Terminator 2: Judgment Day Ending Explained
The ending of Terminator 2: Judgment Day wraps up with a huge steel mill fight where Sarah Connor, John Connor, and the good T-800 take on the liquid metal T-1000. Sarah grabs a grenade launcher and blasts the T-1000 right into a vat of molten steel, melting it away for good. This happens after they destroy the Cyberdyne lab and Miles Dyson blows himself up to stop Skynet from starting. For more on the final stand, check out this clip: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TZWwXBc6Io0.
With the bad guy gone, the group knows they must erase all traces of future tech to change the timeline. John teaches the T-800 to care, like when he removes the learning chip in the special edition cut. This makes the robot more human, setting up his big choice. Watch reactions to this emotional chip scene here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgm_V6dc9X4.
The T-800 cannot self-terminate, so John and Sarah lower him into the same molten steel. He gives a thumbs up as he sinks, showing he learned thumbs up means all is cool from John. This quiet moment hits hard, more than the chases or explosions. It shows the hero picking sacrifice over survival.
The screen fades to a playground months later. Sarah watches kids play, saying a nightmare became a dream where no Judgment Day comes. She hints the future is not set, thanks to their work. But different cuts change this a bit. The theatrical version keeps it hopeful and open. The special edition adds more scenes, like Sarah in old age makeup seeing grown-up John with his kid on a swing, proving Skynet never rose. Details on theatrical vs special edition: https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/terminator-2/battle-of-the-cuts-terminator-2-theatrical-vs-sp.
James Cameron’s extended cut confirms the future shifted, giving hope. Yet some say it creates issues for later movies, as Judgment Day feels inevitable from the first film, but T2 bets on change. A video dives into how this ending hurt the franchise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EA07t2FM7M. The movie ends on that note of possible peace, with Sarah driving off into an uncertain but brighter road.
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EA07t2FM7M
https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/terminator-2/battle-of-the-cuts-terminator-2-theatrical-vs-sp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgm_V6dc9X4
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TZWwXBc6Io0
https://www.cbr.com/james-cameron-terminator-2-forgotten-spin-off-sarah-connor-chronicles/
