Originally posted by: Malfeas
Well, I enjoyed it, even if some others did not.
One thing no one else has seemed to notice, but these are not the terminators from the original future timeline, as some think. Sarah Conner DID change the future, but she just delayed the creation of skynet. This 'new' timeline skynet was created in 2011, when general technology levels are a bit more advanced than 1997. As such, all the machine/terminator models will not be exactly the same. They may be similar to the original timeline, but will have been developed under slightly different conditions, allowing for minor differences. So they may have more or fewer models, and they may have better behavioral programming allowing them to blend in human groups easier.
Remember, Reese came from the year 2029, and Cameron has already stated she came from 2027. A full two years ealier than the original skynet sent back the first terminator. The tech level in the 'new' timeline should be somewhat higher, since it had more time to develop before the nuclear hollocaust. But it is to earlier to say that, as there are few details on the 'new' future.
this runs along the lines of something else I was thinking, in that "future" John seems to have the ability to send cyborgs back later and later in the time-line...suggesting that Judgment day may be prolonged infinitum. As Judgment day progressively appears later, and with a further incremental rise in technology, "current" John also matures to an older age when "Day Zero" actually hits. His mental abilities, preparative strategy is likely more tuned. Perhaps he's gained more information into the technology that gives rise to actual time travel (an older "current" John will certainly realize that this is the war-ending tech in the war on machines: he keeps himself alive (And the machines at bay) every time a pair of cyborgs (assassin and protector) appears). Current John would probably realize (as he matures), that having earlier access (and invested resources

) In this tech, he will have a greater chance of survival when that day comes. Perhaps current John will manage to arrange himself (economically and physically) to be standing in a time machine the moment it hits, and can zip back to the immediate day prior, and redo his errors (ad infinitum) until he finally ends Judgment day.
...This could mean that we are all slightly missing Judgment day, and we should be thankful that a selfless fleshy "messiah" tirelessly sacrifices his blood to prolong our sentient existence. Or, it could also mean that the moment Future John crosses the same continuum as Current John (instant teleportation on Judgment day), is the moment that Current John snaps out of his trip (brown acid), and realizes that his journey into his past life was a 30 year-long depressive look on his childhood, and missed opportunities.
....The chick terminator in this series mentioned to Sarah that John always liked how his mother had read to him, though he never admitted it to her. THis could be a simple response programmed into a "learning, emotion-enabled" class of terminator, but I see this as a direct message from future John that he wanted his mother to hear.
Imagine a son who has survived his mother's death (not hard for many on this board, I imagine
), and the regrets that he has after her death, looking back on their life together: things not said, hugs not given, a wink that he wish he might have given her the moment she realized that he was a man, etc. How John felt, as a child when his mother would read to him, was that regret....This man sent a hallmark card to his long-dead mom, via steely boobs of death.