Sarah Connor Chronicles Fodder

Review: Sarah Connor Chronicles - 'Brothers of Nablus'

Now things are really getting weird. The question of whether or not Skynet is at war with itself was all but confirmed in this week's opening scene. Not convinced? Watch it again. Why else would Cromartie kill Robo Ellison and say something like "SkyNet does not believe in you like I do" to the real Ellison? It looks like Cromartie has gone rogue, which is an odd notion for a Terminator that hasn't been reprogrammed by John Connor. The scene brought up more questions than answers, but I think one thing is clear: SkyNet isn't the efficient, well-run machine we all thought it was.

If I were SkyNet, I'd side with Cromartie and leave Robo Ellison hanging on the rack. Dude's a bona fide badass (as long as there are no kiddie pools around) who'll stop at nothing to find and kill John. He was even willing to spend an afternoon with Jody (Leah Pipes) -- the only character more annoying than Riley (Leven Rambin) -- in order to locate the Connor home. Who else clapped when he knocked her outta the car?

Garret Dillahunt is such a joy to watch in this role. He plays it cool and quirky, like Robert Patrick in "T2." Also, like Patrick, he's sure to become a fan favorite in this series.

Back to Ellison ... Why do the Terminators have so much faith in this guy? It seems like every big bad -- Skynet, Weaver and Cromartie -- is interested in James Ellison. We watched as Cromartie and Weaver stuck their necks out to protect him, but to what end? He might be the one to unwittingly lead Cromartie to the Connors, but something tells me there's a lot more to his destiny. Weaver, who's getting more manipulative with every episode, seemed just as confused as to why SkyNet would send an Ellison doppleganger into the past. Still, she sprung him out of jail and likened his struggle to that of Job -- something Ellison, a man of faith, was sure to respond to. Are we seeing the start of Ellison's eventual turn to the dark side?

Job wasn't the only biblical name mentioned here. Sarah brought up the story of the Brothers of Nablus (Genesis 34) at episode's end. Cameron explained that the brothers plundered Shechem's village after he raped their sister, Dinah. The consequences of his evil deed were severe for him and his entire village. The same can be said for the film geek losers who robbed the Connor house and for Moishe, the diamond fence. I'm not sure if that's the conclusion the show runners wanted us to draw, but it feels right. If you mess with the Connors, you're gonna get burned -- or dead if Cameron has anything to say about it.

So how long will it be until Jesse (Stephanie Chaves-Jacobson) winds up dead? I'm not a big fan of Chaves-Jacobson's performance here, and I wouldn't mind seeing her story wrapped up quickly. Also, why is she half-naked every time we see her? I don't mind the ladies showing some skin every now and then, but it almost seems like Jesse is only supposed to be eye candy, which is disappointing. Also, I don't like the idea of Derek keeping her a secret from the Connors. I foresee Derek being put in a situation where he'll have to take Jesse's life. She's dangerous and is obviously up to something shady. Why else would she be taking surveillance pics of Derek and hanging out with creeps like Moishe? Is she working for SkyNet too? C'mon Derek, strangle her already.

And who else wanted to strangle John in this episode? He's back to being John Baum -- whiny, wimpy and Riley-obsessed. I still like the character, but when is he going to realize that the Baum name is a secret identity, not a license to act like an irresponsible teen?

Still, this was one of the best and most intense episodes of the season. With five great episodes in a row, and a full season promise from Fox, it's a good time to be a Terminator fan.

Questions:

- Cromartie knows the Connors new identity and was shown interrogating robber number four. Will we be seeing another Cameron-Cromartie showdown soon?

- Cameron's cold-hearted killer moments are still surprising and disturbing. What will she do when she finds out Sarah let that kid go at the bowling alley?

- I'm sure most of us want the budding John-Riley romance to end. But, should it end with a "Let's be friends" talk or in a hail of machine gun fire aimed at Riley's chest? (Too harsh?)

- Sarah's voiceovers were gone. Hooray! Do you feel the same way?

- Why did they add a liquid Terminator to the show if they don't have the budget for it? Weaver's quick-cut transformation was pretty lame.