuring Lacy. Magda Apanowicz did a great job and I can't wait for more tortured and complex scenes. Her charming talent deserves to shine on TV ! Viewers should also be thrilled by her new fate, worrying and intriguing.

As for the production and direction they were more immersive and creative than the previous episodes. The few computer generated backgrounds were well rendered and contributed to give enough scifi credibility to some scenes. Many sets were also brand new and I like the way the wooden chalet contrasts with the clean buildings, as much as the religious elements do with scientific ones. Let's also not forget some introspective close-ups and the editing. The last was still questionable at times but I appreciated the way some moments were mixed to express Amanda's inner tensions and doubts for example. Last but not least my favorite element was by far the broken umbrella. Using a simple object to make scenes more intense was just smart. It was a story within the story. Moreover the storm and pouring rain contributed to make the episode even more apocalyptic. Does the sun always shine on TV ? Not on Caprica !