The network description, which featured the phrase "Cameron's secret is exposed," led me to believe that the Connors were finally going to find out about Allison Palmdale and Cameron's recent breakdown. Wrong. Instead, we got a rare glimpse into Cameron's world while the Connors are asleep. Sure, I would've love to have seen the Connors discover Cameron's dual identity, but this episode turned out to be a great and engaging character study disguised as a mystery.

I loved meeting the character Eric, played by Will Chandler. I hope we see him again. Chandler was great in the role. Very sincere. I liked seeing Cameron interact with him, especially since she seemed to care about his condition. We'll see how far Cameron can really grow.

The action scene took me by surprise. After Cameron Cold Cases her way to the truth, she deduced that the T-888 would be hiding inside the wall, waiting for 2010 to assassinate the mayor. Still, why was the mayor marked for death? Will he aid the Connors down the line?

After searching for more clues about the three dots, John snuck out -- again -- to hag with Riley, the master manipulator. Watching John interact with "normal" kids was a lot of fun. The fight was telegraphed, but it had to happen. Poor John, he's learning more about himself, but he's falling right into Riley's trap. Maybe Cameron should spend more time hanging out at home with John instead of researching Native American weapons at the library.

Questions:

- Did you miss Derek, Ellison or the Weaverbot?

- Do you want to see Eric again?

- Just what exactly is Riley and Jesse's plan for John?

Riley was finally outed. She's not a robot, but a rogue resistance fighter working to lure John away from Cameron. It makes sense that Riley would be in league with Jesse -- they're the two most annoying characters on the show. I know the fans are with me on this one. I just hope we get to see Cameron teach them a lesson -- with her fists and maybe a few bullets -- before the season is over. There's no way these two will succeed. Riley's an unstable mess, and Jesse's pretty sloppy. Also, Funny Derek knows what's going on, and I'm betting he'll choose John's side over Jesse's.

The notion that John Connor has become an untrustworthy recluse in the future is interesting. Can John really be pulling a Howard Hughes while the war is going on and letting Cameron run the show? I doubt it. It's more likely that Jesse has bad information. Or that she's working for SkyNet. Or that she's the most annoying character on the show and needs to be terminated now. (I can't tell you how many times I yelled "Kill her Derek!" at my TV while my wife sat in horror.)

Where exactly will Sarah's bizarre obsession with the three dots lead? Maybe down a dead-end like in this ep. She was swindled by a computer startup tycoon who doesn't believe in his son. This was a little weak, especially since Yakuzas were mentioned in this plotilne, but Yakuzas were not delivered. I did like watching Sarah briefly turn into "T2" Sarah for a while. The reference to her time spent in the mental hospital was a nice touch, especially since she mentioned it while beating a dude senseless. That's crazy Sarah Connor, the one i remember from my childhood. Let's see more of her. I wouldn't mind seeing John man up a little more too.

Cameron seemed to have a good time poking holes in Ellison's yard and hanging out with the computer wiz. If I were Ellison, I would never sleep again. It's no surprise that he's having nightmares about digging up John Connor's dead body. Not only did he lie to John in the last ep, but he also crossed our favorite killer fembot. (I just don't know what to say James, I just don't know.) Ellison's chat with "John Henry" was one of the best and creepiest scenes of the night. It was, of course topped by the creepiest "T:SCC" scene of all time: John Henry becoming Cromartie (or the other way around, whatever). This was awesome, and completely unexpected. I'm happy to type that we haven't seen the last of Garret Dillahunt. I can't wait to see what he does with this new character. I just hope Fox will let us get that far.

Questions:

- Who exactly are Riley and Jesse working for? Is it an underground sect of the resistance, or something more sinister?

- Will Derek help Jesse get rid of Cameron?

- How the hell did those perfect three specs of blood end up on Sarah's face?

- Will Ellison finally realize that Weaver is an unholy evil robot?

The low ratings coupled with the mid-season move to Friday all point to cancellation after this season is done, if we get that far. That's going to be hard to take, especially since the show seems to be building such a great, complex mythology. "Complications" seemed to lay the groundwork for story lines that could pay off years down the line.

Derek's realization that he probably came from a future that's different from Jesse's leaves open so many questions. So did the introduction of Fischer, played brilliantly by Richard Schiff (Old) and Adam Busch (Young). I doubt the show will be able to answer all of them in the next twelve eps, but one thing is clear: The Connor's crusade might be making things worse instead of making them better. To be fair, kidnapping Young Fischer and ruining his life was all Jesse's fault, but who knows how badly Sarah, John and Cameron have screwed up the timeline. On that note, I'm counting the days until Ellison wises up to figure out he's playing for the wrong team.

After last week's ep, when Ellison swooped in to save John and Sarah from Cromartie, I thought he'd be playing nice with the Connors from now on. Wrong. My former favorite TV investigator (score one for Adrian Monk) betrayed the Connors by swiping Cromartie's body and delivering it to Weaverbot. I foresee another beatdown by Cameron in Ellison's future, and this time I won't feel sorry for the guy.

I do feel sorry for Sarah. How sad must she be. Not only did SkyNet steal her life from her, but she has no one to talk to. I'll admit that the turtle and cactus dreams were a little, um, ridiculous, but I liked watching Sarah break down and ask Dr. Sherman for help. That, unfortunately, led nowhere because Sarah is afraid to come clean about her life. All we got in the end were three dots. Three dots. What does it all mean?

Exchange of the night:

John: What are you doing?

Cameron: (With bare foot hanging out the truck window) Feeling what it's like to get away from it all.

Cameron gets funnier with every episode.

Cromartie's surprising death scene didn't exactly resemble the Terminator deaths from the movies, but it still reminded me of Arnie's exit in "T1" and of Robert Patrick's meltdown in "T2." I loved watching Arnie torment Sarah and Kyle in the original film, but I also loved watching the guy get blown to chrome chum. The same goes for Patrick -- he was amazing, but his death in "T2" was one of the coolest parts of the movie. Cromartie carried on that tradition. He was a cracked, dangerous and captivating Terminator who earned a decent fan following and a great death scene.

Cromartie's death scene worked on a few different levels. First, it seemed to bring our team back together. It took all of 'em -- even Elison -- working together to trap him and take him down. In a season that's been marked by discord between our heroes, it felt rewarding to watch them all get along to accomplish one goal. I know some viewers were probably hoping for a brutal Cameron vs. Cromartie smack down, but it played out perfectly this way. Having John deliver the final shot was a nice visual touch, and it reminded me of the real soldier budding inside of him. Second, this marks a turning point for the Connors and Ellison. Where do they go and what do they do now that Cromartie is off their tail? Judging by Sarah's meltdown (finally!), I'd say the Connors are due for some "r and r," but we all know that won't happen. Next week's ep looks like a puzzler, and judging by Fox's teaser, we might not want to start mourning Cromartie just yet. This was probably "the death" we were promised back during Comic-Con, but Terminators have a habit of coming back from the dead.

The unconventional narrative framing was a nice change of pace. Again, the show runners reminded us that "T:SCC" is not just about action. Believable character development, good stories and innovative storytelling are essential parts of this show. The ep would have worked with a more traditional structure, but this technique delivered little payoffs throughout, and it allowed us to see certain things through every major character's eyes. One of my favorites was "Ellison's Story." In one of the most tense scenes, he was able to rescue John from Cromartie's clutches and steal his car. Then he trapped the TV Terminator in the church for the climactic death blow. I know Sarah was just trying to cover her bases with Ellison, but she could've been a little warmer to the guy. He did save their lives. Still, it's just like Sarah Connor to trust no one, even when they've earned that trust.

So, are we done with Riley? I was glad we weren't subjected to "Riley's Story" last night. I can imagine POV shots of girly magazines and ridiculous diary entries ("John is soooo like a cat, stealthy and quick, but he's also soooo, like, super cuddly and cute. I'm sooo gonna burn him the new Kanye"). I'm sure Riley will be back. Even Cameron's sexy jacket-less charm couldn't convince John to stay away from her. That was an interesting scene. Cameron did seem to catch John's interest with talk about their future relationship. I wonder if that will lead anywhere this season (Read: Robot love).

Questions:

- Do you want Cromartie back? If so, how should he reappear?

- Was the "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" vibe a little too much? (I liked it).

- Will Sarah's harsh treatment of Ellison help turn him against the Connors?

- Do you want to see some robot lovin'? Come on, be honest.

If I were SkyNet, I'd side with Cromartie and leave Robo Ellison hanging on the rack. Dude's a bona fide badass (as long as there are no kiddie pools around) who'll stop at nothing to find and kill John. He was even willing to spend an afternoon with Jody (Leah Pipes) -- the only character more annoying than Riley (Leven Rambin) -- in order to locate the Connor home. Who else clapped when he knocked her outta the car?

Garret Dillahunt is such a joy to watch in this role. He plays it cool and quirky, like Robert Patrick in "T2." Also, like Patrick, he's sure to become a fan favorite in this series.

Back to Ellison ... Why do the Terminators have so much faith in this guy? It seems like every big bad -- Skynet, Weaver and Cromartie -- is interested in James Ellison. We watched as Cromartie and Weaver stuck their necks out to protect him, but to what end? He might be the one to unwittingly lead Cromartie to the Connors, but something tells me there's a lot more to his destiny. Weaver, who's getting more manipulative with every episode, seemed just as confused as to why SkyNet would send an Ellison doppleganger into the past. Still, she sprung him out of jail and likened his struggle to that of Job -- something Ellison, a man of faith, was sure to respond to. Are we seeing the start of Ellison's eventual turn to the dark side?

Job wasn't the only biblical name mentioned here. Sarah brought up the story of the Brothers of Nablus (Genesis 34) at episode's end. Cameron explained that the brothers plundered Shechem's village after he raped their sister, Dinah. The consequences of his evil deed were severe for him and his entire village. The same can be said for the film geek losers who robbed the Connor house and for Moishe, the diamond fence. I'm not sure if that's the conclusion the show runners wanted us to draw, but it feels right. If you mess with the Connors, you're gonna get burned -- or dead if Cameron has anything to say about it.

So how long will it be until Jesse (Stephanie Chaves-Jacobson) winds up dead? I'm not a big fan of Chaves-Jacobson's performance here, and I wouldn't mind seeing her story wrapped up quickly. Also, why is she half-naked every time we see her? I don't mind the ladies showing some skin every now and then, but it almost seems like Jesse is only supposed to be eye candy, which is disappointing. Also, I don't like the idea of Derek keeping her a secret from the Connors. I foresee Derek being put in a situation where he'll have to take Jesse's life. She's dangerous and is obviously up to something shady. Why else would she be taking surveillance pics of Derek and hanging out with creeps like Moishe? Is she working for SkyNet too? C'mon Derek, strangle her already.

And who else wanted to strangle John in this episode? He's back to being John Baum -- whiny, wimpy and Riley-obsessed. I still like the character, but when is he going to realize that the Baum name is a secret identity, not a license to act like an irresponsible teen?

Still, this was one of the best and most intense episodes of the season. With five great episodes in a row, and a full season promise from Fox, it's a good time to be a Terminator fan.

Questions:

- Cromartie knows the Connors new identity and was shown interrogating robber number four. Will we be seeing another Cameron-Cromartie showdown soon?

- Cameron's cold-hearted killer moments are still surprising and disturbing. What will she do when she finds out Sarah let that kid go at the bowling alley?

- I'm sure most of us want the budding John-Riley romance to end. But, should it end with a "Let's be friends" talk or in a hail of machine gun fire aimed at Riley's chest? (Too harsh?)

- Sarah's voiceovers were gone. Hooray! Do you feel the same way?

- Why did they add a liquid Terminator to the show if they don't have the budget for it? Weaver's quick-cut transformation was pretty lame.

This news couldn't come at a better time; ratings are low and cancelation rumors have been floating around the web for weeks. Still, there's no guarantee that Sarah and crew will be around for season three, but this still feels like a victory. Let's rejoice for now and worry about next year later. As Sarah might say, the future isn't written by dead-eyed, single-minded machines just yet.

This week's ep was a little slow and sloppy, but it did deliver an intense robot chick fight. Where else can you watch a girl twist another girl into a pretzel on Monday night? That stuff doesn't happen on "Dancing with the Stars," does it?

We opened with a hilarious scene featuring Weaverbot posing for a photo shoot. Finally, Shirley Manson's wooden acting was put to good use. I laughed out loud at her attempts at a "warm" smile. Manson's performance in this ep was really fun to watch. I still don't think she's all that good, I guess I just enjoyed the situations the writers put her in. I'm not sure why she's bothering to care for her "daughter" Savannah, but their relationship might now be one of my favorite things on the show. It makes little sense, but it's pretty damn hilarious.

Taking a cue from the bloody prophecy wall, the Connors visited a family counselor who might need protection from SkyNet. Or will he aid SkyNet? That was left unclear, but the Doc did fill John's need for some intense therapy sessions. I like how John's internal struggle was compared to that of a war veteran here. John, like his father, is a young man fighting a war with no end in sight. As Derek said, he's neither boy or man, but he is a tortured soul. How's he supposed to deal with all the blood spilled in his name? Plus, as we found out in this ep, how is he supposed to deal with killing Sarkissian? Some might be bummed about John's moping in this ep, but I thought it was handled well. Thomas Dekker is getting better with every episode, and I think it's brave for an action show to leave a little room for some serious emotional drama.

I'm not sure if we have room for another major character in this series. Derek's gal pal Jesse (Stephanie Jacobson) is obviously doing more than vacationing in the 2008. She seems to be on a mission to survey Derek. This is disappointing, since I actually liked the idea of an AWOL soldier from the future. It's not a bad idea, creating a character who gets tired of fighting killer robots in a post-apocalyptic future and ditches it all to live in our present. Jesse did reveal that John's future robot reprogramming might be getting out of hand. I like that concept. It seems believable that John's affection for Cameron and the Arniebot might sway his future decisions on the battlefield for the worse. I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out.

Was it me, or did The Turk get more screen time than Sarah this week? We sure spent a lot of time learning about The Turk, who, it seems, is into second-grade level jokes. Weird. Maybe SkyNet's to blame for junk like "Disaster Movie."

Yes, Sarah spent another episode on the couch watching the other characters grow and change. We did get to hear a season one-style Sarah voiceover which, honestly, I could've done without. Maybe next week she'll get off the couch.

Questions:

- What do you think about Jesse? Do you like her better than Riley?

- So, the T-1000 killed the Weavers and replaced Catherine, right? Why didn't she kill the kid?

- How exactly did Cameron transport pretzel girl to the Connor house?

- Is John's attachment to the machines dangerous?

- Was Jesse sent to kill Derek and the Connors?

Coming Nov. 3: From Fox: The Connors find themselves on high alert and in odd company after their house is robbed. Elsewhere, one Terminator terrorizes Ellison, while another gets dangerously close to John Connor. Meanwhile, Derek and Jesse continue to get reacquainted in the "Brothers of Nablus" episode of TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES airing Monday, Nov. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

This week we watched as John enrolled in a military school to protect one of his future generals, Martin Bedell, who's being hunted by a T-888. Derek had a lot of flashbacks to the future in this episode. (Is it me, or is he the most plagued person in this series? Even the image of a deer sends his mind racing back to the battlefield.) During the flashbacks, we learn that Bedell saved Kyle Reese's life, and the lives of 40 resistance fighters, by sacrificing himself during battle. This, of course, also means that he saved John's life by protecting Kyle.

So that's, what, at least four innocent people this season who have died for John Connor? I don't know if Season One John could've handled all this blood spilled in his name, but Season Two John seems to have thicker skin. I liked watching John dress in mini-fatigues and fire semi-automatic weapons in this ep. I think we need these tough guy scenes every now and then to remind us that he's more than a whiny teen with a crazy mom. It was great to see the kid showing up the military brats with his weapons skills and battle tactics. This is a John Connor who I buy will grow up to be Christian Bale tough -- or at least Nick Stahl tough.

Also playing it tough this week -- finally -- was Derek Reese. Sending John and Derek on a mission together was a great idea. Not only did these two get the chance to talk more about John's pops, Kyle Reese, but they worked together to stop a Terminator without Cameron's help. I loved watching Derek's admiration for John. Remember, a much older John is his commander in the future. Brian Austin Green does an excellent job playing out the dichotomy inherent in his character. He's John's guardian, but he's also his devoted follower. His "We all die for you" moment was heartbreaking. Time travel sure can create some complex relationships.

Sarah mostly stayed away from the action again this week after a quick confrotation with the T-888. She and Cameron acted as babysitters for another, much younger, Martin Bedell targeted by the same Terminator. I get that these Terminators want to be thorough with their murdering and all, but why can't they do simple math? In his search for the right Martin Bedell, this silly T-888 targeted a thirty-something man, a teen, and an eight year old kid. Couldn't he narrow it down a little more?

I didn't really care for the babysitting story line. The scenes with Sarah trying to comfort little Bedell did make me wonder about what life was like for John when he was younger. Was Sarah the warm, loving mommy he needed, or did she keep her emotional distance from John like she did with little Bedell? Those are probably important questions here; much more important than "will little Bedell finish his book report on time?".

Cameron was back to her steely self this week. Watching her "charming" way with kids was funny. Still, it's obvious that she hasn't quite recovered from being blown up. I didn't like that look she gave John at the start of this ep, and she conveniently showed up at the military school after all the action went down. Maybe someone should take another look at her busted brain chip.

Weaver sent Ellison to the power plant from "Automatic for the People" to investigate the averted meltdown. We got a possible allusion to Judgement Day in 2009, the date an "automated system" will take over the plant, and It looks like Ellison is getting closer to tracking down Sarah again. I'm a little concerned about his faith in Weaver. I'm afraid that the more he works with her, the more he'll come to trust and believe in her. That would be bad, seeing how she's into killing power plant managers with her liquid metal tongue. Weaver is obviously paving the way for SkyNet to come online, but I'm still not enjoying her arc. Maybe it'll pay off once she eventually meets the Connors. She seemed intrigued by the possibility of two Terminators fighting in the power plant. I guess she doesn't know about Cameron, Sarah and John's presence in this timeline yet. Lucky for them.

Questions:

- Do you think Cameron arrived at the school before or after John and Derek took care of the T-888?

- Did you buy John as the future savior of all mankind in this ep?

- Anyone else love the tar pit of death the boys set up for the T-888? I'm looking forward to more creative Terminator death scenes.

- Riley and Charlie weren't around this week. Do we want them back?

- Do you miss Sarah's opening and closing narration from Season One?

In other news:

Fox just launched "Ambush," a massive mulit-player online (MMO) game based on "Sarah Connor." You can play it here or download it for your iPhone or iPod Touch here. You can play as a resistance fighter or as a Terminator to fight or protect SkyNet. I think I'll opt for the flesh and blood character. Playing as a Terminator just seems wrong.

Glau's excellent performance in this ep should put to rest any questions about her range as an actress. Watching her switch from cool and detached to lost and terrified was intense. She took center stage playing the roles of Cameron and Allison, a young resistance member imprisoned by SkyNet, or some robot-making faction, in the future. It seems Allison was close to John Connor -- so close that Cameron was created in her image in order to infiltrate John's camp and kill him. How that would bring peace is unclear. I'm still a little fuzzy about the notion of dueling Terminators with different agendas. It reminds me of the Cylon war on "Battlestar Galactica," which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I've been down that road already.

This week's B-story did little more than set-up a few things that should pay off down the line. Sarah drove the very pregnant Kacy to the hospital and met Kacy's "baby daddy" Trevor, a police detective. Trevor's badge made Sarah nervous (she's still wanted for murder), but it looks like he trusts her. He asked Sarah to stay the night with Kacy, who's more than a little nervous about raising a kid with a homicide detective. The two neighbors bonded over baby talk, and Sarah admitted the truth about John's father. Well, not the whole truth. She did tell her that John's dad split before his birth, but she conveniently left out the fact that he's a time-traveling soldier from a post-apocalyptic future. That's probably for the best.

The real meat here was in the Cameron story. It seemed clear that Cameron has Allison's memories of being captured and questioned by SkyNet. How or why she has these memories is unclear. Also, why did these memories suddenly come flooding back? The memories had Cameron convinced that she was Allison, which lead to some fine scenes with Glau dealing with this identity crisis. After bonding with a "street kid," Jody, the confused Cameron had a great confrontation with John, who might be regretting bringing her back to life about now. Getting a glimpse of Allison's mom was a nice touch.

Will someone please pour a few hundred gallons of liquid nitrogen on Shirley Manson's Weaverbot already? I get that she's manipulating Ellison for some evil purpose, and she probably stole the real Weaver's life and kid, but I really don't care. I'd rather see Ellison alone on the hunt for the Connors again. Anyone with me here?

This episode opened up a lot more questions, especially about Cameron's loyalties. Still, it was one of the best episodes of the series so far, and it delivered a fine story and left me wanting more without feeling like it's going nowhere (you listening "Heroes" show runners?). Again, let's hope that Fox doesn't pull the plug. One site is already reporting that the series might get cancelled as early as this week. I'd hate to see another great genre show get nixed so early in its run.

Questions:

- Is Cameron evil again? The ending was pretty ambiguous on that point.

- How do you feel about a possible Terminator on Terminator war?

- Why was Allison "chosen" by John and SkyNet in the future?

- Where was Derek? We didn't get a glimpse of him at all in this ep? I doubt he was busy helping Charlie move.

- Riley was also absent. Are you happy about that?

Was I the only one glad to see Cormartie walk out of the ocean after John escaped? I love watching this guy pursue the Connors. He's smart, relentless and effortlessly creepy. When the character first appeared on the series last season I wrote him off as a one-note Arnie clone. Things have changed ever since Dillahunt took over the role. And how about those great "Beastmaster"-esque TV movie scenes. So funny. I hope Cromartie sticks around for a while, even if he does kill the good guys.

So Charlie's Linda Hamilton-looking wife (Sonya Walger) is dead. It was sad, but it had to happen. Now Charlie can take his place in the fight against the future without any distractions. Judging by the funeral scene, it looks like he's ready to go to a very dark place. So far, he's been a strong, solid, even-tempered helper, but I get the feeling that's all about to change. Anyone else looking forward to a bloody Charlie vs. Derek street fight? It's gonna happen. I'm bettin' on Charlie.

It's obvious that Sarah still has strong feelings for Charlie. I wonder how this will play out down the line, especially with Derek in the way. The scene is set for a lot of conflict between these three. Maybe keeping all of those guns in the house isn't such a good idea.

John was mostly kept out the action again in this ep. While Sarah and Derek took off to fight Cromartie, John and Cameron went to the mall to buy the biggest computers I've ever seen. Acting nothing like the future savior of all mankind, John ditched Cameron to hang with Riley, whose idea of a good time is reading magazine covers and trying to sound like she's scripted by Diablo Cody. Seriously "Sarah Connor" staff, either do something interesting with this character or let Cromartie kill her already. Or better yet, let Cameron kill her. Cameron is itching to kill something. She almost offed that bird that was stuck in the Connor's chimney.

I love Cameron's unexplained quirkiness. She seems more interested in the word at large than protecting John these days. This is surely a sign that she's evolving, and I hope it continues. Watching her bizarre reactions to everyday life is a lot more entertaining than watching Weaver do whatever it is she's trying to do.

I don't know what to make about Weaver making nice with Ellison. She sold him a bogus story about finding a robot arm and trying to duplicate the technology. I'm sure he's smart enough to smell a rat, but it looks like he'll be working with her anyway. Anyone else not digging on the Weaverbot plotline? Still, there's a lot to look forward to this season on "Sarah Connor." Let's hope Fox delivers on the promise of a full season, even if the ratings continue to slip.

Not likely. If she was "just a girl," John wouldn't have given her the Connor's super secret cell-phone ID code. I'm sure that will come back to bite him. Either way, I'm intrigued. Rambin showed a lot of charm in the role, even though her dialogue was mostly awful ("Carrots and apples"? Really?). I'm looking forward to the eventual love triangle subplot between John, Riley and Cameron. Who knows, maybe we'll get to see a good girl fight down the line. That would certainly make up for this ep's unusually subpar action scenes.

I fondly remember Cameron knocking out Terminators twice her size, surfing on top of big rigs and punching holes in concrete walls in past eps. Last night, we saw her her take on a Terminator that looked, sounded and fought like a short, balding, 55 year-old man. How disappointing was that?

As the ep opened, a wounded resistance fighter from the future dropped in on the Connor's nice new house and mumbled some, seemingly, vital info. They were given a name, Greenway, a date and the location of a power plant that resistance fighters will use to their advantage in the future. After future soldier apparently kicked it, Sarah, Cameron and Derek infiltrated the plant to try and make sense of it all.

Sarah and Cameron got jobs as the hottest power plant janitors ever and started snooping around the place. After Cameron identified a plant worker as Greenway, the three followed him to a nearby bar where Sarah sweet talked him into giving her info about the plant. She learned that Greenway had the power to shut off the plant's reactor and was against turning it on. She also learned that Greenway had cancer.

This, of course, reminded Sarah of what Cameron warned her about in the pilot ep: She was supposed to die from Cancer before 2007. Will she still become ill in this new timeline? That question was left open, but I liked the way this ep explored Sarah's fear about that possibility. I really felt for Sarah after she entered the plant's radioactive room and later endured a brutal radiation-cleansing shower. They really do put her through hell on this show.

The Cancer fears were calmed, for the moment, after Sarah realized that the plant manager lied about her radiation level. She was clean, and it was back to the mission, which seemed to be about saving the power plant so that the future fighters could use it in the war. SkyNet had other plans for the place, though.

Later on, Derek found Greenway dead and Sarah figured out that he'd been replaced by a Terminator. Now, did anyone out there think this was going to be our T-1000, or was I the only one? It made little sense to me that SkyNet would build a boring old T-800 to look exactly like this one chemical engineer. But, apparently it did.

Terminator Greenway then turned the plant's reactor online and caused it to overheat. After some odd hesitation, Cameron quickly fixed the problem by knocking him around a bit and shoving his broken bits into a toxic waste drum. Like I said, the action was subpar, but the focus seemed to be more on Cameron's bizarre behavior. It's easy to say that she's still a bit fuzzy from last week's explosion, but I'm sure there's more going on here than that. My guess is that her program is evolving and she's becoming more human. Remember, she told John she loved him last week. Could this love be motivating her to become a real girl?

What if she does become more of a real girl? Will John still care, or will Riley be too much of a distraction? Apparently, Riley is already a big distraction. While the rest of the household was in full mission mode, John was goofing around in his bedroom with his new gal pal. It was frustrating to see John out of the action after watching him mature in last week's ep. I get that he's trying to rebel, but couldn't he do it in a more badass way? Staying up all night chatting with a cute blonde seems like pretty tame behavior.

This ep was all about set-up, which made it a lot less satisfying than the season premiere. Still, many hints were dropped about where this season might go. In the last scene, Sarah discovered that the future soldier (or someone else?) used his blood to write a bunch of random information on their basement wall. Also, we were reminded that time itself is the main battleground in the war for the future. We got a cool, quick look at a post-Judgement Day battle, but this ep made it clear that time travel will continue to play a major role in the war and in this series.

Other Bits:

- Charlie's wife, who looks an awful lot like Linda Hamilton, found a gun in the house that Charlie had to explain. It's unclear if he told her the whole story, but the two left town after a friendly warning from a Bible-toting Agent Ellison. I liked seeing Charlie and Ellison hang out. I hope these two team up in the future.

- The Connor's new hippie neighbor, Kacy Corbin, is played by a very pregnant Busy Phillipps (Freaks and Geeks).

- At the end of this ep, Catherine Weaver, impersonating a male corporate official, announced to the media that the power plant would be under the control of an automated system from now on. Damn liquid metal Terminators. They're always one step ahead. Also, Shirley Manson continues to annoy me with her Hayden Christensen-like stiffness. I know she's supposed to be a robot, but she's not supposed to be a mannequin.

Questions:

- So, what did you think of Riley? Any theories?

- Who was Cameron referring to when she told John that others were watching?

- What's up with Cameron hesitating? Will she go bad again?

- Where was Derek in this ep? He didn't have much to do. Do we need a Derek-centered ep this season?

- Seriously dude. Didn't the actress who played Charlie's wife look just like Linda Hamilton? That took me out of the show for at least five minutes.

Luckily, the answers are "no" and "no." Cameron's fine, save for a few bloody cuts, a bad limp and some extra-flappy skin. Aint nothin' a good staple gun and a few baby wipes can't handle. Oh, right, and now she's evil. (I always knew Cameron would turn bad, and I didn't even need that paranoid Derek Reese to tell me so. I just didn't know it would happen so quickly.)

We pick up moments after last season's explosion with Cameron waking up and felling kinda fuzzy. After a splashy new title sequence -- that features a new voiceover and adds Brian Austin Green's name and mug to the cast list-- baddy Sarkissian (James Urbaniak) and a henchman proceed to torture John and Sarah while looking for their stolen data. Cameron collects herself and heads into the house, we think, to save John and Sarah. After icing henchy, Cameron heads into the room where Sarkissian is keeping Sarah and John. Surprisingly, Sarah has killed Sarkissian right in front of John. The death happens off-camera, but we get the sense that it's the kind of thing that'll give even John Connor new nightmares. Well, no time to worry about that right now. Cameron quickly points a gun at John's head. She's ready to terminate.

It seems the explosions made Cameron's brain chip go all wonky, and now she's reverted to her original mission: Kill John Connor. The chase that ensues is breathtaking. This is some of the most suspenseful action-oriented TV I've seen in a while. I know chase sequences are nothing new to the Terminator franchise, but this one felt inspired. It reminded me of "Terminator 2," clearly the best entry in the film trilogy.

Glau's performance here was amazing. Her regression was heartbreaking and terrifying. Thomas Dekker delivered some fine work. These two really sold the love relationship shared by John and Cameron, especially during the emotional midpoint scene where she begs him not to take away her brain chip. On paper, it seems illogical that John would risk his and his mother's life to save Cameron, but these two fine actors made it work. The series is called the "Sarah Connor Chronicles," but it's the relationship between John and Cameron that made this episode so compelling. All the other stuff was just, you know, stuff.

Yep, I'm aware that Shirley Manson's corporate tycoon, Catherine Weaver, was revealed to be a T-1000, or liquid Terminator like Robert Patrick in "T2." That's kind of cool, but that leaves little room for her character to grow, and her reveal was too silly to take seriously. Also, the liquid metal effect looked a little awkward on TV. I'm not looking forward to seeing how she fits in, but it's certain she'll be a big part of this season. She's in possession of the stolen data and is shaping up to be the new big bad.

It was good to see Agent Ellison (Richard T. Jones) again. This is a guy who seems to make all the right decisions and knows how to handle himself. Who needs John Connor with Ellison ready to join the fight against Skynet, right? Well, maybe not. The guy's a bit of a wild card, and he might end up fighting for the other side. His final confrontation with Cromartie left all kinds of possibilities open.

Charlie (Dean Winters) and Derek's dynamic was fun to watch. Amid their search for John and Sarah the two have a subtle verbal sparring match that Charlie easily wins. It's pretty clear that Derek is in love with Sarah. Are we seeing the early stages of a love triangle here?

And that leads us to Sarah. Poor beaten and beleaguered Sarah. Like in most of the first season, Lena Headey isn't given much to do but look terrified and concerned for 40-plus minutes. Admittedly, changing or growing the character of Sarah Connor from what has been established in the films might be a risky move for the makers of this series, but it would be the right one. I'd love to see sides of Sarah Connor I've never seen before, and I hope this season delivers that.

We did see one big change in this episode, though. John's gutsy move to revive Cameron, which had him pulling a gun on his own family, marked a line in the sand between our main characters. On one side stood John and Cameron -- powerful, unpredictable and possibly fueled by teenager-robot lust. On the other side were Sarah, Derek and Charlie -- confused and, well, possibly fueled by old-people lust. Like I said, this was Cameron and John's episode, and it might be shaping up to be their show.

Questions:

- Is the data Weaver is using for her project the same data Sarah and John stole from Sarkissian?

- How did Ellison track down Cromartie? Is he that good? It took him a whole season to get a glimpse of Sarah.

- Didn't Max Perlich look even more terrible than usual in this ep?

- Is Cameron growing emotions? And, more importantly, is the love she and John seem to share more brother-sister or ... the other kind?

-- Mike Moody