What could have easily been a shallow, action, shoot 'em up series, instead evolves into an existential tale about fate, faith, family, love, trust and what it means to be truly human. It is also a warning for how we are rapidly advancing our technology, often without fully thinking through the consequences, or the cost to our humanity.
Picking up in essence where "T2" left off, the series begins with John and Sarah Connor, again on the run from perceived threats that can come from anywhere. The show quickly finds its pace, with payoffs coming fast and quick, and nods to the existing Terminator mythos permeate the plot, while the storyline constantly expands on that world. There are plenty of firefights, explosions, and metal-on-metal battles, but there is also thought, emotion, hard decision-making, contemplation and exploration.
Everything about the series is well executed and exciting. You might think the inclusion of the line "Come with me if you want to live," would be a cringe-worthy bit of forced nostalgia, but instead, it is at first an exciting tip of the hat, and when uttered again later in the series, brings an emotional connection in the story full-circle.
We see much more of the future war with the machines, executed more intelligently and interestingly than "Terminator: Salvation" (I am reluctant to even mention McG's trainwreck effort as any kind of reference in this article).
Every character in the series is well-developed, with flashbacks (and forwards) used to flesh out their back-stories. In many ways, Cameron the cyborg becomes one of the best examples this side of Wall*E of using something distinctly non-human to resonate real emotion.
The acting is excellent in all areas. The biggest surprise performance being from Brian Austin Green (yes, THAT Brian Austin Green) who plays Derek Reese, brother to Kyle, John's father. Laura Headey as Sarah does an excellent job walking the line between concerned mother and desperate warrior. The young Thomas Dekker, in his first star turn, plays John, wrestling with a desperate desire to be a regular teen, while the pressure of being mankind's last hope weighs on him constantly.
Each episode presents a unique story all in its own, never becoming stale or formulaic, while smoothly moving forward the underlying plot and narrative of the series. "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is yet another casualty in FOX's war on thought-provoking programming (this list is long, and starts with "Buffy", then winds its way through "Arrested Development", "Dollhouse", and finally, "Terminator:T.S.C.C."). It's a real loss for fans of smart, exciting television, but at least we have two excellent seasons to enjoy. Come for the twisting metal, stay for the depth of ideas.
