Terminator: Born to Run

Given Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles’ ratings struggles this spring, it seems a near certainty that this episode wasn’t just the season finale, but also the series finale. If that’s the case, I think it performed ably on both counts. As a season ender, this was an outstanding episode with great emotional beats and some fantastic action sequences. Many of the slow-burning plot elements from this season were paid off, and it left us in a place rife with great possibilities for continuing the story. As a series ender, it wasn’t quite so successful, leaving us with many questions and no true sense of closure. However, I felt it effectively wove in bits from the full spectrum of the Terminator series (movies and television show) and, thankfully, didn’t leave us with a massive cliffhanger. It is certainly disappointing that we will likely never see where the story was heading, but the show ended on a strong note.

Terminator: Adam Raised a Cain

Now that's what I’m talking about! I thought this was an outstanding episode, despite a completely shocking turn of events that, quite frankly, has taken me a few days to process. This one started out on an emotional note, ended on an emotional note, and took us for quite a ride in between. Not only did it have great action and suspense, but even the simplest character conversations were loaded with tension and things left unspoken. Best of all, this episode finally brought the John Connor and John Henry plots together.

Terminator: To the Lighthouse

When this episode started, I thought the A-plot with Sarah, John, and Charlie was going to be more of the same, tired trend of fairly understated material. Part way through the episode, when Sarah was watching John sleep and remembering “fun times” in the jungle, I actually started channeling Dark Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and thought, “Bored now.” Fortunately, things picked up considerably when we learned the truth about Sarah’s tumor and all hell broke loose in Connor land. Not really a good turn of event for the characters (especially poor Charlie), but a great turn around for the episode as a whole.

Terminator: Today is the Day, Part 2

I wasn’t real jazzed by this two-parter. Despite some intriguing moments, it was much more low key than I would have expected or wanted at this point in the season. I found the second part particularly underwhelming. It seems strange to say that for an episode that featured a liquid metal terminator, a break room riot, several key confrontations, and the likely death of a major character at the hands of another. And yet, in the end, I was left feeling rather ho hum about the whole thing.

Terminator: Today is the Day, Part 1

I often find it difficult to rate the first part of a two-part episode. Typically, the first part is stuffed with set-up material for the next part of the story, leaving the real “page-turning” action for the next episode. As a result, Part One can sometimes feel somewhat dull. Or at the very least, it can feel so incomplete that it is hard to judge on its own merits. I thought this episode did an able job of following up on last week’s events, and started some interesting new threads with Jessie, but it wasn’t nearly as compelling as ‘Ourselves Alone.’

Terminator: Ourselves Alone

This was a very intense episode, filled with dread and foreboding. A sense of doom hung over every quiet moment, slowly and steadily building towards Riley’s death. I could feel it coming the whole time, it was just a question of who would do it.

Terminator: Some Must Watch, While Some Must Sleep

This is the kind of episode that keeps you guessing the first time through, and provides some interesting insights on a second viewing. On initial watch, I spent the whole episode trying to figure out which scenario was reality and which was the dream. Both scenarios had elements that made them seem real, but each also had elements that made them seem like they could be in Sarah’s head. Right up until the very end, I thought we’d learn the whole episode was in her head and that something else entirely was going on.

Terminator: Desert Cantos

This episode was not terribly interesting. In general, I appreciate the slower pacing of the series, especially when it gives us time to explore the psychological impacts on our characters, but this one was a little too slow for my tastes. Certainly, it makes sense that the Connor crew would continue to look into the mystery warehouse and its destruction, but this was a very long and awkward hour just to get to the major revelation at the end.

Terminator: The Good Wound

Welcome back, Sarah Connor fans! After a two-month break, the second half of the season picks up pretty much where we left off. Most of the episode was spent dealing with the aftermath from “Earthlings Welcome Here”: Sarah’s gunshot wound, her discovery of a major Skynet operation, and Riley’s attempted suicide.

Terminator: Earthlings Welcome Here

Well, this episode was a bit underwhelming for a mid-season finale. It did have some shocking moments and a few action sequences, but overall, it left me in more of a befuddled “What the hell?” state, rather than an eager, “Holy crap, I can’t wait for more!” state.

Terminator: Alpine Fields

I liked this episode. Another week with characters we’ve never met before, and likely won’t ever see again, but I think the writers did a better job of integrating the tale with the overall story and our characters. The episode largely felt like a stand-alone piece for Derek, but it tied into the series continuity and tone a lot better.

Terminator: Self Made Man

This episode did not work for me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really enjoy it either. Overall, it felt too disconnected from the main story, and it largely focused on characters we've never met before and may never see again.

Terminator: Strange Things Happen at the One Two Point

Strange things indeed. Another strong episode with some pretty shocking moments. And a fantastic reveal at the end!

This week's theme was all about getting played. Nearly all our main characters were or are being hoodwinked in one way or another. Sarah got played by Akagi. John is being completely snowed by Riley. Jessie still seems to be putting one over on Derek. And poor, deluded Agent Ellison was victimized by Catherine Weaver.

Terminator: Complications

This week’s was a pretty good episode. Between Sarah’s dreams, Cromartie’s missing body, and Derek and Jessie’s prisoners, this one kept me guessing throughout and managed to leave me with a lot of questions. (The good kind of questions---the kind that keep me coming back to see where it is all going.)

Terminator: Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today

This episode had some good elements and some not-so-good elements. Overall, I liked the general pacing, the “semi-flashback” technique, and where the story ended up, but there were a couple of bumps in the road along the way.

I’m glad that they brought the Cromartie arc somewhat to a close (assuming he truly is terminated)---if only because the continued near misses would have gotten stale pretty quickly---but I hated the final shootout. I’m all for cool, slow-mo, shoot-em-up sequences, but when you throw in the Spaghetti Western/Mexican Standoff Music it pushes things right over that line from cool to cheesy. Cromartie going down in a hail of big, honkin’ bullets was well and good, but the staging and the music just made the scene so corny that it didn’t feel like an end truly befitting his character.

Terminator: Brothers of Nablus

This episode did not inspire me to write much. I’ve been pondering it for a few days, trying to decide what to put in my review, but my reaction pretty much boils down to, “OK, what’s next?” This one basically served as another transitional episode, building from previous events and moving pieces into place for action to come in future episodes. I think it worked reasonably well in that regard, but it was nowhere near as good as last week’s episode.

Terminator: The Tower is Tall but the Fall is Short

Again, apologies for the delay. I just got back from a trip and wanted to watch this one twice before finishing my review.

Excellent episode this week, with a really great focus on character. I was completely engrossed from start to finish, especially with John’s and Catherine Weaver’s parts of the story.

Terminator: Goodbye to All That

So sorry for the long delay! Work and life have been a bit crazed of late.

First and foremost: welcome back, Derek! I’m so glad we finally got an episode where Derek got to do more than be the snarky, battle-weary sidekick. I much prefer “haunted and grief stricken” Derek to “comic relief” Derek. His story is so compelling, especially told against the backdrop of the pre-holocaust world. I love those great little moments where Derek is absolutely awestruck by seeing a creature or a person that he never imagined he see again (i.e., the deer and young Martin Bidell). It lends a lot of perspective to some of his harsher actions. He’s got to do absolutely everything he can to ensure that the future he came from never happens, no matter how cold-blooded it seems. At the very least, he needs to make sure that John survives to lead the resistance. So that all the sacrifices that have come before weren’t in vain.

Terminator: Allison from Palmdale

A very intriguing episode. I found it tense, revealing, and in many respects completely shuddery. By the end of it, I wasn't sure what to make of Cameron's status or intentions. Contrary to what we typically see from her, she can convincingly act like a human being. At least if she’s channeling another person. She is the ultimate infiltrator, and I just can't figure out if she's actually John's ally now, or still an enemy. Which is, of course, exactly how the writers want it. I love it!

Terminator: The Mousetrap

This episode worked much better for me than last week’s, primarily because the mission of the week had a much more immediate impact on the characters. Showing Sarah and Charlie not only chasing after the cheese in Cromartie’s mousetrap, but struggling with the ways in which their own decisions had led them to this point was very effective. Charlie, Sarah, and Michelle all had some great scenes this week. I thought Charlie’s phone call to John and Sarah, the scenes in the barn, and the scene in the repair truck were especially strong. Kudos to Lena Headey, in particular, for the repair truck scene. I thought she did an outstanding job conveying Sarah’s frustration and her internal struggle with her desire to protect her son and her desire to preserve all life.