COMIC-CON 2010: ‘Stargate Universe’ and ‘Caprica’ -- a Syfy double feature

Yes, it was Friday morning at Comic-Con, but things got awfully heady in Ballroom 20 at Syfy’s back-to-back panels on “Stargate Universe” and “Caprica,” two shows, though, that fans might not see back on the air for some time.

The “Caprica” panel, moderated by Hero Complex’s very own Geoff Boucher, dealt with themes of religion, polygamous marriage and what it means to be human -- all of which are represented in some fashion on the series -- with panelists who included executive producer David Eick and executive producer/creator Ronald Moore and actors Alessandra Torresani, Sasha Roiz, James Marsters and Magda Apanowicz.

Of course, the deep conversation might have been helped by the fact that Eick and Moore opted to do a couple of shots from what appeared to be a bottle of tequila to kick off the festivities. (Sure, it’s early in San Diego, but it’s got to be after 6 o’clock on Tauron.)

Moore also discussed the show’s retro aesthetic, saying “We’re trying to remind people that this is something like a period piece,” while Torresani complimented the writers’ ability to create wonderful characters for women: “It’s funny that the writers are so in tune with [the way 16-year-old girls think and act.]” We also had a quick chat with Torresani, a noted Tweeter, on social media and more.

The first session, which was moderated by series co-creator Robert Cooper, included actors Robert Carlyle, Alaina Huffman, David Blue and Ming-Na. Blue fielded the most questions from the Comic-Con crowd -- probably because he’s so much like his character, Eli, who is a lot like attendees themselves: a gamer, a genre movie and TV buff and an ironic referencer of pop culture.

“There are probably 8 million Elis running around here,” said Blue, who acknowledged that he, too, was a big gaming aficionado. “I wish I had more time to play, but I don’t want to die,” said Blue, a pleading statement directed at Cooper.

Ming-Na was also a vocal presence on the panel, coining the phrase “stone’d” when speaking about the alien communication device that the crew uses to talk to personnel back on Earth.

“Stargate Universe” will return in January, though it’s unclear when new episodes of “Caprica” will make their way to Syfy. As David Eick said, “The network did pick up a third season. We’re just still working on the second.”