"Or, perhaps even better, it is a giant chess board in which every single move is won or lost through a separate game. Only John and Skynet completely know who their pieces are and each is ultimately trying to decapitate the other by eventually eliminating the King, in the future or in the past. The failure to do so means the complete destruction of what each holds dear.

This was brilliantly brought up several times in the series. The pilot episode begins with John bringing his mother back into the fight by changing the time of her death. "Heavy Metal" shows Skynet losing critical materials for later construction of 530 terminators. "Vick's Chip" would have given a newer Skynet an improved infrastructure that was lost. "Automatic for the People" ends with a vital energy plant of the human resistance lost. There are more examples if you think of them.

Unlike in a real life war, each progression of timelines has meant a better focus of what was needed to achieve victory. Thus, there has been a progressive expansion of missions and personnel needed. The fog of war is progressively lifted as each; progressive iteration of either knows more about themselves and the other side. This makes the control of information one of the most hotly contested and vital strategies of the war.

John and Skynet have been fighting in a struggle that would be the mental equivalent of wrestling in quicksand. Skynet's focus on John being the only human trained enough after Judgment day to lead the resistance might be correct. Thus, it may be correct that it only needs to kill John to win. Skynet's paradox is that each failed set of attempts has not only evolved it, but its enemy as well.

"

"as i said i thin actually they made sure the powerplant could be taken, which kinda strikes me as a bit odd, for skynet AFTPéd it, when it knows it will lose it, in 2026. would it for Skynets sake not have been better for skynet, if they had made demonstrations against the powerplant, so they could get it locked down "

"excellent article!!! i have only one question... did the resistance really lose the powerplant? they can gain it again... as they once take it from skynet"

"Time travel is too confusing! Mike you make many great points, good post."

"Did anyone notice that the human time travelor brought a long list of times/people/places that John/Sarah should know about? This included "Alpine Fields", etc..
This travelor was shot coming through time and eventually died. It could indicate that the time machine was being fought over.
He also knew WHERE to find Sarah and John. This would indicate that he is from the 'changed' timeline. Obviously, Skynet is active in trying to change the past in a big way. This would create a significant war in the present as well as present!
"

"The Charles Fischer paradox is where I get lost.
1. Future Fischer has already completed his mission before Jesse clocks him.
Young Fischer will be caught through his fingerprints.
SkyNet / Caliba now has the keys to the military computers.
2. Derek doesn’t remember being tortured by Fischer.
He wasn’t tortured in the timeline he left, or
He’s blocking the memory.
Derek’s torture of young Fischer may be the cause of Fischer torturing Derek in this cycle.
3. Cameron tells Derek that she does NOT recognize Fischer
Either she left before Fischer became a central figure in teaching the terminators how to interrogate humans by torture, OR
She’s lying.
4. Jesse remembers Fisher torturing Derek AND the miscarriage on the SSN Carter.
She left from a later timeline cycle than Derek
5. Cameron knew about Jesse losing the baby.
Cameron likely also knew about Fischer torturing Derek. Why did she deny knowing Fischer?
"