TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES 1.5 - "Queen's Gambit"

Writer: Natalie Chaidez
Director: Matt Earl Beesley

Cast: Summer Glau (Cameron Phillips), Lena Headey (Sarah Connor), Thomas Dekker (John Connor), Richard T. Jones (Agent James Ellison), Dean Winters (Charley Dixon), Brendan Hines (Andy Goode), Matt McColm (Vick), Kristina Apgar (Cheri), Neil Hopkins (Mr. Harris), Brian Austin Green (The Stranger), Garret Dillahunt (Cromartie), Sonya Walger (Michelle), Jose Luis Chavez (Morris), Mark Ivanir (Dimitri), Josue Aguirre (Bobo) & John De Vito (Young John)

Sarah is concerned when she discovers her friend Andy has rebuilt his chess-playing computer – and entered it in a competition to win a military contract...

John: I call shotgun.
Cameron: I call nine millimetre.

Queen's Gambit is a direct "sequel" to The Turk and, despite the fact it once again revolves around chess-playing computers, Natalie Chaidez's script manages to build on The Turk's storyline – and actually improves it by association! No mean feat, particularly now that Chronicles' overall flaws are becoming more evident. The show really needs to start making a compelling case for why you should stick with it, beyond any loyalty to the Terminator franchise in general.

Sarah (Lena Headey) discovers that Andy Goode (Brendan Hines) has managed to rebuild his computer chess program from memory (naming it "Turk 2") and entering it in a competition – where the prize for the winner is a US military contract. Sarah still suspects the evolution of Skynet could come from Andy's program, so goes to watch the competition and sabotage his chances – even if it means sacrificing Andy at the hands of Cameron (Summer Glau).

At high school, John (Thomas Dekker) makes friends with a Hispanic boy in his auto-class called Morris (Jose Luis Chavez), who later takes an immediate shine to cyborg Cameron. And who can blame him? Glau is great fun as an emotionless Pinocchio, unable to grasp why students are laving handwritten notes on a shrine to Jordan (the girl who committed suicide a few episodes ago), knowing she can't ever read them.

There's also an amusing scene between Cameron and the school's grief counsellor, who puts her emotional detachment during a session down to post-traumatic stress. A moment when stoic Cameron suddenly becomes emotional and "human", by mimicking the last words and vocal mannerisms of Jordan before her death, is particularly unsettling.

At the chess tournament, Sarah is relieved when Andy loses in a final game against a Japanese opponent, but shocked to find her friend's lifeless body shortly after -- killed by a shot in the head from an assassin who grapples with Sarah in an alleyway outside. Fortunately, the police quickly arrive and arrest the mysterious killer, as Sarah slips away...

Undoubtedly the best thing about Queen's Gambit is how more textured it feels compared to recent episodes. There's more going on away from the chess storyline, with good subplots for Terminator Cromartie (Garrett Dillahunt) who's posing as "FBI Agent Kester" and finds Sarah's ex-boyfriend Charlie (Dean Winters), to ask him about Sarah's whereabouts...

Agent Ellison (Richard T. Jones) also makes headway in his one-man investigation – arriving to interview Andy's killer (Brian Austin Green), who has the same tattoo as the group of men killed in episode 2. At home, John hacks into the law enforcement database and makes the connection that Andy's killer is one of the resistance fighters sent back in time to carry out specific tasks by his future self.

Ellison fails to persuade the killer to talk to him, and can't forensically link him to any of the previous crime scenes, so is forced to leave. Sarah arrives, posing as a swish lawyer, and gains access to the prison where Andy's killer is being held. The man recognizes her from a photo John Connor has of her in the future, and reveals he's actually Derek Reece, brother of her lover Kyle, and therefore John's paternal uncle. Oh, and he has a T-888 on his tail...

Later, as Derek is being transported in a security van, Sarah, John and Cameron manages to hijack it, just as the T-888 ("Triple-8") arrives -- having been posing as a criminal itself -- and fights with Cameron in the back of the security van. The T-888 begins to win, despite the van screeching to a halt and the brawl continuing in the street -- with Sarah doing what she can to help. During the violence, the T-888 manages to fire a round into Derek's chest, moments before Cameron gains the upper-hand and "kills" the T-888 by removing a vital component from its exposed skull.

Back at the house, Derek is moments away from death unless they can find a doctor to treat his gunshot wound. After being made aware the fatally-wounded man is actually his uncle, John rushes off to find the only medic they can trust: Sarah's ex-fiancé Charlie...

Queen's Gambit is definitely the best episode since the Pilot, benefiting from its spread of interesting subplots and proper developments. The high school sequences are still superfluous, but it was great to see some significant progress for Agent Ellison's investigation and the unexpected reveal of Derek's identity. Maybe it's only because it's an important expansion of the mythology (if you still consider Chronicles to be truly canonical with the films), but giving Sarah and John a family member is a great idea for the TV show.

It was also nice to see Charlie and his wife Michelle (Sonya Walger) get some worthwhile scenes, as Charlie reveals he lied to Agent Kester/Cromartie -- and actually saw John in their home. Michelle thinks they're both dangerous fugitives that shouldn't be trusted (not to mention ghosts from her husband's past she'd rather he forget about), but Charlie obviously thinks otherwise and still has feelings for "Sarah Reese" and her son...

There are even attempts to make Sarah appear the tough lethal weapon she should be; opening with her doing chin-ups and including a convincing alleyway scrap with Derek. I appreciated that physicality, but Lena Headey could still benefit from bulking up her supple frame and injecting some mania into her ice-cool performances.

Overall, Queen's Gambit was a more confident and entertaining episode, and one that renewed my interest in this series. It comes at the point where many viewers will be debating whether or not to continue watching, as the show is still on shaky ground. I hope this episode's sense of cohesion, faster pace, genuine surprises, and use of its fine supporting cast (Dillahunt, Jones, Winters, Walger) is indicative of the show beginning to find its groove.


11 February 2008
FOX, 9/8c pm