The Terminator poster
The Terminator

Picking Nits

Sarah’s age and independence, the living-tissue rule, Reese traveling alone and asking too few questions, missing identity intelligence, and later Terminators abandoning disguise generate the nits.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:17Read transcript
  • Sarah is only 18 despite living independently, working, and carrying responsibilities that read as mid-twenties adulthood.
  • The writers admit the living-tissue time-travel rule lacks scientific basis, and it fails to explain why the resistance sends only Reese instead of a larger team.
  • Sarah scarcely interrogates her visitor from decades ahead, while Reese’s lack of technical knowledge makes him an odd sole envoy.
  • The machines can invent time travel but lack Sarah’s image, and Reese somehow does not recognize the mass-produced Terminator model.
  • This machine repeatedly conceals exposed machinery, a stealth behavior later sequels largely abandon.