WARNING: Spoilers for the first season of Terminator: Zero
No Fate But What We Make.
Judgement Day Returns
On August 29th, 2024 Netflix debuted Terminator: Zero. The long-gestated animated series was developed by Mattson Tomlin and directed by Masashi Kudō. Aimed to tell another story in the universe centered around machines, AI, and the fight for mankind, and breaks from traditional tropes including the character John Connor, and a T-800 that looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger to a more centered science fiction tale detailing the creation of another AI that serves as Japan’s answer to the American creation, Skynet. The series follows Malcolm Lee (André Holland) as he aims to stop judgment day with his own artificial intelligence, Kokoro (Rosario Dawson). While telling its own story, the series also homages elements from previous installments in the Terminator franchise in various ways.
Different Models
After a slew of misfires at the global box office, the Terminator franchise needed some kind of revitalization. Animation provides an outlet to tell a new story and avoid another big-budget gamble. Animation isn’t cheap either but it is more cost-effective rather than pouring millions of dollars into CGI robotic metal-killing machines. The animation throughout this series does not disappoint. Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Blood+), provides a beautiful blend of traditional animation and 3D for the machines. Nothing feels rushed, flat, or unfinished and the result is 8-episodes of crisp storytelling that evokes the James Cameron classic.
Same Past, New Future
A fight to save an individual before Artificial Intelligence deems humanity unworthy of existence remains the same. This time, we’re not in Los Angeles. The story of Terminator: Zero focuses on Malcolm Lee. A top-level engineer at Cortex Industries developing an AI to combat Skynet after a slew of apocalyptic visions. The story of how Kokoro was developed, Lee’s origins, and Eiko, a woman sent back from the future to stop the creation of Kokoro, are all intrinsically connected. The introduction of INNOs offers a new type of machine introduced may provide a baseline for future models to be conceived. One of the criticisms many of the other films faced was often regarded as lackluster or retreated stories. Terminator: Zero finally breaks the curse and offers a refreshing narrative that feels in line with the more beloved entries.
Time Travel Explained
In the sixth episode, Eiko has a conversation with a character referred to as ‘The Prophet’ regarding time travel. The prophet states that time flows in a simple straight line, however, when one travels back in time they travel to “a” past, not “the” past. The prophet continues with time travel being “an imprecise science, and we’re all swimming in the chaos.” This one conversation justifies the existence of every other Terminator film and The Sarah Connor Chronicles and canonizes them. If August 29th, 1997 is a fixed point in time when Judgement Day occurred, every other person or machine sent back in time at any point following that date would inadvertently create another alternate timeline. This would allow deviations to occur but still maintain that Judgement Day is inevitable, and Skynet will exist.
Existence and Purpose
One underlying theme presented in this series is concepts delving into existence and purpose. While these themes are explored in other Terminator films, it is presented here through multiple perspectives. SPOILERS Malcolm Lee finds his purpose after traveling back in time from 2045 and creating Misaki and killing members of the resistance to create Kokoro to combat Skynet but ultimately finds the purpose of existence through his children. Misaki accepts her purpose after giving up her chip to Malcolm to conceive Kokoro. When it’s revealed that Eiko is Malcolm’s mother, her existence is now more important than ever, and is given a new purpose following being sent back in time to stop Malcolm from creating Kokoro. Not only to keep his children safe but also to make sure Malcolm is born when she inevitably goes back to the future (something I’m sure a second season could address).
No Fate But What We Make
Overall, Terminator: Zero rewards fans of the Terminator franchise with a new story, fresh characters, beautiful visuals, and incredible homages to every entry in the franchise. This show is on the same level of quality as the same films James Cameron made. The stakes feel real, the performances feel invested, and the visual language presents an exciting new corner to explore for a franchise that has felt stale for years following Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This series presents a true feast for longtime fans to enjoy, and it’s worth the binge.
All episodes of Terminator: Zero are streaming on Netflix