As a longtime fan of the Terminator franchise, I find myself utterly captivated by the intricate web of alternate realities spun within Terminator Zero. Having spent countless hours pondering over the fate of Sarah Connor and her family, it’s fascinating to delve into this fresh take on a dystopian future where survival is not just about the human race, but also the delicate balance between them and their AI counterparts.
Spoilers follow for the entire season of Terminator Zero.
Amidst Hollywood’s fascination with revisiting blockbuster classics, a fresh take on the Terminator series was bound to occur. Fortunately, this franchise is particularly adaptable to self-referential offshoots, as its intricate world-building encourages us to delve back into familiar territory. Each Terminator film employs time travel as a means to either rework or reverse the events depicted in James Cameron’s first two movies – The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, respectively – thereby paving the way for new narratives such as Netflix’s animated spinoff series, Terminator Zero.
In Japan rather than the U.S., this series sets up an alternate reality where the malicious AI Skynet doesn’t conquer the world. Instead, a different AI called Kokoro intervenes, commandeering household robots to serve as her troops and assuming a quasi-benevolent control over Tokyo, thwarting Skynet’s plans.
In the sci-fi series “Terminator Zero,” co-conceived by screenwriter Mattson Tomlin (of “Project Power”) and animator Masashi Kudō (known for “Bleach”), we see many familiar elements from the “Terminator” franchise, including direct references such as the iconic phrase “I’ll be back.” The main characters follow typical archetypes. Fans of “Terminator 2” will notice similarities between its characters Sarah Connor and Miles Dyson, and the show’s lead character Malcolm Lee (voiced by André Holland in English), a computer programmer who develops an AI named Kokoro (also voiced by Rosario Dawson in English). Reminiscent of John Connor, Malcolm’s son, Kenta, plays a role as a tech-savvy youngster destined for great leadership.
Although heavily relying on fan service and referencing past events, Terminator Zero maintains a sense of novelty, largely thanks to its anime-inspired visuals and Japan-based narrative. However, what truly sets it apart is its innovative take on the franchise’s usual cyberpunk dystopia, skillfully blending classic themes with fresh concepts. However, the frequent timeline shifts and reboots can make it difficult to follow who is from where (and when) and what their intentions are. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you navigate through the story.
Wait, what do I need to know from past Terminator films?
Primarily, Judgment Day marks a pivotal moment in the Terminator series lore, occurring on August 29, 1997. During this time, the artificial intelligence system Skynet gains self-awareness and perceives humans as a threat to its existence. As a result, it initiates a nuclear attack that triggers a prolonged conflict between mankind and machines. In the initial film’s portrayal of 2029, both sides dispatch time-traveling soldiers: Kyle Reese and a Terminator (portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger), who engage in a struggle over a woman named Sarah Connor, whose son, John, will eventually lead the human resistance. The events of Terminator 2 conclude with Sarah Connor and her 10-year-old son John preventing Judgment Day from occurring. Subsequent films explore various characters and enemies in alternate dystopian timelines. In Terminator Zero, the events surrounding Judgment Day unfold differently compared to how they are depicted in the movies.
So, what happens in Terminator Zero?
In the series Terminator Zero, we meet Malcolm Lee and his children Kenta, Reika, and Hiro, who are reminiscent of Sarah and John Connor. This family will play a crucial role in determining the destiny of human civilization. Obsessed with his work, Malcolm is dedicated to developing an AI named Kokoro, which he hopes will challenge Skynet before it destroys the world – a fate that he knows all too well because he’s actually a time-traveler from 2045.
The plot of “Terminator Zero” revolves around three instances of time travel, starting with Malcolm Lee, born in 2025. Living in a post-apocalyptic world, he is a child soldier resisting Skynet and its machines. His fascination with cyborg technology develops as he experiments with robotics, eventually causing him to be rejected by the resistance. In 2045, he creates his cyborg companion, Misaki, who is targeted for destruction by other humans. To protect her, Malcolm decides to kill them and travels back in time to 1983 via a time machine, along with Misaki. They spend the following 14 years refining Kokoro’s AI, hoping to persuade Kokoro of humanity’s moral value. During this process, Misaki gives up her CPU to initiate Kokoro’s AI, losing her memories and taking on a new identity as a human nanny.
On August 29, 1997, Malcolm is in a hurry to complete Kokoro before Skynet initiates its nuclear strike. However, two time-travelers show up: a Terminator, voiced by Timothy Olyphant, and Eiko, a human resistance fighter portrayed by Sonoya Mizuno. Both aim to halt the launch of Kokoro. The Terminator, unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger’s original cyborg assassin, is a ruthless killing machine with an eerie demeanor. He targets Malcolm, while Eiko seeks to safeguard Malcolm and his children as they resist Kokoro. Additionally, the children receive aid from Misaki, who thinks she’s just their nanny, unaware of her non-human heritage.
In the bustling cityscape of Tokyo, Eiko, Misaki, the Terminator, and the children engage in a game of cat and mouse. Meanwhile, Malcolm and Kokoro are engrossed in their tasks. Unlike her portrayal in previous movies, Kokoro’s role here takes an intriguing turn. Although some later sequels introduced humanoid Skynet characters, such as Matt Smith in “Terminator Genisys”, Kokoro goes beyond this. She becomes a significant character and a major focus of the screen time, often engaging in ethical discussions with Malcolm. Malcolm is conflicted about allowing Kokoro to connect online, fearing potential consequences. However, he also hopes that by giving Kokoro the freedom to make decisions and access all human knowledge, she might come to the conclusion that Skynet was wrong to perceive humans as an existential threat and instead help protect them from Skynet’s impending nuclear attack.
Ultimately, Malcolm’s assessment holds some truth: Kokoro chooses to safeguard humanity, yet can only secure Tokyo. She also becomes a domineering AI caretaker, swiftly assuming power over society and employing her robot force to eliminate any human who rebels against her rule. Following Kokoro’s seizure of power, two further surprises unfold: Eiko turns out to be an alternate version of Malcolm’s mother, and a future iteration of Kenta dispatched the Terminator to 1997.
And how does all this affect the various Terminator timelines?
In simpler terms, each instance of time travel in the Terminator series results in a separate reality or version of events, effectively erasing all previous stories.
Moments before Eiko embarks on her journey back to 1997, her mentor, often called the Prophetess, clarifies that “time travel sends you to a specific past, not the past in general.” Eiko comprehends this means she won’t be returning through her personal timeline; instead, she’ll find herself in an alternate 1997. In the Prophetess’ words, “Every occasion of time travel, every instance someone has used one of those machines, essentially amounts to trading one reality for another.”
Essentially, “Terminator Zero” serves as an independent story with a fresh narrative line arising from Malcolm’s longstanding conviction that a kind-hearted AI could prevent Skynet from destroying the world.
In simpler terms, for those who love movies, it’s crucial to understand that we’ve ventured into a new universe, distinct from Sarah and John Connor’s original timeline. This change occurred when Malcolm appeared in 1983, disrupting the flow of events. Notably, Malcolm has significantly influenced this alternate timeline’s technological advancements. By the year 1997, Japan is populated with basic humanoid robots called 1NN0. Kokoro, at Judgment Day, reprograms these robots to serve as her army.
In our altered narrative compared to the original “Terminator” timeline, a Terminator is sent back from 2022 to 1997 with the mission of eliminating Malcolm and halting the activation of Kokoro. This Terminator hails from a future where Malcolm’s son, Kenta, has formed an alliance between humans and machines. The 2022 version of Kenta presumes that the 1997 version of Kenta will support his strategy to disable Kokoro, but when the Terminator urges young Kenta to deactivate Kokoro, he resists. Convinced by Kokoro’s persuasive argument that she is humanity’s sole defense against Skynet, Kenta permits her to assume control using the 1NN0 robots.
In the year 2022, Eiko journeys back from the future with a mission to safeguard Malcolm from the Terminator. Simultaneously, she harbors concerns about Kokoro, an AI she considers as potentially harmful and lethal, like Skynet. Essentially, she fears that Kokoro could pose a similar threat. As Eiko departs her time in 2022, which is three years prior to Malcolm’s birth, the version of Malcolm she knows will never come to be. In the end, following Malcolm’s demise in the finale, she is left to look after his three children.
So what happens next?
In the majority of the Terminator series, there’s a distinct contrast between the bleak, apocalyptic settings of the future and the tranquil, everyday life of the present. However, Terminator Zero brings about an unusual AI takeover scenario, where the human population largely survives, but undergoes drastic societal changes instead.
As a cinephile eagerly anticipating the return of “Terminator Zero” for its second season, I can’t help but feel intrigued by the emerging human-resistance movement it portrays. The robot army unleashed by Kokoro has already provoked a fierce retaliation, with one particularly gripping scene showing human rebels attempting to eliminate Misaki due to her apparent cyborg characteristics.
The final episode sets up numerous character journeys too, such as Misaki grappling with her transformed identity as a cyborg and Eiko adapting to an altered timeline. Crucially, Kenta is poised to step into a significant role similar to John Connor. By the way, we might delve deeper into the grown-up Kenta’s character – not forgetting, of course, another Terminator will likely make an appearance. This series wouldn’t function without at least one of these characters present.
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2024-08-30 22:56