23.3.09

John Connor finally gets some balls, and then cries about it... Friday's TSCC


Friday's T:SCC ep, Today Is The Day Part 2, also known as Last Voyage of the Jimmy Carter, gives fans some much needed assurance that John isn't going to remain a wimpy emo whiner for the WHOLE series (if it doesn't get cancelled that is)...SPOILER ALERT...The boy is finally starting to take some responsibility for being the savior of the planet, and getting his ass in gear. Episode 19 picks up where 18 leaves off, with John looking further into Riley's death, while simultaneously following Jessie's past story line aboard her submarine. After going to the morgue to view Riley's body, John becomes sure that Cameron couldn't have killed her, and returns home apologetic for ever having doubted her... I mean, she's a terminator with a "glitchy" past, a little doubt is in order I think. In any case, John and Cameron are clearly getting too close for Sarah's comfort, not to mention that John is pushing Sarah away at every turn. She resorts to a mean girls tactic and gets into Cameron's head by asking, what is actually a very good question. John sent her back to past... why? Why didn't he want her with him anymore?

Lots of semi-interesting stuff happens aboard the submarine, most importantly the crazy liquid metal terminator inside "Connor's box" is set free, and that's never good. But the crucial scene is back in the present with John's bad ass confrontation of Jessie. His slow, deliberate monologue covers a lot of ground, including the back story that he knew, Riley knew, who he really was. At first I thought John's big speech was pretty cliche, as if he'd watched too many action movies. But then, it occurred to me, John is still very young in the show. This is exactly how his character would handle his first interrogation. And of course, it was just nice to see the guy man up a little and start to look a little more like the "hero" he'll become. He decides, in his infinite goodness I suppose, to let Jessie go without a shot to the head. As she leaves, she asks him if her plan to frame Cameron would have worked if she has succeeded in convincing him. Would he have killed the fembot? "No," he replies. That says a hell of a lot. 

Jessie's escape is short lived however, when she runs into Derek in the parking garage. I have to say that Brian Austin Green has come a long way from 90210. I really enjoy him on the show in general, but this particular scene was stand out. 

"John Connor let you go. I'm not John Connor."

Overall the ep covers a ton of ground, including whether or not in the future John can actually be trusted. We now know that he's asked if the liquid metal terminators would "join them." Is John really the hero everyone thinks he is? Or has the future corrupted him? Also, I can't get enough of Garret Dillahunt's "John Henry." He's just so good at playing a creepy adult robot child.

But for all the ep's power, strength, and balls, the show ends with John crying into his mother's lap... still just a sheep in a wolf's leather jacket. Watch the full ep here

(sorry for the TV rant, I just love this show) 

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