Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles

January 13, 2008

Continuity issues aside "Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is the best new show of 2008. My expectations for this show were bottom of the basement low. A TV show based on the amazing Terminator franchise of movies? Who green lit this terrible idea? Doesn't matter T:TSCC has started out of the gate with a bang and hopefully keeps going at this awsome pace.
Let me first get the bad out of the way, first off the time line I would assume that the events in T2 happened in the early 90's however the show claims they happened in 1997 the year of "Judgement Day" by my recollection. Oh and T3, never happened. As far as I'm concerned thats the end of the bad, now on to the good. Casting, Lena Headey is excellent as Sarah Connor, well the person she became between the 1st and 2nd movies, tough, cold, and just a little bit crazy. Not to mention she is a fair sight better looking than Linda Hamiltion in my opinion, although not muscular as Linda was. Thomas Dekker as John Connor is also good casting choice he looks similar to Edward Furlong a few years older. I liked him in Heroes and his role here is central and has lots of room to develop. Summer Glau's character is very cool and if you don't know yet I will not to spoil it here but she is very good at acting like a strange person and it suits her well here. Lastly of the main cast there is Richard T. Jones playing FBI agent James Ellison not much to say on his charater so far as he dosen't have much to do in the pilot but I am sure he will become Gerard to the Connor's Kimble (thats a "The Fugitive" reference for all those who are wondering).
The Story starts in 1999 where just when things are starting to look normal for the Connor's, they have a home,Sarah is working, John is about to start school, but Sarah's boyfriend (who knows nothing about her past) has proposed to her and that will draw too much attention to John and herself. So they pack up and leave town. The boyfriend goes to the police for help and puts Sarah back on the FBI's radar and the machines as well. I won't spoil too much here but lets just say what the FBI dosen't find them first.
The action scenes and CG effects were as good as it gets on TV as was the make up for the terminators, the is full CG scene of an endoskeleton that looked fantastic. Music felt like it belonged in T2 so no complaints there.
As you can see I like the pilot very much and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next, hopefully they can keep up the pace and energy of the first show though out the series and also keep it fresh. Oh and let hope Fox doesn't can it after 2 weeks. Let go of your fan boy continuity problems and embrace this show for what it is and you will not be disappointed.