TV Review: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 2.12 – Alpine Fields
Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 9, 2008
The Sarah Connor Chronicles, FOX, Airs Monday 8/7c
Episode: “Alpine Fields” (Season 2, Episode 12)
Synopsis: Sarah (Lena Headey) and Cameron (Summer Glau) head out to the woods to save a family that has been targeted by the machines for termination, and the easy part of the rescue is convincing them that there are cyborgs from the future trying to kill them. Meanwhile, six months later, Derek (Brian Austin Green) deals with the same family after a Terminator catches up with them, and it reminds him of a memory from the future that explains why they were targeted in the first place.
Review: After several episodes that really started to explore the greater story behind the characters in this series, this one settles down into a relatively stand-alone story. It’s still pretty decent, considering there’s very little whining (which might be because John Connor is nowhere to be seen). At least Sarah and Cameron are still on the warpath to screw up the machines’ plans.
Another plus of this episode is that in Derek’s flashbacks (or are they flashforwards?), we get to see how he first met the BSG Sexpot Jessie (Stephanie Jacobsen). It’s not as juicy as we had been led to believe in earlier episodes, and we still don’t know exactly why Jessie’s loafing around in the past, but I’m happy that the writers are actually exploring these storylines.
The real hiccup in this show is that it exists in three different time frames: the “present,” in which Derek is trying to save the mother and daughter of the targeted family; six months in the “past,” when Sarah and Cameron first encounter the family; and after Judgement Day when Derek first encounters Jessie. They do all fit together, but the already confusing chronology gets a bit more twisted in this episode.
Up Next Week: In the fall finale, Sarah tracks down a lead to the three-dot symbol while Riley and Cameron clash over Mr. Whineypants.
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Did you watch The Sarah Connor Chroniclesthis week? If so, feel free to discuss below.
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