Customer Reviews

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The DVD's arrived very quickly and were exactly as stated. I will use this company again and recommend them to others.

By rule of thumb, whenever a popular franchise switches directors, it tends to spell disaster. After Terminator 2: Judgment Day, director and creator James Cameron left the franchise to move onto more personal projects such as Titanic. His absence was filled by two subsequent directors, Jonathan Mostow and McG for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and Terminator: Salvation respectively. Both were met with mixed opinions by both critics and fans of the franchise. Meanwhile however, TV channel FOX was outputting the single-best television show based on the beloved franchise in the form of Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles.

Skeptics came out of the woodwork on this one, but were quickly silenced. The TV show picks up directly after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, focusing on the aftermath of Sarah Conner and her son John, who escaped certain death at the hands of the T-1000 and managed to prevent Judgment Day from occurring in the year 1997. Despite their success, Sarah Conner is incapable of resting easy. She stays true to her militant ways, trusting no one while attempting to stay under the radar. John Conner however, is growing up. As a young man, he quickly becomes frustrated with his mother's refusal to allow him to live a life of freedom. The pair move to a new city to start over, and John begins attending a new high school under the alias "John Reese," an ode to his deceased future resistance father. He also befriends an attractive girl named Cameron, who both share the same class. Soon however, John realizes that his life is in danger after his substitute school teacher turns out to be a new model T-888 Terminator sent back through time to assassinate him. He narrowly escapes certain death during a classroom shootout, only to come face to face with a terrifying truth. Cameron is also a Terminator who has been reprogrammed to protect him. Cameron soon informs John and Sarah that Judgment Day is indeed still on schedule with a new date of April 21, 2011. The pair realize that the fight is far from over. When the T-888 Terminator, nicknamed "Cromartie" attacks them a second time, the trio flee to a bank vault where a mysterious device has been built and waiting since the mid 1960s. When activated, it initiates a temporal jump that throws all three forward in time to the year 2007. Little do they know that Cromartie also made the jump. Badly damaged, the T-888 begins repairing himself to continue the hunt for which he was programmed for. With only 4 years until Judgment Day, Sarah and John decide to strike back against SkyNET's Terminator forces which have been clandestinely dispatched into the year 2007 to pave the way for the eventual takeover of the machines. This is where the battle begins.

TSCC succeeds by way of its writers. As a die-hard Terminator fan with a HUGE reservoir of knowledge, I sat through each episode and tried like mad to find any continuity errors, plot holes, or oversights on the part of the writing team. I could find none. TSCC is PERFECT. Its material is so firmly rooted in Terminator mythology that it flows almost seamlessly from Terminator 2's big screen presence. The only noticeable difference is with the casting of new actors and actresses for the roles. Indeed, if Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong were hired to reprise their roles for this show, I dare say it would have been unstoppable. Previous plot elements are revisited here. In the pilot episode, Sarah and John make contact with Tarissa Dyson, the wife of the late Miles Dyson who sacrificed himself to blow up the CyberDyne building in T2. Secondary characters like Enrique Salceda and Dr. Peter Silberman also return. The interesting thing is, they really didn't have to. But the writing team is so focused on paying homage to the first two films that they refuse to ignore even minor characters. This is great stuff! Things really take an unexpected turn when Kyle Reese's brother Derek journeys back through time to help Sarah with their newfound resistance movement.

The writers don't stick to cheap plot devices, either. They tackle everything from Cromartie repairing himself and taking on a new appearance and identity, to Sarah's paranoia that the "Turk," a chess program developed by a rather ordinary guy could eventually transform into the maniacal A.I. known as SkyNET. There's a wealth of information presented, and spoilers would abound if I started to list them all here.

It might not have lived past Season 2, but TSCC deserves viewing. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, from the pacing, to the mood, to the music, is quintessential Terminator. If James Cameron wasn't immensely proud of the work done on this show, then I'd be extremely surprised and very disappointed.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles is definitely the best new show to come out this year. It takes place where Termiantor 2: Judgement Day leaves off. We follow Sarah Connor (Lena Headley, 300) and her son John Connor (Thomas Dekker, Heroes) are runing from Skynett, a futuristic company with evil intentions, and the FBI. Sarah and John are protected by a terminator sent from the future named Cameron (Summer Glau, Serenity).

The characters are all interesting and the show keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first episode right to the shocking final scene of the finale. The series completely makes up for the third Terminator film. This collection is a must-own for Terminator fans and anyone who loves great television.

The first season has a lot to live up to. If you're a fan of Terminator 1 and 2, you may question the choice of Sarah and John. However, both Thomas Dekker and Lena Headey explode on the screen. Lena Headey does an especially fabulous wonderful job embodying Sarah Connor. I am a huge fan of Terminator 2, and this series was like a dream come true (although, its life span was much too short!!). The first season is pretty short, but it has to set up a lot of scenarios for the second season to really start attacking. And let me tell you-the second season will take you for a ride.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season 1 [Blu-ray]

This was one of, if not THE best new series of last season. Despite the writer's strike shortening this series' first season down to only nine episodes, it was action packed! Forget the few negative reviews out there saying that it ignores T3, because that's a good thing. This is supposed to take place after T2, therefore T3 does not exist in this story line. The writing is clever and sticks to the Terminator canon. If you liked T1 and T2 and are willing to accept that this series uses them as its basis and goes in a slightly different direction, you'll love this series. If you're not willing to accept that and enjoy the deeper character development, then don't watch this. In my opinion, as a die hard Terminator fan, this series is an excellent, excellent compliment to the first two movies, and ignores the dreadful T3.

5 Stars!

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season

This was one of, if not THE best new series of last season. Despite the writer's strike shortening this series' first season down to only nine episodes, it was action packed! Forget the few negative reviews out there saying that it ignores T3, because that's a good thing. This is supposed to take place after T2, therefore T3 does not exist in this story line. The writing is clever and sticks to the Terminator canon. If you liked T1 and T2 and are willing to accept that this series uses them as its basis and goes in a slightly different direction, you'll love this series. If you're not willing to accept that and enjoy the deeper character development, then don't watch this. In my opinion, as a die hard Terminator fan, this series is an excellent, excellent compliment to the first two movies, and ignores the dreadful T3.

5 Stars!

I don't usually watch TV but i desided to purchase this series because I was a afan of the first two movies, and I was impressed. I stayed up from 2 am till 10am watching the entire thing at once which I did not mean to do.

This is the best small screen SCI-FI series. The story thankfully is more closer to the T2 film, thankfully not like the latest installment: Salvation. In my opninion the series seems to be more like the Cameron Chronicles, as it seems to focus mainly on her growth as an AI. If you are on the fence with whether to purchase this DVD or not, all I can say is that it will be the best choice to take the plunge and buy this DVD. This series is absolutely captivating, and you will be consumed by the storylines. I caught onto the series late in Season 2 and loved it, and immediately went out and bought Season one. I wish that FOX with reconsider and bring th series back to television, or have another producer pick up the series to continue it on. The series finale will torment me until some kind hearted network will continue the story...

Story is well developped and the picture quality and sound quality is exellent.
In addition the extras : comments , extras scenes , make off , bloopers are a definitive plus.
Even if they where Blu-Ray home recorder you cant have all of this at this quality level , so buy-it.

And Amazon.ca please get us the parity with Amazon.com who allready talk about season 2 and ask
buyer to get back soon or sign to get informed when it become available.

The season 2 was even better and needed to answer many questions left by season 1 ending.
I anticipate the blu-ray for season 2 will be as good in term of picture quality and sound.
Now the sad part is i get an e-mail from Amazon.com to Pre-Order-It but nothing on Amazon.ca.
Since i am a canadian it will be simpler to order from Amazon.ca , Please Amazon.ca Do-It-To .....

This serie have many websites of fans who ask even for a third season to be broadcast and release on DVD and Blu-Ray because it is one of the rare Science-fiction serie who mix well storyline and special effects.

Tackling a big-budget movie franchise like the Terminator and turning it into a syndicated weekly TV show is ambitious indeed. The phrase "biting off more than one can chew" certainly comes to mind, but the team behind Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" proves that they're more than able to handle the project.

SCC is a show that picks up where the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day left off. Sarah Connor and her son John have been living a relatively obscure life under the radar, moving from place to place to avoid any potential retaliation from the supercomputer SkyNET, which previously sent Terminators back through time to eliminate them both. As we all know, John Connor will grow up to lead the human resistance against the dominant machines controlled by SkyNET in a future Earth that has been decimated by a nuclear holocaust. August 29th, 1997 has passed, and Judgment Day did not occur, leaving John Connor to surmise that they are effectively in the clear. Sarah is less convinced, however, and that prompts them to leave their somewhat stable home (and a man Sarah has grown to fall in love with) for a fresh start.

Things soon become complex when John Connor enrolls for high school classes under a different name, yet soon becomes the target of a new, more advanced Terminator assassin posing as a substitute teacher. Barely escaping the classroom alive, John inadvertently bumps into the mysterious Cameron, a female Terminator who comes to his rescue. It soon becomes apparent that Judgment Day has merely been postponed. By altering the events of the future, Sarah and John must now contend with SkyNETS new and advanced Terminator model, the T-888, which is battle-hardened and much more effective at infiltration and assassination. Sarah realizes that the destruction of the CyberDyne building in Terminator 2 was merely a wound against SkyNET. She decides to set out and stop SkyNET's creation once and for all by following every possible lead to its eventual birth.

Skeptics would do themselves a favor by sitting down and following this series from the start. Interestingly, the TV show manages to follow the original style and feel of the first two Terminator films even better than Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. SCC attempts to play up the events of Terminator 3 as an alternate timeline, and its clear that the writers of the show were deadly serious on making their particular train of events part of official Terminator mythology. It's a highly ambitious and cocky goal, and they manage to pull it off beautifully. Never have I seen such bulletproof writing in all my life! I consider myself a huge Terminator buff, having known the mythology inside and out for almost 2 decades. From the very first episode, I could not spot one continuity flaw, mistake, goof or misstep. Actually, I found myself amazed at how the writers of the show continually drew from elements and plotlines of the first two Terminator films, digging into the rich history to give amazingly subtle cues and nods to those very films.

Plot elements range from references to the work done at CyberDyne systems under the deceased Miles Dyson (Sarah and John visit Dyson's widowed wife in the very first episode), to the introduction of Kyle Reese's brother Derek who has sent himself back through time to eliminate those who he thinks may have inadvertently helped create SkyNET. Furthermore, the series attempts to shed much more light on the future war, suggesting that it is far from the simple "man vs. machine" fight for survival suggested in the movies. There are torn loyalties, suspicions, and complex psychological issues going on throughout the entire war, giving its key characters plenty of emotional scarring to make them a threat in both future and past timelines.

As expected, SCC is more of a story-driven show, as opposed to the movies with their blistering, technical action sequences. Some episodes of the show have almost little to no action, instead relying on more complex social and narrative structure to get their point across. If one can let go of this fact and embrace the show for what it is, they're in for a huge treat. SCC continually rivets me to my seat with a solid foundation of just what is happening in the semi-future world of the early 21st century. The first season has everything: excellent characters, a truly terrifying Terminator villain, and multiple story arcs which have been thought out wonderfully. Lena Headey is talented enough to portray Sarah Connor as a fragmented, paranoid mother who possesses enough bravery and strength to go up against the A.I. that will eventually try to kill her and her son. Thomas Dekker is absolutely wonderful as John Connor, giving the character a much more hardened, mature edge which would be typical of a young man who went through the harrowing events of Terminator 2 and emerged with full realization of his destiny. Summer Glau makes for an eerie Terminator protector, attempting to strike a balance between the cold logic of a machine, while learning and expanding beyond her programming as she learns more about the complexity and fragility of human emotions. Richard T. Jones is an excellent wild card as FBI agent James Ellison, a man whose religious faith is tested by the realization that Sarah Connor's doomsday predictions are all too frighteningly real. Brian Austin Green eschews his pretty-boy "90210" days as Derek Reese, a battle-hardened soldier from the future who straddles the questionable line of ethics and morality on more than one occasion.

Perhaps the most scene-stealing character of the show however, is Garret Dillahunt, playing a relentless T-888 killing machine who continually tracks John Connor while posing as an FBI agent. If you thought Schwarzenegger's first T-800 Terminator and the T-1000 were relentless killers, you ain't seen NOTHING yet!

One could go on and on about just how relevant and vital this show really is. We're living in a time when serialized shows like LOST and HEROES keep writing themselves into a corner while constantly fumbling with the ball. Similarly, previous epics like 24 have become either too unrealistic or unbelievable, or just downright depressing in their tone and subject matter. Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles is a refreshingly fun dose of incredibly smart writing and slick production values. It isn't the unstoppable action juggernaut that its two big movie brothers are so well known for. Instead, it is a perfectly constructed piece of well written psychological drama that fleshes out its characters right down to their bone marrow, while weaving a complex and thought-provoking storyline where nothing is as it seems. Season 2 of the series would misstep a little with unbalanced episodes and a few jittery plot twists, but all in all, the series has managed to tie FRINGE for the best written dramatic sci-fi television we've seen since the Battlestar: Galactica remake.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the HD content of the TV show transmits beautifully onto Blu-Ray! There really is no excuse not to pick it up!