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Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season
R4 - Australia - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Stevie McCleary & Noor Razzak (19th October 2008). |
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The Show
 “Come with me if you want to live.” It was with some trepidation that I approached "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" the complete first season set. See, "The Terminator" films and I go way back, back to my childhood in fact. I used to quote the first two films (1984, 1991) almost constantly for a while there and there was nobody better than Arnie back in the day. I even got a chance to study them at University, and delved into the concepts behind them. The first film is a look into the mindset of the factory workers of the time, as they faced a world where machines seemed poised to take all their jobs. There was a backlash brewing and James Cameron took full advantage of it for this big screen hit, featuring the soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) travelling back in time to prevent a future where evil self aware machines rule. When the time came for a sequel it was perfectly timed – machines had become a daily part of our lives and they hadn’t taken away all the jobs that people had feared they would. And as we now both relied on them a lot more, while working side by side with them, it was a perfect choice to now have a Terminator working with the Connors against a more deadly machine threat. What Cameron did was tap into the fears of the time and used that zeitgeist to create a massive pair of blockbusters. The second film ends with a message that the future is right where it has always been; in out hands. Consistent and brilliant... Then somebody decided to make "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003), a sub par yet halfway entertaining action flick, it lacked all of the soul of the previous two and certainly didn’t hold any true resonance for the time. It’s nothing more than generic action sci-fi, with some fatalistic ideas thrown in at the end that only serve to depress rather than uplift like the others did. (And at the time of this writing, they are moving forward on further "Terminator" films set in that apocalyptic future. Lord knows how they will turn out…) So we arrive at a 9 episode mid-season replacement show… featuring the adventures of Sarah Connor (this time played by Lena Headey) and company. I’d managed to catch a few bits of episodes here and there. I was not impressed and I felt like I was watching that "Bionic Woman" (2007) remake… too much talking, not enough of anything else. But I was dedicated to giving it a proper chance. And I am more than pleased that I did. It kicks in by ignoring that the third film took place (a healthy attitude) and features Sarah and a teenage John Connor (Thomas Dekker) living life with constant fear as they are still wanted by the police for the death of Miles Dyson in "T2". Sarah leaves her fiancé and they move to a new school where John meets a cute girl named Cameron (an obvious salute, played by Summer Glau). Did I mention this is set in 1999, following the timeline of the original films? That becomes important in a few lines. So, John’s new teacher turns out to be a Terminator named Cromartie (Garret Dillahunt)…okay, and he attempts to assassinate him, which goes poorly for him as Cameron is also one – sent back by future John to protect past John. And then comes the kicker; Cameron assembles a time machine so that they can jump forward to 2007 (convenient) to search for the new people who will create Skynet. Yup, they jumped forward 8 years… 8 years less time to track people down. This seems like a massive plot hole, designed just to get the characters into the present day. And while it most certainly is, as the episodes go on, the back-story of that decision is revealed and it is fascinating stuff. They obviously needed the show to be set in the present day, with all of our technology, but they did cover their tracks. Just goes to show that rash judgements regarding TV shows can sometimes be just that – too rash. The episodes of this show flow nicely from one to the next and as a whole create a compelling story. It’s not fantastic or revolutionary but it sure is pretty good when given a chance. My first complaint is that it is only nine episodes! The ending of the season is so abrupt in the middle of the action that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was just a cliff-hanger before a commercial break. The cast are really, really good. Headey follows Linda Hamilton’s performance well and crafts a strong, capable woman that is still dogged by her many fears. Dekker is a good choice as John, you can actually see the potential for him to become the leader he is destined to be one day. He gets put in situations where he has to be whiny at times but he never hits the ‘sad, emo kid’ level that would be so easy to go to. And in moments where he needs to stand strong or show emotion, it comes through well. Summer Glau obviously learnt a lot playing River on "Firefly" (2002-2003) and carries that through here as another ‘not quite right in the head’ character. Sure, it’s typecasting but she’s good at what she does. Richard T. Jones plays FBI Agent Ellison and he is a great performer to watch. His journey over the series and the characters he interacts with is just plain fun to watch. He knows how to control his speech and manner in a way that is captivating to behold. And on a show about killer robots, no less. The subtle things he does will leave you not wanting to take your eyes off him when on screen. Rounding off the cast is Brian Austin Green as Kyle Reese’s older brother, also sent back through time, and he brings a strong performance as well. Which is something I never thought I’d say regarding a former cast member of "Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990-2000). I bet he’s glad of the chance to show he actually has some skills too, and show them he does. Like I said – great cast. Very few weak links at all and they all play off each other quite nicely. When watched as a whole the show hits the right edge of exposition and action, drama and humour. Scenes where Sarah (fighting for years against a potential Armageddon and recently rocketed into the future) where she learns about 9/11 are handled well, and there is plenty of material to be had regarding the current state of the world from the angle of those jumped from the past while trying to prevent a certain type of future. Yes, it gets a bit complicated at times but it is worth it. There are a number of scenes in the 9th episode regarding John’s birthday which I highly recommend because they are handled so well. I realised then how easily these actors slipped into their roles; it all seems so effortless for them. The only real letdown is the special effects. I know budgetary issues must have been a major factor in getting the show made at all, but the CGI is cringe-worthy at times. I’ve seen worse on other shows recently so it’s not that bad. But it’s not good either. It’s more inconsistent than anything else. If you’re a fan of the original films, go ahead and give this set a proper chance. You may be pleasantly surprised like I was. I’m happy to have been converted and am looking forward to the second season with bated breath. "Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season One includes all 9 episodes: - "Pilot" - "Gnothi Seauton" - "The Turk" - "Heavy Metal" - "Queen’s Gambit" - "Dungeons and Dragons" - "The Demon Hand" - "Vick’s Chip" - "What He Beheld"
Video
Presented in the show's original broadcast ratio of 1.78:1, this anamorphic transfer is fairly good with solid detail, well rendered colors that display the show's muted palette, blacks are bold but occasionally noisy. The transfer is clean and free from any on the surface flaws, but I was disappointed with some softness in the image, I also spotted some noise, and the scenes which feature heavy CGI seem less detailed than shots which do not, there's a soft haze to these scenes and I'm not sure if this is intentional or simply a by-product of the CGI techniques used (which are on a low(er) budget than the movies or most big shows).
Audio
A single English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is included on all these episodes. The dialogue is clear and distortion free, action scenes pop and feel like they have infinite depth for a TV show, ambient sounds are well executed and feel natural throughout the sound space. The soundtrack's range is excellent from subtle ambient sounds to more aggressive sounds during the action scenes. The show's score pumps through the 5.1 space and overall I am very impressed with the sound presentation. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.
Extras
Warner Brothers has released this first season only with a series of bonus trailers, unfortunately for fans Warners dropped a lot of extras that was seen on the U.S. Region 1 release, which is very sad indeed. DISC ONE: There are "Terminated Scenes", these are deleted scenes from the pilot episode and include: - "Pilot A" runs for 1 minute, John, in school, searched for Cameron on of his class PCs. She then comes in and they banter about homework and computers. - "Pilot B" runs for 1 minute 3 seconds, this is an extended scene of Ellison discussing the crime scene at the school and the Connors’ house. Added bits are him discussing eating an Elk burger. - "Pilot C" runs for Cromartie reviews his information for leads on the whereabouts of the Connors. - "The Turk" runs for 1 minute 56 seconds, Ellison interrogates Carlos at his headquarters regarding the connection between the many cases. DISC TWO: More "Terminated Scene" are deleted scenes from one episode, and includes: - "Dungeons and Dragons" which runs for 2 minutes , John and Charley discuss the trustworthiness of Cameron and all that they have missed out on. DISC THREE: There are no extras on this disc.
Packaging
This 3-disc set is packaged in an amaray case.
Overall
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