Earthlings Welcome Here wraps up our fall run and fall fun, but it isn’t the conclusion to this chapter of the story — it’s only the beginning. What did Sarah see in the sky? Was it real? February will tell, but in the meantime here are some fun facts about the controversial fall finale to hold you over for a bit…
First thing’s first — the ending. Perhaps Natalie’s script can shed some light on the final shot? Here’s exactly what she wrote: “Something hovers in the sky. The only thing she can make out for sure are 3 BRIGHT LIGHTS– like three suns blazing down over her… There’s the outline of a craft; Drone? H-K? Hallucination? Whatever it is, it’s hers…”
Cameron checks Riley’s pulse under the guise of wanting to feel her tattoo. But did you catch what Cameron told John she was thinking of getting tattooed on her body? “A tiger. Or a wolf.” Animals, you might remember, that were specifically held captive on the freighter ship Cameron tortured Allison on in the episode Allison from Palmdale…
The role of “Eileen”/”Alan Park”/”Abraham” was, as expected, difficult to cast. In session we read both male and female actors, eventually lucking out with the extremely talented Dinah Lenney. Unrelated side note, her blogger pseudonym “Abraham” was originally scripted as “Isaac,” and was only changed right before production.
Earthlings Welcome Here is, at it’s core, a character study of Sarah Connor. Even within the episode, Sarah sees manifestations of her old selves — the pre-John waitress Sarah Connor (the first Terminator film) and the Pescadero Mental Hospital patient Sarah Connor (T-2). One scene in particular is a specific and direct homage to the second film: Sarah scribbles “No Fate” on the diner table, much like she does in the film outside of Enrique’s.
Ellison finally revealed a little bit more about his relationship with his ex-wife, Lila, in conversation with the Pastor. For all those keeping track out there (quiz-goers), James admits that his marriage fell apart when she got pregnant but September 11, 2001 made her question it, so she terminated it.
The Riley/Jesse flashback of her first day at school was shot at the same exterior location that doubled for the school in the first season, but was filmed during the course of this episode to match. John’s long hair is the wig he wore throughout Samson and Delilah (before he cut his hair) and his clothes are from his season one wardrobe (so this scene takes place some time before John/Riley’s first meeting in Automatic for the People).
Earthlings Welcome Here was our first episode directed by veteran director Felix Alcala, and the second time he has worked with Stephanie Jacobsen (Jesse). Felix previously directed her in the Battlestar Galactica spinoff movie, BSG: Razor.
At the beginning of production on this episode there was still uncertainty as to our fate — would we receive an order for more episodes to complete the season? As it turns out, we learned the good news on the last night of the episode’s production — Friday, October 24th! After hearing from FOX and WBTV, the producers informed the cast and crew on the set during the shooting of the future scene in which Jesse first finds Riley in the tunnels.
Since much of this episode took Sarah out into the desert in search of a link to Skynet, we had to find one location that could triple for the exterior of Eileen’s trailer, the factory/warehouse Sarah finds (where she gets shot), and the Desert Pie Shop. Funny enough, we actually shot at Agua Dulce Airpark, an airport outside of Los Angeles, used previously in films such as Space Cowboys. EXTRA SPECIAL, SPOILERY TIDBIT: This is not the last time you’ll be seeing the factory/warehouse this season…
Did you catch the name of the man Sarah battled with? His company — Desert Canyon Heat and Air — badge listed him as Ed Winston. He was played by Ned Bellamy, an actor some of you might recognize from his recent and memorable appearance in the film Twilight. Hit film and awesome TV series? Seems like things are looking up for him right now.
I so can’t wait for the next season! Seems like all of Today’s shows are being moved to earlier times, and are making there appearances early.
Hopefully fox doesn’t pull the string, like they did on Wheadon’s Firefly.
Man, I just hope you folks know where this is headed. Don’t go thinking you’re working on Sopranos. David Chase may be able to convince people that not wrapping things up is hip and trendy, but we’re not fooled. We want some frackin’ answers.
I particularly enjoyed he depiction of waitress Sarah. I liked this episode quite a bit.
“Earthlings Welcome Here is, at it’s core, a character study of Sarah Connor. Even within the episode, Sarah sees manifestations of her old selves — the pre-John waitress Sarah Connor (the first Terminator film) and the Pescadero Mental Hospital patient Sarah Connor (T-2). One scene in particular is a specific and direct homage to the second film: Sarah scribbles “No Fate” on the diner table, much like she does in the film outside of Enrique’s.”
priceless scene, best episode ever. 1st scenes also rulers, with Sarah old-school monologues.
best quote: ““You’re a mother. You’re a seeker. You’re a soldier”
thanks for the excelent work on this particular episode, truly from my heart.
I tried in vain to get Sarah to look in the warehouse, but apparently my superpowers do not include controlling TV characters. I’m glad we’ve not seen the last of it.
Interesting background information, thanks. I was wondering about Thomas’ old hairdo! Shame you couldn’t find a nice poodle wig for Lena to wear for her waitress Sarah look so she could be Linda Hamilton-Terminator looking!
Just looked at the next episode countdown clock; 58 days–dang!
PS-Loved the episode. Usually I expect Sarah to take her secret weapon, Cameron, along on her research forays. I guess she thought it was more dangerous leaving John alone with Riley
Anyway, kudos to Lena–Sarah easily carried her part of this episode on her own (well at least until she tackled that warehouse alone. Bet she wishes Cameron was around now).
If whatever comes to the past loses all communication with the future, it can’t know if the future has changed. So a machine, like Stark, sent back will continue on the mission it was programmed to do, even if it was no longer necessary. Unless it strays from its original programming, like Cameron. There is a lot of potential in playing with the ripple effects of that in itself.
I hope that where all these loose ends lead will be worth it. I don’t want to find out at the end of the series that the machines, in their attempt to mimic humanity, find it. That this precludes the need for the Apocalypse so Judgment Day never even happens at all or something silly like that. I really hope the series is building up to something more original, but I am getting ahead of myself. I love it so far.
“The role of “Eileen”/”Alan Park”/”Abraham” was, .. difficult to cast. …., eventually lucking out with the extremely talented Dinah Lenney. Unrelated side note, her blogger pseudonym “Abraham” was originally scripted as “Isaac,” and was only changed right before production.”
my $0.02.
“Abraham” = perfect choice. well done.
It looked a lot to me that the ‘drones’ were the HK’s (hunter killers) that we see in the future scenes and they are being manufactured in a little red warehouse or near that location. Awesome episode as usual guys. You are to be commended for your excellent writing and work in general for the show. This show is still the best thing on tv.
So Cameron really meant it getting a tattoo? I thought it was just a way to see Riley’s tattoo. Didn’t think about the link between her tattoo choice and the animal aboard the carrier! thought she just picked two predator because she relates to them. Interesting leftovers from Allison!
Still hoping on an episode with more future skynet-Cameron
Loved this episode! Finally, we get to see more of Sarah’s story. Waitress Sarah and Pescadero Sarah were nice touches. Can’t wait to see what happens.
Question: Why does Sarah pass out so much?
I didn’t mention the equate of the tiger/wolf tattoo in my blog because I went back to the episode before posting it and on-screen we only saw a chimp, a tiger, and a bear. I think I remember the podcast (we ever going to get more of those?) mentioning that a wolf had been filmed but was lost in editing…but I’d have to double-check.
I thought it more telling that the tiger/wolf imagery was of two hunters: one solitary and the other team. Sort or alludes to the situation Cameron is in and perhaps the choice she has to make: become a hunter with the team, as in season 1, or more solitary as in “Self Made Man”.
Oh, and big kudos to Leven for that tattoo scene. With restraint she was able to show Riley being both bravely on-mission as well as wanting to run from Cameron and have a case of the screamy-meamies. Her very minute twitches of fight-or-flight response couldn’t help but make one sympathetic to her plight.
Great episode, and I loved how Cameron wanted a tat. Make sense she wanted a tiger or a wolf.
Cam should def get a tat. I think a tiger would work best for her personality…i don’t know if i can make it until Feb…gosh this is going to a very long two months!!
I was wondering if the writers were throwing a hint in the otherwise innocuous tattoo comment in Episode 13. It seems to me that deamscapes are prevalent throughout show. So I fired up an online dream interpreter and keyed in Wolf and Tiger respectively.
##
Tiger:
*To see a tiger in your dream, represents power and your ability to exert it in various situations. The dream may also indicate that you to take more of a
leadership role. Alternatively, the tiger represents female sexuality, aggression, and seduction
*To dream that you are attacked by a tiger, symbolizes repressed feelings or emotions that frighten you.
*To see a caged tiger in your dream, suggests that your repressed feelings/emotions are on the verge of surfacing.
##
##
Wolf:
*To see a wolf in your dream, symbolizes beauty, solitude, mystery, self-confidence and pride. It is also a symbol of survival. You are able to keep your composure in a variety of social situations and can blend in with any situation with ease and grace. You are a loner by choice. Negatively, the wolf represents hostility and aggression. It may reflect an uncontrollable force or situation in your life.
*To see a white wolf in your dream, then it signifies valor and victory. You have the ability to see the light even in your darkest hours.
*To dream that you kill a wolf, indicates betrayal and secrets being revealed.
###
All the images kinda would match up with Cameron’s budding personality. And the Choices I assume she would have to make for them to become sharpened and more prevalent.
Assuming that’s going down on the right path at all…? She remembers (To reach a bit. “Dreams”) about a Caged Tiger… Cameron has Repressed Emotions? Intriguing.
I can’t say it enough…thanks for this blog. This is like real time DVD commentary.
Thank you and have a great holiday to the SCC crew and cast!
If terminator synth-flesh heals faster and more comprehensively than our randomly-evolved ape-meat, wouldn’t that mean that any tattoo Cameron gets will be erased by her own healing skin within days?
[...] Vote from the desk of ed winston. [...]
I think that the ship Sarah saw is actually a supply ship from the future. If you think about the shape of the world during the war in the future it is not a pretty site. Given the way sky net starts out, with relatively so few machines, it would be impossible for them to take over our industrial base and use it. That means they wouldn’t be able to mine metal for making more machines, run production facilities to create more/new weapons etc etc. The same holds true for the humans, not many people left, not much food to be had, constant threat of getting killed. I think that some one, humans or machines (not sure yet), are going back in time for supplies in order to bring them back to the future.
If machines like Katherine Weaver go back in time to run businesses they could be using the regular human workforce to produce what ever they want and then ship it back to the future.
Keep in mind that a large scale nuclear attack like the one on j-day would wipe out nearly all of the electronics used in the future world. That much EMP pulse, world wide, on top of the actual nuclear explosion would ruin the industrial portion of society. I also think that is why we have already seen in this series the fact that the machines were attempting to create stock piles of metal for the future. Coupling the use of supply ships with other strategies could be effective for either side.
I know that time travel is supposed to be difficult and that non-living tissue isn’t supposed to go through etc etc. BUT, we have seen a large amt of trip 8’s come back already and other rules broken or bent. SO, I think it is totally feasible from that stand point that it would be possible to figure out a way to pass supplies through time.
That’s just my 2 cents - it will be interesting to see what is really in store for us.
Wait a minute! Just a Darn Minute! Those ships, those crafts can Not come threw in time, no weapons no clothes! It would be Really Tight if it is actually alien craft. But you’ld have tah be a genius tah do it right with a TV budget!
What if…
The spacecraft that Sarah see’s is a cylon spaceship and terminators and cylons are distant cousins because it is humanities fate to create AI that eventually tries to overrun their creaters…no matter what part of the galaxy!!!
yeah. rule no 1 for time travel - go naked.
It seems the story is catching up in pace and rhythm. Both the sides - machines and the humans have done good progress in their respective goals. The machines have managed to lay hands on the turk and subsequently built “john henry” and they have managed to procure comcordi (miss spelt i think) - the cyborg.
On other hand, the resistance has done pretty impressive things like getting the “immunity” required for some weird bio weapon, saving some military guy in that military school that john goes, terminating few terminators ( cyborgs ) etc etc
hmm , now that both the sides are pretty much in good positions i think their might be a face off in the next season. Judgment day probably would be in 4th - if it ever comes which i hope it will
Sarah will discover that machines from the future (Terminators) are working with the US government. The machines are giving the Gov future technology, this is the same technology that Abraham was working with at his/her former job. This technology will of course backfire and trigger judgment day. My nickels worth.
I still think that some one might have figured out how to get ships back in time… even though the people and machines still arrive naked and can’t bring weapons. Like I mentioned in my original post - we seem to have seen other rules bent or broken so maybe this is another?
Haha, just my thoughts, who really knows though. I guess that we will find out in a couple weeks! I think that it will be cool either way but personally, I don’t want to see aliens (extraterrestrials) be introduced into the series. I think that would stray far from the origins and intent of the franchise. I could be cool if done right but not what I would like.
My .02 worth
honestly, whether sarah’s vision of a hk or alien ship appearing is irrelevant. the three dots she is chasing indicate some stellar-time reference point, as explained in a previous episode. it will be very interesting to see what those dots truly represent, and how cameron reacts. she probably fully understands what those dots mean (or would if she wasn’t partially on the fritz).
Great show. not long now…
I think John Conner needs to get better with his reprogramming skills next season. Develope more charasmatically and less rebellious drama. Turn a few 888s to help protect future assets and territory… forget about them for awhile and then reintroduce them in future episodes to demonstrate budding strategy of the future leader of the resistance. For instance, have one sent to pelican bay prison or sorrento point etc. to wait out a mission in the future learning from the lessons of his enemies. Better weapons need to be improvised by team conner that will shock them and drop them when the machines infiltrate there whereabouts and attempt to assasinate from arms length..great season finale.
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Hi, i am new here
TSCC is well known all over the world, actually i am writing from Poland. I must say (nearly) all second season is absolutely stunning, even better than original movie. Only part 12 is really weak.. Like different world. So please - writers of series- dont dissapoint us ! dont do something like matrix3 did to whole story of matrix …
And i am afraid that Terminator 4 movie will be worse than TSCC, i think it may be to much 2-dimensional, to simple.
Overally great show, i am waiting for 14 and hoping it wont be another 12
I’m so glad the series will continue. The alien space craft thing at the end –geez, I hope this doesn’t take the same turn that the film A.I. did when Spielberg took over.
the character development in this series is splendid. Glad it’s not going the way of Firefly.
Hey, i must say excellent episode 13. I hope camron doesn’t get blamed if riley dies. Also wish to see john find out what riley’s real reason for entering into hislife.
I’m hoping that Cameron and John get together… She is his best friend…
He just does not know it yet..
When the show returns with new episodes in Feb is that still part of season 2 or is it the begining of the third season?
I watched a T4 Salvation trailer and there is a quick shot of what looks A Lot like Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen (Jesse), you know the Aussy that Derek sleeps around with. It wouldah been kinda tight if they could of put an actor or two from the Tv show into the movie. But as far as I can tell they didn’t. Btw it’s Not Chaves in the movie but check out a clip you’ll see what I mean.
Love the show, but the “earthlings welcome” was not really believable - why would Sarah Connor go alone to that site without even letting the others know? Doesn’t make sense, seems like a stupid thing to do, and as it turned out in the episode, it was stupid. I hope future episodes are tighter in that sense. Cheers.
all i have to say is
the series better not end with judgement day
especially since that movie (t3 rise of machines) is already made
thatd be a mistake
but it wouldnt really be the first one against the movie and the series that fox has made
o and ” Glad it’s not going the way of Firefly ”
fox was dumb to drop that show
if they could go back and make series of that after “serenity” theyd make a real killing
Does any one else think it’s a bit out of character for Sarah not to instantly tie off her injury with some makeshift tourniquet ????
Hey, when can we expect to see the SCC soundtrack on Itunes? I’ve been waiting for over a month.