The rules have been reset.
We close out Terminator Month with Week Four, where we jump into our homemade time displacement machine with Sam Mulvey of Ask an Atheist to break our brains trying to sort out the continuity of the sequel…prequel…soft reboot(?) that recreates the franchise for a new generation: Terminator: Genisys.
When John Connor sends soldier Kyle Reese back to 1984 Los Angeles to protect his mother and safeguard the future, Reese finds himself in a different 1984 with a different Sarah Connor. The war across time between humans and machines has fractured the timeline. Now the only thing standing between the human race and utter destruction are Kyle, Sarah and an older, obsolete T-800 Terminator acting as their protector. Bring plenty of aspirin and a flow chart.
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O.k., I can’t comment on the substance of this or the last episode, as I’ve never seen (nor have any intention of seeing) either Genysis or Rise of the Machines, but I just had to say your comments on Lorenzo Lamas made me snort out loud.
Also, I love that you now have a “why god why” tag, and kind of hope it’ll be used again.
I would also say that despite its flaws, this is a significant step up from 3.
In 3, John Connor wasn’t just a failed Messiah, he was utterly worthless. You could’ve replaced him with anyone else, and the result would’ve been the same, because his robot did everything for him. Including kidnap his bride. She was a stronger character than John Connor, but didn’t have much of a role. Just another victim of circumstances.
3 was all destiny. G at least lets them have an impact on the world they’re in. Aside of the pointless chase scenes, and the old Terminator repeating the same lines.