Too Many Time Loops? How 'Terminator' Broke My Brain — And Why I Keep Coming Back

I don’t know how about you, but every time I try to rewatch the Terminator films in order, I end up feeling like I’ve time-travelled into my own confusion. The franchise has grown so tangled it’s like Skynet itself got hold of the script and hit "randomise."

But here’s the thing: despite the chaos, I’m obsessed. And if you're wondering how to watch it all without completely frying your neural net processor, I’ve got you.

My "Makes-Some-Sense" Watch Order

If you're like me and want the apocalyptic build-up — Judgment Day, killer AI, and that sweet sliver of hope for humankind — this is the most story-sensible order I’ve found:

• The Terminator (1984)

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TV, 2008–2009)

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

• Terminator Genisys (2015)

• Terminator Salvation (2009)

• Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Yes, I know. Even here, the timeline eats itself. Each new entry acts like the last one didn’t happen. Genisys rewrites the whole thing. Dark Fate deletes 3, Salvation, and Genisys altogether. And the TV series? It veers off into its own parallel universe. Honestly, by Salvation, I wasn’t sure if I was watching a sequel or an elaborate prank.

Alternate Timelines or Producer Amnesia?

Apparently, there are four major timelines. Here’s how my Terminator-obsessed brain now categorises them:

1. The Classic Core – T1, T2, T3, and Salvation (before things got “experimental”).

2. The Soft Reboot – T1, T2, then Dark Fate, which pretends none of the others happened.

3. The TV Tangent – T1, T2, then The Sarah Connor Chronicles, aka “What if the plot took a left turn?”

4. The Genisysverse – A total rewrite starting from scratch. It’s both a remix and a headache.

I used to think Marvel had a complicated multiverse. But Terminator? It’s like every writer had access to a time machine and zero group chat.

Want to Watch by Release Date?

This is the route if you're a purist or just want to witness the rise and fall (and rise again) of the franchise:

• The Terminator (1984)

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

• The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009)

• Terminator Salvation (2009)

• Terminator Genisys (2015)

• Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Fair warning: by the time Genisys rolls in, your brain will be doing backflips trying to remember who’s alive, who’s dead, and who was retconned into oblivion. But maybe that’s the beauty of Terminator: it’s not about strict logic. It’s about resistance, survival, and an endless loop of second chances — even for the franchise itself.