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'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' is full of carrots and apples
If last week and this week are any indications, I think we could be in for a fun season on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. John wasn't central to the plot this week, and I don't know how I feel about that, but I guess these are Sarah's chronicles, not his. However, I simply don't know what is happening in the future. Tonight's episode started out with some guy from the future appearing in our present complete with a recently placed bullet in his chest. Who in the future sent a guy to the present with a bullet in his chest? What is going on there? How pitched is this battle in the time machine room?
My contemplations were quickly supplanted by Derek and Sarah's. They were worried about Cameron and her going evil again. Cameron, for her part, was worried about John. Cameron, very rightly, told John that he couldn't be trusted anymore, that the risks he took to save her were too dangerous to allow them to be repeated.
Life only got worse for John as he was forced to, horror of horrors, go back to high school. At least he met a cute blonde, Riley, but he seemed wholly uninterested in her. He did however buy her a sandwich, and while she was eating it she noted that he was full of "carrots and apples," which she then explained were happy thoughts. Naturally he invited her back to the house his mom was renting that he hadn't yet seen (and she stayed the night).
Apparently Sarah's financial portfolio isn't feeling the same woes as Wall Street was today, because with John at school, she, Cameron, and Reese rented a pretty swell house. It was big, looked absolutely beautiful inside, and came fully furnished. I guess it's good to be the mother of the future leader of the resistance.
Sarah didn't get to enjoy the new place for too long though, because our bullet hole man from the future busted in just as Sarah was sitting and trying to relax. He gave her the all-important information for tonight's episode – a place, time, and cryptic message about stopping someone named Greenway. Sarah had no idea what the info meant, but she was raring to figure it all out.
After a cool look at the future in which we saw some resistance fighters destroy one of Skynet's flying machines over the power plant that our now-dead future guy told Sarah about, we flashed back to the present. Sarah, Derek, and Cameron were contemplating what they should be doing with their information. Derek explained that the plant is one of the resistance's main sources of power in the future, and so Sarah and Cameron quickly got temp jobs there. One short introductory safety video later and Cameron had identified a plant worker as one "Carl Greenway."
Carl's job was apparently similar to that of Homer Simpson's (safety inspector), because the nuclear reactor was offline, and Carl had the authority to prevent it from going back online. Carl did differ from Homer in one important respect – that night, when he ended up in a bar, he drank tonic water instead of beer. Sarah made up for it though, drinking a beer as she chatted Carl up.
She made eyes at him and learned all about his bout with cancer and how he had stopped the last reactor test and how he wanted to stop the next one too. If he was successful, the plant would be shut down and, the Scooby Gang hypothesized, it would never be opened again, thereby depriving the resistance of the power they'd need in the future.
Also in the bar was Cameron, who was scanning the IDs of security men as she took their money in pool. Once at home, she duplicated the barcode from one of the IDs she scanned, so Sarah would have access to the whole plant the next day.
Of course, as soon as Sarah used the ID the next morning, she got caught and was asked to throw on a radiation suit and clean up a minor little spill. Despite her being too scared to do any cleaning, she allegedly got moderately irradiated and ended up with a Silkwood shower. It was only when she was handed back her clothes after the shower and told that the radiation reading must have been a "hiccup" that she figured out she had been lied to. Seems as though management was into power games at the plant.
While that may have been an interesting diversion, it truly was nothing more than that. It was not caused by Greenway or the machine that had replaced Greenway (something Sarah learned from Derek who had broken in to Greenway's place and found his body). The plant went online, proceeded to overheat, and Terminator Greenway refused to shut it down.
Sarah sent Cameron to fix the problem and Cameron ended up doing battle with Terminator Greenway in a supremely unsatisfying way. Sure, Cameron dispatched him, but we saw very little of the battle. Instead, we saw Sarah take out a security guard, steal his gun, run back through the room that had the radiation spill (this time without a radiation suit) and watch the end of the battle.
By the end of the episode, Cameron had averted the meltdown, taken Terminator Greenway apart, stuck him in a toxic waste barrel along with the security videos of the fight, and told Sarah that she didn't know if Sarah would get cancer in this timeline (Sarah had not, however, gotten too much radiation that day). Sarah finished the episode standing in back of her new rental house when she noticed some blood on a pillar. She tracked the blood into the basement where, written in blood, was a bunch of information (names, including Greenway's; places; and maybe a couple of numbers too). Presumably the writing was left there by our bullet hole future guy, but not having actually seen him write it I wouldn't swear to that.
Other bits and pieces:
- Ellison and Charley allegedly had plots too tonight – Ellison told Charley and his wife to leave town. Charley's wife wasn't happy, but they went. Will Charley stay gone? I doubt it.
- Oh yeah, it was announced at the end of the episode that the power plant (and several others around the country) were entering into a partnership with a company that would help automate the plants and thereby avoid "human error." Who announced this partnership? Our liquid metal buddy, of course.
- Overall, I liked tonight's episode. I thought it advanced plots, had some decent twists, and was fun. What do you think? Were you a fan?
The TV and Film Guy's Reviews - nothing but carrots and apples.
Busy Philipps! Very pregnant Busy Philipps!
A | Sep 15, 2008 11:13:20 PM | #liked the epi but didn't really understand the point of riley? john has a new friend?
and anyway re next epi i don't really care about charley's wife getting kidnapped. seems a dumb plotline i hope the show goes in a better direction after that. p.s. isn't charley's wife PENELOPE from thy hallowed LOST??
The Terminator that took Greenway's place is not the kind of Terminator that can assume one's identity. It's a T-1000 or T-1001 that can shape shift, and that wasn't what Greenway's Terminator was. Is this a goof in the show, or am I missing something?
Tom Wakefield | Sep 16, 2008 4:19:29 AM | #This episode was full of something, all right, but not carrots and apples. Is emo-John so desparate for companionship that he's going to hang around with the single most annoying female in the world?
Aggrieved | Sep 16, 2008 4:26:22 AM | #From what I recall seeing the guy who flashed back at the beginning wasn't shot, he appeared to have been injured by a blast of energy from the time travel sphere. I assume because he stood up before it fully dissipated.
I too was disappointed that the replacement Greenway was just a run-of-the-mill T-800. How exactly did Skynet know who it needed to replicate? But then again how did the resistance know he needed rescuing? A little more though needs to be put into these kind of stories IMO.
I think they need to move away from the constant new threats and get back to the investigation sort of theme they were doing in season one (chasing down the Turk). If they keep sending more metal back/running into a never-ending stream of terminators it'll just fall into freak of the week territory.
BTW I also couldn't read much of what was on the wall. Can anyone fill me in?
M.
so is the old highschool plot finished---the one with the guidance counselor, suicide victim and mysterious blonde who doesn't like to talk?
tim | Sep 16, 2008 6:47:59 AM | #I like season two so far. Let's not get too nitpicky about details like how Skynet has the intel to replicate Greenway with a non-shapeshifting T-800 model. They have a mastermind mole in place, Catherine Weaver, played by Shirley Manson of Garbage and that explains everything.
david | Sep 16, 2008 8:12:28 AM | #What's not to love about Cameron, with the deadpan and monotone delivery....they've gotta write at least two gags into each ep.
Like "I'm Cindy, I'm new in town", and after her optical analysis, her weak-looking break pockets maybe five or six.
"Still my shot."
Priceless.
chris | Sep 16, 2008 8:24:00 AM | #And John Connor done growed up since last season.
He don't look like a high school boy no more.
chris | Sep 16, 2008 8:34:58 AM | #I find the story lines interesting and the action fun. I have one thing that drives me nuts about shows that are "futuristic". They spend a great deal on the special effects but can't keep simple continuity things in order. One of the main characters is driving a version of a Chrysler car that came out in 2007. This is the same with other vehicles. The series is not currently in that year or even close. Don't they pay people to get these things right! Just my thoughts!
Reg | Sep 16, 2008 8:35:58 AM | #Remember that terminators can apparently change their look. If a standard T-800 came back and with help from that T-1000 or on his own. Cromatie changed his look and was identical to the actor he later killed. So a T-800 could come back and change his look to match Greenway
jbw | Sep 16, 2008 9:11:39 AM | #Sorry, but the series is currently in Nov 2007. They said the date during the episode when Sarah called Derek and used the date as a security code.
Anon | Sep 16, 2008 9:26:57 AM | #Sorry Reg, but the series is currently in Nov 2007. They said the date during the episode, when Sarah called Derek. They use the date as a security code.
Anon | Sep 16, 2008 9:30:05 AM | #I just realized the product placement Ram truck driven by Derek... isn't that a 2008 model? Ah just being nit picky, I like the show. Definitely think Cam is a bit damaged or else she'd have given the T-800 more of a fight. She also seems more insightful (evolving?)... esp with the comment at the end regarding her question about being a time bomb.
anon | Sep 16, 2008 10:11:45 AM | #I didn't care for this episode....
The abandonment of Morris and Cheri in favor of new girl Riley annoys me. The Cheri mystery never got off the ground, but was playing in to John's need to actually start being a hero, and Morris was fun sidekick/element of Cameron's evolving personality. Riley is brought in to be the new hot girl, and was frankly shoe horned into the story in a "HERE: Like this character!"
In season 1, the clearance from cancer was one of the shows elements of saying "T3 didn't happen." As I disliked T3, I'm good with that..and at the time, the movie franchise was dead. Bringing the cancer fear back in felt less like upping the pathos and tension and more like trying to bring the show in line with the revived movie franchise.
Highly pregnant and nosy neighbor/land lord...are we borrowing plot elements from 70's sitcoms now?
VideoBeagle | Sep 16, 2008 11:48:47 AM | #Better episode than it looked like it was going to be in the previews. I kinda liked Riley, even if her transplant-from-Woodstock (1969 version)-flower-child schtick might get old if it continues (the carrots and apples line was just stupid). I'm willing to give her character some time to fit into the overall fell of the show, as I enjoy the actress who plays her.
Cameron (aka Summer Glau)...what more can a guy (and some gals, no doubt) want than a woman who can not only break you in half if she chooses, but also shoots a mean game of billiards? Probably a good thing they weren't playing darts...
Revenant | Sep 16, 2008 2:11:26 PM | #that resistance guy from the future was "zack ward aka Scut Farkus from perennial holiday fave a christmas story" -- "He had yellow eyes!"
nitish | Sep 16, 2008 2:23:26 PM | #@Minotaur:
The only things I could clearly make out of the names and numbers in the basement were:
Greenwood, Palo Alto, and Alpine Fields
calling LOST fans: is charley's wife in this show the same actress as PENELOPE from LOST??
i agree with Minotaur and Tim about the plotlines.
Yes, Charley's wife IS Penelope from Lost.
I enjoyed the episode but I do hope this is not going to be a season of John being an annoying teenager. Yes, he IS a teen, but parent/sulky teen conflicts are just tedious to watch. Didn't that girl's parents wonder where she was? Out all night?
I liked seeing Sarah and Cameron in a new situation - undercover. Cameron is still behaving rather oddly - good to keep that going a bit longer after her malfunction.
Guess this is the new house. Much nicer than the last. I liked the neighbour inviting Cameron to feel her belly and talking about her being inside Sarah once LOL!
So all that work at the plant was for nothing. The accident is what caused it to go automated, thereby giving Skynet a leg up. What could they have done? Not much I suppose.
Cath | Sep 16, 2008 3:00:20 PM | #thanks Cath!
yeah i liked how Cameron felt the neighbor's belly and then how Sarah moved Cameron's hand away when she left it there a little too long (longer than Sarah was comfortable with anyway).
This episode was all over the place. Interesting and occasionally entertaining, but left me scratching my head and saying "huh?" a lot more than, "hey, that's pretty cool."
Cameron needs to get back to being Cameron and not the mixed personality she had in this ep.
I wish they explained how their stash of money was sparred from the house explosion and fire. Everything after the Jeep explosion happened so quickly that unless they have their savings in a bank account, it would have been left behind and probably burned.
The Riley girl storyline seemed forced and way too fast.
Why have another T-800 that looked exactly like Greenway come into play when it appeared the plant boss was the one who wanted to re-start the reactor. They made his character seem to be the one who would somehow find a way to get the reactor back online whether or not Greenway was in agreement.
And the producers ought to figure out a better way to get intel to the group rather than relying on sending yet another resistance fighter back to the present.
omg this show is lame, and it shows in the ratings.
what? | Sep 16, 2008 8:22:51 PM | #Loved this episode, some nice tie-ins from last episodes. No John isn’t in love with a machine. Yes he doesn’t want to lose Cameron because as annoyed as he gets at her butting into his business, the only time he can pretend to be normal is when he knows she’s watching his back. It’s an interesting minor family rift—Mom and Uncle Derek are always, “Machines evil, must destroy.” John is always, “Machines cool, fix when possible and reprogram them.” Notice when Cameron is trying to trick him last episode by saying she’s good now, John is listening and thinking. The instant she says, I love you and you love me, he yanks the chip because he knows the interpretation is, I’m still busted and I’m gonna kill you the instant I get out from between these two truck.
Riley was a little sudden, but the writers obviously want to emphasis that John doesn’t have a thing for female shaped machines, at least yet—who knows, these writers like to jump all over the map to keep you guessing. The only things I didn’t like about Riley are 1. Good parents are bad, who’s going to let their daughter be gone for two days and then say, how was school honey? Sarah would be driving Riley home personally to make sure they didn’t get involved in a massive manhunt. 2. What happened to the mystery girl Cheri at the old school? That’s the end of the story? And Morris? He was not only cool, but I was really looking forward to what happened when he took Cameron to the prom. By the smile on John’s face, I think he was looking forward to it too.
Cameron’s comment, Things have changed, I can’t trust you anymore, was pretty fun stuff. Later John makes a great comeback, I don’t have to justify myself to anyone, not even you. He could have added, because the future is changing even as we talk and mom and uncle Derek alone can’t protect me anymore. I need heavy-duty firepower and I need you working correctly and more or less following my orders. Apparently, Cameron got the point because later she is mopping the floor and doesn’t even notice when Sarah comes up and starts screaming at her that the power plant is in near meltdown. Sarah shoves her and say, Hey are you alive in there? Cameron responds, I’m thinking about what to do. Of course Cameron means what to do about John. Sarah thinks they are talking about the meltdown and say’s, I’ve never seen you take that long before. And indeed Cameron’s logic circuits are nearly frozen in a loop as she try’s to decide if John is safer without her as she believes, or if he is a dead man as soon as she leaves as John insists. I can hardly wait to see how a machine resolves the conflict.
Lots and lots of good plot and lots of really subtle hinting and innuendo. Worth watching at least one or two more times to see just how clever this and the season premier really were.
I guess maybe it was just me, but I thought the whole convo between John and Cameron about John upsetting people (but "not them" in relation to Derek & Sarah) was a direct link to the events that happened in the episode. Obviously the power plant was there before in Derek's future. I thought that the whole episode was showing how things may have changed because of John's saving of Cameron and the ramifications of those actions. Guess I was reading too much into it!
I also didn't like how they shoehorned Riley into the family. Doesn't her sudden interest in him make John wonder at all? I don't mean to make it sound like no one would just like him for who he is, but she shows up basically forces him to buy her food goes over to his new house (which- huh?) and then sleeps over (?? If my teenage daughter did that she would be grounded for six months!) and builds him a freaking robot? NONE of this sparks red flags for him? I actually think the character is going to turn out to be just a normal girl, but my point is that John needs to be on hyper alert and she moved way too fast way too soon. He should be more wary.
genniel | Sep 17, 2008 8:14:09 AM | #
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