Although Terminator Zero season 1's ending suggests it's only a matter of time before Netflix announces another run of episodes. When it does, there's a storyline from the franchise's first movie sequel that can avoid being repeated thanks to season 1's finale.
The Terminator franchise is home to some of the Terminator Zero's timelines are pretty much self-contained as they take place in Japan, away from the action of its predecessors. In addition, the Terminator anime suggests that almost every franchise installment exists as its own timeline - which, if true, clears things up immensely.
Terminator Zero Season 2 Can Now Skip The T-800 Ally Twist From Judgment Day
Timothy Olyphant's Terminator last-minute personality change mirrors Judgment Day's T-800
Although Skynet still looms as the main villain in Terminator Zero, Timothy Olyphant's cybernetic assassin is the face of evil in season 1. His kill count by the finale is incredibly befitting of a Terminator, and how he ends the lives of so many is especially brutal. That being said, the character turning out to be a sort-of ally to Kenta in the season 1 finale mirrors Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 from Judgment Day. Sure. Arnie's character is solidified far more as a friend, but it's tough not to compare Olyphant's character's last-minute switch in demeanor.
When Olyphant's character inevitably returns in a potential Terminator Zero season 2, he will be far from pleased with Kenta's decision.
It was pretty clear that Zero's Terminator wanted Kenta to choose to activate the EMP and deactivate Kokoro - an action that the Terminator was unable to do because of the threat to his own existence, and one that Kenta chose not to do so that Kokoro could be spared. Regardless, when Olyphant's character inevitably returns in a potential Terminator Zero season 2, he will be far from pleased with Kenta's decision. So, he'll become an outright villain after being a temporary ally - which reverses the arc of Schwarzenegger's character(s) in the first two movies.
Why Timothy Olyphant's Terminator Comeback Will Be Better Than Arnold Schwarzenegger's
Olyphant has the chance to return as EXACTLY the same Terminator
Schwarzenegger's return in Judgment Day came as something of a surprise considering his character had perished at the end of the first Terminator movie. However, thanks to the magic of sci-fi, the actor wasn't technically reprising the same role, but simply an identical T-800 model cyborg. While it allowed for a brilliant story, it actually had Arnie completing two separate arcs. Olyphant's Terminator character won't be limited by this storytelling gimmick.
Terminator Zero Season 2’s Plans Mean It Can Deliver The John Connor Story The Movies Were Too Afraid To
The Terminator Zero showrunner has made his plans for the show's potential future known, and they ively redeem a John Connor franchise oversight.
The recovery of the Terminator's head at the end of the anime strongly implies the same character will be back in some form if and when a second season arrives. The same version of the character returning to continue the storyline is a much more rewarding way of pushing the plot forward than Schwarzenegger's hard reset - no matter how brilliant the first time experiencing that twist was. So, Olpyhant's Terminator Zero return stands a good chance of improving upon Arnie's return in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
