Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox
Friday 9pm ET/PT
Bartleby Company
Halcyon Productions
Warner Brothers Television
Lots of great stuff in this episode including a couple of heart-to-heart talks between John and Cameron.
Cameron to John on Former Agent Ellison, after Ellison came to their hotel room with a message from Catherine Weaver:
"He upset you?"
"Me? I think he upset you."
"You know that's impossible."
"Is it?"
"You said it yourself, John. I'm just a machine."
After waking up John by sitting on his bed, watching him (Cameron doesn't sleep), Cameron removed her top and showed John how to check to make sure her system was working properly. This made me a little queasy as the action implied (but did not show on-screen) that John cut into Cameron's abdomen and reached inside her metal interior. Ick. Yes, she's a machine. But she doesn't look like one.
The image of Cameron with her human resistance fighters in the future, next to a trusty German shepherd (watchdog of the resistance) was touching. I'm just a little worried the show is going overboard, and of course John of 2009 seeing future John (or "future me," as he refers to himself) compromises the time-space continuum.
Showing posts with label Terminator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terminator. Show all posts
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
TV Update
Terminator
The BAG bites the dust: a Terminator shoots Derrick Reese (Brian Austin Green). I was stunned. First Jessie (Stephanie Jacobsen) is written out of the show, and now her boyfriend Reese, John's uncle, is shot when our group of friends, realizing Savannah is in danger, head to the corporate campus to rescue her. Funny how they arrive just as an attack is under way. I am as incredulous as Catherine Weaver: why were Savannah and Weaver targeted?
Does Weaver remind anyone of Miss Parker in The Pretender?
When are Ellison and Sarah going to figure out Weaver is a machine? I hope before it's too late and she targets them first. Did Weaver notice that our friends have a cyborg working with them? JohnHenry did.
I liked Cameron killing that guy who was going to remove her chip in the March 27 episode. Who are these people working for? I wonder if Weaver and the Connors will end up working together. They need to retrieve Sarah from incarceration first.
Kings: interesting show that I'm struggling getting into. An English-speaking kingdom is fighting a war with Gath, a nation with whom it maintains diplomatic relations. (Odd.) Gath's tanks are marked "GOLIATH"--so much for Biblical subtlety. The kingdom's capital, Shiloh, looks a lot like Manhattan with some updated 21st-Century buildings. I'm only halfway through the pilot, so I'll post again when I finish.
24: Would it be possible for a large, powerful military contractor like Starkwood to threaten the executive branch and attempt to take over America? That seemed to be its desire as the clock struck midnight and Starkwood's soldiers threatened to engage FBI agents on Starkwood property in Virginia. The series continues tonight.
Lost: The Dharma members end up setting the seed for their own destruction by allowing The Others to save Ben's life and then taking him back. Big mistake, it turns out.
BTW What's up with Sun and Frank? Are they still in the 21st Century? What are they up to? Sun will not be able to find Jin if he's stuck in 1977.
Hurley worried about tough questions like, "Who was president in 1977?" The Worthless One, Jimmy Carter, DUH.
The Unusuals (new abc series that follows Lost on Wednesdays): not sure if the series is going to be as good as the trailer. Interesting that NBC is replacing "ER" (which I never cared for) with another cop show, Southland.
Dancing with the Stars: Shawn Johnson or Melissa Rycroft? Does this series really need to be 3 hrs./wk.? Yeesh.
The Office: I'm still catching up. Michael tried repeating everything his new boss said, right back to him, like a little kid. Pam's reaction: “I can tell Michael’s mood by which comedy routine he chooses to do: the more infantile, the more upset he is. He just skipped the Ace Ventura talking butt thing, and he never skips it. This is bad.”
NCAA Men's Final Four: If North Carolina beats Michigan State tonight, that will be three wins for UNC in Ford Field this season, compared to none for the Detroit Lions. And Detroit played five additional games.
The BAG bites the dust: a Terminator shoots Derrick Reese (Brian Austin Green). I was stunned. First Jessie (Stephanie Jacobsen) is written out of the show, and now her boyfriend Reese, John's uncle, is shot when our group of friends, realizing Savannah is in danger, head to the corporate campus to rescue her. Funny how they arrive just as an attack is under way. I am as incredulous as Catherine Weaver: why were Savannah and Weaver targeted?
Does Weaver remind anyone of Miss Parker in The Pretender?
When are Ellison and Sarah going to figure out Weaver is a machine? I hope before it's too late and she targets them first. Did Weaver notice that our friends have a cyborg working with them? JohnHenry did.
I liked Cameron killing that guy who was going to remove her chip in the March 27 episode. Who are these people working for? I wonder if Weaver and the Connors will end up working together. They need to retrieve Sarah from incarceration first.
Kings: interesting show that I'm struggling getting into. An English-speaking kingdom is fighting a war with Gath, a nation with whom it maintains diplomatic relations. (Odd.) Gath's tanks are marked "GOLIATH"--so much for Biblical subtlety. The kingdom's capital, Shiloh, looks a lot like Manhattan with some updated 21st-Century buildings. I'm only halfway through the pilot, so I'll post again when I finish.
24: Would it be possible for a large, powerful military contractor like Starkwood to threaten the executive branch and attempt to take over America? That seemed to be its desire as the clock struck midnight and Starkwood's soldiers threatened to engage FBI agents on Starkwood property in Virginia. The series continues tonight.
Lost: The Dharma members end up setting the seed for their own destruction by allowing The Others to save Ben's life and then taking him back. Big mistake, it turns out.
BTW What's up with Sun and Frank? Are they still in the 21st Century? What are they up to? Sun will not be able to find Jin if he's stuck in 1977.
Hurley worried about tough questions like, "Who was president in 1977?" The Worthless One, Jimmy Carter, DUH.
The Unusuals (new abc series that follows Lost on Wednesdays): not sure if the series is going to be as good as the trailer. Interesting that NBC is replacing "ER" (which I never cared for) with another cop show, Southland.
Dancing with the Stars: Shawn Johnson or Melissa Rycroft? Does this series really need to be 3 hrs./wk.? Yeesh.
The Office: I'm still catching up. Michael tried repeating everything his new boss said, right back to him, like a little kid. Pam's reaction: “I can tell Michael’s mood by which comedy routine he chooses to do: the more infantile, the more upset he is. He just skipped the Ace Ventura talking butt thing, and he never skips it. This is bad.”
NCAA Men's Final Four: If North Carolina beats Michigan State tonight, that will be three wins for UNC in Ford Field this season, compared to none for the Detroit Lions. And Detroit played five additional games.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Terminator
Fox
Fridays
Halcyon Productions
Warner Brothers Television
Cameron finally sees some action in this episode. As for the John Henry lab: what is this leading up to? And will Miss Weaver discover Cameron?
Fox
Fridays
Halcyon Productions
Warner Brothers Television
Cameron finally sees some action in this episode. As for the John Henry lab: what is this leading up to? And will Miss Weaver discover Cameron?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Terminator: reality is a nightmare
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox
Fridays 8pm ET/PT
Bartlesby Productions
Halcyon Productions
Warner Brothers Television
Feb. 27 episode
It was difficult to discern what was real and what was another Sarah Connor nightmare in this episode. I'm sure it resonates with people who suffer from recurring nightmares.
The actress who played Sarah's nurse at the sleep disorder clinic, Julie Ann Emery, performed a masterful job as someone who was deceptively friendly but darkly part of the Skynet conspiracy.
Sarah's comments at the beginning of the show about midnight and the first three hours of the day were particularly chilling.
On another note: Brian Austin Green (whom I affectionately refer to as "the BAG") does not appear in this episode. However, I did notice his transformation from tv camera geek on Beverly Hills 90210 to a very believable resistance military officer, Derek Reese, here on Terminator. And he fathered a child with Vanessa Marcil, star of now-defunct tv show Las Vegas. So that's impressive too.
Nice cheesecake moment at 28:30. Doesn't Cameron have better things to do? Make pancakes. Right.
Fox
Fridays 8pm ET/PT
Bartlesby Productions
Halcyon Productions
Warner Brothers Television
Feb. 27 episode
It was difficult to discern what was real and what was another Sarah Connor nightmare in this episode. I'm sure it resonates with people who suffer from recurring nightmares.
The actress who played Sarah's nurse at the sleep disorder clinic, Julie Ann Emery, performed a masterful job as someone who was deceptively friendly but darkly part of the Skynet conspiracy.
Sarah's comments at the beginning of the show about midnight and the first three hours of the day were particularly chilling.
On another note: Brian Austin Green (whom I affectionately refer to as "the BAG") does not appear in this episode. However, I did notice his transformation from tv camera geek on Beverly Hills 90210 to a very believable resistance military officer, Derek Reese, here on Terminator. And he fathered a child with Vanessa Marcil, star of now-defunct tv show Las Vegas. So that's impressive too.
Nice cheesecake moment at 28:30. Doesn't Cameron have better things to do? Make pancakes. Right.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Terminator returns to Fox
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox
Fridays 8pm ET/PT
Bartlesby Productions
Halcyon Productions
Warner Brothers Television
Feb. 13 episode
This wasn't such a great episode, but I'm glad Terminator returned to Fox. I was afraid after Fox dropped it from its Monday lineup that it wouldn't come back. Now in the Friday tv ghetto, Fox is hopeful that pairing Terminator with Dollhouse will give it a noticeable Friday night lineup with strong female leads.
Watching Sarah deal with her gunshot wound was grueling. (I could feel her pain.) Aside from that, there wasn't much else for the characters to do. John Henry the machine figured out Miss Catherine Weaver (Shirley Manson from the group Garbage) is a machine. He found an unsecured audio clip online, so Weaver went to the source and wiped out everyone in attendance--apparently about a dozen people. I was waiting for her to come out of the urinal again.
Are Reese, John and Cameron going to figure out why Riley is hanging around so much? Especially Reese. He doesn't realize Riley and Jesse, his girlfriend, know each other. As usual, Summer Glau is more like a prop in this episode than a character.
Fox
Fridays 8pm ET/PT
Bartlesby Productions
Halcyon Productions
Warner Brothers Television
Feb. 13 episode
This wasn't such a great episode, but I'm glad Terminator returned to Fox. I was afraid after Fox dropped it from its Monday lineup that it wouldn't come back. Now in the Friday tv ghetto, Fox is hopeful that pairing Terminator with Dollhouse will give it a noticeable Friday night lineup with strong female leads.
Watching Sarah deal with her gunshot wound was grueling. (I could feel her pain.) Aside from that, there wasn't much else for the characters to do. John Henry the machine figured out Miss Catherine Weaver (Shirley Manson from the group Garbage) is a machine. He found an unsecured audio clip online, so Weaver went to the source and wiped out everyone in attendance--apparently about a dozen people. I was waiting for her to come out of the urinal again.
Are Reese, John and Cameron going to figure out why Riley is hanging around so much? Especially Reese. He doesn't realize Riley and Jesse, his girlfriend, know each other. As usual, Summer Glau is more like a prop in this episode than a character.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
UFO’s + Terminators = ?
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Episode 13: “Earthlings Welcome Here”; Air date 12-15-08
Halcyon Productions
This episode was a little odd but shed some light on Riley’s past. So she came back with Jesse to 2008, and her assignment is to...protect John from Cameron? And Cameron’s assignment is to protect John from cyborg killers. So is Riley a bit redundant? No wonder she is so upset. It’s also a letdown when one finds out a person one thinks is a friend considers one just a peon and lackey. Worth killing oneself over? I don’t think so. Riley knows what Cameron is and really should be more guarded since she should know Cameron is an excellent observer of human behavior. Cameron keeps trying to warn John about Riley but isn’t doing a good job.
I’m a little sympathetic to Cameron’s plight, even though she’s not supposed to have feelings that can be hurt. She exists to protect John, yet Sarah and John treat her like she’s in the way. They’re not very nice. Cameron tries to be the third wheel with Riley and John—doesn’t eat or drink but wants a smoothie—and it’s very awkward.
The guy living in drag kind of freaked me out. I wonder if everyone on his team was hunted down and executed like him. Interesting (a stretch?) that Sarah was able to find the warehouse where he worked. We’ll see if she’s able to get out of there without too much blood loss. Who was the motorcyclist executioner working for? What is the alien connection to cyborgs and Terminators, if any? My curiosity is piqued.
Miss Weaver hasn’t shape-shifted or killed anyone in quite a few episodes. She’s due.
Science fiction tv side note: it appears NBC is ready to cancel Knight Rider, which is not nearly as popular in 2008 as it was when it first debuted in 1982. Too bad—it’s a decent show, especially with Smith Cho helping run operations at CentCom (Knight Industries home base).
Fox Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Episode 13: “Earthlings Welcome Here”; Air date 12-15-08
Halcyon Productions
This episode was a little odd but shed some light on Riley’s past. So she came back with Jesse to 2008, and her assignment is to...protect John from Cameron? And Cameron’s assignment is to protect John from cyborg killers. So is Riley a bit redundant? No wonder she is so upset. It’s also a letdown when one finds out a person one thinks is a friend considers one just a peon and lackey. Worth killing oneself over? I don’t think so. Riley knows what Cameron is and really should be more guarded since she should know Cameron is an excellent observer of human behavior. Cameron keeps trying to warn John about Riley but isn’t doing a good job.
I’m a little sympathetic to Cameron’s plight, even though she’s not supposed to have feelings that can be hurt. She exists to protect John, yet Sarah and John treat her like she’s in the way. They’re not very nice. Cameron tries to be the third wheel with Riley and John—doesn’t eat or drink but wants a smoothie—and it’s very awkward.
The guy living in drag kind of freaked me out. I wonder if everyone on his team was hunted down and executed like him. Interesting (a stretch?) that Sarah was able to find the warehouse where he worked. We’ll see if she’s able to get out of there without too much blood loss. Who was the motorcyclist executioner working for? What is the alien connection to cyborgs and Terminators, if any? My curiosity is piqued.
Miss Weaver hasn’t shape-shifted or killed anyone in quite a few episodes. She’s due.
Science fiction tv side note: it appears NBC is ready to cancel Knight Rider, which is not nearly as popular in 2008 as it was when it first debuted in 1982. Too bad—it’s a decent show, especially with Smith Cho helping run operations at CentCom (Knight Industries home base).
Monday, December 15, 2008
Connors race to woods to save family from Terminator attack
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Episode 12: “Alpine Fields”; Air date 12-08-08
Halcyon Productions
Directors: Charles Beeson, Bryan Spicer
This was a tough episode. The directors use creepy music to announce the arrival of another Terminator on the scene. It really does feel like a manhunt when the Terminator kills the family dog (off-screen) and throws Cameron into a plate-glass window. Too bad Cameron accidentally killed Roger, Sidney’s father. Can’t she tell who is a cyborg and who is human? I was wondering about that—specifically, how a cyborg matches up with a human in terms of body weight and temperature. Cameron (Summer Glau) looks like she weighs 100-110 pounds (45-50 kg). As a cyborg, is that estimate accurate?
“She’s not my daughter. She’s one of them.” Sarah could be nicer. Cameron just does her job.
If sending a Terminator back to 2008 to kill people is so easy, why doesn’t Skynet send more than one? Its Terminators are running into resistance here.
Fox Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Episode 12: “Alpine Fields”; Air date 12-08-08
Halcyon Productions
Directors: Charles Beeson, Bryan Spicer
This was a tough episode. The directors use creepy music to announce the arrival of another Terminator on the scene. It really does feel like a manhunt when the Terminator kills the family dog (off-screen) and throws Cameron into a plate-glass window. Too bad Cameron accidentally killed Roger, Sidney’s father. Can’t she tell who is a cyborg and who is human? I was wondering about that—specifically, how a cyborg matches up with a human in terms of body weight and temperature. Cameron (Summer Glau) looks like she weighs 100-110 pounds (45-50 kg). As a cyborg, is that estimate accurate?
“She’s not my daughter. She’s one of them.” Sarah could be nicer. Cameron just does her job.
If sending a Terminator back to 2008 to kill people is so easy, why doesn’t Skynet send more than one? Its Terminators are running into resistance here.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Terminator 12-01-08
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox
Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Episode 11 (spoilers): Self Made Man
Directed by Holly Dale
Air date: Dec. 1, 2008
All season, I’ve been complaining that the writers sidelined Cameron (Summer Glau), John’s cyborg protector, while focusing on Sarah, John and Derrick—and even Ellison and Weaver. This episode suggests the writers were reading my blog and taking notes. Sarah and John had small parts, and Derrick (Brian Austin Green—the BAG), Ellison or Weaver did not appear. To me, the episode’s time-shifting between the 1920’s and present day eerily recalled the Stephen King classic The Shining. Cameron was busy in a research library tracking down the fate of someone who suddenly showed up Dec. 31, 1920, made a fortune in real estate, and disappeared a few years later. She suspected this mystery man of being a Terminator. She correctly concluded his return date was incorrect—Dec. 31, 1920 rather than Dec. 31, 2010—and set out to determine why he was sent back from the future and how to stop him from completing his mission. Her research and interplay/flirtation with the night librarian was pretty amusing until she correctly diagnosed his cancer return. She flipped through microfilm and pulled the sheet she was looking for without using the magnifier—pretty funny.
One sticking point in my mind: last season Cameron didn’t bother protecting an informant from Romanian underworld assassins. Why was she so interested in being a heroine—protecting the next governor of California from certain assassination—if it didn’t serve her primary mission of protecting John?
Fox
Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Episode 11 (spoilers): Self Made Man
Directed by Holly Dale
Air date: Dec. 1, 2008
All season, I’ve been complaining that the writers sidelined Cameron (Summer Glau), John’s cyborg protector, while focusing on Sarah, John and Derrick—and even Ellison and Weaver. This episode suggests the writers were reading my blog and taking notes. Sarah and John had small parts, and Derrick (Brian Austin Green—the BAG), Ellison or Weaver did not appear. To me, the episode’s time-shifting between the 1920’s and present day eerily recalled the Stephen King classic The Shining. Cameron was busy in a research library tracking down the fate of someone who suddenly showed up Dec. 31, 1920, made a fortune in real estate, and disappeared a few years later. She suspected this mystery man of being a Terminator. She correctly concluded his return date was incorrect—Dec. 31, 1920 rather than Dec. 31, 2010—and set out to determine why he was sent back from the future and how to stop him from completing his mission. Her research and interplay/flirtation with the night librarian was pretty amusing until she correctly diagnosed his cancer return. She flipped through microfilm and pulled the sheet she was looking for without using the magnifier—pretty funny.
One sticking point in my mind: last season Cameron didn’t bother protecting an informant from Romanian underworld assassins. Why was she so interested in being a heroine—protecting the next governor of California from certain assassination—if it didn’t serve her primary mission of protecting John?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friends show their true selves on Terminator
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Fox
Halcyon Productions
Episode 10
The opening scene was as exciting as the rest of the episode. John Connor’s uncle, Derek Reese (Brian Austin Green, or the BAG), discovered his back-from-the-future girlfriend Jesse (the very attractive Hong Kong native Stephanie Jacobsen) was tracking John. He confronted her in her hotel room and gave her 30 seconds to leave. She countered that the Resistance sent her back to protect John, and it is the cyborg, Cameron, John’s supposed protector, who is the problem. Jesse touched a nerve here; from his experience in the War Against the Machines, Reese can’t stand cyborgs and doesn’t trust Cameron. He decided to give Jesse more time. It gets better: John’s apparent girlfriend Riley, whom he met in school before dropping out, works for Jesse. Interesting, but they’re not really double agents. If they worked for the Machines and had wanted John dead, they have had plenty of opportunities. I thought the rest of the episode, with the high-tech company, the chip, and embezzlement, was a waste of time. Powering up Cromartie the Terminator as an extension of the AI computer John Henry? Very dangerous. I still can’t figure out what Miss Weaver wants to accomplish. I don’t think she’s after John Connor. Why did she rebuild Cromartie?
Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Fox
Halcyon Productions
Episode 10
The opening scene was as exciting as the rest of the episode. John Connor’s uncle, Derek Reese (Brian Austin Green, or the BAG), discovered his back-from-the-future girlfriend Jesse (the very attractive Hong Kong native Stephanie Jacobsen) was tracking John. He confronted her in her hotel room and gave her 30 seconds to leave. She countered that the Resistance sent her back to protect John, and it is the cyborg, Cameron, John’s supposed protector, who is the problem. Jesse touched a nerve here; from his experience in the War Against the Machines, Reese can’t stand cyborgs and doesn’t trust Cameron. He decided to give Jesse more time. It gets better: John’s apparent girlfriend Riley, whom he met in school before dropping out, works for Jesse. Interesting, but they’re not really double agents. If they worked for the Machines and had wanted John dead, they have had plenty of opportunities. I thought the rest of the episode, with the high-tech company, the chip, and embezzlement, was a waste of time. Powering up Cromartie the Terminator as an extension of the AI computer John Henry? Very dangerous. I still can’t figure out what Miss Weaver wants to accomplish. I don’t think she’s after John Connor. Why did she rebuild Cromartie?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A couple of tv notes
A couple of tv notes:
The Office (spoilers)
NBC
Thursdays 9pm ET/PT
Michael Scott is such an ass, and I’m getting tired of it. I saw one item refer to him as a “grinning idiot,” and I think that’s an apt description. Michael firmly believes he is a great person, a great boss (the mug he bought himself even says so), and a great boyfriend. He is none of these things. He gets others into trouble and then absolves himself of any responsibility. He cannot keep a secret. He demands being the center of attention and cannot stand it when someone else is in charge. He behaves poorly and immaturely when his actions cause his own embarrassment. His ethics violations at the office would certainly doom any real-world branch manager. He seems to work hard at being racially and ethnically insensitive and often personally insults his underlings.
Lying to his office about being engaged, encouraging a subordinate to purchase a bridesmaid dress, and then throwing out the store receipt she gave him for the dress she couldn’t use: that’s Michael for you.
Obviously, this is a winning formula for a tv show, and people love it. I’m more interested in the interplay between Dwight and Jim, which Jim finds hilarious and Dwight finds irritating. (Dwight is no charmer either.) And I’m waiting to see how Andy’s and Angela’s wedding at Dwight’s beet farm is going to blow up. Dwight and Angela are having an affair.
Terminator:
The Catherine Weaver cyborg is obviously an updated Terminator version compared to Cromartie (deceased) and Cameron. Catherine Weaver can shape-shift and turn her forefinger and tongue into a metal rod of death. Unless she’s hiding ability, Cameron doesn’t come so well equipped.
The Office (spoilers)
NBC
Thursdays 9pm ET/PT
Michael Scott is such an ass, and I’m getting tired of it. I saw one item refer to him as a “grinning idiot,” and I think that’s an apt description. Michael firmly believes he is a great person, a great boss (the mug he bought himself even says so), and a great boyfriend. He is none of these things. He gets others into trouble and then absolves himself of any responsibility. He cannot keep a secret. He demands being the center of attention and cannot stand it when someone else is in charge. He behaves poorly and immaturely when his actions cause his own embarrassment. His ethics violations at the office would certainly doom any real-world branch manager. He seems to work hard at being racially and ethnically insensitive and often personally insults his underlings.
Lying to his office about being engaged, encouraging a subordinate to purchase a bridesmaid dress, and then throwing out the store receipt she gave him for the dress she couldn’t use: that’s Michael for you.
Obviously, this is a winning formula for a tv show, and people love it. I’m more interested in the interplay between Dwight and Jim, which Jim finds hilarious and Dwight finds irritating. (Dwight is no charmer either.) And I’m waiting to see how Andy’s and Angela’s wedding at Dwight’s beet farm is going to blow up. Dwight and Angela are having an affair.
Terminator:
The Catherine Weaver cyborg is obviously an updated Terminator version compared to Cromartie (deceased) and Cameron. Catherine Weaver can shape-shift and turn her forefinger and tongue into a metal rod of death. Unless she’s hiding ability, Cameron doesn’t come so well equipped.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Terminator Episode 8 (spoilers)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Air date: Nov. 10, 2008
The bloody assault on the rural Mexican police station eerily recalls Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attempt to kill John Connor while Connor was in police custody in the original film.
Cromartie, the cyborg Terminator, told Sarah that she and Cameron were making mistakes. Then he’s the one who walks into a building (the local church) where he can be targeted from multiple positions above him. That’s just a fatal error (as it turns out), regardless of his mission priority.
Sarah wanted John to stop seeing Riley because she felt their dating put the Connors and Riley in danger. Sarah wasn’t able to convince John, so Cameron, John’s cyborg protector played by 27-year-old Summer Glau, gave it a shot. Cameron walked up to John’s bedroom, found him lying in bed, removed her jacket (sleeveless top) and joined him. “Why are you taking your jacket off?” asked John.
“I’m hot.”
“You don’t get hot.”
“Yes I do.”
No, she doesn’t. She’s a machine. John went on to ask if she was in bed with him just to “weird out” his mom. Cameron said no and then pressed the Riley issue. John acquiesced, Cameron thought, so she went downstairs to tell Sarah the good news. “I don’t like the way you convince John,” said Sarah, or something to that effect.
“I get results.” Well, not this time. John sneaked out, leading to the Mexico showdown. Let’s see if Cameron tries that again. It actually was a little weird.
Fox Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Air date: Nov. 10, 2008
The bloody assault on the rural Mexican police station eerily recalls Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attempt to kill John Connor while Connor was in police custody in the original film.
Cromartie, the cyborg Terminator, told Sarah that she and Cameron were making mistakes. Then he’s the one who walks into a building (the local church) where he can be targeted from multiple positions above him. That’s just a fatal error (as it turns out), regardless of his mission priority.
Sarah wanted John to stop seeing Riley because she felt their dating put the Connors and Riley in danger. Sarah wasn’t able to convince John, so Cameron, John’s cyborg protector played by 27-year-old Summer Glau, gave it a shot. Cameron walked up to John’s bedroom, found him lying in bed, removed her jacket (sleeveless top) and joined him. “Why are you taking your jacket off?” asked John.
“I’m hot.”
“You don’t get hot.”
“Yes I do.”
No, she doesn’t. She’s a machine. John went on to ask if she was in bed with him just to “weird out” his mom. Cameron said no and then pressed the Riley issue. John acquiesced, Cameron thought, so she went downstairs to tell Sarah the good news. “I don’t like the way you convince John,” said Sarah, or something to that effect.
“I get results.” Well, not this time. John sneaked out, leading to the Mexico showdown. Let’s see if Cameron tries that again. It actually was a little weird.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Zabasearch; Intelligus
Most people have run their names through google.com to see what pops up. Maybe a family tree; maybe one’s Facebook page; maybe a mention in media. It’s worth running to see the results in case anyone else tries the same search.
Ever tried www.zabasearch.com?
The results are revealing, and that’s what scares me. Age. Phone number. Current address. Previous address. A link to www.intelligus.com for more information.
At a previous position a few years ago, I refused to tell a co-worker my age. He simply ran me through www.intelligus.com and then told me my age. Nice.
In Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger went back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor so she wouldn’t give birth to John Connor, who ultimately won the war against Skynet and the machines. Schwarzenegger didn’t have Sarah Connor’s contact information; he only knew she lived in or near Los Angeles. So he looked up “Sarah Connor” in the L.A. phone book and hunted down each listing. I don’t believe a Terminator is coming after me, but I am concerned about contact information being even more readily available. Obviously, zabasearch.com is a lot more accurate than a phone book. A few years ago, I read a magazine article about a guy who didn’t like being so easily identified, either. So he worked hard at disappearing, legally. He unlisted his phone number and had mail delivered to a private rented box. Since it wasn’t a PO box, he could list it as his “street address” without people knowing it wasn’t real. He registered a shell company (legal) that owned his home and his car so his name couldn’t be traced to them. He advised against voter registration and entering any contests/sweepstakes, as they are just market research tactics designed to allow companies to learn more about the entrants.
I am a big proponent of voter registration, but it is a problem for me that it makes one’s address a matter of public record. (Hollywood stars get around this by registering at their agents’ downtown offices.) I registered my name and email address at zabasearch.com so it emails me anytime someone runs my name. Thankfully, Zabasearch can’t figure out where I live. It’s just a few steps behind. HA! The only reason it has my Fitch Avenue address is because I connected a land line for dial-up use for a few months and didn’t bother to have it unlisted. In terms of hiding one’s real street address: I do have a real problem with the three huge credit-reporting agencies being in possession of that information. With identity theft being the scourge it is, I don’t believe we’re safe in a situation in which anyone with a few pieces of information about someone suddenly has access to so much more.
Ever tried www.zabasearch.com?
The results are revealing, and that’s what scares me. Age. Phone number. Current address. Previous address. A link to www.intelligus.com for more information.
At a previous position a few years ago, I refused to tell a co-worker my age. He simply ran me through www.intelligus.com and then told me my age. Nice.
In Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger went back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor so she wouldn’t give birth to John Connor, who ultimately won the war against Skynet and the machines. Schwarzenegger didn’t have Sarah Connor’s contact information; he only knew she lived in or near Los Angeles. So he looked up “Sarah Connor” in the L.A. phone book and hunted down each listing. I don’t believe a Terminator is coming after me, but I am concerned about contact information being even more readily available. Obviously, zabasearch.com is a lot more accurate than a phone book. A few years ago, I read a magazine article about a guy who didn’t like being so easily identified, either. So he worked hard at disappearing, legally. He unlisted his phone number and had mail delivered to a private rented box. Since it wasn’t a PO box, he could list it as his “street address” without people knowing it wasn’t real. He registered a shell company (legal) that owned his home and his car so his name couldn’t be traced to them. He advised against voter registration and entering any contests/sweepstakes, as they are just market research tactics designed to allow companies to learn more about the entrants.
I am a big proponent of voter registration, but it is a problem for me that it makes one’s address a matter of public record. (Hollywood stars get around this by registering at their agents’ downtown offices.) I registered my name and email address at zabasearch.com so it emails me anytime someone runs my name. Thankfully, Zabasearch can’t figure out where I live. It’s just a few steps behind. HA! The only reason it has my Fitch Avenue address is because I connected a land line for dial-up use for a few months and didn’t bother to have it unlisted. In terms of hiding one’s real street address: I do have a real problem with the three huge credit-reporting agencies being in possession of that information. With identity theft being the scourge it is, I don’t believe we’re safe in a situation in which anyone with a few pieces of information about someone suddenly has access to so much more.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Terminator Nov. 3 (spoilers)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox
Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Episode : Brothers of Nablus
Air Date: Nov. 3, 2008
Spoilers below
Some material described below is pretty gross
In the opening sequence, LAPD Sgt. (Ret.) James Ellison reaches to open the door, and the door swings open, knocking him to the floor. Facing him is someone who appears to look exactly like him. Knowing that cyborgs can take the form of any human they choose, we know the intruder is probably another Terminator. “James Ellison?” the intruder asks. Ellison nods or says yes, the intruder reaches for his gun, and then….
….a metal rod protrudes from the intruder’s chest. We see Cromartie, a Terminator charged with killing the Connors, behind the cyborg Ellison, reaching inside him and ripping out his power source. “I believe in you more than Skynet does,” Cromartie explains to Ellison, still on the floor. “I believe you’ll lead me to the Connors.”
It’s rare that a tv episode opens with such a gory sequence. I was comforted with the thought that it wasn’t a human being impaled like that; it was just a cyborg pretending to be a human. Still. Gross.
Before heading over to Ellison’s house to take him out, the cyborg apparently strangled someone shortly after he reached this time period. LAPD arrested Sgt. Ellison because he looks just like him, but he was released when Det. Kaplan (Kaplan?) showed the judge a written statement from the witness, which made the witness sound crazy. As I suspected, Det. Kaplan turned out to be a shape-shifting cyborg Catherine Weaver, who dropped her Scottish accent for her brief role. The shape-shifting is a lot more impressive than the voice imitation that cyborgs can do.
Apparently when Weaver arrived in L.A., she took the form of a woman, killed that woman and her husband, and is now raising the woman’s 7-year-old daughter as her own. Creepy. I can’t figure out Weaver’s mission. I think she wants to track down the other cyborgs. (From what I can tell, she has plenty from which to choose.) Anyone?
It’s not often we see frum Jews on tv series that are not about frum Jews. The last time I remember such a sequence was a couple of episodes of NYPD Blue, and that was more than a decade ago. It’s probably better that way. In this episode, part of the plot—burglary of the Connors’ home—led them to a jewelry dealer/fence, who was “Moshe,” wore a kippah, and discussed the Torah and Hashem’s plans for him. He turned out to be pretty sleazy, and Jesse (Reese’s girlfriend, played by the talented Stephanie Jacobsen) shot him in the head.
Antisemitic undertones were mild or nonexistent. I caught Moshe’s kippah once, but no one commented on his Jewish identity. The discussion between Cameron and Sarah of Jacob, his daughter, and her rapist’s hometown’s mass circumcision and subsequent massacre didn’t mention Jews.
It seems the show’s writers decided to sideline Cameron’s character in favor of the Connor family unit. John decided to drop out of school, so there’s hardly any interaction between John and Cameron. She just stands around acting as the Connors’ security detail. I understand that’s her job. Still. The show drags with Cameron in the background.
Fox
Mondays 8pm ET/PT
Episode : Brothers of Nablus
Air Date: Nov. 3, 2008
Spoilers below
Some material described below is pretty gross
In the opening sequence, LAPD Sgt. (Ret.) James Ellison reaches to open the door, and the door swings open, knocking him to the floor. Facing him is someone who appears to look exactly like him. Knowing that cyborgs can take the form of any human they choose, we know the intruder is probably another Terminator. “James Ellison?” the intruder asks. Ellison nods or says yes, the intruder reaches for his gun, and then….
….a metal rod protrudes from the intruder’s chest. We see Cromartie, a Terminator charged with killing the Connors, behind the cyborg Ellison, reaching inside him and ripping out his power source. “I believe in you more than Skynet does,” Cromartie explains to Ellison, still on the floor. “I believe you’ll lead me to the Connors.”
It’s rare that a tv episode opens with such a gory sequence. I was comforted with the thought that it wasn’t a human being impaled like that; it was just a cyborg pretending to be a human. Still. Gross.
Before heading over to Ellison’s house to take him out, the cyborg apparently strangled someone shortly after he reached this time period. LAPD arrested Sgt. Ellison because he looks just like him, but he was released when Det. Kaplan (Kaplan?) showed the judge a written statement from the witness, which made the witness sound crazy. As I suspected, Det. Kaplan turned out to be a shape-shifting cyborg Catherine Weaver, who dropped her Scottish accent for her brief role. The shape-shifting is a lot more impressive than the voice imitation that cyborgs can do.
Apparently when Weaver arrived in L.A., she took the form of a woman, killed that woman and her husband, and is now raising the woman’s 7-year-old daughter as her own. Creepy. I can’t figure out Weaver’s mission. I think she wants to track down the other cyborgs. (From what I can tell, she has plenty from which to choose.) Anyone?
It’s not often we see frum Jews on tv series that are not about frum Jews. The last time I remember such a sequence was a couple of episodes of NYPD Blue, and that was more than a decade ago. It’s probably better that way. In this episode, part of the plot—burglary of the Connors’ home—led them to a jewelry dealer/fence, who was “Moshe,” wore a kippah, and discussed the Torah and Hashem’s plans for him. He turned out to be pretty sleazy, and Jesse (Reese’s girlfriend, played by the talented Stephanie Jacobsen) shot him in the head.
Antisemitic undertones were mild or nonexistent. I caught Moshe’s kippah once, but no one commented on his Jewish identity. The discussion between Cameron and Sarah of Jacob, his daughter, and her rapist’s hometown’s mass circumcision and subsequent massacre didn’t mention Jews.
It seems the show’s writers decided to sideline Cameron’s character in favor of the Connor family unit. John decided to drop out of school, so there’s hardly any interaction between John and Cameron. She just stands around acting as the Connors’ security detail. I understand that’s her job. Still. The show drags with Cameron in the background.
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