Damn you, Terminator franchise! *shakes tiny fist*
I was home sick last Friday, and used part of that time to get caught up on Sarah Connor Chronicles (TSCC? Is that what we're saying?). And I just watched last night's finale. I just... I do not understand how this franchise, in all its iterations, continues to PWN me. They should not be able to keep doing this! It defies logic, that this story should stay coherent and interesting over the course of twenty-plus years and two different mediums (media?)! And yet. I have offically moved into the phase where I am waiting for FOX to cancel it, because that's what they do. That's ALL they do. And they absolutely WILL NOT STOP, EVER, until... well, you get the idea. But I AM NOT KIDDING, FOX. DO NOT FUCK THIS UP.
I have nothing really smart or analytical to say--for that, you should check out danceswithwords. But I do have a few random things to throw out there.
In case anyone is new around here, I am a longtime fan of this franchise. Meaning that I am one of those geeky people who has not only seen the movies enough times to be able to basically recite them, but has also read the novelizations of all three. So I know the canon pretty well. And one of the things that has really impressed me is how well they're doing with continuity in the series, with the exception, of course, of the jump forward. (Also casting a guy with a bunch of hair as Silberman seems sort of wrong on some level, but that's probably just me.) One further exception, though, is that Kyle says in T1 that he grew up after the war, in the wreckage. It's easy enough to wank; the war that the Kyle in T1 experienced clearly isn't the same war that they're dealing with in this timeline, because the original Judgment Day was in 1997, and this one is going to be in 2011. (Though that is where it gets hinky, because then how can Kyle grow up to be the same Kyle that John sends back, that Sarah knew? How can they change the future without changing the past? This is why thinking about these movies occasionally gives me a headache.)
ANYWAY. My point is, whether it's a continuity error or a deliberate choice, it was totally worth it for me for that moment when John realizes who he's looking at in the park. I think I'm more attached to John than a lot of my flist seems to be; I was about 13 when I first watched T2, and that marked me--ridiculous as it seems in retrospect, I identified a lot with John, and his story hits several of my kinks (boy-becoming-a-man, etc.), so that's stuck with me. And fathers and sons, man, that is my KRYPTONITE, and to see that incorporated (plus I LOVE Kyle, LOVE LOVE LOVE him, and I am so all about Kyle/Sarah, I can't even tell you, I don't CARE if they only knew each other for a couple of days, did I mention I was 13 when I first saw these movies?)... wow. MANY thumbs up, show. And many thumbs up for Thomas Dekker--he played that scene awesomely. As did Brian Austin Green, and damn, those are words I never thought I'd type. Anyway, though of course Sarah is really the main character of the series, I'm really pleased at how they're developing John's side of the story, too.
Plus I love the subtle hints of Derek rediscovering the pre-war world. The first fanfic I ever wrote, before I even knew there was such a thing, was based on that theme, Kyle being secretly awed by green grass and sunlight and everything Sarah takes for granted. Makes me happy. I wish I still had that story, but I never thought to save it when my parents upgraded to a new computer. Sigh. (Though of course I probably would've saved it on a 3.5" floppy disk, or maybe even a 5.25", and I couldn't do anything with that now, anyway.)
And I'm just really impressed at how the whole thing is coming together. I love Ellison, I love Charley, Summer is a joy and Cameron is fascinating, and I've been totally knocked flat by Lena Headey. I didn't think there was any way that another actress could embody Sarah Connor the way Linda Hamilton did, but I am 150% sold on Lena Headey. It's funny, because she doesn't look anything like Hamilton, but her vocal quality is really similar, and her mannerisms, and she's done a fantastic job of providing continuity in the role while making it her own. (Plus, holy crap, she's beautiful. Damn.) And the chemistry between her and Dekker is fantastic; they were SO ADORABLE in the scene about his birthday, when he's teasing her about her cooking. Awesome. (And nice continuity, too, that this is a slightly kinder, gentler Sarah than we saw in T2, at least when it comes to John; she'll actually hug him after he's been in danger, instead of just checking him for injuries.)
I also want to say that the scene from the FBI raid, with all of the bodies falling into the water, is one of the most powerful scenes I've seen on TV in quite a while. danceswithwords has very intelligent things to say on the show's treatment of violence here (sorry, probably should've put that link up further, since I have probably driven y'all away by this point with my random ramblings--if you are still reading, go check out the post! It's excellent stuff!), and she managed to articulate what I really just felt. By looking at the violence indirectly, they're giving it greater impact than all the gory blood spatters in the world (and SPN, I love you, but oh my god I am looking at you, here, with the gore this season), and it was just a beautifully shot, extremely effective thing. Plus, as I said in the comments on Alison's post, it really does underscore what has always been one of the central premises of the story, which is the value of human life ("Because if a machine, a terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can, too"). Again, very very many thumbs-up.
Seriously, FOX. SERIOUSLY.
I have nothing really smart or analytical to say--for that, you should check out danceswithwords. But I do have a few random things to throw out there.
In case anyone is new around here, I am a longtime fan of this franchise. Meaning that I am one of those geeky people who has not only seen the movies enough times to be able to basically recite them, but has also read the novelizations of all three. So I know the canon pretty well. And one of the things that has really impressed me is how well they're doing with continuity in the series, with the exception, of course, of the jump forward. (Also casting a guy with a bunch of hair as Silberman seems sort of wrong on some level, but that's probably just me.) One further exception, though, is that Kyle says in T1 that he grew up after the war, in the wreckage. It's easy enough to wank; the war that the Kyle in T1 experienced clearly isn't the same war that they're dealing with in this timeline, because the original Judgment Day was in 1997, and this one is going to be in 2011. (Though that is where it gets hinky, because then how can Kyle grow up to be the same Kyle that John sends back, that Sarah knew? How can they change the future without changing the past? This is why thinking about these movies occasionally gives me a headache.)
ANYWAY. My point is, whether it's a continuity error or a deliberate choice, it was totally worth it for me for that moment when John realizes who he's looking at in the park. I think I'm more attached to John than a lot of my flist seems to be; I was about 13 when I first watched T2, and that marked me--ridiculous as it seems in retrospect, I identified a lot with John, and his story hits several of my kinks (boy-becoming-a-man, etc.), so that's stuck with me. And fathers and sons, man, that is my KRYPTONITE, and to see that incorporated (plus I LOVE Kyle, LOVE LOVE LOVE him, and I am so all about Kyle/Sarah, I can't even tell you, I don't CARE if they only knew each other for a couple of days, did I mention I was 13 when I first saw these movies?)... wow. MANY thumbs up, show. And many thumbs up for Thomas Dekker--he played that scene awesomely. As did Brian Austin Green, and damn, those are words I never thought I'd type. Anyway, though of course Sarah is really the main character of the series, I'm really pleased at how they're developing John's side of the story, too.
Plus I love the subtle hints of Derek rediscovering the pre-war world. The first fanfic I ever wrote, before I even knew there was such a thing, was based on that theme, Kyle being secretly awed by green grass and sunlight and everything Sarah takes for granted. Makes me happy. I wish I still had that story, but I never thought to save it when my parents upgraded to a new computer. Sigh. (Though of course I probably would've saved it on a 3.5" floppy disk, or maybe even a 5.25", and I couldn't do anything with that now, anyway.)
And I'm just really impressed at how the whole thing is coming together. I love Ellison, I love Charley, Summer is a joy and Cameron is fascinating, and I've been totally knocked flat by Lena Headey. I didn't think there was any way that another actress could embody Sarah Connor the way Linda Hamilton did, but I am 150% sold on Lena Headey. It's funny, because she doesn't look anything like Hamilton, but her vocal quality is really similar, and her mannerisms, and she's done a fantastic job of providing continuity in the role while making it her own. (Plus, holy crap, she's beautiful. Damn.) And the chemistry between her and Dekker is fantastic; they were SO ADORABLE in the scene about his birthday, when he's teasing her about her cooking. Awesome. (And nice continuity, too, that this is a slightly kinder, gentler Sarah than we saw in T2, at least when it comes to John; she'll actually hug him after he's been in danger, instead of just checking him for injuries.)
I also want to say that the scene from the FBI raid, with all of the bodies falling into the water, is one of the most powerful scenes I've seen on TV in quite a while. danceswithwords has very intelligent things to say on the show's treatment of violence here (sorry, probably should've put that link up further, since I have probably driven y'all away by this point with my random ramblings--if you are still reading, go check out the post! It's excellent stuff!), and she managed to articulate what I really just felt. By looking at the violence indirectly, they're giving it greater impact than all the gory blood spatters in the world (and SPN, I love you, but oh my god I am looking at you, here, with the gore this season), and it was just a beautifully shot, extremely effective thing. Plus, as I said in the comments on Alison's post, it really does underscore what has always been one of the central premises of the story, which is the value of human life ("Because if a machine, a terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can, too"). Again, very very many thumbs-up.
Seriously, FOX. SERIOUSLY.