My Attention for ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ is Waning
I’ve recently finished watching tonight’s episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles called The Turk. I had initially thought it might be a TV gem after watching the first episode, but now I’m now ready to give a new statement. And that would be that I’m 
no longer how sure I am of the show’s appeal.
I really wanted to like it, and you know I did if you read my first post about the show. I’m a fan of Summer Glau, and she’s one of the three main characters. (That’s why I tuned in, in the first place.) She plays Cameron, a terminator from the future that is sent to help protect John Connor. Given the name of the show, you might expect to find a feature on the character of Sarah Connor, or the actress who portrays her. But even if I hadn’t previously been a fan of Summer Glau, I am very certain she would still be my favorite player on this show. When the best character on your show isn’t the main character, I’m not sure how well that bodes for you. I also have
Glau delivers Cameron’s lines in a methodically detached way which suits the charactor very well. However, given that this is almost exactly how Glau had to play her character of River Tam on Firefly, it seems almost like a cheap imitation. But maybe that’s because I will always find River Tam more interesting than most other TV characters.
(For anyone who has been afraid to click to the jumps because the site ’s main widget was a bit of resource hog, we’ve done away with that evil creature! So go on, jump, jump!)
When io9.com had an interview with Glau recently and asked her if she used River as inspiration to play Cameron, she said, “I’ve wanted to make them very different. My main concern when I got this role was ‘How do you make people care about a robot?’ I’ve been trying to do that in a lot of different ways. What happens in the show is that you’re drawn to her and you start to care about her, but then you see her do something that is so cold, and so inhumane that it’s scary. That’s what I’m going for!” So Glau definitely sees this as a challenge different to what she’s done before. And it’s hard to think that Cameron could be too evil when she wears hot pink clothing. But you haven’t seen her use a gun.
While Cameron can be completely badass and smash things into little itty bits (thus rendering my new blender unnecessary!) she is perhaps at her best when forced into an environment unusual for her. Like, say – a modern day high school.
In tonight’s episode she tried to fit in with the female students in the bathroom (that’s
where females do their best bonding, naturally) by awkwardly picking up and using the word ‘tight’ to mean cool. Of course, I’d like to tell the TV exec’s of this show that I haven’t heard anyone use that lingo for a couple years – and the show is set in the present day. Nonetheless, we saw Cameron try to make a friend by giving away a makeup item she found, and how she struggles to apply makeup on herself.
She seems to really, really like makeup (a clearly human, rather than robotic, attribute) and I enjoy that about her. We could bond over it. I would tell her how to dab concealer on with a middle finger to use the lightest pressure in application, and in exchange she could teach me how to punch through a wall. Or something. The details aren’t exactly worked out yet.
Overall, I like the specific character interactions, but I don’t seem to be caring about the expanding plot details.
And when a guy lost his eyeballs, I nearly lost my dinner. Yeesh.
Until later,
Jessica for Sofachip.com
For more, see: Sirlinksalot.net: Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles
Pictures are from my favorite Summer Glau website, summer-glau.net.
I bet the makeup lover in Cameron would like:
Assorted Nail Polish Set – 20 Pcs. $9.99
Lancome Color Focus Eye Shadow Quad Olive No Box $8.00
Almay Eye Liner, Black 205, 0.01 oz (.28 g) (Pack of 2) $12.69
Christian Dior DiorLiner Precision Eyeliner 098 Black $27.00
And if she wants to learn about high school culture, she should check out these movies:
10 Things I Hate About You
(Shakespeare transcends the boundaries of time.)
Scream (Dimension Collector’s Series)
(It never hurts to be prepared!)
Bring It On (Widescreen Collector’s Edition)
(Dealing with cheerleaders can be tricky. This is like a case study on them.)
She’s All That
(Freddie Prinze Jr. probably won’t try to make her prom queen, but someone else might.)
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About the Author: Your above-average sweet, smart, and snarky Girl Friday. Impeccable taste. Analytical. Liberal. Friend to animals. Always found in cute shoes. Check the Sofachip 'About' page for more (classified!) info.
Cynthia | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
Here’s my problem with Cameron. In the pilot we saw her interacting with John at school. She had no trouble being conversational or fitting in. Now suddenly, she doesn’t know that “come in” means come in, she doesn’t know that she needs to take a seat in class. She suddenly can’t make a non-robotic sentence? Is this because Mama tossed her out the window on her head?
JessicaRae | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
That’s a very good point. In the pilot she didn’t seem to be odd at all. There’s no explanation for that other than that’s how they wanted the story to be. I understand flaws within a canon, but when they happen between the first three episodes, I’m less understanding. I also do not understand how only living matter can do that time travel thing (ergo, nakedness!) but a terminator robot could go through? *shrug*
davello | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
Gotta admit, I was looking forward to tonight’s episode — not for any specific purpose, because I try not to spoil myself with the names of episodes or details online, but just because I enjoyed last Monday and Sunday’s shows that much — but I was as let down as you are.
I felt that the intro, the middle, and the outro, where Sarah was talking about the blahblahblah, blah-blah, warble rabble rabble rabble, blah, blahblah blah. I totally pulled a Dean Winchester, zoned out, and only heard her saying that.
It wasn’t as insightful into her character as, say, Veronica Mars and her voice-overs, or as funny, but always be sure to remember this piece of advice: we’re all the sons of bitches, now. Or somethin’.
On the thing about living matter doing the time travel, the movies have established somehow that the robots can go through, too. I mean, same scene, Cameron went just the same as John and Sarah. The robot head is no different, it’s just lacking skin. In the movies, you saw Arnold come through in very much the same fashion.
Angelic Vampyre | Jan 23, 2008 | Reply
I have decided that the reset made Cameron backtrack with not being able to fit in. it’s the only thing I can think of. As for the how a terminator travels maybe because they are covered in living matter, which them makes me think of hidding things under their skin to travel with them but then I might be wrong
JessicaRae | Jan 26, 2008 | Reply
Davello – It’s so funny because the guy from the movies looks exactly like the governor of California.
Angelic – Hmm. That is an interesting theory. Although we have to remember that at the high school Cameron set off the detectors.
Angelic Vampyre | Jan 26, 2008 | Reply
Two different things.
1) When Cameron was reset she lost the ability to fit into highschool like she did in the first ep, maybe this is something that she has to work on.
2) Travel through time and you can’t take anything with you. So a gun would go bye bye but they come through fine. In they hid the gun UNDER the terminators skin would it still be there when they come through? Maybe it’s the fact that things are covered with living matter then means they can travel time.
Never was talking about the high school detectors
Cynthia | Jan 26, 2008 | Reply
Right, the “school teacher” had the gun hidden under the flesh in his leg, it came through the same way his metal body came through. So I guess the resistance guys could have had the small gun parts sewen into their bodies then a doctor on this end removed.
Like smuggling drugs in your stomach
JessicaRae | Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
Oh, that’s a good point about how the “teacher” smuggled a gun under his outside living matter.
I didn’t see the movies, so I’m not an expert in all of the ‘verse rules.
I’m eager to see the next episode, even though I didn’t love it this past week. It still has a pull.