Cyborg crazy

Although it used to be a shinning gem among the science fiction rubble, the “Terminator” franchise lost a fair amount of its shine due to the disaster of 2003’s “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.” Abandoned by mythology mastermind James Cameron, the third film did little more than allow Arnold Schwarzenegger to collect an enormous paycheck. Yet the failure on the big screen didn’t keep the Connors away from the small screen, and Fox’s series “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” has revitalized the story.

The show follows Sarah and John Connor (Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker) in their post-“T2” lives circa 1999, when they are constantly on the run. But when two Terminators infiltrate John’s school (one to kill him, one to protect him), the Connors decide it’s time to fight back. With the assistance of the “good” Terminator Cameron (Summer Glau), they jump to 2007 in an attempt to destroy Skynet yet again.

For a weekly television series based on five hours of film (the show thankfully ignores “T3”), “Chronicles” is a refreshing, honest addition to the “Terminator” mythos. It’s clear that the crew gives special care to the past while adding interesting layers to the Connor story. In the first season the show covers a lot of ground, including stopping Skynet, Terminators with non-killing missions, and how John deals with his destiny.

Even though it’s a TV show, everything about it feels like a weekly motion picture. The performances are strong, especially with the mid-season addition of Brian Austin Green in a role too good to spoil. Green surprisingly makes the chemistry between all the leads ever better. Moreover, the special effects and action sequences look great throughout.

With a strike-shortened season, the DVD set only includes nine episodes, but is jam-packed full of superb special features. Included are better-than-average commentaries on three episodes, deleted scenes and an all-encompassing documentary that details the show’s inception.

In its short run, “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” was clearly one of the best new shows last season. The show is solid in all areas, from the writing to the score and will continue to terminate the competition.