Director: Michael Nankin
Spoilers. I understand the problems people have with this Terminator spin-off. I agree with the criticism of Lena Headey's weak Sarah and Thomas Dekker's petulant John, but it's episodes like this that remind me why I like the show. "Mr. Ferguson Is Ill Today" drops us into a creative, compelling, action-packed hour that has the series firing on all cylinders…The Rashomon-style narrative divides the episode into bitesized chapters told from each character's perspective ("Sarah's Story", "Cameron's Story", etc.) While this format isn't always successful, because some shifts of perspective don't deliver any new information, it's a plotting device that definitely shakes life into an otherwise straightforward storyline.
John and Riley's (Leven Rambin) relationship is deepening, to the scorn of Sarah, who would rather her son wasn't distracted by a girl and endangered her life by association. To escape the pressure, John takes Riley on a secret coach trip to visit the Mexican village where he grew up. While he's away, Cameron (Summer Glau) leaves to restock their ammunition supplies, allowing Cromartie (Garret Dillahunt) to capture Sarah in her own home -- acting on information gleamed from the thief Sarah allowed to live last week.
Told in a linear fashion, this is actually a very simple story: Cromartie kidnaps Sarah; John's trip to Mexico hits a snag when someone recognizes him in a bar and he's arrested; Cameron and Derek (Brian Austin Green) race to save their friends after they receive a phone call; and Agent Ellison (Richard T. Jones) hears about John Connor's arrest, so travels across the border to meet with the Mexican authorities.
The joy of the episode comes from how the story is fed from each character's viewpoints (slightly out of chronology), to eventually provide a cohesive view of the bigger-picture. It allows for some surprising and creative sequences -- particularly Sarah's shock early capture, and a whole scene with Sarah locked inside a car trunk as bullets fly outside between unseen shooters.
Admittedly, Daniel Thomsen's plot doesn't completely justify the use of this unusual narrative, or quite manage to do it justice in a few of the "stories", but the episode benefits from its use. More than anything, it's refreshing to see a TV series play with audiences and try something more imaginative. Chronicles has long reminded me of a mid-'90s throwback -- where such quirks were often employed, particularly in anything created by Chris Carter or Joss Whedon.
There were also a number of intriguing character moments; particularly when Cameron makes herself look more alluring while providing a sympathetic ear to John on his bed. Her intensions throughout the scene are deliciously vague, but it's implied that the Future John she knew often talked to her about his loneliness, and possibly had a sexual relationship with her, too.
The possibility of a hormonal teenager sleeping with a lifelike robot has always simmered beneath the surface of the John/Cameron relationship, but has been pushed into the background with the arrival of real-girl Riley this year. It's a testament to the writing and performances that the idea of John having sex with Cameron remains slightly distasteful -- meaning we're not viewing it as a potential sex scene for Summer Glau, but as a boy's sex-life tragically reduced to bedding automatons in a wartorn dystopia. Nice to get a sense that Future John isn't the embodiment of flawless heroism that he's often made out to be, too.
The biggest surprise in "Mr. Ferguson Is Ill Today" (a line spoken by Cromartie in the pilot, incidentally), is the death of a regular character. The various stories eventually dovetail into a mass shoot-out in the Mexican village (shades of spaghetti western at times), and the assembled characters work together to disable Cromartie once and for all. After luring him into a church, the cyborg is pinned down by gunfire from the surrounding windows (religious overtones as he strikes a crucifixion pose to retaliate), and eventually has half his head blown-off by Cameron's multiple gunshots at close quarters.
It's a brave decision to kill Chronicles' most successful antagonist, and the loss of Garret Dillahunt will certainly be felt. There's not even any hope he'll return as an identical model (seeing as his appearance was manufactured in the present-day by the skinless Cromartie in season 1), which means his loss is felt even more. I sincerely hope they manage to cast another actor equally as good as Dillahunt sooner rather than later, but Chronicles hasn't been very successful at casting Terminators. They usually appear as hardmen with stoical expressions, which is the base-level setting for anyone copying Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dillahunt proved there are different ways to play an emotionless robot.
Also interesting to see Ellison join forces with Sarah at last, which I didn't expect to happen just yet. Indeed, owing to the fact he's unwittingly in cahoots with the machines (thanks to his employment by T-1001 Catherine Weaver), I expected Ellison would continue to be a threat to them for awhile. But perhaps he has ulterior motives for helping Sarah, which may become apparent when he discovers Cameron's a cyborg and assumedly reports back to Catherine?
Overall, "Mr. Ferguson Is Ill Today" (stupid title aside), is a real highlight of the series. Fast, efficient, interesting, creative, exciting and containing important developments for the series at large. Riley will certainly need to hear some proper answers, instead of being fed stupid excuses now. Oh, and was that a tinge of real emotion in Cameron's voice when she arrives at the Mexican jail to find John? Derek's reaction to her concern seemed to indicate so.
A great episode of a series that's showing real confidence just recently. The fact it's been given a full season is excellent news for fans -- even if it's about to be dumped in a bad Friday timeslot to die. This could very well be its last season if ratings don't improve, so I urge everyone in the US to watch it.
10 November 2008
Fox, 9/8c
Cast: Lena Headey (Sarah), Thomas Dekker (John), Summer Glau (Cameron), Richard T. Jones (Ellison), Brian Austin Green (Derek), Garret Dillahunt (Cromartie), Leven Rambin (Riley), Alicia Benavides (Waitress), Alex Castillo (Manny) & Danny Lopes (Riveria)
