(S02E16) This was, according to show creator Josh Friedman, the last of a trilogy of episodes devoted to examining Sarah Connor herself. If you're like me, the show has been trying your patience since it's return two weeks ago. I'm not against introspection or character examination, but so far these "back nine" eps haven't been too thrilling. "Some Must Sleep" was a lot more compelling than last week's ep, "Desert Cantos," but that's not saying much.
John and Cameron remained in the background, Derek, Ellison, John Henry and the Weaverbot took the week off, and most of the ep featured Lena Headey walking around in pajamas. Like I said – not too thrilling. Things picked up in the end, but I found the unreliable narrative a little distracting. It was confusing trying to figure out what was real and what was a dream. I'm sure that's what Friedman was going for here – he wanted to truly put us inside Sarah Connor's scrambled head. Well, it worked in that sense, but it didn't really translate to great TV.
So, the whole sleep clinic thing was a dream? That's fine. The stuff in the van with Ned Bellamy's baddie, Ed Winston, was a lot more interesting. It's here that the show reminded us exactly who Sarah Connor is – she's just a regular girl thrust into a never-ending nightmare. She had to grow up fast when that nightmare started, and she's been taking heavy blows ever since. She's beaten, tortured and will probably never see the end result of all her suffering. In short, Sarah's life is bleak. The bleakest. She spends her weekends chasing conspiracy theories and being tortured by creepy dudes in black vans. And now she's officially a killer – the "witch" of the "witching hour" she talked about in the voice over.
I like that TSCC is willing to go to these dark places. The episode ended with our main character accepting her role as a dark and dangerous soul born out of terror. But where do we go from here? Do we just move on to more Terminator-of-the-week stories knowing that there will be no rest for Sarah Connor, or will she be saved? And who can save her? The easy guess would be John Connor – he saves everybody, right? But something tells me Derek is more suited for the job. John seems a little distracted right now.
John spent a lot of time in this ep complementing Cameron's pancake recipe and eying her sexy half-naked body in Sarah's dream. Wil he finally fall for his cyborg protector? I doubt it. There's something else going on there, and I'm looking forward to finding out what it is.
John's scenes with Cameron worked to remind Sarah that a machine could probably take better care of her son that she could. Just another blow to her already bruised psyche.
Other Observations:
- Not a lot of overall plot advancement in this ep, but we did learn that Winston's employers have operations overseas. Has Skynet already gone global?
- I've been hard on Sarah's voice over's in the past, but I enjoyed them tonight. They were a little cheesy, especially that last line, but they helped me connect with the character.
- That Ned Bellamy sure is one scary SOB. I think he'd be a good replacement for Jigsaw in the next the next Saw movie.
- A needle to the eye? A point-blank execution? If she wasn't already, Sarah has now truly become hardcore.
- Cameron banging the vending machine was one of the best bits of this ep. That was some good Terminator action.
Gossip Girl' Show & Cast Photos
Actress Leighton Meester attends the Gotham Magazine Leighton Meester cover party at Marquee on September 27, 2008 in New York City.
Duffy-Marie Arnoult/WireImage.com
Actress Leighton Meester attends the Gotham Magazine Leighton Meester cover party at Marquee on September 27, 2008 in New York City.
Duffy-Marie Arnoult/WireImage.com
Leighton Meester attends the Gotham Magazine/Leighton Meester Event sponsored by Jose Cuervo Platino at Marquee Nightclub on September 27, 2008 in New York City.
Brian Ach/WireImage.com
Leighton Meester attends the Gotham Magazine/Leighton Meester Event sponsored by Jose Cuervo Platino at Marquee Nightclub on September 27, 2008 in New York City.
Brian Ach/WireImage.com
Leighton Meester attends the Gotham Magazine/Leighton Meester Event sponsored by Jose Cuervo Platino at Marquee Nightclub on September 27, 2008 in New York City.
Brian Ach/WireImage.com
Leighton Meester attends a Gotham Magazine celebration at Marquee on September 27, 2008 in New York City.
Michael N. Todaro/FilmMagic.com
Leighton Meester attends a Gotham Magazine celebration at Marquee on September 27, 2008 in New York City.
Michael N. Todaro/FilmMagic.com
Blake Lively on location for "Gossip Girl" on September 22, 2008 in New York City.
Bobby Bank/WireImage.com
Cynthia Sparer, Dr. Herbert Pardes, Leighton Meester, Alex Cohen and Pamela W. Barnes attend the Kids for Kids celebrity carnival benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation at the Park Avenue Armory on September 20, 2008 in New York City.
Jason Kempin/WireImage.com
Actress Leighton Meester attends the Kids for Kids celebrity carnival benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation at the Park Avenue Armory on September 20, 2008 in New York City.
Jason Kempin/WireImage.com
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-28-2009 @ 8:29PM
Tom Fisher said...
Remember, the scenes with John gushing over Cameron's pancake recipe and eyeing her up were all part of mom's dream. They say much more about what Sarah thinks of John and Cameron than they say about John or Cameron themselves
Reply
2-28-2009 @ 9:38PM
Mike Moody said...
Indeed.
2-28-2009 @ 8:48PM
Ryan said...
I must respectfully disagree with the reviewer, especially in anticipation of all the naysayers that populate this board. I found this episode, as well as the Sarah arc riveting.
I would think most people would have to watch the episode twice. It wasn't confusing so much as it flopped what we thought was reality and what we thought was a dream at the end. Once you know that, all the scenes will make sense.
I think Sarah's story is tragic, even if she destroys Skynet in the end. John can not save her, and I laugh at the thought of the damaged and disturbed Derek being able to save anybody, even Jesse.
As enjoyable as the John/Cameron scenes were, you must remember that in actuality they did not occur, being all in Sarah's head, and informed by her fears from Season 1 as to what might happen between them. I think you'll find them not nearly as close and flirty and pancake-sharing in the next episode.
ZeiraCorp's subsidiaries are truly global, which they will need to operate units in every theater after Judgment Day, and Weaver seems to be expanding her reach every day. I remain undecided whether they are truly Skynet forces, or that unnamed faction of rogue Terminators that may or may not exist in the future. It's ironic that the brains of the operation is metal, but all her subordinates and operatives are flesh and blood, the first Grays.
As I wrote on the other board: "Loved the coyote tattoo -- 'Does it have mystical significance? Does it protect you? Guide you?' 'This? Nah. It's just for my girl. She thinks it's sexy.' Loved the "nurse" that seems to run the whole clinic, and thought the actress pulled off the concerned caregiver to cold scientist to killer robot transformation beautifully. Loved the crazy roommate, the vending machine, the blood and bone of the handcuff trick, the hypodermic in the eye, the bullet in the brain."
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 3:15PM
Gus said...
Good analysis.
You must have read the Terminator books, right? Or have they refered to the "grays" in the tv series?
3-01-2009 @ 3:39PM
Malren said...
Ryan, I wish you were reviewing this show for TV Squad. You seems to A: Pay attention, and B. get the symbolism, metaphors and underlying motivations.
Excellent comment.
These last few episodes have proven that this show can go the distance and doesn't rely on robot fights to succeed. However...I am ready for some robot fights now. So there's also that. :)
3-01-2009 @ 8:56PM
Ryan said...
Gus -- I haven't read the novels. We previously saw a Gray, Charles Fisher, referred to as such by Jesse and Derek in episode 2.09, "Complications."
Malren -- I appreciate Mike Moody's reviews because he pays attention and thinks about things, even if currently he isn't enjoying the show as much as I do. It annoyed me how the previous reviewer kept getting facts and events wrong on T:SCC and other shows.
Mike's not wrong: many viewers found Sarah's arc boring and confusing. I disagree with his opinion, but I don't fault him for it. In any case, his review is a good jumping-off point for our discussion, which an excellent show like this definitely deserves.
And I also appreciate and look forward to a good all-action episode, but am aware that television budgets also require bottle shows such as this. And that we can't always get the giant future war we want.
3-01-2009 @ 9:08PM
Gus said...
Ah yes I remember that episode now.
Check out the novels (and even the comics) if you like the Terminator Universe. Though the novels aren't astounding, they're an enjoyable and easy read. In the series, they've made passing references to the books- or maybe I'm seeing the references because I'm looking for them :)
3-01-2009 @ 9:22PM
Ryan said...
Thanks for the recommendation. I have to say that as much as I enjoyed the Terminator movies as sci-fi action, I didn't really love the universe and all its implications until Josh Friedman's series. It must add a lot to see references from the novels -- perhaps one of the writing staff read them, or even wrote one.
I did like the old Dark Horse comics, as they were pretty intelligently written, but exposed some of the logical flaws in the movies we just have to ignore. For an important mission, Skynet sent back a team of a half-dozen T-800's to operate in concert. They also brought back a human with them, reached _inside_ his living tissue, and pulled out a plasma pistol. Beats a shotgun any day.
2-28-2009 @ 9:38PM
Cyantre said...
I had to do a double-take when I saw Cameron half-naked, especially when I was fast-forwarding through commercials when I first saw the scene.
I liked this episode a lot, especially not knowing which was the dream and which was reality.
Also Cameron pulling off a Fonzie move on the vending machine was hilarious.
Reply
2-28-2009 @ 9:56PM
Manda said...
yes. sarah is badass. I have always said this.
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 3:36AM
D-Bo said...
I too thought this episode was an intersting look into Sarah's head but man the hangin thread of the flying ship nagged at me the whole time, especially after seeing Ed was still alive.
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 7:35AM
CRVBOY said...
This reminded me of the Buffy episode where she was in a mental hospital and her parents were still alive and she kept having nightmares about her slaying gig. Both good episodes.
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 9:37AM
dennis phillips said...
Ok...so next week Dr Phil?
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 12:46PM
Echy said...
Didn't they bury Ed Winston last week? How did he get sewn up after Sarah shot him? This was weak.
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 8:59PM
Ryan said...
There was a service for Winston, but no body was found for his widow to bury. Everyone must have assumed it was incinerated in the explosion. Winston told Sarah that his employers put him in a private clinic to heal up, and it is implied that he hasn't told his wife that he's still alive.
3-01-2009 @ 3:20PM
C. Hernandez said...
I realized the possibility of the sleep clinic being a dream about half way through, and by the three-quarter mark I was pretty confident it was. If nothing else it explained why John actually seemed a little more like what one might expect from the future savior of humanity and less like a whiny teenager.
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 3:22PM
Gus said...
It's so sad that Sarah is killer- in T2, they went to great lengths to show that she would not and could not kill a human being. For ANY reason. And now they've ruined that, for the second time. (Right?)
On the other hand... we see the trigger get pulled. We don't see the man die. I wouldn't be suprised if Sarah didn't kill him. Just to be clear here- I think she DID kill him, but we do enjoy our plot twists.
This episode was well written, but I'll be glad to get off the Sarah plot arc and back to the John/Camron arc next week.
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 4:29PM
C. Hernandez said...
Gus, I'm not sure where in T2 you got the idea Sarah couldn't kill a person for ANY reason. I just thought it was pretty clear that she couldn't kill Miles, who didn't know his chips for pilotless flying would be the genesis of Skynet. Whereas, it seemed pretty clear these guys knew they were in bad things.
Reply
3-01-2009 @ 9:11PM
Ryan said...
I also think Sarah killed Winston, and the salient point is that it was definitely in cold blood this time. He's beaten, flat on his back, and is holding his open hands up in surrender. Sarah keeps repeating "You're real" and puts the muzzle of the gun right up to his forehead (the right side, interestingly, where the chip is on a T-888). The camera angle switches from Winston to the gun alone, and we see her pull the trigger. That's definitely meant to suggest a fatal execution, Derek-style, like Andy Goode and Sarkissian.
3-01-2009 @ 9:12PM
Ryan said...
Sorry, I meant to reply to Gus above.