Canon-Strike: The Terminator

[Neon Ignition]

There is actually one other canon direction that could be considered that I had forgotten about, the original continuation of Terminator 2...


Terminator 2 3D
The US theme park ride which Cameron personally made alongside Hamilton, Arnie and Furlong which see's Sarah fight back against Skynet in a post-T2 timeline where Skynet still continues to exist and the events lead to the T-800 and John being sent forward in time to the last days of the Future War. As much as it's just a 90's era theme park experience it's the only real extended action experience we ever get set in the future war as it was depicted in those brief opening moments as Arnie and John race through the debris buildings chased by different Skynet machines before entering the Skynet base and battling a T-1000000 before finally destroying Skynet in the future. It's a curious one because it actually broaches the idea of a third Terminator adventure in a way that none of the four sequel films ever did.

Would it have been better for a Terminator 3 to be set in the present day and see Sarah/John be sent to the future, thereby inversing the usual set up, in order to end Skynet but in a post-Judgment Day way that effectively closes the franchise in a way that is a plot reversal of the original films plot aka a Human sent forward in time to kill the machine rather than a machine sent back in time to kill a human?

[Dogg Thang]

Would it have been better for a Terminator 3 to be set in the present day and see Sarah/John be sent to the future, thereby inversing the usual set up, in order to end Skynet but in a post-Judgment Day way that effectively closes the franchise in a way that is a plot reversal of the original films plot aka a Human sent forward in time to kill the machine rather than a machine sent back in time to kill a human?

That would definitely at least mix up the formula, which I have felt the whole series has fallen victim to. It would be close enough in concept and yet would have to go a different direction.

[QualityChimp]

Yeah, but the time travel machine only goes backwards. It's a one-way trip.
That's what makes Kyle's sacrifice so strong in the original - he goes back to save everyone and save Sarah.

[Neon Ignition]

Four years on an this thread is ready for an update:

Terminator Zero
The recent anime series starts in 1997 with a rival system to Skynet set to come online a day before Judgment Day. The series only loosely ties itself to the film line up, its own storyline follows original characters and the show and its premise work entirely around the concept of multiple timelines. The set up is that Skynet is caught in a desperate attempt to save itself from defeat, in effect it is inversely the Sarah Connor of the show. It is repeatedly sending back Terminators to alter events and save itself, failing each time but the premise is that the 1990's are a nexus point - each time travel back branches new timelines and so all of the films would be canon along with the Sarah Connor Chronicles show and this series, just taking place in different post-T2 timeline variants (ironically, essentially backing up the Terminator Genisys approach). TZ then mostly follows three timelines, starting with the T2 timeline and branching as an effort to break Skynets time travel loop.


Have you watched the show?

[beecee]

started to watch it, but struggled to get through the first episode. i was pretty bored from the start, maybe its just me but i also struggle to watch modern animation styles.

[QualityChimp]

I don't currently have Netflix, but aim to watch it when I cycle streaming subscriptions.

[Neon Ignition]

We're still yet to see it but I quit elike the idea of just outright establishing branching timelines so that it handwaves all of the prior sequels attempts away and essentially all future Terminator films could simply be different film makers takes on the franchise.