"Robots. From the future."
Last summer I downloaded the pilot of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and I didn't like it AT ALL. It wasn't bad; it just didn't appeal to me -- and I got even more grumbly when so many people began to rave about it as it aired. (Yeah, I'm irrational that way.) But I've been bored, and last night queenofthorns posted that she'd just started watching and really enjoyed it. So last night I downloaded all nine episodes. I'm still not sold, but I'm liking it more than I'd expected.
It certainly helped that Dean Winters shows up in the second scene of the pilot. Whee! Either he was a late addition after reshoots, or I'd completely forgotten this. I *love* Dean Winters. He's not necessarily a great actor, and he tends to play total jackasses (he's absolute gold as Dennis -- Liz's loser ex-boyfriend -- on 30 Rock), but I love him anyway. So his appearance here definitely makes me like this show a lot more, even if I suspect he won't live to see the end of the season.
I find the overall plotlines interesting, and I look forward to how it all plays out. I'm not having trouble following the time jumps. But the characters are keeping me from falling for this show -- which is a problem since characters are usually what draw me in. They're well-written and interesting, but I have absolutely no emotional engagement whatsoever. I care about them as instruments for moving the plot, but I don't care one way or another about them as people. Everything is "Search! Fight! Protect!", punctuated by those poundy drums. Quite understandable, given the circumstances, but I need to like *them* instead of just their situation. Hopefully this is because it's my first time viewing, and I'll warm to them later. Otherwise, this will be one of those shows that I watch once and delete from the TiVo, forgetting about it until the next week.
I wouldn't mind some levity or just a change of pace from all the S!F!P!, even though that's the show's primary focus. I don't need goofiness, and I do like darkness in a show -- hell, I love BSG, which is the most depressing (non-HBO) show of at least the past ten years, if not ever. But even a small break from this overall vibe would be quite welcome.
Of course I've been making comparisons to BSG, especially given that they're both very dark, grim, apocalyptic shows. During the pilot, I groused, "They're even ripping off the BSG music, down to the poundy drums. Idiots." Then the credits came up. "Music by Bear McCreary". Oops. ;)
I have no opinion about Brian Austin Green, except that I'm still not quite getting why his character is apparently beloved in fandom. Guess that'll come in time.
Oh, and I've never seen any of the original Terminator movies, nor do I have any desire to do so. I'm sure they'd enhance the series viewing, but then a good TV adaptation should stand on its own, right? I guess this one does.
So. I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying it, and I'll definitely tune in when it returns. But so far I'm not quite feeling the love.
It certainly helped that Dean Winters shows up in the second scene of the pilot. Whee! Either he was a late addition after reshoots, or I'd completely forgotten this. I *love* Dean Winters. He's not necessarily a great actor, and he tends to play total jackasses (he's absolute gold as Dennis -- Liz's loser ex-boyfriend -- on 30 Rock), but I love him anyway. So his appearance here definitely makes me like this show a lot more, even if I suspect he won't live to see the end of the season.
I find the overall plotlines interesting, and I look forward to how it all plays out. I'm not having trouble following the time jumps. But the characters are keeping me from falling for this show -- which is a problem since characters are usually what draw me in. They're well-written and interesting, but I have absolutely no emotional engagement whatsoever. I care about them as instruments for moving the plot, but I don't care one way or another about them as people. Everything is "Search! Fight! Protect!", punctuated by those poundy drums. Quite understandable, given the circumstances, but I need to like *them* instead of just their situation. Hopefully this is because it's my first time viewing, and I'll warm to them later. Otherwise, this will be one of those shows that I watch once and delete from the TiVo, forgetting about it until the next week.
I wouldn't mind some levity or just a change of pace from all the S!F!P!, even though that's the show's primary focus. I don't need goofiness, and I do like darkness in a show -- hell, I love BSG, which is the most depressing (non-HBO) show of at least the past ten years, if not ever. But even a small break from this overall vibe would be quite welcome.
Of course I've been making comparisons to BSG, especially given that they're both very dark, grim, apocalyptic shows. During the pilot, I groused, "They're even ripping off the BSG music, down to the poundy drums. Idiots." Then the credits came up. "Music by Bear McCreary". Oops. ;)
I have no opinion about Brian Austin Green, except that I'm still not quite getting why his character is apparently beloved in fandom. Guess that'll come in time.
Oh, and I've never seen any of the original Terminator movies, nor do I have any desire to do so. I'm sure they'd enhance the series viewing, but then a good TV adaptation should stand on its own, right? I guess this one does.
So. I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying it, and I'll definitely tune in when it returns. But so far I'm not quite feeling the love.