Home Video Exclusives

[JohnIan101]

Past Tense


[An earlier version of this PT was originally posted on July 23rd, 2015 on JoBlo's "DVD, Blu-Ray & Home Theater Discussion" forum.]

Our children are built from our own imperfect flesh. We animate with magic and never truly know what they will do.

- S. Connor



"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete Second Season" was released on home video on September 22nd, 2009.

It streeted against "The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto", "Wallace and Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death" and "Adam Resurrected".

This release originally came with an embossed cardboard foil slipcase which mirrored the case's wraparound - the front. The rear is a promo image. The rear of the slipcase has DVD details and specs.

There was a single insert, a twelve page booklet; episode guide - with air dates and extras listing. This season set came in a thick transparent DVD case, holding the six discs.

The artwork inside is a promo image with the cast under an overpass.

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There was a single exclusive; from Best Buy once again. But NOT a steelbook case as the weekly ad states. Something different. This is a steel slipcase. This was available for DVD ($36.99) and Blu-Ray ($44.99) editions on street.

The back of the metal slipcase came with a gummied glued sheet which mirrors the rear of the DVD case; contents/info.

As with season one, wanted easy accessibility. The DVD case can become lodged in the steel. It's a firm fit.

In 2013 I took out the DVD after finding season two on sale at Wal-Mart for ten bucks. Ended up buying it just for the slipcase and selling the extra copy. I lost money, but I have that foil slipcase over my release.

The metal slipcase is now alone without the title inside - wrapped in a plastic bag, to keep it safe.



Above is the regular cover. I'm way too anal. *shrugs*

By the way, the steel slipcase's cover is the same image used on the booklet cover.

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Rant.



Had no problems with the addition of the Riley Dawson (Leven Rambin) character, the love interest for John. She too had her own dark secrets. It's too bad, she got a raw deal.

I'm leaving out an entire subplot - go watch the show if you haven't. Great ideas, executed with a good budget and cast.

Did enjoy the twisted sex scene.

Well as much of a moment John (Thomas Dekker) and Cameron (Summer Glau) will ever get.

The series finale - John cuts open his Protector and puts himself in...



His hand inside her abdomen; feeling under her chest plate. Making sure her coolant for the fuel cell (power source) is working; was both awkward and intimate.

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Footnotes.



Sounds bizarre; actor Michael Shanks auditioned for the role of Derek Reese (played by Brian Austin Green above). Shanks known for his role of Daniel Jackson on the long running cable series, "Stargate SG-1" (1997 - 2007; Showtime then Sci-Fi Channel) and it's spin-offs.

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So why doesn't the Kate Brewster character appear in the series? She is John's (future) wife

As mentioned in the last Past Tense, the series jumps over the events of "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" (2003). At this revised point; Kate (played by Claire Danes in T3) has yet to be reunited with John. Which could be awkward since she is now roughly a decade his senior.

It is quite possible that had the series continued her character may have made an appearance. In terms of the show, Brewster does exist (a veterinarian), living somewhere unseen in Los Angeles with her husband. She was engaged to a different man, Scott Petersen (Mark Famiglietti) as seen in T3.

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What happened to real Catherine Weaver (Shirley Manson)? And what exactly is her replacement?



This could have been a two part or so flashback episodes. Only bits were given, but enough to hint at something much larger.

In 2002 she and her husband, Lachlan (owners of ZeiraCorp) first discovered future technology among the wreckage of commuter plane crash in the eastern Sierra Mountains. They become obsessed with reverse engineering the found Terminator components.

What was that mission? And who destroyed that plane. We'll never know.

2005 there was a helicopter crash (near Barstow, CA), husband and wife were on board. It is suspected that Catherine was replaced with a machine; she miraculously survived the impact, Lachlan did not. Catherine took over the tech company.

Unknown if the T-1001 created the accident or was present nearby and use their deaths as an opportunity for infiltration.

The non-human woman is the next version above the T-1000 (an update as it were), a T-1001. Like her predecessor (played by Robert Patrick in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" [1991]) she is composed of a mimetic polyalloy flesh, centillion nanobots; microscopic machines working in tandem - imitating human cells. The difference is her model is a faster shape-shifter with quicker recovery time.

Imitation Catherine continues to reverse engineer future technology - her own war on SkyNet. This does make sense...

With any computer program, there always is a Beta version. It can be assume that there was a Beta for SkyNet. This too became sentient, but unlike its younger sibling did not go full blown homicidal.



Over the course of the show that chess playing computer The Turk was actually a separate, becoming A.I. entity. Which is why Imitation Catherine is so interested in John Henry - The Turk's system connected to the recovered Terminator body of Cromartie (Garret Dillahunt), "Project Babylon".

In short; a rival A.I. to fight SkyNet. THREE A.I.s in this time line now.

This series by the way - was singer Shirley Manson acting debut.

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What happens next, after the season two cliff hanger?

Not much is known; series creator, Josh Friedman had mapped out the first three seasons.

What is known?

Danny Dyson, son of Miles would have a major role. Could've been the new villain; he's the one directing Terminators (and aerial Hunter Killers - here called "Kraken") to kill Catherine and John Henry.



There was some talk in 2010 that show might return as a series of direct-to-video movies, it never happened.

It is unknown if Sarah would parent Savannah (Mackenzie Brooke Smith). Savannah being the human daughter of Catherine; an adoptive child, since the machine took over Catherine's identity.

The request was given (to James Ellison [Richard T. Jones]) before Catherine and John went to the future - 'take care of my daughter'. This could make the timeline further complicated, Sarah may decide to raises Savannah as a back-up for John.

Shades of the Dark Horse Comics' tale, "Endgame" (1992). In which Sarah gave birth, not to a son, but a daughter, Jane Connor. The result of so much time travel interference.

Hey, a missed opportunity... Terminator candy.

Bite sized (actual sized) NeuralNet Processor chocolate; shaped like Terminator CPUs. Sell to fanboys and fangirls alike. Sway! Or maybe a hard candy like a "Sweet Tart".

I'll close this Terminator PT with a quote that sums up the movies and TV series quite well...

We must conclude that the sequence of causality loops has become a whirlygig labyrinth of maybe hundreds, conceivably millions of loops. The movies and the various series might only be depicting scenes from a small percentage of events in this abyss of causality violations where humans end "somewhat on top".

In the rest of timelines any humans would not be so lucky.

- KhanneaSuntzu

Kill switch pulled.

That concludes the exclusives for Terminator saga. Come here on June 7th, 2018 for another television series, a fan favorite - month long coverage.