TV Review: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 2.2

Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 16, 2008

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

The Sarah Connor Chronicles, FOX, Airs Monday 8/7c

Episode: “Automatic for the People” (Season Two, Episode 2)

Synopsis: With Cameron’s (Summer Glau) reprogramming glitch fixed and the Turk in the hand of the Garbage T-1001 (Shirley Mason), Sarah (Lena Headey) searches for a new hideout with Derek (Brian Austin Green) and John (Thomas Dekker). However, they are paid a visit by a resistance fighter from the future who, with his final breath, warns them to stop an event at a nuclear power plant. John is sent back to school while Sarah and Cameron go undercover in the power plant to secure it’s position as a vital component for the future residence.

Review: The second season of The Sarah Connor Chronicles is set to answer the question, “How many Terminators is too many?” They seem to be popping up everywhere, whether they be the old T-800 series model or the new fab T-1000 series, and this may or may not be a good thing. While the first episode was fun to watch because it tapped into the relentless stalking nature of the films, this second episode left a lot to be desired. I see the series falling into the trap of an ongoing story that has a predetermined outcome (i.e., Sarah Connor dying before T3 and Judgement Day definitely happing before T4). We’re left with a story that really has no purpose to the bigger picture. This episode becomes more about how Sarah and Cameron have to stop a power plant from overloading rather than actually fighting the machines. It reminds me of the extended chase for the Turk computer in the first season, which ended with the computer in the hands of the Garbage T-1001.

Moreover, John seemed to get a little edge at the end of last episode by channeling Corey Feldman from Friday the 13th: Part IV. However, he returns to this episode a whiney little brat who is more interested in chasing hot tail at school than saving the world… or even planning for some human success with his mother and uncle. And why is he going to school in the first place? I understand it was originally to keep up appearances, but things were laid out in T2 and T3 that Sarah favored a real-world mercenary education for the boy over book learning. Considering the character was born in 1984, shouldn’t he be technically 23 in the show’s present timeline, allowing him to write a note to excuse himself? Uh, and what happened to Cromartie? Did the Terminator union local 850 decide he needed his contractually mandated break?

This series had promise, and the season premier had some interesting moments. But this second step into the new season is about as fresh and exciting as Lena Headey’s mullet hairstyle.

Up Next Week: After Cromartie kidnaps Charley’s wife, Sarah and Derek are put to the test as they must outwit him to ensure a safe rescue, but at what cost? Meanwhile, John is in his own sticky situation as he finds himself caught between Cameron and Riley.

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch The Sarah Connor Chronicles this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.


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  • huffmaster
    "Considering the character was born in 1984, shouldn’t he be technically 23 in the
    show’s present timeline, allowing him to write a note to excuse himself?"

    Don't you remember they traveled to time to get to present day back in the pilot
    episode.
  • Oz
    You haven't really paid attention to the previous episodes, have you Kevin? You mention the predetermined outcome involving Sarah's death before T3... Well It's a pretty well known fact that this show ignores T3 completely and is a continuation of James Cameron's movies only.

    And the issue of John's age (born in 1984) has been resolved with a little time-travel thingy in one of the season-1 episodes, FYI.
  • my comment about John's age was meant as a joke. He's still only 16 (and had his birthday in the first episode of the season), but if it were me, I'd track down my old birth certificate to show I'm technically 24 and can excuse myself from school. sorry if it was unclear. I was tired after watching the show.

    And yeah, it pretty much ignores T3, but that's lazy writing from the beginning, especially with a new movie coming out. That's part of my beef with the show. It's the whole Superman Returns thing all over again. They're using some things and ignoring others. And it's not like Cameron's work was consistent with itself. The first and second films directly contradict each other.
  • JMoney
    This show is horrible. I'm sorry, I've given it a chance, 15 or so episodes should be enough to get someone interested in the characters, but the stupid storylines are just making it impossible for me to watch, not to mention the Emo John Connor. how is that even possible, he's supposed to be a teenager in the 1990s that travelled to this time, what, once he got here he noticed all the other depressed whiny babies and decided to join in?

    As an answer to your introductory question, it would make sense that there were multiple terminators. Skynet wouldn't build a time machine just to go kill off the Connors and then stop using it, obviously they'd start sending Terminators to key points in time in order to undermine the resistance in the future. that really is the only thing that makes sense in this stupid show, they just couldn't pull it off with this power plant episode.
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