(Season 2, Episode 12 – “Alpine Fields”) 
I want to take a minute to congratulate the writers of this show. They have managed to do something that very few shows can pull off. They have successfully created a program that has fairly self-contained episodes, but still manages to have an overarching story. This isn’t a procedural, but the episodes can generally be watched out of order without too much confusion. The structure reminds me a lot of what Joss Whedon did with Buffy.
This was a grab-you-right-from-the-start episode, wasn’t it? The suspense was well sustained through the episode and I liked the way it was structured. The episode kept jumping back and forth between three different time periods: the present, six months ago, and the future. There was a lot going on, but I don’t think it was confusing at all. The jumping around was a really effective storytelling method in my opinion. The best part of the episode, though? No Jon!
It was really great to get some background on Derek and Jesse and how their relationship started. We got to see how the couple first met in the future and bonded over a close encounter with death. I thought there was a lot of development of the Derek character this week. We saw him have a moment of true weakness in the future, considering suicide until Jesse interrupted him. We also saw him in the the present, protecting Anne and Lauren, knowing that together Lauren and her unborn sister would help to save his life in the future.
I also loved seeing Sarah in full badass mode tonight. We were a little short on Cameron, but Sarah picked up most of the ass kicking for the evening. True, she is a kinder and gentler version of Sarah Connor compared to the Linda Hamilton version that we saw in Terminator 2. I don’t think the movie Sarah would have been caught talking about wanting to build birdhouses with young women, but it doesn’t bother me. I love Heady’s Sarah Connor.
Well, next week is the fall season finale. Any big predictions? I’m glad that we’ll get to see more of the Cromartie/John Henry system interacting with Ellison. The previews look like things will be coming to a head with Riley as well. Can’t wait!
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Dec 08, 2008 @ 21:25 EST5EDT
Another clever episode. Cameron did not do so well in that fight. Now, I’m hoping she’ll never have to fight T-Weaver.
I look forward to next week to hear Ellison’s answer to John Henry, when it asks if it is one of God’s children.
As a fan on the show’s writers’ blog pointed out, that fight did take place six months in the past (probably somewhere around “Allison from Palmdale”), so Cameron might be better at fighting terminators in the present.
You can’t physically fight a T-1001 anyway. A TOK-715 would need weapons and the right environment.
Where must I go to read this blog?
It’s an official blog at https://www.fox.com/blogs/terminator/ with fairly frequent updates. The afterword on each episode is especially interesting. Sometimes you learn things that aren’t always clear on screen — I’ve learned that my assumptions were wrong several times through reading it.
A caveat: sometimes they “lie.”
Thanks Ryan!
“Sometimes they lie” – Those dang machines!
Another superb effort by both the T:SCC writers and its superb cast. The young lady who played Lauren did an excellent job portraying an intense yet compassionate young woman.
Just watched and I am in complete awe of the storytelling of this show. This season has been outstanding. It is too bad that more people don’t watch.
I am mildly hopefully that the Fox Sci Fi Friday will work. It may help that BSG will be coming back around the same time or not.
I really hope this isn’t the last season, especially since there isn’t much else promising on network television.