Well, the producers promised us one heck of an episode and they certainly delivered. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles went out with a big bang tonight and leaves lots of unanswered questions. Will we get answers next season?
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TSCC) continues the ongoing saga first started in 1984 in the original Terminator movie. This particular piece of the puzzle follows the travails of freedom fighter Sarah Connor (Lena Headey), her teenage son (humanity’s future savior) John (Thomas Dekker), and his Terminator protector, Cameron (Summer Glau). Others in the cast include Richard T. Jones, Brian Austin Green, Garret Dillahunt, Shirley Manson, Leven Rambin, Dean Winters, Stephanie Jacobsen, Mackenzie Brooke Smith, and Sonya Walger.
The FOX series premiered on January 13, 2008 — in the plum spot following an NFL playoff game. Over 18.6 million viewers watched with an impressive 11.1/16 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. However, without the benefit of a football lead-in, only 10.1 million returned to watch the next day, with a 6.2/9 in the demo. The third installment dropped again, to 8.66 million and a 5.3/8. Despite the vast decline, FOX opted to renew the series for season two.
 Loading ... |
When TSCC returned last September, it drew its worst numbers to date — 6.33 million and a 2.4/7 in the demo. Things got worse immediately and the series hit a dismal low of 4.57 million and a 1.8/5 in November. The show went on hiatus for two months starting in December. When it returned in February, TSCC served as a Friday night lead-in to a new sci-fi series, Dollhouse. The hope was that the pairing would be mutually beneficial but it didn’t work that way and many believe that TSCC has actually been hurting the Joss Whedon series. TSCC’s audience ended up dipping below three million in early March.
While many moviegoers are greatly anticipating the new Terminator movie, the TV series just hasn’t attracted enough interest. With ratings like these, it’s impossible to think that the series will return for a third year. That’s a huge shame because, after an episode like tonight’s, we’re left with a lot of unresolved plot points.
Tonight, we saw John Connor leave his mother behind and time travel to the future. Once there, he meets Derek (who doesn’t know him yet) and his dead father, Kyle Reese (who hasn’t fathered him yet). Reese is accompanied by very version of Cameron.
It’s obvious that the series is poised to take off in some interesting directions and is really hitting its stride. The fact that the last few episodes have been so strong make the show’s prospects all the more disappointing. It’s a shame that the writers didn’t get to this point sooner.
If the show doesn’t come back next season, and it looks like it won’t, are you upset with how the show has ended?
Image courtesy FOX.
I really love this series! The second half of this season has been really fascinating to watch. I will be heartbroken if the series doesn’t return, and I’m hoping that the new movie will generate interest in the series which might convince the network to give it a third season. Here’s hoping!
The episode, as always, was brilliant. I do not say this lightly. It is an excellent show with an outstanding cast and whatever it takes, this show deserves to be saved. Fox should know that The X-Files struggled with ratings at first, that Twenty-Four took a few seasons to develop a large enough fanbase. It’s unthinkable that such quality could be cut short. Unthinkable. Ridiculously bad “entertainment” persists, but one of the best series ever — EVER — is not bringing in the numbers so “hasta la vista, baby!”
LOVE this show. The last few episodes (with the exception of the sleep disorder one) have been kick ass, and I just can’t wait for them to come on. The last episode was a real mind blower and I hope they find some way to resolve it…it can’t just end there. Give it to Sci-Fi channel or bring it back for finale episodes, but too many questions left unanswered, and I hate that. Loved the entire cast, especially Summer Glau with the odd tension between her and John Connor. (like the Cyclon hybrids and humans on BSG!)–and interesting that Weaver… Read more »
Seriously? The SERIES finale?? Okay, just info as to where I’m coming from: “The Terminator” and “Judgement Day” — both awesome. T3 — stinky. With Tscc, the first couple of episodes in season 1 really had much the same problem as t3 — not a lot of “story”, and kind of slow moving. In season 2 we had a couple of awesome episodes early on, then stalled out a bit with a few episodes going by like “filler”. Finally in these last few things are taking some real shape, and now it’s going to be cancelled?? The biggest issue this… Read more »
I would also really like to see the show come back for a third season, but with ratings this low, it is very unlikely to happen. Although several posters have mentioned the very large online community for the show, it must be kept in mind, that TV networks are not samaritans who just love to make the fan of a show happy. The actors also don’t show up on the set, because they like the story, but because they need to get something between their teeth now and then. The ultimate goal for TV networks is to increase the numbers… Read more »
Although I was in many ways satisfied with the last episode, it definitely opened up a whole lot of new questions I’d love to see resolved. If it was very generous of Fox to play the initial episode after an NFL playoff game, then can we agree that it was moderately cruel of them to then move the show to a night where it was *competing* with football? Fox did a good job of marketing the show up front, but then seemingly decided to drop marketing efforts because the ratings dropped off. Isn’t the point of advertising to attract attention… Read more »
Please dont cancel Sarah Connor Chronicles.It’s the best program you have on FOX. And my family look forward to watching it every Friday.And if we miss it that night we watch it on our PC. So we hope you’ll bring it back soon.Or if you do cancel it We hope the Sicfi channel will bring it back. I hope you show how Weaver is involved in the fight against Skynet. And show if it’s Tyson’s son who is running Skynet.Now that would be interesting .And why Cameron gave John her chip? I don’t understand why all networks go by the… Read more »
Bring back TSCC and Lena Headey! Give her a chance to kick some skynet ass!
I’m an Italian fan of Terminator. I really hope to see the third season of this beautiful serial TV. Even if I love the trilogy of Terminator this serial tv is well done and I want to say that also in Europe and Italy it’s followed also with subtitles because people like me is impatient to see the show while we are to the begin of the 2 season yet.
So I really pray to see again John Connor and his friends in action.
I hope it comes back for a third season, but I really don’t expect it too. I have enjoyed watch this show, but I can understand if the rating aren’t there the network has to do what is best for the network. What gets in my skin is the network, writers, producers all knew this show was on the bubble. Why leave the fans with soon many question, if you don’t know for sure you are coming back? They could have very well tied up loose ends. The only show I have ever seen done this is Journeyman. Why start… Read more »
I am looking forward to see 3rd season. Summer the best. From russia with love. Timk.
The Networks and writers drag their feet with too many fluff episodes these days to make anything short of some epic cult following for shows to do well. How many more cop, crime and court shows can people really tolerate?
I don’t watch anything on tv these days either. HD download streaming with no commercials cuts a nice 20 minute chuck of what would be time wasted.
Honestly, I think the show killed itself.
How much of season 2 was just waiting fr something to happen?
By the time they got some headway into any action or real plot twists, it was too little, too late.
With what is happening with the storyline, we should of been up to this point a few months ago.
And as for Summer Glau, has she even had a full script page of dialog since November?
I totally agree. Sci Fi should pick this up in place of Galactia, which I loved. However,I love this show and would like to see what happens next season. The finale was awesome and leaves a lot of questions. I was really pissed when they killed Derek. I am glad to see he was on the finale. He has come a long way since 90210 and is way sexy (lucky Megan Fox). I hope they take it in the direction of the future for John. It looks as though Cameron is real and maybe was his love. Come back to… Read more »
I NEED another season. This show still has a lot of story to tell. I’m sad that Brian Austin Green got killed off without a spectatular send-off, but I can live with that.
They can take the next season in so many ways! I hope that this doesn’t get the axe.