JimK:  Despite Fox ordering a full season of this show, the plan to move it to Friday night and pair it with Dollhouse just smells like trouble to me (based on historical performance of science fiction on Fox on Friday nights)...and that is a shame, because T:SCC is really starting to hit a groove.  SPOILER WARNNG!  At any time I may drop a sentence or two that spoils things if you have not watched all current episodes of the show.  You have been warned!

I’m just going to spit out some random thoughts I’ve had while watching the show lately.  I’ve also just read the three T2 books by SM Stirling, and that led to some further insights about the characters.

So.  What we are seeing is a very extended Terminator movie, so things have to happen much, much more slowly than they ever have in a Terminator story before.  That means that sometimes it can feel like we’re wallowing in a bit of character development that, in a film would fly by in a minute or two, or in a book could be explained by reading what goes in in the character’s internal monologue.  Unfortunately the show doesn’t give us the luxury of internal monologue for anyone but Sarah.

I say that to get to this: Sometimes it feels like EmoJohn never learns anything and his whining is a bit much to take, but in episodes like “Complications” his actions don’t match his teen angst whining.  This all makes sense, it’s the way a teen would react to this situation.  He’d annoy the shit out of you with his mouth, but if he character was as John Connor’s is, his actions would speak much more loudly than his words.  His new-found ability to occasionally face his mother down, to decide things for the group, his sense of whom to trust and whom to shoot…it’s all actually spot-on.  The “trick” so to speak, is to ignore what he says and judge him on what he does.  Kind of like any teenager, really.  It just gets a bit much because this part of the character development takes so long on a tv series as opposed to a movie, where we’d be past it in a scene or two.

- As for Sarah…she’s been pretty weak the whole show, but I finally get why.  When we first meet Sarah Connor she is weak.  Whining, ineffectual, kind of a crybaby…in short, like anyone else would be when faced with a future soldier with an improbable story and an unstoppable killing machine trying to terminate you both.  However…her character comes through and she ends up the hard, chin-up doing badass we all think of her as now.  Well…what if she is going through some shit?  What if the pressure of constantly running, constantly fighting, of knowing that no matter what you do, no matter how long you delay it, that Skynet is inevitable - what if that pressure is bringing some of that early Sarah to the surface?  Wouldn’t it make sense?  Thing is…character will out, and Sarah’s character is made up of two things: her motherly love and protective instincts regarding John, and her overwhelming need to stop Skynet.  So she keeps on keeping on…but that takes its toll, and we’re seeing that toll manifested as this insane urge Sarah has to stay in the same house and occasionally send John to school and try to be normal, her nightmares, etc.  But then when he finds a girl…she goes the other way.  She wants him to swear off any human closeness that is outside of their unit.  No, actually she wants him to swear off being close with anyone but her.  It’s these internal conflicts that result in what seem like ridiculous choices that John and Sarah make on this show.  As long as you remember that they are deeply scarred from this relentless pursuit, you can find ways to understand EmoJohn and SimperingSarah when they show up.  Also, the show needs more of Sarah reading from her journals.  It goes a LONG way toward explaining why she is doing what she is doing and it’s a VERY Sarah Connor thing to do.

- Cromartie: Yeah…not loving the actor much when he has to move.  He’s trying to move like a Terminator but he just *can’t*.  I like his acting.  I like his mannerisms when he’s standing still.  I just cannot buy him as a Terminator when he leaps into action.  It;s the actor’s fault…Summer Glau has two physical modes on the show: Slightly awkward-but-trying-to-be-sexy teen movement, and all-business Terminator straight ahead mode.  All economy of motion and straight, stiff, powerful movement.  She moves NOTHING like she did as River Tam, so it’s not like the creators of this show aren’t aware that Terminators move a certain way when in action.  I think it’s just that Garret Dillahunt can’t get it right.  Someone call Robert Patrick and have him tutor the guy for a week or two.

- Ellison - Holy Greek tragedy, batman!  He just created Skynet, basically.  Poor bastard.  Wait til he finds out (hopefully around the end of season 2 so he can join the resistance for season three!)

- I never expected in my life to say this…but Brian Austin Green is awesome on this show and I totally believe him as a reluctant badass who will snap a neck if he has to.  Also, Stephanie Jacobsen (Jesse) is crazy hot.  Just throwing that out there.

- Having just read the books…I’m finding it interesting to watch the show lift elements and find ways to use them that make sense.  John’s girlfriend is an idea that is borrowed from the book but NOT stolen.  Totally different circumstances, but the themes - conflict with Sarah, can she be trusted, is she at risk just for knowing John, will they eventually have to make her part of the unit - are all similarly explored.  Lots of other little things show some influence by the novels…which is good because I feel like they are really perfect examples of how to play in this universe.  As opposed to, say, T3.

All in all, I am REALLY loving T:SCC these days, and I truly hope and pray that Fox gives this show one more season to find both an audience and its legs.  If you’re not watching it…start!  It’s worth your time, and there’s not that much decent science fiction on TV these days.  Support it while you have a chance.