TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES - THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
Warner Home Video / Region 1 / Released September 2009 in a 6 disc box set
The Sarah Connor Chronicles is the fabulous TV take on the Terminator franchise which plays a pivotal role in the convoluted ouvre of the series. Warner have just released the second and final season of the show which stars the gorgeous Lena Headey as Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton in the movies). Picking up plot threads between Terminators 2 and 3 TSCC initially picks up in 1999 (before moving quickly to the present day) with Sarah and her son John having to come to terms that she is possibly going to die of cancer and the fact that Judgement Day hasn't been stopped but merely postponed. Trying to stay one step ahead of the enemies from the future (in particular the Terminator called Comartie, who wants them dead knowing that back in the future John is the lead of the human resistance movement), Sarah and John team up with Cameron, a female Terminator from the year 2027 that has been sent back in time by John's future self, to try and remain at large.
Season two picks up with Cameron recovering from the attack by Sarkissian and with the trio trying to uncover more information that can lead them to Skynet. Sarah also becomes obsessed with a strange 3-dot symbol that may or may not have something to do with UFO's, as the season draws to its final episodes the tension and action ramp up enormously and there is a major shock in store for the finale Born to Run.
Yes the storyline is complex and needs to be concentrated on strongly to make sure that no threads are lost but The Sarah Connor Chronicles is like classic old school scifi at its best, it manages to maintain the interest with lapses into story of the week territory but always keeps the plot moving forward so that a real sense of urgency develops. It's a major, major shame that the series has been cancelled, however the DVD releases do go some way to make up for the loss, it's the kind of series you will return to time and again to pick up on the little plot points and pointers that you may have missed first time out.
The casting is very strong too, besides Headey, also very worthy of mention is Summer Glau as Cameron who changes and develops over the course of the two seasons and it was also great to see Garbage singer Shirley Manson in a surprise role as a terminator in the finale.
A top notch series with movie quality effects and one that will resonate with fans for a long time to come, don't miss this one.
The six disc set is full of extras too from audio commentaries, eight featurettes, scenes that never made it to air, storyboard sequences, a backstage glimpse at a fight rehearsal and a blooper reel.
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