Three stories. One ending. Last night’s Alpine Fields hit home for Derek — and some of us here. Can your actions in the present really change the future? Yes, it seems there is hope after all.
You may have noticed that writer John Enbom took a little influence from the Michael Haneke film, Funny Games, for the Sarah/Cameron story. “Anne” is the name of the mother/female protagonist in both the film and our episode, and both dogs meets a similar end (complete with a sad, fated yelping).
Alpine Fields is the first episode in Sarah Connor history to be co-directed. Because of our crazy production schedule, we actually shot half of the episode (”six months earlier”) during the beginning of August and the rest of the episode (Derek/Anne/Lauren and the future mission) in October. Allison from Palmdale’s Charles Besson directed the Sarah/Cameron/Fields cabin story and Bryan Spicer (Goodbye to All That) directed the present day and future stories. Both are credited on the episode.
Did you recognize the light blue sanitation suits worn by the resistance members in Serrano Point at the end of the episode? While you might remember them from the film Outbreak, their reappearance is actually more significant than that. Purposely, they were the same ones worn by our cast during the present-day story in Serrano Point in Automatic for the People. Seems somehow the nuclear power plant did end up in the resistance’s hands…
Last night also featured the return of Lena’s 300 co-star, Peter Mensah, as General Perry. If you were paying close attention to his conversation with Derek, you can deduce when these Alpine Fields future scenes take place in relation to those from Dungeons and Dragons. Piecing it all together, you’ll realize that they fit into the implied time lapse between certain scenes from that season one episode. But just how much time lapsed? Spoiler alert! This certainly isn’t the end of the story — we’ll be filling in more details of that future later on this season. Even more, you may have realized the story of Derek and Jesse’s first chance encounter seemed familiar — because you’ve heard them talk about it before in The Tower is Tall…
Hey, did you catch the name of the Fields family dog? Charles Barkley. Wa-ha-ha. And they say we’re all doom and gloom around here. We do funny too. And for the record, while breaking this story in the writers’ room, he was simply nicknamed “Scraps.”
Continuity alert! When Sarah gets a call from John she explains to him that “We got a hit on a name on the list. Alpine Fields, it’s a family…” Let’s go back, dear friends, and take a little look at the bloody list on the basement wall at the end of Automatic for the People. Yep, there it is! “Alpine Fields” — right below “Greenway,” “P. Alto,” “Dr. B Sherman,” and… ?
We learned quite a bit more about Jesse and other facets of the resistance in this episode. For starters, it’s an international war. “Been making troop and supply runs back and forth to Perth for months now. Seawolf sub. The Jimmy Carter,” she tells him. “You’ve got a nuclear submarine?” Derek retorts. Do a little deductive research and you’ll quickly uncover where exactly Perth is — Western Australia. Even more, Jesse explains to Derek later that they’ve started growing food again there. She offers Sydney a delicious snack of Plumpy Nut– “Peanut butter mixed with baby formula and vitamin powder,” as she describes it. And it’s real, too.
Alpine Fields is the first episode in the series to not feature an appearance by John Connor. For what it’s worth, this episode was not shaped or designed as such. Fear not John Connor-addicts, our boy-wonder will be back next week for the all-new Earthlings Welcome Here.
When Derek spots Lauren’s Saint Christopher’s medal dangling around her neck, he encourages her to take it off — “It’s a target.” Later (after Anne’s death), Lauren takes off with her baby sister, leaving her medallion behind. In the Catholic faith, St. Christopher was a martyr that was killed during Roman rule. He is significant because his story is one “in which Christopher carries a small, yet almost unbearably heavy, child across a river. The child is later revealed to be Jesus Christ. It is this popular story from which Christopher became the patron saint of travellers, and it is the source for the derivation of his name. The Greek word Christophoros translates into ‘bearer of the anointed one.’” Baby Sydney, of course, grows up to save many lives in the future…
Cool. I love the easter eggs. I’ll go hunting now.
Glad to know the sanitation suits survied J-Day and still came in handy - I did spot that. The dog’s name was funny, but too bad he met a woeful fate! I knew Peter Mensah looked familiar and I couldn’t place him. Duh, since I watch 300 all the time! Thanks for that easter egg. Also spotted ‘Alpine Fields’ earlier on the wall. Lastly, a great bit of writing about the food growing in Perth - it never occurred to me that, oh yeah, with J-Day, all the food is gone too. I should have remembered that scene of the boys hunting the rat in the first Terminator film.
I was commenting with the girls on Dekker Daily last night, saying, don’t worry, I’m sure John will be back! Well, I had to see almost no Sarah in Self Made Man, so I said Alpine Fields was unfortunately their turn for lack of their favorite character/actor.
Glad to know it wasn’t originally designed that way.
You guys must have some pretty substantial wall charts, what a nightmare continuity wise!
I thought it was interesting that Commander Perry came back. Like Kyle said “it’s with the 132nd under Perry!”
Is it weird that I kinda wanna try Plumpy Nut now?
[...] Vote “you can change the future.” [...]
Good to see Justin Perry from the Dawn of Fate game again! I hope we get to see some more future episodes like this one - it’s what made D&D, Allison from Palmdale and Goodbye to All That the best of the series. And the power plant is always a cool place.
I was surprised this episode got complaints on the wiki forum. I loved it and here’s my feedback…
* In a good way, it seemed a throwback to the best of Series 1: It seems the characters were doing what they’re good at - Sarah was strong, was a proper leader on a mission, and not tied up in angst. Derek was strutting his stuff as a warrior. There was the taste of adrenilin in the mouth throughout. I’d like to see Sarah and Derek continue being that strong. Cameron - strangely regressed back to a fighting, monosyllabic Arnie type Termie - how she was before it got very psychological with her. It was good to be reminded that she’s a fighter, but she’s made huge character developments this series, and there’s no point in going backwards.
* This episode swapping between narratives was brilliant and high-paced: one minute we’re getting back-story filled in, next there’s new characters, next there’s flash forwards. Several narratives got moved forward and that’s always satisfying. It did contrast a lot with an episode like Self Made Man where it’s mostly one narrative threat. That suited the intimacy of that story, but the episode might have been more rewarding - and more classic TSCC - if it was high density, and kept flashing to one or two other narratives during it, like this one did.
* I think Derek and Jesse (and probably Cameron) need regular trips to the future, so the audience can see these people in their proper element, rather than being like caged lions as particular Derek was becoming.
* Lauren - she was the John of this episode. It did remind me that John the character is not in a good stage right now. I don’t know how that situation can be retrieved. I bet Sarah wishes she could trade the sulking John in for the exciting and likeable Lauren. I assume she’ll be back!
* The mention of the submarines from Perth. That’s brilliant, economical science fiction because it’s three lines of dialogue, and the audience’s imagination does the rest. A whole world is conjured from just a very brief passage of dialogue: the Aussie resistance, global submarine missions and indeed the whole international resistance. Terminator 1 was full of short anecdotes, quips and asides from Rhys to Sarah, and this furnished the whole Terminator universe - more of this please… maybe have Derek or Cameron just giving asides which allude to a whole world - they’ll be tantalizing glimpses, and the audiences’ imagination does the rest.
* It was a relief to have a rest from Catherine Weaver or Riley. Both narratives are moving probably too slowly, it seemed more mobile without them this week.
Who or what IS Alpine Fields? The Fields family in the mountains?
Thanks for this post! Lots of interesting tidbits. Hopefully you’ll feed us with more tidbits during the break!
Yea it clicked with the 300 thing lol I didn’t notice it. He looks like real military ( can tell by the uni) and I’m glad about it being an international effort. Like I have said in other posts, I always believed that it would be logical that navy ships would survive since many are mini cities. But I love the international flavor and hope to hear or see more of it.
I know use AK’s! Lol no for real though more international. Can’t wait
Mega kudos! This episode really seemed like a change of pace and gave some awesome insight into the future world and how Derek and Jesse met up. This actually put the words into scenes - great!
I agree that it was nice to get away from Riley for a week… one of the connors needs to figure out who she is and what she is upto. Derek also needs to come clean on all of that. I hope that John doesn’t get her pregnant or some crazy thing now that they seem to be fooling around. AH!
i have to say it…Alpine Fields was one of the worst episodes in the tscc short history
it was boring, really
but i still love the show and i will be supporting
“Seems somehow the nuclear power plant did end up in the resistance’s hands… ”
Hmmm seems like it was WEAVER that had control of the plant last….HMMMMMM……
You guys are GODS. seriously.
@Cath: From what I’ve read, a lot of families who own vacation-type homes (cottage on the beach, house in the mountains like these guys) give them cute little names that involve the family name — my guess is that, since Alpine Fields was written on the wall, it’s the name that the Fields family gave to their “alpine” home.
Am I correct in say that the diner in the last little bit of the episode was Luke’s Diner in Gilmore Girls?
I wonder if there was a script change? You talk about Lauren wearing a St. Christopher medal, but on screen she says it’s a St. Jude’s medal.
Because of various clues, it seems to me like the 6-mo flashback happens between “Mousetrap” and “Palmdale”. From Sarah’s comments we know that it happens after S&D. Then we have Cameron’s launch through the window, slow reboot, and slightly “off” behavior when retrieving Lauren. I’m thinking that this was a kind of cyborg severe concussion with delayed amnesia (of which there is a human equivalent), and thus the events here would easily lead into “Palmdale”.
If this is the case, I love Sarah’s caution to John to turn on the alarm–sort of an example of foreshadowing within a flashback .
Also (as I mentioned in my blog), Derek has been having one heck of an eventful 2027. It’s a wonder he even had time to think about taking that leak
I have been wondering about this for a long time guys: please help me out.
From T1 Sarah has taken it on herself to be the sole carrrier of of the “savior of humanity” in secret. I gdt it: she was chased down by a human looking robot and doesn’t trust anyone, but things have changed since then.
True, she has a duty to do, but in saving the world WE’RE a part of that world too! Yes, she would be considered crazy for saying this stuff but there are enough people out here who WOULD believe her if she made a credible case. Certainly there aren’t any human/robot conspiracies in the works (other than Weaver) are there? Would any PupperMaster really want to see humans wiped out in the near future in order to make a bit more profit now?
A LOT of people have found out about JDay, even since T:SCC has started. Why do they not band together and begin forming the resistance NOW? Why dosen’t John send some guys back to do that? Like DEREK? Or Jesse? Or (heaven help us) Riley?
Why don’t these guys at least set up strong\holds that will survive through JDay so the R will have provisions/weapons/resources. Why not quietly start moving people “off the grid” faking their deaths and get them out of harms way when the bombs drop? –And how do some people living in a metro area like LA (Derek, John) survive multiple nuclear blasts, when others don’t?
Seemed to me Derek saw his younger self at a park in the Silverlake district, which is not far from DownTown - which would have be a rich nuke target. Why don’t they have radiation poisoning - and John turn out deformed, or the Hulk or something.
Asked by someone who is a huge fan of the show - and sincerlely hopes Derek, Jesse, Riley - and the new teen heroine chick find a long run in this series. And for some of them redemption.
It’s no secret most of us hated Riley from jumpstreet: she is too cute, too “good” (at being bad) to be true, and tries to hard, But getting John’s nose open wasn’t hard - and something his mother can never fight. Sarah should know that and calmly keep telling him to keep his eyes open, while letting him know whe;ll be there when he (inevitably) bumps his head.
For Jesse, we DO hope that she gets to let it be known what her real mission is: it’s no fun watching her do “covert ops” blackbag/CIA/JAne Bond type b.s. when all of humanity is going to hell in a handbasket. Enough already? Either she comes clean, saves us, or let Sarah find out and kick her ass!
BTW - isn’t Sarah Commander and Chief of this operation? Who ARE the strategic advisors that lay out and assign the tactical plans for their missions? Where is the overall scheme - the objective of their combined actions?
I know for a fact just winging it to “stop Skynet” isn’t going to cut it when fighting either humans (the industrial military complex) or robots. Somebody, somewhere has to have a PLAN. We’re watching the show - and we love it - so what is it! Hmmmm?
Can anybody describe to me what the current chain of command is?:
Everybody respects Sarah but they don’t do what she wants until she threatens them.
She is being overly protective of John.
John is being a crybaby whiner self absorbed dwee; he won’t grow up and face facts: al roads go through him - at least enough to save what is left of us.
Derek doesn’t seem to want to train John into what his command pressence and strategies are in the future. (maybe he doesn’t know these.)
Cameron has given her agreement, but isn’t under anyone’s direct control - and she’s glitchy/murderously crazy at times, and lying/cheating/hiding her true motivations at others.
Riley and Jesse (see above).
Ellison didn’t join the resistance; instead he turned over the ONLY technology he knew of TO kill us all in the hands of the ONLY people capable of builing it to accoplish that!
Yeesh!
You guys here are REAL smart. I’d love to hear your comments. And for those making T:SCC happen: I hope we continue to challenge you with our intelect; it is making for a very rewarding show that you continually push the boundaries to ensure it is both entertaining and engaging.
Every episode I come away feeling you gave us real art - not just overused cliches for plots and treatments. Whet you are doing is new, and the way you keep finding new ways to present it is refreshing - and greatly appreciated.
I LOVED this episode. It was REALLY good. I’m not going to go over everything I loved because it’s already been said but I will say this…
it’s sort of sad that a one-sided phone conversation is the best interaction Derek and Sarah have had this entire season. This season it’s been either she’s yelling at him or he’s belittling her or her son… this episode they seemed to respect each other and actually communicated.
More of that please.
I do have a continuity/rules of the universe question: why wasn’t Charles Barkley (the dog) Charles Barking his head off whenever Cameron was around? It’s not like she had a special power over dogs before (witness Carlos’ dogs in “Gnothi Seauton”). Shoot, even the Aibo barked at her in “Queen’s Gambit” (which was hilarious, btw).
awesome ep. with more insights into the future.
but i’m still itching to know more about the nature of Cameron/Derek relationship in the future, and Cameron/John in the future and present.
i thought these were awesome and powerful themes laid out in the first season.
keep up the good work. this is the best show on television!
Loved the episode: good mix of dark and fun stuff instead of just dark. Loved Lauren. Maybe she could give John a few lessons on how to deal
One question–can you really knock out a triple 8 with a 120v line? Wouldn’t the circuit breaker simply blow? Now maybe if you bypassed the breaker and got the current to flow through the chip like Cameron did to Crowmartie in season one, then maybe in the few seconds before the wiring melted, started the house on fire, and blew up the transformer out on the pole I’d find it more believable for a terminator to shut down. In fact, my thought is the chip would have to have it’s own circuit breaker in order to prevent a meltdown and thus the need for a reboot. Also, are there any electricians out there? It looked to me the way they wired the door, the terminator would have had to grab the door knob in one hand and the handle in the other to even complete the circuit.
Another great episode guys. Keep up the good work. You guys really put out quality work, and do so consistently. It is the only show I set aside time to watch every week.
Great ep guys and gals! I freakin’ love this show =)
Who ever played the first daughter - she was more than great. what is her name and will her role come back?
>>Seems somehow the nuclear power plant did end up in the resistance’s hands…
Of course, it did since those sights of it were flashbacks from Dereck. But now that the present has changed, will the resistance have it in the future?
In response to Chris “Coach K” Kincey…those are some really good questions..several I’ve been wanting to ask myself…I agree with a lot of what you said…primarily that John needs to grow up. He’s been acting beyond immature…ok so he killed a guy, he’s watched his mom do it all her life…Lauren in this weeks ep has demonstrated not every teenager thrown into the situations that have arisen has to act like a total idiot.
John needs to get his head in the game, fix Cameron (even though all her screwyness is pretty hilarious to watch on screen) and dump his sorry retard of a manipulative girlfriend (Sorry Riley but pretty much everybody hates your sorry butt)
Derek seems to be pulling himself together (all except for that one little area…JESSE!) OMG that girl annoys me…In truth it seems like everybody’s a little off. Sarah is obsessing over some freaken three dots, Derek’s all love struck and John…I’ve already vented about him…and whatever happened to John’s resistance fighter dude from the military school? I agree that there are enough people out there who know about JDay that they should start doing something about. No one’s in charge. There is NO chain of command, everybody off doing their own thing. I’m hoping that this last ep of the season will really pull things together. The Connors need to get back on track. We as fans understand the tension that divides this family (Yes John, Cam did try to kill you but she didn’t so get over it!)
Sarah needs to focus on organizing and creating a stronger bond between the people who are supposed to help the resistance in the future… She saved a lot of their lives…i think it’s time they did something in return. I sincerely doubt that Sarah will be able to stop JDay from coming to be,(and anyways, how much fun would that be to watch on TV) so it’s time to put aside petty arguments and conflicts and buckle down and prepare for Judgment Day… We’ve seen enough division and anger in this season, we need Connor and Company to start working together again.
My ( slightly ambitious and bordering on wishful thinking) hopes for the last ep…Riley and Jesse come clean, John and Cam have a serious heart to heart (So they can stop giving each other death looks for the rest of the show’s running) and Ellison realized he’s been completely wrong about Weaver… I kno it’s a lot to ask but hey, can’t stop a fan from dreaming…CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT EARTHLINGS WELCOME HERE HAS TO OFFER!!
[...] Vote “you can change the future.” [...]
Great ep, one of the best of the series.
So Sarah and the gang can change the future but which future?
I wonder if you are playing with the idea that at every moment time splits into many different time-lines and that perhaps the time travelers return to change things but they only do so in new time lines they have created. The time line from which they come will never be different
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-worlds_interpretation
A great book that used this logic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Proteus_Operation
Love the show!
@ M.J.
Has Sarah actually ever killed anyone? On the second one, when she finally HAD a target, someone responsible for the creation of Skynet (at the time), she did shoot him, but she couldn’t kill him. John found her crying and they explained the whole thing to the good Miles Dyson. She didn’t even kill Dr. Silberman!
Also, during season one when Derek takes John to the park, her remarks that she probably hasn’t ever killed anyone. Maybe I’m missing something, but I really thought she hadn’t. If she had an easy time taking human life, she would probably have done it with the fourth kid in the bowling alley (BTW, Cameron’s “Come and give it to me”? HOTTEST SCENE EVER). She even lied to Cameron to spare his life.
-_- That was supposed to be “he remarks…”
I STILL fail at typing.
The terrific way Lauren is written, and acted is too good for just this one episode. I have not been as intrigued by any new character since the pilot. I really hope she will be back.
Thank you for a great episode.
in response to Mayumi…i guess i should consider Sarah’s killing more abstract… her actions have led to the death of several people even if she’s hasn’t killed them outright herself. Here’s a good question, are we just talking about Sarah in T:SCC or in all the termi movies/series?
Sarah is human so hopefully taking someone’s life doesn’t come easily to her but you have to admit she’s probably done some killing in her day…even if it’s just implied…she’s spent her entire life with a massive gun at her side, beating off cyborgs and trying to save the world… but in the end you made a good point.
I still think John needs to grow up…He’s got to get used to casualties, it’s part of war and even if he doesn’t want to face the fact, Connor and Co. are in a battle and they’re preparing for the war. Anyways, thanks for your comment…
For quick start on the fun fun fun subject of time travel, I like to point to this article:
http://cjcs.com/tib/musing-on/909/a-beginners-guide-to-time-travel/
It doesn’t go into parallel/simultaneous time-lines and such, but for TTSCC, it seems to serve.
M.J., I included Sarah’s behavior in T2 because TSCC is a continuation of it.
I get that she has been responsible for people’s deaths, much like John. I guess sometimes I’m too literal.
C.J., I think you broke my brain. *laughs* But I bookmarked your page so I can re-read it and hopefully at some point I will be able to make complete sense of it!
Hey I loved this episode, I had to watch it twice just to make sure I fully understand what was happening but it was worth it. Thanks for the easter eggs mentioned i did spot them. Please go to a third season, you know its worth it.