Summer Glau

FOX has released the first cast photos from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Season 2, giving fans a look at some of the new characters from the series. I recently had the chance to speak to Summer Glau about the show, and right off the bat the actress declared that the second season is, "Bigger and better. It’s just amazing. I’m so proud of our scripts and we are [all] working really hard."

Like many series, especially new ones, Terminator was cut short last season thanks to the writers’ strike, with production not resuming until this summer. I asked Glau if it took awhile to get back in the groove as it were when production did finally resume and she replied, "You know, I thought it was going to be that way, but as soon as I went back, it was like we had never left. It took about two days to feel like we’d been there forever. "

Season 1 ended with Glau’s character, the Terminator Cameron, caught in a fiery blast, as her car exploded. Glau and I both laughed when I said that while I was pretty sure Cameron could survive the explosion just fine, I wasn’t so sure about her skin. Glau smiled and remarked, "Let’s just say, I would need a pretty good plastic surgeon [in real life], but since I’m a Terminator, things heal up pretty good."

By the end of the first season, Cameron had displayed some highly dubious actions, raising questions about her true loyalties. Said Glau, "I’m not supposed to give anything away, but I know people are suspicious… and they have reason to be. "

Among the brand new cast members in Season 2 is the surprising addition of Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson, making the transition to acting in a big way via the character of Catherine Weaver, described as the CEO of a cutting-edge high-tech company. When I asked Glau if she could tell me more about Manson’s character, she looked over towards Sarah Connor showrunner Josh Friedman and said, "Nope! Josh is here. He would kill me. But you’re going to like it. It’s really cool."

Besides Manson, former recurring actors Garrett Dillahunt and Brian Austin Green are now series regulars, in addition to a new character played by Leven Rambin. Glau said she felt adding more characters was, "Fantastic. You know, carrying the story with three to four people is really tiring and as much as we love it, it’s great to have new people to share the storylines with. And they also add dimension to your character. Each character that comes in adds dimension to your character, so that’s been really nice."

I asked Glau if she and Dillahunt had some kind of special club, being the two actors who play Terminators on the series and she said, "Oh yeah, yeah, we do!" She then added that when it came to the two Terminators, "I think it’s going to get more and more interesting in that department too." Glau said that when it came to Dillahunt, "I watch his work and I’m always really, really impressed with what Garret brings. I think he’s a brilliant actor."

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles debuts Monday September 8th at 8:00 pm ET/PT.