“Gnothi Seauton”

Without the splash and newness of a new show, the second episode of The Sarah Connor Chronicles falls even flatter than the first. Struggling to find an identity that is close enough to the film to be related, yet separate enough to be a rehash, it ends up doing the worse thing it can do. Be boring.

We open with the last sequence of the pilot, the Connors and their Terminator jumping into the portal but from a different angle. We see that the head of Cromarite made the trip as well and rolled off the road not to be seen by our heroes. It is seen by a construction worker who takes it and keeps it as a souvenir.

A few days pass and the Connors are suffering from time lag (a not so clever pun on jet lag). John wants to just go outside, but Sarah remains resolute that they find new identities first. Cameron takes them to see the Spiders, a group of resistance fighters sent back in time to provide supplies such as money, weapons, etc.

The problem is they are all dead. As they begin checking the bodies for barcodes, one reveals itself to be a Terminator and another battle ensues between the good and bad terminator. Oh joy. It’s not a good sign when a Terminator vs Terminator battle seems old already after two episodes.

After they return home we learn that Cameron jumped them forward because Sarah dies in 2005 of cancer. By jumping forward, they’ve skipped over her death.

Of course John is the impetuous teenager so he’s not going to wait forever. He goes outside and ventures to the mall and is in amazement at how technology has jumped over the years. After jumping on a computer he discovers that they are considered dead. Of course he’s not smart enough to track down Charley.

I mean it’s believable to a degree, but come on. You’re a genius future leader of the resistance and you’re that dumb?

Sarah goes to an old friend’s house to get new identities but Enrique claims he’s retired so he sends her to his nephew. Enrique’s nephew says it will cost $20,000 and also claims that Enrique has turned FBI informant.

The Connors go back to the safe house to find any money left behind. They find a safe that is safeguarded so that Cameron gets shocked when she tries to rip it open. The Terminator who previously escaped attacks again (ho-hum….so let’s see good guys go somewhere, bad guy attacks, rinse repeat)

The difference is there is a shadowy figure with a bar code watching their moves.

Sarah then for some reason unexplained, suspects that Enrique turned them in or was going to. It is quite unclear, and Sarah is quick to turn on her friend.

But she can’t kill him, so Cameron does.

The fact that Agent Ellison finds a tape confirming that Enrique was going to turn them in doesn’t diminish the fact that it just seems completely out of line.

The episode is boring and doesn’t do anything to further a storyline and this time it’s not even new.

D+

Previous – 1.01

Next – 1.03