I also enjoyed it. I noticed a few plot holes, but some of you guys aren't thinking this all the way through:
"First and foremost, who cleaned up the gun and time travel equipment in 1999? That had better get cleared up and in a hurry."
Well, there are 2 options here: Remember in T2 when Arnold appeared next to the semi as he materialized? The entire side of the metal and steel truck was vaporized. That was the lightning/ heat shield from one time traveler. Considering the added mass of 2 more travelers, seems to me the entire vault ... and especially the gun that Sarah was holding, were vaporized in the time portal creation. Or, the designer of the vaults could have built in a self-destruct feature activated on use of the time travel device. I personally believe it's the first option.
"My only major complaint was that Sarah was weak and way more passive compared to the movies."
"First off, WHY in the Hell would Sarah put John in school?? And why under John Reese? That is just begging for trouble. Sarah was always smarter than that, she would have at least home schooled John. If not still training him for his future role, just in case... Just seems out of character for her."
"Also, John regressing?? At the end of T2 he was a bit more comfortable in his role and a tougher kid. Now he is whiny and doesn't want to be what he is?? WTF?"
I will hit these all together. We have seen exactly 42 minutes of this "new" Sarah. Who's to say she is going to be more passive than the movie version? In all honesty, the only weakness I could see compared to the movies could probably be linked to the process of turning an R rated movie into a PG-13 prime time show. She stayed true to the movie archetype - strong female willing to do anything - even die - to save her son.
As for John going to school, what did you expect her to do? Lock him in his room for 20 years? This argument gets into the causality of the time travel paradox. Let's ignore the most obvious - Reese being John's father. We will have to assume that most of what made John a leader came from his mother. But, how does knowing the future affect the way you live and grow? If you knew that you were going to die tomorrow because your office building was going to blow up, would you still go to work? But, let's not look at something that life changing. Take football. If you knew from the first day of training camp that your team was going to lose in the first round of the playoffs, would you even bother turning on the TV that season? Well, how does knowing you are suppose to be a messiah affect your grow and development? I would imagine it would add a pressure that was missing the first time you developed into that person? But, that's probably too much thought on the matter. The plain and simple fact of the school situation is that John was going to school because John WANTED to. Sarah even admitted as such in the pilot to Cameron - "We can't keep running ... or I am going to lose him." I didn't take from that she was afraid of him being killed, at least not completely. It seemed to me she was afraid of him abandoning her and his future due to the stress and hardship. So, it would make sense that she would allow John to have something akin to a regular teenage life ... well guarded of course. As for the supposed regression of John, A.) he's still a kid at this point, and B.) he's been on the run for 8 years by this point. I would imagine this, along with the knowledge paradox I mentioned before could dampen one's view on life. Plus, T3 had an adult John still wary of his future so what's the big deal?
As a side note, the Terminators in T1 and T2 kill bystanders rather flippantly. How are they to know that one of them isn't going to either take part in some part of Cyberdyne or have a child that contributed? It's like the step on a bug in the prehistoric era and erase mankind joke from Simpsons THOH episode.
"I cringed at "Class dismissed" but that was still a far sight better than "Talk to da hand!"
Well, as much as I love T2, "Hasta La Vista Baby" is WAY more cheesy than "class dismissed."
As for the fact that Summer isn't playing Cameron like the stereotypical Terminator, I don't think that's bad acting ... I think it's intended. It's obvious she is an infiltration cyborg ... smaller, less conspicuous. But, as John noted, she different from the rest of the Terminators. From what I have read, that's going to be a major future plot point. I admit, I am waiting for John to have the Star Trek Data conversation with her, "um ... so, are you FULLY functional?"
Don't get me wrong, there were a few things that irritated me. I don't see how they can reconnect this story to T3. That wouldn't be so bad if there were not going to be any more movies set after T3 - I could rationalize that some other variable was changed and that future was altered. But, if Terminator SCC survives and becomes a hit, the next movie trilogy set during the wars isn't going to make much sense.
There's also the silliness of the gun inside the terminator's thigh. That was the only part about that bit I didn't like. It wasn't a futuristic gun, so it's not like he had to bury it in his flesh to bring it back. So, why go to that elaborate means of hiding it? If he was trying to avoid a metal detector ... something tells me that endoskeleton would make more of a ping than a handgun. But, I can live with it because the characters are working for me.
A lot of you guys would make good Fox execs here ... that show didn't grab me after the first episode, lets cancel it just like Firefly ... anyone know another lame idea for a reality show?