Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season 1-2 [DVD]

I watched the first episode of this show with some trepidation and with no particular feeling that I would become hooked. As the third Terminator movie had been a struggle to watch all the way through, I felt that the franchise was doomed to suffer diminishing returns, and it was hard to see how a tv spin-off might work. Such concerns disappeared quickly as the show makes the breathtakingly brilliant decision to ignore the third movie (effectively creating a new time-line where it never happened) and so it becomes a direct sequel to the events of the second film. Having got this set-up right the show then proceeds in a logical way that doesn't contradict the movies, but also moves the story on in an entertaining way. In fact it never lets up the excitement through its short (due to the writers' strike) first season and even if the second season slows the pace, the innovation is still continual.

The show neatly creates a situation in which Sarah, played by a new actress who rapidly makes the role her own, and her son John are transported to 2007 where they continue to run from the bad terminators who are sent back in time to kill them. They are aided in their fight by the best character in the series of good terminator Cameron, and so slowly they start to tire of running and they seek to turn the tables on Skynet...

Initially the show has something of a monster of the week format (with terminators). But before that can become repetitive the second series creates a mythology of its own with new characters and complex time-travel scenarios that build on the concepts of predestined fate that were at the heart of the original film (and the Outer Limits stories on which it was based). With growing arc stories and subtle references such as the characters Cameron and Ellison, the show has the confident feel of one that could run for years. It didn't, being cut off just as the format was showing intriguing hints of an ever-evolving direction. But then again most of the best sf shows get cancelled before their time and so this one never had to run the risk that the format would run out of steam, and what we're left with is a show with no poor episodes that holds up to repeated viewing.

Series 2 Disc 1 skips, stutters and freezes at various points:
1:45:04 - 1:45:16
1:50:10 - 1:50:25
2:05:21 - 2:05:36

These timestamps were taken from another comment here but I can confirm my disc stutters at the same places. I think some more places as well.

I wasted a lot of time cleaning the disc, cleaning my player, trying in different players etc. Then I came online and saw that this is a known problem with the UK disc since 2009. It is badly mastered.

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Update - I was eventually able to get a new disc without these glitches by contacting WBCustomerServices but this does not change the fact that these defective discs should have been removed from circulation a long long time ago to save me all this trouble in the first place. I purchased in Dec 2011 and there are reviews describing the problem going back as far as 2009. This is ample time to put the fixed discs in circulation.

If your watching or intend in watching this series you dont need me to write about its story, you would already know of it. From what I gather the plug was pulled at the end of series 2 so I wouldnt be holding my breath for series 3. So I will instead review the Blu Ray boxset.

Firstly as another reviewer mentioned the slip case is tight as. You cant remove the 2 cases from within. The only way I was able to was to open the other end trying very hard not to tear it and push cases from one end while pulling from the other. Whoever designed the content layout for series 1 did a big boo boo with no episode selection, also no episodes are named. It basically plays all the way through the discs. Then you discover theres an extended version of episode 7 'The Demon Hand'. Only that the full extended version lacks background sound and a few green screens. So I watched it all taking note of what the extra scenes are which was no way of watching an episode. I then noted the extra scenes available, only to discover when done that those extra scenes appear seperately on the extras menu ie waste of time watching the extended episode. Also unlike season 2 there is no booklet to guide you through the series. The are 3 discs for Series 1. Subtitles available are: English, French & Latin Spanish. There is no marking as Region B, but do your own research whether region free.

Outer slip case says 9 discs but fact is there are only 8 discs and so its a printing error. All in all they did a bit of a mess with this boxset, but if you like the materiel as I do, you will make do, flaws and all.

Season 2's first disc has a couple of playback faults throughout the disc as previous reviewers mentioned. It hung a few times then continued a few seconds later and had some fuzzy picture that lasted a second. True to say if the procuction house knows of these flaws yet to date have not done anything about them is irresponsible imho. See "Comments" below review for information how to get faulty disc replaced.

Season 2 at least has a booklet. Subtitles are: English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish & French. Besides the first disc of season 2 all the others had no playback issues. Of course after viewing the last episode expect to be pretty dissapointed that theres no further season. In fact I find it hard to understand why they pulled the plug. They had so much materiel to work with and could have been another BSG or B5. A real pity considering how so much rubbish goes on and on really deserving to be pulled, yet this one didnt seem to have much faith by Warner or whoever is responsible. I can only hope somehow they will wake up to themselves but I wont be holding my breath.

Oh and dont forget to watch the gag reel after your done with season 2, it is really good, I repeat it is really good. Dont miss it.

Oh and finally, yes the Blu Ray quality is excellent and would normally have awarded 5 stars but for flaws indicated will have to drop a star. Ok done and dusted. Now its your turn to watch, its still worth it.

If you have found any of my words useful to you at all, please vote on it. Thanks.