- A woman from Derek's past surprises him and elsewhere, Sarah, John and Cameron wonder what a T-1001 would need with a doctor.
- Sarah, John, and Cameron investigate Dr. Sherman, a therapist who may have a connection to Skynet's construction, while Catherine Weaver, revealed to be a T-1001 liquid metal Terminator impersonating the real late Catherine Weaver, also pays a visit to Dr. Sherman for his help to control her daughter Savannah, living in constant fear of her "mother". Meanwhile, a mysterious woman from Derek's past, named Jesse, suddenly shows up having time-traveled back after going AWOL. Also, another mysterious female terminator arrives in the present to target another individual.—Anonymous
- Sarah, John and Cameron focus in on Dr. Sherman, even though they're not sure how he fits into Skynet's plans or even if he is friend or foe. They pose as a family needing counseling and bug his office. John for one likes the sessions with Sherman but Sarah isn't so sure. Catherine Weaver and her daughter Savannah are also seeing Sherman. When the artificial intelligence program under development at Weaver's company apparently malfunctions, it is Sherman who figures out just what it is doing. Derek Reese gets a surprise visitor from his past when an old love, Jesse, suddenly appears. She has come from the future to escape the horrors of never ending war but all is not what seems.—garykmcd
- One week off since we last were terminating and we've had a full season order from the network. Booyah!
This week's episode opens with Sarah and Cameron snooping around the home of a Dr. Sherman, who we learn in the post-snooping car ride with John is somehow related to Skynet.
We're next at Weaver's office where her daughter Savannah refuses to join her in a photo shoot, so scared of joining termi-mommy on the couch that she pees her pants. Literally. Weaver asks one of her assistants about help with children.
Sarah, John and Cameron have an appointment with Dr. Sherman and we learn that he has been a family counselor for 20 years, beginning his career in the military. After Cameron plants a bug, John agrees they will be back for another appointment.
Weaver meets with her lab geeks, learning that the artificial intelligence they are working with is starting to give them random images after prompts, taking more time to perform functions. Weaver and Savannah are now in with Dr. Sherman and it is increasingly clear how terrified the little girl is of her T-1000 mother.
Derek returns from some unsuccessful recon around Sherman's office, and as he and Sarah determine further appointments are needed a gunshot is heard from the bedroom. Slow motion running ensues as find a startled John has accidentally discharged his firearm during a cleaning but is okay. (Phew.)
With Cameron listening via ear phones, Savannah tells Sherman a doll she is playing with has a secret for the doctor, that it would like "my old mommy back." Though is seems like this should be taken literally, Sherman tells Weaver he thinks Savannah feels her mother has changed since her fathers death. John enters the waiting room and interacts with Savannah without encountering Weaver.
Sitting in a park, Derek spots a female jogger and chases her into a hotel room. When he finally catchers her they kiss passionately and we learn it is Jesse, a soldier gone AWOL from an increasingly difficult. "When everything ends, I want to be here with you," she says, as Derek pulls away.
Sherman has John open up about his father and his role in the family, and seems to make some therapeutic progress before John realizes the room is bugged. In the waiting room, Cameron reads to Sarah off a pamphlet that many teen suicdes are committed using guns and that some first attempt may "appear to be an accident." Sherman tells Sarah he'd like to see John alone again, and that John reminds him of war veterans in the way he carries himself. Sarah thanks Sherman as we are flashed back to some of the violence John was in contact with in his recent life, particularly from the season premiere.
With Savannah playing nearby, we see Weaver watching video of what appears to be herself pregnant being interviewed with her husband. Weaver is called down to lab, and is told the A.I. is only running "twisted" images and performing random equations. Weaver bristles at the suggestion they change platforms. Weaver returns to find Savannah watching the interview and makes an awkward attempt at affection which Savannah seems to appreciate.
While Sarah and John debate the merits of his returning to Sherman, Cameron suggests the reason Sherman's name may have been on the wall is that he ends up helping John. Sarah asks Cameron why she thinks John needs help, to which John responds to his mother: "What makes you think I don't?" Sarah tells John he can always come to him, with John brushing the suggestion off and walking away.
As a driver sleeps at the wheel of his empty bus on the side of the road, a flash of electricity fill the back of the vehicle. A crazed-looking nude woman walks forward and quickly kills the driver, putting on his uniform and exiting the bus, clearly on her way to give some humans a big hug.
Derek talks to Sarah alone, telling here the story of a friend of his who committed suicide. While they both agree John isn't suicidal, Derek points out John is in a transitional stage of manhood and that watching his mother kill a man may have changed him. Our bus driver-killer waits in the car for Sherman's female assistant, quickly dispatching her and taking the wheel.
Sherman has been called by Weaver to her office, where she tells him the human interactive A.I. the company is working on "like a child" in that its network must be trained to recognize images. Weaver tells him the computer no longer runs its diagnostic, and shows him the images it has been playing instead. Sherman immediately recognizes the images as a joke told to him be a third grader, and tells Weaver that her machine is like a gifted child, having already developed a sense of humor and grown bored.
Sarah listens to John's private session with Sherman, hearing that John often wants to run and that he thinks Sarah intentionally does not want to him to feel safe. It appears to bother her.
Derek shows up at Jesse's room, apologizing briefly before fooling around ensues. During pillow talk she asks Derek to get her a drink of water. When he leaves the room she reaches down and shoves recent surveillance photos of Derek and John under the bed.
Weaver meets with Ellison, who asks her what is happening in the basement. Weaver does not tell him about the A.I. research taking place.
Sherman meets with John, who immediately places the bug in his pocket when walks into the office. As Cameron walks into the office to see what has happened, she enters the building alongside our new terminator, who we've heard is coming in under the guise of a temp to replace Sherman's assistant. As Sherman and John begin to talk, the terminatresses fight in the hallway outside Shermans office.
An emotional John starts to tell Sherman of Sarah killing Sarkissian, but shuts down before revealing what happened.
Cameron wins the terminator fight and brings the defeated new terminator back for the gang inspect. They cant say for sure whether it was coming to kill Sherman or protect him, but learn this new terminator has a self-destruct feature on its chip. John determines this means Skynet is getting smarter, and does not want him re-programming in the future.
Weaver and Savanna come into Sherman's office. Weaver compliments Sherman's initial work with the A.I. and asks him to help her on a consultant basis. A Sarah voiceover talks about the impact war has on soldiers as we are shown every primary character from the episode.
Our last scene is of Sarah in Sherman's office, where we see through another flashback that it was actually John, and not his mother, who strangled Sarkissian.
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