Terminator Love

A few days ago I was riding in the back of a cab and musing to myself silently...  I found myself thinking about the appearance of Linda Hamilton in Syfy's Defiance.

Oh Linda... so much love... so little time.

You were the first Sarah Connor.  Could anyone live up to you?

I was extremely skeptical of Lena Headey in the role of Sarah Connor at first, but she eventually won me over.

Now... much to my extraordinary delight... a new face is going to be applied to the character I have loved for the better part of the last three decades.

Emilia Clarke, whom I fucking adore the hell out if as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, will be playing Sarah Connor in the upcoming Terminator: Genisys.

When I think about the similarities between Daenerys and Sarah, this just makes sense.

Both women begin their journey with no clue about the personal power they possess.  Both women were literally thrust into the arms of warriors.  Both women found love.  Both women lost that love.  Both women rose from those ashes to become extraordinary.

I've always identified strongly with Daenerys as a domestic abuse survivor and I share her experience as someone transformed by a warriors love.

But I want to come back to the original point of this post.

I have always held a deep abiding love for the the movie Terminator.

Why?

Because it's one of the greatest love stories ever told.

What?  Are you crazy?  It's a cheesy sci-fi/action flick!

No, it's not.

Well okay, yes it is, BUT that's not all it is.  It's also one of the greatest love stories ever told.

Think about the relationship between Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor.  He literally crossed time and space just to be with her.

"I came across time for you, Sarah.  I love you.  I always have."*

Can you imagine what it was like for Sarah to be on the receiving end of that kind of devotion?

And let's not forget the performance of Michael Beihn.  Ye Gods, where do I even start?

He can be strong without being an ass and he can be vulnerable without being a wuss.  He was the perfect choice for the role of Kyle Reese.  I'm not sure anyone** could fill those shoes.

Now, much like my connection to Daenerys, I also have a connection to Sarah.  I can't go into details, but I will say that the Beloved One is exactly the type of person who would cross time and space just to be with me.  I know exactly what it's like to be on the receiving end of that kind of devotion.

Fortunately, I differ strongly from both of these women in one particular regard.  My Beloved One hasn't died tragically on me, for which I'm eternally grateful.

I also kinda doubt my ability to survive him.  Sorry, as much as I admire these women... I have no desire to follow in their footsteps.  The Beloved One and I have a deal.  I get to be the one who dies first.

Now, I know there are skeptics when it comes to Terminator: Genisys.  The story is overdone and poorly sequeled, as is the case with many great attempts at well told fiction.  But, it's not the tired, time travel, sci-fi drivel that has me worried.  I'm pretty sure they're going to botch that... I agree with the nay sayers on that point.

It's the love story I'm concerned with.  If they botch that, I'll be seriously pissed.

For now, I remain hopeful though.

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*NOTE:  I could not find the actual clip where Kyle speaks that line.  If you have it, let me know!!

**Jai Courtney, who played Varro in the Cable TV series Spartacus, will be taking on the role of Kyle Reese.  I wish him the best, but...

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!!SPOILER!!

If you've never seen the original Terminator movie, don't read past this point.

One of the most touching elements of this original love story is the photograph of Sarah that Kyle carries with him.  It's an old polaroid.  Worn, faded, and creased from being folded in his pocket.  

Kyle tells Sarah that he always wondered what she was thinking when that photo was taken.

In the end of the movie Sarah is recording a tape for her future son John, and wondering what she's going to tell him about his father.  She drifts off... she's thinking about him.  She's so sad... she's on the verge of tears.

SNAP

Some little kid running a hussle takes a picture of her and tells her that if he doesn't sell it to her, his father will beat him.  She doesn't fall for it, but she buys the photo anyway and looks at it.

It's the same picture.

That thing Kyle had been wondering?  What was she thinking about when the picture was taken?  

She was thinking of him.