Devastating (fantastic good) episode! On all personages. The show has quantum leaped ahead with this. Perfect balance between luck, faith betrayal, love and yes even hate.
Creepy fantastic last minute with John Henry singing and processing and the burial of ‘John Doe” Reese.

WE WANT MORE!!!!!!!

i couldnt agree more with everything you said
when he appeared on the show i had my doubts as he was the worst part of 90210 and there were horrendous parts to that show LOL

but he grew on me
and i actually became a fan against all odds
and now hes dead
so fast
holy crap
im still watching the show and i had to divert right now just to do a search for “DEREK REESE IS DEAD”
and this popped up

i hope he comes back
and i hope he stays away from the new 90210

Unfortunately, Brian won’t be back. He just got a pilot for the CW with Jason Dohring. I understand that for John to become who he becomes, everyone he loves will die. However, I’m not sure how much longer I can watch a show that just keeps killing off every character that I love. Dean Winters and then Brian Austin Green. It’s really too much. From what I hear, it really doesn’t matter. It looks like the show won’t be picked up anyway

No SPOILER warning?

it took me until the commercial break to realize what happened but don’t worry they’re going to bring him back because you see i think the Kyle and Derek Reese we knew aren’t apart of the same universe as everybody else because you see if they were then they wouldn’t have been able to change or affect anything but since Kyle made John and Derek killed Andy then they obviously were able to affect the past meaning that they aren’t apart of the same universe.

if I were to go back through time and kill my best friend’s mother, no matter what I did she would not die because then my friend wouldn’t exist but since my friend is alive in the future that means no matter what I tried she could not die. but if I were to enter into another universe than i would be able to kill anyone I wanted because I am not apart of the universe and it doesn’t affect me. there’s a theory that there are trillion of trillion of universes all connected together and that they could vary from ours by a small particle or be completely different in every way.

so when the machines sent back the first terminator and Kyle Reese came back he was actually sent back to the past of an alternate universe which had so much in common with his own that he didn’t know it. so Kyle and Derek weren’t off the same universe which is why they were able to alter things.

this also explains why Jesse couldn’t get John to turn against Cameron because Jesse and Riley were from the future of that universe which is why they weren’t able to change anything. so the Derek from our universe’s future can still come back and he will probably come back looking for Jesse, so don’t worry he’s coming back.

Sarah was having conversations with Kyle a few episodes ago…Derek will be back in some form or other. We’ll see Jesse again too.

When Cameron said to John “You’ll miss him” I said “I will too!”

I can’t believe they killed Derek. It just doesn’t make sense. Derek is awesome & so is Brian Austin Green. Everyone was hating on him b/c of 90210. Why? It was a show in the 90s (and a hot show at that). People can’t deny what it was when it was. Get over the 90210 thing. It was a scripted show & now it’s over. All of the actors deserve to move on. At least he’s not on the new 90210 pretending to still be the same character, like Shannen, Jenie and Tori.

I’m shocked. I mean, he was UNCEREMONIOUSLY killed right on the spot. In a way, it’s a tragic but well executed scene but still I can’t help but feel shocked at all this. Imagine my reaction when on 24, David Palmer, Dessler, Edgar, and George Mason were killed; talk about shocking stuff. The future’s not looking too bright for John Connor with Sarah in jail, his girlfriend killed, and now Derek.

The only one who can protect him now is Cameron.

Well, I didn’t want to see Derek die. He was my favorite character. But, if he had to die, I would have rather seen him die for John (taking a bullet for him). If next week’s show is the last, I guess it doesn’t matter too much that he died, but if the show goes on (and I hope it does), we just lost our big link between John and Kyle.

Yeah…thanks for ruining the surprise for those of us who had to work and haven’t watched the recording yet. I’ve enjoyed subscribing to your feed, but not anymore.

I AM VERY DISSAPOINTED AT THE FACT THAT DEREK DIE SO EASILY!! I MEAN HE’S A MAN OF THE FUTURE HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE TENDICIES OF WHAT A MACHINE SOUNDS LIKE WHEN IT’S APROACHING HIM AND HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN TO DUCK AND HIDE OR SOMETHING. I JUST HOPE THE SHOW COMES BACK AND THAT DEREK RETURNS SOMEHOW. NO MATTER HOW CHEESY THEY DO IT I JUST WANT HIM TO COME BACK. DEREK MADE THIS SHOW RELEVANT ALMOST ON HIS OWN. PLEASE BRING HIM BACK!!!!!!!

Wow! I can’t believe they took out Derek… That’s a really brave thing to do, I mean, not being afraid of losing all the fans and supporters for the show. Are they not planning on renewing the show or something? What’s with them suddenly taking out so many characters all of a sudden?! First Riley (good thing), then Charlie (sob sob), and now Derek (OMG!~)

I’m really looking forward to the last episode of the season (and hopefully not the last for the show) - I’m very curious how they are going to wrap everything up. While I’m sad and shocked that Charlie and Derek are gone, but I’m still a big fan and hope that the show will still go on.

I love this character and BAG, for the first time ever. Killing him off could have been really cool but to do it so lame is idiotic. That was the dumbest thing ever. My wife, who could care less was shocked and thought it was stupid. If Derek Reese, Kyle’s brother !!!!!! has to go down it should be in a awesome fight with a Terminator (Not sure why the producers don’t want to use the word, another reason for cancellation). That is how he goes if he goes. Not just walking into a bullet. If I were BAG I would have told them were to go and refused to do it. It was not shocking, or exciting, it was just stupid.

Folks I loved this show and got season one the day it came out but this is pathetic. There has not been much Terminator action in a while and when we get some it’s bam, dead, dumb. Sorry but it deserves to be cancelled for this stupidity.

P.S. Just my opinion and I had to share it after watching this episode. Knowone needs to get mad and start calling me names. Just venting at what has to be the dumbest part of this show since it started and they could not even get the dates and years right, I forgave that but can not forgive this

Sorry but I don’t buy the alternate universe and Kyle coming back to one close to his thing. I do buy the shifting of future events. For example when Deric killed Andy he was the only one who knew about Andy because he was not affected by the change he set in motion. It’s actually closer to the back to the future alternate 1985. As soon as someone is sent back in time if the timeline changes they are excempt to those changes unless they experienced it before they went back in time.

It’s over! The show has been canceled! No third season. I read a thread last night of some one who was the studio lot and was told that the TSCC set had been torn down and that the actors have gone on to other projects. Very sad news. Let’s just hope Summer Glau gets some acting gigs worth her talent. It’s been fun…see ya…

FOX is gonna cancel this show isn’t it? sigh… this show gets better with each episode. Brian Austin Green was my favorite character. Man… this sucks.

Yep: This is all prep work for the movie. But still: the season finale is going to be something.

Holy Crap,
Derek was killed just like that……………… BAM! Right in the freaking thinker
He was a great character, too bad we’ve seen few of them,i.e. pretty much nobody, in the second season………

Yep kiddies that is the SCC Director killing anybody interesting before the end of the Season so that they make the story/series somewhat relevant again, since there won’t be a third season (I really hope this is not happening:(, I love this freaking show with or without all its faults )

Anyways, Mr. Friedman and Mr. Hunt make the last episode worth the whole damn 2 seasons

Well,

There you have it. Four main characters in the series written off. I wonder why. I can’t help thinking the writers want to put the action back into the series. Now more than ever.
Remember the series is also postponing the birth of SkyNet, Sarah´s struggle and the protection of John. Kyle Reese told her in James Cameron´s appearance of the Terminator.
Who knows what the writers have in store for us if FOX gives them futher go-ahead for a third season. Who knows what future resistence leader Connor has in store for the present? Now the series is at an all time high resulting in the sooner or later inevitable birth of SkyNet. John knows this and he knows his destiny, Magnificent to see the enormous groth in John´s character. Derek & Jesse knew this could be their furure. John is the only hope for humanity’s war against the machines and on 05-21-09 WE WILL FIGHT BACK. I have no doubt that the writers have something spectacular in store for us and like all the T800 and so forth series…………they are evolving………

You know what my reaction was? Bummed out. And not in a dramatic way. They ruined this show in one bullet to the head. I could care less if they cancel it now. BAG was doing such a great job acting this character, and the whole soldier from the future thing was working so well. And now they just took out the best character and blew the whole show. My reaction was they should have shot the mom in the head, and then had derek and connor go on the war path until judgement day. That would both explain John to me and be great television.

This though…. bleh… Fox can go ahead and cancel the show now. I just don’t care anymore.

QUE VUELVA DEREK!!!!!!!

lo peor que hicieron fue matarlo. Será que definitivamente la serie termina con esta 2da temporada?????

Insisto, que vuelva DEREK!!

They killed Derek Reese, they bastards!

Ya Tfan I Feel The Same, I Really Don’t Care Now If There Is Another Series.

Brian’s Character Added Something Truley Special To The Show. And I Couldn’t Concentrate On The Rest Of The Show Without Thinking It Wasn’t Dramatic Enough To Be True, So My Conclusion Was No New Series At That Very Second.

But Then If There Was Future John Would Probably Just Send Someone Else Back.

I couldn’t agree more with all the statements made-that and a great big ROFLMAO.

First off to Say Brian Austin Green was a tool just because he was on a prime time soap (90210) is just a stupid statement. Second he is dating the hottest chick on earth.
Something had to of happened between him and the studio. The almost won an emmy for the show and he was as you can see from the many responses from the fans, the front runner for most favorite character.

FOX, you F’ed UP, and you $h*t the bed big time. Good Job!!!

This was one of the best death scenes I’ve seen on TV. There was really no setup for it and it was a reminder of what exactly Sarah and John have been running form all this time - killing machines. The dramatics of losing a key character was played out with the the other three. This one meant all bets are off. All that’s left are Sarah and Cameron. Cameron probably won’t make it because she’s still going to be a John’s side in the future. Sarah will get a grand offing because we never got to see her go in the movies and since this IS the Sarah Conner Chronicles, we need that closure. My guess: John Henry will kill Ellison, Weever will destroy Cameron and kill Sarah but one of them might take her down too somehow (I’m guessing Sarah). In the end, only John will be left standing and keep running and hiding until it’s his turn to step up to the plate.
TATA TA TATA!! TATA TA TATA!!!!

Here is where you can read the bad news:
http://www.fmqinc.com/terminator-cancelled/

It’s over folks.

DEREK RIP

I suppose that is the reality of walking around the corner and meetin up with a T-888.

Keep in mind this a show with time travel….We may very well see Derek again.

yeah it was kinda random aye, just round the corner n dead ,thats it. i had the exact same thought , thats the way u kill an extra not a main charactor.

Gee.. Turn a corner and Derek is dead?! So unfair, at least he could have hold off the T-888 and die in a heroic way. First CBS killed of Hammerhead in The Unit with a random fire and now FOX follows. Copycat.

I skimmed through the comments and didn’t see any mention of the reason why they killed off Derek. My apologies if it’s already been covered.

I knew he would die off this season after reading that he had signed onto a pilot for The CW called Body Politic and that at least 2 characters would die before the season ended (Charlie being the other one).

For all the people who wanted Derek to go out in a blaze of glory, how would that be even the slightest bit different from what they did with Charlie one episode before? To me, this was the absolute best way to take out a character like Derek. The same way so many other great warriors, fictional or otherwise, have been taken out. Suddenly, and without fanfare.

It’s so phony to kill off minor characters, and to make your leads untouchable. It cheapens the show if the only way you’re allowed to kill off a character is to give them a dramatic send off with slow motion and music. I found Charlie’s death cheesy for just that reason, and was ambivalent about Jesse’s death. Derek’s death is a reminder of just what a dangerous world it is for the Connors, and how “life or death” each thing they do truly is.

Star Trek: TNG did something very similar with the character of Tasha Yar, and the response to that, after the immediate “How could you?!?!?” wore off, was unbelievably positive. I hope that, in a week or two, people will come around on Derek’s death in a similar fashion.

I’m very excited about the end of the series (shame to see it go), and seeing how the TV series ties into the movie, which they have said it will.

Yup, keep it dark. Derek’s death was perfect, basically an execution. He tried to get a shot off, but the Terminator was much much faster.

This series has so much to go upon, as I wanna see Sarah die in the end, as the series has always promoted cancer as being the killer of Sarah. She shouldn’t die in Episode 22, as she won’t die of cancer, and the whole story will just seem rushed and ruined.

Riley, Derek, Jesse, Charley are cylons.

Caprica -> Earth -> Judgment Day.

They better have a dam good reason to kill reese like tht i mean what the heck they just shot him in the head and ended tht they could have at least made more dramatic than just baam oh his dead lets move on i mean come on wasnt derek suppose to be gaurding john. There better be a 3rd season cuse i am so pisst off

yeah it sucked hella bad when they killed darek, its like hes a veteran from the future whos had experience in an all out war with the machines and then bomb he gets popped out of no where without even getting out a shot, but johns mother, who does have experience but not nearly as much as Darek but she still gets off hella shots, that dosnt make any sense if anything it just pissed me off, they shouldnt of F**Ked him like that, hella lame his brother fought way harder and died way harder but no they just kill him like hes some random jackass getting in the way geez lame

This will go down as one the best Sci-Fi series in TV history

Cameron is a LIAR !

Okay… So let me get this straight. Derek Reese, military training or some training in par, in all the episodes where he is hunting someone down or vise versa, uses tack and the surrounding buildings and scenery to provide protection…. get this, is running towards the shooting, runs around a corner… doesn’t stop behind the wall mind you like even someone with no training would do, and runs directly into a bullet. Can someone please explain why at this point in time he decides… “Heck… I won’t take my time and use a cover, I will just run into a terminator” Sad to see him go… even sadder that the writers would not think of a better way to kill him off or at least make it believable.

Perfect death. Humans are flawed and make mistakes. This death did what it was supposed to do, make John the future leader he is destined to be… two weaks ago John broke down and cried for Riley… (Loved One)… then Charlie gave his life for him (Loved One)… And then to remind us of the cold emotionless opponent and the simplicity with which they kill… Derek is shot… no hoopla just in cold blood (Loved One) the dulling of John’s emotions in dramatic fashion and obviously to proke an emotional response… (just look at all of your emotional outpouring)

Had it been done in “grand” fashion it would not have struck us so deeply… a reminder of the shortness of life.

For those who need more and see superhero Derek… remember the last 2 episodes for him and the emotional weight he carried that could easily lead to such a simple mistake when one loses sight of the mission and has to shoot the one they love.

Well done I say.

Best senseless death since Tasha Yar.

First I thought ‘Wow, what did Green do to piss off the producers?’, just like Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros on Lost.
If the show gets cancelled, it’d be a pity. It’s a good show, but not as good as BSG, though.

To all the people who think that Derek’s death was “the perfect way to go” because it shows “how frail human life can be” and great warriors go without fanfare, because killing off major characters with fanfare is “cheesy” or “unrealistic,” all I have to say is…

This is a freakin’ television show and one based on a supercharged action franchise. Major characters are *supposed* to go out with fanfare. What’s anti-climatic and undramatic is when a major character goes out like a chump like Derek did.

Think about this. Even Lance Henriksen (he played Bishop in Aliens) went out in a more dramatic way in the first Terminator movie (he was one of the cops who was interrogating Kyle when Arnold showed up) than Derek did.

If I had to guess, I would say that Brian Austin Greene taking the other job on the CW threw a kink in their plans and this was the best they could come up with to take out his character (and they probably wanted to “punish” his legacy on the show a bit as well).

Someone mentioned Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that’s appropriate for my point. First of all, she actually went out with more fanfare and more drama than Derek did. Second, the reason they offed that character was because the actress, Denise Crosby, decided to quit because she wanted a bigger role. She wasn’t even taking another job, she just moaned and whined about not being given enough to do.

It was appropriate that a character as minor and ultimately insignificant to the show as Yar was would go out in a less than ideal fashion when the actress’s head gets too big. Derek, on the other hand, was the core reason why the show gained momentum late in the first season and actually survived to a second one.

Nathaniel, the reality of a show is enhanced when events occur as they do in real life, when minor characters sometimes go out with fanfare, when major characters sometimes go out quickly and brutally. I, and obviously others here, get bored with cliched Hollywood endings to lives.

The view of one of the posters here was very much on que. Yes, Derek was a hardened war veteran. However, he is a man who had some brutal shocks lately, losing his girlfriend - only to later find out she was the mother of his child. Hardened veterans are still very much human and their reactions get slowed/dulled by emotional shocks like the rest of us. Just the reality that he had survived many terminator encounters, combined with the recent turmoil in his life, could have lent a false sense of invulnerability to Derek, a false sense that he would continue to endure even with the rest of the people in his life going away.

If one has to have their drama presented in a canned fashion, there are plenty of shows that will provide it.

I felt the same way. Holy $&*# ! They killed Derek.

“This was a television series that has time and opportunity for richer character development.”

I completely agree. The pointless death of a major character, one of the most important ones to the show’s success, has no bearing, good or bad, on “character development” so this is a moot point.

“You feel ‘entertained’ by the type of stuff I generally consider scifi crap.”

How quickly the arrogant, elitist mentality rears its ugly head. Tell me, did you actually turn your nose up as you were typing or did you just think about it?

Quite frankly, I couldn’t care less what you think about the type of entertainment I enjoy. You’re certainly free to believe that you’re somehow better than other people just because you enjoy one style of entertainment versus another. However, that sense of entitlement and superiority you feel is as hollow and pointless as Derek’s death.

You have absolutely no idea what entertains me. You have no idea whether I’ve even read all those precious Asimov stories you refer to yet you automatically assume that just because I disagree with your assessment of a particular event on a particular show, I automatically only like what you consider to be crap.

Guess what - I’ve actually read much of Asimov’s work and enjoy the type of intellectual stimulation it provides but I’m not arrogant or self-righteous enough to thumb my nose at anything that doesn’t fall into my little circle of entertainment.

The fact of the matter remains that the show is based off an action-oriented property. It’s obvious that most viewers are going in with certain expectations of what the show should be. Who are you to chastise the very people whose loyalty to the franchise made this show even possible?

You’re absolutely right that there’s a place for shows that break from the typical Hollywood cliches but a show based on a property that relies on those cliches to some degree isn’t one of them. When I want that kind of science fiction, I’ll turn to a show like Battlestar Galactica, which I just so happened to enjoy very much despite it not being your typical whiz bang special effects explosion fest.

Further, since when was there a rule that a show trying to elevate the science fiction storytelling art form on television can never ever have a good Hollywood cliche moment when the time is right?

Derek, one of the only reasons the show even made it to the second season, deserved to go out as more than a freakin’ chump. If you’re going to give him a meaningless death because real heroes don’t necessarily go out with fanfare, why not just have him slip in the bathtub and break his neck or have him trip while running and smash his head through glass? Why even bother trying at all with his death?

“The best of scifi delivers the action, the drama AND the technology like no movie ever could.”

Derek going out as a hero (or at the very least NOT as a chump) doesn’t clash with that one bit, regardless of how many times you post it in an ultimately pointless attempt to convince anyone else that that’s the case.

“Cliched story lines & subplots tend to be kept to a minimum.”

In other words, the series isn’t and shouldn’t be completely devoid of them, especially when they can increase the effectiveness of the events which occur.

Of course, you’re certainly free to your opinion, but so are the rest of us, most of whom are very unhappy with the way things turned out for the character.

Your claim that this is “good scifi storytelling” is pointless, anyway, since the reason why they killed him off so abruptly was because he had accepted a role on a pilot for another station months ago in anticipation of the show getting cancelled, which it almost certainly will be because of the decidedly less action oriented and more “real scifi” direction the show has been going in (which has resulted in severe viewer drop-off).

“Where else can one see stories like the brain of a dying, male chavinistic billionaire being transferred to the the beautiful corpse of his muuged secretary and exploring the explosive psychosexual repercussions that follow?”

How many people do you think would really be interested even in the least bit in this?

Totally agree, i was pretty damn shocked by how easierly Derek was taken out by the T-888, And i was the same with Derek he turned into pretty much my fave character on the show… Makes you wonder, what they gonna’ do next? =/

what would you do against a terminator with a gun ? you have no chance… (cromartie was waiting for 10 seconds before he shoots. that’s lame.)

in that moment, is it possible to run & hide? shooting a terminator with a simple 9mm in the head, would be enough to disable him? (in Brian’s case talking about megan fox wouldn’t suprise a t-888, too.) no…

i don’t see the point about “respect” or “easy death”…in my opinion everything is fine.

also, derek reese had to be killed in past, cos original Terminator SAGA dosen’t include him in future war. Everyone forgot that, because Derek was the second best character (after Cameron) in the show.

And please Josh DONT KILL CAMERON!!! I’m in love with her!!!

IT’s over People! get over it! TSCC has been canceled!

http://www.fmqinc.com/terminator-cancelled/

Read IT! IT’s over!

For god sakes they(Fox) posted this show again Dancing with the stars!!
!This season.
This is clear indication and way of killing a show off!!
Dancing is the highest rated, and TSCC was just getting its leg.Shame on Fox!
Sadly most people download HD Torrents of the show and this doesn’t count as ratings
and pretty much sealed its fate.
And with the imminent release of Terminator 4 it will be hard to keep both levels of action stories connected.
People of course prefer the exclusive 3 movies contract with Christian Bale over a tv show.

Are you folks mad? This episode was not outstanding, it sucked the big A. Ok some killing off of characters is fine, but it’s getting way overboard. This episode basically ruined it for me and I’m not sure I like this show at all any more. Totally sucks to kill off Derek and totally unnecessary. Absolute crap. The writers need to get a life and stop killing all the characters the audience connects with off so rapidly. And he11, there is no reason to kill them all off. And I heard someone else mention the senseless “pop a cap in Derek’s head for no reason” way he died. LAME-O. Just plain stupid. At least make him die defending John or something worthwhile. This show is going in the tank if it’s not already there. And it was lame last week to kill off Charlie. Just stupid and pointless. I can see the point of story sincerety for all these dead characters, but that only works for the hard core sci-fi geeks. But this show had broad appeal to general audiences because of the rich character development. One example of this is my wife. But the way it’s gone now, she hates the show and is basically done watching it. So what you’ve really done Fox is to kill off your audience and turned the show into a lame-o snoozer. Without Derek, the connors will seem to have no hope now at all, which won’t be appealing to watch anymore. It just become everybody’s gonna die tired cr@p.

Jeez, if I see just one more “its not been cancelled yet” post I will scream.
I loved the show, even thru the ropey early series 2 episodes, but, facts are facts - Fox has gutted the sound-stage - the sets are no more. They are not in storage, they have not been dismantled, they have been destroyed and thrown out to make space for new shows - it is O-V-E-R. There is NO series 3. What part of it all do you not get?
Forget the whispers, the stories, the “leaks”, the one FACT out of it all, the one PROVABLE story is that the the sound-stage and sets are gone, which can be verified by anyone who works on the Fox set - its not even secret for god sake people. The costs to build it all back up for a 3rd series after the ratings disaster that series 2 was (due to Fox’s Friday night move) means its not going to happen - ever.

FOr anyone who didnt know yet, bryan austin greens Derick reese was killed off because B.A..G. just signed on to a new series on fox for next fall , i do not know the name of the show yet but he is playing a guy named lucky, as for the death scene i thought that was the worst thrown together scene in tv history , he was not a red shirt as dubbed by the old star trek series, he was a major story arch between the reese’s and the connor’s shame on them for quick write ins , now i love the show but for reasons liket his is why the show is on the cancellation bubble.

I agree with your entire article.

He deserved a much better death and it was like really random.

I could tell it was going to happen though from when they revealed he was going to the garage. I was like, “Holy crap no way there going to kill off Derek.”

Bam!

He’s dead

I sat there with my hand covering my mouth for a good 5 minutes after that scene. It was not so much the death, but just how tossed out it was. 3rd from last episode, a quarter of the way in, no build-up. In fact the moment he got shot I saw the bullet hit his head and I went, “Oh my GOD!”

well for those who saw last nights show I guess you know by now that Derek Rees’ may have died last week but that did not last They brought him back pretty quickly in the last few minutes last night John makes a time jump and bam there is Derek so yeah his death did not mean a damn thing I thought he went out to easy like some cheap expendable extra no he is very much alive the miricles of Time Travel and guess what he is just the tip of the iceburg Kyle is back as well which is beyond awsome and Cameron of Allison Yong is there too though I really think it was Cameron givin the look on her face the eyes tell the story at least to me Terminators get those really off looks in there eyes damn Sarah why did you not jump it would have been the first ever family reunion if they are going to have a season three assuming it is going to happen at all how is she going to get there when she backed out in the last minute I want anwsers and I know I am not the only one on here who does DAMN IT FOX GREEN LIGHT SEASON THREE PLEASE one more thing anybody else think Cameron looked cool last night wonder why her eye was red instead of blue oh well still cool

It’s too bad, too, since the finale brought back exactly what real Terminator fans have been looking for all season long. If the episodes this season were even half as awesome as the finale was, the show would still be alive. As it is, we’ll just have to imagine what next season could have been like.

It sure was a shock to see Derek dead… And I agree with most of you guys, that Brian surprised me and made his character soooo cool! (who would imagine, watching 90210? lol)

But that’s the terminator way…. it shouldn’t always be happy

I don’t know what everyone is b**ching about. It was the first time a death was played straight and realistically, and highlighted the precise pointlessness of all these deaths. In fact, for every unceremonious snuffing, John avoids one more bullet, and they satisfy the perpetual theme; ‘they ALL die for John’. It was convincingly realistic,, unceremonious, and flatly shocking. Real death doesn’t happen in slow-mo. Real death isn’t glorious. Real death doesn’t have a dramatic score.

I agree with another poster here - the only real death in an unrealistic drama.

Of course, killing off Derek doesn’t really mean anything. I go on now with the full knowledge that many here haven’t a clue about the semantics of time travel, and hope that the following is concise enough:

Killing ‘future’ Derek in the present does not remove him from the future, as the future is ‘future’ Derek’s past.

The future he travelled from no longer exists, or exists an alternative (tree-branch) timeline because events in the (very real and non-alternative) present have changed the future.

Derek is still alive in the present (as a juvenile) and will continue to live out his life in whatever time-line stems from the events of the present.

In fact, such are the semantics of time travel in the Terminator universe that killing the present version of someone who has already travelled back to the present from the future would not result in their fading from existance. In fact, it would simply mean that the future that stems from the present will not include them, and the future (tree-branch) timeline from which the future version travelled will no longer come to be - the ‘future’ version of this individual will continue to exist in the present timeline.

However, kill someone in the present, and they will *never* arrive from the future. The reason for this is that all potential timelines branching from the present are now devoid of that individual. Kill them before a future version has travelled back to the present, and the future version will no longer exist. You would have to travel back in time to prevent the death in the past in order to allow for their arrival from the future in the present (or near future), but in the process your future (your non-linear past) would change, so what was previously the present (now, the future) would be an inaccessible tree-branch timeline. You, like Derek, would now have arrived from a future that will not come to pass.

Plausibly, you could prevent the death of the person you killed by killing your past self. You would continue to exist despite your particular tree-branch timeline ceasing to, and you could take your own place.

Not that this makes any difference, as it’s obvious that he is gone (and gone for good), but any number of alternative versions of ‘future’ Derek could arrive quite plausibly in the present. This is not a formula for reviving the character, but perhaps a chance for some of the less emotionally capable of you to understand that Derek is not really dead. Nobody from the future (or some future tree-branch timeline) who dies in the present is actually dead, as their present selves are yet to reach the point at which they travel back to their past (the present).

Tomorrow, there will be a written test on time travel semantics. I expect everyone to attend… and those who are arriving from the future to have already attended.