Sarah Connor Chronicles 2x04: Allison from Palmdale
So, I am finally watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, only about 50 years after everyone else in the world, and just got to ep 2x04.
Before this, I was mildly interested, and rather liked some aspects of the series. Now?
Cameron is three personalities layered over each other: The original programming of the terminator, an infiltrator built to infiltrate the resistance, find John Connor, and kill him - and hang his head on a pike for all to see, natch. The facade of Allison Young (John Connor's lover) the infiltrator has studied and rehearsed, in order to be able to fulfill her mission. And the new programming of the terminator, written over the first version obviously without obliterating it - that of Cameron, programmed to protect John Connor.
The infiltrator can lie, of course - she lies to Allison right at the start, when she tells her that some of the machines don't want to kill all the humans, that there is a resistance within the terminators, as it were. Or does she lie...? Theoretically, she could also be telling the truth here. The fact that she kills Allison means nothing, because it's a necessary part of both her assassination mission and a possible alternate mission to convince the machines in charge (the anti-human fraction) that she is proceeding with the assassination mission, while in reality intending to find the resistance and aid them. Even a pro-human terminator would still be entirely without useless sentiment, and not dither over or regret a death necessary and integral to her mission.
Allison can and does lie, obviously. And Cameron lies, as well; she has before, and has told John as much, and now - when she temporarily forgets everything about who she is - she re-learns it from someone she thought was a friend, and trusted in a moment of vulnerability.
It's interesting that when Cameron loses her memory, the first layer of identity to come back is the one that, at first glance, seems to be the most tenuous and illusive one: Allison. Why is it Allison, and not the infiltrator? Is it because the Allison disguise is rooted so deeply in the infiltrator for practical purposes, or is there another reason - say, that the infiltrator somehow got too close to her fictitious identity, and found herself at least partially subsumed? Or did future!John Connor reprogram the infiltrator to actually be as close to Allison as possible, the woman he'd loved? (Wow, that is sad, twisted and creepy as hell. I love this thought so much. John Connor, you sad twisted fuck.)
Who was it that told John she loved him, and he loved her, back when John was trying to dismantle Cameron because she'd knocked a chip loose and temporarily gone all "mission: terminate John Connor"? Was it a lie by the infiltrator? Was it just an echo of what Allison would have said? Was it Allison? Was it the reprogrammed infiltrator who had actually developed a relationship of her own with John? Or was it the reprogrammed infiltrator who had been turned into an advanced-model Allison-doll by John?
Just imagine the chaos in Cameron's head as all of those layers of truth and lie and feigned and possibly genuine emotions vie for screen-time. Yes, genuine emotions too, because we've seen hints that advanced models come pretty damn close, and I am certain that Cameron herself cannot tell the difference between a good lie and the actual truth when it comes to emotions. And if she herself can't tell the difference, can there actually be a difference?
I seriously cannot believe how many of my buttons that pushes. Identity issues, check. Questionable loyalties, check. Byzantine schemes and counter-schemes, check. Truth and lies so deeply entangled nobody can tell the difference anymore, least of all the liars, check. A tricky, double-edged and potentially treacherous, but passionate and genuine romantic relationship between people who really shouldn't be involved, OMG I hope so check.
Please tell me that there is present-time Cameron/John fanfic. There must be!! But I can't go looking yet because I might be spoiled!
Yeah, I think it's not a mystery who my favorite character is here. *g* But as an added bonus, I also love Sarah, John and Agent Ellison. Not so sure about Reese yet, though; he's a creeper and I don't really trust him (he lied about killing Andy Goode, for one thing, and is just generally spreading constant mild psychopath vibes for me). The new liquid terminator seems potentially interesting simply because she's quite obviously so far advanced that she does feel emotions, and likes to muse on matters of philosophy and such. I love the possible implications here.
To sum up, OMG I love this. I love Cameron. I love this show.
I know I am ridiculously late to this party, but. Hot damn. Does anyone feel like discussing this with me despite the late date...?
But please don't spoil me! Please!
Before this, I was mildly interested, and rather liked some aspects of the series. Now?
Cameron is three personalities layered over each other: The original programming of the terminator, an infiltrator built to infiltrate the resistance, find John Connor, and kill him - and hang his head on a pike for all to see, natch. The facade of Allison Young (John Connor's lover) the infiltrator has studied and rehearsed, in order to be able to fulfill her mission. And the new programming of the terminator, written over the first version obviously without obliterating it - that of Cameron, programmed to protect John Connor.
The infiltrator can lie, of course - she lies to Allison right at the start, when she tells her that some of the machines don't want to kill all the humans, that there is a resistance within the terminators, as it were. Or does she lie...? Theoretically, she could also be telling the truth here. The fact that she kills Allison means nothing, because it's a necessary part of both her assassination mission and a possible alternate mission to convince the machines in charge (the anti-human fraction) that she is proceeding with the assassination mission, while in reality intending to find the resistance and aid them. Even a pro-human terminator would still be entirely without useless sentiment, and not dither over or regret a death necessary and integral to her mission.
Allison can and does lie, obviously. And Cameron lies, as well; she has before, and has told John as much, and now - when she temporarily forgets everything about who she is - she re-learns it from someone she thought was a friend, and trusted in a moment of vulnerability.
It's interesting that when Cameron loses her memory, the first layer of identity to come back is the one that, at first glance, seems to be the most tenuous and illusive one: Allison. Why is it Allison, and not the infiltrator? Is it because the Allison disguise is rooted so deeply in the infiltrator for practical purposes, or is there another reason - say, that the infiltrator somehow got too close to her fictitious identity, and found herself at least partially subsumed? Or did future!John Connor reprogram the infiltrator to actually be as close to Allison as possible, the woman he'd loved? (Wow, that is sad, twisted and creepy as hell. I love this thought so much. John Connor, you sad twisted fuck.)
Who was it that told John she loved him, and he loved her, back when John was trying to dismantle Cameron because she'd knocked a chip loose and temporarily gone all "mission: terminate John Connor"? Was it a lie by the infiltrator? Was it just an echo of what Allison would have said? Was it Allison? Was it the reprogrammed infiltrator who had actually developed a relationship of her own with John? Or was it the reprogrammed infiltrator who had been turned into an advanced-model Allison-doll by John?
Just imagine the chaos in Cameron's head as all of those layers of truth and lie and feigned and possibly genuine emotions vie for screen-time. Yes, genuine emotions too, because we've seen hints that advanced models come pretty damn close, and I am certain that Cameron herself cannot tell the difference between a good lie and the actual truth when it comes to emotions. And if she herself can't tell the difference, can there actually be a difference?
I seriously cannot believe how many of my buttons that pushes. Identity issues, check. Questionable loyalties, check. Byzantine schemes and counter-schemes, check. Truth and lies so deeply entangled nobody can tell the difference anymore, least of all the liars, check. A tricky, double-edged and potentially treacherous, but passionate and genuine romantic relationship between people who really shouldn't be involved, OMG I hope so check.
Please tell me that there is present-time Cameron/John fanfic. There must be!! But I can't go looking yet because I might be spoiled!
Yeah, I think it's not a mystery who my favorite character is here. *g* But as an added bonus, I also love Sarah, John and Agent Ellison. Not so sure about Reese yet, though; he's a creeper and I don't really trust him (he lied about killing Andy Goode, for one thing, and is just generally spreading constant mild psychopath vibes for me). The new liquid terminator seems potentially interesting simply because she's quite obviously so far advanced that she does feel emotions, and likes to muse on matters of philosophy and such. I love the possible implications here.
To sum up, OMG I love this. I love Cameron. I love this show.
I know I am ridiculously late to this party, but. Hot damn. Does anyone feel like discussing this with me despite the late date...?
But please don't spoil me! Please!