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213-01

Sarah sees something in the sky — the three dots revealed at last?

Sarah attends a UFO Convention looking for answers about three dots that where painted in her basement. Her obsession with the three dots intensifies when she tracks down a blogger with intimate knowledge of the symbol, and she ends up finding something she never expected. Meanwhile; Riley gets closer to John and continues to run afoul of Cameron.

Synopsis[]

EarthlingsWelcomeHere001

Sarah attends a UFO Convention looking for answers

EarthlingsWelcomeHere002

Sarah looks for clues in a warehouse

SCC 213 EarthlingsWelcomeHere3

Sarah protects Park from a shooter

SCC 213 EarthlingsWelcomeHere4

Sarah fires back

S02e13-01

Riley and Jesse meet in the future

S02e13-02

Jesse and Riley arrive in the present

S02e13-03

Riley, as a result of a blow by Jesse

S02e13-04

Jesse and Riley spot John while on a stakeout

S02e13-05

Cameron confronts Riley about how she got hurt

S02e13-07

Cameron tells John that Riley is lying about something

S02e13-08

John tries to save Riley after she attempts suicide

S02e13-09

Agent Ellison and John Henry playing a game of chess

Plot Overview[]

Still chasing after the three dots, Sarah follows a lead to a UFO Experience convention, where she comes across Alan Park, a former engineer masquerading as a woman to escape his pursuers, who turn out to be Terminators. Abraham was part of a secret project to build drones that seem to be built from endoskeleton hyperalloy.

Meanwhile, Riley helps John renovate his room and quietly remembers her past after Judgment day as a rat-catcher, and how Jesse and her arrived in the present to keep John from falling under Cameron's influence. After a fight with her foster parents and being reprimanded and hit by Jesse, Riley is found by John and Cameron in the bathroom, with slashed wrists.

Having used a hypno-therapist to help "Eileen" discover clues about her former secret workplace, Sarah avoids the pursuing motorcycle-driver that kills "Eileen" and the therapist. She follows the lead to a warehouse, where her leg is wounded by a guard and she is forced to kill him. Crawling out of the warehouse back to her car, she sees a silver drone descend upon her before she passes out.

Full Synopsis[]

Sarah travels out to a UFO Experience convention to track down possible leads on the three dots of her visions. Uncovering evidence of endoskeleton hyperalloy in the mysterious events surrounding the purported Drones and the blogs of "Abraham", an engineer gone into hiding after attempting to debunk the UFO-logists with insider reports on his work.

Flashbacks of Riley's past (future and time travel per se) are shown. She seemed to have been a ratcatcher in the future, as with many of the juveniles in the shelters, [1] before being recruited by Jesse to separate John from Cameron. They make use of time displacement equipment and go into the past, where they appear in a rain-soaked alley during a storm. They managed to get some clothes before they arrive at a hotel room, where Riley is amazed at the early 21st century fabrics and furniture. After washing the dirt off her (which arrive from the future with them), Jesse combs her hair before they sleep together. Later, Jesse sends Riley to school, to get close to John.

Riley attempts suicide in the Connors' house after being forced to leave her foster home for striking her mother in a pique of rage at their naiveity and mentioning the apocalypse, and being rejected by Jesse after turning to her for shelter and comfort, who reminds her that her job is keep John away form Cameron

Meanwhile, Sarah follows her new friend "Eileen", whom she met at the conference. Eileen promises to lead Sarah to Abraham, a mysterious blogger. Eileen is soon revealed to be Abraham, a transwoman born Alan Park, who is on the run. She explains that someone is out to get her, as she abandoned the work on a mysterious metal. All she knew was that mysterious men picked her and others up every day with dark vehicles in which they couldn't see their surroundings. They go to a warehouse Alan had rented but the metal she stored there was gone. As they leave, they are suddenly attacked by a black-suited motorcyclist. Needing more clues, Sarah directs Alan to the psychologist from the convention. Unfortunately, when Eileen was done, someone killed her and the psychologist. Following directions she obtained from listening in to a therapy session between Eileen and a psychologist, Sarah ends up at a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. She suspects that something is hidden in the warehouse, as the man present says that his boss rents the space out to another company. She takes a look at the man's ID and finds he works for a (possibly fictitious) heating and cooling company. She warns him not to call the police but is instead attacked. She manages to overcome him, shooting him. As she crawls out from the warehouse, she sees what could be the actual truth behind the haunting symbol before losing consciousness; an actual flying craft, or probably a hallucination.

Characters[]

Main Skynet and affiliates Minor


Quotes[]

Ellison: The answer's still no. I can't do what you're asking.
Weaver: Shame. I thought good night's sleep would change your mind.
Ellison: I didn't sleep.
Weaver: John Henry needs someone to talk to now that Dr. Sherman is gone.
Ellison: Dr. Sherman is gone because he...it killed him.
Weaver: It wasn't murder, Mr. Ellison. You said so yourself. You also said that I was remiss in creating John Henry without teaching him right from wrong. This is our opportunity to correct that oversight.
Ellison: Our opportunity?
Weaver: Your religious faith and paternal instinct make you the ideal candidate to foster his moral development.
Ellison: That thing killed 20 FBI agents. It needs a whole lot more than just a talkin' to.
Weaver: The program responsible for those murders is gone. The John Henry program is no more responsible for the deaths of those FBI agents than you or I. (Weaver lifts John Henry's hand) Many believe tactile experience is integral to AI development. His body is merely a puppet. An interface. We control him. You control him. (Weaver hands Ellison a remote that controls John Henry)
Ellison: (Ellison turns John Henry off) And when John Henry completes his development, when he realizes what his puppet is capable of, do you know how powerful he'll be?
Weaver: Cows are more powerful than man, Mr. Ellison, but I still rather be the farmer with the rifle. Talk to John Henry. Teach him right from wrong. (Weaver turns John Henry back on)
(Flashback to Jesse and Riley sitting a car)
Jesse: You alright? It's okay if you're not. I want you to tell me if you're not.
Riley: I'm alright. (Looks at her nails) Maybe this colour red is too bright. Maybe the brown was better.
Jesse: The red's perfect. You're just not used to it.
Riley: The lady in the store said I was an autumn. I've never even seen autumn. Why did you pick me? I've always wanted to ask.
Jesse: But you never have.
Riley: I thought you would tell me when the time is right. I think the time is right.
Jesse: No, sweetie... (They see John in the distance, looking at his cellphone) ...the time's past.
(Riley gets out and follows behind John)
Cameron: What happened to your face?
Riley: Nothing.
Cameron: How did you get hurt?
Riley: It was nothing. Uh, smacked into a door.
Cameron: What part?
Riley: What?
Cameron: Of the door.
Riley: Uh, I don't know. Just the door.
Cameron: I like your star.
Riley: Excuse me?
Cameron: Your tattoo. It's tight.
Riley: Thank you.
Cameron: I'm thinking of getting one. Can I look at yours? (Cameron holds Riley's wrist and looks at her tattoo) Did it hurt?
Riley: Not too much.
Cameron: They stuck needles into your skin. Neddles can be painful.
John: Hey. What's going on?
Cameron: I'm looking at her star.
Riley: She thinking about getting one.
John: A tattoo? Of what?
Cameron: A tiger or a wolf. I haven't decided yet. We need to talk.
Riley: I'm cool. Really. Talk.
(Flashback to Riley outside of Jesse's hotel room. Riley knocks on the door and Jesse opens)
Jesse: What are you doing here?
Riley: Sorry, Jesse. No one's following me. I doubled-back like you taught me. Jesse, I'm really sorry. Don't get mad at me, please.
Jesse: Phones. That's why we have phones.
Riley: I...I just didn't know where else to go.
Jesse: Yeah, well...not here, sweetie. Any place, but here.
Riley: I got kicked out of my foster home.
Jesse: You did what?
Riley: I got kicked out. They threw me out, cause I hit Kay, my foster mom. I was just freaking out, you know. I started thinking about everything. What's coming for all of us. For them. I just...I need someone to talk to. I need you. And I was thinking, instead of just getting another foster home, that maybe we could find some place close together, like an apartment or something. I'll just tell John I quit school, and...and we can be together.
(Jesse slaps Riley)
Jesse: I'm not here to babysit. And you're not here to feel sorry for yourself. I'm not your friend. I am not your mother. And you are here to keep John Connor away from her! (Referring to Cameron) Go finish your job. Go.
Cameron: She's lying.
John: About what?
Cameron: I don't know, but her pulse was elevated and her hand was perspiring. She's lying.
John: Yeah, her pulse was elevated because you were freaking her out, as usual.
Cameron: What happened to her face?
John: I don't know. She didn't say.
Cameron: I can get her to tell me the truth.
John: Stay away from her.
(John Henry and Ellison play a game a chess)
Ellison: Who taught you how to play chess?
John Henry: I did.
Ellison: Did you play with Dr. Sherman?
John Henry: No. We played other games. Talking games.
Ellison: Do you miss Dr. Sherman?
John Henry: I'm designed to learn. He helped me learn. His absence slows my growth.
Ellison: His absence is more important than that. His value was more than just his function for you. Human beings aren't like chess pieces. It matters if we live or die.
John Henry: Why does it matter? All humans die eventually.
Ellison: Yes, that's true. But, our lives are...are sacred. Do you know what sacred means?
John Henry: Holy. Worthy of respect. Venerable.
Ellison: Do you know why human life is sacred?
John Henry: Because so few humans are alive compared to the number that are dead?
Ellison: No. Because we're God's creation. God made everything. The stars, the earth, everything on this planet. We are all God's children.
John Henry: Am I a God's child?
Ellison: That's one of the things we're here to talk about.
John Henry: Checkmate. I win. Would you like to play again?

Continuity notes[]

  • Riley and Jesse are shown meeting for the first time in the future, arriving in the present together via TDE sphere, exploring the luxuries of a hotel room together, and Jesse revealing to Riley that her purpose was to force a wedge between John and Cameron.
  • Ellison begins to teach John Henry (as Catherine ask him to previously) about the sanctity of life and God's Creation.
  • Sarah continues to have visions, this time focusing on her duality as the waitress she used to be and the soldier she has become.[2]

Notes[]

  • This episode is the fall mid-season finale, due to the Christmas holidays.
  • Dirt counts as organic.
  • James Ellison's marriage fell apart after his wife had an abortion.
  • To all appearances, Riley attempted suicide by slitting her wrists in the Connor's bathroom.
  • The Connors no longer use voice-based codes when talking on mobile phones. However, they have been using a pushbutton challenge and authentication system for the last several episodes.
  • In the Scenemaker video blog for this episode, the producers confirm this is the first time Sarah's taken a human life and forecast repercussions to come. They also refuse to confirm or deny whether the appearance of the drone out of the sun was reality or another hallucination on Sarah's part.

Deleted scenes[]

  • While driving to the storage facility, Park tells Sarah about a premonition she had.

Terminator references[]

Real-world references[]

Ufo hunters

Picture of UFO from UFO Hunters episode "Reverse Engineering"

  • The UFOs in this episode were featured in the UFO Hunters episode "Reverse Engineering".
  • In Jewish, Christbeliefsnd Islamic beliefs, Abraham was the patriarch of Israelite, Ishmaelite, and Edomite people. Interestingly enough, his wife was named Sarah.

Q&A[]

  • Q: What was Riley's mission again?
    • A: Riley was recruited by Jesse explicitly for the purpose of interfering in the development of John's relationship with Cameron (to "keep him away from the Metal"). Her assignment was not revealed to her until after she was brought back and unfolded at Jesse's discretion, initially targeting John in school during season 1, although she did not appear in person to him until Season 2. [3] She is, no doubt, to be a sexual partner/distraction for John in order to keep him focused on the organics in his life rather than building a trust in the converted machines. Unfortunately, her only attachment figure (maybe even "mother figure" or "girl-crush") in this time is Jesse, who is abusive towards her. To all appearances, Riley is unable to cope with the combination of rejection by Jesse and the impending apocalypse, prompting her suicide (attempt).
  • Q: Could the three dots refer to an early version of a Hunter Killer?
    • A1: Quite possibly, as that ship flying over the barn closely resembles the design of HKs. (See also: HK-Flying Mini Hunter) It is the only plausible possibility as they are prominent Skynet forces in the future.
    • A2: It's more likely that the HKs are merely based on the appearance of the drones, as the drones are of a much more advanced technology. They look as if they are driven by a gravitational or E.M. propulsion system (due to a lack of exhaust or visible flame, etc.), and HKs have vertical jet engine-type propulsion (turbine-based), similar to the original British Harrier Jets.
    • A3: It is also quite possible that the flying object is just a hallucination. Sarah has already been showing signs of mental instability, has seen visions of her old self as a waitress and then as a warrior; and the video footage of the "drones" she's seen at the UFO convention could have messed with her mind. Also, building such a flying craft doesn't really require hyperalloy, but it definitely needs very advanced propulsion technology, which could not be researched from Terminator endoskeleton pieces.
      • Sarah's "sighting" may have been a hallucination (based on the photos she had seen), but the object had been seen by many others who attended the UFO conventions. So it exists, apparently. Mass-hallucination would be an unlikely explanation for these events.
        • Following this logic, the HK/drone should also exist in the real world, as there are photographs and video recordings from the thing and the TSCC episode is clearly inspired by these events. Whatever real-life explanation we can come up with for the 'drones', it could also be used in the fictional world of TSCC. Thus nothing can be decided yet and the producers may present any kind of solution in the upcoming episodes.
      • Hyperalloy is certainly required as an airframe of ultralight and ultrastrong materials is a critical component of any UAV. The producers have explicitly stated that they refuse to comment on whether the sighting by Sarah is a hallucination or an element of reality, leaving the answer for later episodes. See A4 for commentary on the "Advanced Propulsion" speculation.

References[]

  1. As seen in the future scenes of The Terminator where Kyle Reese returns from his patrol.
  2. Hearkening back to the dream sequence in T2 where Sarah carves "NO FATE" into the tabletop.
  3. Although the character of Riley did not appear in the storyline interacting with John until Season 2, the events of "Earthlings Welcome Here" explicitly show Jesse and Riley targeting John for surveillance and Riley's eventual approach as he appeared (pre-haircut) during the Season 1 portion of the timeline. This is confirmed in the writer's blog addressing this episode.

External links[]

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