Cold Case 'Chronicles'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

TO: Detective Lilly Rush
Philadelphia Police Department
Homicide
Central Division

Dear Detective Rush:

I hear you are the best in the country at investigating cold case homicides, so I'm writing to let you know there is a terminator machine in Los Angeles who would make a great addition to your squad. She'd help solve every cold job boxed up in your department's basement (and storage facilities), and you'd never have to worry about getting shot again. As an added bonus, she can be pre-programmed to be your BFF so that you can talk out your ever-growing list of issues (believe me, I know). She's a little dense, requires some fine tuning, but all in all, a lot of potential. Her name is Cameron. Please inquire.

Kindest regards,
Sarah J. Connor


Last night, I wasn't sure if I was watching Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles or Cold Case Terminator?

Now, I'm not going to complain because a) there was lots of Cameron (and thus, Summer Glau - never a bad thing); b) fantastic Cold Case-esque production value for the 1920s flashbacks (and anyone who knows me knows my favorite episodes of Cold Case have always centered on the oldest-themed eps - "Best Friends" anyone?); c) cutie-pie exchanges between Cam and her temporary BFF Eric (our wheelchair-bound night shift clerk at county records, who had obviously spent more time bonding with Cam over donuts and late night perusing than was shown on screen ... awww).

But seriously ... I really didn't want to watch Cold Case disguised as a T:SCC episode nor did I really need to see Cam doing her best impression of Lil' trying to solve a cold job mixture of a homicide/missing person case. The roundabout way in which it was tied to the future world destruction compliments of Skynet seemed an odd stretch at best. Some T-888 ends up in the wrong place/wrong time circa the 1920s, but eventually ends up in a wall in a newly renovated building circa 2008 whereby he's on "Pause" waiting to assassinate a future governor in 2010 ...?

'kay.

Time travel much?

And if all that wasn't a CC/T:SCC crossover in the making: the episode was directed by Holly Dale - long time Cold Case director alum. And yet, I will say Holly was indeed the woman for this ep - her time over on CC served her well in setting up the flashback sequences. But this was supposed to be T:SCC, not CC. As such, I felt like I was watching a cop procedural.

Where was our reintroduction of Cromartie as AI John Henry that was so cleverly set up at the end of last week's ep?

Or the pursuit / investigation / interest in the fact Cromartie's body IS missing?

Hello? Is this on?

That said, I liked the ep, but I couldn't help but think it came out of left field.

Again.

And I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Again.

While these kind of eps are fine and good for a die-hard fans like myself, I still am feeling like this isn't exactly what people signed up for in terms of watching this show - very slow, very deliberate, very intricate, very sort of WTF-get-on-with-it. And with last week's record low viewership (something in the bargain basement of four million viewers), things are looking a bit ominous IN SPITE of the fact FOX picked the show up for the full season.

Hmmmm.

And as much as I loved the Reilly character, I'm ready for her to be terminated. She's annoying. She's a nag. She's getting in the way. She's making John look like a moron. I'll buy the distraction, let - John - be - a - teenager - thing to a point, but we're now past it. John popping his cherry at Makeout Point is, like, so Gossip Girl. We're saving the world, here, people!!!!

The fall finale is scheduled for December 15th (that's in two weeks), then the show goes on hiatus until February where it will reappear in its new die a slow death timeslot. With what's been on display thus far this season - half-good, half-not-so-much - I'm officially starting to get worried.

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!)