Spoilers are ahead for Terminator Zero season 1, episode 2.
BeforeTerminator Zerowas released,I really didn’t think “The Terminator Theme” could get any cooler — but Netflix’s anime spin-off proved me wrong. Developed by Mattson Tomlin (The Batman) and directed by animator Masashi Kudō (Bleach), the eight-episode series is set in theTerminatoruniverse, but takes our favorite familiar story beats and infuses them with fresh twists. Set primarily in 1997,Terminator Zero’s cast of charactersnavigate the intense hours before Skynet’s launch. Notably, the hostile AI will instigateTerminator’s Judgment Day, eradicate huge swathes of the population, and ignite the war between humans and machines.
I think one ofTerminator Zero’s best threads centers on Malcolm Lee (André Holland). A scientist who has haunting visions of Skynet’s impending nuclear attack, Malcolm believes he can stop Judgment Day by launching his own AI, KOKORO (Rosario Dawson). However, Malcolm isn’t certain that KOKORO’s analysis of humanity will draw conclusions that differ from Skynet’s homicidal ones. The bestTerminatorinstallment we’ve gotten in years,Terminator Zerois a chilling spin-off that leans into the horror elements of theTerminatoruniverse— a move that’s made even more effective thanks to the anime’s riffs on “The Terminator Theme.”
Terminator Zero Combined The Terminator’s Gunshots With The Theme Song
The Terminator Anime Leans Into The Horror Genre With Its Haunting Score & Imagery
In one of my favorite scenes from the anime,Terminator Zerocombines a Terminator’s gunshots with theiconic theme from the sci-fi movies. Picking up from where the first chapter ended,Terminator Zeroseason 1, episode 2 opens in 2022, with resistance soldier Eiko (Sonoya Mizuno) agreeing to follow a Terminator (Timothy Olyphant) to 1997 to protect Malcolm and stop KOKORO’s launch. However,Eiko and The Prophet’s (Ann Dowd) plan is almost thwarted by another Terminator— the one she disfigured in episode 1 — who attacks the resistance’s base as they’re activating the time machine.
Terminator Finally Calls Out Skynet’s Ridiculous Plan After 6 Movies Doing The Same Thing
The Terminator franchise has finally acknowledged how Skynet and the resistance have been doing the same thing over and over in every movie.
Composer and musician Brad Fiedel…[described] the soundtrack at large as being about ‘a mechanical man and his heartbeat.’
As Eiko says goodbye and steps into the time machine, the ever-epicTerminatortheme plays. A resistance member’s dog growls, indicating a nearby threat, and, seconds later, a Terminator’s gunshots ring out to the beat of “The Terminator Theme.” Composer and musician Brad Fiedel created the now-iconic theme for the first of theTerminatormovies, describing the soundtrack at large as being about “a mechanical man and his heartbeat.” Throughout the film,the deceptively simple melody is played at varying tempos, though the haunting synthesizer version is perhaps the most recognizable iteration.Terminator Zeroriffs on this perfectly.
Terminator Zero Episode 2’s Opening Sequence Is One Of The Anime’s Best Moments
The Terminator Theme Underscores The Urgency Of Eiko’s Mission
While it’s hard to beat episode 1’s thrilling opener orTerminator Zero’s haunting ending, episode 2’s opening sequence remains one of the anime’s best moments. Since the Terminator, who’s duel-wielding sniper rifles, is met with little resistance, it plays out like a horror movie. Eiko knows that she can’t save her friends and watches helplessly as she’s ripped from their timeline forever.The scene is cinematic in scope, and I think the music is a huge part of thatfeeling. After all, “The Terminator Theme” is one of film’s most epic tunes, andTerminator Zerobuilds on that legacy.
