SciFi Weekend: Uncertain if Sarah Connor Terminated; Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who News

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The season finale of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (previously reviewed here) was disappointing as it could turn to be the series finale but it raised more questions than it answered. There are rumors that Fox has already decided to cancel/terminate the show, while other speculate that they might continue it if the upcoming Terminator movie does well and increases interest in the series. Brian Austin Green (Derek Reese) says the episode was not intended to be a series finale and speculates that the show might continue into a third season:

CBR: To begin, the second season finale of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” aired the other night and had a mind-blowing ending that made the episode feel more like a series finale. Was that intentional?

Brian Austin Green: No. The third season is going to be incredible, if it happens. There were no intentions of this being a series finale. It was absolutely a season finale. There’s a plan where this can go and it’s so good. You know, I went on some of the Terminator sites just to see what fans were saying Friday night and there is a lot of confusion over it.

You have this episode where John Connor travels to a future where John Connor never existed. I don’t know if people completely get it because we work on a string theory, which we’ve dealt with during the season. We dealt with that with Jessie, in the future that she came from there was Charles Fisher, who tortured everyone. In the future I came from, he never existed. I don’t remember him. We were still together within these parallel futures but they were still different and they still had their own paths. This is the same concept. For John Connor to travel to a future where he never existed, where Kyle Reese never left, where Derek and Kyle are still fighting side by side, where Allison (the human Cameron was based on) is still very much present, what becomes of John? What better situation for somebody to grow up in and become the future leader than that? Than to be fighting in what he’s been trying to prevent? Not just being the top dog, being listened to for everything, but having to actually listen and follow.

You know, people have been complaining about John Connor since the beginning of the series. Complaining about Thomas Dekker, that he’s too wimpy. They say, “How’s he going to be the leader of the Resistance?” But the idea of this show is that we’re giving people what you don’t get an opportunity to see in the films. Because films are only two hours long, you don’t get the creation, you only get the birth of something. On our show, you get to start with this kid who is fifteen years-old turning sixteen and becoming somebody. If he was just that from the beginning where does the show go? Where do we go if it’s just the “Bad-ass John Connor Show?” Then what do you do?

If we just run around and shoot, then there’s no growth. It’s one of the things that [Executive Producer] Josh Friedman works really hard at, creating a series that can grow, that has room to move and breath, and the show has that. You know, you get to the end of the season and so many of the episodes in the middle, that people didn’t like, start making sense. He’s a storyteller and he tells in a very biblical form. He’s very good at laying out a season and making the entire season the story, not just episode to episode. There was a lot of payoff but then again, for season three, a lot of now new unanswered questions.

Since you mentioned the confusion about the ending, do you think Weaver is really trying to help John, and did Sarah make it to the future at the very end of the episode?

No, she stayed back. She stayed in the present time. She stepped out of the time-bubble and John and Weaver went forward by themselves.

It’s not completely clear yet but what we’re sort of getting, as far as Weaver goes, is that Weaver could end up being somebody who was sent back by John Connor in the future and John Henry was created as an alternate to Skynet. Something [to use] within this present where Skynet is sending Terminators back to kill him. Something that on a tech level could really help him evolve and learn in a different way than Skynet did. It could be [something John set into place], we’ll find out if we come back and hopefully we’ll find out.

What’s the word on season three? Have you heard anything yet?

No. Nobody’s heard anything. I’ve heard a lot of speculation, you know, people saying that it won’t be back but we thought that after our first season. We thought that again after the thirteenth episode of this season going into the back nine. We’ve kind of been the show that’s fought its way through and I don’t think we’re done. I don’t necessarily think that FOX is done with it. They really enjoy the show. It’s just that a show like this has a very specific audience. It’s a really intelligent show and for the people that don’t watch it every week, there’s no possible way they could follow it. Josh doesn’t want to dumb the show down for the people that don’t follow it, just so they can tune in whenever they want and sort of pick up wherever we are in the story. So it’s a tough line, you know, it’s a very unique series that way. I mean, it’s incredibly serialized and incredibly intelligent.

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The SciFi Channel has posted video of the panel discussion on  Battlestar Galactica held at the United Nations prior to the series finale.  The pilot to the prequel series  Caprica is being released on DVD on April 21. Sci-Fi Storm has a review.

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It’s been rumored that Catherine Tate will return as Donna Noble before the conclusion of the David Tennant episodes of Doctor Who. Tate has been spotted on the set during filming. Such reports might be misleading as the final episode reportedly will include dream sequences with people who have been involved with The Doctor. There is more of a chance that Donna might actually play a part in one of the two remaining episodes in order to allow her to restore her memories of her time with The Doctor. There also might be yet another spin off of Doctor Who, this time based upon UNIT technology expert Malcolm Tayor who appeared in this year’s Easter special.

5 Comments

  1. 1
    Christopher says:

    Unfortunately, at least three sources indicate ‘Sarah Connor’ will not be returning for another season.

    I say unfortunate because I am a big fan of the series.

    Also, it looks like the perfectly dreadful ‘Dollhouse’ won’t be back either. ‘Dollhouse’ is light porn for 14 year old boys and never really found its way.

    On a brighter note, the compelling and highly entertaining series ‘Fringe’ has found an audience and I’m pleased to say three sources report it will be back for another season.

  2. 2
    Ron Chusid says:

    While it is unlikely Sarah Connor will be renewed, the only source that matters is Fox and they have not yet given an answer. The movie does leave a wild card which gives them a small chance despite their low ratings.

    Dollhouse has shown tremendous potential in some of the recent shows. The biggest problem was Fox interfering. If Josh Whedon was left on his own I think we’d have a good show.

    Regardless of what might be done with the show, it also doesn’t have much of a chance to return. One thing which could possibly change would be if it picks up more viewers with a stronger show before it than Sarah Connor.

  3. 3
    Ron Chusid says:

    For whatever its worth,The Hollywood Reporter is giving a 10% chance for Sarah Connor to be renewed and a 50% chance for Dollhouse.

  4. 4
    Christopher says:

    What a shame about Sarah Connor.

    I think all the principles are terrific. Especially, Summer Glau, who has the toughest role to play in my opinion because as a machine, her character has to do the most with the least.

    She was very good on Serenity, too.

  5. 5
    Christopher says:

    I read this from the LA Times this morning on Caprica.

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/04/caprica-.html

    I’m not the only one going through withdrawal over BSG.

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