I finally finished watching the final five Caprica episodes. When the show had been canceled, Syfy pulled the last episodes. The aired them last week all in one night. It took me several days to get through them watching one at a time on my DVR. I think that actually says a lot for the quality of the show – I wasn’t glued to the television. Honestly, I could take it or leave it. Most of what is behind this cut won’t honestly make sense if you haven’t seen it, but if you don’t want to be spoiled, wait to click.
When Syfy announced that they were canceling their series Caprica back in October of this year, they pulled the remaining episodes from their lineup. The complete season, including the unaired episodes, were released on DVD December 21st.
In spite of the season being pretty bad, it is a reasonable exploration into an alternate polytheistic culture and might still be worth it for Pagans to watch. The final episodes of the season will be aired on Tuesday, January 4th.
Television has been good to me lately. I was very excited about the post-Baseball return of Fringe on Fox and it was the highlight of my television viewing. The build up of Olivia being trapped in the alternate universe is finally coming to a climax – she knows she doesn’t belong in their world and now she just has to figure out how to get back. Walternate and his evil scientist assistant performed some experiments that pushed her into our universe for mere seconds and all I wanted her to do was run away so maybe she could escape the pull back to their’s. Olivia has also been plagued by a vision of Peter giving her hints and clues about her real origin. This tactic, which I reviled in Caprica, seems to work for me in Fringe. It brings back the feeling I got when I watched Head 6 interact with Gaius Baltar in Battlestar Galactica rather than just a rehashing of the series tried and true story lines. This episode was all about duality and about switching – the episodic plot of twins switching places multiple times to cover for one another mirrored Olivia’s struggle perfectly. The only downside to this season is that they have been switching episodes back and forth between our universe and the alternate universe and while I am dying to see the fate of our Olivia in the wrong world, in tonight’s episode I will have to watch our universe move the story forward instead.
Caprica has been on hiatus, for which I am not disappointed. I wish the show had turned out better than it has.
Also this week was the second episode of The Walking Dead. I would love to be able to connect this show with more Pagan themes, but as of yet is strictly a Zombie show with solid acting and a great story line. This week’s episode featured new characters, racial tension, extra-marital affairs between people who think their partners are actually dead but aren’t, and high speed car chases. Still loving the Atlanta scenery on the small screen, even if it is littered with flesh eating Zombies. If you like horror movies, it is not too late to jump on the Walking Dead bandwagon.
The Zombie Craze isn’t just limited to basic cable. The Halloween episode of NBC comedy Community was a riot of zombie goodness. If you have never seen Community and are a fan of off-beat comedy you need to do yourself a favor and watch it. The most recent episode “Aerodynamics of Gender” might be the funniest episode ever and featured a little shout-out to Pagans that many people may not have caught. It is available on your cable’s On Demand.
Lastly, I just have a short social commentary. There are commercials for Metro PCS featuring stereotypical “Indian Call Center” Characters named Ranjit and Chad. Every time I hear these commercials, my blood pressure rises. I wonder why Indians in the Call Center are the current cultural fad that it is still appropriate to poke fun at. So, I found myself angry that NBC would feed into this exploitation by airing a television show like Outsourced. I know television has a long history of cultural stereotype exploitation, especially in the 1970′s. No group was apparently immune - The Beverly Hillbillies, Sanford and Son, Good Times, and All in the Family come to mind but there are countless examples. However, in the interest of fairness I didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to rant about Outsourced without actually watching it. What I learned is the show appears to be harmless and even kind of grudgingly funny in parts. The main premise is that Todd, the American call center manager, is more of a “Fish out of water” trying to teach American pop culture to his Indian employees while learning about their culture in the process. I may not watch it again, but I didn’t find it offensive. That does not, however, make the Metro PCS commercials any more palatable.
Caprica, a television show with a lot of Polytheist promise, has managed to do just what I and several Internet critics predicted and got itself canceled. It will finish this season which is actually the second half of season one but not be renewed for season two. The last two episodes were much more of the same semi-badness that the season has provided to far. Two weeks ago they aired an episode called “Things We Lock Away” which finally got back to Zoe and Tamara in V-World but I’m afraid it didn’t have that sense of wonder that “There Is Another Sky” provided last year. We find Zoe being influence by a psychological version of herself way too reminiscent of “Head-6″ who spent a lot of time appearing to Gaius Baltar during Battlestar Galactica. There might be a reason for it but since the show isn’t renewed we’ll never know. Last week’s episode “False Labor” showed more of Tauron culture but instead of the beautifully nuanced spiritual nature of the Tauron people we simply see them as ultra Mafia and it becomes less than palatable. Most fans agree it was pretty cool to see the first Cylon in action in this episode, but the introduction might have been too little, too late.
In other television news, a new series premiered on AMC on Samhain night. The new show called “The Walking Dead”, based on a graphic novel of the same name, appears to have kicked off brilliantly. Pagan? Not really, except that I imagine that some Pagans are as interested in the Zombie uprising that has been a part of popular culture over the last couple of years as I am. I think this series could go far and I am even willing to face my own fear of horror movies to watch it. I have to be honest, one of the reasons I like it so much is that it was filmed and takes place primarily in my home town of Atlanta Georgia. It is pretty cool to see my own city on TV where I can point out things and say “I’ve been there! Looks so different after the Zombie uprising!” If you’re interested but you haven’t heard of it yet, you have plenty of time to catch up as the second episode doesn’t air until Sunday night.
Coming back to Fox Thursday of this week is Fringe, which has been on a short break due to World Series baseball. I am terribly excited about this.
Also, I learned today that there is a Witchy movie in the future of Doctor Who actress Karen Gillan. Since the newest season of Doctor Who premiered I loved the fiery red-headed companion Amy Pond and connected her to the Maiden Goddess archetype. There isn’t more info on this movie yet, but I’ll be sure to keep an eye out.
Caprica premiered on Syfy this Tuesday, October 5th. Caprica, the prequel companion series to Battlestar Galactica, isn’t quite as good at it’s predecessor but has moments of satisfaction. The first episode of season two has set the tone for the future as being very much about the conflict between followers of “The One True God” and the polytheistic population of the 12 colonies. In fact the only real mention of the Gods in this first episode was in relation to the terrorists that run the monotheistic Church. I am interested to see how this season plays out.
However, the highlight of this year’s fall science fiction television schedule is still Fringe. If you ever think “I really miss the X-Files…especially when it was good.” you really owe it to yourself to pick up this Fox show. Season three began September 23rd with the explosive episode titled “Olivia”. Picking up where season two left off, it was a real showcase of the talent of Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham. If you aren’t familiar with the series, the truth is there isn’t any magic or truly Pagan themes that would jump out at you. Unlike the X-Files the real drive behind the stories on this show is Fringe Science – strange and unexplained but entirely possible. The overarching story is the idea that there are infinite possibilities and those events are all happening at the same time in alternate realities. Episodes two and three were equally as engaging as “Olivia” but went back to the episodic solving of an individual case while still masterfully weaving those into the story arc. Right now Olivia is trapped in the alternate universe and I’ sit at the edge of my seat each week to see if she can manage to return from the “underworld”.
Oct 012010
I just learned that Syfy has pushed up the season two premiere of the Battlestar Galactica prequel from January to October 5th.
This series is of interest to Pagans because of the state religion influenced by Hellenic tradition.
Stay tuned for Confessions of a Pagan Geek updates after it airs.
I spend a lot of time watching television. This either makes me lazy or makes me well educated in the broadcast art form, I am not certain which. Either way, I have observed several characters over the years that I find intriguing for their Pagan-leanings. So I bring you the next installment of the Pop Pentacle series. And as my fellow blogger, Scott, encourages – do tell us why you don’t think these are the top five Pagans on television, who you would rather see on the list or what things I could better do with my time.
- Air
Just last year, Lisa Simpson found herself studying Wicca. As Ned Flanders says, “Just as I feared. Her Buddhism has led directly to witchcraft!” Like a lot of young girls, Lisa is empowered by her exploration of Wicca and its celebration nature and sisterhood. I do not like the Simpsons and I personally believe that they wore out their television welcome about a decade ago. I hate to type these words, but Lisa Simpson is an important role model. Despite my personal dislike for the show, the Simpsons are television icons and Lisa’s honest journey into Wicca might be the tipping point that brings Paganism into the mainstream.
- Fire
What? Who? If you blinked, you might have missed her. You’ll find her on a little sitcom from the late 90′s/early 00′s called Dharma and Greg. She was Dharma’s free-spirited hippie mother, but she frequently referred to her love of the Goddess and her simple lifestyle. A big part of her character was simply being a counter balance to Greg’s uptight mom. Even though some of her new age habits were showcased for a laugh, the show was never disrespectful of her. Truth is, we all know someone who acts just like she does.
- Water
The HBO Series Rome was a beautiful dramatic retelling of the history of Rome beginning with the murder of Julius Caesar and ending with the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra. They tell the story by creating intense stories out of two minor characters mentioned in Caesar’s writings. There isn’t much known about the real life Vorenus, but the fictional version is intriguing. He begins the series as a devoutly religious man who gives his entire life over to the military and some of his scenes include the honoring of Janus in the household and a trip to pay tribute to Venus at her temple. As the story progresses, he becomes much more jaded and angry about the hand that life has dealt him and it culminates in the second season episode “Son of Hades” where he has a full on religious meltdown. Vorenus is an intriguing character and perhaps the most authentic Pagan character on television.
- Earth
Why not Willow, you say? Don’t get me wrong, I love Willow as I love all the characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But Willow, like a lot of television witches, was a caricature of a witch. She was an imperfect, magical, supernatural and most of all fictional character. Tara, from the moment we met her at UC Sunnydale’s student Pagan group, always struck me as much more organic. Sure, she is part of the same mythology but she just felt more down to earth, more real. Though there is no evidence in the story, I can see Tara attending a Samhain ritual and honoring the Goddess and calling the quarters.
- Spirit
I would argue that you will not find a more devout polytheist on television, period. On the series Battlestar Galactica, she risks her life as well as the lives of the entire human race, or at least what is left of them, by following the traditions of her people. She believes, without hesitation, that the Gods will bring them to redemption. The Lords of Kobol are real and she knows that. She feels it in her bones, and she believes in them until her dying day. I find her story empowering, even though it is harrowing at the same time. All this has happened before, and all this will happen again.
Aug 272010
My fellow bloggers have been doing a fantastic job covering the occurrences of Wicca on television and in the movies. I am also grateful that these things exist because any exposure to Paganism for “The Mainstream” is a good thing, even when it is poorly represented. That being said, where is the television for Hard Polytheists, Reconstructionists or other Non-Wiccan Pagans like myself?
There is a very rich pool when it comes to movies and anything that is pre-Christian/historical can fall into that category. Television is a harder sell, though, because television viewers tend to have shorter attention spans. Many shows today are exact replicas of each other. Once a network finds a formula that works, they exploit it. For instance, turn on the television and just try to find something that isn’t “Law and Order” or “The Closer” or a similar show with similar themes. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
There have been some notable television offerings for the non-Wiccan. I would love to explore them all, and perhaps I will over time. A classic would be a little show you might remember that aired on Syfy/Sci-Fi a couple of years ago: Battlestar Galactica. This re-imagined series (for which the term “re-imagined” was coined) was gritty, powerful and well produced. The human race were hard polytheists living on 12 planets called the 12 Colonies of Kobol. Their religion resembled that of the ancient Greeks. Accuracy be damned, too, because they were in another part of the galaxy and who knew what Greek Polytheism looked like in their universe. That being said, the writers seemed to care about their characters and the belief system they portrayed. The spin-off/prequel Caprica is surprisingly enjoyable and begins again in January with its second season.
There are also historical dramas, with heavy emphasis on “Drama.” HBO’s series Rome is a prime example. While religion wasn’t a main plot point, it was an important part of the lives of the characters so they were able to treat the subject fairly. The history was a little sketchier but that is why it was a drama and not a documentary. The show featured a cast of phenomenal actors and characters we could really identify with, in spite of passage of time.
That brings me to another show that would be a draw for non-Wiccan Pagans that I have recently rediscovered. It was a little show that only lasted 8 episodes in the us and 13 in Australia. In 1997, Fox Television produced a show intended to compete with the Xena and Hercules franchises. The show, called Roar, was produced by Shaun Cassidy (yes, THE Shaun Cassidy) and stared a very young and incredibly talented Heath Ledger. The show centered around a young Celtic prince who lost his family to a waring tribe. The Romans, however, were knocking at the door of Ireland and he feels if the tribes don’t unite they will fall victim to the conquerors. It is a strange mix between Paganism and Christianity and the show is set in 400 AD. Though the historical accuracy is lacking, the characters are shown as being connected to the land. I love the character of Fergus who constantly shows his disapproval of situations by exclaiming “Sweet Brigid!”
On top of the clearly Polytheistic shows, there are other offerings that touch on Pagan topics whether the writers know it or not. My absolute favorite show on television right now is Fringe, which is about to enter its third season. There is nothing specifically Pagan about the show, except the archetypes! I love Fringe for the Girls Underground theme.
These are, of course, just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. What other examples of Polytheism or non-Wiccan Paganism are out there on Television?
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