SCC: Born to Run -- now with actual discussion!

[cofax7]

Some of this is scavenged from comments in various places, if it looks like I'm repeating myself.

Comments

[katie_m]

Yeah, I agree with you about Sarah letting John go. But oh well. I'm willing to roll with it because I had OMG AWESOME running through my head at the time and it overrode any strongly critical feelings.

Because nobody is indispensable. Everyone is important and contributes: but nobody is indispensable. It's something both Skynet and the Connors need to learn.

I think this is why I fell so strongly on the "it's a future where John isn't the be-all and end-all!" side of interpretation of that last scene (though he could certainly end up being important). I've wanted the show to go there for a long time, so I was primed to see it when it happened.

Wouldn't it be interesting if John jumped into a future in which, because John Connor doesn't exist, Skynet has had no reason to make a time machine that allows it to prevent him from existing?Hee, I know, right? I was just thinking that; what if this Skynet isn't so obsessed with "if I can just kill the one correct person..." John's gonna feel pretty stupid being stuck in a post-

[cofax7]

I've wanted the show to go there for a long time, so I was primed to see it when it happened.

You know, I think the show has been going there all this time. Think about how many times they've tried to prevent the creation of Skynet, and yet it always happens. Skynet doesn't come from one particular place, like Miles Dyson's head: it's just that it's time for a real artificial intelligence to evolve. Similarly, if John Connor isn't born, someone else will step up. Someone will always step up, and every iteration it may be someone else, but someone will always be there to fight Skynet. It's like the whole show is an argument against the Great Man theory of history.

Which makes the television show entirely antithetical to the upcoming movie. I love it, and I simultaneously hope nobody at the network notices. *g*

"Oh, that's, um, that's my Furby."

::cackles:: Oh, you funny! That should be in a quotedump.

[madripoor_rose]

You know, I think the show has been going there all this time. Think about how many times they've tried to prevent the creation of Skynet, and yet it always happens. Skynet doesn't come from one particular place, like Miles Dyson's head: it's just that it's time for a real artificial intelligence to evolve. Similarly, if John Connor isn't born, someone else will step up. Someone will always step up, and every iteration it may be someone else, but someone will always be there to fight Skynet. It's like the whole show is an argument against the Great Man theory of history.

I love this comment.

I think in T3, Arnie says Judgement Day is inevitable.

It also reminds me that one of the things that drove me nuts about the series is that the Connors didn't seem to be doing enough to prepare, just running and hiding and trusting that John Connor would save them, because he's the Chosen One. They should be gathering more allies.

[cofax7]

I think in T3, Arnie says Judgement Day is inevitable.

See, now, that I disagree with. I think the evolution of the AI is inevitable; but not that it will lead to armageddon. John Henry has learned something about the sanctity of human life, after all. (And he can roll a D20 to get him only 20s!)

They should be gathering more allies.

The problem there is the only allies I can think of would be lunatic crackpots or wingnut militia/White Power types, none of which seem the type Sarah would want to approach. Even if she thought she could get them to believe her. As she said to Ellison in her cell, every time she tried to tell the truth, she ended up in a psych ward. The only people she can trust are herself and her family. (And not even all of them: she certainly feels Derek betrayed that trust somehow.)

[madripoor_rose]

And that's what I think was so brilliant about the John Henry/Not Skynet reveal. I've also had a theory that Judgement Day is a loop....Skynet wants to end the human race because it's afraid of Sarah Connor who wants to destroy it because Skynet will end the human race.

There are people they've met over the series who've seen enough to believe, who are targeted because they're going to get involved. Just a little reference here in there that they're still in contact, building the center of the resistance that would be ready to step into place come Judgement Day.

I'm not saying they should try to tell Kacey Next Door about the Roboapocalypse, no, that wouldn't end well.

But the kid at the military school. The family whose younger daughter is going to be immune to the disease.

[buymeaclue]

See, now, that I disagree with. I think the evolution of the AI is inevitable; but not that it will lead to armageddon.

Agree. Judgment can, after all, shake out in a variety of ways. That is, we are not always found wanting...