[TV] Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Discussion

[Emperor]

So figured I would start some threads for TV shows where we can chat about the going ons. 

 

While some may look at the additions of Brian Austin Green from the original "90210" and rock artist Shirley Manson as stunt casting, Friedman says there's far more to it, and they had to go through the same auditions as everyone else to land their roles.

 

"I've known Shirley well cor a couple years, and known her off and on for many years as she's a friend of my wife," Friedman told reporters during a conference call Thursday that included SyFy Portal. "Personally, I've always enjoyed her and known her as a performer. And as we were doing the show last year, I used to joke with her about coming on the show and doing one episode or something like that because she never acted. I said for her to come on and be a scary Terminator for an episode, and she would say, 'Yeah, yeah.'"

 

But as casting began for the second season, Friedman found himself looking for someone to play the mysterious Catherine Weaver, a tough executive who runs a company trying to develop the Turk technology featured last season.

 

"She just has an incredible charisma," Friedman said. "She was given no extra points for being Shirley Manson. In fact, she was probably given minus points by people who thought a singer couldn't do this."

 

Manson makes her premiere the same time "Sarah Connor's" second season kicks off Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Also making his first appearance since becoming a cast regular is Green continuing his role of Derek Reese, uncle to John Connor and a hardened veteran of the FutureWar.

 

"John was always looking for father figures, and it was nice to have one around that is blood-related," Friedman said. "Derek represents the future face of the FutureWar and the cost of it. He is this sort of damaged war vet, and when he's in the scene, you always have this sense of the stakes of what they're fighting for, because you don't want to see someone become like Derek."

[Hokus Grey]

I was pleasantly surprised by the TV series. Finally a mythos with a future. (Ohh!! I'm good!) Acting was alright, plot is understandable (If you're like me and was a fan of the Movies and did research.) and it's got all-round appeal. Robots, guns and time-travel? Where do I sign up?! Only problem..... I gotta buy a new HDTV reciever, not cheap in Canada.

 

*Sheds a tear while watching a grainy, reg-def endoskeleton disembowel human resistance fighters*

"I miss my HD!" :-[

[Cadsuane]

*coughs*

 

Ahem. It's spelled with an "i" 'round these parts. C-A-N-A-D-I-A.

 

Just thought you should know, wouldn't want you embarrassing yourself (again), et cetera and whatnot. *nods and gazes somberly at the errant newb*

[Hokus Grey]

*coughs*

 

Ahem. It's spelled with an "i" 'round these parts. C-A-N-A-D-I-A.

 

Just thought you should know, wouldn't want you embarrassing yourself (again), et cetera and whatnot. *nods and gazes somberly at the errant newb*

 

Hmm... ever get that feelin' someone's following you? I keep thinking I hear the clink of small ornaments in hair. Hmmmm.... must be my imagination.

[Cadsuane]

Hon, this here org is my home, so I believe you are the one following me.  8)

[Hokus Grey]

Hon, this here org is my home, so I believe you are the one following me.  8)

 

I'm kinda frustrating like that. Respectful, but frustrating. Thanx for the guidance. Unlike some other frustrating young men I'll heed the advice.  ;)

[Tenshin_Xo]

Heeding advice?!?!  When has that ever led to anything good.  Well that's actually a rhetorical question you don't have to answer that. 

 

Hokus, have you ever looked at an FTA setup to augment your cable?

[reyler]

I wasn't all that interested in checking this show out until now. I love Shirley Manson and just about anything with her involved can only be a good thing  :D

[Emperor]

While I am still not sold on the tough lady act of the lead.... Summer Glau sold me on the show long ago. 

[Hokus Grey]

Heeding advice?!?!  When has that ever led to anything good.  Well that's actually a rhetorical question you don't have to answer that. 

 

Hokus, have you ever looked at an FTA setup to augment your cable?

 

 

FTA? Please explain.

[Emperor]

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 2.1 FAQ

 

What’s it called?

“Samson and Delilah.”

 

Who's responsible?

Teleplay is credited to series mastermind Josh Friedman (2005's "War of the Worlds").

 

What does Fox say?

“Rocked by the Jeep explosion, John's 16th birthday forces him to confront the reality of his destiny alone. Meanwhile, Agent Ellison faces off with his faith and the Feds in the aftermath of Cromartie's massacre, and a new player is introduced, Catherine Weaver (Manson), who is the CEO of a high-tech corporation. Cast: Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau, Brian Austin Green, Richard T. Jones, Garret Dillahunt, and Shirley Manson. Guest Cast: Dean Winters as Charley Dixon; Sandra Purpuro as Agent Norgaard; Marcus Chait as Justin Tuck; James Urbaniak as Sarkissian; Shane Edelman as Matt Murch; Carlos Sanz as Minister; Robert Guenveur Smith as Sac Federici; Noemi Amarilla as TV Filed Reporter; and Max Perlich as Walsh.”

 

The big news?

The Connors find themselves confronted by a mechanism from the future they’ve not been menaced by before.

 

Last season ended with Cameron caught in an explosion. What’s doing with the Connors’ cyborg protector?

Cameron is so damaged she is of little use to the Connors in this installment.

 

What else is Fox not telling us?

Weaver’s company wants the Turk chess computer many believe will evolve into the murderous, robot-dispatching SkyNet.

 

How is your beloved Shirley Manson in her acting debut?

Tall, beautiful, dialing back the Scottish accent (mistake!) and slightly less charismatic without the rest of Garbage standing behind her.

 

What’s this business about Ellison’s faith?

Ellison doesn’t know why he was spared in the first season finale. The bureau puts him on six weeks' paid leave.

 

What’s doing with Sarah’s ex-fiance Charley Dixon and John’s uncle Derek Reese?

They largely stick to the sidelines for the bulk of this week’s installment. For reasons unclear to me, neither Sarah nor John ring them up for assistance when things go from bad to worse.

 

What’s good?

This is the best episode of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” since the series’ two-hour pilot. Any fan of the series should love it, and anyone iffy on the series is not likely to be bored. The best scene this week (possibly the best scene in the series so far) involves what’s left of Cameron and two large trucks; Summer Glau sells it hard and sells it well. Catherine Weaver’s introduction is highly memorable. Garrett Dillahunt, now a regular, remains gratifyingly creepy.

 

What’s not so good?

The Connors in the TV show remain about 90 IQ points stupider than the Connors in the movies. The TV Sarah is a serial blunderer, and her vehicular blunders this week make the terminators' job much too easy. In order to get the writers out of a corner they’ve written themselves into, John does something no human being with a half a brain would. Something the movie Sarah would never let him do. The TV Connors need to smarten the fuck up, and fast, before they squander all the good will banked by the far better movies that spawned this series. Also? It’s still unclear why a terminator would ask Sarah to call to John when we all know terminators can impersonate human voices flawlessly.

 

How does it end, spoiler-boy?

With a scene, designed to set the online “Sarah Connor” fanbase afire, evoking a memorable sequence from that other ‘80s cyborg masterpiece, the original “RoboCop.”

 

8 p.m. Monday. Fox.

[Emperor]

This episode felt funny.  I can't put my finger on it.  It felt disjointed and...fast.  Summer was awesome per usual and Shirley Manson was not bad either.... but someone that pale should watch out when applying makeup. 

 

Overall a good episode, but not awesome.  I am interested to see how this show survives with a real fall schedule.

[Majsju]

It was ok as a season opener, no more.

The whole Cameron Gone Bad thingy could have been skipped, instead of rushed through as it was. "Ok, just let me poke at the chip a few times with my rusty screwdriver, and she will be alright, no problem". Meh.

Though, did anyone other than me get the feeling that she overrode the Terminate protocol by herself?

 

Got a bit disappointed in John when sarah first told him they should burn Cameron. I was so hoping to see him say something along the lines of "It is not your call". But he did man up later. And finally got a much needed haircut, whoo! ;D

 

Manson was cool, though I found her accent being quite weird, and sometimes inconsistent. I got the feeling that the director told her to keep a bit of accent,  but not so much it would confuse the americans. Which might have confused her instead.

I just wish she would have done the fingertrick a few moments earlier, and from a different angle... ;D