TV Review: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 2.8 – Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today

Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on November 11, 2008

The Sarah Connor Chronicles

The Sarah Connor Chronicles, FOX, Airs Monday 8/7c

Episode: “Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today” (Season 2, Episode 8)

Synopsis: In the grand style of Vantage Point, The Sarah Connor Chronicles tells this episode’s story from multiple points of view. John (Thomas Dekker) runs off for the weekend with Riley (Leven Rambin) and ends up in a Mexican jail. Cromartie (Garret Dillahunt) follows the couple across the border with Sarah (Lena Headey) as his hostage, and Agent Ellison (Richard T. Jones) picks up John on an FBI alert and heads to Mexico to bring him in.

Review: This episode follows the last as being a little better in terms of delivering the goods, which made us first start watching this series. At least we’re bringing Cromartie and Ellison into the fray again, giving a bit of a cat-and-mouse chase. However, the action is softened by John’s whining and the continuous silliness of the family staying in Los Angeles and attempting to be normal.

Cameron (Summer Glau) takes a back seat for much of this episode, which is a shame. She’s got some interesting aspects to her personality and could become a really interesting character if they let her blossom. There is a brief moment at the beginning of the episode which features her trying to connect with John (or at least manipulate him) on a level that only Riley can at this point. I’d be interested to see where they eventually go with this.

Derek (Brian Austin Green) also takes a back seat, which by default means his future BSG sexpot Jesse (Stephanie Jacobsen) does as well… to the point that she’s not even in this episode. This brings me to see one of the biggest structural problems with this series… there are too many characters with too many goals. We often lose sight of Sarah (the title character), and even John has been given some incredibly weak moments this season.

<—SPOILER ALERT—>

While the FOX network has been promising this to be the most intense episodes yet, I wouldn’t hold my breath. They also promised last week that someone would check out, and in the end, it turns out to be Cromartie who is caught in a Connor Family Ambush. I’ll admit, I’m a bit sad to see him go because he was their most formidable opponent. However, I don’t think he’ll be gone for long. And, he goes out like a bitch, after all. He’s just shot a few times, which wasn’t nearly enough to do any real damage to the original T-101 from the films.

Additionally, when the family finishes killing the Terminator, they destroy his chip (in an embarrassingly overacted moment for Lena Headey) and bury the body. Which is extremely stupid. Even though they talk about coming down here to completely destroy it later, it’s just plain moronic to not dismantle it somehow. After all, he came back to life as a decapitated head earlier last season.

<—END SPOILER ALERT—>

Overall, this episode was decent enough and a step up from the earlier part of season two, but it’s still not at the level of hope we had for the show when it premiered last year.

Up Next Week: The BSG Sexpot returns to help Derek seek out a SkyNet conspirator while Sarah mopes about her impact on Earth past and future history.

For more coverage of your favorite shows, check out the Control Freaks Archive.

Did you watch The Sarah Connor Chroniclesthis week? If so, feel free to discuss below.

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JMoney

ok i only briefly flipped to this last night and i swear i saw cameron sitting up on john's bed with no shirt on, did this happen, did he sleep with the terminator?

sdfds

wow. lot's of negativity here....

I don't understand your complaint about not dismantling the body. There would be no point. Cromartie is REALLY dead this time. His chip was smashed to tiny bits (and no that scene was NOT overacted - everyone else including me thought it was perfectly done - too bad you're in the minority). Because his brain has been destroyed, there's NO WAY he can come back now - characterwise anyway. I'm willing to bet the actor himself isn't entirely done with the show, but the Cromartie we know is D-E-A-D. What happens to the body is another story - but it's not going to reanimate on its own.

Besides, they didn't have the power tools with them to cut up the body.

btw, i assume those were not ordinary shotgun shells used to finish Cromartie off.

Kevin Carr

@JMoney...

cameron was just not wearing her coat. she had a tan sleeveless shirt on (with a pink bra, no less). Don't worry... John didn't sleep with her... just was sitting on the bed, talking.

@sdfds

Yeah, lots of negativity here. I think this show has turned into a crap sandwich. Considering how many times the writing just makes stuff up for convenience of episodes and ignores mythos set up in the first 2 films, I don't doubt they'll find some way to bring Cromartie back.

And yeah, the scene was waaaaaaaay overacted. Sarah's grunting sounded like a porno soundtrack. I honestly almost couldn't watch it, I was so embarrassed for Lena Headey.

Finally, if they had special shotgun shells (or John's "lethal" final bullet) to take down a Terminator with them, why didn't they have any power tools or thermite as well? Now you're just making excuses for this lame show.

sdfsd

Sucks for you then. Everyone else loved the episode.

sdfsd

Also, THERE WAS NO POINT IN CHOPPING UP THE BODY! THEY ALREADY DESTROYED THE FREAKIN CHIP! THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!!! THE CHIP IS THE TERMINATOR. IT'S GONE. END OF STORY.

Kevin Carr

I hear you. The chip is gone. But after seeing how many Terminators they throw back in time after it was clearly established in the first film that the time machine was damaged beyond repair... I have confidence that the fact they didn't destroy Cromartie's body is going to come back to haunt them big time.

And yeah... sucks for me. In a huge way. I'm wasting an hour a week on this garbage.

sdfds

Dude, if you hate this show so much, why don't you just go join the "Dancing With the Stars" banner?

JMoney

Chuck would be a much better way to spend that time

TL

I agree with Kevin's point that there are way too many extra characters.
I really don't care if Derek is boinking the BSG chick - the show is getting hard to follow with all the subplots bouncing around.

TBITS

I thought this episode was better than others, and I think things are starting to get better. Cromartie's death was lame he just stood there and let himself die, however I noticed cameron gave him a look just before she killed him which makes me wonder what exactly is going on in her head. This brings me to my next point which is WE WANT MORE SUMMER GLAU seriously she is very talented and the moments she does have on the show are amazing. Interestingly enough this brings me to my third point which is...is it just me or was John checking her out when she came to talk to him/ did she lose the jacket because she wanted him to check her out/ what exactly goes on between them in the future???

Anyway I am going to stick with this show, mostly to support Summer until fox gets its act together and brings back Firefly.

TV Review: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 2.8 – Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today

The Sarah Connor Chronicles, FOX, Airs Monday 8/7c

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