Wow! Now this is how you start a season, decisively, with action, and even a touch of emotion. When Terminator: The Sarah Chronicles was announced in 2007, I was definitely intrigued. The franchise certainly offers plenty of potential for drama. Of course, you have to be willing to play with the timeline a bit, and considering the time travel roots that shouldn't be too much of a problem. The series premiered in spring 2008 to good ratings, despite the shortening of the season due to the writers' strike. While I didn't love it immediately, it is growing on me. With the start of the second season I am hooked.
In the first season we were introduced to this new take on Sarah Connor, now played by Lena Headey (300). The toughness of Linda Hamilton's performance is there, although it is tempered more with a motherly influence. Playing opposite her as John Connor is Thomas Dekker, who rose to prominence on Heroes, where he famously videotaped Claire Bennett's fall. Rounding out the main trio is Summer Glau, of Firefly and The 4400, as Cameron the Terminator. She is a decidedly different Terminator model, but one sharing the same purpose of the second two Arnie outings — to protect John Connor. Let's not forget Brian Austin Green as Derek Reece, John's uncle from the future.
"Samson and Delilah" picks up right where the first season finale left off. They are looking for the Terk and a deal to get closer to it was going bad. John and Sarah are trapped in a house with some very bad guys while Cameron is getting blown up in a jeep outside. Cameron extricates herself from the wreckage, calmly walks into the house, picks up a gun and resumes her original programming objective: terminate John Connor.
What follows is a big chase, Cameron after John and Sarah, John and Sarah after Cameron, Derek after Sarah, and a variety of combinations therein. Meanwhile, Cromartie, the truly bad terminator, has his own methods of pursuit, but his story is very secondary to what is going on within our core group.
I have to say that I really love how this season got started. We are reintroduced to our characters, there is big, explosive action, there are strong personal moments, as well as some story arc building going on in the background.
Article comments
1 - Anon
I loved the scene with John and Cameron!