"TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

"TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", a show that Fox had written off until it had nothing else to promote during the strikes, returns for its unlikely second season tonight (7 September 2008)!

2x01 - Samson & Delilah
FOX - 8/7C
After the Jeep explosion, John's 16th birthday makes him confront the fact that he's destined to be alone. Meanwhile, after Cromartie's massacre, Agent Ellison must face off against both the Feds and his faith.
New Summer Glau Wallpaper

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Thanks for the wallpaper link, Adam. There seem to be 8 more of those, although the latter ones should probably be classed as spoilers!


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

I am excited about this show's return and am always happy to see Summer.....

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

I don't remember much of the first season, but I seem to remember pretty much hating it until the last 3 or 4 episodes. Here's hoping they continue on the high notes.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Am I the only one waiting for Shirley Manson's henchman say, "Bottom line is, even if you see 'em coming, you're not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. So what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come, you can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are."

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

I've been anticipating the return of this show all summer. My interest had been piqued when the local Fox station recently ran the season 1 marathon in all its high-def glory.

And now I tune in to find my stupid local affiliate is not showing the season premier in HD.

Sorely disappointed.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Even if you didn't get it in HD, it was still quite the episode. They definitely hit the ground running, with very little filler through the entire hour. I really like how John is consistently shown to be the smartest and most able, and that his decent (but irrational) instincts help rather than hurt their cause. I can't remember too much other than the poolside slaughter from the season finale, so I'm not sure what John was exposed to that Sarah and Derek thought was so horrible. Garbage wasn't the best actress in her debut, but considering that shocking revelation at the end I guess the Arnold Schwarzenegger precedent applies; ie. you don't need to be a great actor/actress.
It's not just the fact that her CEO character is a T-1000; it's the fact that she is a philosopher. Both she and Cameron are grappling with these huge existential questions, but in very different ways.
Now the real question: when Cameron was pinned between the trucks, was her plea real Cameron or terminator Cameron pretending? Based on Cameron's request of Sarah at the end, I'm guessing the latter.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Warning Spoiler! Click to show

Not sure I am buying that though....

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

I think John simply saw his mother kill the man. At first I thought he was the one who killed him, and saved his mother. I think that would have worked better.

I took it to be "real" Cameron when she showed such emotion, that's the point after all. What I don't understand is, if she was reset at this point--I'm thinking as a result of the church electrocution-- then why was she so rough with Sarah after the car crash? It's a minor quibble though, nice opener.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Uh... she wasn't reset yet (and that wouldn't have been a minor quibble, she threw that wrench at John thru the windshield!) The reset probably happened when she got pinned between the cars.

I enjoyed the episode somewhat, first ever. I don't plan on sticking around tho, I can only take so much teenage angst, don't find John very likable, and very much dislike slow moving limping terminators who suddenly appear blocks from where they should be for a cheap thrill. I suspect the show is full of that stuff...

--
H

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

It was much better than the start last year, that's for sure, but I just find it hard to believe that this John could ever possibly grow up to be a leader, when he makes the stupidest decisions time and time again. Even T2's little kid John Connor was smarter than this, really.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Dammit! The Fox station here in Colorado shows football tonight! And from the way they are talking - every monday they'll be showing more football! I have no idea when they'll show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. This sucks!

Fox appears to be showing something usually shown on cable where it belongs: "ESPN has doubleheader Monday Night Football action with the Minnesota Vikings at the Green Bay Packers followed by the Denver Broncos at the Oakland Raiders."

Update: It's now 10 past midnight and they're still showing news... I can't stay up on the chance they'll air it after. Looks like I'll have to watch the streaming episode tomorrow. Monday won't be good for ratings if this is when football is.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Didn't like it. Including the T-1000 played like a cheap stunt.

On a practical note, whenever they steal a car to escape, they really should put on their seat belts. It would save them some trouble, twice in this episode.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

That reminds me, this episode featured the two worst lines ever. First, in the recap, they showed Summer Glau using Arnold's "Come with me if you want to live" line, which was already awkward enough, but then her using the T-1000's "Call to him" line, didn't come across nearly as well as in T2.

Also, I was under the impression she WAS lying to him when she was trapped between the two cars, but John's cleaning the contacts of the chip that he did in the latter half of the episode was what fixed things.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

As some might recall I was one of the major naysayers in the season one thread and I still am.

HOWEVER, I will state that the show is slowly becoming a guilty pleasure for me, my morbid curiosity keeps me coming back and tonights episode was actually quite good to my surprise. Bad Cameron was actually far more enjoyable than good Cameron but I realize she must return to good mode for the show to continue.

I didn't buy her plea to John, it was far too emotional for a machine and it was obvious to me that she wasn't genuinly feeling what she was claiming but rather a cold machine simulating a plea to be spared. It took a violent explosion and shrapnel in the head to reset her chip and being pinned between the trucks did not disturb her cranium to a degree where it would switch the chip back to protect mode.

John may be the future leader of mankind but taking the risk of reactivating Cameron was a damned stupid move, if he handed Cameron that gun and she terminated him he would have only himself to blame...he's investing his emotions faaaar too much into this machine.

It was sweet to see another T-1000 even though I haven't the foggiest idea what that whole plot is about lol.

That other terminator who slaughtered the agents at the hotel and actor Peter Krause could be twins, that guy looks just like him!

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Am I the only one that thinks this world ending technology walking around in the form of a chip is made by a company with the worst quality control department? Bang it around a couple times and it 'switches' from good to bad, bad to good. And why is just that part affected? Maybe when it jolted the terminator wants to make paper mache poodles and display them on wicker tables.

Pretty solid premiere with a few nitpicks. I still have no idea what the story is with RED-1000. The reveal at the end was cool and unexptected, but sad to see the poor CGI that paled in comparison to the 17 year old effect of the original.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Well, their default function is to kill the mark and I assume that every terminator in the future are all programmed to kill John on sight but she was reset by the resistance in the future to protect him instead, when it got switched she fell back on her default programming.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

(Curious choice of camouflage for the T1000.... yuck?!!!)

--
H

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

I was hoping we'd hear the guy tinkling at the urinal and then the reveal would have happened. That would have made the episode for me, otherwise, it just seemed like a lot of running around and near-misses in resetting Cameron, which got old for me.

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Anyone else think that Sarah Conner is the worlds worst driver?

She spends so much time looking at her son instead of looking were she is going. Great job of protecting your son there lady.

And if she would have just drove away from the limping babe-bot instead of driving like a crazy woman, she would not have had to drive through the cliche tunnel. She could have just driven away to another city.

It is stupid things like this that really make it a chore to watch tv shows. People acting completely unrealistic.

Oh yea, I agree with John. If she doesnt' stop asking him if he is all right, or whats wrong every ten seconds, he should put a bullet through her head.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Will,

I'm sorry you missed it. I live in the Denver area and they ran it just before the game at 6:00 local time.

So, if you check the listings you'll see that you could have watched it an hour earlier. Not that I care, but they appeared to have pre-empted the premier of Prison Break entirely.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

I agree 100% regarding Cameron's emotional plea. She was definitely in "mimic mode" at that point. And it was obvious that John understood that as well. I really believe that when he reactivated her and gave her the gun it was with the hope that she would pull the trigger if she was still in "evil mode". I don't think the gun was loaded; and he could have set her on fire at that point which may have given them a fighting chance to escape.

As far as this series: I was just a casual fan until the scene in the last episode of the first season that depicted John's uncle taking him to the park on his birthday. I was totally mesmerized - and enthralled - when John then met his future father (just four years old at this point). That one scene turned me into an unabashed fan of this series!

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

That was definitely a surprise to me. I knew that something wasn't right with her, but lying in wait in the Men's Room was a bit much.

It is interesting that the machines are now taking a more active role in making their future a reality instead of just going after Sarah, John, and other rebels.

I also agree. The continual cleaning of the chip must have done the trick.

Neil

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

They obviously watch Venture Bros.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Thanks Brian.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

At least the Garbage lady didnt get peed on before she turned back into a human.
Pretty good episode but nothihng great.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

I am getting the vibe that John is in love with Cameron.

Also, with regards to the morphing terminator ceo. A couple of things that make no sense.
-Why kill that guy in the bathroom? Just bring unneccesary heat from law enforcement.

-Why does she need the computer programmers and the chess program? She can probably write the code from her own system.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Probably because that's how the Terminators originally were made, so if they didn't start that then they'd fail to exist?

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

Like when they destroyed the original Terminator chip and guy from Dyson. The origins of the machines has already changed. She could still create the team to work on the chip. I just don't see why she needed to have the program itself on the hard drive.

Re: "TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season 2 Thread

It's bad enough that John Connor - warrior leader of the future - is a whiny teen in most of these episodes. Like Holadem, I am in fear that they will continue along this course.

But, if he's actually stupid enough to have feelings for a Terminator robot (I don't care if she does look like Summer Glau), it totally ruins the show. He is instantly unbelievable as the leader of the humans vs. robots.

Still, like Hammer, I find this show a guilty pleasure right now with a lot of potential. I hope they achieve it.