Encouraged by Mr Reid‘s remarks, The Goddess and I watched the second and third episodes of The Sarah Connor Chronicles the other week. The promising story threads – like the possibility of Summer Glau’s cyborg growing a heart a la T2, and the ticking clock of Sarah Connor’s terminal cancer – were a little undone by small details regarding the ‘mystery’ terminator: if it’s putting itself together Iron Giant-style, how the hell does it ‘see’ to find its missing head? and what happened to the “only living flesh can be temporally displaced” rule, hm?
After the second ep:
GODDESS: I’ll try another episode.
After the third ep:
GODDESS: You’re on your own.
Now, with the fourth and fifth eps under my belt, I have these to say about the series:
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- Those annoying little details are accumulating. When you’re about to pull back from recce-ing your enemy’s lair, having a loud argument over what to do next instead of getting the hell out of there is Asking For Trouble. As for Master Connor, after leaving the house in ep two, wanting to save the suicidal teen in ep four, and getting locked in a bomb shelter with a terminator in ep five, is he really our only hope? Not a quick learner, our John.
- But the storylines have me hooked: how will the black FBI agent put the clues together? who’s got the Turk CPU? how many more resistance fighters and terminators are out there? how much more sentient will Cameron become? how will Sarah get cancer? how’s it going to work with her lover From Before and Kyle Reese’s brother? how many time-travel conundrums can you squeeze into a television series?
It’s not appointment television but I’ll hang in there. Maybe my expectations of a television spin-off of a (two-thirds) great film franchise are a bit high. But if John goes off the reservation one more time, the Connors are on their own.
I’m not sure if it’s just because nothing’s good on TV at the moment (that’s WGA having a strike for you), but I’m still hanging in there. John Connor is an idiot, but he’s not as stupid as the Bionic Woman was. I am a little worried that Glau’s terminator will become more human, but hopefully by then House will be back on the Tele and I can relax with the knowledge that I have something new on television to watch each week. Before Sarah Connor I was down to recording Charlies Angels off Prime each afternoon. I was even toying with the idea of trying Lost again… surely the TV addicts version of Meths. Sure, it does the trick in the short term, but in the long run it’s only going to hurt you.
Thought last night’s episode was a good one. Very like ‘Lost’ – a flashback structure driving the episode, and more interested in the why rather than the what.
I’m getting keener actually…
Ben – that’s what it is: Teenage John Connor is a dick. (good lord things sound dire down there. would a care package help?)
Sean – yeah, this week’s ep was good enough to keep me hooked for another week. following the (ill-fated) Team of Four could be fun (and a relief from the Connors).