Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Wednesday 17 June, 10.30pm

In tonight’s action-packed episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, a triple-threat to the Connors is revealed, targeted at Sarah, who is alone, at Cameron and Derek, and at John and Charley.

Fearing for her life, with the possible threat of cancer, Sarah stashes John in a safe house with Charley Dixon, and draws a promise out of Charley to recommit to keeping John safe.

Cameron and Derek struggle to work together after she reveals a big secret about Jesse and of her mission, and she must come to Derek’s rescue against some assassins, and prove to him that she can be trusted. John Henry, meanwhile, becomes compromised as a darker side is revealed.

This isn’t happy reading!  When reliable sources at ew.com come out saying that the decision at Fox to not renew Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles for another season all you can say is, not again!

Despite Fox staying quiet on whether or not the rumor is true, fans of the show will be more than aware of their track record.  Canceling shows without resolving storylines is frustrating for viewers and one has to wonder whether the steady decline in viewership is due to people not wanting to invest time into a show if it’s just going to get cut without knowing what happens to the characters.

These decisions should be being made mid season so that, on the chance that the series isn’t going to be renewed, the writers can tie up all the loose ends and let the fans walk away knowing everything was resolved.

However, there is the opportunity with Terminator to be tied up in a series of movies. But if you want another season then best you canvas Fox.

The explosive sci-fi drama Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles returns to TV2 this week with all new episodes, and Terminator Cameron Phillips is hot on the heels of a cyborg in hiding.

Part of the dysfunctional family unit of Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) and her son John (Thomas Dekker), Cameron (Summer Glau), as John’s protector, takes on Sarah’s fight, combating the offensive of an ever-evolving technological enemy.

“I spend a good amount of screen time battling men twice my size,” Glau says. “The fights are my favourite part. When you’re a Terminator, you break things, drive over people, throw bombs and use guns.”

Speaking about the challenges of playing a Terminator, Glau explains: “She’s advanced in her ability to mimic humans perfectly, I think that in her core, there is more than just a curiosity about emotion – you wonder in certain scenes; ‘Can she…is she feeling something?”

“I had to work on not having any human habits, not moving my hair out of my face, not crossing my arms, I had to get comfortable to being uncomfortable,” she finishes.

The season continues to be action packed with executive producer Josh Friedman promising, “The missions are going to continue on a much larger scale.”

This week while conducting research at the public library, Cameron spots a cyborg, called Byron Stark, in an old 1920 photograph. She does some investigating and learns that Stark robbed banks, bought large parcels of land around Los Angeles and built housing developments. He was also killing those associated with his business rival. Cameron determines that the Terminator may have been accidentally sent to the wrong date in time.

The secret life of Cameron is also revealed this Wednesday night, and as Friedman says, “There’s no promise Cameron won’t go bad again.”

If you have missed an episode, full episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles will be available free online 12 hours after the show has aired on TV2. Go to tvnz.co.nz and click the ‘on demand’ button.

Photo: Summer Glau (Cameron Phillips).

Wednesday 15 April, 10.30pm, TV2

Lena Headey (The Sarah Connor Chronicles) says:

“It’s been an interesting season. I feel Sarah has taken a back seat in terms of being proactive and taking care of business.  I think that we’re going to see a lot more of John taking control and then making steps towards becoming the man he has to be to take on his tasks. And I think this season for Sarah is kind of her losing slight control over everything. 

My feeling is there’s a slow madness happening in her, because she feels everything’s out of reach right now.”

Ok, it’s quite a bit of a mouthful but here are our Top 5 best new international shows to debut in NZ this year:

1. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
2. Gossip Girl
3. Wipeout
4. Underbelly
5. Flashpoint

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles successfully made the move from the big screen to the small screen without the need for Arnie to give up his day job. We love Summer Glau. TV2.

Despite Gossip Girl being mucked around by TVNZ with a terrible time slot and little publicity, it is still the new “it” show. Embarrassingly addictive. TV2.

What better way to laugh aloud than by watching people make fools of themselves on Wipeout? We love the Perez Hilton-inspired line drawings, the water and of course the big balls. TV3.

Underbelly was critically acclaimed and hailed as the new real-life version of The Sopranos and hugely popular in Australia but TV3 mucked around with the show, taking it off air then back on at an obscure time slot after public complaints. TV3.

Flashpoint: the runaway success Canadian cops show which spends time focussing on the psychic impact that the job can make. TV2.

What would be on your Top 5 list?

Wednesday 5 November, 9.30pm

The action-packed second season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles follows Sarah’s lonely fight to save the future, hoping to stop the impending apocalypse and change the fate of her 16-year-old son, John.

John has begun to embrace his destiny as the saviour of mankind, as the ever-evolving technological enemy grows stronger. As fugitives from the law, both John and Sarah must evade pursuers from the both the future and present day Los Angeles, relentlessly battling to save more than just themselves.

This week, John and Derek infiltrate a military academy in order to protect an integral member of the future resistance. Meanwhile, Weaver’s first assignment for Ellison takes an interesting turn of events when he discovers a spectre from his own past.

Wednesday 8 October, 9.30pm

Returning to TV2 on Wednesday is the explosive second series of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, continuing the saga of what happens when Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) stops running and goes on the offensive against an ever-evolving technological enemy.

Still fugitives from the law, Sarah and her son John (Thomas Dekker) are confronted with the reality that still more enemies from the future and the present could attack at any moment. Sarah hopes to stop the impending apocalypse and change John’s fate.

Rocked by the Jeep explosion on his 16th birthday, John is forced to confront the reality of his destiny alone, and Agent Ellison faces off with his faith and the FBI in the aftermath of Cromartie’s massacre.

Wednesday 28 May, 9.30pm

The American smash hit, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, continues to excite New Zealand audiences with its special effects and intense action sequences – and this week is no exception.

While searching for some stolen cargo, John becomes separated from Sarah and Cameron. Leading him to discover the future isn’t as safe as he had hoped. Can John prove himself as the great military leader he is supposed to be and stop SkyNet’s plans? Meanwhile, Agent Ellison’s murder investigation leads him to a surprising suspect. This week, recurring guest star Garret Dillahunt (Damages, ER and No Country For Old Men) appears as George Laszlo.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles wowed Kiwi viewers when it debuted in New Zealand gaining a 54% share of the audience in TV2′s key demograpic 18 – 39.

Fox has confirmed there will be a thirteen-episode long second season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles which will air in the US in 2008/9.

The show currently ranks as the top new scripted series in 2008 in the US among Adults 18-49.

The action packed series represents an exciting reinvention of the “Terminator” film franchise, in which the strong and intrepid Sarah discovers that protecting her son and stopping the rise of the machines is more difficult than she had ever imagined.

Season 1 is yet to screen in New Zealand.

Wednesday 7 May, 9.30pm

The Terminator franchise is exploding on to TV2 with the arrival of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. From the producers behind the smash-hit Terminator movie franchise, along with Executive Producers Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds) and David Nutter (Smallville), comes an intense new drama taking place after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

At the end of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Sarah Connor (Lena Headey, 300) vanquished the Terminator sent from the future to kill her 15-year-old son, John (Thomas Dekker, Heroes). Sarah and John now find themselves alone in a very dangerous, complicated world. Fugitives from the law, they are confronted with the reality that still more enemies from the future and the present could attack at any moment.
The Sarah Connor Chronicles reveals what happens when Sarah stops running and goes on the offensive against an ever-evolving technological enemy bent on destroying her life – and perhaps the world. John knows that he may be the future savior of mankind, but he is not yet ready to take on the mantle of leadership that he’s told is his destiny. John finds himself inextricably drawn to Cameron (Summer Glau, The Unit), an enigmatic and otherworldly student at his high school. Cameron soon proves to be much more than his confidante; she assumes the role of Sarah and John’s fearless protector. On their trail are not only threats from the future but an intelligent and tough FBI agent, James Ellison (Jones), who soon becomes a powerful ally.

Lena Headey explains that John and Sarah live under the radar and on the run, meaning no friends, no mobiles and being forever on the move, continuously changing identities. “Sarah’s trying to train him to be the savior of a mankind, protect him from the Terminators sent from the future to kill him and stop the evil computer network Skynet from starting a nuclear apocalypse. And, oh yeah, get dinner on the table and make sure the kid does his homework!” Lena continues, “You are looking at someone who’s trying to be a great mum and give her kid normality, and at the same time they’re both aware that their day job is to say the world.”

The role of Sarah Connor is a physical one which Lena thrives on. “I have been training in a boxing gym for years so some of the fights scenes came naturally. ” While this new series is an adrenaline charged rollercoaster ride, there are some quieter moments throughout the show which concentrate more on the relationship between mother and son. Lena explains: “It’s a different time. We get to know Sarah more. I think she was a closed door emotionally in the movies, and here you’re getting to see her and John interact more.”

Don’t miss the first episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Wednesday 7 May at 9.30pm on TV2.