For those who saw the original pilot, leaked quite some time ago, you may have experienced a level of disappointment in terms of the quality of the show. I thought the pilot was uninspired, but at least entertaining. I supported the show and looked forward to it mostly out of loyalty to Firefly alum Summer Glau, who was excellent even in the pilot. The writing was poor with numerous logic errors, silly lines, and a simple rehashed plot taken directly from T2, but with less special effects. I admittedly did not have high hopes for a long running Terminator series.
Oh, but, was I delighted when the show started! Immediately from the first regular episode I realized the quality of the writing had absolutely skyrocketed. The plot took a huge twist into new territory, unexplored by previous films. Thank god it didn't devolve into silly "terminator of the week" robot fighting nonsense. Even the acting had improved! Lena Headey is very tough and very believable as Linda Hamilton's old character Sarah Connor. Thomas Dekker is much less annoying (no Anakin Skywalker wannabe here) as an adult playing an angsty teenager, and playing it well. His character is actually important and plays a real role in the plot, as opposed to a VIP to be hidden in a basement.
Supporting roles in the characters of James Ellison and Charley Dixon are also very well played and compelling. Best way to make a sympathetic, heroic character without giving him hardly any screen time or lines: make him an EMT! Seriously, though, Dean Winters does a great job with the small amount of screen time he is given. I'm sure he will be a fan favorite. Richard T. Jones takes the Ellison role, originally written as the generic "good guy cop who figures it all out" guy, and expands and layers it into something much more interesting. Can't say enough for how much these guys contribute, with their few key scenes.
The quality of the show continued to improve throughout the series. At about the halfway point we get a new regular character, played by Brian Austin Green. If you haven't read spoilers yet on his character, don't! He is fantastic and really adds to the dynamic between the characters. He gets a handful of truly mesmerizing key scenes, especially in the season finale, which cannot be missed. We also get a new (old?) character played by Garret Dillahunt. Again, don't want to give anything away here: watch the show! Overall my opinion of this show is that it is quite excellent and cannot be missed. Watch the pilot but do not be deterred by the errors and other problems. Watch the first season all the way through to the finale and be blown away. I can't say enough for the writers and actors for their work on this great piece of TV.
Oh, but, was I delighted when the show started! Immediately from the first regular episode I realized the quality of the writing had absolutely skyrocketed. The plot took a huge twist into new territory, unexplored by previous films. Thank god it didn't devolve into silly "terminator of the week" robot fighting nonsense. Even the acting had improved! Lena Headey is very tough and very believable as Linda Hamilton's old character Sarah Connor. Thomas Dekker is much less annoying (no Anakin Skywalker wannabe here) as an adult playing an angsty teenager, and playing it well. His character is actually important and plays a real role in the plot, as opposed to a VIP to be hidden in a basement.
Supporting roles in the characters of James Ellison and Charley Dixon are also very well played and compelling. Best way to make a sympathetic, heroic character without giving him hardly any screen time or lines: make him an EMT! Seriously, though, Dean Winters does a great job with the small amount of screen time he is given. I'm sure he will be a fan favorite. Richard T. Jones takes the Ellison role, originally written as the generic "good guy cop who figures it all out" guy, and expands and layers it into something much more interesting. Can't say enough for how much these guys contribute, with their few key scenes.
The quality of the show continued to improve throughout the series. At about the halfway point we get a new regular character, played by Brian Austin Green. If you haven't read spoilers yet on his character, don't! He is fantastic and really adds to the dynamic between the characters. He gets a handful of truly mesmerizing key scenes, especially in the season finale, which cannot be missed. We also get a new (old?) character played by Garret Dillahunt. Again, don't want to give anything away here: watch the show! Overall my opinion of this show is that it is quite excellent and cannot be missed. Watch the pilot but do not be deterred by the errors and other problems. Watch the first season all the way through to the finale and be blown away. I can't say enough for the writers and actors for their work on this great piece of TV.