Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is heading in a new, inevitable direction.  The first, nine-episode season of Terminator can be viewed as a first act of sorts, at least for the character of John Connor.  In these first two season two episodes, the changes in John Connor have been front and center.  While his evolution as a character may seem sudden and jarring, the first season actually built up to the changes quite well.  John didn't become a different person simply because he cut his hair.  There was hope in that first season, hope that, at times, the Connors could live a relatively normal existence.  John could attend high school, the Connors could stop moving from location to location, etc.  Clearly, this was not going to work, and during this season's premiere, a flip was switched within John Connor.  He has, finally, accepted his fate, accepted his role.  This has made him, at once, detached and more confident.

At first, I found the Riley-John story line peculiar during last night's episode.  It seemed like simply a way to bring John into an episode that didn't particularly need him.  Riley is a weird character as well, one of those Manic Pixie Dream Girls, like Natalie Portman in Garden State or Kate Hudson in Almost Famous.  She's kooky, open, alluring, and strangely attracted to a character she really shouldn't be attracted to.  I constantly asked myself “What in hell does she see in John?” during last night's episode.  The new John Connor we witnessed with Riley is quiet, sad, maybe scared, and fiercely independent (or, at least that's the aura he'd like to emit).  But, he's also boring.  Riley is intrigued, likely, by the Ryan Atwood-esque brooding.  That's my guess.  To me, last episode's John was not someone I'd enjoy spending time with.

John's transformation is a very important part of the series.  The weight of his mission has finally begun to hit him and the pressure must be unbearable.  While in the past John deflected thoughts of his future, opted simply to stay in the present, he's now started to let it all seep in.  This is going to harden him, force him to become more independent, lead him to training, make him a leader.  The rift between John and Sarah will open up to a greater extent over the course of Terminator's second season.  I assume it will be the major non-action story-line of the season. 

After thinking about it, I decided that I did like what Terminator did with John and Riley yesterday.  Plot-wise, there was nothing necessary.  It was merely a character study, the likes of which audiences rarely see on network television.  There were two points to the Riley/John B-Story: to introduce Riley as a new character, and to show John's newfound independence through his interaction with Riley.  With that independence comes a loss of innocence and, if last night is any indication, the end of John being a high-schooler.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)