Were you just as outraged as many other fans, when the Terminator franchise decided to not only resuscitate the character of Sarah Connor in Terminator Genysis (2015), but completely change her story in the process? How could they, when we all know that Linda Hamilton is the one and only incarnation of the mother of the future (or is she)?
Well, the whole time travel aspect aside, if we apply Rikke Schubart’s two main criteria for what female action heroes have to fulfil, the answer is pretty straightforward: female heroes, in contrast to male heroes, have to be young and beautiful (5). In 2009, when Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TSCC) launched, Hamilton, who plays the original Sarah Connor in T1 (1984) and T2 (1991), was 53 years old. Thus, Lena Headey took her place. And funnily enough, in 2015, when Terminator Genisys hit the screens, Hamilton was even older. Not so sexy, huh? So, while Arnold Schwarzenegger in T5 can get away with being ‘old, not obsolete’, the lead heroine had to be replaced by 28-year-old Emilia Clarke, who plays the new and improved version of Sarah Connor.
In the following, the question of what happens to a franchise such as the Terminator when a canonical actor such as Hamilton drops out and is replaced by someone else will be explored.
First, let us take a look at the facts and figures of the three films as well as the TV-series that feature the character of Sarah Connor: T1, T2, T5 as well as TSCC. The first two films, directed by James Cameron and featuring Hamilton, both have high ratings on IMDb and were immense box office hits, the second film grossing more than any other in the series (IMDb, Box Office Mojo). Furthermore, looking at the Terminator franchise’s ancillary media, it is apparent that Hamilton is used as a template for the comic strips, computer and video games as well as film merchandise.
Secondly, the reactions of hard-core fans reflect this perception. In fact, just recently, TheTerminatorFans.com wrote that ‘the best and only #SarahConnor award will forever belong to #LindaHamilton!’ For many of them, the Terminator franchise should revolve around Hamilton and not Schwarzenegger and they consider only the first two films as the ‘real’ and ‘classic’ films that make the canon.
So, how did fans react to the revitalization of Sarah Connor by Headey and Clarke? Needless to say, the reactions were mixed.
You might be thinking: Who cares what those weirdos i.e. fans think? Well, a symbiotic relationship between media producers and fans can be quite crucial to transmedia storytelling, because, believe it or not, through fan-fiction and fan activism, fans can have an influence on the world building of their favourite franchise.
But let’s get back to fans’ reaction to Headey and Clarke: In stepping in to play a very different version of young Sarah Connor, Clarke has took on an iconic female character, simultaneously obligated to the legacy of Sarah Connor, while also having room to carve out new dimensions of the character.
Of course, one of the first things Clarke had to do was toughen and harden up for the role, since Hamilton changed the look of female action heroes with her big guns in T2. Despite her efforts, most Terminator fans weren’t too impressed with her take on Sarah Connor and the fact that she calls a Terminator ‘Pops’ sparked a round of outrage on social media. Other reviewers write that even though she is plucky and likable in the role, there is a softness, sweetness and kind of girlishness about her, which
makes her feel like a Muppet Babies version of the character.
The other Sarah, Headey in TSCC, did not face the same criticism. The TV-series actually managed to build a dedicated fanbase, which has actively been trying to get the series to continue, albeit without great success (check out Save the Sarah Connor Chronicles). The title of The Telegraph’s film review says it all (‘Forget Terminator Genisys – watch The Sarah Connor Chronicles instead’) and Headey is not criticised in the same way as Clarke:
Headey, too, is a far more convincing Sarah than Emilia Clarke, steely and brittle and sometimes failing her son emotionally because she’s so terrified for his physical safety.
Surfing the web for reviews and opinions about the TV-series, this seems to be the general view of Headey as Sarah Connor.
How should we conclude this post? It seems that fans do not react too kindly when a canoncial actor is replaced by someone else. Perhaps Hamilton simply set the bar too high? In addition, fans’ idolization of her throughout the years has not made it easier for other actresses to take her place. However, it also seems as if fans are harder on Clarke because they did not like Genisys. Most fans of the more popular TSCC have actually accepted Headey as Sarah, but since the TV-series did not become a great success, not all fans and viewers have opened their hearts to the possibility of a different #SarahConnor than #LindaHamilton. Nevertheless, fans should keep in mind that being open to the replacement of a canoncial actor in their beloved Terminator franchise could actually help it grow and expand.
