10 Secret Subplots Hidden In Movies

6. The T-1000 Malfunctions - Terminator 2: Judgment Day

The Truman Show Jim Carrey
TriStar Pictures

Though hardcore Terminator 2 fans can savour the movie's glorious 156-minute Ultimate Edition complete with every significant deleted scene restored, the version seen by the vast majority of viewers is the 137-minute theatrical cut.

There is one curious subplot which is nevertheless vaguely hinted at in the original release, and that's the malfunctioning of the villainous T-1000 (Robert Patrick) after it gets frozen by liquid nitrogen, is shattered into hundreds of pieces, and then re-forms for the final showdown.

In the theatrical cut, we briefly see the T-1000 "pulse" into liquid metal form for a second while the T-800's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) arm is trapped in a giant machine cog.

To the casual observer there's no clear explanation for this, but in the Ultimate Edition, it's revealed that the T-1000 is encountering major glitches since re-forming, such as its limbs sticking to the surrounding environments and even unintentionally camouflaging to match said environment.

Furthermore, this plot plays a pivotal role in the original version of the T-1000's death, as John (Edward Furlong) is able to tell which of the two Sarahs (Linda Hamilton) is his actual mother by looking at her feet - the T-1000 doppelganger's feet have malfunctioned and given its ruse away.

And yet, the only remnant of this that remains in the theatrical release is that simple, unexplained pulse.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.