Summer Glau

In the first part of the two-hour season finale, Cromartie goes from school to school, checking the records of new students searching for John Connor. Derek surprises the Connors and Cameron when he produces Vick’s chip that Cameron has not destroyed, contrary to what she had told them in the past. In order to disprove his accusation of mistrust about her, Cameron works with John to pull data off the chip, including a visual record of the cyborg. As it turns out, Vick was married to Barbara Chamberlain, the City Manager for Los Angles who is responsible for creating the advanced traffic system (Automated Real Time Traffic Exchange or ARTTE) for the city. Cromartie’s search leads him to John and Cameron’s high-school; however Cameron is able to trick him into thinking John is not a student there. Still upset over Andy Goode’s death, Sarah convinces the others to search for what they think is Barbara’s body from evidence in Vick’s visual record. When they discover the body, it’s not Barbara’s but rather a woman that was lobbying against the implementation of ARTTE. Vick and Skynet were extremely interested in keeping this woman on track as this program will eventually become the backbone of Skynet’s infrastructure in the future. Realizing that ARTTE must be destroyed, Sarah and Derek break into the traffic computer’s location and attempt to upload a virus that John created (instead of blowing up the place like Derek wants to do). The program is far too advanced for the virus and alarms sound forcing the two to flee. Cameron allows her chip to be removed and connected to the network, which finally brings it down. Two final reveals at the end of the episode are that Sarah knows that Derek killed Andy and Vick ends up killing Barbara after the program was completed.

The second part of the season finale begins with a flashback of a young Kyle and Derek playing ball as missiles fly above their heads – Judgment Day. Sarah finally is able to make contact with Sarkissian, who has Andy Goode’s Turk computer. Sarkissian has been a busy man as he has been researching Sarah, including the killing of Carlos’ crew. He double crosses Sarah by refusing to sell the Turk to her, instead demanding money to not turn her into the Feds. As added incentive, he mentions that John is being watched, unaware that Cameron is watching right back (and killing right back as well). Agent Ellison makes contact with Charlie Dixon to again see if he knows of Sarah’s whereabouts. Although Charlie denies any knowledge, he becomes convinced that Ellison is beginning to see the truth and later, makes Sarah aware of this. During this time, Cromartie and Ellison become aware of the other’s activities at the FBI. Carlos’ girlfriend silently gives up Sarkissian’s location, the cybercafe the initial Turk meet was to take place, and after a brief confrontation, Derek kills Sarkissian. John is able to decrypt Sarkissian’s hard drive and discovers that the Turk has already been sold. Derek remembers John’s birthday and surprises him by a visit to the park, where a young Derek and Kyle are playing baseball —finally allowing John to finally meet his father. Agent Ellison with a FBI task force attempt to bring in Kester/Lazlo/Cromartie. Every agent is killed except Ellison, whose life is oddly spared by Cromartie. The episode ends with Sarah remembering John’s birthday and the cybercafe cashier, who actually is Sarkissian, rigging a car bomb that blows up Cameron.

Commentary:

I am not sure where to begin. The first part was interesting in that it revealed that there could be many programs and/or computers that are eventually used as the basis of Skynet rather than the one, the Turk, that the Connors plus two have been attempting to track down all this time. This can also serve as a way the series comes up with more storylines. Sadly, one wonders, if like in Lost (sorry to bring up another program, but like Captain Malcolm Reynolds said, “This is what I do.”), the Terminator universe has a way of course correcting itself. For example, in the motion picture series, the entire problem was supposedly eliminated in the second feature, but look what ends up happening at the end of the third film. Forgetting the fact that this is a television show, I wonder if Judgment Day is even preventable as there may always be another program or Terminator waiting in the wings. Heck, there seem to be a many cyborgs working various missions in the past; how can the elimination of one, or of a computer program stop Judgment Day? To quote Maureen Johnson, Idina Menzel’s character from the musical Rent: “There will always be women in rubber flirting with me!”

The second hour, the actual finale, had a weird vibe about it in that I had no idea where they were going with it. Kind of shaky at first, then we have the cool (but traumatizing) way Derek dispatched fake Sarkissian, the raid on Cromartie and Cameron being blown up. I’m fascinated at the thought of Ellison coming around (heh —more on this later) to believing Sarah’s story just as I’m confused as to why Cromartie did not kill Agent Ellison. I’m guessing it might be because Ellison has a part to play in the rise of Skynet based on the fact that his life was spared and that Cromartie did not go after Ellison as soon as he finds out that Ellison has the Connor case file. Just when I think they forgot about her, Cheryl makes an appearance. Why the freak out and what’s her deal? I was touched by Derek bringing John to see his father! Now that’s what I call a birthday present! Finally, was Cameron the real Sarkissian’s target via the car bomb or was it unlucky happenstance on her part?

I think Sarah has been getting very lax in getting fooled twice by the fake Sarkissian. She slips up a third time by using Derek’s real name in fake Sarkissian’s presence in her house. To paraphrase Sarah: Sarah, you need to be smarter than that!

I think my complaints from the last episode were justified (the overkill of references from the feature films), so I’m glad to report that this episode has almost none (other than the characters, etc.). A Century City Mall reference was all that I could ascertain (unless you count Cameron’s outfit at the end of the finale, which I don’t). To clarify, I think it would behoove the show’s producers and writers to use the feature films as a basis; however, they need to now forge ahead without worrying about the films anymore. Sure reference them from time to time, but create your own mythos. For example, I was extremely pleased at seeing the Kyle and Derek flashback/flashforward at the beginning of the second hour’s episode. Side note: I did laugh at the thought of the resistance fighters spending their first day back in the past at the mall.

When Cameron says that Barbara is just “bones and meat” I thought I heard a little River Tam for a brief second. During fake Sarkissian visit to Carlos, my mind drifted to the opening of the film, Serenity. Searching for missing woman (girl)? Check! Spouts off some ancient historical fact? Check! Uses sword to kill guards? Check! Just saying is all...

Cyborg sex? Come on now! I hope Vick’s “relationship” is not just a means to set up a weird relationship between John and Cameron (or John’s friend and Cameron). Please, show creators, please do not go in this direction! Yuck!

Love how Cameron learned Armenian to prep for the meeting with Sarkissian because its an Armenian surname.

Oh yes! A big ’thank you’ from this Johnny Cash fan for using a Cash song during that incredible sequence. The song, “The Man Comes Around,” was the title track of Cash’s 2002 album, American IV: The Man Comes Around. The song uses quotes from the Bible’s Book of Revelation in a reference to Agent Ellison’s new found fear of the Apocalypse (Judgment Day) and to the fact, like I mentioned above, that he has finally “come around” to believing Sarah Connor’s account of the things to come. Oh, nice way to end the pool shots by cutting to black, then revealing Cromartie’s black shirt/jacket —AKA The Man in Black!

Speaking of the same sequence, it was very obvious that it was shot that way to save money (it’s a television show after all); however, it was executed in an extremely unique way (kind of reminded me of the opening shot from the short-lived FOX show, Point Pleasant). I’m trying to figure out what I liked the best: the actual shot itself or the muffled sounds of chaos heard underwater. Kudos to everyone involved here!

Anyone have the name of that film or video that Carlos and crew were watching on the TV before fake Sarkissian shows up?

Nitpicking:

Way too obvious product placement returns: “7-11 run” (including a list of food that could be purchased at that convenience store), the video game, Halo, being played in the cybercafe and Intel’s founder getting some props.

John is happy that he was able to figure out how the Terminator’s store their memories and he mentions that he still hasn’t figured out what the robot symbols mean. Why couldn’t John have just asked Cameron how everything is organized or better yet, why couldn’t Cameron just offer this info up? Normally, I would assume that she did help off screen, but John clearly states “I figured out...” and not “we figured out...” (or a variant).

Quotes:

Cameron: “The roast should had been removed from the stove eighteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds ago.”

Cameron: “Yes, crank the juice”

Sarah: “Have fun at school. It’s pizza day.”

Derek: “Remind me again, why the boys are out here and the girls are in there.” John: “Because one of the boys is still wanted for murder and one of the girls is harder than nuclear nails.” Derek: “And the other one’s a cyborg.”

Sarkissian: “You are very beautiful for a dead woman.”

Cameron: “That’s a tight present.”

Cameron: “He said very little and then he was quiet.”

Well my fellow Ozians (cough), it’s been a fun first season. Here’s hoping that there is a second season. Until then... wait for it... I’ll be back!