Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
USA or NBC are now airing a series, a part of the Cameron Terminator saga, that occurs in the lost years between T2 and T3.
It’s fucking fantastic. Not “OK”, like the remake of Bionic Woman. Not “Good”, like Alias. Fantastic.
The characters of Sarah (played by Lena Headey, the queen from 300), the character of John (played by a new actor for me), and the female Terminator (played by yowza Summer Glau, made-up as a teenager) are all portrayed very convincingly and likably. All three are beautiful people, too, which helps.
The best parts of T2 that were missing in its sequel and prequel, such as Sarah’s eloquent voice-overs and the great cyborg one-liners, are present and very crisply written. I’m a huge fan.
Summer Glau as the Terminator gets the best lines. An exchange, paraphrased, as her character is applying eyeliner to go to school as John’s “sister”:
John: You’re getting pretty good at that. But then again, that would be weird, if you were this super-advanced cybernetic organism and were stumped by a dumb eyeliner pencil. It’s not exactly brain surgery.
Terminator: [Deadpan:] No, it’s not brain surgery. It would have to be much sharper for brain surgery.
Kind of funny when you read it, but Glau hits it out of the park.
The timeline of the mythology is a bit screwy, if I recall the storylines correctly, but that’s pretty much necessary to set this story in the present.
I hope it stays on the air. I’m entranced.
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January 26th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Nay, it’s on Fox, innit?
Two Christmases ago I thought all of Best Buy’s television seasons were $20. I was thrilled. I bought the full runs of X-Files, Millennium, Arrested Development (my brother bought one season), and Firefly. That’s all I wanted to own.
Turns out that only Fox shows were on sale, and I never realized it, because all my favorites were Fox. As much as I loathe Murdoch and much of the shit that gets aired on the network, Fox has had some very, very, very good shows.
January 27th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Fox has had some very, very, very good shows.
And canceled most of them after a couple of seasons. X-Files had a (too) long run, but…
Millennium: Three seasons
Arrested Development: Three seasons
Firefly: One season
I’d add to that list two of my favorite shows from my teen years, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and Strange Luck, both of which were cut off far too soon.
January 27th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
And canceled most of them after a couple of seasons.
I absolutely concur. Personally, I feel that the perfect end for the X-Files would have been the last episode in Season 8.
January 27th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I have got to learn to stop loving television shows as much as I do, because it invariably ends up with them being canceled. See also: HBO. Deadwood and Rome canceled, and yet somehow Entourage trudges on.
January 27th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I feel the same way about old people.
January 27th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
January 31st, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Fox also cancelled Drive on its 4th episode, ITS FOURTH’ which had Nathan Fillion from Firefly
January 31st, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I have never even heard of Drive, and I love Fillion. Maybe just like Firefly, they entirely failed to advertise it?
There was a touring film festival that was showing “from the vaults” pilot episodes — great premier episodes that never got picked up as series. Although I’m sure it would be fascinating, it would also be very, very sad, I think.
New electronic media delivery methods suggest to me that the entire model might be changing. If a show can be produced for $100,000 per episode (say), then selling episodes at $1.99 allows a break-even at only 50,000 downloads — one out of every 5000 people in this country alone!, let alone overseas markets. Forget broadcasting and advertising! Hire more actors, have thousands of shows, and deliver to niche markets! It’s the future, man! Wouldn’t you pay $1.99 per week to watch Firefly in hi-def, without any ads, if it were still on the air?
February 20th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Hi, mac Wakefield (uk) I work nights and lisen to the radio while driving (Trucker)….On the radio, it says Terminator.The.Sarah.Connor.Chronicles canceled, togeather with Jurneyman, Bionic Woman! I love alll three! Mac.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Shit. Man. I hadn’t heard. Thank you.
F’n Fox!