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The Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles cast and crew are a jolly bunch. And, they probably should be. The series arrived last season with the utmost skepticism. Rightly so, too – film to television adaptations rarely work out. But, thanks to a lot of hype and an impressive pilot, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles became the highest-rated new show of last season. Today, the Comic-Con crowd was given a special sneak peek at the second season, plus a lively discussion with the entire cast, including newcomer Shirley Manson (lead singer of Garbage).
We began with the season 2 preview. Sarah and John have much more inter-personal conflict than we’ve seen before. Cromartie is back, and he and Agent Ellison have further dialogue. John’s hair is cut short, and he begins to start his training – he’s tired of being cared for and he wants to kick some ass on his own. There looks to be a running plot in which the Connors have to take care of a younger child. Why, I don’t know. It ends with a quote from John, directed at his mother: “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone, including you.”
The panelists were: Executive producer John Wirth, producer James Middleton, cast members Thomas Dekker, Lena Headey, Summer Glau, Brian Austin Green, Garret Dillahunt, Richard T. Jones, and Shirley Manson.
Show runner Josh Friedman acted as the moderator for the panel, though he didn’t really want to. He did a good job, and I think they should do more panels in this manner. The show runner has more insight, knows the panelists better than anyone, and is fully capable of asking the exact questions that the audience will find interesting. He began the panel by giving James Middleton mad props for the work he did on the show during the writers’ strike. Here are the rest of the highlights from the panel.
Friedman loved the way Summer Glau walked as Cameron from the pilot on. She walked like a show horse, he thought, incredibly precise and full of grace. Summer talked about how the physicality of the role was what she focused on, because that’s really all she has to go off.
Lena, asked what Sarah would do if she had a day off, said that she would buy some Valium and find Agent Ellison for a fun night.
Josh Friedman to Richard T. Jones: “You made a very specific choice with your character: you decided to play him black.”
In the first season, Dekker infused some “intentional frustration” with John Connor having always to hide behind his hair, stay at the computer. This season we’ll get back to ass-kicking. He maybe comes to the conclusion that living a normal life isn’t possible.
Shirley Manson said the week before her first day on set she was a nervous wreck, terrified. You see, she had never acted in anything ever before. The first day on set wasn’t any better, she was shaking, completely terrified. Now, five episodes in, she’s a little less terrified. But, still terrified. “I feel like I’ve got a new band, just younger and better-looking,” Shirley said.
Brian Austin Green, in regards to Derek Reese in season 2, said that he’s just finding it odd to be in a place so nice, with blue skies, but he also has the stress of never wanting to be in the terrible future he knows ever again. He also thanked all the fans who hated his casting before seeing him at work, and then changing their minds and supporting him.
Season 2 tidbits:
ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THE PANEL WILL DIE BY THE END OF SEASON TWO.
Sarah, and the other characters, will interact more with the real world. The characters will be less insulated.
The Connor family will have to crumble. The writers are taking John away from Sarah. And, while the family is falling apart, SkyNet is coming together.
Fun fact: Lena Headey has a lot of tattoos, and that’s why we don’t see her in tank tops as much as we would otherwise. It takes a few hours of makeup to remove the tats for the camera.
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-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
