What I'm Watching: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Season 1, Episode 5 “Queen’s Gambit” (C-)

The overarching story here might be a good one, but the specific plotlines are dull as anything. Like a former occupant of the Mondays-at-9pm timeslot (“Heroes”), the fact that a character is in high school is taken too much to heart and far too much of the series takes place at the school with unneeded emphasis on math homework and guidance counselors. Get back to the main point of the show! That does not mean more computer-talk involving that chess player. Additionally, Sarah spilling the beans to John about Reese’s identity is not a good move for the space-time continuum. There is no way the future can turn out as it was supposed to after all the damage done by the 1,420 Terminators sent back in time. What this episode does do well is harp on drama at the right moments. When Cameron unscrews the Terminator’s brain or whatever she did, she experiences a moment of uncertainty and looks quite pained and conflicted by the experience. At least there is a way to really kill these things and make sure they do not come back. The ending is the strongest part of the episode (and possibly the entire show so far). After going so long without being able to trust a soul, John chooses to trust a genuinely kind person who used to be part of his and Sarah’s life. The looks exchanged between the three of them possess an effective subtlety that this show should utilize far more often.