The Sarah Connor Chronicles
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The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Executive Produced by Josh Friedman, Ashley Miller
and Zack Stentz
Starring Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker
After the strong "ick" factor of the Bionic Woman debut, it was hard to get too hyped up about yet another rehash of an earlier idea -- a "Terminator" fill-in-the-blanks series called "The Sarah Connor Chronicles."
That moment where a buff and inhuman Schwartzenager confronts Linda Hamilton with the steely question: "Are you Sarah Connor?" is one of those scenes that instantly entered movie iconography. To fiddle with, or undercut that kind of breathtaking perfection is dangerous, and an apparently new favorite pass-time of network television.
But from the opening seconds of the "Chronicles," it's pretty clear something more special than cynical was happening here. From an intense Lena Headey (Connor) behind the wheel of her station wagon, speeding to save her son through an intense action sequence with more flying lead than a twenty gun salute, "Chronicles" seems worthy of Cameron at his finest.
An even greater pleasure is realizing that this is no re-imagination, where a new creative team decides to outdo the original, or pay a backhanded compliment by treating the subject like pastiche. Instead, they've cast the spectacular Headey as a no-holds barred heroine, like Hamilton in the films, and a John who looks a lot like the original's filmic father Michael Biehn.
The first appearance, heralded by a rather startling into-the-camera gaze by Headey, of the robot sent back through time to eliminate her son before he can grow up to be their nemesis recalls Schwartzenager's original Terminator without seeming to attempt either to ape or replace.
Probably the greatest single jaw-dropper -- and all this before the opening credits -- plays a new chord in the theme of another iconic moment in "T2", when Sarah Connor imagines the robot-instigated end of the world in a visceral, nuclear blast. This is really good stuff.
Besides the mesmerizing Heady, the cast is rounded out solidly with Thomas Dekker as son and future savior of mankind John (Heroes' vanishing Zach), James Ellison (Judging Amy's Richard T. Jones), and a wonderful Summer Glau (River Tam from Firefly and Serenity) as the slyly named Cameron.
The pilot also features Dean Winters -- who looks more like Michael Biehn that Biehn himself does now -- and the excellent Tim Guinee.
Highly recommended, with all available fingers crossed. If they keep up the great dialogue ("Half an hour. One bag. Plus the guns. I'll make pancakes.") and the great casting, Headey expectations will indeed be fulfilled.
