Comments on: Review: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

By: Bryce

Bryce — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:51:57 +0000

I don’t know what show you are watching, but this show is BADASS! My wife and I couldn’t wait to the next episode week to week.

By: steve adams

steve adams — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:30:04 +0000

Jack its hard to believe but two of the shows producers have been attached to Terminator since T1…
^
As the show progresses its straying bigtime from the film canon. The “inconsistancies” are very clear for all the true fans of the films.
^
One thing I have a difficult time adjusting to is Sarah Connor. The actress that plays her is horribly
cast. She can’t even go blond for the role?? It just takes me out everytime I think of Linda Hamilton and then I see her. Just dosnt look anything like her.
^
Another thing with the (stop Skynet) plot. Wow are we on a storyline treadmill or what. How can they stop Skynet when we all know the next film takes place in the future (a war against Skynet).
Geee I wonder if in the next film there gonna try to stop Skynet. Dah?

Unfortunitly Jack these shows were all written and shot months ago.
^
At this point giving it a chance is over, I only watch it too see how bad it can get?
^
I have a feeling this show won’t see a second season.
And I fear that the Terminator franchise is pretty much corrupted beyond repair.

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:20:27 +0000

First off I would like to say that I think the show has great potential and could become outstanding if given the right writers. I have tried to give this show a chance because, as others here have posted, a show usually takes a couple of weeks to get going. However, after four episodes I have arrived at a crossroads. I will give it one more episode and then make a decision to watch it anymore. My biggest complaint about the show (and I am not trying to pick apart every facet of the show) is that there are just too many inconsistencies in the storyline. Good writers can write something that although unbelievable, can make you think just maybe it could be believable. Let’s face it, the show is written primarily to cater to the fans of Terminator movies. Those fans are the core audience. Buzz about the show will draw other viewers but the biggest draw is from the fans. With that in mind the writers were obligated to at least peruse the material they were writing about. Therein lay the problem in that I really don’t think the current writers of the show ever watched the previous terminator movies. If they did there wouldn’t be so many inconsistencies. Another thing I don’t like is that it sometimes feels as though I am being rushed through an episode and not much thought is going into plot or character development. At other times I get a glimpse of the shows potential and keep hoping for the best. If they really want the show to succeed they will show the current writers the door and hire writers who have watched the movies. Alas, at this point it may be too late and the show may well be beyond damage control.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:36:13 +0000

I like Summer Glau though I don’t think she can match up to Arnold, but I don’t particularly like Lena Headey or Thomas Dekker. Lena makes a terrible mother, and basically she’s no Linda Hamilton (Though I suspect some of that has to be the bad directing/writing, because I thought she was great in 300. So what the hell happened?). As for Thomas Dekker, he’s a pretty boy melodrama bore. I mean what the hell, what happened to the cool John Conner of T-2 who taught Arnold to say “astalavista baby!”

Basically, if you’ve watched T-1, T-2, or T-3 recently this TV show blows. I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t cut it. Then again, maybe the story will be enough to let me overlook such crap. Maybe the actors will get a chance to perfect their roles too. I doubt it.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:41:27 +0000

“In regards to morphing, that costs MONEY!
they probably couldnt afford it .
they dont have access to same type of budget james cameron had”

Isn’t morphing and the nuclear cloud dream sequence and where the terminator is ripping apart the vault all just CGI? CGI has come a long way since 1990 (where james cameron was using state of the art morphing kickass special effects) and its my understanding that all of this only requires CGI artists to render them. My point was more of a storyline/timeline question rather than a budgetary question. I am trying to figure out what Cameron is, whether she is a new 101 model (makes no sense) or an early version of a TX (makes a little more sense if she could morph or had onboard weapons). I gotta go with Vic on this one, the inconsistencies are very confusing and are starting to turn me off on this show. I will probably give it one more chance since its after prison break (although i watched ‘heroes’ instead of that in the fall so i am totally lost).

By: steve adams

steve adams — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:25:11 +0000

Gary. Robert Patrick is working on the show “the Unit” right now and woundnt be availible. I do hope the cast an actor that looks just like him they could have done the same with Arnolds terminators. Wtf
^
Patrick stole the last half of T2 (IMO).

By: Gary

Gary — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:41:06 +0000

if they use the T-1000 down the road ,
I hope they get Robert Patrick.

By: Gary

Gary — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:36:42 +0000

In regards to morphing, that costs MONEY!
they probably couldnt afford it .
they dont have access to same type of budget james cameron had.

By: Jane Sample

Jane Sample — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:06:11 +0000

Vic – it was the whole movie I did not like. Although the ending was horrible! I did not like the ending because it just wrapped everything up so nicely ….. too nicely. I liked the suspense of not knowing if they will succeed in winning against skynet or not. T3 left NOTHING left to chance.

By: steve adams

steve adams — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:22:54 +0000

Yea Patrick I agree with you. Where’s the Morphing? Not in the budget prob but they could be holding back a T-1000 later in future episodes.
^
I’ve been told to lightin up a bit so I’m holding back, on my. nitpicking………….but if we assume Skynet sent the first 3 terminators back in time, relativly around same few weeks after It realisd the timelines hadn’t changed and then the Resistance shut Skynet down (Kile Reese T1) and sent its 3 heros back the story should be reaching a coda of some sorts in the future.
T3 pretty much sealed the Judgement day thread up…
^
I mean that’s the Terminator Timeline were left with after the films…
^
This show is all over the map with time machines retroactivly built into bank vaults, Skynet back online and spitting back Terminators that all seem to just want to kill John Connor again. Like they can’t just find him in the future and nuke his ars?
^
Anyway. It will be fun to watch, 24 is off so I don’t have any other options on Mondays except for Prison Break.

By: Vic

Vic — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:13:18 +0000

Thanks, Patrick… and welcome to Screen Rant!

Vic

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:59:09 +0000

Vic, I never read one of you reviews before. Gotta say…….you nailed it. T1 and 2 are some my favorite movies of all time but while there were a couple of good scenes in 3, i really didnt like it. I thought this new series started out strong and then pussed out with the whole dream sequence thing, but again there were a couple of pretty good sequences in the first hour. I yawned through the 2nd hour. Some of it made absolutely no sense to me like why would the ‘bad’ terminator need to hide a gun in his leg?!? What there a point to this? Isn’t it easier just to stick in your waistband, gangster style? And youre right, the line in the classroom was just stupid. I always liked Summer Glau in firefly/serenity, not just cause she’s hot but she is also a good actor. She is about the only bright spot in this show. I will say that the effects are very good for a tv show. The final sequence in the vault was barely believeable but with excellent effects. I am very confused with the whole timeline thing. I get the idea that they are completely ignoring T3, which is fine, but why is Skynet (or how for that matter) sending model 101′s back in time instead of t-1000′s or TX’s. What is Cameron (I think she is an early version of the TX but she doesnt seem to have any morphing abilities—wtf?). Anyways, just some thoughts of mine…let me know what you think……..

By: steve adams

steve adams — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:01:42 +0000

Jeff G, commenting on tv shows and films is what this site is all about.
^
I had some problems with Sarah Connor adventures, but I didn’t make myself miserable over it, I enjoyed the feedback and then I moved on…I’ll be watching the show even though its subpar.
^
I’m would rather have an experienced opinion on shows not some (yeah its great) its Terminator, ya gotta love it bs.
I feel Vic goes out of his way to cover these shows and his reviews are very well done and consistant.
^
But anyway I enjoyed reading your ScreeRant!

By: Screen Rant

Screen Rant — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:43:21 +0000

Jeff,

Thanks for chiming in with your thoughts. I nitpick because little things like that take me out of the show/movie I’m watching. There’s something called “suspension of disbelief” that applies to sci-fi/horror/fantasy movies which is the ability of what you’re watching to suck you into it’s fictional universe and making it believable despite the fact you know it’s not real.

And as to this:

“if you keep boycotting shows like this becasue of some minor stuff, we won’t have anything left to watch but these crappy reality shows.”

I have the opposite opinion: if people keep accepting crap TV shows and movies and helping them make money, then the studios have no incentive to improve the quality.

On the other hand most people (and I don’t mean you) prefer crap over quality. Look at how some folks reamed me over my AVP-R review and look at how Firefly and Journeyman got cancelled and Serenity didn’t make that much at the box office.

Despite this I will continue to fight the good fight here at Screen Rant.

Vic

By: jeff G

jeff G — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:41:19 +0000

Ok, I guess I’ll add my two cents in as well, seems everyone has covered everything already. It would seem that the majority of the people here are more in favor of the show, myself included. One of the people writing in here, “T” had it right,In a nutshell saying just to “relax” and have fun with it. I read way to many reviews from people and not just on Vic’s blog, but on some others and I think everyone just tries to put way too much thought into some of these shows. Alot of you people just make yourselves miserable by trying to find every single thing wrong with a show, trying to find the bad and yes, nitpickingtwo, when a tv show comes out thats a spin off of a major motion picture, you can’t expect that its going to reflect all the eleements of the movie, it just doesn’t happen, and if it does its very rare.
>Vic I know its your show here and its your job to review it all as much as it’s our job to either agree or disagree with you, but I just think that this particular show was done really well and it deserves a chance. if you keep boycotting shows like this becasue of some minor stuff, we won’t have anything left to watch but these crappy reality shows. Just put aside everything you think you know about it all and let yourself just get into it. so what if theres cheesy line, they were meant to be humorous. “you might want to holster those” I thought was a pretty good one liner. Anyway, I’ve ranted enough. I like the show, I was impressed with the way it turned out and I look forward to the other episodes. Have fun with it and relax.

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:02:55 +0000

But that’s not even true of the storyline depicted in the TV show. Sarah is still on edge, teaching John that no one is ever safe and to never believe that he is. She’s still on the run from danger. She still lines the couch with kevlar “just in case”. And she’s still teaching John to be a leader.

“Regarding the softness of the current Sara Connor, let’s not foreget that she (Sara) thought they killed off the Terminators and Skynet until now. Meaning it is possible that she become soft due to the feeling that the threat was over. People who work out and are real buff and honed do get soft and flabby when they stop working out. I am sure that as time continues, she may get her edginess and buffness back.”

By: brian

brian — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:29:42 +0000

1-”Also, Lena’s Sarah Connor is way too soft, not edgy and tormented like Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor… and when she’s edgy, it seems overdone.”

Regarding the softness of the current Sara Connor, let’s not foreget that she (Sara) thought they killed off the Terminators and Skynet until now. Meaning it is possible that she become soft due to the feeling that the threat was over. People who work out and are real buff and honed do get soft and flabby when they stop working out. I am sure that as time continues, she may get her edginess and buffness back.

By: Screen Rant

Screen Rant — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 03:58:16 +0000

Panda, great point about the lack of a strong antagonist and I, too, noticed the flub in the opening monologue.

FYI, folks, I started watching Monday’s episode and decided to turn it off about 15 minutes in. If you like it, fine, but it’s not for me.

Vic

By: Panda

Panda — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:53:03 +0000

I just watched both episodes on fox.com. The problem with the show is going be lack of strong antagonist. The FBI agent isn’t it and the Terminators are only good for action sequences. Maybe Skynet itself…

I like the protector being a ‘young’ Term John’s age, a break from the father-figure of the movies. Her line from the 2nd ep “please stay calm” after being hit by the car was much more like a Terminator (apposed to the “class dismissed line in the 1st ep).

Something bothered me in the opening monologue, when Sara say Skynet was created to destroy the world. I thought Skynet was created to defend the country and became self-aware, then destroyed the world. Semantics I guess.

By: steve adams

steve adams — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:40:38 +0000

I wonder if this tv show will have the courage or lasting power to resolve the Judgement day factor.
^
I do hope Sarah lives long enough to destroy Microsoft, I mean skynet…