It goes without saying that ratings for FOX’s sci-fi Friday night line-up haven’t exactly been gangbusters. Okay, so they’ve been downright atrocious. I had hoped that last week’s episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles would change that fortune somewhat, but that seems not to be the case. The Terminator TV show wrapped up its second season with a whimper, pulling in an about-average (for the show) 3.6 million viewers according to THR. Dollhouse, as well, pulled in 3.6 million viewers for the night.

I think it’s pretty clear by now that the chances of FOX renewing Terminator for a third season is close to nil. The show would seem to have already done everything the network wanted — promote their upcoming “Terminator Salvation” movie. Once that film is released, I’m not sure why they would need to keep the show on the air. Simply put, it’s too expensive and it’s not a critical darling (ala Battlestar Galactica), so the incentives to keep it around is just not there.

So if you’re a fan of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, I hope you enjoyed last week’s season finale, which saw John Connor time travel to the future. A future where no one knows who he is. Yes, it’s one of those incredible cliffhangers that will, probably, never be resolved. Unless, of course, FOX does the unthinkable and greenlights another season of a show that’s losing money. Hey, even the sun’s gotta shine up the dog’s ass at least once, right?