John Connor finally earned my respect. Did he earn yours?
This episode might have started out telling Jesse's story, but it was really about John and why he's destined to become the savior of humanity. Jesse has been scheming all season to turn John against Cameron and trusting reprogrammed "metal." Mistakenly, she assumed that John's decision to employ Terminators in the resistance was influenced by an emotional attachment he had to the machines.
Wrong!
As John pointed out during his confrontation with Jesse, machines can be replaced, fixed and even easily discarded. Human life, however, is sacred. In short, John would rather put a machine in danger than a human soldier, and that's why he places machines in key military positions. Because of his boyhood experiences, he knows that machines are cold, capable and, most of all, disposable. Friends and family are not. The last scene – with John choosing to cry on his mother's lap and not Cameron's – stressed this point.
The John-Jesse confrontation was the best part of this episode. I'm sure a lot of viewers were shocked to learn that John knew the truth about Riley for months. Turns out our boy's a lot smarter than we thought he was. And finally, we learned that John is more than a whiny teen with an attitude problem. He's smart, savvy and surprisingly wise. It's too bad season three is such a long shot. I'd love to follow John as he grows into his leadership role.
Where was Sarah in this ep? Her name is in the show's title, but she's rarely in the spotlight during the best episodes. The show is a lot more interesting when the drama revolves around John and Cameron, which is odd for a show called The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Cameron got a little twitchy again, but she didn't kill the bird this time. Sarah noticed something was off with her. She's never trusted Cameron, and I think Sarah's looking for an excuse to get rid of her. I wouldn't be surprised if she steals John's remote detonator. I can see a big John-Sarah confrontation over Cameron's future coming, but I think Cameron will end up proving her worth to Sarah once again.
Ellison continues to forget that John Henry is an evil f*cking machine and the harbinger of death for all mankind. OK, he might not be that evil. John Henry is still an X-factor. Is he the origin of Skynet, or is he what helps defeat it? Are he and Weaver connected to the T-1000 we saw aboard the Jimmy Carter?
Garret Dillahunt is excellent as John Henry, and I like that John Henry is forming an attachment to Ellison. How will this "friendship" influence John Henry and his relationship with Weaverbot?
I wasn't too thrilled by the sub scenes, which should have been a lot more exciting considering there was a rogue T-1000 on board. Why didn't this thing start haunting the place and killing everything Alien-style? And where did it come from? Cameron said that John wanted the T-1000 to join the resistance. This definitely adds weight to the theory that there are machines with conflicting agendas in the future.
Other observations:
- I don't think Jesse is dead, and I don't think we've seen the last of her. She'll be back to annoy me. That's just the way the world works.
- Jesse's miscarriage rang false to me. It seemed like the writers had to shoehorn something like that in to account for her motivations.
- I'm sick of the slow, sad and sappy theme music played during the quiet scenes on this show. It's almost as bad as Smallville.
- The liquid metal effect still looks awkward on TV. I hope we see more T-888 models down the line. They just look and feel cooler on the small screen.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-21-2009 @ 7:50AM
bruce said...
If the liquid metal was so heavy (the people carrying the 'box' could barely lift it - it took the T-888 'captain queeg' to pick it up), how was the liquid terminator able to swim like a snake up and out of the water, escaping from the imploding sub? We know terminators sink (but they can walk their way out)... heavy liquid terminators shouldn't be any different. If it had been able to capture some air and make a bubble around it, then it could conceivably become bouyant, but that's not what it did - it was just a liquid metal 'snake' squiggling its way up away from the sinking sub.
I can't stand Jesse, and I'm disappointed that nobody ended up killing her.
Also, I don't buy that John about Riley all this time. Such knowledge is flatly inconsistent with many of his previous actions and non-actions. The "I knew the whole time" ploy is always done in a lame way on TV, because it ignores previous actions of the character. Had John really known, he may have kept it quiet but he would have done many things differently. He would have acted differently, and why wouldn't he have mentioned it to either Sarah or Cameron?
I still think Ellison is a complete moron, he's risking the destruction of the world (which he knows about first-hand from Sarah Connor) because he arrogantly wants to teach a robot about Jesus. Of course, the end of the world, burning bodies and cracked flaming skulls is something that appeals to most Christians, because they think they'll be flown up to heaven to have front row seats for the rapture. I think Ellison is intentionally trying to help bring about Skynet - teach the robot about the Bible and bring about the second coming of Christ - judgment day is a win-win for a pompous holier than thou ass like Ellison. I know the type well. He's become my least favorite character on this show, especially now that Riley is dead. But I was hoping Jesse would be dispatched as well.
Anyway, you're right about how it would be great to have a Season 3 of this show... but as you note, it's unlikely. Fox just doesn't get it. If they'd ignore the irrelevant nielsen ratings and include DVR numbers in the total viewership, this show is highly watched and has a lot of fans. The horrible Dollhouse and that show's impending failure will cause some negative repercussions on the future of TSCC, which really pisses me off. I watched Dollhouse tonight and it's just SO bad, I mean... what the hell? The only premise of the show is "Eliza Dushku is hot" - sorry but that's not enough... well... okay, in today's market it would be enough but for the high cost of producing the show - just show pictures of Eliza Dushku in bikinis for an hour and it will not only make more sense, but it will get higher ratings and cut production costs by a factor of 1000.
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3-21-2009 @ 8:31AM
Franklin said...
Very interesting theory about Ellison: That he could eventually be the cause for John Henry to turn on humanity.
But I don't think Ellison is holier-than-thou and wants Armageddon to happen. However, I could see his teaching of the Bible to John Henry unintentionally influencing Henry in a negative way.
Garret Dillahunt has in an interview said that John Henry will eventually become the Skynet intelligence.
3-26-2009 @ 1:01AM
Tom said...
"...A pompous holier than thou ass like Ellison. I know the type well. He's become my least favorite character on this show..."
Whoa, now, Bruce Almighty! Looks like someone's got quite a bit of baggage already checked!
I thought John just said that he knew about Riley, not that he knew about her "all along." I got the impression that he just put it all together between last episode and this one. I don't know where you all are coming up with this idea that he knew for months.
And the slithering T-1000, that's a form of propulsion, right? What is so hard to get about that? Even with the most basic undersanding of science, you'd have to admit that its possible. But you can't accept it in a science fiction universe?
I was hoping Season 3 wasn't completely ruled out yet. BSG is gone, so this becomes the new #2 on television for me. I thought they said FOX was going to run marathons this fall before Season 3, to give everybody a chance to catch up. Seriously, I think the executives on FOX have to look at this show and realize that its one of the best quality programs on the air. I bet we get a Season 3.
Anyone have any issues with Terminator canon here? Anyone know a good site to recommend on that subject?
3-21-2009 @ 9:20AM
Christian H. said...
What a great episode! I was glued to my television the entire time. And yes, John Connor did earn my respect... Then lost it again when he started crying again at the end of the episode ;)
And I LOVE the music on this show. Bear McCreary's soundtrack is near perfection... And I like that they use a composer with recurring titles and melodies instead of a soundtrack that consists of nothing but Snow Patrol and Coldplay like all the other shows do.
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3-21-2009 @ 10:18AM
eric f. said...
It was refreshing to finally see JC as more than a self-absorbed, irrational kid.
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3-21-2009 @ 11:06AM
Ryan said...
Mike, some of us actually like the Sarah episodes. And since she got three all to herself earlier, I think we can forgive her absence in a Jesse and John story.
I was expecting a killing spree too, but the T-1001 was abiding by the terms of negotiation it and John Connor had agreed to. It was frozen so as not to be a threat to anyone. When it was thawed out prematurely, it killed the sailor aiming the plasma rifle at it (an immediate threat), then went and hid in the ship. Queeg knew it was still willing to talk to John and continued on its mission. When the crew scuttled the sub, it broke off the talks and left.
I definitely think Jesse is dead, but even if she survived we won't see her again. She knows nothing she could do would change John Connor's mind.
bruce, we don't know how heavy liquid metal is. Most of the weight of the box could have been the refrigeration unit and the box itself. We also don't know how it propels itself in liquid form, but we know it can move against gravity. It may very well sink in water, but it's not hard to believe that it can propel itself upwards using that same motive force. Heck, maybe it can use MHD propulsion.
John's known for a while now, as you can see in his face and his voice in many of his scenes with Riley after Mexico. I (and other fans) have been expecting this reveal for some time. And it was brazenly spelled out to us in "Ourselves Alone."
As for Dollhouse, would you believe that its fans say tonight's episode was the best yet?
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3-21-2009 @ 11:54AM
Parl said...
I'm not going to read the review or any of the comments because this is an instance where I know if I sit around and nitpick and episode I'll be likely to find some parts of it that disappointed me. I'm prone to do that, but as a whole, I really really enjoyed last night's episode.
I've been watching this show since the pilot and FINALLY there's an episode that made it worth watching. Just a great episode.
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3-21-2009 @ 12:07PM
Jason said...
It's completely possible for the T1k to "swim" to the surface. The case was heavy... we don't exactly know if the T1k was heavy though.
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3-21-2009 @ 12:41PM
Karen said...
Adding some depth and some smarts to the whiny emo teenager John made such a difference - what a relief to finally get a glimmer of his potential!
As for Fox being motivated by DVR numbers, that's never going to happen, and there's not a single reason that it should. The only numbers that matter are the number of eyeballs watching the COMMERCIALS, not the number of eyeballs watching the product they're embedded in.
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3-21-2009 @ 3:34PM
bruce said...
Just because someone is watching a show live, not recorded, doesn't mean their eyeballs or ears are listening to the commercials. I always mute the commercials and either go to the bathroom, go to the kitchen for some food/drink, or go play on my computer for a few minutes. But I rarely watch shows live - I DVR them. And if I am going to watch it live, I'm going to pause it the second it starts, wait 15 minutes or so (assuming a 1hr program), and then watch it with a buffer to skip the commercials.
I was saying this the other day in another thread, but the only commercials on TV these days are "we're the cheapest insurance company!" or "free credit report (with monthly fee)" or "buy this car and you'll get laid" or "drink this beer and you'll get laid." Why the hell would I subject myself to that? One day a year, for a few hours during the Superbowl, there are some new, semi-interesting commercials. But I hate football so I never even see those.
3-25-2009 @ 8:39PM
Echy said...
The only people that matter are the Nielsen families.
3-26-2009 @ 1:12AM
Tom said...
One thing about the commercials--I watch this show exclusively on my DVR. I fast forward the commercials, but that makes me watch them more intently to know when to stop, albeit in 10-15 seconds versus two minutes. But I still get exposed to them--and from a psychological standpoint, that may be all that matters (like subliminal advertising). I wonder if there is any research on the subject. Someone should do some.
Otherwise, I'm a channel flipper. Commercial breaks mean a chance to surf or watch something else for two minutes until the show starts back up. So I actually see MORE of Sarah Connor Commercials than I would watching it live...
3-21-2009 @ 1:03PM
Diego M said...
This was a great episode.
We all suspected riley was from the future before the big reveal with jesse earlier.
and john just pointed out everything we talked about. the mexico trip was big on hints.
I don't think jesse is dead, derek didn't really pull the trigger he just squeezed it lightly. She is still alive, maybe she'll sacrifice herself by the end fo the season to redeem herself. and then drop a bomb on derek like J-Day. "we had a baby your baby!!!"
What if cameron drops that bomb to him next week? he'll go apeshit crazy
as for john and the reveal that metal is better than humans. So true, he would rather send cameron back than his uncle to protect him from terminators, his uncle just came to scope out skynet not to fight cromartie so he wouldn't get killed.
JC gained my respect, even with his breakdown at the end.
9.7 out of 10
CHARLIE IS BACK NEXT WEEK
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3-21-2009 @ 7:18PM
Ryan said...
Unfortunately, squeezing the trigger lightly is all it took to fire. We saw Derek cock the hammer on his Beretta after drawing it, putting it into single-action mode, which moves the trigger back, so it doesn't have to travel as far. From there, it just takes a couple pounds of pressure to release the spring, and we heard that distinct click in the trigger close-up shot.
3-21-2009 @ 1:08PM
David Holtzinger said...
SCC has been getting progressively boring. I've watched it from the beginning and am just about ready to give up on it. If the writers could breath new life into it, spend less time on the human relationship angle and more on defeating the machines then perhaps it has a chance. By the way, the most recent ep. of Dollhouse was by-and-away the best so far. It is getting better while SCC is slipping away.
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3-26-2009 @ 1:35AM
Tom said...
Couldn't disagree more. I would agree, with a lot of other people too, that this show has been uneven. But these last 2 or 3 episodes have been excellent and definitely on the uptick. If you thought these events were part of something getting continually more boring, I'd have to question how closely you were paying attention.
I also agree that this week's Dollhouse was the first one since the premiere that I felt was worth watching, because of the hype of each, and this one was the first of ANY episode that made me think they could do something worthwhile with this show. I remain a little skeptical though. One thing is for sure, Dollhouse is a HELL OF A LOT BETTER than "Fringe," and people seem to love that...
3-21-2009 @ 3:36PM
Dave B said...
What was the name of the song that was playing when Derek and Jessie were talking in the parking lot?
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3-23-2009 @ 2:52AM
ghottistyx said...
The name of the song is "New Messiah" by Desert Heart Bloom.
Frankly, I'm not surprised that John knew about Riley's secret. I was starting to wonder how a smart guy like John, who obviously seems to be on top of many other things (like gun registration laws in California and repercussions of child services showing up at the door) can not have made p's and q's of the obvious hints Riley has dropped about being from the future. In "Mr. Ferguson Is Ill Today", before it was revealed to us that Riley is from the future, I thought there was something strange about how congenial Riley was acting toward the whole situation. Oh, she wanted to know who Cromartie was and what was going on, but otherwhise she was acting rather cool about the whole situation (too cool in fact).
Also, I think this is the first episode where we really see the humane side of Jesse. She obviously was never in a interenment camp, like Derek or Dietz. This is why they both would have a natural aversion to Queeg, Cameron, and other metal who are given positions of power in the resistance. I actually found myself slightly sympathising with Jesse at first--before John put in perspective the difference between metal and human life.
Meanwhile, the question still arises whether Ellison will be able to teach John Henry to value human life. Weaver obviously doesn't (ergo the 'resignation letters' she has on file). "Humans will disappoint you." In all scenarios, Skynet gets paranoid, someone tries shutting it down, but it fights back. Which way will John Henry sway.
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3-21-2009 @ 7:22PM
Ryan said...
BTW, Mike, "Today is the Day - Part 2" is the official title for the episode. FOX accidentally released an older working title for it. Another one was "Crush Depth."
Official source: http://www.fox.com/blogs/terminator/2009/03/19/on-titles/
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3-21-2009 @ 7:29PM
Chris said...
@Dave B
The song was "New Messiah", by Dead Heart Bloom. I just listened to it. You won't hear the good part (or the part from the episode) until about 2 minutes from the end. If you want to hear it before you buy it on iTunes, go to their MySpace page.
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