Close Call on 'Chronicles'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Let there be no mistake: Cromartie is really good at being bad.

So good, in fact, that I'm starting to ... wait for it ... like him.

ACK!

What is up with that?

Two words: Garret Dillahunt

Two more words: Digging him.

We already know I am a devout admirer of one Summer Glau, and her absolute brillance in portraying the Cameron terminator to perfection - the stillness, the precision, the one-liners. But, I don't think I'm giving enough credit to Garret's portrayal of Cromartie this season. As in, he's awfully good.

Creepy, but funny.

Cruel, yet tempered.

I confess I didn't care much for him last season. He was a little awkward, perhaps a little too machine-y. But this season, he's cool, clever, wickedly efficient and has a weird sense of humor that only machines seem to have without knowing they actually have it. And Garret seems to have ratcheted up doing his own machine-ness thing to perfection.

Even if it is for the bad guys.

(And in the interest of full disclosure, I did actually dig Robert Patrick's original portrayal of the T-1000 in the T2 film, so I guess I CAN like the bad guys, too.)

So it may come as a surprise (or not) that in watching this week's ep of Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, I found myself more fascinated in all-things Cromartie. His hot pursuit of John lead him to pair up - briefly - with Allison's (read: Cameron's) former best friend from the shelter (featured in the "Allison from Palmdale" ep). You know ... the one she tried to kill?

Revenge anyone?

And don't forget the milk, dear.

Girl was clueless she was driving around town with a machine. But hey, aren't they all.

And how about Agent Ellison almost being offed by his machine double of a self only to be saved by Cromartie because the C-Man believes Ellison will eventually lead him to the Connors? Nice!

Bummer for Ellison, though, since his "double" was identified as murdering a civilian when he ... ahem, arrived via his energy bubble.

Busted!

But have no fear. When you work for a well-placed T-1000, she'll get you out of impending murder charges faster than you can say Skynet.

Got to love Shirley. She just knows how to be in touch, eh? Not to mention she's the only one who believes Ellison at the moment. The whole wink - wink - you - know - I know the machines are here thing.

What didn't concern Cromartie this week concerned, as Derek said, "John Connor acting more like John Baum every day."

As in, do we think JC just wants to bail on this whole future leader of mankind thing?

No, but he surely wants to push all of mom's buttons in trying to have some sort of a life in the process - particularly after their house was broken into (whereby their indentities and small stashed fortune of diamonds fell into the wrong hands because girlfriend Riley forgot to reset the alarm code).

Oops.

Security risk.

Time to go, Riley.

And yet, I still like her, and I still like the fact John is trying to have some normal teen bonding time. But this leads to the ongoing John v. Sarah conflict (sheesh ... John's got as many mommy issues this season as Dexter does with daddy issues). That said, I do appreciate mother and prodigal son are NOT getting along. There is resentment, there is anger, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight to it.

But I can do without the mopey, need - to - grow - a - pair version of John, which thankfully was missing this week.

New episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up (or re-watch!)