Derek's death was sudden.. and cheap.  No way that man should have gone down without a fight.  Very dissapointing.  I agree, the series seems to be playing yo-yo and speeding it's way to a wrap up, no matter how messy it may be.

I was pondering the whole series and I think there's a link between the T-8 that Jesse saw, and Weaver.  I think she's the reason John sent Cameron back, because of the deal that went sour in the future.

I dunnoo, the number of good Sci Fi (Sy Fy?) shows is dwindling and it makes me sad..

I agree with you "makabriel" good scifi show are dwindling-why o why????

This was a good episode it had alot of drama and alot of repercussions. Very Bold, but I agree with makabriel Derek's death was way too sudden. It pissed me off how fast he died. I mean I know Terminators are merciless killers but this is a guy who Hunted Terminators in the future. To have been taken down so easy and so quick was quite sloppy if you ask me. I expected Derek to go down protecting John but he didnt even get a shot off. His death at that moment felt empty. I was shocked by how empty his death was not shocked that he died but in the way he died. Tsk tsk that moment took the episode down a notch for me. I dont know the circumstances for having the character written off the show but he couldve gone down with a fight (ala Kyle Reese) now its too late and this cant be rescinded. Sloppy sloppy. Once again Good episode, sloppy killing of a great character.

 This was one of the best episodes all season long! 

My only complaints seems to be like the rest: Derek's death should have been a hell of a lot more meaningful.. his brother died to protect the greater good.. that should have been his fate as well.

I think Derek's death was awesome and well played.  It was definitely a shocker.  I jumped and didn't believe what I saw.  Very realistic.  I don't think he was expecting a terminator at all.  Plus, the terminator already had his gun out and well he's a machine, aiming is easy.  Man, this was a bad ass episode.  Hopefully, hopefully it comes back.  Which, sadly, is doubtful.  

I have to say, I liked way they killed Derek.  It was very Whedon-esque.  You have to have those sudden and meaningless deaths in a show to up the ante so to speak.  It breaks the audience out of complacency.  Just like in life deaths rarely seem to have any meaning.  When you have a death like Derek's on the show, it's basically to wake up the audience and say that you better pay attention because anything can happen.  I do wish that the show will get the chance to come back for a third season, but I like most everyone here thinks that it's doubtful.  Too bad we had to sit through all the terrible episodes for that Jesse and Riley arc. 

I don't really know where the wrtiers are going with Weaver's story and what it's true purpose is.  Hopefully we'll find out next week or else we'll probably never know.

I actually was very glad that Derek died. I think this season's hang up has been with too many people from the future in the storyline. That he died suddenly and with one shot to the noggin was a shocker, but kind of satisfying only in the fact that it wasn't some drawn out death scene.

As for Weaver, maybe she was actually sent back by John to teach Skynet some humanity. I've always felt that it didn't make any sense for Weaver to keep Ellison around, nor to teach John Henry ethics and human value of life. What purpose would that serve in getting Skynet up online? As for John Henry's 'brother', I'm definitely convinced now that it is Skynet fighting for survival in its very limited form since Sarah had taken out Cyberdyne.

I also am among perhaps the minority who believes Derek's death was handled very well. The shock of it happening that way to a main character (think Samuel L. Jackson in Deep Blue Sea) was fun in and of itself. On another level, though, it think its suddenness also served to make the terminators more threatening in the minds of viewers. Before now, Sarah and the gang appeared indestructible; the appearance of a terminator only seemed to be a mild annoyance to them. Now, If Derek can go out like that, without getting a shot off, we should again think that any one of them can go out like that, at any time. In a subtle way--at least for me--the machines have become dangerous again.

That's the thing with war, the best most experienced warrior can go down in a split second and out of the blue.  I like the way he was taken out and it also showed what a Terminator was really like.  We've gotten so used them being this weak robots it was nice to see one as a killer with a single purpose again.

I liked the episode but now I'm even more pissed with this series. This show is about to get cancelled and the series finale will be anything but.  It will be a cliff hanger which was really stupid of the writers to do that...I could be wrong but as Rob pointed out way too many questoins to answer and not enough time to do that.  I think about the waste that was about 9 episodes this season when they could have made it one big arc with the last episode being the finale.

Overall I would say this series as a whole was a waste and I can only hope these writers never work in sci-fi again. These last few episodes showed the potential of the show but sadly it was never realized or realized too late.

It had the opposite effect on me, really.  When he first got shot I thought it was a security guard out of the blue.  Just another "red shirt".  Then it cut to him and I thought "It looks like Derrek.  Huh."  Then the close up shot.  "WTF? That was anticlimatic.  Ok, who's dreaming now?"  I was waiting for Sarah to get shot dead.  Then a standoff between John and the machine and POOF, Sarah wakes up.

It really had no meaning to me.  Which was a big mistake on the writer's part (which seems to be a common thread here).  Charley's death touched me more than Derrek's and I like Derrek a hell of a lot more..