Terminator 2: 5 Things That Still Make No Sense About the Evil T-1000

There are many aspects of Terminator 2: Judgment Day that make it a sci-fi classic, but its villain, the T-1000, is especially iconic. After the release of The Terminator in 1984, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the robotic T-800 became integral to the success of the movie, leading to the announcement of a sequel. This established the Terminator movie franchise, but also saw the sequel outdo its predecessor by not only bringing back Schwarzenegger’s Terminator as a reprogrammed hero, but by introducing an even more sinister villain in the form of the T-1000. Played by Robert Patrick, the advanced T-1000’s liquid metal structure, mimic abilities, and relentless pursuit of John Connor made for an utterly iconic villain.

The T-1000 may be a truly terrifying sci-fi movie villain, but that doesn’t mean that his appearance in the franchise entirely makes sense. In fact, there are several things about the T-1000 that really don’t add up, not least because of the sci-fi nature of the character. Even so, many of these issues can be considered nagging plot holes, and while they don’t prevent Terminator 2 from being a great movie, they are frustrating aspects of the T-1000 as a character.

5) He Shouldn’t Have Been Able To Travel Back In Time

One of the biggest plot holes in the Terminator franchise surrounds its rules of time travel. It is established in the first movie that Terminators can only travel through time if encased in organic material, as only organic material can be transported through time. This alone is deeply flawed, but even taking that logic as gospel, the T-1000 shouldn’t have been able to be sent back. It is made entirely of a liquid form of metal and therefore has no organic components at all. This means it shouldn’t have been able to travel through time, making all of Terminator 2‘s plot feel entirely redundant.

4) Why His POV Was Never Shown

Throughout the first Terminator movie, the T-800’s point of view is shown. Not only does this make for great Terminator action scenes, but it also highlights the differences between the machines’ nature and the humanity of the characters they are sent back to kill. Terminator 2 again shows the T-800’s point of view, but the same courtesy is never extended to the T-1000. This feels like a huge missed opportunity to establish the differences between the two models and to reinforce the relentless, machinic nature of the sequel’s villain.

3) The Weight & Physics Don’t Add Up

The strict application of real scientific principles is the quickest way to find issues with a sci-fi movie. Even so, the problems surrounding Terminator 2‘s characterization of the T-1000 are almost impossible to ignore, because they seem to defy even basic science. The villainous new model Terminator is made of incredibly dense and strong liquid metal, but this alone should mean he weighs over a ton. The fact that he can maneuver so easily without destroying floors and vehicles wherever he goes is something that doesn’t add up, because the movie never really establishes how that might be the case.

2) A Less Advanced Model Easily Outsmarted Him

One of the key ways that the Terminator sequel expanded upon the original movie was the introduction of the T-1000, established as a more advanced model of Terminator than the T-800. There are many obvious upgrades in terms of abilities, but one thing that should undoubtedly be better for the T-1000 is processing power, directly improving its ability to reason and use logic. Considering this, it seems incredibly odd that the T-1000 accidentally revealed itself to the T-800 during the phone booth scene, with the earlier model easily tricking the T-1000 into accidentally outing himself as an impostor.

1) Why He Keeps Reverting To The Same Form

One of the most impressive features of the T-1000 is its ability to take on the appearance of different humans, perfectly mimicking them. Despite this giving him a monumental advantage in tracking and terminating John Connor, the T-1000 instead chooses to retain the same form for almost the entire movie. Considering it’s an ability that makes him an incredibly powerful Terminator, his decision not to use it to greater effect simply doesn’t make any sense.

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