Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Season 2
October 7, 2009
Director:
Charles Beeson, Jeffrey G. Hunt, J. Miller Tobin, Guy Norman Bee, Jeff Woolnough,
Starring:
Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau, Richard T. Jones, Brian Austin Green, Garret Dillahunt, Shirley Manson,
(5 votes, average: 3.40 out of 5)
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Darren Jamieson+When I first heard of the concept of a Terminator TV series I was filled with dread. As if the third movie where Arnold Schwarzenegger almost destroyed the Terminator franchise in his campaign vehicle for election wasn’t bad enough, a TV series with none of the original cast and a lower budget seemed to be a horrific idea.
The first episode didn’t do much to sway my opinions either as it started with a clichéd dream sequence, as many bad films and TV series tend to do. However, the dream sequence is a staple of the Terminator franchise and is something that Lind Hamilton’s Sarah Connor would frequently do. Also, the Sarah Connor Chronicles was played out as though Rise of the Machines never happened (always a good thing) and instead picked up where Terminator 2 left off.
Sarah Connor Chronicles was also helped by its excellent casting, with Lena Headey being more than an ample replacement for Linda Hamilton. It helps that she’s also pretty damn hot! Thomas Dekker, as John Connor, found the perfect blend between petulant teenager and saviour of mankind. He was also far better in the role than either of the two actors who’d played him beforehand.
As I gave the series chance I quickly realised that I was watching quality, and series 2 had a lot to live up to; luckily it didn’t disappoint.
Sarah Conner Chronicles season 2 managed to produce shocks along the way, playing with the tried and tested Terminator mythology as it grew. The introduction of a T-1000 (played by Shirley Manson from Garbage) gave the series more gravitas and allowed it to build to a startling climax. Just as with Terminator 2, you were never sure who the good guys and who the bad guys were until they revealed their hand, and when they’re Terminators, their hands are often revealed with devastating consequences.
One of the best aspects of this series is the way it isn’t afraid to kill off central characters, much in the same way as the original Terminator comics. A character could be around for several weeks (even from series 1) and they could still be despatched without a heartbeat’s of emotion from a Terminator, or the director for that matter. This puts the characters in jeopardy all the way through, before the climactic cliff-hanger that, thanks to Fox, left audiences angry when the show was cancelled without a series 3.
Sarah Conner Chronicles is an excellent series and one that deserved a third series.
Darren has enjoyed an interest in film for many years, studying the subject at Newport Film School where he worked on the film ‘Cop on the Edge IX: Prelude to Justice‘ in a directing and acting capacity. The official site can be enjoyed here. Darren setup WhatDVD.Net in 2003 to further his love of films and to write passionately about the movies he enjoys, and about those that he doesn’t.
Although his day-to-day activities mean that he now has less time to review movies than he would ideally prefer, he still tries to review new releases, and DVDs from his extensive collection, whenever possible.
view all DVD reviews by Darren Jamieson
Rating: 95%
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