Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

[gdb]

This episode was fun! With all the retooling the network's done, perhaps it can be thought of as pilot 2.0 and will be indicative of things to come.

So it's not going to win any awards but it was a blast for a sci-fi show. A fun guilty pleasure show like Heroes' first season.

And is Dixon married to Penny from LOST now?

And I JUST placed the actor playing Dixon! He was Tina Fey's horrible boyfriend on 30 Rock.

 

[DouglasMcc]

I was thinking that maybe there are a limited amount of times you can send something back, which they could probably explain; or something like that. That's the paradoxes with time travel shows, usually always plot holes that could be found if you really look for them. I for one loved T3, which I know a lot of people didn't. I liked how in the second episode, the terminator brought them in the future to avoid her dying of cancer (which did happen in T3).

I really hope as well that a different terminator isn't stalking them every week. that would get repetitively old extremely fast. have different types of killing machines after them, or maybe some episodes none at all.

I could see the limit to the number of time travels to a specific period. But, I always assumed it was simple computer logic - i.e. if one approach doesn't work, try another. I mean think about it, how logical is it to try the same thing over and over if the first attempt is a failure? Plus, Skynet isn't around in the T1 80's. The endo is damaged beyond repair, so the only one who knows how those events played out would be Sarah. So, all Skynet knows is that it's attempt to kill her during pregnancy failed, and that's if Skynet remembers at all ... since going back changed the future anyway. So, I could see a computer rationalizing that sending another valuable asset to attack her at the same time as a previous failure would be a waste of resources.

Also, one of my friends mentioned last night that the new movies and TV show are being produced by the same people. So, maybe the movies are going to ignore T3, which could have been wiped out by the change in history of them jumping ahead 8 years. Or, even cooler, imagine them ending season 2 with Judgement Day happening and the first new movie starting 10 or 20 years in the future of that time line? Then the movies could deal with the future of the war, and the show could detail the beginning. Not sure if they could do it justice on a TV budget, but it would be an interesting concept. But knowing that they are doing Future War movie sequels does kinda hurt the show ... it means they are doomed to failure if the 2 are connected.

 

[lcummins]

I was thinking that maybe there are a limited amount of times you can send something back...

I could see the limit to the number of time travels to a specific period. But, I always assumed it was simple computer logic - i.e. if one approach doesn't work, try another. I mean think about it, how logical is it to try the same thing over and over if the first attempt is a failure...

According to the original movie, they couldn't send anyone else back...

...it had no choice. The defensive grid was smashed. We'd taken the mainframes... We'd won. Taking out Connor then would make no difference. Skynet had to wipe out his entire existence. We captured the lab complex. Found the...whatever it was called...the time-displacement equipment. The Terminator had already gone through. They sent two of us to intercept, then zeroed the whole place. Sumner didn't make it.

 

[Boba Fett]

The show is fun to watch if you turn your brain off and just be entertained for an hour.

 

[Fritz]

I enjoyed the second episode as well as the first and am looking forward to next week. Also, I agree with Boba Fett.

Things I liked from the second episode:

- Boobie trapped safe knocking out Cameron and Sarah throwing her out the window
- Any fight scenes with Summer Glau because it reminds me of Firefly/Serenity
- Cameron shooting the fake id guy when Sarah didn't
- Summer Glau in a short skirt.

 

[IrishJedi]

I enjoyed the second episode as well as the first and am looking forward to next week. Also, I agree with Boba Fett.

Things I liked from the second episode:

- Boobie trapped safe knocking out Cameron and Sarah throwing her out the window
- Any fight scenes with Summer Glau because it reminds me of Firefly/Serenity
- Cameron shooting the fake id guy when Sarah didn't
- Summer Glau in a short skirt.

 

[The Chaver]

I caught the second episode last night.I thought it was pretty good,but the guys playing the evil terminators need to go back to terminator acting school.

I still haven't caught on to what's going on yet,due to me not seeing the first episode.I'll catch it later guess.

 

[Fubeca]

Pleasantly suprised! I liked it a lot. I was hoping it was good but anticipated it being cheese. My wife even laughed at the premise, but after watching it for a few minutes she said, hey keep this I want to watch the whole thing later...

 

[Batty]

I enjoyed the second episode more than the first. I think the further away we get from the movies the more we can enjoy this for what it is.

Chet was great! And I like how Sarah threw Summer (does she have an actual name on the show?) out the window.

And how many days was John cooped-up in the house? I think he only mentioned it 3 or 4 times.

 

[DouglasMcc]

According to the original movie, they couldn't send anyone else back...

Ah, Terminator paradoxes LOL. That rationale only worked in T1 since both Skynet and the Resistance sent back soldiers in T2. However, since they had altered the future no matter what by informing Sarah of her own future, it makes sense that Skynet time pad was (re)built at an alternate time in a changed future.

But, someone else I talked with had a decent explanation for that. I would imagine the only reason Skynet knew when John was born, where, and his mother was from hospital computer records from the original timeline. I doubt John the rebel leader was running around telling everyone his childhood info. As soon as Sarah takes care of T1, she heads to Mexico. Since she is still wanted at that point for questioning in the Police HQ massacre, I doubt she had John in a hospital. So, no records of John's birth, no location, so Skynet cannot verify where or when to send a Terminator for his birth. However, Skynet could analyze his age and guess a appropriate time to attack him as a child from field reconnaissance of him during the Wars. This sets up T2 and explains both why they didn't send multiple Terminators in T1 and why they didn't attack her again when the first one failed.

 

[The Craw]

i always assumed that skynet, in its last moments before defeat, decided the only way to survive was to change the past. therefore it dispatched various terminators, all at the same time, throughout the timeline to destroy john conner. so it wasn't a "i sent that one and he obviously failed so ill send this one next. no that didnt work. how about this one." senario.

 

[DouglasMcc]

i always assumed that skynet, in its last moments before defeat, decided the only way to survive was to change the past. therefore it dispatched various terminators, all at the same time, throughout the timeline to destroy john conner. so it wasn't a "i sent that one and he obviously failed so ill send this one next. no that didnt work. how about this one." senario.

See, that might work from the computer's side. However, that raises a few problems: Why send the weaker of the Terminators to kill him in the womb? Why not send the 1000 or the T-X since you could erase all of his influence. But, it definitely couldn't work from the humans side. The time machine was destroyed after Reese went through it. That's set in canon. But, even if we assume Reese was lying, or didn't know the truth (God, I hope SCC doesn't go down a route like that) and others went from that timeline, once again, why wouldn't they send one of the Arnie Terminators to protect him in the womb? It also doesn't work, because the T-850 in part 3 says that he is the one who kills John before being captured and reprogrammed.

My take is that the whole thing is an infinite loop. Skynet and the Resistance each send a soldier into the past in T1. Skynet cannot kill John, but enough is altered to change the future, thus destroying the timeline Reese came from. In the new timeline, Skynet once again has the idea to kill John in the past. This time, it doesn't have any knowledge of John's birth or location so it sends a Terminator to an approximate time when it does have a computer record of John (i.e. when his mother is hospitalized and he is inserted into the foster home - there would have been government files detailing this - Skynet was a government project so would probably be able to access this info). Good Terminator and T-1000 change enough of the past to restart this loop leading to T-3 and then the series, et al.

 

[DouglasMcc]

Finally had time to watch last nights episode on DVDR and it cleared up most of my minor problems. Sarah still has cancer, so T-3 is still viable in the mythos. Sure, the series might have erased it from the future, but at least they are acknowledging it existed.

There was no Terminator parts to ruin the timeline (won't ruin this part for those who haven't seen it, but that is answered) and the time machine and bank were apparently destroyed when they jumped - the reason the FBI would assume Sarah and John were killed in the "heist".

Plus, Cameron is every bit as dangerous and vicious as a Terminator should be. I was skeptical when it was first announced. But, I could see myself watching this on a consistent basis.

Now, here's hoping they coordinate the new movies with the series and keep our Terminator Mythos connected (no Highlander break please ...)

 

[The Craw]

remember on austin powers when he was thinking about time travel too much and he went crosseyed? i think that just happened to me.

 

[The Craw]

Plus, Cameron is every bit as dangerous and vicious as a Terminator should be. I was skeptical when it was first announced. But, I could see myself watching this on a consistent basis.

i loved when cameron was leaning on the car trying to be all bad-ass. i will keep watching this as well. it has potential for great charactor development which is one of the main things i look for in movies and tv.

 

[Wor-Gar]

See, that might work from the computer's side. However, that raises a few problems: Why send the weaker of the Terminators to kill him in the womb? Why not send the 1000 or the T-X since you could erase all of his influence. But, it definitely couldn't work from the humans side. The time machine was destroyed after Reese went through it. That's set in canon. But, even if we assume Reese was lying, or didn't know the truth (God, I hope SCC doesn't go down a route like that) and others went from that timeline, once again, why wouldn't they send one of the Arnie Terminators to protect him in the womb? It also doesn't work, because the T-850 in part 3 says that he is the one who kills John before being captured and reprogrammed.

My take is that the whole thing is an infinite loop. Skynet and the Resistance each send a soldier into the past in T1. Skynet cannot kill John, but enough is altered to change the future, thus destroying the timeline Reese came from. In the new timeline, Skynet once again has the idea to kill John in the past. This time, it doesn't have any knowledge of John's birth or location so it sends a Terminator to an approximate time when it does have a computer record of John (i.e. when his mother is hospitalized and he is inserted into the foster home - there would have been government files detailing this - Skynet was a government project so would probably be able to access this info). Good Terminator and T-1000 change enough of the past to restart this loop leading to T-3 and then the series, et al.

Nice thinking.

But I'm guessing it's a simpler answer: SkyNet can't KILL Sarah because she is ultimately responsible for it's creation/AI awareness. Somehow. I don't know how yet. Neither do we. But that simple answer could stave off all suggestions of killing her in earlier times.

She's somehow, ironically, necessary for Judgement Day to occur.

That would explain why the new Term didn't kill her in the first episode. Of course, you also have to accept that the first Terminator movie (in Arnold's failure to kill Sarah) changed things enough that killing Sarah is no longer an option. It might have to do with the fact that she's pursuing Miles Dyson's work.

 

[Darth Madden]

I just saw #2 and it was good, I think I'm going to keep watching. But why did the bad terminator run from Cameron or not recognize her model #? Something is going to be very fishy about her.

 

[Vader AL]

Nice thinking.

But I'm guessing it's a simpler answer: SkyNet can't KILL Sarah because she is ultimately responsible for it's creation/AI awareness. Somehow. I don't know how yet. Neither do we. But that simple answer could stave off all suggestions of killing her in earlier times.

She's somehow, ironically, necessary for Judgement Day to occur.

That would explain why the new Term didn't kill her in the first episode. Of course, you also have to accept that the first Terminator movie (in Arnold's failure to kill Sarah) changed things enough that killing Sarah is no longer an option. It might have to do with the fact that she's pursuing Miles Dyson's work.

great theory! i'm buying what you're selling.

 

[DouglasMcc]

Nice thinking.

But I'm guessing it's a simpler answer: SkyNet can't KILL Sarah because she is ultimately responsible for it's creation/AI awareness. Somehow. I don't know how yet. Neither do we. But that simple answer could stave off all suggestions of killing her in earlier times.

She's somehow, ironically, necessary for Judgement Day to occur.

That would explain why the new Term didn't kill her in the first episode. Of course, you also have to accept that the first Terminator movie (in Arnold's failure to kill Sarah) changed things enough that killing Sarah is no longer an option. It might have to do with the fact that she's pursuing Miles Dyson's work.

I admit that your idea has merit. However, that's not how I took the events in Episode 1. To me, at least, he was leaving her alive for strategical purposes. When she tries to shoot herself in the head, he stops her and says, "Killing yourself is the best option. With you alive, I can use you against him." Skynet, and the Terminator by proxy, know John Conner has a strong connection to his mother. So, I believe the Terminator left Sarah alive as a back-up strategy in case John didn't show up at the house, or got away from the trap there. Plus, when they are driving away from Dyson's house, he shoots Sara. Sure, it was random, and she might not have been his target. However, would a computer shoot haphazardly with no guarantee of which target it is going to hit, if one of those targets is central to it's creation? It wouldn't be logical.

There's also the fact that Judgment Day (the new,new,new one ) is in 2007 according to Cameron. If Sarah had already helped Judgement Day happen in 1999, the Terminator would have no problem with killing her. If she did after 1999, Skynet would already be gone - i.e. they skipped 2000 - 2006, so Sara couldn't have done anything then. She originally died on December 4, 2005 from Cancer, so it's not like she would have done anything in 2007 to create Skynet.

 

[Beren]

I will be tuning in tomorrow night again. Here is what I think so far. The best things about it is well....it is a Terminator series. The bad, well lets start with the title character. Sarah Connor was horribly miscast. Sarah was 26 when she gave birth to John so John should be only 7 when she is 33. John Connor is this series appears to be about 16. Lena Headey doesn't even remotely have the screen presence of Linda Hamilton. I think Lena is a hot girl, but she just isn't right for the role. The same for Summer Glau. Her movements aren't right, and she doesn't have the presence for the role. Great to see her in a new role though. Hopefully, the scripts are good enough to carry the series.

ummm, I remember reading the script years ago and she is supposed to be 19 yrs old when she meets Kyle Reese, so she prob gave birth at age 20.

Is SC supposed to be 33 in this show? I didn't watch all of it, it looked cheap in passing and I had to roll my eyes at the little things they stole and just got plain wrong. James Cameron is SUCH a good writer, he makes characters consistent. All the one-liners given by the T-800 had a logical basis but this Teacher-Terminator saying "class is over" or whatever, the writers didn't understand or care about that stuff. And having the Teacher-Terminator end up with the EXACT same type of headwound like Arnie at the end of T2 was unbelievably lame.

I will watch a few eps but will expect it to degenerate into a Terminator showing up every week. Snore!!

Beren