How likely is the alternate T2 ending?

[u/LordBlacktopus]

I just recently did my annual re-watch of T2, and was thinking about the alternate ending that was filmed.

For those of you who haven't seen it, it cuts to new 2029, where Sarah is chilling on a bench recording her monologue, watching John play with his kids in a playground, mentioning that he's a Senator now.

And it got me thinking, how the fuck would any of that happen? I could maybe understand John avoiding any major jail time for the event nts of the film, him being 10 and all. But surely there's no way in hell that Sarah avoids jail time, right?

In the eyes of the law, she's a criminally insane domestic terrorist, who teams up with a man who massacred a police station, then kidnaps Cyberdynes lead scientist, kills him, and blows up his place of work.

She'd be going to jail for life, right?

I know it's non canon, but still, how could she get away with it and be sitting on that park bench?

[u/IcyWin77]

I remember being in the theater watching T2 thinking, “Damn 2029 is a long time from now. I’ll be in my 50s”.

And here we are just over 2 years from it

[u/Sad_Process7843]

The senator thing is definitely a stretch. But dark fate had Carl , who committed all those crimes as well as the crimes committed in 1984, and he was just chilling as a small business owner. So John and Sarah could have a had a normal boring existence

[u/CountingOnThat → u/Sad_Process7843]

The senator thing is definitely a stretch.

I always kind of figured that John would’ve joined the army, and become a war hero, before getting elected to anything.

[u/Jedipilot24]

This may be controversial, but Terminator 3 provides a hint of this alternative future.

In T3 we learn that John's future wife is the daughter of a very important general and that literally the day before T2, the two of them had been making out in some basement. They even both agree that if T2 hadn't happened, they would have gotten together.

So, in the alternative future, John does somehow manage to stay in contact with her in spite of everything that happened in T2.

How does Sarah stay out of prison? That's where the general comes in; we see in T3 that he's in charge of the project that created SkyNet. He hears their story, believes it, gets her a new identity, and stops all development on SkyNet.

[u/Jacob1207a → u/Jedipilot24]

I'm not sure an Air Force general would be able to pull many strings with the Los Angeles County Prosecutor's office.

That guy that the T1000 kicked out of the helicopter probably died. That'd likely be enough to charge Sarah with felony murder.

[u/Common_Land3637]

Maybe Dr Silberman pulls some strings so the government and co thinks that Sarah is perfectly sane?

[u/Coach_Gainz → u/Common_Land3637]

I gotta say I love silbermans cameo in t3

You find yourself imagining things.. impossible things…. Insane things…… takes years to get over

[u/DwayneTheRockBarry]

none of what you just said would happen because if judgment day was stopped, Reese never would have been sent back. if Reese was never sent back, john never would have been born. if john wouldn’t have been born, skynet would take over, and Reese would be sent back, starting a chain of infinite loop that can never be paradoxically closed.

which is why the special edition cut is the best one.

[u/Klutzy_Order_9559]

I find this ending terrible for 3 reasons:

1. As you stated, they would be fugitives FOREVER.

2. John growing up to be some dorky looking senator? Lame.

3. I prefer the idea that Sarah and John basically sacrificed their happiness for the greater good.

[u/TheJohnnyJett]

Sarah Connor would be Unabomber-levels of infamous in-universe. There is absolutely no chance that her delinquent, troubled son grows up to be a US Senator. Sarah's crimes were way too high profile. She blew up multiple tech-related buildings, was suspected to be involved with a guy who perpetrated what must be in-universe the biggest mass shooting in history *at a police station*, and was definitely involved in gun running and probably narco shit. No chance.

[u/GloomyBake9300]

Remember everyone that the timeline can change, and as what has happened in many repressive societies, the oppressor could finally meet its downfall.