Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

[KingofCretins]

I'm in the middle of watching the pilot episode... and, uh, "Heroes" who? "Lost" huh? Never heard of 'em.

This... show... is... amazing. Summer Glau has never been more badass or more beautiful, Lena Headey has completely mastered Sarah's character already. The quality of production and action is exactly at the same intensity of T2.

[Jenni Lou]

I saw the pilot several months ago and have been waiting to see what happens next! I agree, it is very good....but I still Lost and it cannot replace that for me! Nonetheless, it's good and Summer is awesome. I love the end of the pilot and

Spoiler:

they way they move into 2007.

I am excited I finally get to see what happens next tomorrow night! I have been waiting ages.

[Heather]

Personally, I wasn't as blown away as others. I got the same feeling from the show as I did from "Bionic Woman" - it's good but hasn't got me gripped yet. I find it interesting how they handled everything and the story was interesting, yeah. Plus, the acting was truly phenomenal (seeing Summer Glau play someone other than River had me worried but she did such a fantastic job).

But I've yet to feel like this is the show I can watch for the entire series run. Though I am gonna give it more chances, of course, like I did "Bionic Woman."

[KingofCretins]

Maybe it depends on how into the movies one was -- and I love the Terminator flicks (well, the first two). Summer is fantastic in this, this is going to turn her into the major league star that "Serenity" couldn't. Jennifer Garner, but more so.

[Jenni Lou]

I wasn't blown away either, Heather. But I enjoyed it well enough to decide I was going to follow it. It has loads of potential.

Maybe Bionic was the same way, but I didn't watch a single second of it so I have no idea. I'm kinda surprised I didn't considering how much I love BSG. Weird.

[DigitalLeonardo]

Maybe it depends on how into the movies one was -- and I love the Terminator flicks (well, the first two). Summer is fantastic in this, this is going to turn her into the major league star that "Serenity" couldn't. Jennifer Garner, but more so.

I think liking the movie has some aspect, but I've only actually seen the first movie (and only watched it so I could watch this series with a better understanding) and I don't think you need to be a fan cause I still loved the show.

I think it is finally something this season I can ejoy. Heroes is fine, but nothing else this season has really caught my eye, but Summer as Cameron is amazing. She has this grace about her that you know she can kick your ass, but you still want to love her (why River worked well).

I am excited for tonights episode and I think if Fox is smart (which from the all the early dead shows the have proves they arn't) they'll keep this show going. We really don't have many ass kicking woman on TV as we use too.

[KingofCretins]

Great touch, naming her Cameron in the first place. Nice shout out there to the man.

I'm also pretty intrigued by

Spoiler:

how they've clearly thought of her as a completely different sort of Terminator. She can *eat*... makes me wonder if she was designed as more than just living tissue over an endo-skeleton and is, in fact, a genuine cyborg. Maybe Skynet would have designed her to get around the dogs? And she's far more sophisticated in terms of recognizing human emotions. I think they are actually trying to keep the idea alive for her to be a love interest to John.

[DigitalLeonardo]

Great touch, naming her Cameron in the first place. Nice shout out there to the man.

I'm also pretty intrigued by

Spoiler:

how they've clearly thought of her as a completely different sort of Terminator. She can *eat*... makes me wonder if she was designed as more than just living tissue over an endo-skeleton and is, in fact, a genuine cyborg. Maybe Skynet would have designed her to get around the dogs? And she's far more sophisticated in terms of recognizing human emotions. I think they are actually trying to keep the idea alive for her to be a love interest to John.

Spoiler:

There are parts of me that are actually wondering about that chip that she ate and maybe the idea that should was faking it to get close and could in the end be evil? Or that maybe there is more human to her, even as a love interest, cause the two have great chemistry.

I gotta say that I think Fox dropped the ball on advertising. Releasing that she was already one of them kinda lost the suspence at times. I think the scene in the classroom when the teacher starts attacking is set up so well, but knowing the truth about her wrecks it and they did it Serenity too didn't they, but telling us whats in the box?

[KingofCretins]

I don't think there's any real chance that Cameron will be a villain. You *really* need to watch T2 -- it's honestly probably the best action movie of the 90s, and revolutioned blending traditional special effects with digital effects. In short, based on T2, there's no real reason to doubt the premise of a Terminator being sent to protect John.

T2 actually made the same mistake in the marketing, but I won't ruin it for you. But, seriously, go rent it and watch it right after "Sarah Connor Chronicles" tonight -- it contains all that Miles Dyson stuff they were talking about.

Spoiler:

From the way in which Cameron was coy about her model and series (Arnold was a T-800, model 101. Robert Patrick later plays the immensely cool T-1000), and then eats the chip while pointing out that she is different, I think it wasn't just an affectation. She's a terminator. She doesn't have much to prove or a vested interest in impressing people. I think she ate it because she could.

[DigitalLeonardo]

I totaly read my last message, sorry for the crappy grammer...

Not being a total Terminator fan, and not knowing THAT much. I'll take your word on what you think, cause I bet it's more right than mine.

I'll go pick up T2, if it ain't already rented, which is just maybe. Though I hope in tonights episode we get more setteled and not jumping around, cause I'm not a fan of shows that move area's alot. It becomes annoying.

[KingofCretins]

To be blunt, T2 is a 'buy' anyway -- if Blockbuster doesn't have it, Target does. If you liked Terminator and like this idiom at all, you're going to want to watch it more than once.

[DigitalLeonardo]

To be blunt, T2 is a 'buy' anyway -- if Blockbuster doesn't have it, Target does. If you liked Terminator and like this idiom at all, you're going to want to watch it more than once.

XD Aww, Canada don't got Target, but I'll go look at WalMart after work I guess. I may go out and buy the first and second, cause I bet I can find em cheap. Though I hear Terminator 3 wasn't really that good, so maybe I'll stay clear, plus doesn't SCC like ignore the 3rd movie?

[KingofCretins]

Terminator 3 is ignored and basically erased by "Sarah Connor Chronicles" -- there's no firm Terminator 'canon', really, so it's not a big issue. T3 was entertaining, but Terminator-T2-SCC is already a better story even after the one episode.

[Obsessed]

Well, I've only seen T2 so I was a bit lost when I watched this show last night but then I was already lost anyway because the closed captioned didn't print. Grrr.

Yet the acting, the stunt scenes kept my eyes on the TV screen which is a rarity. If a show isn't closed caption or doesn't print due to tech. difficulties, I switch to something else. So I was very intrigued.

I felt the actress who played Sarah really captured the character very well. I truly believed she was Sarah. While I loved Summer's acting ablilities in general, I had a hard time believing she was "suppose" to be a high school student but I let it go. Eh.

I look forward to the next episode, captioned or not!

-Beth

[KingofCretins]

Lena Headey is great so far... all three of the stars are perfectly cast, I think. I didn't think it was possible for her to be cooler than she was in "300", but she is

I'm surprised by how many people must not have seen both "Terminator" and "T2".

[Ehlwyen]

As an obsessive T2 fan (and the original Terminator) I was quite pleased last night.

I find the existence of T3: Rise of the Machine's quite painful and try to pretend it didn't really exist. (Not that its utterly horrible besides the fact the main actors include Claire Danes and Nick Stahl.) But it does exist and I'm glad that now SCC exists in the timeline as the follow up to T2. It's very rare that a wrong can be set right from bad follow up movies, but it seems only fitting that a movie about time traveling to protect the future get that chance.

I think about cried when I read in SciFi Mag that the creative force behind SCC was making it to be his idea of a T3. It's really impossible to put into words what T2 and the hope of a solid T3 story mean to me.

So as a fangirl let me move along and sum up some squee points of last night.
1. LOVED that the show began with the same dark highway lines that T2 ended upon. I loved this ending to T2 to pieces so this was an unexpected but beautiful way to tie back.
2. Cameron saying, "Come with me if you want to live." You had to know it was going to be in the episode and then at that point, but getting to hear it still was made of joy.
3. The final music score. I had really really really hoped to hear the original movie score since I didn't expect anything to compare. But this music was so haunting yet full of hope and determination, I had to rewind and listen a couple times.

I'll come back to talk about storyline and value as a tv show after getting to see this evenings episode. Last night was all about being a Terminator fan.

[DigitalLeonardo]

While I loved Summer's acting ablilities in general, I had a hard time believing she was "suppose" to be a high school student but I let it go. Eh.
-Beth

Thats one thing too, both high schoo leads don't look like they are 15. When they kept saying 15 year old son I kinda laughed, cause he looks like he is about 17-20. Summer on the other kinda fits, but as an upperclassman, I think she could have pulled it off as River, but she just looks older now.

I think that aspect will bug me a bit for the series.

[Jenni Lou]

I'm also pretty intrigued by

Spoiler:

how they've clearly thought of her as a completely different sort of Terminator. She can *eat*... makes me wonder if she was designed as more than just living tissue over an endo-skeleton and is, in fact, a genuine cyborg. Maybe Skynet would have designed her to get around the dogs? And she's far more sophisticated in terms of recognizing human emotions. I think they are actually trying to keep the idea alive for her to be a love interest to John.

Totally. That's one of the most intriguing parts to me.

Is it wrong of me to ship John/Cameron? I want to make pretty fanart with them.

To be blunt, T2 is a 'buy' anyway -- if Blockbuster doesn't have it, Target does. If you liked Terminator and like this idiom at all, you're going to want to watch it more than once.

I concur. T2 is one of those rare occasions where the sequel is highly superior. Its a really fantastic film. And you would never really uses it is already more than 15 years old; it really feels current.

Cable has been playing it like mad for the past few months!!

Thats one thing too, both high schoo leads don't look like they are 15. When they kept saying 15 year old son I kinda laughed, cause he looks like he is about 17-20. Summer on the other kinda fits, but as an upperclassman, I think she could have pulled it off as River, but she just looks older now.

I think that aspect will bug me a bit for the series.

Yeah, that is a reigning flaw for me as well, to be honest. :/

[KingofCretins]

Is it wrong of me to ship John/Cameron? I want to make pretty fanart with them.

I would gladly wear a Cameron banner and avatar set if it had partly her kicking ass and partly her eating the chip with the accompanying dialogue

I don't think it's wrong to 'ship them, either. A couple thoughts occurred to me watching that...

(general Terminator universe spoilers)

Spoiler:

John, supposedly, has a wife at that phase of the war, but its only T3 that tries to show her to us. Since T3 is now off the table, maybe it's Cameron? There seems to be something... I don't know, right? Symbolic, in that?

Also, they have jacked the timeline completely -- there is no longer a John Connor in 1999 growing toward his destiny, he has just lost 7 or 8 years of experience prior to the war. So, everything is up for grabs in terms of what's going to happen.

T2 spoiler, so don't read Digital!

Spoiler:

I am really digging the idea that someone might get to watch T2 without already knowing who is who between the terminators.

[Jenni Lou]

Well, I guess that are starting filming on a new Terminator movie, as well. Starring Christian Bale as John and it is set at the time after SkyNet becomes self-aware.

Basically there are two accepted canons, now that the tv series is a go (for now) so speculation on who becomes who and whatnot is fair game. Basically, I guess the canon we follow will be the first two films for this tv series. The next two films are sort of on their own wave.

I did read an interview with the creators regarding canon and basically he says that they go by the line in T2 "The future is not set; there is no fate but what we make for ourselves." So that gives them the license to change up the mythology however they choose.