The ’bots are back and there’s gonna be trouble.
Those unstoppable androids return to destroy mankind’s last savior in “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”
In the dregs of the writers strike, with most dramas sputtering, the new Fox series (debuting tonight at 8 and moving into its regular time slot tomorrow at 9 p.m. on WFXT, Ch. 25) is a megawatt jolt to the heart, crackling with exhilarating stunts, plot swerves and, most unexpectedly, a touch of humanity. It’s everything “Bionic Woman” should have been.
The first two episodes continuing the big-budget “Terminator” blockbusters present a richly reimagined life for Sarah Connor and her teenaged son John, destined one day to lead humanity’s resistance fighters against relentless cybernetic enemies.
The series opens in 1999, approximately two years after the events depicted in the 1991 film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” Hey, this is a story that hinges on time travel and if you can’t make allowances for that, you’ll fry your own circuits. (I can already hear purists grumbling about why they should bother investing in the series since we know from the 2003 film “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” that Sarah died of cancer some time before that film.)
The creators of this TV series aren’t asking you to forget the less-successful film - by the conclusion of tomorrow’s episode, they’ve found a way to cleverly address it and ensure you’ll be hooked by this adaptation.
Sarah (Lena Headey, “300”) has settled with her teenage son (Thomas Dekker, “Heroes”) in a small town. In a bit of black humor, Sarah’s fear of commitment prompts her latest attempt to duck for cover. When her boyfriend (Dean Winters, “Rescue Me”) proposes, she panics and tells John they have to hit the road again.
“Half an hour. One bag. Plus the gun. I’ll make pancakes,” says this determined mother.
Haven’t we learned by now that moms are right about everything?
In New Mexico, a substitute teacher (Owain Yeoman, a decent substitute for a certain California governor) yanks out a gun hidden inside his leg. Fortunately for John, his future self sent back another cybernetic protector in the form of a beautiful teenager named Cameron (Summer Glau, “Firefly”).
FBI agent James Ellison (Richard T. Jones) also is on Sarah’s trail. He starts out all Scully, but one suspects as the evidence mounts that he will move in Mulder’s direction.
Director David Nutter has a firm grasp on the electrifying action sequences but displays a deft touch in the smaller moments. John is stuck between his slightly unhinged mother and the ultimate hot girl. They don’t let him get away with anything. His longing for a father figure is palpable and creates complications tomorrow.
Headey won’t make anyone forget Linda Hamilton’s memorable turn in the second film and her voice-overs are unconvincing. Give her time to grow into the role.
I’d like to give her time - and some pasta - to help her grow into her jeans. Headey looks remarkably like actress Lara Flynn Boyle. She’s a twig of an action heroine.
When Cameron tells John, “Come with me if you want to live,” you can almost hear a generation of male viewers answering yes to that familiar call. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” jumps to a great start.
source: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment
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