The Terminator Scene 2 Summary

  • A mysterious electrical phenomenon surges across the screen. A naked man emerges from the storm and looks over 1984 Los Angeles from Griffith Observatory.
  • Three street punks are messing around with a coin-operated viewer because…that's what people did before the internet and Nintendo? The naked man walks up and demands their clothes.
  • A punk stabs him with a switchblade. The naked guy punches him straight through the gut and throws another punk against the gate.
  • The surviving punk undresses.
  • In a dark, trashy alley, another electrical storm rages. Another naked man falls out of it, shaken about the experience.
  • A homeless man asks this naked guy if he saw a big, bright light.
  • We cut to the police as they see the no-longer-naked guy stealing the pants off the homeless man. They go to apprehend him, but the man bolts.
  • The guy leads a policeman into an alley and gets the jump on him. After disarming the officer, the naked guy demands to know what year it is.
  • More police arrive on the scene. Must be a slow night.
  • The man dashes into a department store. Police search for him while he sneaks through the store selecting a chic homeless ensemble.
  • Fully clothed, the man gives the police the slip—but not before stealing a shotgun from the empty, unlocked police car.
  • The guy finds a phonebook—remember those?—and rips out the page listing the Sarah Connors in L.A.