The Kingdom Come

It is not secret to readers of TKC that I'm a sci-fi buff and have done reviews of movies and other TV series, but Caprica is perhaps the most controversial TV series I watch...as a Christian.

Caprica is a pre-sequel to the original series Battlestar Galactica which first aired in 1978 then a remake series was released in 2003 and ran until 2009. Caprica takes place 58 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica. But what non-sci-fi fans may find interesting is that so far into the series, Caprica could be a drama based on modern day events and characters. There isn't that "space-show" feel. There is indeed an element of advanced technology but not much more than our own. For example, one main character is Daniel Graystone which obviously is a depiction of Microsoft Tycoon Bill Gates. Otherwise the dress of most of the people reminds you of the 1940s on Earth.

So far, the theme or plot of the series is about the cultural and racial struggle of 12 colonies of planets. Caprica is simply one of those planets. According to background on the show, there were actually 13 colonies, with the 13th being Earth, however it appears Earth humans have no knowledge of the other 12 colonies.

The theological point of this review comes in from how the society is structured on Caprica (and presumably most of the other planets). Caprica's religious structure is polytheism (many gods) and is amoral when it comes to absolutes. This perhaps comes out most in how there is open homosexuality portrayed in the series along with "group marriages" which are more than simply polygamy but may have multiple husbands and wives in one family.

Now, perhaps my fellow Christians are asking, "why are you watching this junk?" Keep in mind, sometimes to understand the Light it is important to understand darkness. A person doesn't convert unless first they realize their own "darkness", that they are a sinner in need of a savior. This is where the series goes even further. There is a rising element on Caprica called "The Soldiers of the One -- STO" which is advocating One God. Caprica society is adverse to monotheism because it is too absolute, it is "dictatorial". I find this interesting in our own situation on the real planet earth, because although many of humanity's main religions are monotheistic, much of our society wants to treat these religions as if they were polytheistic; as if the One God advocated by these religions is either tolerant of other gods or that all of these very different religions are speaking of the same One God. So, you see the effect is the same. Our society doesn't want to deal with the issue of One God. This is why politicians for example often claim "Islam is a peaceful religion" all the while the politician either knows that is untrue (Islam started as a bandit cult) or the politician is ignorant of the origins of Islam.

So far, on the series the STO is being depicted as a terrorist group; having blown up a commuter train. To tie it together, Daniel Graystone (the Bill Gates character) has developed what is called a "Holoband", a device that allows the user to enter a virtual world as an avatar. Apparently designed for more legitimate uses, a depraved underground has been using it for debase purposes including sexual depravity (much like our own society with the Internet), but culminating in a virtual world called "V-Club" where even virtual human sacrifices occur.

Apparently the STO has grown in opposition to the immorality of the societies on the 12 colonies. STO's symbol, like the Christian Cross is the infinity symbol.(see picture at start of this article).

The drama increases when the Graystone character's daughter, Zoe who herself is a computer genius is recruited by the STO. Unaware that her friend also of the STO, independently decided to blow up the train she herself was on (Zoe was running away from home), Zoe is killed. But her memories and conscious lives on in an avatar she had created of herself. Unlike all other avatars, this one is independent and doesn't need a human to control it. Zoe's father finds the avatar and tries to download it into a robot (Cylon). The download appears to fail, but Daniel Graystone doesn't realize that the avatar of his dead daughter is now controlling the robot.

The series plays on the SyFy Channel but as I said the content is controversial and not really for children.