Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Can I just say that I love this show? I'm kind of surprised how much I love it, considering that I originally watched the Terminator movies under duress with my high school boyfriend. Granted, I have a greater appreciation for good action movies now, but they're still not really my thing.
Yes, yes, I know you all have discussed this already, but I just watched last night.
Things I loved:
The park scene (along with everyone else). One of my big things is for shows to assume that the audience (and characters) are intelligent now and then. I love that we skipped over the "Derek finds about Kyle's relationship to John" moment and straight to how he clearly felt about it. So much more effective than a Big Shocking Reveal would have been. Very nicely done and good call-back to the baseball practice on Judgment Day.
The slaughter of the FBI agents to the tune of Johnny Cash. Yes, on one level it was kind of gratuitous and artsy. But I always love those music/scene match-ups. As soon as the music started, my husband and I turned to each other and said, "There's going to be lots and lots of death." And then there was. I also liked that we didn't need to see the action play out on screen. We knew what was happening. I loved the muffled sound in the water effect, probably because I've spent so much time under water. Now granted, the sound was a lot louder than it would be in reality, but it worked well.
Derek Reese and Brian Austin Green's portrayal of him. And if you had told me that I'd feel that way a few weeks ago, I'd have called you crazy. Derek is just so very screwed up and it's fantastic. His dynamic with everyone is interesting. He can be completely immoral, but it's just because his mission ranks so much higher than everything else. Many people have pointed out his similarity to the Terminators in that respect, but I think that it's more interesting than that. When Cameron does something immoral (for instance, walking away as Dmitri and his sister are killed), it's because she actually doesn't care about anything outside of her mission parameters. (There was the dancing ... but for the most part, Cameron really is just a robot and good and evil are not concepts that make sense to her.) Derek does know and does care, so when he makes the decision to threaten a little girl and then kill Sarkissian or whatever his name is in front of her that's an actual immoral act. I like that he's still living in a mental war zone, hence his willingness to kill the cops. Even more so than Cameron, he's constant proof of what the world really has to fear in the future.
I also love John and Cameron. Thomas Dekker and Summer have really settled into their roles. I love the bizarre relationship between them. I can't tell if it's brother/sister or master/creator or sexual or what, but it's great.
Things I don't love:
The show hasn't quite found its balance yet. Scene transitions feel a bit rough quite often. For instance, the high school scenes always seem a little out of place. I don't have a problem with them per se, but they don't always blend with the rest of the show. Still, I think that given more time (hint, hint), the writers will smooth out the rough edges.
Lena Headey. Sorry. She's not bad, exactly, but the other characters consistently steal the show and as the title character, that's not good. Now, she certainly has one of the more difficult tasks following up such a very iconic portrayal by Linda Hamilton, but she still needs to step it up. She's not quite intense enough. I keep waiting for her to slip into house mother mode and every time she does something bad-ass it feels jarring.
Things I just don't get:
What is the deal with the gangster girl? What did that exchange with Cameron even mean? Why did Cameron give her a gun? Seriously, help me out here.
The whole Sarkissian switch-a-roo. What? Why? Who was the guy that died? Someone on TWoP said that the clerk at the cyber cafe was actually Sarkissian. Anyone care to confirm or deny?
I'm sort of assuming that at some point we'll find out what the deal is with that blond girl that John has a crush on. I realize that the writer's strike massively screwed over the plans, but I hope this thread (and others) aren't dropped next year (hint, hint).
Seriously, what is the deal with the gangster girl?
FOX, surprise us for once and renew the damn show already.
Yes, yes, I know you all have discussed this already, but I just watched last night.
Things I loved:
The park scene (along with everyone else). One of my big things is for shows to assume that the audience (and characters) are intelligent now and then. I love that we skipped over the "Derek finds about Kyle's relationship to John" moment and straight to how he clearly felt about it. So much more effective than a Big Shocking Reveal would have been. Very nicely done and good call-back to the baseball practice on Judgment Day.
The slaughter of the FBI agents to the tune of Johnny Cash. Yes, on one level it was kind of gratuitous and artsy. But I always love those music/scene match-ups. As soon as the music started, my husband and I turned to each other and said, "There's going to be lots and lots of death." And then there was. I also liked that we didn't need to see the action play out on screen. We knew what was happening. I loved the muffled sound in the water effect, probably because I've spent so much time under water. Now granted, the sound was a lot louder than it would be in reality, but it worked well.
Derek Reese and Brian Austin Green's portrayal of him. And if you had told me that I'd feel that way a few weeks ago, I'd have called you crazy. Derek is just so very screwed up and it's fantastic. His dynamic with everyone is interesting. He can be completely immoral, but it's just because his mission ranks so much higher than everything else. Many people have pointed out his similarity to the Terminators in that respect, but I think that it's more interesting than that. When Cameron does something immoral (for instance, walking away as Dmitri and his sister are killed), it's because she actually doesn't care about anything outside of her mission parameters. (There was the dancing ... but for the most part, Cameron really is just a robot and good and evil are not concepts that make sense to her.) Derek does know and does care, so when he makes the decision to threaten a little girl and then kill Sarkissian or whatever his name is in front of her that's an actual immoral act. I like that he's still living in a mental war zone, hence his willingness to kill the cops. Even more so than Cameron, he's constant proof of what the world really has to fear in the future.
I also love John and Cameron. Thomas Dekker and Summer have really settled into their roles. I love the bizarre relationship between them. I can't tell if it's brother/sister or master/creator or sexual or what, but it's great.
Things I don't love:
The show hasn't quite found its balance yet. Scene transitions feel a bit rough quite often. For instance, the high school scenes always seem a little out of place. I don't have a problem with them per se, but they don't always blend with the rest of the show. Still, I think that given more time (hint, hint), the writers will smooth out the rough edges.
Lena Headey. Sorry. She's not bad, exactly, but the other characters consistently steal the show and as the title character, that's not good. Now, she certainly has one of the more difficult tasks following up such a very iconic portrayal by Linda Hamilton, but she still needs to step it up. She's not quite intense enough. I keep waiting for her to slip into house mother mode and every time she does something bad-ass it feels jarring.
Things I just don't get:
What is the deal with the gangster girl? What did that exchange with Cameron even mean? Why did Cameron give her a gun? Seriously, help me out here.
The whole Sarkissian switch-a-roo. What? Why? Who was the guy that died? Someone on TWoP said that the clerk at the cyber cafe was actually Sarkissian. Anyone care to confirm or deny?
I'm sort of assuming that at some point we'll find out what the deal is with that blond girl that John has a crush on. I realize that the writer's strike massively screwed over the plans, but I hope this thread (and others) aren't dropped next year (hint, hint).
Seriously, what is the deal with the gangster girl?
FOX, surprise us for once and renew the damn show already.