(Season 2, Episode 10 – “Strange Things Happen at the One Two Point”)
“It’s just a logo, you crazy bitch!” – Alex
Oh man, am I glad that this show is staying around! With all the recent cancellations, it’s glad to know that I’ll have Terminator around until May, at least. I’ll even follow it to the Friday time slot of doom. This was an outstanding episode with a whole lot going on. We found out about Jesse’s motivations, some secrets were revealed about Riley, and Sarah Connor showed that she is still a bad ass.
This episode got right off to a bang, with the reveal that the good Dr. Sherman had been cooked to death inside of project Babylon. I’m not completely heartbroken at the loss, but Dr. Sherman was an interesting character and I would have liked to see him interact with Sarah some more. If this episode was any indication, she’s certainly headed back down the road to the Crazytown.
Last episode featured Sarah seeing three dots in her dreams and finally on the bloody wall in the basement. She followed the three dots to Dakara Systems. Poor crazy Sarah was convinced that Dakara was working on the next Skynet. She ended up getting conned by the owner of the company which led to an amazing fight scene where Sarah gets some revenge by beating the living crap out of the crooked CEO. Good catharsis for all of us in this economy. I think we should have more CEOs being beat up by hot chicks on TV. Sarah’s convinced that the three dots mean something important, and Alex swears they are just a logo. The end of the episode showed Sarah going even more crazy, smashing the mirror in the bathroom after she sees three dots of blood on her face. Anyone else getting a little concerned for our favorite killer mom?
The real juicy bits this week, however, came by way of Jesse and Riley. Turns out the little blonde vixen is from the future, here with Jesse to liberate John from the oppressive influence of Cameron. Apparently in Jesse’s future, John’s only confidant is Cameron. Twenty years of boy and robot bonding has not gone so well for the savior of the human race. Riley, however, isn’t handling the transition to 2008 with the grace that Jesse has. She had a near breakdown, and, yes, I did enjoy it. At least this turn of plot gives the Riley character some depth. I’m looking forward to seeing her balance her mission with her school girl cover.
Ellison spent the episode investigating Sherman’s death. In doing so, he got a whole lot closer to Weaver’s project Babylon, or as Sherman named it “John Henry.” This show really loves folklore, doesn’t it? With Sherman out of the picture, it looks like Ellison will be taking over the job as Skynet teacher. The big reveal, however, came in the closing scene as Ellison began his lessons. Turns out Weaver has put Cromartie’s corpse to good use, plugging him into the advanced AI. I was wondering why Garret Dillahunt was still in the cast list. Can’t wait to see him as John Henry. I didn’t think he could get creepier, but I think he’s about to.
What did you guys think this week? Happy with the big Riley reveal? Looking forward to more John Henry?
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Nov 24, 2008 @ 22:00 EST5EDT
I’ll take a stab at the three dots – In the dream there were three Saquaros, only one attacked John, wrapping it’s arms around him. Maybe the dots represent three terminators, and maybe only one truly means him harm…. or maybe she just is crazy.
Riley! Oooooh that stings.
There must be a reason why Cameron is used as a go between among John’s forces in the future. Could he somehow be young, in the future (another jump?) thus needing the go between?…
Love this show!
Since it was just a dream, I still vote for crazy. Although I’m not certain that the liquid metal cactus was actually attacking John – it could just as easily have been an embrace in my eyes.
What I really want to know is who sent back Naked Bloody Resistance Guy. John? Cameron? Jesse’s faction? Because the three dots message is a really mean way of screwing with the Connors, unless it’s future Cameron’s attempt at humor.
At least now we know why Riley is a regular and why they had to cast an actor with actual talent in the part.
In Jesse’s future, she states that John only talks to Cameron “now,” implying that he used to interact with his human subordinates. He’s got to be older, unless future John was secretly killed, and present John had to be sent forward to replace him. Of course, then young John would have to wait until the war was definitely over, then jump backward to the point he had left so he could grow up to become old John. That might be a little too complicated for television.
I did halfway suspect back at the end of “Dungeons and Dragons,” when suddenly John Connor didn’t have friends and there were reprogrammed terminators everywhere, that John had been killed, but Cameron maintained the pretense that he was alive and was commanding the Resistance in his name.
For me, the most powerful scene was Ellison’s interrogation of the ones and zeroes John Henry, while Weaver watched in a kind of innocent wonder. As Ellison attempted to make sense of Skynet’s first termination, and probed its lack of remorse, ethics, morals, or even the concept of death, I was chilled. Doubly so when he laid the blame on its human attendants.
My worst fear is that we’ll have gotten the back nine against all odds only to lose them to another industry shutdown.
Naked Bloody Resistance Guy – Has to have been sent by someone who is truly on John’s side, that leaves out Jesse’s group.
During the interrogation of John Henry, I kept waiting for T-Weaver to kill Ellison.
I wonder if we will get to see Cameron and T-Weaver meet….
Another outlandish theory: What if it’s Sarah in the future, calling the shots, using Cameron as the go between. Meaning – she faked her cancer death.
That would be a shame to lose the back episodes. How could they have the stomach for strike given the current economic climate?
NBRG – Not necessarily, as Jesse’s group is still anti-Skynet and pro-Resistance. They (so far) don’t want to depose or assassinate John, only change his way of thinking by removing Cameron’s influence. We still don’t know if the Guy was shot by a terminator or a human. It could have been one of John’s guards at the time bubble room if the Guy was an unauthorized traveler, or Jesse’s group might have tried to kill one of John’s travelers.
I don’t think Weaver would have gone to the trouble, and possible exposure, of bringing in Ellison unless he was essential for Babylon, as he already knew far too much. There are more malleable and ignorant agents available, such as the one who brought her the Turk, if she just wanted an investigator.
I think it’s essential to have a Cameron/Weaver fight at some point, considering the franchise’s fanbase. Probably around the time T4 comes out.
Not an outlandish theory at all. My only concern is that I have a hard time believing Sarah (or Derek for that matter) could command and run an entire army, rather than a small unit. Neither of them think as strategically, or are as adept at seeing the big picture, as John, and I don’t see them gaining that mindset, even when they’re 20 years older. A Cameron that has learned from and adapted to John I have a much easier time accepting as Commander. I admit this is purely a personal opinion based on the episodes I have seen so far, and the writers could change that in a heartbeat, as they did this week.
All I know about the SAG strike is what I read on Bloomberg and TV Squad. I don’t know if it will affect T:SCC or not.
I am so glad that I got caught up on Season 1 and have been watching this season. This is definitely one of the best shows on tv right now and a favorite of mine.
I loved the Riley reveal. Definitely makes her much much more interesting.
So…Cromartie is now John Henry…another awesome twist.
With all these changes in the present, I would actually love to see a little “heroes” flash forwards to see how the now future has been changed. But done VERY carefully.