At the end of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Sarah, John, and the Terminator successfully destroy the T-1000 and the arm and computer chip from the first Terminator. The Terminator, at its own request, is then destroyed in order to eliminate any future technology that could be used to create Skynet. Sarah and John, now wanted fugitives, must also face the reality that other enemies from the future could be after them. However, they were only able to delay “Judgment Day” from 1997 to 2011.
In the pilot episode, it’s 1999 and introduces us to Sarah Connor (Lena Headey), her son John (Thomas Dekker) and Cameron (Summer Glau), a Terminator that has been re-programmed to protect John. They are being pursued by a Terminator named Cromartie (Owain Yeoman, later Garret Dillahunt) sent back through time to assassinate John and an F.B.I. agent (Richard T. Jones) who believes Sarah is a deranged criminal. Sarah is romantically involved with an EMT named Charley Dixon (Dean Winters) but ends her relationship with him to stay on the run. During the pilot, Sarah, John, and Cameron make a temporal leap to the year 2007. Unfortunately for the Connor’s, Cromartie has made the temporal leap as well, and continues his search to kill John. Sarah is determined to fight against Skynet but she finds it difficult to cope in the unfamiliar decade. Luckily, Sarah finds an ally in Derek Reese (Brian Austin Green), a resistance fighter and uncle to John.
I’ll admit, I thought the pilot was a little bumpy. I’m writing this because I think some potential fans may dismiss Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles if they only watch the pilot. The writers and producers of the series had a very difficult task; not only find a way to start the show off with the fireworks Terminator fans expect, but also establish a story for viewers who never saw the films or weren’t particularly big fans of them. The pilot bridges that gap, barely. Things start out with an action-packed fight scene that turns out to be a dream (ugh!) and then there are several events that make things somewhat unbelievable. However, if you stick it out past the pilot, you’ll find a series that found its direction and turns out to be an enjoyable adventure.
Denying any knowledge or connection to T3 may seem unwise to some fans. Especially for a series that claims it wants to stay true to its cinematic roots. In the end though, the producers made a wise decision–most Terminator fans agree that T3 was the most poorly executed film of the franchise and many will say that Sarah Connor was the strongest character–so by putting the show squarely on the shoulders of Sarah Connor, the writers have given the series real room for growth, rather than relying on machines and special effects.
Surprisingly, Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles really hit its stride with the arrival of Brian Austin Green as Derek Reese. I remember giving this series the brush off when I read that the 90210 alum was going to do a few episodes. I thought for sure he would be a clueless hero wannabe (David Silver dressed as a resistance fighter) instead, he shows both Derek’s warmth and brutal, steely resolve with grace. It’s a plus that he will be a regular cast member during the series second year. One note to the producers: Summer Glau is a talented actress. Here’s hoping she’s given more to do in future seasons. Having her try to imitate Schwarzenegger is a thankless and unnecessary exercise.
It took awhile for Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles to establish its tone and style. Thankfully, Headey and Green keep things afloat long enough for the show to discover its identity. The end result is a flawed but interesting series that has plenty of potential for future seasons.
The Three BD set contains all nine first season episodes: the “Pilot,” “Gnothi Seauton,” “The Turk,” “Heavy Metal,” “Queen’s Gambit,” “Dungeons and Dragons,” broadcast and regular cuts of “The Demon Hand,” “Vick’s Chip,” and “What We Beheld.”
The Sarah Connor Chronicles features an above average 1080p/VC-1 transfer that effectively highlights the series’ sunny exteriors and dingy interiors. The colors are vibrant and the contrast is fairly even. For a series loaded with gunfire, explosions, and things constantly breaking, the sound is a bit disappointing. Presented with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, the sound just doesn’t always feel like it matches the action. However, the dialogue and attending sounds are extremely crisp, providing a definite upgrade from the standard DVD.
The Blu-ray Edition of The Sarah Connor Chronicles includes all of the supplemental content found on the concurrently released standard DVD version.
• Audio Commentaries — The first season of The Sarah Connor Chroniclesoffers fans three fairly bland commentary tracks that cover the early stages of the production, scripting, casting, and the changes that were made to the ‘Terminator’ story. Writer/producer Josh Friedman, director David Nutter, executive producer James Middleton, and actress Summer Glau discuss the series “Pilot,” Friedman, writer executive John Wirth, and actors Lena Headey and Thomas Decker talk about “The Turk,” and Glau, Friedman, writer Ian Goldberg, and actor Brian Austin Green break down”What We Beheld.”
• Creating the Chronicles (HD, 39 minutes) — This three part documentary explores the connections between the new series and the classic movies in “Re-Boot,” the creators’ vision of the apocalyptic clash with the machines in “Future War,” and more details about the stories and direction of the show in “The Demon Hand.”
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 20 minutes) — Nine lengthy scenes from four episodes.
• Audition Tapes (SD, 11 minutes) — Auditions from Lena Headey, Thomas Decker, and Richard T. Jones.
• Gag Reel (SD, 4 minutes)
• Dance Rehearsal (SD, 2 minutes) — Summer Glau practices ballet.
• Storyboard Animatic (SD, 3 minutes) — A standard storyboard featurette that shows how the series creators designed a pivotal scene in the pilot.
