The problem for John, his mom and their cyborg sidekick is that there’s a bad Terminator chasing after them, and an equally determined FBI Agent who’s hot on their trail. The problem for us is that the show doesn’t have the effects budget of the movies. And that the only time Arnold Schwarzenegger will appear on the show is when he does something noteworthy and your local Fox affiliate mentions it on a 10 o’clock news tease. And that, save for an inevitable episode in which John almost kisses the rather attractive girl Terminator, it’s kind of hard to see where this series might take things without contradicting “T3.” Until then, though, this is shaping up to be an incredibly solid sci-fi show—not as good as “Battlestar Galactica” or “Lost,” but certainly as solid as (ironically) “Bionic Woman.”
Who’s that?: Lena Headey, who was Queen Gorgo in the movie “300,” is just as strong as Sarah Connor (though she doesn’t look old enough to be the mom of a 15-year-old); Summer Glau of “The 4400,” “Firefly” and “The Unit” is Cameron (though she doesn’t look young enough to be the friend of a 15-year-old); Thomas Dekker, who’s had recurring roles on “Heroes” and “7th Heaven,” is John Connor (though he doesn’t look like a 15-year-old); and Richard T. Jones from “Girlfriends” plays FBI Agent James Ellison. (He looks his age.)
Buzzed about: This is the latest chapter in this epic time-traveling sci-fi series—which has also included comic books, video games and a Guns N’ Roses video—but it’s not the last. A new trilogy of movies has recently been announced.
The “ooh” factor: Sarah, as she was played in the movies (especially “T2”) was a badass, on par with Ripley from the “Alien” series, and this is her chance to shine.
The “eh” factor: Sarah was played in the movies by Linda Hamilton. And Headey, while beautiful, strong and very good here, is no Linda Hamilton.
The verdict: It’s not as good as any of the movies, but it does show some promise…if they can figure out where to take things without presenting storylines that conflict with the movies.
The two-night premiere of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” airs Sunday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m./7c and Monday, Jan. 14 at 9 p.m./8c on Fox.
