My websites were always targeted primarily for the hardcore fans who almost know it all. The purpose of my sites was too shine light on some very obscure interviews and facts that aren't accessible in well known books or extras that are still available for purchase. However, times change, and new generations and fans come along - and I realized that a lot of my audience consist of fans who aren't diehards who know every book and interview by memory for decades (like all the fans at the Terminator Files Forum years ago), or just never went outside the films. So this is the first part of a different type of FAQ section, for those less initiated in Cameronverse. James Cameron is one of those very few storytellers who leave the fans with more answers than any scifi fan would hope for, certainly much more than any other scifi storyteller. While movies are about the kinetic energy, emotions visual art and story, and they are certainly not obligated to explain or elaborate on every fictional aspect of it, Cameron, often praising the audiences as 'smart' and ones who 'get it', spread just enough clues and sprinkled bits of information that are enough for the viewers to draw they answers from, without a need to do it through dialogue, ruining the flow, pace and running time of the film. And he always goes extra miles unlike anyone else to give reason and logic behind everything, even fictional made up tech.
Novelizations used to be for fans who wanted that extra insight into the story, unburdened by the limited running time of a movie and it's pacing - they dwelled on character's thoughts and explained things that couldn't be visually or weren't absolutely necessary or crucial to explain in the film, and so they're often almost like the Bible of the film, along the script. Let me underline that none of the answers are my own opinions, they are an intent of the filmmakers and official sources will be quoted when necessary. And have in mind, this entire site is just about Cameronverse only.
Let's continue with "How Did The Resistance Get a T-800?"
Some new fans aren't familiar with all the omitted scenes, and some confuse the films and think the T-800 was captured during battle, while this is not true and never was. The Terminator never says he was captured, he says he was reprogrammed. It's in the third movie that he talks about capturing. But in Cameronverse, there was nothing to capture because the war had been won and the resistance could simply access Skynet's storages.
Originally, something like 1/3rd of Terminator 2: Judgment Day was suppose to happen in the future and show everything, including sending both Reese and the Terminator protector back through time, but the film's running time and budget forbid it. Plus, it would feel like two films. However, the entire first part of the film was of course in the script for a long time, and designer Steve Burg, who worked with Cameron previously on The Abyss, designed tech for it and drew concept art.
Co-Writer William Wisher describes it best in 1991 "The Making of Terminator 2: Judgment Day" Book:
James Cameron in the Limited Edition book that came in the Terminator Collection VHS Box Set:
Skynet gets destroyed, his machines deactivated all over the world, and the war is won by the Resistance. John Connor and his best teams enter Skynet's fortress which, till that day, had never seen a human being. After Reese is sent back and told that the place will be blown up, John reveals to his soldiers and tech team that they have to do one more thing before they set the charges - send a Terminator back. Script:
They then enter the cold storage facility inside that fortress where frozen inactive Terminators are kept. The technology around is so alien, there aren't any buttons, door knobs or even lights. There, they find what John is looking for. Below, excerpt from the script and a storyboards
The Terminator cryo chamber, with "one empty rack", can be seen in animated menu for The Ultimate DVD menu
The entire sequence was adapted in comic books in 1995, in one of only two comic books made with the help of James Cameron and his Lightstorm Entertainment Company (For more, see HERE).
The comic book does adds extra action bit - the resistance has to activate them all after reprogramming their unit, and they all attack Connor but the reprogrammed one saves the day.
It’s also the first and only time a Terminator was reprogrammed, a fact Cameron confirms when talking to Arnold on the set, seen on 1991’s The Making of Terminator 2 documentary
James Cameron: “So it’s like the first time you have to deal with equal cause Terminators don’t fight terminators - never happened before”
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