Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: “Some Must Watch, While Some Must Sleep”

“Midnight is the Witching Hour.”
–Sarah Connor

And this week, the review is quite late. However, with midweek review-light, I’m thinking this might be a good place to post Terminator for the next while.

Title: “Some Must Watch, While Some Must Sleep”

Cast and Crew

Director: Scott Lautanem
Writers: Denise Thé, Natalie Chaidez

Lena Heady as Sarah Connor
Thomas Dekker as John Connor
Summer Glau as Cameron Philips
Ned Bellamy as Ed Winton
Julie Ann Emery as Nurse Hobson
Michelle Arthur as Dana
Sashen Naicker as Night Tech
Manny Montana as Hector

Synopsis

Sarah finds herself in a sleep clinic to deal with the consequences of her high-stress lifestyle. But midnight is the witching hour, and things are not what they seem.

High Point

Sarah interacts with the first man she killed. It’s a fascinating situation. Overall, this episode works well as a dark exploration of characters.

My second “Low Point” is actually a “High Point,” but it is a spoiler.

Low Point

I initially enjoyed Sarah’s voice-over. It went too far over the top in the conclusion, detracting from an already memorable conclusion.

I had several other potential low points– but I correctly figured before the final reveal that they were clues.

The Scores

Originality: 4/6. Every genre show, apparently, must have an episode with this basic twist. It has been presented well, however.

Effects: 5/6.

Story: 4/6. We have a good story here, presented in a somewhat fragmented form.

As much as I enjoyed seeing human characters fend for themselves, I’d like to see a little more of Cam.

Acting: 5/6. This episode features some impressive central performances.

Production: 5/6. This episode has terribly creepy mise en scène. Those with medical phobias will want to look away.

Emotional response: 5/6. The story features some suspenseful and emotional moments. The particular game this episode plays can only work so long, however.

Overall: 5/6.

“Some Must Watch, While Some Must Sleep” receives 33/42.

Lingering Question

1. The clash of realities creates some interesting conundrums. Why, in Sarah’s imagination, does Cameron wander around the house in her underwear?

2. Is Sarah’s needling of her captor a reference to a certain very well-known, notorious comic-book panel, or a coincidentally-similar image?

3. Speaking of toon-ful references, did anyone else see that coyote and expect to hear Johnny Cash’s voice?

15 replies on “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: “Some Must Watch, While Some Must Sleep””

  1. Ditto on the low point
    With one sentence, they turned a whole bunch of awesome into a ball of cheese. GAH! Ah, well. Still a good ep.

    • Re: Ditto on the low point

      With one sentence, they turned a whole bunch of awesome into a ball of cheese. GAH! Ah, well. Still a good ep.

      What sentence?

  2. Cameron in underwear
    > Why, in Sarah’s imagination, does Cameron wander around the house in her underwear?

    I assumed she did that in everyone’s imagination. She doesn’t in yours?

    • Re: Cameron in underwear

      If it were John‘s imagination, I’d wonder why she was wearing clothes at all. But it seems out of character for Sarah.

      • Re: Cameron in underwear

        If it were John‘s imagination, I’d wonder why she was wearing clothes at all. But it seems out of character for Sarah.

        I think it was some sub-conscious insecurity. The idea that Cameron was (potentially) trying to replace her has popped up a few times now. It was even brought up in this episode with the pancakes. There has also been a few times that John seemed to be getting a bit too friendly with the resident robo-girl, which Sarah would have picked up on I think.

      • Re: Cameron in underwear

        If it were John‘s imagination, I’d wonder why she was wearing clothes at all. But it seems out of character for Sarah.

        I thought that this was completely in character: in T2, Sarah has a monologue regarding the T-800 being the perfect father figure for John, the ideal protector, infinitely patient, yadda yadda. Given that Cameron is a girl-terminator, she’s having the same thoughts, but they’re more personal: Cameron represents to Sarah an ideal she can aspire to, even if only subconsciously. Sarah *does* aspire to be infalliable, untiring and generally terminator-like (hence her growing psychological issues and visits to sleep clinics). As such, Sarah’s dream makes sense: Cameron is displaying a canonical image of female perfection in western culture — being confident and slim enough to be able to wander about in her underwear.

        Of course, the fact that Cameron occasionally goes a little off-mission must be playing interesting havoc with Sarah’s subconscious…

        • Re: Cameron in underwear (and welcome, Jaye)

          Good analysis. Though possibly we’re all making too much (starting with me) of a scene that may have been inspired by some network exec saying, "have that Glau chick show more skin."

          However, once the scene is there, we have to make sense of it.

          • how tv works

            Good analysis. Though possibly we’re all making too much (starting with me) of a scene that may have been inspired by some network exec saying, "have that Glau chick show more skin."

            However, once the scene is there, we have to make sense of it.

            zap*zap*zap*boring*zap*informercial*zap*zap*hot girl almost naked*zap…zap back, watch.

            If you need to explain it in-story, it’s a memory of something the robot did that was made part of her dream.

          • Re: Cameron in underwear (and welcome, Jaye)

            Good analysis. Though possibly we’re all making too much (starting with me) of a scene that may have been inspired by some network exec saying, "have that Glau chick show more skin."

            Making too much of it? That’s it, hand in your badge, weapon and nerd-ID card as you leave the building.

            I, for one, am all for having that Glau chick show more skin. :)

    • Re: Cameron in underwear

      > Why, in Sarah’s imagination, does Cameron wander around the house in her underwear?

      I assumed she did that in everyone’s imagination. She doesn’t in yours?

      Not in mine, I’d thank her to put on clothes (and go mow the lawn or something)

    • Re: One question

      What the heck just happened?

      If you mean in this ep, the scenes in the sleep-testing place occurred in Sarah’s head. The other events really happened.

      Or are you asking something else?

      • Re: One question

        If you mean in this ep,

        Yeah, that’s what I meant. It was kind of messed up.

  3. Cute little meow moment..
    I liked the little moment between Sarah and Cameron about the pancakes. You could totally hear Cameron’s "bitch" thought bubble.

  4. I don’t get it
    Clearly the ones who must sleep were the viewers, so who are left to watch?

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