An animated explanation of the 'Terminator' franchise in 3 minutes

Time travel is complicated. 

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that thinking about the Terminator series can make your head hurt after a while. There’s a lot to unpack.

In the future, a super-intelligent computer system wages genocidal war against all mankind, and sends a killer robot back to 1984 to prevent humanity’s last hope from ever being born. So the human resistance leader sends back a soldier to stop the robot. In the process, this soldier becomes the father of the very man who sent him back in time in the first place.

And that’s just the first of five movies. We haven’t even gotten into alternate timelines or the different models of murderbots yet.

Once again, our ongoing series Too Long; Didn’t Watch is here to break down these convoluted series in a short, easily digestible video. 

You can thank us later. Or… maybe earlier? Time travel is complicated.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

BONUS: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ in Under 3 Minutes

Somewhere in the most isolated corner of Iceland, there is a hotel so remote that some guests arrive by helicopter....
One of the greatest careers in football history just reached its final chapter on the World Cup stage. Cristiano...
Love Science Experiments? You Need to Watch This Video! Science gets seriously exciting when experiments go from...
Curious about what really lies behind the headlines of Epstein’s infamous Little St. James? Join adventurer Aburob...
What if Mars once had roaring waterfalls taller than anything on Earth? Discover the evidence of a...
Think your daily AI interactions are harmless? Think again. Every prompt to an AI chatbot consumes water, and with...
What does it take to do a job where one wrong move could be your last? This gripping WOW Tech video takes you...
What drives people to build homes on sheer cliffs, beside active volcanoes, or in towns locked in ice?  This...
Credit: Shutterstock Experience the awe of Earth like never before — from morning glory clouds over Australia to...
Ever wondered what it takes to build the machines that make the chips powering your phone, laptop, and even...
Witness the impossible! From seabed surveys to the first landing, go behind the scenes of China’s $15 billion...
Take a jaw-dropping journey through Ciel Dubai Marina, the world’s new tallest hotel, soaring 377 meters above...