Terminator: Pilot

"There are those who believe that a child in the womb shares his mother's dreams, her love for him, her hopes for his future. Is it told to him in pictures while he sleeps inside her? Is that why he reaches for her in that first moment and cries for her touch? But what if you've known since he was inside you what his life held for him? That he would be hunted, that his fate was tied to the fate of millions, that every moment of your life would be spent keeping him alive. Would he understand why you were so hard? Why you held on so tight? Would he still reach for you if the only dream you've ever shared with him was a nightmare? Would he know my love runs through him like blood?"

- Sarah Connor

"Pilot" is the premiere episode of the science fiction/action TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which is based on the popular Terminator film series created by James Cameron back in 1984. The events of the series as a whole take after Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, however, this episode takes place before the events of that film, but several years after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The episode was directed by David Nutter with a script written by series developer Josh Friedman. It first aired on the FOX Network on Friday, January 13th, 2008 at 8:00 pm.

Co-Stars
The following cast list is taken from the end-credit sequence from the episode.

Notes & Trivia

 * Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Pilot redirects to this page.


 * This episode is rated TV-14.


 * This episode is included on disc one of the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season DVD collection.


 * Production code number: 276022.


 * This series was developed for television by Josh Friedman.


 * Executive producer Mario Kassar is credited as Mario F. Kassar in this episode.


 * Actor Aaron James Cash is credited as Aaron Cash in this episode.


 * This is the only episode of the series with Charlie Goldstein as a producer.
 * This episode premiered in Australia on February 12th, 2008.


 * The pilot episode first aired in the United Kingdom on Channel One on February 21st, 2008.


 * This episode first aired in Finland on November 10th, 2008.


 * The opening scene takes place on August 24th, 1999 in West Fork, Nebraska. The scenes from John's new high school take place on September 6th, 1999 in Red Valley, New Mexico.


 * Cameron Phillips' first name is taken from James Cameron, who is the creator of the Terminator franchise and the director on the first two films. However, Cameron had no involvement in the production of the television series.


 * If actor Owain Yeoman looks familiar to some viewers, it might be because they recognize him from the CBS crime drama series The Mentalist. Yeoman played the role of CBI detective Wayne Rigsby in seasons 1-6.


 * Sarah Connor's FBI file indicates that she was born in Los Angeles, California and that she is 5'4". Actress Lena Headey is 5'5½". Actress Linda Hamilton, who played Sarah Connor in the film series is 5'6".


 * As Sarah Connor had only previously encountered T-800 model Terminators, the Terminator from her dream must be a T-800.


 * The phrase "Come with me if you want to live" has become something of a trademark in the Terminator franchise. It was first spoken by Kyle Reese to Sarah Connor in the original Terminator. It was said again Terminator 2: Judgment Day by the T-800 Terminator to John Connor. In this episode, Cameron Phillips says the line to John after she hits Cromartie with the pick-up truck.

Sarah Connor's FBI file

 * Name: Conner, Sarah (no middle initial)
 * Known aliases: Sarah Reese
 * Status: Escaped from Pescadero State Hospital. Whereabouts: Unknown. At large.
 * Occupation: Waitress
 * Sex: Female
 * Age: 33
 * Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California
 * Race: Caucasian
 * Height: 5'4"
 * Weight: 110 lbs.
 * Hair: Black
 * Eyes: Green
 * Marks/Tattoos: Puncture scarring front and back right shoulder. Multiple combat scars.
 * Known associates. Charley Dixon, fianc; John Connor, son (15).
 * Federal warrants: Murder, attempted murder, armed assault & battery, armed robbery, assault & battery, domestic terrorism, kidnapping, arson of United States government property and property used in interstate commerce, arson of a building.
 * Remarks: At large. Armed and dangerous. Approach with extreme caution. Trained in the use of military grade firearms, handguns, edged weapons, explosives, and hand-to-hand combat. If contact is made, utilization of FBI HRT is highly recommended.

Terminator models
The following Terminator models are featured in this episode.
 * T-800: This is the Terminator that Sarah Connor sees in her dream.
 * T-888: This is the Cromartie Terminator.
 * T-900: Unconfirmed. It has been speculated that Cameron Phillips might be a T-900, but her series model has never been revealed.

Bloopers

 * Sarah Connor's FBI file mis-spells her last name as Conner.

Quotes

 * Sarah Connor: Don't think that, John! Don't you ever think that! Look at me! No one is ever safe!

....
 * Sarah Connor: Half an hour. One bag, plus the guns. I'll make pancakes.

....
 * John Connor: What model are you? Are you new, you seem... different.

....
 * Terminator: The future is ours. And it begins now.

....
 * John Connor: So do you have, like, an account here?
 * Cameron Phillips: Safety deposit box.
 * Sarah Connor: When'd you open that?
 * Cameron Phillips: 1963.

....
 * Sarah Connor: Every family has rules, and we had ours. Keep your head down. Keep your eyes up. Resist the urge to be seen as important or special. Know your exits.

....
 * Cameron Phillips: Back at school, you apologized for lying to me, so I should apologize for lying to you.
 * John Connor: It's all right. I get it. You needed to get close to me. It's just the way you're... programmed. Like some hot girl is really gonna try and make friends with the new weird kid. If I'd thought about it, I would've known something was messed up.

....
 * Sarah Connor: It is said that the death of any one person is the death of an entire world. Certainly for parents, the death of a child is no less than a holocaust. In the case of my son, these words are literally true. And even though we've traveled through time, bent the rules of nature, they will keep coming for him, keep trying to kill him. But until that day, it's gonna be one hell of a dogfight.

Keywords
1990s; 1999; California; Crest View High School; Cyberdyne Systems; Cyborg; Electrocution; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Gunshot victims; Dreams; High school; Los Angeles; Los Angeles County; Nebraska; New Mexico; Nightmares; Red Valley; Security Trust of Los Angeles; Sheriff; Skynet; Student; SWAT; T-800 Terminator; T-888 Terminator; Teacher; Terminator; Waitress; West Fork