TTSCC Scenes I’d Like To See (Part 1) – John and Cameron Parting; John, Derek, Cameron, and Some Truth

I, like many fans of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, have our own ideas of how things sort of work in the TTSCC timeline(s) we’ve been given. Understandably, we have scenes or stories that we’d like to see. Usually, they never happen because we aren’t privvy to the creative plans of the creative staff. This doesn’t mean that we are bound to suffer in silence. I’ve been a part of many fandoms going back to the original Star Trek series, and I’ve never known the imaginative fans to keep quiet about what they are thinking. Given the pieces of fanfic I’ve written in the past, I think it’s safe to say that I’m part of that not-keeping-quiet group.

[WARNING: Should staffers connected with TTSCC be reading this, your legal department will probably want you to abandon this blog now (not that I’d know one way or the other). Creative scenes will be outlined or written below. Frankly, I’d don’t care if you see them or not, but I don’t want you to get into trouble if you do. I’ll view it as a happy coincidence that I stumbled upon anything that has popped up in your meetings.]

So, instead of being all dry and texty as usual, I’m going to revert back to the writing form I’m happiest using: the screenplay. Please, don’t expect anything even remotely good…I haven’t written in this form in years, and like anything else it takes practice to maintain one’s skills.

[ratings id=”1706″]

John and Cameron Parting

One of the things that really fascinates me is the relationship future-John had with Cameron before she chronoported to directly help now-John. There are many ways that this could go, all of which I find entertaining. This is a scene that’s sort of an amalgam of several ideas mix-mastered together. It would be the last, or nearly the last, time that future-John and Cameron would be together.

INT. RESISTANCE HQ

FUTURE-JOHN stares at plans as the sound of BATTLE filters
into his darkened planning room. CAMERON enters.

               FUTURE-JOHN
     Did the reinforcements arrive?

               CAMERON
     I don't know. There was an explosion
     in the tunnel. I couldn't get through.

Future-John stares at Cameron. Cameron is confused as to
why.

               CAMERON
     I could try again, but the probability
     of--

               FUTURE-JOHN
     No. No, don't worry about it. If they
     didn't make it, there's nothing we can
     do about it.

Cameron unloads some equipment, but stays armed and alert.

               FUTURE-JOHN
     If things go south--

               CAMERON
     Go south?

               FUTURE-JOHN
     If things go badly. If they get through
     to our position, I want you to go ahead
     with what we discussed.

               CAMERON
     I still don't agree that it will be
     helpful.

               FUTURE-JOHN
     Maybe not. But I can't be fighting Skynet
     and rebel factions, too. Something went
     wrong. Something's different now from what
     the timeline was before. You need to fix
     it.

               CAMERON
     Fix it.

               FUTURE-JOHN
     As soon as you go back, the future will
     change. You weren't with me when I was
     younger in this timeline. Get me through to
     J-Day. Try to take down Skynet.

               CAMERON
     How?

Future-John SLAMS his fist onto the table.

               FUTURE-JOHN
     I don't know!
          (calmer)
     I don't know. You will have to use your
     best judgment. Cooperate with my mother
     and...me, but don't let them order you
     around. They won't understand what's at
     stake, so you don't have to follow orders
     from them.

The room shakes from a too close EXPLOSION.

               FUTURE-JOHN
     Promise me you'll do this.

               CAMERON
     I promise.

John moves closer and ambiguously touches Cameron's arm
or shoulder.

               FUTURE-JOHN
     I wish we could finish this together, but
     you need to teach me the things I didn't
     know soon enough. If you can't stop J-Day,
     then make sure I'm ready.

               CAMERON
     I promise.

---

John, Derek, Cameron, And Some Truth

In this second sequence, which is sort of a follow-on to the previous scene, I’m addressing the fact that John has two supposed allies from the future—neither of whom is giving him any useful intelligence or corroborating those few items that do get said. Hell of a way to plan a resistance movement, if you ask me.

EXT. CONNOR HOUSE - DAY

DEREK stands like a reproachful father as JOHN parks in
the driveway.

               DEREK
     What do you think you're doing?

               JOHN
     About?

               DEREK
     We need to find those weapons.

               JOHN
     Cameron said that--

               DEREK
     How many times do I have to tell you.
     She's one of them. She--

               JOHN
     Stop.

John glares.

               JOHN
     Not out here.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

John strides into the house, with Derek not far behind.

               JOHN
     Cameron! Will you meet us in the living
     room?

Derek manages to look angry and confused at the same time.
CAMERON comes down the stairs.

               CAMERON
     John? What's wrong?

               JOHN
     You two, here on the couch. I've had it.

Cameron and Derek eye each other. Cameron goes to the
couch and sits to one side.

               JOHN
     Derek?

               DEREK
     You're wasting--

               JOHN
     No, I'm done wasting time. Sit down,
     Derek.

Derek reluctantly sits on the opposite end as Cameron.

               JOHN
     Today we stop treating me like a brainless
     puppet. You two know each other in the
     future, and you two know me in the future.
     If you really want to help me, stop playing
     these mind games and just fill me in. Why
     did I really send you both back? What things
     did I do wrong? What did I do right? If I
     know, then maybe we really can change the
     future. Otherwise, I'm just guessing like
     I was after every other time I sent back
     help.

Cameron and Derek both think about it for a moment.

               DEREK
     Long story short? You started make pets
     out of--

               CAMERON
     You died.

SILENCE

               JOHN
     What?

               CAMERON
     You died. Just before I came back. We
     agreed that if that happened, I'd go back
     in time to try to fix things.

Derek is a little stunned.

               JOHN
     How did I die?

               CAMERON
     In an explosion. The forces loyal to you
     were fighting Skynet and the rebellion
     in a battle at your chronoportation site.
     We lost.

               DEREK
     Who's "we"?

               CAMERON
     John. Me. The resistance. We lost.

               JOHN
               (to Derek)
     Is that right?

               CAMERON
     He wasn't there. He had been sent back a
     year and twenty-three days before.

               DEREK
               (to Cameron)
     Isn't that convenient?
               (to John)
     We were winning the war, John, before you
     started all of this. Before the time
     travel. Before you started thinking the
     enemy could be made into allies. We were
     winning.

               CAMERON
     No. Skynet had positioned itself for
     inevitable victory.

Derek SNORTS derisively.

               JOHN
     I didn't start the time travel. Skynet
     did when it sent back the terminator to
     kill my mother. I had no choice but to
     send back someone to protect her.

               CAMERON
     Kyle Reese.

               JOHN
     And as for reprogramming terminators to--

               CAMERON
               (realization)
     Kyle Reese was your father.

Oops... Cat. Bag. Out.

               JOHN
     --to aid in the fight, I'd have died
     years ago if I hadn't done that.

Derek rises.

               DEREK
     You can't trust them. They--

               JOHN
     I can't? Really? You've been totally
     honest with me and my mother?

               DEREK
     John, you need to not get off--

               JOHN
     Tell him.

               CAMERON
     For a least the past three months you have
     been having sexual relations with another
     resistance fighter from the future named
     Jesse--

               DEREK
     You've been following me?

               JOHN
     Apparently, I had reason.

               DEREK
               (pointing at
                Cameron)
     It lies. It lies all the time. You don't
     know.

               JOHN
     She also tried to kill me.

Cameron reacts.

               JOHN
     But I expected more from you. If we are
     all in it for me, and for humanity, I
     suggest that you both start filling me in
     on those things I need to know before the
     bombs start falling. So, Derek, please sit
     down and let's get serious about saving the
     world.

---

And I think that’s more than enough for now. Don’t want to go too nuts with committing random acts of screenplay. But like I said, it gets frustrating when things that should logically be done in plot revelation aren’t done because the writers are afraid that if they pay it off they won’t have any exciting new ideas to create new mysteries. I think it’s a tactic that soon leads to diminishing returns, but then again I’m here and they’re there. What do I know?