The McGuffin Review: Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Episode 17

Posted by Cory Johnson on 11.14.2008

Who is trying to kill Ellison? Cromartie is back, Riley is back, and Sarah and John finally put all their cards on the table. All this and my thoughts on what might be the missing ingredient that keeps this show from going over the top.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Episode 17, “Brothers of Nablus”

Ellison walks towards his door when ANOTHER ELLISON SMASHES THROUGH THE DOOR! He is about to kill Ellison when suddenly a metal spike pierces through the Terminator and shows Ellison the Terminator’s processor before the Terminator processor before he falls. It is Cromartie(?!?) who saves Ellison. Cromartie believes that Ellison will lead him to the Connor’s, apparently Skynet does not. Cromartie slings the Terminator version of Ellison over his shoulder and leaves Ellison to wonder what just happened here.

Sarah, John, and Cameron return home to find that someone has broken in and trashed parts of the place, but they have vanished.

Derek is sleeping with his once and future girl Jesse in her hotel when Sarah calls to tell him about the robbery (they lost their fake ID’s, credit cards, diamonds, Cameron’s jacket, and some food-they should have used American Express Traveler’s Checks). Derek wants them to get downtown. Jesse wants Derek to ignore his real life, which he won’t. She kisses him extra passionately and then gets a distinctly cold look when he leaves.

Sarah wants to know why the security system in the house didn’t go off, but Cameron rats him out, saying that the system would have had to be shut off for Riley to go home. Sarah naturally goes ballistic at this safety breech, and John tries to protest, but he has nothing. Cameron blurts out that they should move to Canada. Kacy drops by, still looking ready to burst, and Sarah convinces her that the damage was caused by some kids at school that are giving John problems. John is left to clean up as Sarah and Cam go to meet Derek.

The Social Worker that met with Cameron faxes her picture, apparently over a public system, since Cromartie immediately recognizes her when her picture flashes across his computer screen.

Sarah reports the credit cards stolen and blames Cameron for not notifying someone about the alarm. Cameron snaps back at her that nobody likes a nag. Snarky little Terminator, ain’t she?

Cromartie tries to talk with Social Worker about Cameron, but she tells him to get to the end of the line. Jody (still alive?) recognizes Cameron and tells Cromartie about her brother, John. Cromartie has her ID a picture of John and wants to take a drive.

A knock on the door spooks Ellison, but it is the police. Ellison is pretty paranoid. Ellison is arrested for the murder of Peter Myers.

Derek leads Sarah and Cameron to a very Jewish diamond fence. Cameron identifies their diamonds just by looking at them. As a favor to Jesse, the fence tells them that Walter Yastroski sold him the diamonds.
Derek tells the ever-inquisitive Sarah that Jesse came back with him, handled the diamonds, and one of them (with a glance towards Cameron) killed him.

Cromartie doesn’t do well trying to talk with Jody from the halfway house. Cromartie again tells her that he is not a cop and admits that he is going to hurt Cameron. She thinks he is joking. I thought that Cameron killed her, but she asks Cromartie if she tried to kill him too. When Cromartie says yes, Jody thinks this is going to be fun.

Riley shops with John. Riley feels stupid for forgetting the code. Jody leads Cromartie to the same grocery store that Riley and John are in. Cromartie starts asking if anyone has seen Cameron. Jody knocks over a stockpile of cans, causing Cromartie to look back and completely miss John and Riley. Ok, that was a little weak.

Ellison is ID’d out of the police lineup. Ellison says that he doesn’t know who Peter Myers is, but the detective says that he has a witness who recognizes him from the TV coverage of the failed FBI takedown on Cromartie. Obviously it was the Terminator who looked liked Ellison who killed Myers. The detective confirms it when he asks why he was naked when he killed him.

Sarah busts in on Walter Yastroski, who is apparently a dentist? He bolts when they confront him. But Cameron smashes out his window and rips his door off. Walter is confused and thinks that they work for Moishe, the diamond fence, and are out to collect the money he owes.

Cameron bursts in on Moishe’s office and promptly smacks his security 10 feet across the room. Sarah points her gun between Moishe’s eyes, clearly not happy that Moishe set them up to do his dirty work. Moishe says that Tristan DeWitt stole their stuff.

Jody waits in the car while Cromartie tries to canvas the neighborhood. Jody demands that he take her home and Cromartie stops the car and shoves her out the door.

Jesse is sunbathing by the pool, Derek oils her up. Derek asks her how long she can keep this up. Jesse is more of a by the minute kind of girl.

Cromartie asks Kacy about Cameron (who he claims is his niece). Kacy does not give the Connors away, but does tell Cromartie that the house next door has been rented out. Kacy reaches for the phone as Cromartie leaves.

Kacy warns John that a creepy guy was just there asking about Cameron. John spots Cromartie outside the door. John tries to bolt, but Riley says that she can get rid of him. John grabs a shotgun from under the sink and tries to stay out of sight as Cromartie barges in past Riley. Riley manages to convince Cromartie that she is legitimate and he leaves.

At Tristan’s house, Sarah meets with his parents, who appreciate that she didn’t turn him over to the police. They do manage to get a lead on Tristan before they leave.

Catherine Weaver visits Ellison in county jail. Ellison says that he is innocent. Catherine asks him if there is something that he wants to tell her, something that only she would believe. Ellison tells her not here. Catherine says that she will be in touch. Ellison thanks her for believing him.

John panics in the car and Riley keeps asking questions. Riley calls herself a brave, spooky, badass ninja for getting rid of Cromartie. John has to laugh.

Cameron explains the brothers of Nablus (since she has memorized the Bible), which really needs to be wiki’d to be understood (rape, circumcision, death, the Bible has the BEST stuff in there). The credit card company calls to say that her card was used at a bowling alley. This info pops up on Cromartie’s screen as well.
The detective questions the witness in the Myers case. It’s gotta be Catherine. The detective asks what Ellison did prior to the murder. The witness eventually admits that Ellison appeared in a bubble, naked. The detective leaves.

Sarah and Cameron steal back their belongings at the bowling alley. Sarah notices that there are four pairs of shoes and when she goes to find him, CAMERON SHOOTS ALL THREE OF THEM….because they knew where they lived. Sarah kicks down stalls and finds the fourth guy. Sarah tells him to forget everything, wait five minutes, and then run, saving his life.

The detective tells Ellison that he is free to go, because the witness is a whack job. The detective turns into Weaver outside.

Derek finds Moishe dead, and Jesse and Derek wind up splitting the diamonds.

Ellison watches his ex eat. When confronted by his ex, Ellison tells her that he misses his old life. Ellison turns down her coffee offer.

John has cleaned up the house with Riley’s help. Sarah tells him that he cannot bring people here anymore. Cameron chimes in that she is a security risk. John says that at least Riley has never tried to kill him. John says that this isn’t about Riley, and that Sarah is pissed that he found someone who he likes spending time with and it isn’t her. Sarah says that she didn’t choose this for him and it is her job to protect him. John wonders why she didn’t protect him when he was killing Sarkozian. Sarah has no answer for him.

Catherine asks Ellison if he had a twin. Ellison thinks that he is being tested. Catherine compares him to Job, the man who had everything but his life taken from him. Job kept his faith and God spared him. She asks Ellison who spared him?

Cromartie is at the bowling alley and he found the fourth robber. The kid repeats Sarah’s threat to find him and kill him. Cromartie promises that she won’t and then attempts to smile.

Analysis
I continue to be amazed that this show doesn’t generate more buzz. This was another solid episode. It contains all of the elements that make a great show-meaningful history with tight plotting, great acting, mysteries, compelling characters, tight direction, beautiful women, and a sense that anything could happen. The fact that they are just starting to deal with the fallout from the Sarkozy is an example of how many layers they have worked into this show.

The only thing that I can come up with that this show is missing is a romantic plotline, but honestly, I am not sure that it would fit into this show. John might need some kind of deep love that he loses, or that he has to chase. Personally, I think that Sarah needs someone to help either soften her hard edge, or else release her aggressions upon (but maybe that is just something I REALLY want to see).

Even the mildly annoying characters were good this week. Riley was great, looking like she was going to either get herself (or John maybe) killed, but really coming through this week. Kacy also didn’t do anything stupid, to her credit.

I love the relationship building between Ellison and Catherine Weaver. It seems like they both need each other. Their relationship rivals Sarah’s and John’s. I can’t wait to see where this goes.

Things I Wonder
Did you think that Weaver, not Cromartie, was the one who killed the Ellison Terminator when that liquid-metal looking rod went through his chest?
Why would Skynet replace Ellison if he wasn’t going to lead them to the Connors?
Did anyone cringe at the thought that there could be a boatload of factions in Skynet?
Weaver is eventually going to reveal herself to Ellison, isn’t she?
Does Ellison figure it out before she does?
Does she kill him or does he join her?
I’m guessing that was a budget move to have the detective switch to Weaver freeze frame style, huh?
Who wanted to cry more in that final scene, John or Sarah?
Did anyone else out there think that Jody was already dead?
It was great seeing her get thrown out on her ass, wasn’t it?
Does it amaze anyone else how they keep sprinkling in religious undertones and not making it seem heavy handed, preachy, or over the top?
Why is religion so hard to deal with on TV?
Did Sarah let the other robber live because the parents kept talking about how they tried to raise him right and failed?
Cameron just snaps when the logic takes her, doesn’t she?
Nothing sits right about Jesse, does it?
Why did Derek lie to Sarah about Jesse?
Odds on Jesse being a Terminator?
Does anyone give Ellison better than 50/50 odds of surviving the season?
Does anyone give Riley a shot of living-period?
Riley and John would have had sex by now, right? Or at least Johnny boy would have been shot down, right?
Does any show pack more into the first 10 minutes than Terminator?

Thanks for reading, I apologize for the wait, my TiVo skipped this episode when it originally aired due to the 3-hour RAW competing with HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and BIG BANG THEORY (which I would have noticed if I weren’t watching MNF on my other TV), so I caught it on www.fox.com. I will have last week’s episode recapped in time for Monday’s episode of TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES. As always, comments, feedback, and emails are much appreciated. This is Cory, and until then, keep watching.

The 411: Another good episode in the Terminator cannon. I have a feeling that this show is going to be a lot of fun to watch again on DVD in a year or two. I just have no idea why more people aren't hooked on this show.

Final Score:  7.8   [ Good ]