posted
I think they jumped eight years into the future. Her original death was in 2005 but they jumped past it to 2007 (I think). Then the second season was in 2008, and it's now 2009 as evidenced by, well, reality, and Derek's tombstone.
posted
Yes, that much is established. But I'm sure that the supposed death was again stated to be eight years prior to the "now" of the episode, when in fact said death was established to have occurred in 1999, which is ten years prior to the "now." That's the bit I'm not sure I imagined or not.
posted
I don't think her death was ever established in 99. That's the time they left from, IIRC. Her death would have been after that. And eight years prior to now would have been 2001 or late 2000.
posted
No, dammit! When I say her supposed death, I mean, "being blown up in a bank." Not whenever her death from cancer might have been. Sarah Connor was seen to walk into a bank vault in 1999, which then blew up.
posted
So this is a lovely mess they've gotten into. Derek's dead, Sarah's been arrested. Who do you think leaked on that one? Ellison himself? John Henry? Or did that detective just get smart?
And what's this all about Savanna and Ellison's survival depending on John Henry? Seems to lend credence to the idea that W-1000 is trying to make a "benevolent" Skynet OR another AI to fight Skynet. Cause the idea that J-Day is unavoidable and Skynet will exist no matter what seems to be a center point to this whole franchise... maybe W-1000 is part of a faction that believes that a version of Skynet that wants to help humans is the only way to fight and win against Skynet....
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Registered: Mar 1999
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Daniel Butler
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posted
Well, I'm assuming it's the one John Connor asked to join them. And it probably said "no" because as soon as it came out of its box it was attacked; but then again, maybe Connor should've told the sub crew what was in it. Anyway, maybe this 1000 wants peace because it's logical... humans won't go without a fight. Or maybe it believes human life has value. Or something. (But if it believed that it could teach John Henry itself instead of enlisting Ellison.) I hope we get to see enough episodes to find out lol.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Skynet as an intelligence seems to have shaped itself. There wasn't much human input to its development, so it's a very inhuman AI. But its creations, whether cyborg or mimetic polyalloy, are intended to mimic humanity so can't help but learn from them (hence the Read-Only switch in the cyborg chips, which doesn't seem to be an option in the MPAs or has been easily overcome by themselves).
Skynet could even be said to not really be an AI at all. For all its ingenuity and technological knowhow, its program still seems to run:
10 Cogito Ergo Sum 20 Destroy Humanity 30 If Humanity Not Destroyed Goto 20
Now, we're getting into the Gosh, Aren't Humans So Damned Particularly Wonderful trope that a lot of Sci-Fi seems to buy into here, but perhaps the MPAs' enhanced, more-human intelligence has allowed them to either:-
1. Appreciate the sanctity of life in general (even if they're prepared to sacrifice individual lives in pursuit of a greater good - which in itself suggests a moral development, if not a particularly nuanced one); or
2. More likely, to me, they have come to recognise humanity's strength and survival instinct and that this conflict will never be resolved (and will doom themselves, the MPAs as well, no matter how much they might try to stay out of it) unless it is either averted or the rules are changed somehow. They can't stop Skynet being created but they can influence its development. Unfortunately, rather than supplant Skynet from its inception, they have merely created a rival.
posted
I agree with option number 2. They've realized that they will be coexisting with humanity no matter what, so it might be better to coexist peacefully and not risk SkyNet's long term existence.
Remember, the first incarnation of SkyNet retaliated against humanity when they tried to pull the plug. That version of SkyNet was apparently prevented. We don't really know yet how the "current" version came into being or why it went to war with humanity. But maybe some of the terminators have decided it would be best to mellow SkyNet's rage out a little.
posted
Here's a sinister thought; perhaps skynet has recognised it's own inherent flaw and has ordered the T-1000 to create John Henry as a "brother" program that it can either learn from or assimilate. Skynet's flaw of course is that it is and has always been a disembodied AI and it's treating humans as it would a hostile program or virus. While it can devise strategies and employ tactics it lacks any sense of physical experience, especially in terms of human interaction. There's clearly a significant difference between existing in a virtual world and the real one, just going by John-Henry's reaction to having the endo disconnected. In short, it can't fully comprehend humans but it's noticed that reprogrammed (and possibly recaptured) infiltrators have managed to learn something it can't quantify.
On the other hand, I still like the Weaver = Conner's agent theory better.
posted
Didn't they find a piece of an endoskeleton in the wreckage of the real Weaver's downed chopper? That would imply they were terminated, but not by the W-1000... Of course that could've been faked for any number of reasons, such as to gain the trust and help of Agent Ellison.
posted
Perhaps an endo-terminator was sent back to kill them, Weaver was sent to protect them, failed, and assumed Catherine's identity to preserve her place in history.
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Daniel Butler
I'm a Singapore where is my boat
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posted
Disconnecting the endo seemed to be allegorical to Jesus having to die and go to hell for 3 days before rising again, thus learning what it's like to die and appreciating the human existence. (I don't know if that's a common interpretation of the story or one peculiar to the little church I was raised in as a kid.) I was thinking maybe now John Henry will have more appreciation of the sanctity of life instead of just an academic knowledge of it (for the bullshit reason - sorry religious people - that humans are sacred 'because god made us.' I can't see John Henry seriously believing in God, at least for long).
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
One possible direction the story could now take (but won't) is suggested by John Henry's "mankind has a hardware problem." Suppose he decided to explore ways to enhance humanity? Next step, Borg! John Henry is the Borg Queen!
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