Richard T. Jones held the title of a regular cast member on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles since the very first episode, but he hasn't really been a regular.  The character of Agent Ellison has served his purpose, but screen time has been fleeting, more often than not.  Terminator show runner Josh Friedman has said time and again that the story for Terminator is fleshed out for a few seasons.  They know where it's all going, and obviously James Ellison will play a significant role in the overall mythology.  On tonight's episode of Terminator, we saw the beginning of what will likely be a lot prominent screen time for Mr. Richard T. Jones. 

The Connor/Baum residence was burglarized.  Everything was stolen.  All their money, their food, everything.  Sarah and Cameron spend the entire episode investigating the crime.  They find the culprits, but a moment of humanity from Sarah will be one she'll soon forget.  John and Reilly spend some quality time together, and she saves him from Cromartie, and John's bitterness and anger towards his mother increases.  Derek and Jessie shack up, and Jessie continues to be vaguely shady, and Derek assists in searching for the burglars.  Agent Ellison is visited by his terminator doppleganger.  Soon after, he is arrested for the murder of a man named Pete Myers.  Weaver gets involved.  Ellison believes that he is being tested. 

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles continues to be the most pitch-black series on television.  People are killed, brutalized, beaten, and that's not the worst part.  Almost every one of the characters is hopelessly depressed or, at least, very conflicted.  Reilly is a character clearly meant to infuse some bright, shiny happiness into the series (I did like her line, “I was a brave, spooky ninja,” however).  She is peppy, and after her work against Cromartie tonight, I kind of like the character.  But, everyone else – damn.  Now that Sarah and John are at odds, it's only going to get worse.  But, I still contend that, although watching Terminator may be a downer from time to time, it's worth keeping with.  The long-form story-telling is shaping up nicely, and we've got some complex characters on hand. 

Cromartie, I suspect, will die soon.  Now that he can track the Connor's use of credit cards, it won't be long before he finds them.  The Connors will be forced to skip town once again, and there will be a showdown.  This will happen in the next month, given the fact that we are in the throes of November sweeps.  Tonight's episode was very tense, though I enjoyed Ellison's story line the most.  As the most normal character on Terminator, the audience can empathize with the utter confusion and helplessness of his situation.  The writers have done a good job of totally messing with Ellison, and I find myself rooting for his character more than anyone else.

I have to give special props to the bowling alley scene.  Sarah is starting to realize that there is no place for sympathy in her predicament.  She has to be OK with the deaths of innocent people.  Though she did save the life of the one kid in the bathroom stall, I suspect she'll soon regret that decision and never make that decision again.  The whole scene was chilling.


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