(S02E01) Last season ended with a bang. More specifically, Cameron in the middle of a bang when the SUV she was occupying exploded. The new series begins with music by the series composer Bear McCreary and vocalized by the lead singer of Garbage, Shirley Manson (who appears later in the episode as ZeiraCorp CEO Catherine Weaver, a new major player).The show had good ratings the first season, but only nine episodes. Both of these can be attributed to the WGA Strike, which both cut down the available episodes and gave the show no competition. If it does well this season in the ratings, then we'll be seeing more killer robots in the future.
It's interesting how this episode juxtaposed the consequences of two attacks: the first of a human (Sarkissian) against a machine (Cameron) and the second by a machine (Cromartie) against some humans (Ellison and his FBI team).
Summer Glau gave a marvelous performance this episode. I was wondering when Cameron would turn back to her original programming and try to kill John. I'm glad they wrapped up that story in this episode and didn't drag it out. However, it seems like one of those storylines that they could dig out anytime, like Angel turning evil in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cameron try to kill John again in the future (pun unintended).
The character of John Connor took a major turn this episode (and credit to Thomas Dekker for putting in a good performance in that regard) and started acting a little less like the whiny kid we saw in season one and more like the hero he's eventually going to be (starting with a self-haircut). That being said, putting the chip back in Cameron's head was a pretty gutsy move which took a lot of faith. It was also pretty stupid (as confirmed by Cameron herself) and the sort of thing that could only succeed on a sci-fi television drama. I think John Connor is going to have a serious cyborg fetish in the future. However, I comfort myself knowing that as the summer ends, at least there will be more Summer.
Lena Headey put on her usual excellent performance as Sarah Connor. The action did get a little unbelievable as the Connors were running from Cameron. They got into two auto accidents within one day (possibly even within one hour). Their car insurance premiums are going to skyrocket. Mind you, when pursued by killer cyborgs from the future, I doubt insurance premiums are your primary concern. Perhaps they have the "killer cyborgs from the future" special insurance add-on from Geico.
Agent Ellison, Uncle Derek and ex-fiancé Charley have smaller but important roles in this episode in which Ellison confronts Cromartie and Derek and Charley help patch up the Connors. It looks like they're sticking around.
In the end, it is revealed that Shirley Manson is a T-1000, or some derivative thereof. This sort of explained her out-of-place, Jetsons-like attire. I'm glad they had her use her native Scottish accent rather than fake an American one. She's either the most sophisticated Terminator ever built or this is yet another Hollywood anti-business theme about how large corporations are inhuman. Or quite possibly a little of both.
I enjoyed the first season of The Sarah Connor Chronicles. It didn't really gel for me until the fifth or sixth episode, but then I started liking it. The first episode of the second season is a step in the right direction and continues to be exciting to watch. However, this time there is no strike and the series is facing the full onslaught of the other networks. I question its survival. It's sci-fi on Fox, and not the subtle sci-fi of The X-Files. The odds are against, but my fingers are crossed.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
9-08-2008 @ 9:27PM
superbagman said...
The only thing I really did not like about this episode was the cheesy horror movie-esque chase between Cameron and the Connors in a car. Cameron is busted up and limping on foot and YET she still managed to somehow get ahead of the Connors despite them driving at a fairly brisk pace. It just seemed too cliched.
I wasn't jiving with Shirley Manson's character until the last scene which made me super excited.
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9-08-2008 @ 10:17PM
Jason said...
Well, to be honest, I saw the horror bits as being more of an homage to the Terminator films than a cliché. Same with Cameron trying to use Sarah as bait for John after the crash; the "Call to him" bit was basically taken right out of T2, torture method and all. I interpreted all of this as a series of reminders that these Terminators do share the same basic programming, despite the physical differences between Arnie, Robert Patrick, Kristanna Loken, and Summer Glau.
Agreed about the Shirley Manson character though. She seemed like a waste of screen time right up until the T-1000 morph. Plus, it gives the writers an easy out if they need to recast the character. Literally anyone could be brought in to be the main morph, or even an occasional morph (Robert Patrick cameo, anybody?) if need be.
A good start to the season, here's hoping FOX's new management doesn't possess as itchy a trigger finger on the fate of the show (not to mention Fringe & Dollhouse).
9-08-2008 @ 10:30PM
superbagman said...
Yeah, I agree with you about the "Call to him" bit, I've read some people complaining about that but since the T-1000 did the same in T2, I was ok with it (I would kill for a Robert Patrick cameo as I'm probably the only X-files Doggett fan in the world, but he hasn't aged so well, so it would be like looking at a totally different person rather than the old T-1000 model).
I don't agree with you about the horror movie cliche being intentional. It's just lazy writing, both in bad horror movies and in this episode, hell, they could have thrown in a small shot of Cameron jacking a car to catch up but they didn't. I don't really consider Josh Friedman to be the best writer and he scripted this episode, so I'll just chalk it up to that and move on.
9-11-2008 @ 10:33AM
Ryan said...
The car chase was not technically a chase. Sarah had to swerve 1-2 times to avoid other cars and was forced down that long alley to the canal, away from her initial direction of travel. Cameron just intercepted the car where she could predict it would emerge.
I like to think that she used her one undamaged leg to cover the distance in one super-jump.
9-08-2008 @ 9:40PM
killer_twinkie said...
I really liked this episode. I agree about not really getting into the show last season for a few episodes but I rewatched it all on Hulu before watching the premiere today and I was really impressed.
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9-08-2008 @ 9:44PM
Parl said...
I really want this series to succeed, but this episode was horrible. The single redeeming trait was the T-1000, but that might just be too much for this series. I don't know.
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9-08-2008 @ 10:57PM
La-Di-Dah said...
Really excited Cameron came back good. (Not looking forward to Angel-good/Angel-bad/Angel-good future eppys, but really excited about this season).
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9-08-2008 @ 11:16PM
Oreo said...
This show has no chance of living, but I love the popcorn flick at home that it is.
And what was the name of the song in the beginning? That was a great song.
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9-09-2008 @ 12:48AM
Chuck Lawson said...
> And what was the name of the song in the beginning?
Same as the episode - Samson and Delilah; it's an old traditional number that the Grateful Dead (among others) used to do quite a bit.
Shirley Manson actually did a nice job with it; wouldn't mind finding an MP3 of it...
9-09-2008 @ 9:46AM
bone daddy said...
it was originally done by blind willie johnson - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Willie_Johnson
one of my favorite blues artists - actually made me stop what I was doing when I heard it - the song dates from the mid 30's
9-09-2008 @ 9:07AM
mdisloki said...
Excellent start to season 2, IMO.
I think the show has a ton of potential, and with the new movie coming out in the near future (i forget the scheduled release date) there could be some nice tie-ins.
I'm very happy to see Fox give this show a chance.
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9-09-2008 @ 12:29AM
Adam said...
I agree with all the above comments. The first 42 minutes were weak sauce, but they made up for it at the last minute. Summer Glau is definitely the best actor on the show, but she can't carry it since the 2 main characters have such a weak presence. I liked Headey through the first season, but it seems as if the writers felt the only way to make John grow was to make Sarah bow down to his every command. Have they forgot that Sarah Connor is supposed to be one of the greatest warriors on the planet. Sarah Connor would have bitch slapped her son when he tried to re-activate the terminator. The only interesting thing to come out of this episode aside from the t1000 is the concept of robot love. I don't know if they are going to as deep to suggest that robots may be able to learn/feel emotion, but the look on John's face suggested that he felt love for Cameron. This to me picks up on T2 where John loved the terminator like a father. I'll still tune in every week in hopes that the acting picks up and the writing stays consistent.
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9-09-2008 @ 1:10AM
Will said...
I enjoy this show but it's hard for me to find a viewing time. Monday night has been sitcom night for me for years & years and I really Like The Big Bang Theory (Though I've stopped watching Charlie Sheen show. It got old.) Last season I recorded the Conner show, but I think I only got thru half of them. I caught most of tonight's and while I wasn't blown away, I did think it was fairly good. I don't think Fox will can it even if the rating are so-so, nothing to base that on just a gut feeeling. I plan on seeing Fringe also, I just hope that lasts.
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9-09-2008 @ 1:33AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Decent enough. With MNF on, we'll tivo it.
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9-09-2008 @ 1:51AM
bruce said...
I loved this episode, and I thought Summer Glau was absolutely amazing when she was pleading for her "life" and begging John not to take out her chip and destroy her - to see the Cameron Glaubot convey such unabashed horror and desperation was truly uncanny, she/it was practically in tears, proclaiming her love for John. It was very creepy and very moving all at the same time. I can't get that scene out of my head. Well done, Summer.
How did Agent Ellison happen to run into Cromartie? I couldn't figure that out. He just happened to be standing there, talking to him (well after the shootout and after Ellison gave his false report to the FBI).
Is Ellison going to join the Connors and become an ally?
On another note, I think it'd be cool if Kristanna Lokken did a guest appearance as a T-X at some point on T:TSCC. It's not like she's done anything big since T3. I know this show operates on a different timeline/universe than T3, but that doesn't mean there can't be a T-X terminator. I thought Kristanna Lokken did a great job playing a terminator in T3.
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9-11-2008 @ 10:23AM
Ryan said...
Ellison followed the trail of destruction back to its origin, the site of the car bomb/gas explosion/2 dead bodies, thinking that Sarah Connor might be involved. Cromartie was either following him, or came to the same conclusion independently.
9-09-2008 @ 2:38AM
Carissa said...
The episode was kind of boring to me for a season opener.
I just couldn't get over Shirley Manson's orange face. With all the great special effects they pull off, they couldn't do a better job with her makeup? It totally distracted me.
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9-09-2008 @ 10:21AM
The Pepto Pimp said...
Sounds like your color setting are off. Her hair was very orange, but her skin looked find to me. Are you watching in SD or HD? OTA, Cable or Sat shouldn't matter. Most likely your color is turned up too high.
9-09-2008 @ 7:09AM
CRVBOY said...
It was a good episode, even though they re-used footage from last season. When Charlie got the call about the house fire, he turned the ambulance around to go there. It was the same footage as when he got the call about the shootout that the FBI was in.
But the biggest issue I had with it, was the fact that Cameron turned on John. She shouldn't have that original programming because, according to her, the terminator memories are wiped when they are converted by the resistance. So either they didn't wipe her memories, or she's got her original directive stored somewhere else that didn't get wiped.
Either that, or the writers forgot that simple little fact.
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9-09-2008 @ 7:34AM
Will said...
Summer Glau stole the show! The scene where she pleads for her life and professes her love for John was incredible. "I love you John and you love me!"
Throughout season 1, there was that weird attraction thing between John and Cameron; sure she's not human but it opens up possibilities as to why Cameron looks the way she does. Did Future John intentionally make her look like that because of someone he knew when he was younger? Good way to explain Ms. Glau's scar. Why else would a Terminator have a scar? We saw Cromartie make himself to look like someone else so it's not outside the realm of possibility that Future John remade Cameron to look like someone from his youth (perhaps someone he cared for) knowing that his past self would be attracted to her. I've always felt that John's character sort of resented that she was a cyborg. He was clearly attracted to her when they first met (who wouldn't be, she's GORGEOUS!) John's a teenager so there are raging hormones at play. Also, if Cameron had in fact "ran a test" prior to John pulling her chip, she wouldn't have objected to her chip being removed. This is evidenced by her telling Sarah not to let him do that again. Her programming would have prioritized John's life over her own right? So why plead for her "life?" I think in a future episode we'll meet the real Cameron-the human whom Terminator Cameron was made to look like. SkyNet probably wouldn't have designed her appearance like that to be a Terminator in the future and if they did, they wouldn't have thought to give her a scar. Great premier, great show.
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