Broken Frontier

Setting the proper mouse trap can be a challenge. Getting the right cheese is just the beginning. Cheese is the least of John Connor’s worries.

When advising prospective writers about their craft, screenwriter Earl Stanley Gardner once said: 'When in doubt have two guys bust through the door with guns blazing.'

In crafting “The Mousetrap,” it’s pretty obvious that the writers got similar advice somewhere along the way. The episode starts like a house on fire by delivering the inciting incident and a swift kick to the gut within the first three minutes.

To which I say, “Niiiiiiiiiice.”

And the rest of “The Mousetrap” (extremely well named, by the way) continues to deliver. Its one episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles that will turn fans of the show into devoted fans, and casual onlookers into fans.

There’s yummy foreshadowing: After John hooks the immensely pregnant neighbor landlady’s TV for illicit cable reception, they watch a recap of George Laslo’s slaughter of 20 hostage rescue officers. Commenting on how nice Laslo was, she then says, “This town can screw you up …”

There’s humor: Cameron finds the exact center of the family’s new abode and notes that the East by Southeast portion of the house is moving downward by a factor of point nine three meters per year. Used to hitting Cameron where he knows it will hurt, John asks, “Does that affect the security system or the sightlines for the night scope? How does this affect the security of one John Connor?” “It doesn’t,” deadpans Cameron, “but next summer we’re going to have to repaint.”

And even irony: Sarah chides John for pirating cable for the landlady and rebuts, “Nobody that pregnant should be forced to watch network television … it’s bad for the baby.” Sarah responds, “You don’t know anything about babies,” but John has the trump card all ready, “I know they grow up.”

All of this goodness is packed right into the box before the first commercial break, and although this really seems like small potatoes, they delicious potatoes. The writing on this show, especially most of the dialogue, makes my little heart skip a beat. It’s tip-top.

When Charley’s wife, Michelle, is kidnapped by Cromartie (the aforementioned inciting incident), Sarah and Derek run to help. They discover Michelle tied up to a bomb in an abandoned building way out in the middle of nowhere. As the show’s title suggests, Cromartie has designed a deadly mouse trap that successfully lures Sarah away from John. The last act of the show is a cat and mouse game involving Cromartie, John, and Cameron.

Who wins? Who loses? And who is just treading water, (or not, based on the weight of an all metal skeleton?).

Believe me, the consequences of failure are the deadliest yet.

If you’re not yet a fan of the show, then I advise you not to watch “The Mousetrap.” It is my firm belief that you won’t be able to continue sitting comfortably on the fence if you do.

One last note, I fully applaud the producers of this show for casting a somewhat plus sized teen as Riley, John’s potential squeeze. At first she seemed to be an odd fit for the role, but she now seems as comfortable in Riley’s skin as foot to shoe. And as Led Zeppelin once said, she’s got a “whole lotta love” and a whole lotta potential for growth.