Huh, in all of my years of loving Terminator 2, I had never seen the alternate ending

[jack_package_200]

I kind of don't care for it. I can acknowledge it does bookend the movie with the beginning and it parallels Sarah's visions of the playground prior to nuclear devastation.

I just think its too neat and saccharine and not in tone with the rest of the film. I think the actual ending is hopeful but uncertain. We don't know what the future brings.

 

[Mona]

yea i really dont think this ending is necessary

 

[jack_package_200]

Also the makeup on and wig they have on Linda Hamilton in that scene is so substandard, especially when compared to how immaculate everything is in the rest of the film

 

[zombiejames]

It made no sense, and the ending Cameron went with is the superior one, but it could have definitely ended the series and saved us from all these shitty sequels. T3 - if it would have been made at all - would have been a future war prequel. That's it.

 

[HammerFace]

I actually really like this ending. Seeing adult John happy with his daughter. It was nice. Also essentially snubbing all future films from existence is a nice touch too.

 

[fieldafar]

Is it bad that I prefer this ending over the one we got? If only because we could've prevented the subpar sequels that followed.

 

[Jawmuncher]

The idea of the ending isn't terrible, as said it would've closed things off earlier on. However, the way it's presented here definitely seems really off.
The make-up looks odd and it wraps things up a bit too happily.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

It is absolute shit.

 

[Foxashel]

Studios would have found a way to make sequels regardless. At least the ending they went with has given us Dark Fate. Possibly the best Terminator yet!

 

[wallmeat]

I think the fact that it's hidden on at least a couple of the home releases and you have to enter a code to access it says something about how people feel about it. It's a neat throwaway but the ending we got in T2 is fine as is.

 

[THErest]

So Cameron himself really did consider changing the rules of time travel in his own fictional world.

I mean, it seemed so with the direction T2 went. But this is so blatant.

 

[jack_package_200]

I hate asking this since it'll sound like an obnoxious plot hole hunter youtuber question but like how the fuck would they be able to live their lives so openly and John becomes a US senator.

It makes no fucking sense.

 

[HammerFace]

So Cameron himself really did consider changing the rules of time travel in his own fictional world.

I mean, it seemed so with the direction T2 went. But this is so blatant.

Click to shrink...

I mean it wouldn't have been a change. This seems in line with his original idea that Skynet wanted to kill itself but couldn't self terminate so it created John Connor. Which possibly means that at some point there was a timeline, the original, in which skynet won completely and realized it fucked up.

 

[HammerFace]

I hate asking this since it'll sound like an obnoxious plot hole hunter youtuber question but like how the fuck would they be able to live their lives so openly and John becomes a US senator.

It makes no fucking sense.

Click to shrink...

aren't most of the people hunting for sarah dead and or probably locked up because they too were spouting off "MACHINE FROM THE FUTURE"

Also probably they got brand new identities after 2 wraps up.

 

[Penny Royal]

It's a series that has time travel, this ending wouldn't have prevented anything.

I was hoping for a nuke to suddenly appear tbh

 

[THErest]

I mean it wouldn't have been a change. This seems in line with his original idea that Skynet wanted to kill itself but couldn't self terminate so it created John Connor. Which possibly means that at some point there was a timeline, the original, in which skynet won completely and realized it fucked up.

Click to shrink...

Where is this from?

In the film itself (The Terminator, that is) the timeline is demonstrably unchangeable. The attempt to change it was already a part of history. The most solid evidence of this (besides Kyle being John's father) is the photograph. The audience saw that Kyle's photo of Sarah and the one she gets at the end are the same. None of the characters know this, though. They don't know that the timeline can't be changed (even with time travel) and that time is a closed loop, so they tried to change it anyway.

 

[Deleted member 4552]

It's better not knowing.

Try this instead:



Btw, there's no mirror in that shot.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Where is this from?

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I have never heard that idea before, and not finding anything to substantiate it now trying to Google it.

 

[HammerFace]

Where is this from?

In the film itself (The Terminator, that is) the timeline is demonstrably unchangeable. The attempt to change it was already a part of history. The most solid evidence of this (besides Kyle being John's father) is the photograph. The audience saw that Kyle's photo of Sarah and the one she gets at the end are the same. None of the characters know this, though. They don't know that the timeline can't be changed (even with time travel) and that time is a closed loop, so they tried to change it anyway.

Click to shrink...

It's in an official art book of some kind. I don't remember, but's it one of Cameron's original ideas for the story.

 

[Mejilan]

This is the only alternate ending I need.

 

[Z-Beat]

There's no way John made it to the Senate with his mother being a mentally unstable domestic terrorist

 

[VorpalNonsense]

I just think its too neat and saccharine and not in tone with the rest of the film. I think the actual ending is hopeful but uncertain. We don't know what the future brings.

Click to shrink...

That was the reason Cameron gave for removing it. It just didn't jibe with the rest of the movie at all and was tonally jarring. He also brought up the old age makeup as not something the audience would really buy into if it hadn't already been established earlier in the movie.

But this was very late in the game and there was no time left to film a new ending. So they used some footage they shot for the trip to cyberdyne and had Linda do new voiceover. The available footage was relatively short so they had to make sure what they wrote for her fit within that time.

In the end they were much happier with the ending that surprisingly came together last minute.
It was a good call.

 

[plagiarize]

The special edition (like the Aliens special edition) is inferior in my eyes for lots of reasons.

These aren't a case like with the Abyss where Cameron wasn't able to deliver on his original ideas. Both T2 and Aliens as released theatrically, are his directors cuts. The special editions are just interesting extra fluff, but I generally don't watch them when I want to revisit either movie.

The Abyss, the special edition is the one I always go to.

 

[jelly]

I never knew Linda Hamilton had a twin and they did use her in T2 scenes instead of camera trickery.

 

[Xero grimlock]

The special edition (like the Aliens special edition) is inferior in my eyes for lots of reasons.

These aren't a case like with the Abyss where Cameron wasn't able to deliver on his original ideas. Both T2 and Aliens as released theatrically, are his directors cuts. The special editions are just interesting extra fluff, but I generally don't watch them when I want to revisit either movie.

The Abyss, the special edition is the one I always go to.

Click to shrink...

I think the context of Ripley's daughter having died of old age is a good scene, however I cant not watch aliens without the sentry turrets, so I always go directors cut. lol

 

[Maximus Odinson]

The special edition (like the Aliens special edition) is inferior in my eyes for lots of reasons.

These aren't a case like with the Abyss where Cameron wasn't able to deliver on his original ideas. Both T2 and Aliens as released theatrically, are his directors cuts. The special editions are just interesting extra fluff, but I generally don't watch them when I want to revisit either movie.

The Abyss, the special edition is the one I always go to.

Click to shrink...

Aliens Special Edition is Cameron's preferred cut I believe.

 

[El Bombastico]

Is it bad that I prefer this ending over the one we got? If only because we could've prevented the subpar sequels that followed.

Click to shrink...

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Nappuccino]

I mean it wouldn't have been a change. This seems in line with his original idea that Skynet wanted to kill itself but couldn't self terminate so it created John Connor. Which possibly means that at some point there was a timeline, the original, in which skynet won completely and realized it fucked up.

Click to shrink...

Wait. What.

 

[HStallion]

People acing like this ending would have stopped any future sequels when a Terminator 3 that followed this one would just have their movie start with this being a dream or the nukes going off as her grand daughter running up to her recreating the playground nuke scene from T2.

 

[BWoog]

It's amazing that of all the actors that played John Conner, the one with no lines was the best one.

 

[plagiarize]

I think the context of Ripley's daughter having died of old age is a good scene, however I cant not watch aliens without the sentry turrets, so I always go directors cut. lol

Click to shrink...

The information is good, but the set and back projection in it, are terrible.

My main issue with the SE, is showing Hadley's Hope before the marines get there really undermines the tension. I definitely encourage anyone who hasn't seen the movie to start with the theatrical release for that reason alone.

The sentry turret scene is fantastic though. No question. That should have stayed in.

 

[Deleted member 21339]

This alt ending is terrible. Represents the worst of Cameron's writing. So glad he went with the highway ending and an uncertain future

 

[plagiarize]

Aliens Special Edition is Cameron's preferred cut I believe.

Click to shrink...

You believe right. He says as much on the Blu-Ray,

 

[Deleted member 21339]

It's better not knowing.

Try this instead:



Btw, there's no mirror in that shot.

Click to shrink...

Now this scene I wish they would have kept.

 

[Ploid 6.0]

I was a big fan of Little Shop of Horrors and only found out about the true ending this year, and it was amazing and made so much more sense. Too bad that the weird other one was the main ending.

Little Shop of Horrors Original Ending YouTube

I did not make any of this I saw that it was removed and figured I would reupload it.

www.youtube.com

 

[Jersey_Tom]

The alternate ending is the only "deleted" scene I think in the whole film that doesn't really add anything to the overall film. Aside from, as OP mentioned, it comes off a bit hokey with the super positive ending (despite Sarah clearly still hiding her paranoia) I don't think it really matches well with the overall tone and messaging of the film. For as much as the movie tries to beat you over the head with the concept that the future is not certain and the only fate is the one we make for ourselves, it just seems odd that we this binary super utopia to contrast with what we've seen with the Future War.

The rest of the deleted scenes though I think really add more context to what is happening in the film and should have made the final cut. I get that they were mostly cut for time, but IIRC, these scenes added maybe an extra 10-15 minutes on the total runtime of the film? That's nothing.

 

[Garlador]

There's no way John made it to the Senate with his mother being a mentally unstable domestic terrorist

Click to shrink...

We sort of have a mentally unstable domestic terror as president. I dunno....

I think the ending is a bit too saccharine, but I'd probably have taken it if it meant closing the book on the sequels.

 

[Syriel]

The special edition (like the Aliens special edition) is inferior in my eyes for lots of reasons.

These aren't a case like with the Abyss where Cameron wasn't able to deliver on his original ideas. Both T2 and Aliens as released theatrically, are his directors cuts. The special editions are just interesting extra fluff, but I generally don't watch them when I want to revisit either movie.

The Abyss, the special edition is the one I always go to.

Click to shrink...

I like the chip switch flip scene.

And the "happy" ending isn't on the SE anyway.

 

[Z-Beat]

I was a big fan of Little Shop of Horrors and only found out about the true ending this year, and it was amazing and made so much more sense. Too bad that the weird other one was the main ending.

Little Shop of Horrors Original Ending YouTube

I did not make any of this I saw that it was removed and figured I would reupload it.

www.youtube.com

Click to shrink...

Most stage productions use this ending as their ending.

We sort of have a mentally unstable domestic terror as president. I dunno....

Click to shrink...

Fair enough

 

[Stinkles]

It's better not knowing.

Try this instead:



Btw, there's no mirror in that shot.

Click to shrink...

this was a great scene. Arnie knowing something happened while he was off added tension too - so even the "good switch" doesn't lessen the sense of doubt.

also the idea that he could now make up his own mind makes him more dangerous not less and future John must have known that. So it creates a nice tangle of doubt and trust.

 

[Traxus]

That was the reason Cameron gave for removing it. It just didn't jibe with the rest of the movie at all and was tonally jarring. He also brought up the old age makeup as not something the audience would really buy into if it hadn't already been established earlier in the movie.

But this was very late in the game and there was no time left to film a new ending. So they used some footage they shot for the trip to cyberdyne and had Linda do new voiceover. The available footage was relatively short so they had to make sure what they wrote for her fit within that time.

In the end they were much happier with the ending that surprisingly came together last minute.
It was a good call.

Click to shrink...

Whoa! Did not know this! The image of the road trailing off into darkness like the uncertainty of fate always stuck with me. Good shit.

 

[SugarNoodles]

wow that was ass

 

[Carnby]

She said all of that out loud on a playground? Weird.

 

[Xero grimlock]

The information is good, but the set and back projection in it, are terrible.

My main issue with the SE, is showing Hadley's Hope before the marines get there really undermines the tension. I definitely encourage anyone who hasn't seen the movie to start with the theatrical release for that reason alone.

The sentry turret scene is fantastic though. No question. That should have stayed in.

Click to shrink...

I agree on it's better not having see Hadley's hope before hand. I've seen the movie so many times I normally skip to the scene where the marines are waking up anyways though.

 

[Tobor]

The information is good, but the set and back projection in it, are terrible.

My main issue with the SE, is showing Hadley's Hope before the marines get there really undermines the tension. I definitely encourage anyone who hasn't seen the movie to start with the theatrical release for that reason alone.

The sentry turret scene is fantastic though. No question. That should have stayed in.

Click to shrink...

100% accurate. The Hadley's Hope scene literally ruins the movie. Not only is it terrible and deserved to be cut, it should never have been restored as now people watching for the first time might accidentally see it. Some scenes deserve to be cut and should remain cut.

 

[HammerFace]

Where is this from?

In the film itself (The Terminator, that is) the timeline is demonstrably unchangeable. The attempt to change it was already a part of history. The most solid evidence of this (besides Kyle being John's father) is the photograph. The audience saw that Kyle's photo of Sarah and the one she gets at the end are the same. None of the characters know this, though. They don't know that the timeline can't be changed (even with time travel) and that time is a closed loop, so they tried to change it anyway.

Click to shrink...

Wait. What.

Click to shrink...

I finally found it. Theres a blurb about it on the Terminator Wiki

• According to James Cameron, Skynet suffered from guilt for causing the near-extinction of the human race in its act of self-defense, and has manipulated the entire Future War, down to the creation of the Resistance and John Connor's rise, as a means to erase its own existence.[5]

Click to shrink...

Its referenced in a book called Terminator Vault: The Complete Story Behind the Making of The Terminator and The Terminator 2: Judgement Day. On page 19 specifically.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

I finally found it. Theres a blurb about it on the Terminator Wiki


Its referenced in a book called Terminator Vault: The Complete Story Behind the Making of The Terminator and The Terminator 2: Judgement Day. On page 19 specifically.

Click to shrink...

Huh. I actually own this book. And this is indeed on page 19:

I'll be damned. Glad that has never featured in the films 'cause I really don't care for the idea.

 

[Deleted member 8860]

If I recall correctly, the "alternate" ending was the original and only changed after the movie was shown to test audiences. The final ending was added entirely in post production using edited/recycled footage.

Execution aside, I treat at least the general idea of that ending as canon -- no Judgement Day, no Skynet.

 

[jett]

The theatrical ending is so much better than this shit.

 

[sirap]

Huh. I actually own this book. And this is indeed on page 19:

I'll be damned. Glad that has never featured in the films 'cause I really don't care for the idea.

Click to shrink...

Awesome, thanks for the photo. Skynet feeling guilty is pretty lame, but I love the idea of Skynet manipulating the war and "allowing" the events of the first two movie to happen.

If Genesys wasn't so shit, we might have had an interesting take on that premise :/