Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles

Because Mely and Karen Meisner have been telling me for some time that I would love it I’ve spent the last week or so devouring watching Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles.

They were correct. Is most excellent show.

And now I weep that it is over—possibly permanently.

For those of you haven’t seen it here’s what I loved:

  • The stakes are high.
  • Punches are not pulled.
  • There are consequences. Dire consequences.
  • Strong interesting non-screamy-at-drop-of-hat female characters.
  • Killer robots.
  • Summer Glau as a killer robot. (It’s the same role she had in Firefly only a MILLION TIMES better.)
  • Shirley Manson.
  • Shirley Manson’s clothes.
  • That there’s an Australian in it with her own accent! (You know, Mely & Karen, if you’d told me that I would have watched it AGES AGO.)
  • That the end of the second season was pure genius and MADE TOTAL SENSE.

There was stuff I didn’t like about it. Some of the episodes in the middle of the second season trod water in extremely annoying ways. Some characters and plot lines begun at the beginning of season two were completely abandoned. Though as I was uninterested in those characters or plot lines I didn’t mind so much.

This is a show that is at it’s best when it sticks to the driving, obsessive, tense-making arc plot. Going off on an episode-length tangent is just annoying. I hope that if there is a third season they remember that.

But most of all I just hope that there is a third season.

Posted by Justine at 8:48, 26 April 2009 under Viewing | 8 Comments »

Comments

  1. smaur Says:

    My sadness over your Mad Men-dislike is dissipated with your SCC love! Yay!

    April 26th, 2009 at 9:24 AM

  2. 2. Justine Says:

    Sarah Connor is SO MUCH BETTER than smelly Mad Men. T:SCC didn’t make me bored or angry once!

    April 26th, 2009 at 9:33 AM

  3. Rebecca Says:

    Heck yes! The season 2 finale floored me — I don’t love everything about it (it’s been two seasons, but I’m still not interested in John and Cameron being in love, or not in love, or whatever, at all) but I love that they made some serious choices that basically change the whole game of the show. Forever. And there’s no way to punk out and go back on them. THAT is some bold TV story telling, and I hope the follow-through lives up to it. In the third season. Which I desperately hope will exist.

    April 26th, 2009 at 10:11 AM

  4. 4. Justine Says:

    I’m just not interested in John. Cameron though is FABULOUS.
    If there is a third season (fingers crossed) I just hope that they remember name of show is Sarah Connor Chronicles.

    April 26th, 2009 at 10:27 AM

  5. Rebecca Says:

    That’s my worry, too. I’m really interested in what’s happened with John and the robot apocalypse-y future, but Sarah is a much more interesting character, and it’s supposed to be *her* show. (If I’m remembering the show development news right, originally, “Terminator:” wasn’t even in the title; the network made them add it for fear no one would watch a show about a female action hero, even though basically everyone who likes action loved Terminator 2.)

    April 26th, 2009 at 10:36 AM

  6. Ted Lemon Says:

    The last four or five episodes of the Sarah Conner Chronicles had my heart racing as I watched them, which is really unusual for me these days – it’s so rare to see that level of drama in a TV show.

    Shirley Manson’s clothes? Very retro future chic – the sort of thing you’d expect Jane Jetson to be wearing.

    I’m not convinced that all those story lines have been abandoned. I think the show is playing a very deep game, with lots of interwoven, conflicting timelines and possibly time loops. Assuming that they manage another season, it will be interesting to see where they take that.

    April 26th, 2009 at 10:45 AM

  7. Alexandra Says:

    I hope that there is a third season. I agree with Ted that the storylines probably haven’t been abandoned, which is why I am desperate for season 3. TSCC is the only show that keeps me on my toes, and the only show (apart from Burn Notice) that I watched regularly.

    And as to “Summer Glau as a killer robot. (It’s the same role she had in Firefly only a MILLION TIMES better.)” Glau is the reason I started watching, but I just *had* to see her as a Terminator. Cameron is by far my favorite character.

    April 26th, 2009 at 2:04 PM

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  1. [...] But you might not be familiar with Hugo-nominated author Justine Larbalestier, who calls TSCC a “most excellent show” and ...

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