Terminator-TSCC #16: Some Must Watch, While Some Must Sleep/S2/09

[Truth Seeker]

Some Must Watch, While Some Must Sleep

Writersenise Thé, Natalie Chaidez

Director:Scott Lautanen

Stars:Lena Headey (Sarah Connor)
Garret Dillahunt (Cromartie)
Leven Rambin (Riley)
Shirley Manson (Catherine Weaver)
Brian Austin Green (Derek Reese)
Richard T. Jones (Agent James Ellison)
Summer Glau (Cameron Phillips)
Thomas Dekker (John Connor)

Guest Star:Sashen Naicker (Night Tech)
Manny Montanta (Hector)
Michelle Arthur (Dana)
Julie Ann Emery (Nurse Hobson)
Ned Bellamy (Ed Winston)

Sarah is forced to seek help from nightmares at a clinic. She tries to figure out Skynet's next move.

​

 

[Asmo]

Quite confusing episode,eh? A dream within a dream? Any theories out there?

Asmo

 

[Desert Hare]

A dream within a dream?

Not really all that uncommon for me. It's happened a lot.
Although at that start I thought that she was actually at that building where she got zapped.

 

[Blastin]

I felt like I needed some detox time for the acid hit I must have been slipped right before the episode started....and I'm not sure if that was a good or bad trip...
On giving it some thought I liked how there was some of Sara's fears subtly portrayed in the "sleep clinic" side: John making the comment about Cameron's pancakes: Is John starting to see Cameron as a bit of a mother/spouse figure? The scene with the vending machine: The damned robot can fix any problem John might come across no matter how small. The scene with John watching the Undergarment clad Cameron and almost loosing the conversation with Sara: obvious fear of the sexual tension/possibility. The whole roommate dying in the exact way that she imagined in her nightmare: Fear of failure, not stopping the future. The scene with Sara's brain scans all copied by the machines: Extension of her paranoia, it's not even safe to sleep....all pretty cool.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Quite confusing episode,eh? A dream within a dream? Any theories out there?

Asmo

Many shows have episodes where the protagonist is supposed to believe nothing what he sees is true.

This is the first one where I really didn't know which side was true. Because each story "kinda" made sense and "kinda" did not.

Story 1: Would Sarah really be sent to a sleep hospital?
Story 2: Wasn't the security guy from the factory not clearly considered dead?

Story 1: We also saw things that Sarah - if t was a fictional - shouldn't be able to see (like John/Cameran ineractions).
Story 2: It seemed as if she was just trying to come to grips with the fact she killed a human - which she hadn't done herself so far. (Even though she attempted a few times). (Shocking to think that John killed a man before his mother!)

Story 1: Strange jumps in time, always starting with her waking up.
Story 2: The scene in the van fitted the introduction to this episode.

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Overall, the van scenes seemed to be the truth - at least as much as Sarah could remember in her drug-induced state.

Confusing, but fascinating episode.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I'd have to rewatch it again, but I think the only real question I have is whether the scenes in the van were also imaginary or not. I could see it going both ways.

The episode was interesting, but it didn't really move the plot forward at all. Also, once again no Derek.

 

[Fast Learner]

Pretty sure the van stuff was real, at least the bulk of it. The sleep clinic reality fell apart for me when it was implied that it was related to Skynet: seriously, they can't just randomly wander into stuff Skynet has its hands in like that, and the writing is too good for that to happen.

I really enjoyed it. I have no problem with the lack of plot forwarding, as it had plenty of great characterization stuff.

 

[GSHamster]

I really liked this episode as well.

I especially liked the fake-out with the Cameron/John scenes. Since the scenes didn't have Sarah, it seemed like that story was the real one. But as Blastin pointed out, they were manifestations of Sarah's fears about Cameron. That was very well done.