Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

[Gerald So]

I wasn't very interested in this show until I realized Summer Glau (Firefly's River Tam) was in it, playing a female-model Terminator protecting John Connor. The first two episodes air on FOX Sunday night (1/13) at 8, and Monday night (1/14) at 9.

[Charles A. King]

That's her name. Right. Was she in the 4400 too?

Charles

[Tom Barclay]

Yes, Charles, she was. Briefly in THE UNIT, too.

Hope the writers had a bit of a sense of whimsy - she's a wonderful dancer. Imagine a terminator going dancing.

[Anne Frasier]

thanks for the reminder, gerald!

[Gerald So]

I found the first episode bleak and humorless with no rooting interest. Sure, John Connor is the future of humankind, but the episode showed no reason why he was worth saving. Some reviews said this was deeper than the mindless thrill-rides of the movies, but I have yet to see that. I don't just want to see Summer Glau kick butt. I want to care about her character, but no matter how sophisticated, she's still a robot. River's got it all over Cameron Phillips.

At least T2 had funny moments.

John Connor was using the name John Reese. Is it any wonder the Terminators caught up with him?

[Bill Crider]

I agree, Gerald. I'm not sure I'll bother with the second episode, but I'm wavering.

[Tom Barclay]

I don't understand your impatience.

But consider this; the client is FOX TV and the production team is made up largely of X-FILES alumni. Imagine the expectations and network demands.

Think of it from that point of reference, and give them a decent chance to spin up.

I'm a tough audience, and my wife is even tougher. We think they're doing pretty well, especially having to pick up a story arc that's long gone cold.

[Charles A. King]

Hey, it's time travel. That's really hard to setup with so much story already out there, so many people's familiarity with the characters and plots. It feels like, having watched both--Tivo btw is a great way to catch so-so shows-- that they're attempting to jump over the third movie with the time travel bit, free themselves of that box, and strike out on their own. ... It's interesting. I'd give it another couple of tries before writing it off. Too, Sci-fi television never seems to start out great, it has to get its legs sort of speak.

Charles

[Maryann Mercer]

I agree on the 'give it some time' concept. Some of the better TV series were not strong for the first year and then broke out as supershows. I'm not happy the show is on FOX...their reputation for impatience with the ratings has killed a couple of well-written shows, Joss Whedon's Firefly as one example. Keep in mind too that John's protector as an attractive yet lethal female is a huge contrast to Arnold's hulking presence, which can definitely open up possibilities. I liked the time-jump. It gives the writers and the actors some leeway with various situations, culture shock, etc, without keeping them in the 20th Century. Just don't use it so often that it loses its surprise factor.

[Bill Crider]

I love Firefly, but I don't think Sarah Connor is going to work for me. I did try the second episode, but I lost interest at the point of the "throw someone through the Sheetrock" scene. I'd seen that one the night before and didn't need to see it again.

[John McFetridge]

there was an article in Entertainment Weekly a couple weeks ago that said the problem with most sci-fi on TV and in the movies today is that there's nothing new, it's all based on something from thirty or forty years ago. Or more.

I liked Firefly, partly because it was new and fresh. People tell me Battlestar Gallactica bears no resemblance at all to the original, but it must have something the same besides the title.

I just don't think there's much left in what was a pretty flimsy premise to make more Terminator episodes.

Although, the second episode did have some humour.

[Gerald So]

I don't see Cameron Phillips as a huge contrast from Arnold's original T-800. They're both robots. The strange, stilted River Tam was still human, and humans are inherently more interesting to me than robots. (Sorry, Twiki. Sorry, Data. Sorry Seven-of-Nine...)

I also don't think Sarah Connor is as well written as Firefly. As I mentioned above, why was John Connor using the most thinly-veiled alias John Reese? The show would be smarter, IMO, if Cameron hadn't been revealed as a Terminator so soon after John met her. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for example, Buffy has a crush on Angel for seven episodes before she learns he's a vampire. And even then he's not just a vampire, but a vampire looking to atone.

[Elizabeth Zelvin]

I am tempted to be caustic about this show, after all the hype, but will merely say that I found it completely lacking in suspense, an element that mere chases and explosions can't provide. Compare and contrast with the first season of "24."