The Terminator is my second favourite movie of all time. Sure, visually it may not have stood the test of time and let's not forget that it was a star vehicle for the now Governor of California, but it is a cracking thrill ride with a mind-bending plot. And, from my pre-teens to a number of years after its release, I was totally in love with the character of Kyle Reese. It spawned two sequels. The first was a credible extension of the story, the third, an interesting but depressing flash forward.
The news of a series based on the movies was not something I received with glee. I believed it to be another example of a creatively bankrupt network attaching its aspirations to an existing fan base. It's not a tale that fans demanded be continued and I have to question if there is material to justify a series.
But of course, inspite of its absurdly long moniker, I tuned in. I had to. In fact, I tuned in to all ten episodes of the writers'-strike-shortened season. Lena Headley (300) plays Sarah Connor, whose teenage son, John, is the freedom fighter of the future. The series picks up a few years after T2, with a few respectful nods to T3's plot details. Sarah and John are still on the run from the cops and an FBI investigation. They discover that another terminator is on their trail. John's high school friend reveals herself to be a smoking hot cyborg with a mission to protect him. And that's it. There is really not a lot else going on. The concept is perfect for a finite movie (or four), but there is no longevity for a series. It's constrictive. There are few opportunities for new dynamics. It's not like Sarah can get a job in a law firm and crusade against injustice. Their fight against Cyberdyne is myopic and restricted to subterfuge.
But somehow it works. It's credible. Although not compelling, it's commendable. The performances are adequate and I mean that as a complement. It must be tremendously difficult to inhabit the roles of such iconic characters. They have the weight of the future to bear, and it's not just the fembot that seems robotic, but I'm okay with that. It's a pre-apocalyptic scenario but there are chinks of humour and humanity that draw you in. Believe it or not, the appearance of Brian Austin Green (around episode 6) re-energises the show. He leaves the zip code of 90120 far behind him. Bravo BAG!
The series debuted with huge audience numbers. It did not maintain them but, for a mid-season series, it was up there. But the cost of production is so huge that Fox need gangbusters to justify its survival. Perhaps the writers' strike has given it a boost, but as much as I applaud it, I have say there should be no future in this show.
There is a 4th movie in production, Christian Bale will play John Connor, leading the revolution against the machines. The whole premise of the show, and the first two movies, is that the future can be changed. The brave and unpopular step that the third movie took is that there is no changing the future. The fourth movie takes the view that war is inevitable. There are many concepts of time travel that can be probed, but the movies have taken the view that, in this tale, the future cannot be changed: the machines will take over, the apocalypse will happen, the human race will suffer. John Connor will be lead the revolt of a broken and subjugated army and he will succeed. The TV series is grasping that this outcome can be changed. Hollywood has dictated otherwise. Regardless how creative this series can hope to be, it is doomed to fail. The plot cannot be expanded beyond the obvious. The audience knows the outcome, the villain, the hero, the battle, the future. This is the series that should never have been made. There's nothing to tell. The fact that it is has impressed this sceptical fan is quite an achievement and I look forward to seeing more.
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