Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs - io9 Comments

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

James McGrath — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:45:44 PST

I took it a different way - that the future of artificial intelligence is scary because parenting is scary, and the reason we are less than confident that we can instill benevolence in powerful intelligences we may create is because we still have trouble figuring out how to pass on such values to the next generation of humans.

I've posted a couple of entries on my blog on this topic that you may find interesting.
[exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com]

James McGrath

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Angryrider — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:05:47 PST

At least I like THIS John than the one in that movie...
Ha, so Robot Girl can't press a button on a TV. If TVs were so advanced in the future, why doesn't she modify the one they have?

Angryrider

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

92BuickLeSabre — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:56:59 PST

@strider_mt2k: Don't be such a yo-yo; I, for one, am not "laugh-in." You and your cleverness; that's why mom liked you best.

92BuickLeSabre

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

leemajors — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:55:44 PST

no mention of the young FBI agent being Bow Wow himself?

leemajors

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Ather — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:04:03 PST

How can John ever lead Humanity if all Sarah ever does is teach him to run? This is exactly why we're not supposed to know our future. She's so worried about keeping him alive past Judgment Day, she's neglecting her own role in the future war: His teacher. Is she just gonna lecture John about being a good leader, then throw him into it, expecting history to magically imbue the needed skills into him? Let him lead, make mistakes, show him the flaws he's made, and what a good leader does. Teach him the difference between running and a tactful retreat to try again later with more intel. Or is John supposed to lecture Skynet to death?

Ather

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

strider_mt2k — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:30:03 PST

What's this about the Smothers Brothers?

strider_mt2k

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Daniel Rutter — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:01:53 PST

I was particularly impressed by Summer's ability to neutralise her inertia when stepping off the top of a truck zooming off a cliff at 40 miles an hour.

All they had to do was have her sprint off the truck and then drop straight down (or, you know, just jump out the door and roll...), but it looks as if they didn't have the stunt budget for that, so you got her exiting the truck in a very illogical way and then defying physics.

I did like the other Terminator closing the vault and just going to sleep, though. Presumably in four years he'd be an endoskeleton covered with shreds of rotten meat.

(But then they lock him in there and assume it'll be fine, because a superhuman robot couldn't possibly figure out a way to get out of a vault full of random army gear when he's got nothing else to do, day and night, from now on...)

Daniel Rutter

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

biancajames — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:27:41 PST

Charlie Anders on Jezebel? This makes my heart glow with pride + envy.

biancajames

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Klappstuhl — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:24:06 PST

Show sucks eh? Told you.

Klappstuhl

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

primitiv — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:27:41 PST

Couldn't the guy in the minefield just simply retrace Glau's footsteps?

primitiv

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

92BuickLeSabre — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:02:02 PST

I saw this the other day. It's a total rip-off of Terminator.

Wait? What's that you say? No way! Really? I find that pretty hard to believe.

Oh. Yeah, you're right, I did see Terminator 3. That's a good point.

92BuickLeSabre

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

foolish-rain — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:22:08 PST

I absolutely hate this show. It is lame, lame, lame. How did Sarah Connor go from kick ass Ellen Ripley clone to neurotic helicopter mom? And why, why, why is Cameron so lame? River Tam could kick her skinny robotic ass any day of the week. And what moron builds a robot that can't control the video 1/2 switch with its mind?

Between this dross and The Bionic Woman, I am ready to declare this the dark ages of women in sci-fi. Only Joss Whedon can save the future!

foolish-rain

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

extracrispy — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:57:17 PST

The voice-over narrations are the worst thing about this show.

extracrispy

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

femto — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:56:39 PST

@t7bros: Thanks for reminding me, I was puzzled by the name. Although I still wonder how he chose it: part chrome, part Marty McFly?

femto

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

mitchel_stevens — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:50:28 PST

@braak:
he's really the american counter-part of Shinichi Mechazawa, who appears in the final episode.

mitchel_stevens

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Darkweave — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:50:05 PST

Ahh Summer...

Darkweave

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

braak — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:33:49 PST

@Frozen-Tex: There doesn't have to be a reason.

braak

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Frozen-Tex — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:30:05 PST

@narymary: And get naked again for some reason or other.

Frozen-Tex

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

narymary — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:26:29 PST

For me this whole show is about waiting for Summer Blau to hit and or kill someone.

narymary

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

t7bros — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:23:40 PST

"who suddenly has a name, Cromartie?"

This Terminator actually said his name in the pilot episode. When he enters the classroom he explains that the real teacher would be in that that his name was Cromartie and then begins taking attendance while cutting open his own leg.

t7bros

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

apricotta — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:17:06 PST

Wait. His name is Thomas Dekker? As in the Jacobean playwright Thomas Dekker? Weird.

apricotta

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Frozen-Tex — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:04:45 PST

@Plague: On April 19th, 2011, Skynet will become self-aware; 2 days later, it will realize emo sucks, and forcibly arrange haircuts, eyeliner removal, and install neck braces that restrict one's ability to shoe-gaze.

Frozen-Tex

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Plague — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:58:17 PST

@Frozen-Tex:
Where do I sign up to join the Anti-emo resistance? If I can't, I'm replacing Directv with Skynet right now.

Plague

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Frozen-Tex — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:56:29 PST

@Pope John Peeps II: That's EXACTLY the band name that popped into my head last night when he was standing outside the humvee at the end!

Frozen-Tex

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Pope John Peeps II — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:55:24 PST

@Frozen-Tex: He commands the elite Terminator hunting brigade "The Fallout Boys"

Pope John Peeps II

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

the earl of weaver — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:53:08 PST

no matter how intelligent one might be, human or machine, tv remotes will always be a pain in the ass

the earl of weaver

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Frozen-Tex — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:52:40 PST

@Nicolars: He's the future leader of the Emo-Resistance.

Frozen-Tex

Smother Mothers Are Scarier Than Evil Cyborgs

Nicolars — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:46:32 PST

And why was John wearing eyeliner all of a sudden?

Nicolars