Writer: Ian Goldberg
Director: Mike Rohl
Cast: Lena Headey (Sarah Connor), Summer Glau (Cameron Phillips), Thomas Dekker (John Connor), Brian Austin Green (Derek Reese), Luis Chavez (Morris), Garret Dillahunt (Cromartie), Dean Winters (Charlie Dixon), Richard T. Jones (Agent Ellison), Craig Fairbrass (Sarkissian) & Catherine Dent (Agent Greta Simpson)
Sarah finds herself in a business transaction with a mysterious man willing to sell The Turk, as Cromartie closes in on John. Meanwhile, Agent Ellison visits Charlie with a fresh perspective on events...
The last episode of this strike-shortened season ends on an effective climax and leaves you with a few intriguing questions to chew over. Chronicles has proven itself worthy of continuation after a patchy start, but there's still plenty left to fix...
What He Beheld opens on a spine-tingling moment in 2011, as the apocalyptic Judgment Day interrupt a game of catch between young Kyle and Derek Reese, both craning their heads upwards to see missiles streaming across the tranquil sky.
In the present, Sarah (Lena Headey) is close to procuring The Turk from the mysterious buyer known only as "Sarkissian", who requests a meeting at table 19 of an internet café. Arriving with Cameron (Summer Glau), Sarah receives instructions at a computer terminal to go to a nearby mall's food court with $500,000 to exchange for The Turk. How can they get that kind of money?
After the events with Dr Silberman, Agent Ellison (Richard T. Jones) has been rethinking his position on the matter of fugitive Sarah Connor and her tales of robots from the future. He goes to see Sarah's ex-boyfriend Charlie (Dean Winters), but doesn’t manage to persuade him he's ready to listen to Sarah's story – although he's intrigued when Charlie mentions another FBI Agent snooping around recently, calling himself Kester.
Carlos, the nephew of the man who helped Sarah get her fake IDs, receives an unwelcome visit from an Englishman called Sarkissian (Craig Fairbrass) and his Asian henchman – looking for the location of Sarah Connor. Carlos and his gang are tight-lipped, but after Carlos watches in horror as Sarkissian murders his friends, it's safe to say Carlos will talk...
Charlie tells Sarah that Agent Ellison paid him a visit, and might now be willing to believe her story and offer them FBI protection. Cameron has analyzed the remaining diamonds they took from Derek's safe house, but they're only worth half the $500,000 Sarkissian is asking for. But, after Derek (Brian Austen Green) and Sarah arrive at the food court to negotiate the price, Sarkissian fails to show up anyway...
Instead, Sarkissian is there to greet them at home when they return – upping his price to $2 million. Derek threatens to kill him, but Sarkissian reveals he has men tailing John (Thomas Dekker) at his school trip to a science museum. Derek lets him go, and Sarkissian says they have 24 hours to find the money.
Meanwhile, John is disappointed his mother has apparently forgotten today's his birthday, but Cameron struggles to understand the point in celebrating the occasion – before catching sight of Sarkissian's Asian henchman, clearly keeping them in his sights. A short while later, Cameron has killed their tail and packed him into the trunk of his own expensive car.
Agent Ellison researches the mysterious Agent Kester who spoke with Charlie, recognizing the face as George Laszlo. Elsewhere, Kester/Cromartie (Garret Dillahunt) goes to retrieve evidence files on Sarah Connor from an FBI archive room, but is told by a clerk that Agent Ellison has checked them out.
Cameron and John return home in the henchman's stolen car, just as the dead man's cell phone rings. Cameron answers the call (mimicking the deceased's voice) and arranges a meeting somewhere. Just then, a woman who witnessed Sarkissian slaughter Carlos' friends arrives and says she'll show them where the culprit is hiding. She drives them to the internet café, where Sarah gets physical with a barman over Sarkissian's whereabouts. He indicates where his boss is, but also alerts him with a panic button behind the bar.
Sarkissian locks himself in a room to stay safe, but is bewildered when Cameron starts smashing through a concrete wall to get to him. Once they break in, Sarkissian has manages to escape through another door – and Cameron gives chase. Meanwhile, John is looking for The Turk and finds a little girl sitting alone doing her homework, just as Sarah spots Sarkissian approaching John on a security camera's feed.
Rushing to save John; Sarah and Derek find Sarkissian holding him at gunpoint in an outside alley. Derek threatens the little girl (who he assumes is Sarkissian's daughter), but Sarkissian reveals they're not related. As Derek bends to whisper something to the girl, he fires a surprise shot at Sarkissian – killing him with a shot to the head. After comforting the little girl after her ordeal and sending her back to her real father at the café's bar, John takes Sarkissian's hard-drive and they all return home.
At the FBI, Agent Simpson (Catherine Dent) is arguing with Ellison over the mysterious Agent Kester – who looks identical to actor George Laszlo, but both men have different blood types. Ellison clearly suspects Kester is a cyborg, but isn't ready to start making such outlandish claims in front of a colleague.
John searches through Sarkissian's hard-drive and is surprised when Derek offers to take him out for birthday drinks – remembering his birthday because he celebrated John's 30th in the future. They share ice creams in a local park, watching two boys play baseball...until John notices one of the boys has "REESE" on the back of his shirt. He's actually in the presence of a younger Derek and his 6-year-old brother Kyle – John's father. Derek reveals he's always known his missing brother was John's father, because they look alike.
A SWAT team descend on Laszlo's apartment, and Charlie overhears the call on his ambulance's CB radio – racing to the scene in a panic over the inevitable bloodshed. The SWAT team begin their assault on Laszlo's apartment, but the men are effortlessly killed one-by-one and thrown into a swimming pool on the ground floor. Eventually, Agent Ellison is the last man standing, staring into the battle-scarred eyes of Cromartie -- physical proof Sarah Connor has been telling the truth. Then, as he awaits his own death, Cromartie unexpectedly lowers his weapon and moves off, leaving Ellison alive... as Charlie arrives to see the carnage.
At home, John has retrieved photos of people looking to buy The Turk from Sarkissian's hard-drive, but she's more interested in celebrating his birthday. Amazed she has remembered after all, Sarah explains they have to take timeout from their "mission" to live their lives. Just then – John finds a photo from Sarkissian's passport... but it's not the man Derek killed in the alley!
The final scene has Cameron getting into a car, under instructions to buy John a birthday cake, just as she notices Sarkissian walking away up the road. But it's too late – at the twist of the ignition key, the vehicle explodes in a fireball, leaving Cameron's fate hanging in the balance...
Ian Goldberg crafts a decent finale that, while not as jaw-dropping and particularly special, manages to tie together some long-running plot-strands from the past 8 episodes, and poses some intriguing questions. If the show is re-ordered by FOX, I think we can assume Cameron will survive her fiery fate (although she'll perhaps require an extensive repair job), but more interesting is why Cromartie couldn't kill Ellison alive. It must mean that killing Ellison would be detrimental to the timeline for Skynet – so the FBI Agent must have a role to play in humanity's downfall. What could he possible do? And does this mean he's the only person who's "untouchable" by a Terminator? If so, he'll be a very handy ally for Sarah!
The storyline here was pretty solid for the most part, although Chronicles sometimes loses me when they start introducing new people, and refer to past events. Sarkissian looks to be a great new character (and I liked Fairbrass' chilly cockney performance), but it took me awhile to grasp he was the guy who bought The Turk. Maybe it's just me being dense, but I just feel the writers of Chronicles think their show is easier to fpllow than it actually is. Even the ending had me confused for a few minutes. So Sarkissian isn't the guy Derek killed? But wasn't that Fairbrass marching away from Cameron's car at the end? I'll have to re-watch just to be sure.
Brian Austin Green really worked well in this episode; I can hardly believe a former Beverly Hills 90210 star has become a believable action hero! He gets a pretty hardcore moment when he shoots Sarkissian in the head (in front a little kid), but also shows a softer side when treating John to a birthday treat. The moment when John effectively meets his father for the first time (albeit as a mop-haired kid) was really quite moving – only let down by a slightly unconvincing reaction from Thomas Dekker.
Lena Headey can't be blamed for most of the shortcomings with Sarah Connor, as this episode even includes a scene where Derek (correctly) speculates she's yet to kill anyone. The TV series refuses to have their Sarah resemble the gung-ho, slightly-mental heroine from Terminator 2 – but isn't replacing that image with anything very interesting. TV Sarah broods and narrates, while only occasionally cracking a few heads, and it's very boring. Headey's performances are sometimes less animated than the cyborgs.
Speaking of cyborgs; Garret Dillahunt didn't do much different this week as Cromartie, but something about his performance just clicked with me. He's clearly taking his cue from Terminator 2's Robert Patrick – but I wish Chronicles' writers would treat their Terminators as the unstoppable threats from the films. The TV versions are just too keen to infiltrate and appear normal.
Overall, What He Beheld was a very good episode, slightly undone by expectations of what a season finale should bring. Not showing us Cameron killing Sarkissian's stooge made for a good car trunk gag, but why only show the aftermath of the SWAT assault on Cromartie? The underwater swimming pool shots were artistic and beautiful (as SWAT members plop into the water in a mix of bubbles and blood), but we’ve been starved of film-standard punch-ups over 9 episodes, so the finale should have delivered something more exciting.
Still, I've enjoyed Chronicles more than I expected to. It wobbled in the middle, but the last 4 episodes have been solidly entertaining. A part of me still aches that the Terminator franchise has had to suffer a mediocre third film and a cash-in television show (with a Schwarzenegger-less new trilogy in pre-production), but this show could have been much, much worse than it is.
I hope FOX renew the show, but more importantly that Chronicles' writers take heed of concerns audiences had, and come back stronger next time. The main issue to fix: can we have a Sarah Connor who actually deserves her name in the title? Or should we push for a "Derek Reese Adventures" spin-off?
3 March 2008
FOX, 9/8c pm
Director: Mike Rohl
Cast: Lena Headey (Sarah Connor), Summer Glau (Cameron Phillips), Thomas Dekker (John Connor), Brian Austin Green (Derek Reese), Luis Chavez (Morris), Garret Dillahunt (Cromartie), Dean Winters (Charlie Dixon), Richard T. Jones (Agent Ellison), Craig Fairbrass (Sarkissian) & Catherine Dent (Agent Greta Simpson)
Sarah finds herself in a business transaction with a mysterious man willing to sell The Turk, as Cromartie closes in on John. Meanwhile, Agent Ellison visits Charlie with a fresh perspective on events...Morris: Is this your car?
Cameron: No, it belongs to the guy I killed and stuffed into the trunk.
Cameron: No, it belongs to the guy I killed and stuffed into the trunk.
The last episode of this strike-shortened season ends on an effective climax and leaves you with a few intriguing questions to chew over. Chronicles has proven itself worthy of continuation after a patchy start, but there's still plenty left to fix...
What He Beheld opens on a spine-tingling moment in 2011, as the apocalyptic Judgment Day interrupt a game of catch between young Kyle and Derek Reese, both craning their heads upwards to see missiles streaming across the tranquil sky.
In the present, Sarah (Lena Headey) is close to procuring The Turk from the mysterious buyer known only as "Sarkissian", who requests a meeting at table 19 of an internet café. Arriving with Cameron (Summer Glau), Sarah receives instructions at a computer terminal to go to a nearby mall's food court with $500,000 to exchange for The Turk. How can they get that kind of money?
After the events with Dr Silberman, Agent Ellison (Richard T. Jones) has been rethinking his position on the matter of fugitive Sarah Connor and her tales of robots from the future. He goes to see Sarah's ex-boyfriend Charlie (Dean Winters), but doesn’t manage to persuade him he's ready to listen to Sarah's story – although he's intrigued when Charlie mentions another FBI Agent snooping around recently, calling himself Kester.
Carlos, the nephew of the man who helped Sarah get her fake IDs, receives an unwelcome visit from an Englishman called Sarkissian (Craig Fairbrass) and his Asian henchman – looking for the location of Sarah Connor. Carlos and his gang are tight-lipped, but after Carlos watches in horror as Sarkissian murders his friends, it's safe to say Carlos will talk...
Charlie tells Sarah that Agent Ellison paid him a visit, and might now be willing to believe her story and offer them FBI protection. Cameron has analyzed the remaining diamonds they took from Derek's safe house, but they're only worth half the $500,000 Sarkissian is asking for. But, after Derek (Brian Austen Green) and Sarah arrive at the food court to negotiate the price, Sarkissian fails to show up anyway...
Instead, Sarkissian is there to greet them at home when they return – upping his price to $2 million. Derek threatens to kill him, but Sarkissian reveals he has men tailing John (Thomas Dekker) at his school trip to a science museum. Derek lets him go, and Sarkissian says they have 24 hours to find the money.
Meanwhile, John is disappointed his mother has apparently forgotten today's his birthday, but Cameron struggles to understand the point in celebrating the occasion – before catching sight of Sarkissian's Asian henchman, clearly keeping them in his sights. A short while later, Cameron has killed their tail and packed him into the trunk of his own expensive car.
Agent Ellison researches the mysterious Agent Kester who spoke with Charlie, recognizing the face as George Laszlo. Elsewhere, Kester/Cromartie (Garret Dillahunt) goes to retrieve evidence files on Sarah Connor from an FBI archive room, but is told by a clerk that Agent Ellison has checked them out.
Cameron and John return home in the henchman's stolen car, just as the dead man's cell phone rings. Cameron answers the call (mimicking the deceased's voice) and arranges a meeting somewhere. Just then, a woman who witnessed Sarkissian slaughter Carlos' friends arrives and says she'll show them where the culprit is hiding. She drives them to the internet café, where Sarah gets physical with a barman over Sarkissian's whereabouts. He indicates where his boss is, but also alerts him with a panic button behind the bar.
Sarkissian locks himself in a room to stay safe, but is bewildered when Cameron starts smashing through a concrete wall to get to him. Once they break in, Sarkissian has manages to escape through another door – and Cameron gives chase. Meanwhile, John is looking for The Turk and finds a little girl sitting alone doing her homework, just as Sarah spots Sarkissian approaching John on a security camera's feed.
Rushing to save John; Sarah and Derek find Sarkissian holding him at gunpoint in an outside alley. Derek threatens the little girl (who he assumes is Sarkissian's daughter), but Sarkissian reveals they're not related. As Derek bends to whisper something to the girl, he fires a surprise shot at Sarkissian – killing him with a shot to the head. After comforting the little girl after her ordeal and sending her back to her real father at the café's bar, John takes Sarkissian's hard-drive and they all return home.
At the FBI, Agent Simpson (Catherine Dent) is arguing with Ellison over the mysterious Agent Kester – who looks identical to actor George Laszlo, but both men have different blood types. Ellison clearly suspects Kester is a cyborg, but isn't ready to start making such outlandish claims in front of a colleague.
John searches through Sarkissian's hard-drive and is surprised when Derek offers to take him out for birthday drinks – remembering his birthday because he celebrated John's 30th in the future. They share ice creams in a local park, watching two boys play baseball...until John notices one of the boys has "REESE" on the back of his shirt. He's actually in the presence of a younger Derek and his 6-year-old brother Kyle – John's father. Derek reveals he's always known his missing brother was John's father, because they look alike.
A SWAT team descend on Laszlo's apartment, and Charlie overhears the call on his ambulance's CB radio – racing to the scene in a panic over the inevitable bloodshed. The SWAT team begin their assault on Laszlo's apartment, but the men are effortlessly killed one-by-one and thrown into a swimming pool on the ground floor. Eventually, Agent Ellison is the last man standing, staring into the battle-scarred eyes of Cromartie -- physical proof Sarah Connor has been telling the truth. Then, as he awaits his own death, Cromartie unexpectedly lowers his weapon and moves off, leaving Ellison alive... as Charlie arrives to see the carnage.
At home, John has retrieved photos of people looking to buy The Turk from Sarkissian's hard-drive, but she's more interested in celebrating his birthday. Amazed she has remembered after all, Sarah explains they have to take timeout from their "mission" to live their lives. Just then – John finds a photo from Sarkissian's passport... but it's not the man Derek killed in the alley!
The final scene has Cameron getting into a car, under instructions to buy John a birthday cake, just as she notices Sarkissian walking away up the road. But it's too late – at the twist of the ignition key, the vehicle explodes in a fireball, leaving Cameron's fate hanging in the balance...
Ian Goldberg crafts a decent finale that, while not as jaw-dropping and particularly special, manages to tie together some long-running plot-strands from the past 8 episodes, and poses some intriguing questions. If the show is re-ordered by FOX, I think we can assume Cameron will survive her fiery fate (although she'll perhaps require an extensive repair job), but more interesting is why Cromartie couldn't kill Ellison alive. It must mean that killing Ellison would be detrimental to the timeline for Skynet – so the FBI Agent must have a role to play in humanity's downfall. What could he possible do? And does this mean he's the only person who's "untouchable" by a Terminator? If so, he'll be a very handy ally for Sarah!
The storyline here was pretty solid for the most part, although Chronicles sometimes loses me when they start introducing new people, and refer to past events. Sarkissian looks to be a great new character (and I liked Fairbrass' chilly cockney performance), but it took me awhile to grasp he was the guy who bought The Turk. Maybe it's just me being dense, but I just feel the writers of Chronicles think their show is easier to fpllow than it actually is. Even the ending had me confused for a few minutes. So Sarkissian isn't the guy Derek killed? But wasn't that Fairbrass marching away from Cameron's car at the end? I'll have to re-watch just to be sure.
Brian Austin Green really worked well in this episode; I can hardly believe a former Beverly Hills 90210 star has become a believable action hero! He gets a pretty hardcore moment when he shoots Sarkissian in the head (in front a little kid), but also shows a softer side when treating John to a birthday treat. The moment when John effectively meets his father for the first time (albeit as a mop-haired kid) was really quite moving – only let down by a slightly unconvincing reaction from Thomas Dekker.
Lena Headey can't be blamed for most of the shortcomings with Sarah Connor, as this episode even includes a scene where Derek (correctly) speculates she's yet to kill anyone. The TV series refuses to have their Sarah resemble the gung-ho, slightly-mental heroine from Terminator 2 – but isn't replacing that image with anything very interesting. TV Sarah broods and narrates, while only occasionally cracking a few heads, and it's very boring. Headey's performances are sometimes less animated than the cyborgs.
Speaking of cyborgs; Garret Dillahunt didn't do much different this week as Cromartie, but something about his performance just clicked with me. He's clearly taking his cue from Terminator 2's Robert Patrick – but I wish Chronicles' writers would treat their Terminators as the unstoppable threats from the films. The TV versions are just too keen to infiltrate and appear normal.
Overall, What He Beheld was a very good episode, slightly undone by expectations of what a season finale should bring. Not showing us Cameron killing Sarkissian's stooge made for a good car trunk gag, but why only show the aftermath of the SWAT assault on Cromartie? The underwater swimming pool shots were artistic and beautiful (as SWAT members plop into the water in a mix of bubbles and blood), but we’ve been starved of film-standard punch-ups over 9 episodes, so the finale should have delivered something more exciting.
Still, I've enjoyed Chronicles more than I expected to. It wobbled in the middle, but the last 4 episodes have been solidly entertaining. A part of me still aches that the Terminator franchise has had to suffer a mediocre third film and a cash-in television show (with a Schwarzenegger-less new trilogy in pre-production), but this show could have been much, much worse than it is.
I hope FOX renew the show, but more importantly that Chronicles' writers take heed of concerns audiences had, and come back stronger next time. The main issue to fix: can we have a Sarah Connor who actually deserves her name in the title? Or should we push for a "Derek Reese Adventures" spin-off?
3 March 2008
FOX, 9/8c pm
