Spoiler Warning: reading this without seeing yesterday’s episode will completely spoil it for you.
Did anyone else find yesterday’s episode enormously underwhelming as far as mid-season cliff-hangers go? I would have liked to see a bit more action—this is still Terminator, after all—and I would have liked more resolution to the John/Riley/Cameron storyline. But, those are minor gripes, because what we got was still pretty okay, and I’m not sure I’m at the point where I’m ready to admit to the world I want to see John and Cameron ditch Riley and get together (let’s keep that between you and I, hm?)
First: Sarah and the UFOs. This was strange to me, but strange is okay because it means new ideas. And normally I love UFOs and anything to do with aliens, but, like I said—this is Terminator—and I’m not sure aliens have a place in the franchise. In fact, I know they don’t. (Hypnotism certainly doesn’t either, but I’ll let that slide just this once.) The minute aliens show up is the minute the show has lost all credibility. And the Sarah Connor Chronicles is the only show I’d say that about… I’d be thrilled if they turned up in Lost, Battlestar Galactica (though it would admittedly cheapen it a bit), or even House.
However, I have a lot of faith in the showrunners, so I’m sure what Sarah saw was not aliens. That being said, I’m sure she saw something. I don’t think when the show comes back in February that we’ll discover it was all “just a dream,” or some other hallucination. I think whatever it was hovering above her is a major turning point for the whole shebangabang.
Has anyone seen the photos of these UFOs before
I first saw these photos a few years ago, and they remain some of the best UFO photos I’ve seen. I ask if anyone has seen them because I’m pretty sure they were pinned up on Lady Abraham’s wall. Either way, the thing Sarah saw shares a similarity with these photos, which, since they’ve been on my mind for a few years, was immensely cool to say the least.
So what the flip is it? Since I’m ruling out aliens, my next choice is obviously some kind of reconnaissance drone from the future. The problem there, of course, is that if we abide by the time travel rules established by the franchise, you can’t take raw materials back with you, and a huge flying drone would fit that bill. Assuming there is a pilot in there somewhere, he or she’s naked figure would be the only thing left if they tried to move it through time.
So, no aliens, and no Skynet either, at least not as we know it. Perhaps the design is from the future, and Skynet (or even the resistance) sent some people back to build it. If so, the past (and future) will never be the same.
Second: John and Riley. It would have been a better mid-season ender had the big reveal of Riley’s true history been saved until now. But since we found out she was from the future a few episodes back, witnessing how it happened just felt like filler. However, it did have its moments—seeing her react to flowers and soft linens for the first time was kind of moving.
It does add depth to the Riley character, though. When she was added simply as John’s love interest she was cliché and stale, but now she actually has a purpose: keep John away from Cameron.
But away, how? Just physically? Is Cameron a danger to John? (She’s still having to override that Terminate John Connor directive, right?) Or is Riley supposed to completely turn him away from Cameron… emotionally, too? I can’t help but think that, his mother aside, the best relationship he’s had in his developmental years was with a machine (Terminator 2). I think that John has a soft spot for them in some way, and while he may recognize the danger, accepts them more readily than most. Add to this Cameron’s declaration of love, and there’s a real possibility John may want to start something up with Cameron.
They’ve hinted around that they are very close in the future. Maybe something goes wrong, and Jesse came back to sour machines for John. Maybe he needs to learn machines are tools, not people.
Either way, I’m more eager to see this plot thread develop than Sarah’s UFO, to be honest.
I’m certainly looking forward to February, when new episodes start again. According to Josh Friedman (the producer), the last half of the season will wrap up most of what’s been established in the first half. Since moving the show to Fridays seems like a cancellation notice, especially since it’s FOX, that bit of news is bittersweet to me: I’m looking forward to answers, but don’t want it to end.
NO FATE.
This was the first episode I’ve missed all season (took a nap and overslept), so I’m avoiding reading the article.
Do you know if the show will be replayed anytime this week?
Unsure, though when I miss it I heard straight to Hulu:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/49026/terminator-the-sarah-connor-chronicles-earthlings-welcome-here
Thanks, Adam. I didn’t even think about Hulu.
I’m consistently impressed with Hulu, even with the speed in which I can start watching in higher-resolution (480p). My one gripe is they don’t have the first few episodes of the season, which I’d love to go back and watch now during the hiatus.
Haven’t watched yet so haven’t read review, but have heard some good things all though it has a lot of Catfancy and JC and no BAG. But hopefully Beastwizard is in there, he plays an awesome creepy terminator.
Agreed on Beastwizard. I thought when Cromartie died we’d see the last of him, but the way things are going he’s going to be around for a while.
SPOILER WARNING:
I thought it was pretty clear that the “UFO” was supposed to be this: http://www.sideshowtoy.com/mas_assets/jpg/8336_press01-001.jpg (or something quite similar).
Frankly, I thought this episode was terrible. UFOs, really? If that had been a five minute portion of the episode, and the rest was about the John/Cameron/Riley business, it may have been an OK episode. Instead, I had to see Sarah Connor take someone to get hypnotized. Come on. That was ridiculous.
I really can’t tell how I feel about this little love triangle plot either. It was a cool reveal that Riley is from the future, but now it makes some of the things she does even more ridiculous. I do thoroughly enjoy the Cameron stuff, and I agree that John has a soft spot for metal after his experience in T2. I’m excited for Cameron to do what she needs to in order to get this crazy Riley chick out of John’s life.
Hmm, I don’t know how “clear” it could be, considering how it was never spelled out. Best guesses are all we have at this point. I was thinking H/K, too, but unsure how … maybe it’s a prototype, and the machines take it and improve upon it post Judgement Day?
And I don’t have screencaps, but I don’t recall the UFO having engines. The H/Ks seem to have jet engines mounted sideways.
I’m excited about Cameron off’ing Riley, to be honest.
Okay, found a screencap.
So, yes, very H/K-ish, but without engines.
Finally watched the episode today. I think Sarah is hallucinating, and maybe the ship resembles something from skynet uses in the future. They also kind of look like the lights used in surgery rooms (God I hope she isn’t abducted by aliens and they give her cancer). I think maybe Cameron was JC love interest in the future or something to that effect. (suspend her role being a teenager in the present).
I was kind of turned off by the motorcycled assassin, too 80’s for me.
I hope the show makes another season, maybe FX will pick it up.
Interesting idea about surgery lights, though since it’s in blood on her basement wall I’m not sure what that would mean, unless most of the season has “all been a dream.”
I would have been fine with the motorcycle assassin if they revealed who it was. Though I understand we’ll find out, I mean, if it was a nobody their face wouldn’t have been masked. I think it was deliberately hidden to make us guess.
You are right regarding the bike assassin. My guess if its someone we know its Jesse
WOW, check this out: http://io9.com/5117028/your-ufos-are-just-viral-marketing
“It does add depth to the Riley character, though. When she was added simply as John’s love interest she was cliché and stale, but now she actually has a purpose: keep John away from Cameron.”
Doesn’t Jesse actually say that Riley is supposed to keep John away from “her”. Couldn’t she have been talking about Sarah? Seems like Riley’s presence is forming more of a rift with John’s mother than with Cameron.
Good point; very true.
Indeed, the drone resembles a HK, when I saw it, first thing I thought was “omG, a skeleton of a HK!!” I agree that the Sarah’s UFO wasn’t the most interesting in the show. Somehow, whenever Sarah is on screen, the show gets really slow, boring, you name it. When Cameron is in da house… dude!
Maybe it’s that Cameron takes the spectator to a place where everything is possible, since she’s in first place, impossible. She establishes a full connection with spectators (guys, over there) and we believe anything she has to say. That’s not the case with Sarah, she’s more like a… Julia Roberts in a sex scene, hide this hide that, slow, boring, familiar, we all know that.
Cameron is my favorite, too, if only for all of the mysteries surrounding her past. I hope we get a full biography before the show ends
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Plus the question is which future is Riley from. We’ve already determined that they are coming back from alternate futures. Like the one where Sarah died from cancer already, but since she skipped those years it hasn’t set in yet (I’m assuming she’ll get it).
And they guy that they had captive a few episodes ago, Fisher (played Toby from the West Wing), is when we determined they they have multiple future timelines. Jesse said he had held Derek captive and Jesse didn’t think it ever happened in HIS future and that it must be from an alternate future.
I like UFO’s in general but that was completely out of place..
I totally agree with those who think this serial sucks. It has nothing to do do with the terminator movies. Not with the first two at least.
Great post! I’ve been very interested in property for a long time. I didn’t know that The Sarah Connor Chronicles – “Earthlings Welcome Here”
Riley has been sent back in time from the future to prevent John from getting too close to Cameron. It’s in the Wikipedia article on the series, if that’s to be believed…
Each time I miss an episode I go straight to Hulu which always has the latest episodes. On topic: I don’t think this even comes close to the Terminator movies.
Just want to say — I really miss you guys at Pop Critics. I had so much fun with you. Hope we’ll all get together again real soon!
Those pictures are freaky. I’m glad they are photoshopped. I bet if someone passed them around they would fool a ton of people.
It is hard to tell what the scale is supposed to be on these images. They need a cloud for reference.
Wow I suck at comments, apparently. Here’s the image :
http://www.adamczar.net/images/EWH-UFO.jpg
I think you are from an alternate future too.