||SPOILERS|| Toni Graphia's one of the better writers on T:tSCC, and her script for "Adam Raised A Cain" is definitely a series highlight. After the coordinated attack on her family last week, Sarah (Lena Headey) and Derek (Brian Austin Green) have taken time to reflect on a field of unmarked graves, one of which contains the remains of Kyle Reece. John (Thomas Dekker) discovers a photo of Savannah (Mackenzie Smith) on a dead assailant's phone, recognizing her as the little girl at Dr. Sherman's office weeks back, and deduces that she is their next target...Savannah herself is growing closer to John Henry (Garret Dillahunt), who is communicating with her online while she's at school. This raises suspicions in the teacher, who calls her mother Catherine (Shirley Manson) in for a chat, presuming that "John Henry" could be a paedophile. Of course, JR has no such intent, and is more intrigued about the idea he has a brother –- the fellow AI that hacked into his system recently – and discusses his thoughts on a likeminded sibling, the human brain, and heaven to Agent Ellison (Richard T. Jones).
Then we're dropped into one of T:tSCC's best ever sequences, as Savannah does her homework alone at the Weaver residence with her nanny, oblivious to the approach of a Terminator assigned to kill her. John Henry is fortunately keeping watch through the house's security cameras, detects the danger, and guides Savannah around her home via a Bluetooth earpiece, keeping her one step ahead of the enemy until security can arrive.Luckily, John, Sarah, Derek and Cameron (Summer Glau) arrive, to prevent Savannah from harm. It's here that we're dealt a genuinely punishing blow that I give the series maximum respect for meting out: Derek, rounding a corner during the assault, receives a gunshot straight to the head from the Terminator, and drops down dead. No blaze of glory, no last words, no dramatic music, no ultimate point -– just a quick, raw, unexpected death. It wasn't even used as a climax to an act! And I have to say, it was so surprising and senseless that I still feel a lead weight in my stomach thinking about. Anyway, the whole sequence continues in an impressive fashion (we've really missed the cyborg-et-cyborg action), until Cameron manages to hurl the villainous Terminator off the Weaver balcony onto the hillside, as they make their escape...
The LAPD start a manhunt for Savannah's "kidnappers", although Ellison's made aware of Sarah Connor's involvement through John Henry's own surveillance recordings. Ellison arranges to meet with the Connor's to get Savannah back, and they agree to hand her over if they can meet with her mother Catherine. Savannah herself has made reference to her friend with "the cord in the back of his head" who "lives in the basement", causing John to realize that ZeiraCorp have created artificial intelligence using Cromartie's body.
However, before the Connors can confront Catherine, the LAPD capture Sarah after the exchange with Ellison for Savannah is made at a cinema1, and she's taken into custody as John and Cameron are forced to abandon her. Even the manner of her capture is problematic, as the area is surrounded by press and her face is plastered all over the television news...
"Adam Raised A Cain" was compelling stuff, throughout. That said, T:tSCC is definitely a show that's better at individual moments than anything too sustained. There's been a pacing issue throughout the series, but this episode contains so many memorable sequences that it's difficult to get bored. John Henry keeping Savannah safe, the Weaver residence attack, Derek's death, Sarah's capture, the bookending grave scenes, and a creepy denouement with John Henry singing "Donald, Where's Your Trousers?2" were all excellent, and it's a shame the series doesn't reach that level of quality with greater regularity.Character-wise, this was another strong outing for Thomas Dekker, Mackenzie Smith was adorable as Savannah (her relationship with John Henry being a particular highlight), and Garret Dillahunt is once again nothing less than magnetic. As a penultimate episode, it definitely raised the game and set things up for a thrilling finale, too –- will Sarah escape custody? Will John Henry find his brother? Will Ellison realize Catherine's a machine? What will Catherine say to the Connor's if they find her? Whose side is Catherine on? And why do Terminators want Savannah dead? And, wow, is Derek really dead? I still can't believe it.
23 April 2009
Virgin1, 10pm
Writer: Toni Graphia
Director: Charles Beeson
Cast: Thomas Dekker (John), Summer Glau (Cameron), Brian Austin Green (Derek), Richard T. Jones (Ellison), Garret Dillahunt (John Henry), Shirley Manson (Catherine), Lena Headey (Sarah), Mackenzie Smith (Savannah), Larry Cedar (Det. Crayton), Jeffrey Pierce (Water Delivery Guy), Austin Highsmith (Debbie) & Jill Remez (Teacher)
1. I know the boring reason for this, but it always amuses me that people in television shows go to the cinema to watch black-and-white classics. I'm sure Savannah would have preferred Monsters vs Aliens.
2. John Henry lost points for not pronouncing "trousers" as "troosers". But, like last season's Johnny Cash sequence, T:tSCC really knows how to pull off a musical sequence.
