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Person of Interest: ’Til Death

“I’m so sorry I tried to kill you, honey.”
“Me too.”

I find myself conflicted. There was a lot to like about this episode, but also a lot to roll my eyes at.

I’m in a good mood at the moment, so let’s start with what I loved about this episode. We finally got to see Grace and Finch together! As anyone might have predicted, it was absurdly adorable. I mean just so, so cute. They are perfect together in every possible way. Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson should really think about getting married.

The scavenger hunt was beyond sweet. I had no idea Finch was such a romantic. It’s a nice characteristic for someone usually so awkward and analytic. Of course, the sweetness of their past together is tempered by the painful fact that Grace now believes Finch to be dead and he can only watch her from a distance. Sigh.

Also awesome this week was Reese’s double kidnapping. Caviezel does such a great job of making violence funny. I think it’s the off-handed manner with which he does it. Kidnapping is really, such a chore, isn’t it? Punching people, throwing bags over their heads, tossing them into the trunk. All in a day’s work for our Mr. Reese.

Now for the story of the week, which, frankly, I do have some issues with. I was actually okay with the incredible coincidence of Sabrina ordering a hit on Daniel at the same time Daniel was ordering a hit on Sabrina. The writers managed to (mostly) explain this away with the expedience of the offer on their publishing house. I’ve gotten used to outlandish plots with PoI and the crazy set-up didn’t annoy me half as much as the saccharine pay off.

I have to agree with Fusco: “They’re back together? C’mon.” I mean, seriously? They’ve been married for years but somehow locking them in a pantry cures their marriage woes? Really? They weren’t communicating, and when forced to communicate they begin to understand each other better. I’m on board with that. But why must they take it to the extreme of falling back in love with each other? The cops at the end actually had to pull them apart to arrest them. I feel like Scandal and PoI switched writers this week.

Bits and Pieces:

Daniel’s plan was much better than Sabrina’s. Daniel had a fall guy all ready. Who was Sabrina going to blame? If the militia had wanted to kill Daniel, don’t you think they would have done so at a time when they weren’t five feet away from the supposed target?

Loved Reese trying to figure out where Finch is from based on his baseball fandom.

Here’s a little hint, Fusco. Take the battery out of your phone BEFORE you go someplace you don’t want to be followed. Alternatively, leave the phone on and at home.

Although he did shape up a little later, based solely on his interactions with Rhonda at the restaurant, I’d have to say Fusco has no game.

De Chirico’s Red Tower is in fact in the Guggenheim. I tried looking up when they acquired it, but I couldn’t find anything. I hope it was 2006!

How disturbing was that bit with the nail gun? I’m okay with watching people shoot each other, but violence with construction equipment really freaks me out for some reason.

Quotes:

“I’ve already eaten, Mr. Reese, thank you.”
“Who said it was for you?”

“Thank you for appreciating my descent into deviant behavior.”
We all appreciate it, Finch.

“A man just planted something on her car.”
“What kind of a something, like a tracking device?”
“Not unless tracking devices come with remote detonators.”

“Well that’s pretty mercenary of you, Finch. I kind of like it.”
Is it just me or has Finch’s sense of morality taken a hit since his kidnapping? I’m not sure first season Finch would have suggested letting the Drakes kill each other.

“You don’t look like a police officer.”
“Thank you.”

“Nestor? You hired Nestor to kill me?”
Sabrina seems to be angrier at the identity of her would-be assassin than at the fact her husband tried to have her assassinated.

“You sure they’re going to show up?”
“You needed the job done by tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Before the board votes?”
“Yeah.”
“Did either of you pay the full amount?”
“No.”
“I’m pretty sure.”

three out of four nail guns
---
sunbunny, Person of Interest and Bear the Dog fangirl

15 comments:

  1. Was the main plot insanely predictable and cliche? Sure it was. I mean honestly, who didn't see how it would resolve as soon as Finch laid out the wine glasses? But I can forgive that to a degree because our heroes were still fun to watch, and of course because of Mark Pellegrino.

    But I'm with Sunbunny, the highlight of this episode was The Courtship of Finch and Grace. They were so freaking adorable together. Of course, the two actors are pretty adorable together in real life too, so I'm not surprised. I'm looking forward to seeing more of their story, even if we know it will end on a somewhat sad note. But c'mon, how can this show NOT eventually reunite them in the present at some point. It'd be like Lost deciding Desmond & Penny should never get back together!

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  2. I agree with you, sunbunny. Their getting back together was too much of a stretch. Divorce would be the most likely end.

    It was smart of them to cast Carrie Preston as Finch's love interest. Michael Emmerson isan actor that tends to act awkward, and romantic chemistry is very hard to create with such characters. Though he has great acting chemitry with pratically everybody. Pairing him with any other actor creates magic.

    I thought Finch and Reese's banter this week was very bland.

    “I’ve already eaten, Mr. Reese, thank you.”
    “Who said it was for you?”

    BOOOOOOOORIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!

    They're usually much better than this.

    And poor Fusco. He really has no game. I can relate.

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  3. I thought it was perfect. Okay, not perfect--for all of the reasons you mentioned.

    But I've been smiling all day; it was such a treat to watch Finch and Grace fall in love. It gave me hope for humanity. My Christmas wish: may everyone find a wonderful partner who loves them back!

    I'm glad they didn't air this episode over Valentine's Day. It would have been perfect, but that would have ruined it, too.

    And: Ben Linus helping Jacob? Fun.

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  4. Sunbunny,

    Dont know if you were being sarcastic but Carrie Preston is married to Micheal Emerson in real life (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Preston). Which made it wierd when she played Ben Linus's mother on Lost

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  5. CoolSid, yes I was being sarcastic. :) I'd totally forgotten she played his mother on Lost. Creeptastic.

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  6. The Canadian site of Amazon has also a Black Friday, so when I saw that the season 1 DVD set was at half price, I jumped on it.

    Love the concept of this show.

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  7. I also thought it was way too much of a stretch for the couple to get back together, but I still really enjoyed this episode. Mostly because of Finch and Grace, yes, but I also liked the absurdity of the couple taking out hits on each other, and Reese yanking the bomb off the car and walking down the street almost casually disarming it. There aren't a lot of shows where your characters could get away with something like that and make it believable.

    Sunbunny, I also find violence with construction equipment shuddery, although violence in kitchens is even worse for me, somehow.

    Terrific review, Sunbunny.

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  8. I agree in that the resolution to the plot was the weakest part of the episode. I actually really liked how they seemed to be heading towards an impossible situation - how do you stop two people from constantly trying to have the other killed? - but then the answer was just to lock them in one place and make them chat for awhile. Bit disappointing.

    But just about everything else was pretty good, especially the flashbacks.

    Also, is it just me, or is the "Husband and wife take a hit out on each other at the same time" plot taken from somewhere? It sounds extremely familiar :P

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  9. Isn't it sort of the plot from Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie movie?

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  10. Don't mind violence with construction equipment m'self. (Unless we're dealing with table saws. Table saws freak me out. Might be some sort of suppressed James Bond-related childhood trauma.)

    At this point I'd be willing to bet present-Grace comes face-to-face with present-Finch by season's end. Anyone know a bookie that handles network TV?

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  11. Right you are, Josie on the husband and wife killing each other like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Same theme in Prizzi's Honor, too. But in the latter, one of them succeeded in killing the other.
    With PoI, though, I too, felt it was some kind of a flicking the lint on how easy the husband and wife change their minds in killing each other. I wouldn't want to live with someone who wants or has planned to kill me.

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  12. I thought it was Mr and Mrs Smith too at first, but then again in that movie wasn't it a case of the two of them having the same assassination target, rather than targeting each other? (Although they did pit themselves against each other as a consequence).

    Maybe it's just the whole 'funny twist' vibe from the movie that's familiar in this episode :)

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  13. Ahh the power of love.

    And OMG ! Jacob from Lost. More recycling ! "Doggy danish" looks yummy.

    LMAO when he put BOTH of them in the trunk. And now, we have a new definition of marriage counselling. And shooting nails through a bad guy's foot : variation on last week's theme.

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  14. That scavenger hunt was one of the most romantic things I have ever seen. I'm with Josie -- everyone deserves a soul mate.

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  15. STERLING K BROWN ALERT. He plays Beecher! (I'm rewatching right now and he popped up and I was like 😱)

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