Recap: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - S1E2 "Gnothi Seauton""

Google Greek translation: gnothi seauton = know thyself


Remember, y'all - it ain't 1999 any more.  It's 2007 and our heroes are trying to make their way in this new time.  Also, anomalously, in this new time: a disembodied metal Terminator skull, found by a roadside crew member who stuffs it in his pocket as a keepsake.  Is this Cromarty's skull?  Didn't he get all blowed up in 1999?


As the gang regroups, Cameron tells Sarah that there are some other freedom fighters (sent back by John) in 2007.  The two women go to a flophouse where four of the freedom fighters live; unfortunately, there are four dead bodies on the floor.  Wait!  One of them is yet alive!  Oh, oops: it's a Terminator, lying in wait.  He and Cameron have a big ol' fight until the Terminator makes a run for it.  Cameron chases and Sarah steals a motorcycle and follows.  They lose him and Sarah is pissed because Cameron told her it would be safe and, lo and behold, Terminators.  (Sarah is really kind of ungrateful and bitchy to Cameron.)  Cameron points out that at this point in 2007, the Terminators don't know what John looks like, so they would walk right by him without recognizing and trying to kill him.  So that's a plus.


Later, Sarah and Cameron go out to track down Enrique, one of Sarah's old freedom fighter buddies who was the go-to guy for fake IDs back in the day; he's out of the business now, however, and sends them to his nephew.  John is supposed to stay at home but he's fidgety and heads out to the frickin' mall of all places, where he goggles at the crazy new 2007 cellphone and computer technology - so cool!  He does a web search and learns that Charley Dixon is now living here in L.A.


Meanwhile, the roadside crew guy puts the Terminator head on his coffee table.  His pet cat hisses at it when its eyes glow red.  And somewhere in a L.A. scrapyard, a headless Terminator body springs to life ... and promptly murders the junkyard dog and its owner.


Sarah and Cameron meet with Enrique's nephew Carlos.  His pitbulls take an instant disliking to Cameron, so she has to wait out by the car.  Carlos wants $20,000 for the new IDs: prices have gone up since 9/11.  Sarah: what's 9/11?  Carlos: are you f'ing kidding me?  After he and his buddy bring her up to speed, she gets to the car just in time to stop Cameron from killing a nosy cop.  


On the other side of town, John has broken into Charley's home.  It appears that Charley is now married - to Penny, the love of Desmond's life (that's a Lost reference, btw).   Charley comes home in time to find John there and is understandably incredulous that John hasn't aged at all in the last eight years.  John panics, knocks Charley down and gets the hell out of there.


When Sarah and Cameron get home, they figure out that John went out but don't press him on it.  The three of them go back to the flophouse to retrieve the money, weapons, etc. the freedom fighters probably have stashed there.  (Unless the fourth guy, not left dead on the floor by the Terminator, collected it already.)  When Cameron tries to open the safe, she gets zapped by the booby trap and her system has to reboot (120 seconds).  They hear the Terminator coming up the stairs so Sarah tosses Cameron out the second (third?) story window while John opens the safe - by guessing the date that is the combination - and snatches up what's inside (guns, diamonds, etc.).  Cameron reboots and they get away just in time.


Back at the roadside worker's house, the Terminator body has come to collect its head.


Sarah and Cameron pick up their new IDs from Carlos and Sarah overhears him saying something in Spanish to his crony that troubles her.  She goes back to Enrique's and confronts him: he's an informer and has sold her out to the FBI.  Cameron steps up and shoots him dead which makes Sarah kind of cross.  Whatever, Sarah, he ratted you and your boy out to the feds.


Closing montage:  John and Cameron register for high school; the Terminator roams among the ranks of the homeless, wrapped in ratty clothing; Sarah goes to the hospital for tests because Cameron had told her earlier in the episode that she died of cancer in 2005, which is why Future John sent them ahead to 2007, because he wanted to skip his mom's death.


Previously on T:TSCC / next time on T:TSCC