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Person of Interest: Guilty

“Your number is up.”

This was very season one, which I definitely mean in a good way. After the arc heavy "Winter Event,” it was nice that Samaritan was mentioned exactly once and only in a comedic way. Sure, they threw in a couple of teasers for the rest of the season (Will the team let Fusco in? Has Dominic been taking out Elias’s men? Is there love blooming between Reese and his psychologist?) but the majority of the episode was a thoroughly enjoyable Runaway Jury-esque standalone. It wasn’t as light or as fluffy as some of PoI’s most memorable standalones, but it really worked for me.

I kept expecting Samaritan to be behind the jury tampering. Murder victim Caroline Mills was involved in the tech industry, and fixing a jury seems like the least of Samaritan’s many crimes. I’m glad the writers avoided the temptation. Plus, on reflection, I feel like Samaritan would have had an easier time manipulating a trial.

The only bit that didn’t really work for me was one of the jurors being the fixer. It wasn’t necessarily obvious, but by giving their enemy a single face, it automatically made the threat seem more manageable and less menacing.

Emma Blake popped in a way very few persons of interest do. She felt real, despite the clichéd back story. It was obvious why she was chosen to guide the jury’s decision. It wasn’t because she was weak and she “let them take her job.” It was because she valued the lives of others to the point that she was willing to kill herself in an attempt to force a mistrial and save Finch. I also liked her determination at the end of the episode to go back to the career she loved. I almost wished we were back in last season when Finch still had access to his vast fortune. He would’ve absolutely used his influence to get her a job. Still, maybe it’s better this way. As sweet as Finch doling out dreams like Santa Claus is, it’s nice to see someone who has the determination to at least try to make it themselves.

After a lengthy absence, Zoe has reemerged. It was the perfect episode for her. Fixing trials is totally in her wheelhouse and it was fun to see her show the boys up. Of course, everyone misjudged Emma’s purpose in the jury. It was a bit of a predictable twist, but they have an entire hour to fill, so I’ll let it slide.

Iris has also returned from wherever it is that Person of Interest recurring characters go for months at the time. The sparks between her and John continue to sparkle, which does not go unnoticed by Zoe. Her speech to John about how he wasn’t the kind of person who was good in a relationship really rubbed me the wrong way. It was so disingenuous and self serving. Zoe is a fabulously independent woman, being jealous because the guy she occasionally hooks up with has a crush seems miles beneath her.

Ironically, even though Fusco was barely in the episode, it was a big moment for him. At the beginning of the episode, Reese and Finch decided to shut him out for his own safety after what happened to Carter and Shaw. It’s a completely logical response. Lionel has other plans, though. He very directly confronts Reese over this and tell him in no uncertain manner that he has no right to make this sort of life and death decision for him. It was really a touching moment, hearing him say that he was willing to give his life to the mission, a mission he doesn’t even fully understand. Does this mean Fusco will get a long awaited trip to the Batcave?

Bits and Pieces

Fusco referred to Finch as “Glasses,” as per usual, and called the murderer “Richie Rich.”

I LOVED Reese using the laser sight on a sniper’s rifle to send a message to Finch. And Finch’s annoyance at the mode of communication.

Quotes

Reese: “When we started, you told me we’d both wind up dead. This is worse.”

Finch: “No, I can’t think of anything that would prejudice me in this case. I mean, except for the larger issues with our government.”
Judge: “Issues?”
Finch: “Well, one can’t really call it ‘government of the people, by the people’ anymore, can one? Because we’re all being watched by an intelligent supercomputer that’s slowly but surely taking over the world.”

Reese: “There was a death in the family.”

Finch: “Perhaps her plan involves a method of attack you haven’t considered.”
Reese: “I know a lot of ways to kill people, Harold.”

Zoe: “What are you, from the Midwest or something?”

Emma: “But can you imagine how that would feel? To know that something bad was gonna happen and that it was your fault if it doesn’t get stopped?”

Fusco: “I made my choice a long time ago.”

three and a half out of four jurors

sunbunny, person of interest and Bear the Dog fangirl

4 comments:

  1. Ok, I didn't see that one coming. Reese is having emotional talks with his psychiatrist. Are they trying to make Reese "real" with emotions and stuff? Are the writers realizing that they need to get Reese out of his Frankensteinian behaviour?
    I'd say it's about time. Reese is the one that we care less about at the moment. With some de-Frankensteinial treatments we would love him...

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  2. In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two different yet equally important types of vigilante: the nerds, who do all the computer stuff; and the ex-CIA assassins, who shoot bad guys in the knee. These are their stories.

    Chung, chung.

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  3. I think, I'll just repeat myself: ignoring Fusco or refusing his help is never a good idea.

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  4. Loved seeing Blair Brown again.
    Would it be too much to ask for her character to be a recurring one?

    Zoe and Reese are good together; they understand each other how twisted it maybe.

    Reese's character maybe drawn to the psychologist because nobody else has ever tried to analyze his thoughts and feelings face to face, well, except Zoe in a playful/flirty way. :)

    Nice review, sunbunny. :)

    ReplyDelete

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