A TV show has to kill off characters from time to time.  They have to instill in the audience the belief that, at any time, they could call the audience's bluff and murder someone they might just care for.  Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has yet to kill a major character.  Tonight, someone did die on Terminator, but that death was largely inevitable.  However, Josh Friedman, Terminator's show runner, has stated that one of the main characters will in fact be dead by the end of the season.  It was a smart move to tell fans this – it adds just that little extra bit of uncertainty.  Tonight's episode was a solid one, and a little

Charley Dixon and his wife are on their road trip, heading far away from Los Angeles and the danger it holds.  Charley's wife is still not very happy with Charley, and for pretty good reason.  She only learned about Sarah and the terminators days earlier and now she has to pick up and leave her life.  Charley stops for gas in the middle of nowhere and, when he gets back to the car, he finds Cromartie has taken the wheel.  Cromartie drives off while Michelle, Charley's wife, screams.  It does her little good. 

Charley calls the Connors immediately.  John answers, but Charley wants to speak with Sarah.  He tells Sarah about the kidnapping, but Sarah is, at first, reticent to help.  She thinks, wisely, that's it's simply a trap.  She changes her mind, but first orders Cameron to take John shopping for computer-oriented goods.  She tells John nothing of Michelle. 

Sarah begins readying herself to go out and find Michelle.  Derek catches her gearing up, and, as he is wont to do, insists that he come along.  Derek and Sarah, from there, head off into the desert, where they believe Cromartie and Michelle to be.  Michelle is somehow able to get off a phone call, notifying everyone of her location.  Sarah and Derek pick up Charley and head out to Michelle in the desert. 

What they find is a trap.  Cromartie has placed explosives in the car.  They are wired so Michelle cannot move.  They are placed on mousetraps (never seen that before, by the way).  Sarah, Derek and Charley survey the situation.  Cromartie is nowhere near the truck.  Sarah realizes that it's all a facade.  The explosives are fake.  She rips them off.  Michelle is OK, but quite scared. 

Derek, searching a nearby warehouse, realizes that Cromartie is able to hear Sarah's phone calls.  Unfortunately, she has called John to warn him that Cromartie might be back in town and readying to go after him.  Cromartie, thanks to the phone call, has the information he needs, and sets out to get John.  But first, he sets off the real explosives that are in the warehouse. 

At the warehouse, Derek realizes something is afoot.  He tries to warn everyone to take cover, but it's too late.  Explosions – and then, Michelle is hurt.  Bad.  They find a van, and begin driving back to the city to help John.  However, they have to stop because Michelle is bleeding to death.  Sarah is not happy about this, obviously. 

Cromartie calls John, impersonating Sarah's voice.  He/she tells John to meet him/her at the pier.  John, meanwhile, has ditched Cameron (this shouldn't happen) and is hanging out with Riley.  John goes to the pier, but manages to spot Cromartie before it's too late.  He runs to the water and jumps in.  Cromartie follows, but he sinks.  He makes it something of a fight, but John is able to wriggle away while Cromartie sinks to the bottom.  Cameron, meanwhile, has tracked John, but watches from land uselessly, while John almost drowned. 

Katherine Weaver meets with an unsuspecting Ellison.  She offers him a job finding, tracking terminators.  We don't get to see his answer.

Michelle is dead.  Cromartie attends the funeral, but the Connors do not show up.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)