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Person of Interest: Booked Solid

"You know nothing about me, what I’ve seen, what I’ve been through. I don’t need help, especially from someone like you."

This week, on Person of Interest, Zoe is mysterious, Reese is violent, Carter gets rejected by the FBI, and Finch buys a hotel on a whim. You know, same old same old. Caution: here be Alias spoilers. (Yes, Alias.)

I was very excited about this episode because of the presence of Mía Maestro (Alias). About halfway through the episode, I decided that my excitement over Nadia’s second (or is it third) return from the dead was ruining the episode for me. I kept expecting her to jump into gear and start kicking people. She did not. It really didn’t help the situation that Nadia had an alias as a hotel maid in this episode. Disappointment over the lack of female ass-kicking aside, this was a great episode. Not as amazing as it could have been, but, as I’ve said before, my standards for this show are ridiculously high.

Zoe was back...sort of. I can’t decide whether or not I’m a fan of how PoI uses their guest stars. I like that the show subverts expectations by including recurring characters in the beginning of episodes and then using them sparingly (think Ingram in “The High Road”), but it’s also frustrating. I wish Zoe had engaged more with the main story instead of just sort of being there in the background and helping with that one guy. Still, it looks like we finally got our Zoe and Reese hook up! I sort of wish we’d stayed with them for a while, but I suppose that would make this a different show for which we’d need a star willing to do those sorts of scenes.

There are so many mysteries floating around the show, but there is one I have yet to address in my reviews: will Finch ever run out of money? He’s blowing through millions every episode. Still, he makes just about the best rich person ever. He might even beat Oprah in this respect. He buys an entire hotel to give one woman a promotion? I want to hug him. I loved his obsession with hotels. The Finch curtain continues to be pulled back oh so slowly. He looked like he was having a lot of fun playing concierge. I wonder if he’ll moonlight now that he can come and go as he pleases.

Carter is given an opportunity to enter the FBI and jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, her heretofore adorable romance with Cal Beecher puts the kibosh on that. If you’ll remember, Beecher got information for his godfather/the head of HR back in “Shadow Box.” It is unknown whether he knows of Quinn’s true identity. I’m guessing not. HR guys seem to be pretty on the ball. I doubt Beecher would have left tracks if he was committing a crime intentionally. Poor Carter. Just when her life seems to be going perfectly, the rug gets pulled out from underneath her. How long until Fusco’s murder of Davidson comes out and she loses him too?

I was mildly pleased with the episode until the last few seconds when, hmm, that voice sounds familiar. It’s ROOT! She’s back! I literally cheered; It scared my dog. We also got a peek into where she’s been for the past few months. Working with...that guy. That guy, is, unfortunately for my review, technically nameless. Press releases about the show have referred to him as “Pennsylvania Two,” which sounds either very creepy and cryptic or like a bus line. So, I’ll be calling him that. Thanks, Internet! PT and his lackey associate Hersch are still after Reese for...reasons I can’t remember (can anyone help me out? I can’t remember if it’s connected to the Machine or not). Not having this show online makes it a right pain to check on stuff from previous episodes. Regardless, they are temporarily foiled by Reese and his mighty knife-wielding. Reese has really grown as a person. I can’t see season one Reese letting an attempted assassin go. I’m guessing this decision will come back to bite Reese in the end.

Bits and Pieces:

It’s been a good long while since a weekly person of interest has turned out to be a perpetrator, not a victim. Just saying.

Mía Maestro is Argentinean. She is not Serbian. She is not Russian (Alias). She is not Mexican (Frida). She is ARGENTINEAN. She is also not a vampire (Breaking Dawn).

Do hotel maids really get sexually harassed every other week? What a horrible job! Also, if Mira knew someone was after her because of what happened to her back home, why take a job that requires her to enter potentially occupied rooms alone? It seems like an invitation for an ambush.

Different tactics. After realizing someone is trying to murder Mira in the police station, Fusco shouts “Hey! Hey!” Carter shoots the would-be murderer in the back. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Quotes:

“Mr. Reese, could you try not to get fired before lunch?”

“Oh, I really hope Derek’s the threat.”
I did too! Oh well. At least he goes to jail at the end. And Reese gets to punch him.

“It’s just a machine, right? I mean, how smart can it be?”
“Exactly. Just a machine.”
Irony, table for two.

“Why won’t you just leave me alone?”
(Reese shoots guy with gun) “That a good enough reason?”
So badass.

“I’m a little busy, Lionel.”
Not an inspired line, but the delivery is hilarious. He literally shrugs. Amazing.

“I’m glad you’re a better shot than you are a bellhop.”

three and a quarter out of four sleazy hotel managers
---
sunbunny, Person of Interest and Bear the Dog fangirl

19 comments:

  1. I literally cheered; It scared my dog.

    A bad night for pets in the Southland; I shouted so loudly that I scared my cat.

    I loved, loved, loved this episode. Zoe! And Reese! Finch as a snarky concierge! A kitchen fight scene! Carter shooting the guy in the back! Mia Maestro! (We have similar coloring, and I like to imagine that, if I were to become a very beautiful version of my regular self, I'd turn out looking like her.)

    According to the PoI wiki, Mr. Pennsylvania Two (which also sounds like an old-fashioned dance: the Pennsylvania Two-Step) was one of the original 8 people who knew about the Machine. That's really confusing, though, since he clearly has linked Reese with the Machine, which seems like a really big deal: http://personofinterest.wikia.com/wiki/Pennsylvania_Two

    Speaking of the wiki, the page on Bear is quite fun, since it's written just like a page for a human: http://personofinterest.wikia.com/wiki/Bear

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  2. "He shows a keen interest in rare first edition books." (from the wiki)

    *Terrific* episode. So much good stuff. (I just finished watching it half an hour ago.)

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  3. Person of Interest wiki? Never heard of it. I certainly don't use it in writing my reviews. I take copious notes which I later copy over with a system of colored pens. Does that sound insane?

    I checked them for info on PT, but I'm still not clear if he has connected Reese with the Machine or if it's a coincidence. He was all about containing Machine knowledge in Bad Code. Does he know Reese knows? Has this been explained? Gahh!

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  4. sunbunny, I do exactly the same thing with the notes and the pens, so I don't think it's insane.

    I actually hadn't read your review when I posted my earlier comment, but now I have -- what a fun review. And by the way, I was a hotel maid for a few months when I was sixteen, and yes.

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  5. PT became aware of Reese's existence in episode 22 of season 1, when he swooped in to save that young CIA analyst, Henry Peck, who -- based on his own analyses -- had come to the conclusion that something like The Machine must exist. That, by the way, was the same episode in which Alicia discovered that Finch, not Ingram, had created the machine and was probably still actively using it.

    So, whether or not PT actually knows anything concrete about Reese's connection to the machine, he at the very least suspects that Peck may have told him something about it...and he knows that Reese is a dangerous adversary, because he took out a three-man CIA hit team, all by himself.

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  6. ...the point being that a person like PT would take out anybody he even remotely suspected of knowing about the machine...just to stay on the safe side.

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  7. Great episode.

    Having as much fun watching it, reading your review and the comments.

    Even though the knife scene was nicely choreographed, I had a thought about how much violence we are indeed exposed watching both the small and big screen. (and it bothered me more than the kneecaps; go figure !)

    sunbunny, do NOT worry about the pens. I have several markers and I keep writing notes in the books that I read. Massively. You're NOT insane (just me) (and another one who shall remain nameless)

    I recognized Amy Acker's voice as she was entering PT's office. Oh my, what a wonderful twist ! I love this show more and more with each passing episode...

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  8. Celticmarc, the recopying notes with a system of different color pens thing is a Buffy reference. I'm willing to bet that Sunbunny doesn't actually do that. And I certainly don't. :)

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  9. Thanks, Platinum. I stopped watching Hawaii Five-O this season because I just had too many other shows. I do plan to catch up at some point, though.

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  10. Sorry, re-posting due to some errors.
    Sleepy, see. :)
    **********************

    An enjoyable episode and also an enjoyable review, Sunbunny.

    I love Reese flirting with Zoe at the end.
    Somewhat of a flip 'cause it's usually Zoe doing the flirting.
    It's hilarious to see Zoe speechless with a flirting Reese.
    Do you think they availed of Reese's complimentary room? :D

    Btw, nice to see Mia Maestro again.
    A shame that she didn't have a kicka** scene.

    ****************
    Unrelated to this:
    Summer Glau was a guest star in Hawaii Five-O's latest ep, Billie.
    And she did kick some well deserved behind. :D

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  11. Aw crap, you both got me.

    Of course, if I had marathoned those 7 seven seasons before today, I would have caught it (or maybe not). (FYI, I'm STILL at episode 1.1; HAVEN'T seen the 2nd part part of the pilot!)

    Seriously though, I DID that at the University LOL (but it didn't last long)

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  12. Celticmarc, there is Buffyspeak in a lot of reviews and comments, not just this one. I use them a lot, and I'm definitely not the only one.

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  13. I've taken Willow's organizational principle of a complicated system of multicolored pens to the next level--I have a multicolored spreadsheet that corresponds with my multicolored-pen lists.

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  14. I didn't like this one as much as last week's, but it was still cool! You're right, sunbunny, I think it's just that I was expecting more out of Mira, given how mysterious they made the plot out to be. And loved the Zoe cameo, but disappointed that she wasn't really connected to the plot somehow :p I suppose given her character's job I thought she'd thicken the plot a little.

    I think Finch has some sort of means that generates a constant revenue stream for him. He seems like the kind of guy who'd have lots of failsafe measures on standby (e.g. him taking care of his fiancee's work, backup cover identities). I'm sure he wouldn't let himself get stuck just by running out of money.

    PoI's really smart: it always has a kickass ending. Even the most formulaic of the episodes (which are still way above average) have something at the end that just hits you and makes you wanna watch the next one. Smart strategy.

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  15. Billie,

    I am definitely Buffy "illiterate" (unless you have a better word).

    Josie,

    enjoying your new laptop. (you'd have MORE fun if it were a Mac)

    Everybody,

    Life is better with a myriad of colours ! Oh yes, much better.

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  16. In Fusco's defence (for the precinct scene) we had just seen him place his gun in his desk drawer so he was unarmed and the fastest response was to yell and draw the attention of anyone who could help Mira faster than he could. So he did ok!

    I too recognised Amy Acker's voice straightaway and gave a little shriek of joy! Root's back!!!! Now, what is she doing with PT? Does she know he knows about the Machine? I'm guessing yes, it's too much of a coincidence otherwise. But how did she know???

    Now I'm twice as excited for the next ep!

    And loved the repartée between Zoe and John at the end! Room for two asap! ;o)

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  17. Thanks, Anon! I thought it was something like that but I don't own the DVDs so I couldn't check.

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  18. Your review made me smile. I spent the entire episode waiting for Nadia to kick some ass. Plus, her uniform was identical to the other. I was definitely in Alias territory.

    Zoe and Reese. Yippee!

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