“Absurd, when you put it that way.”
It’s that time again — factoids and fun from last night’s episode, The Tower Is Tall But the Fall Is Short. Just make sure you’ve seen the episode first…
Our props department actually outsourced someone (a Lego pro) to build the lego tower Weaver gifts to Savannah. It was designed in the shape of the actual Tower of Babel (Babylon, Weaver’s project name for the development of the Turk) and was structurally sound. It was built completely without the use of any glue or adhesive — just as the T-1001 would have done.
You may know him as writer/producer Zack Stentz or roaming the message boards as “The Turk,” but inside the writers’ room he goes by another, John Wirth-approved name: Alistair. Did you catch the name of Jesse’s hotel? The Alistair Grand Hotel.
The old interview footage of the real Catherine Weaver and her husband was actually shot twice — for the first time ever, the raw footage was lost upon completion! We’re sure Shirley didn’t mind tossing on that cool pregnancy belly again… (Oh! And speaking of Weaver’s dead husband — though it wasn’t mentioned in the episode, his name is actually Lachlan Weaver).
All of the flashback scenes (including the final reveal that John actually killed Sarkissian), we indeed shot during production on Samson and Delilah. As much of the season’s been planned out since the beginning, they were always intended for use in this episode and we felt the continuity had to match that of the scenes in our premiere episode.
Who was Dr. Boyd Sherman? Well, first off — his name is indeed on the list. Just go back to Automatic for the People to check the bloody wall. Sherman is played by the fantastic Dorian Harewood, best known as “Eightball” in the film Full Metal Jacket.
Surprise, surprise, this episode also featured the return of the Sarah Connor voiceover! Though it’s no longer needed in every episode, it certainly won’t be the last you hear it this season…
Our rock ‘em, shock ‘em girl-on-girl Terminator elevator fight took an entire day to shoot on our stage. It was choreographed by our stunt coordinator Joel Kramer (along with Summer and our contortionist Bonnie Morgan). Bonnie has actually previously worked with both Joel and our special FX makeup guru, Rob Hall. Bonnie and Summer performed all stunts in this sequence (no CGI was used, only a wire for the big toss in the hallway and a fake head for the twisting of the neck). That is even Bonnie pretzeled up in the Connor house! Check out a very cool “Scene Maker” on the fight sequence over on the FOX website.
You got your first look at the Turk’s playroom in this episode! Much discussion went into the design of this very important set, including how the machine actually communicates. Our Production Designer, lighting team, and the Producers analyzed options and eventually decided on those big glass windows in the center of the room (as well as additional televisions). At one point in time, we even briefly considered giving the Turk the ability to communicate audibly ala HAL. Spoiler alert: it’s certainly not the last you’ll see of ZeiraCorp’s basement.
Did you notice Cameron’s signature purple leather jacket (season one) made another appearance? She’s wearing it outside Sherman’s office while listening to the bug. It must have been in one of the bags Derek salvaged from the house fire.
As happens with many of our episodes (for time, generally), not everything we shot for the episode made it in. However, we cut out one very important scene that will eventually appear later in some form… just thought we’d tease you a bit (now that there are nine additional episodes to look forward to)!
So how about someone explaining the title?
Half the fun of legos is in the building ~ poor Savannah! She’s going to need some serious counseling when Mommy gets smelted…
*makes note of important scene that will appear later*
Why did you tell us Sarah killed Sarkissian (via Derek in S&D and strongly implied in the podcast) when John actually did it? This whole season I’ve been trying to understand these characters based on a red herring that apparently served no purpose. That’s so not cool.
this season is getting better and better
thanks fox for pick up the full season
this show needs to stay for a long time
“Important scene”
Cameron’s counseling session perhaps.
The Terminator movies rank as some of my favories. Last year when this show was first advertised, I thought, wow how will it ever live up to the movies? Boy or boy, has it ever! I love this series and the casting is phenominal. It is the only show I truly look forward to every week. The story line just keeps you guessing what the next twist may be. Keep up the good work!
Awesome episode! I was wondering if the production hired a LEGO expert - that tower looked fabulous! Thanks for all the tidbits once again! Bonnie Morgan doing all the actual contortions - amazing! And the return of the Sarah voiceover - huzzah!:)
What’s the important scene missing? The poor Connors - I hope John and Sarah find some way to communicate again…I’m dying to see some mother/son hugs in future episodes!
I thought John might have done it all along. It was pretty subtle but nobody that was there ever actually said Sarah did it, they just didn’t deny it when Derek assumed it. Especially when Sarah said she knew what John did and she was proud of him. That may bother him as much as the killing does.
I figured they just knocked him out and he burned up when the house caught on fire. I was wrong.
There is a topic I want to bring up and see if anyone knows cause it is one of the questions I have. Who wrote the bloody list on the wall in the for the people?
Brenda, why it was Bloody Wall Guy from the second episode. The guy that came crashing through the door while Sarah was trying to take a nap.
This was a great episode. I loved Sarah’s voiceover return. I think EVERY episode should at least have a closing voice-over. It adds SO much to the episodes, it really does. Plus, it reaffirms how this is Sarah’s story even if it’s not necessarily about her.
Overall, fantastic episode. Very impressed it was Denise’s first one produced. KUDOS!
i thought that john had killed him too.we have him on top of sarah beating her and john off to the side working his ropes against the radiator to get free and next time you see them they are free and out of there.i was kind of confused when derrick was asking sarah “did he see it?”
plus the part with cameron and the other terminator getting on the elevator and doing the exact same thing,in the same way,at the same time was one of the greatest moments in television history in my book.[i only say one of and not THE greatest because of a few scenes from lost,sorry guys]
and titus’s little brother dave wrote the list.
Agree on loving Sarah’s voice over. You can never have too much Lena Headey!
I think a lot of us suspected that it was John who killed Sarkissian. It was implied in the way he reacted straight afterwards and was not a huge surprise, but I’m glad he got to talk with that nice doctor. Loved the irony that John’s removal of the bug so he could talk meant they missed hearing Catherine reveal why Sherman’s name was up in the bloody wall.
Fantastic episode! I was concerned last night when it was bumped for baseball, but was finally able to watch it online today. Loved the attention paid to Catherine’s human interaction development.. from her exacting work with the photographer (I wondered if she was, perhaps, increasing the temperature of her lips at his request for a warmer smile?) to trying to understand the purpose of physical gesture. Thank you for doing such great work with the Terminator franchise!
I think the voice-overs are great - they make the series feel more like the Sarah Connor CHRONICLES. Also, I loved how Catherine Weaver’s human act drops when she’s around her daughter - I’d been wondering if she pulls it off everywhere she goes.
I knew that it was the tower of Babel! I realized it at work today, and you had to ruin my post on the wiki *sigh*. All kidding aside, great episode. Sarah’s voice over is needed in every episode that is not a stand alone. Maybe not always in the begining and end, but it has to appear at least once in every episode somewhere.
Multiple other drafts existed but did not pass through standards and practices
Bah, stupid FCC regulations. It’s not like some spicy words would have made the Derek/Jesse stuff any less “child-friendly” than it already was.
Other than that, great episode! When Dr. Sherman said “So who wants to start” and the picture cuts to the Baums sitting on the couch, I laughed so hard. I too hope that the scene you couldn’t show is Cameron’s therapy session.
This episode shot out in all directions, hit its targets, then pivoted around and realigned everything. The tone and temper was bleak with a final dash of hope for Sarah and those she is responsible for. Or is she just seeking information from Dr. Sherman and not personal guidance at the end? Can she find her ability to forgive and provide comfort? We’ll find out in November.
I’m made a bit uneasy by Dr. Sherman’s name which recalls the Civil War, a scorched earth policy, and a descent into “total war”, rather than a place of comfort.
So, unless I’ve missed something (likely) Sarah has still never killed anyone with her own hands. (In the pilot episode she tells Miles Dyson’s widow that she didn’t kill Miles.) But now we know John has killed and in anger while protecting his mother. So John is tarred with Derek’s brush of death.
Just wanted to pipe in and say damn fine episode folks =)
Congrats on another great episode. I have a few questions about Cameron:
1. Why didn’t she help Derek and John when they were fighting the terminator at the military camp?
2. Are we sure that the newest terminators are self destructing their computer chips, or is it possible Cameron had something to do with it?
3. Are we sure that Allison Young was terminated or just injured?
Thanks.
All of the trivia was enough to make me go back and watch all of the season 2 episodes from the beginning and I came across a small chronological discontinuity which in this series has to be a real pain for all of you writers to catch.
In Episode 3 “Allison from Palmdale,” as Sarah leaves Kacy in the hospital (running time 11:37), she pauses at the nursery and notices a baby with an identification card reading:
Name: Jefry Bryan Shebroe
Mother: Joy Shebroe
Date of Birth: 10-2-09
Time: 4:00 AM
Weight: 7.3
Length: 14
This places the date in early October 2009.
Yet in the subsequent episode 5, “Goodbye to All That,”
As Agent Ellison is speaking to Nelson, the supervisor at Cerano Point Nuclear Power Plant (running time 13:10), Nelson points out the problem the his report to the NRC regarding the “accident” will have on the plant’s schedule…
Agent Ellison: “Schedule, What schedule is that?”
Nelson: “August 2009, a new automated system comes online and we’re back in business.”
This is chronologically earlier than the date on the nursery ID card in the previous episode.
I guess for now we will have to assume that the date of birth on the nursery ID card (10-2-09) really meant that Jefry Bryan Shebroe was born on February 10, 2009 and not October 2, 2009.
Unless the writers have a better explanation…
[...] from the Official Blog, background information about the episode and a-behind-the-scenes [...]
PS - Something’s gone terribly wrong in the wardrobe department when Sarah’s wearing pleated slacks.
I love how Cameron was reading the thing about teenage sucide. I love how she tries to act human sometimes, in the trailer when she has her feet out the window and says ” Trying to get away from it all” that was pretty funny. She amuses me a lot, and I hope she isn’t the one that is going to get killed.
Also Ellison is catching onto what is going on. I believe that he will help the resistance. And I have no clue what is going on with Jesse.
I’m curious as to whether the producers/writers (or viewers) feel that the first 3-4 episodes of the second season (up to the one about Cameron) were purposely different than season one and the episodes since the Cameron episode. It felt to me like the tautness of season one was missing, and didn’t come back until we saw the creation of Terminator Cameron. The military school ep was half-half, but the eps since then have been more like season one in their focus and impact. Or is that just me? Thanks.