Terminator: The Sarah Connor Yawnfest

After gushing over "Breaking Bad," I think it's time to weigh in on another show, but instead of being tucked away on a low exposure cable channel and receiving no real publicity, this show received the hype befitting one of Fox's can't miss supershows.

It mostly missed.
Not a Bionic Woman miss, but it started off bad enough, at a time when it had no viable competition and American Gladiators was ruling the world, that they are still waiting to hear if they are going to get renewed for next season.

Terminator's entire season consisted of only 9 shows, but they weren't utilized the wasy that "Breaking Bad" utilized their own. (And with this, I have made my last "Breaking Nad reference). Still, I thought that towards the end of the season, this show was starting to take form, and that it had gotten over the hump that most new shows, especially sci-fi based ones, need to get past to be able to continue. There just seems to be a point where the characters and storyline either demonstrate that there is enough to keep going, or not.

I can think of one good example, from years ago, "Nowhere Man," a show that I surely would have blogged about wholeheartedly if I was any more connected then than my AOL dial in and didn't spend all my time writing on Amazing Instant Stories. That show came out of the box much better than Terminator, but the writer's hit a wall, and about seven episodes in you knew it wasn't going to last. Then it was gone.

Terminator's run this year has been a little different, it didn't start off that well, despite the hype, the first few episodes were too predictaqble, and similar, as if they thought that they could get by trotting out the same parade of special effects every week and people would keep coming back.

Slowly, and in full stride by the season finale, they began to build back story, and develop some character, if only microscopically compared to ..,. well, you know. The teenage girl robot, Cameron, that was sent back to protect John Connor, is interesting if predictable, and provides most of the good possibilities for storylines coming up. They teased about her turning on everyone in then finale, but it didn't happen. If there is a next season I am sure that she will figure in prominently.

I have to admit, I slept through half the first few episodes, but really didn't miss anything, it was only the last two or three that started to get interesting enough to pay attention. Sorry Fox, thats just the truth. It was partially the addition of Brian Austin Green as another freedom fighter from the future joining the family, and partially character change and development, that brought me into the fold, if reluctantly. Along with others, according to the ratings

This show might simply have debuted under too harsh a spotlight. Battlestar Galactica took some time to find itself and it's audience, and maybe this show will too, next year.