Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Dollhouse, and Reaper

Three shows that I would like to comment on after watching them last night, thanks to my DVR.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (SCC) is near the end of its run with the season finale to be aired next Friday. Brian Austin Green who plays Derek Reese, John Connor's uncle, gets killed by a terminator when turning a corner in a house. Just like that he is dead. Last week Charley Dixon, played by Dean Winter (who is such a good actor in shows like Oz, Sex and the City, CSI: Miami) got killed fending off an attack in order to give John time to get away. At least his death has some meaning.

Why kill Derek? Was it to show that anything can happen on SCC and that anybody can get killed? At least on shows like Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel, death occurred that meant something, not just a throw away like in SCC. And the characters that are getting killed in SCC are the interesting ones, not the bland boring characters that stay alive. Next week is the last episode for this season and I am betting the last in the series.

The first Terminator movie made sense, a last ditch effort by the machines to win stopped by the man who is to become John's father. If no other movies were made, John would grow up and lead the Resistance to victory and the time traveling bit would have ended after they sent Kyle Reese back to the past. Perfect film that now has been ruined by movie sequels and the TV series.

Though I did read in the latest issue of The Philosopher's Magazine that the first film could not have happened the way it did because the Terminator having gone first would have succeeded because no matter how soon Kyle Reese was sent back, logically would not be able to stop the Terminator since he was the first to travel back in time.

Last night's Dollhouse showed what is wrong with Whedon's series. Echo recovers her memory to a point where she tries to break the other dolls out. She confronts the head scientist (who is very unconvincing in the role) and demands an explanation for how they could do this to people. He claims that they are the good guys, that they do lots of good with the Dollhouse, and that when her contract is up, she will leave with tons of money and memories of all the fun she had.

Huh? Dude, you are running a high priced cat house for pervert rich guys who want to have their way with compliant women. What fraking good are you doing? There was an episode of Buffy which took place during Season 6, where the Terrible Trio had an ex girlfriend brainwashed to be their sex slave. She comes out of it right when they are arranging a tryst with her in a sexy French maid's outfit. She screams at them that they are perverted rapists and should go to jail.

This is what is going on in Dollhouse, brainwashed women who go out as high priced call girls made to do whatever the buyer wants and it is okay since they get mind wiped and will have a bunch of cash waiting for them when their contract is over. This is Whedon's idea of a great series? If this crap gets renewed, there is no fraking justice in the world.

So after watching two hours of crap, I watched Reaper on my DVR. This show is starting to get better and better. Tyler Labine as Sock had a very funny bit with his Asian stepsister (who is very sexy indeed). And Ben is the unsung brains of the group, last night he comes up with the idea of baptising the baby to keep her out of the Devil's hands. And Morgan, the Devil's other son, is revealing that there is more to him then what we thought.

It was like a breath of fresh air. This show needs to get renewed after the major improvement over the last couple of episodes. You really appreciate this show after watching two hours of Fox Friday night crap.

Oh well.