Sarah Connnor Chronicles 2.09 and 2.10

[bop_radar]

I have a bit of catch-up work to do in terms of recording my reactions to Sarah Connor Chronicles episodes 2.09 and 2.10.

First reaction: OMG I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE THEM! By which I mean Jesse and Derek--I am totally shipping the hell out of them now--they are awesome! :D Of course, they are Doomed and caught on opposing sides, but that just makes me ship them even harder. I found the Fischer plot in 2.09 extremely compelling and the inclusion of Jesse in this season has made me like Derek a lot more. I side with him simply because I know and trust him, and that works well. Especially in 2.10 when Derek confronts Jesse's spying. She did have more to tell him, and I'm very glad that he said 'don't push it' with her. This whole problem places Derek in the hardest of positions. Because he can see Jesse's point, at least somewhat. He feels some of the same hesitation and revulsion that she does about John's intimacy with metal. He saw John take the most dangerous leap of faith in Cameron earlier this season.

I do not trust Jesse, and she was really creepy with Riley, but wow, I find her so charismatic and compelling as a character! And since I distrust Future!John too, I am somewhat swayed by her argument. I love John in this timeline, but who knows how he will turn out? We don't really know and it's hard to imagine how he couldn't turn out warped and bitter and strange after all he's been through. But ohhh, Derek!

And ok, I now really want to see Cameron get clued on to this whole thing--we know she is suspicious of Derek and made a point about him not being around much. Does Sarah not question where he sleeps?

Riley! I am so glad there turned out to be more to her, though I had long ago stopped thinking there was. The timing of the reveal was excellent, because the whole Mexico plot line cast her in the complete 'innocent bystander' role so successfully that we were deceived. But this also makes a lot of sense. She pursued Derek persistently and when she didn't demand answers about Mexico I felt something was 'off'. Her behaviour is a little too accommodating, and now we can look back and remember her trying to coax John into talking more about himself. Also, it is interesting to see her played off against Cameron. Both are proxy 'girlfriends'/confidants, even if the sexual aspect is not played up heavily. Jesse feared his closeness with a machine and through Riley provides him with a real human alternative. She even offers 'dating advice': 'he's a guy' when Riley says he ran away. I still really like Riley and find her an even more interesting character now. Her flipout at her foster parents was cool to watch.

I love that there are so many powerful female characters in this show! And now we have Jesse's agenda up against Sarah's up against Weaver's.

I wasn't big on the whole Sarah-dream thing last week, and I don't know what I feel about her continued obsession here. But at least this week her costuming was better! She and Cameron looked amaaaaazing undercover and it was great that she got to be an action hero as well in this episode. Her wondering around in a smock in a dream is not my idea of a good Sarah episode! ;) Not mad on her obsession with three dots either.

Having said that, I found 2.10 compelling and there were many small aspects that I really liked--I found the father and son duo strangely sympathetic. The father would do anything to look after his child, even lie to him and deceive him--is that a parallel or contrast to Sarah? It's certainly interesting in a season that has seen Sarah and John under immense stress. But where Sarah has unquestioning faith in her son's destiny (perhaps easier to do so, knowing the future!), Agagi lacked faith in his son, finding him strange. Still, both parent-child pairs need to bridge a communication gap.

Weaver still annoys me with her strange artificial manner. Ellison is still proving disappointingly dense where she is concerned. I have despaired of him ever getting a clue. He is freaked out by John Henry but does nothing about it, makes the situation worse. And eeek, Cromartie!JohnHenry at the end was the creepiest of all. They leap from pictures as language to a human shaped body and direct speech?!! Eeek!

Comments

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

Hee! I love Derek/Jesse too, even though it is totally not going to end well. And like them (and you) I don't really trust future John that much - I mean, that is one totally messed-up dude - but what they're collectively doing to him probably isn't going to make him LESS messed up :D

And we're on the same page again about SCC - LOVED the past two episodes!!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Hooray! \o/ *high fives you*
My eyes have been opened to the awesomeness of Derek! ;) I want fic! I want picspams! I want meta! :p

I really wanted to post last week about SCC but I've been soooo fannishly busy of late I got swamped. I have to play catch-up now.

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

*whispers* I wrote Derek fic. (But it predates the arrival of Jesse on the show, so it's gen, no pairing.)

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yay! I thought I'd seen something on your journal... *adds to to do list* I am interested in all things Derek now that my eyes have been opened to him.

[c-mantix.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on Cromatie redux. Creepy as all get out! Although, I think Ellison may be starting to buy a clue.

You are going to laugh really hard when I say that I loathe Jesse with Derek. This time, 'my' personal issues are to blame. Liars get a big black X across their backs in my book.

I continue to find the show fascinating, but I'm starting to get impatient with Sarah's neuroses. And while I love the strong female characters, I'm very intrigued by Derek and Ellison. But, I find Cameron the most fascinating of all. She's the key to a big secret, IMO. Naturally, my ship is doomed (Derek/Cameron).

I'm with Jesse and Derek in finding John/Cameron wrong somehow. Actually, John has freaked me out since the very first episode. I don't know whether I'm reacting to the actor, to his acting or to the character's... shiftiness.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I think Ellison may be starting to buy a clue.
I have thought that before. I am a cynic now! ;)

. Liars get a big black X across their backs in my book.
And fair enough! I certainly don't *like* her lying, I'm very much in Derek's pov in the relationship, but I am intrigued by it--like I feel she might have good reason for lying and/or it's a character trait that although frustrating and likeable is also interesting.

I find Cameron the most fascinating of all. She's the key to a big secret, IMO. Naturally, my ship is doomed (Derek/Cameron).
Awwww! Um, yes. Though I do love how similar they are and really enjoy their scenes together.

Cameron used to be the most compelling character for me but this year slightly less so--perhaps because some of her secrets have come to light, though I agree there must be lots more.

I'm starting to get impatient with Sarah's neuroses.
Yesss, me too! More ass-kicking, less neuroses, please!

John freaks you out! How interesting! I like him (our John) but I also wonder if he's being shaped into a monster. And I don't ship him with Cameron though the idea that they are drawn to one another is interesting from a plot perspective.

[transtempts.livejournal.com]

I think one side effect of the resistance testing John and going after him this way is only going to push him away from humanity further. I mean, he gets why he should save them, but he is becoming more removed, more like a sovereign of their survival, but distantly, he can sacrifice people because it's the cause that matters (like Buffy - the mission over the individual).

Sarah doesn't like how close her son is to Cameron - and that is just going to increase, as he doesn't depend on Derek, and won't confide in anyone who betrays him. Cameron inhabits a special space, and she is watching him grow into the man that she takes orders from. The two of them working together has just got to FREAK EVERYONE THE HELL OUT, because for them, it's about metal, but for John, he picks the ones he knows will be there for him, that he can trust in, and that will be around. Cameron will last.

And, what Jesse and Riley don't really get, and can't, is how they may have grown up in the a post-Judgment Day world, but John has known it's coming since he was little, and been training for it all that time. He did not have a childhood and knew that anyone he was close to in the resistance could be sacrificed, and might have to be - he has known about his impending isolation for more than a decade. Small wonder that he is clinging to the metal, or coming to depend on Cameron in ways that are troublesome to Derek and Jesse.

*squees*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

for John, he picks the ones he knows will be there for him, that he can trust in, and that will be around. Cameron will last.
Good call and insight. You're right that the show does a fabulous job of showing why John ends up with Cameron as his main confidant. And yes, ruthless decisions will be necessary at times and those will piss people off. But how does John (learn to) bridge the gap between that and his other resistance leaders? How does he keep the connection with them that he needs to avoid schism in the ranks? A good leader should be able to balance making hard calls with consulting people enough to make them feel 'involved' and thereby stop them from mistrusting his judgment.

[transtempts.livejournal.com]

I think one scene that is an excellent prelude to John and Cameron working together was the two of them going to question Ellison. The way they cooperated, her pummeling the man, John asking questions, that is only going to become a more fine tuned scenario, with John giving a different order, to be certain of an outcome.

I would like to know how aware John and Cameron are of the unrest among the resistance, because although he is not among them in one sense, John has to know what's going on, and Cameron has really good hearing and eavesdrops all the time. They may be exclusive, but they are not ignorant, and I am sure they have planned for this eventuality.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

True, and I'd like to think they've planned for this eventuality but I kind of feel we don't know future!John well enough to say. Intriguing though!

[transtempts.livejournal.com]

I think that John, given what we know of him, and the fact that he keeps some things *so close,* has a lot of plans that he doesn't think anybody needs to know, and that if he gets a hint of rebellion within his own forces is going to have something in mind. And, if he is anywhere near as paranoid as we've been getting the impression of, then I would say 'he knows and has contingencies.'

It is *so* fascinating*.

[zurbraran.livejournal.com]

Oooh, finally someone who likes Jesse - she seems unpopular in fandom thus far (I think because they think she makes Derek seem stupid, although to me, Derek finally seems interesting). I had assumed that she was going to be a gratuitous love interest, but they've done a wonderful job of making her a deeply interesting badass that totally stands on her own. And I'm loving her with Derek - I both feel her long shared history with and some kind of genuine feeling for Derek, as well as the fact that she's clearly very calculatedly manipulating him to some end (her displays of affection seem very strategically timed).

Her story sounds believable to me too - perhaps the question is not whether she's lying, but whether what she believes to be true of Future John is the "correct" interpretation. I know canon tells us that John is the leader of mankind that everyone loves & follows because he's such an amazing snowflake, but real life tells us that all resistance movements are full of squabbling factions with disagreements over strategy & leadership. It seems entirely reasonable that using reprogrammed terminators would be very controversial amongst resistance fighters as would Cameron being John's BFF (which makes emotional sense, if it's our Cameron that Jessie meets in the future - by that point, Cameron would've been John's companion for many intense years).

Anyway, I love that the women of the show continue to be in the foreground. When Derek first showed up snarking at Sarah I really thought he was the TPTB's answer to the low ratings and he was going to take over. They haven't done that, which continues to amaze me. I'm going to be really bummed if the show gets canned just as it's really hitting its stride.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Wow! You feel EXACTLY how I feel!

I think because they think she makes Derek seem stupid, although to me, Derek finally seems interesting
Absolutely! I couldn't understand the fandom love for Derek and I feared, as you did, that he was going to take over from the strong female cast. I've discovered that most Derek fans always thought he'd remain in the 'beta' role rather than overshadow Sarah, but I really feared that for a while, especially as his snark did imply she wasn't tough enough.

I both feel her long shared history with and some kind of genuine feeling for Derek, as well as the fact that she's clearly very calculatedly manipulating him to some end (her displays of affection seem very strategically timed).
Yes, is it possible for it to be both genuine and manipulative? Because it certainly feels that way. For me that really works because it feels like in the hardened future world she comes from everything would be calculated, she thinks like a fighter, and ultimately everyone is in a fight for their own survival. But also the intimacy they do manage to snatch with people would be very powerful and precious. I have no doubt she loves Derek but that doesn't stop her purusing her own agenda. Which is what made his 'I love you, but don't push it' line so wonderful! I love her sooo much--she is absolutely fascinating to me!

Her story sounds believable to me too - perhaps the question is not whether she's lying, but whether what she believes to be true of Future John is the "correct" interpretation
*nods* Definitely! I find it very plausible and I particularly sympathise with the feeling of being locked out of the decision making process and the fear that would set in if the leader was in a close relationship with a terminator. If John is going to successfully lead AND keep Cameron at his side then he needs to involve his leaders more in the reasons for using her. But already we've seen signs that headstrong John will take leaps with Cameron alone, without consultation.

It's all so fascinating--it better not get canned!