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

Episode: “The Tower Is Tall But The Fall Is Short” (Season 2, Episode 6)

Synopsis: Sarah and the gang set their sights on protecting a therapist that Skynet has targeted, and they all go undercover as a family seeking counseling, which also reveals some shocking insights into John’s personal problems. Meanwhile, the Garbage Terminator (Shirley Manson) is trying to keep her relationship with her daughter (or rather the daughter of the woman she killed before assuming her identity) as normal as possible. Surprise, surprise… she consults the same therapist. And, the early proto-Skynet computer learns to tell a joke while Derek (Brian Austin Green) gets laid by his back-from-the-future girlfriend.

Review: I see where the writers are going with the character of John Connor (Thomas Dekker). They’re trying to give him some depth and texture, giving him a booster shot of angst. And I understand that he’s just a teenage kid in a sticky situation, but does he really have to become suicidal? It kinda makes me wish that Michael Biehn hadn’t made the jump to the past in 1984, fathering what might be the biggest panty-waste in future resistance history.

To add insult to injury for this episode, we have the relatively interesting Garbage Terminator try to find her sensitive side so she can warm up to her pseudo-daughter. For a half-dozen episodes, we’ve seen this cold-hearted, liquid-metal machine organize the capture of critical A.I. technology, seal a deal with the aimless Agent Ellison (Richard T. Jones) and stab a guy through the forehead after getting pissed on while disguised as a urinal. Now we learn she has a daughter, and she suddenly needs to a parental connection? WTF?

Where the original films were filled with whip-ass action and awesome effects, the Terminator television series has become a low-rent, talky snooze fest.

Man, this show has gone downhill fast. It’s only saving grace is the occasional Terminator smackdown with Cameron (Summer Glau), and there’s a nice beating in an elevator at the end of this episode. Still, as I have said before, there are so many Terminators traveling back in time to assassinate everyone from John Connor to utility workers, it’s a wonder that they rarely hit their target. Don’t get me wrong… Terminator fights are cool. But is this what the show is turning into?

I hope to see some purpose with the characters soon, and some semblance of an overall story rather than Dead-Terminator-of-the-Week premise. And what’s with Sarah Connor (Lena Headey), the title character of the show? In the last episode, she was reading “The Wizard of Oz.” Now she’s listening to family therapy sessions on her iPod. Maybe next week, she’ll make a nice peach cobbler.

Sigh… gone are the days of Sarah Connor kicking anyone’s ass.

Up Next Week: Another week of rest before the show returns on November 3 when Sarah & Co. get burglarized and must track down the culprits.

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