Tonight's Terminator episode was about as much of a stand-alone episode as I think we're going to see from The Sarah Connor Chronicles.  Everything involving Sarah, John and Cameron was self-contained and had very little to do with the overall mythilogy of the series.  I don't think that's particularly a bad thing, and I enjoyed the episode nonetheless.  I wouldn't say it was as good as episodes two or three, though.  No Brian Austin Green tonight, which was a disappointment, but the great Garret Dillahunt made his first appearance.  He spends some quality time with both Agent Ellison and one of our terminator friends.

The episode begins with Dr. David Lyman being visited by our favorite evil terminator, now with skin.  The terminator is looking through faces on a computer – he tells the doctor that he needs re-constructive surgery, like, now.  John Connor is still upset about the girl who jumped off the building at school.  Cameron tells Sarah and John that Cromartie, the terminator from the pilot episode, is back.  Cameron shows them the amateur video of them showing up naked on the highway – they can see the terminator's head tumbling in the background.  Cameron also informs them that a special alloy has been routed to a port near them – Cromartie will likely go there to help rebuild himself.  Sarah wants to pick up and head south, run away.  John convinces to stay and fight.  They head to the port, heavily armed – C4, shotguns. 

At the port, a man shows up with a gun.  Cameron throws him thirty yards against the wall.  False alarm – he was a human.  They watch as the shipment is stolen.  They decide to follow the truck.  They follow the truck to another warehouse.  Coltan is the name of the alloy – it has a high melting point, I guess.  They watch as another terminator, not Cromartie, easily transfers the alloys to a truck.

Agent Ellison examines the crime scene of Dr. Lyman.  They see the terminator enter the office on Friday and leave on Sunday, with a new face.  He looks like a former patient George Lazlo (Garret Dillahunt). 

Sarah and Cameron want to leave, because it's not Cromartie.  John wants to stay and fight and find out where the shipment is going.  John disobeys his mother and sneaks back into the warehouse.  He jumps up into the truck and puts his phone inside to use as a tracing device.  However, he can't get out of the truck – an armed man closes it up and the truck leaves with John in it.  Saran and Cameron don't know where it's gone. 

Sarah and Cameron track John's phone, but they lose the signal – it's because John's phone slips and falls on the ground.  The armed guard investigates, but John bangs him over the head and knocks him out.  Cameron lets Sarah know that the world ends in four years.  John tries to unlock the back of the truck to escape. 

Ellison talks with Lazlo in an interrogation room.  It's the real Lazlo, not the terminator.  Ellison lays it down hard, but Lazlo is a little baffled.  He gives a blood sample.  He calls the FBI a bunch of fascists. 

Sarah has tied up a worker who helped load the truck.  After some intimidation, the dude drives them to some old arms depot way out of town.  The terminator and the truck with John in in enter a guarded facility in the desert. 

Lazlo, back at home answers the door and find the terminator who looks like him at the door. He picks him up ,strangles him and throws him against a mirror.  It's unclear if Lazlo is dead or not. 

John gets out of the truck after the drivers open it.  He looks around.  He's in another warehouse, this one with a fallout shelter.  Meanwhile, Ellison keeps going over these murders.  He can't put the pieces together. 

Cameron and Sarah leave their driver in a live minefield as they head to the arms depot.  John is alone in the warehouse.  He watches this other terminator shoot his two drivers in the head.  He closes up the armored entrance to the warehouse and everything goes dark, then turns a glowing green. 

Sarah and Cameron pull into a warehouse.  Cameron says that this will be the factory where she'll be made.  Her and others. They come up to the bunker entrance.

Inside the bunker, the man who John knocked out wakes up and confronts John.  John tells him about his boss, that he's killed the other guys.  He doesn't believe John and goes and confronts the terminator.  Carter (the terminator) breaks the dude's neck.

The terminator has powered down and faces the door.  He's completed his mission.  John realizes this and finds a phone in the back of the bunker. He calls his mom and she tells him where they are – right outside.  Cameron says the re-boot time is fifteen seconds.  Sarah tells him that once they open the door, John needs to run.  She and Cameron will take care of the rest. 

The door opens and Cameron throws Carter by the way side.  John tries to start the truck, but he can't pop the clutch.  Meanwhile, Carter wakes up (reboots) and starts fighting Cameron.  They manage to escape with the alloys while locking Carter in the bunker. 

Ellison goes to visit Lazlo, but this time it's the terminator version.  Ellison gives the terminator his card and leaves.  Cameron drives the alloy-filled truck off a cliff and into the ocean.


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