Home Featured TV Shows All TV Shows Movie Reviews Book Reviews Articles Frequently Asked Questions About Us

Person of Interest: Reassortment

“Looks like the zombie apocalypse started.”

Just one sentence of whining - WHY ARE WE GETTING SO MUCH FILLER?! - and I’m done.

Okay so confession time, here’s what I’ve got. I like epidemic episodes. Do they have a more proper name? Whatever, I’m calling them epidemic episodes and I like them. A ticking clock, a certain amount of bottle episode, and a race to save humanity as we know it, all while a main character is usually fighting for their life from ebola, marburg, or military ration-induced zombieism, if it’s Community.

This didn’t play out exactly that way but it had enough of the core elements to keep me happy. My big complaint with this episode is that there just wasn’t enough of it. The end felt totally rushed. The Machine figures out a cure, Root goes to drop it off and that’s all folks. Way too easy. I wanted more in the hospital, more of the dynamics between the normal people caught in the crossfire and trapped in the ER. I wanted to see Fusco get sick and make up with Finch and Reese on his deathbed only be saved at the last minute by Root and the Machine.

I think it was a mistake to mix Shaw’s escape in, even if it did turn out to be real. I love that she kept going even after mini Greer convinced her it was all in her head. That’s my stubborn little Shaw. I think we’re meant to assume that her escape is real because 1. she was someplace different, not an island, 2. SPOV showed her in South Africa, and 3. the news about the quarantine came on the radio. But her hand wound from last week was not present. So…I have no idea. None. I want to say it’s real but all the simulations within simulations have me so turned around I no longer know which way is up.

The outbreak stank of Samaritan from the start. Anything to do with computers in any way makes me suspicious. As soon as the doctor made an offhanded remark about the computer system, I knew what we were up against. The show has been doing so much work to make Samaritan seem so all-powerful and I’m worrying that it’s working too well. How is the Machine ever going to defeat something so omnipotent and pitiless with the lives of innocents? And now it’s collecting the DNA of the entire population. That’s just great. Is there any part of the world, any part of the daily lives of people where Samaritan doesn’t have influence?

Fusco continues on his quest for Answers™, aided and abetted by Elias. I was surprised here. I don’t know why but I’d been assuming Elias knew everything, that Finch explained the whole thing to him. I’m not sure why I thought that had happened, but clearly, it hasn’t. I think Finch is wrong here, and wow, I’ve been saying that a lot lately. I can understand not wanting to tell Fusco out of a desire to keep him and his son safe, but what is his qualm about Elias? He’s already off the grid, playing dead. Would there really be harm in telling him what’s really going on? They might even be able to gain some valuable insight from a new perspective.

Bits and Pieces

Ko had the fastest ER visit I’ve ever seen. Has anyone ever gone to an American ER and ended up spending less than five hours there? This is a serious question.

Quotes

Security Guard: “Under what authority can we stop people from leaving?”
Reese: “The Patriot Act.”

Reese: “You may have to replace a few kneecaps, but no one’s leaving this place.”

Root: “Harry, be sure to wash your hands often. And Bear’s paws.”
As someone who has had to wash her (very small) dog’s paws in a public restroom, I wish Finch the best of luck. He’s going to need it.

three and a half out of four flu strains
---
sunbunny, person of interest and Bear the Dog fangirl

6 comments:

  1. Shaw not having the hand wound further convinces me that she didn't really kill the scientist last episode. I think it was another mind game from Samaritan to convince her she can't tell reality from simulation. It didn't make sense to me. She either goes from the island they've convinced her she's on or from Johannesburg to a lab with an Asian scientist and then they pop her back again? Yes, I'm sure there is an Asian community in Johannesburg, but still.

    Frankly confusing her so that she can't tell what is real is a good way to keep her ineffective or to brainwash her into saying yes to Samaritan.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, I think I might have an answer to how to defeat Samaritan.

    Root've been pretty insistent on equipping The Machine with some "weapons". Suppose they do that. So, The Machine can defeat Samaritan. Confirmed by the simulation. But, as Finch said, and I tend to agree, that would make The Machine no less dangerous. So, along with weapons, add a kill switch. Or a time bomb. Anything, that would kill The Machine right after Samaritan goes down.

    Yes, The Machine is pretty much Finch's baby... but he already was killing it a lot. And yes, erasing it's memory counts. And he is very dark underneath, as Elias pointed out.

    End result: no more Samaritan, no more Machine. Sad, but satisfying.

    The Machine can even suggest this itself.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The South Africa thing is just so strange that it has to be real. Or they would have woken her when she killed mini-Greer.

    I love how they get the Dutch commands for Bear in there and I never expect them. :)

    Five more to go. They'd better shift to arc episodes now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The injection the nurse gave Ko was labeled "Influenza A" and not "Antiviral." Later when it's confirmed in the show that combining influenza A with avian flu to create a super bug I busted out laughing. They scanned it with the computer but didn't read the giant glaring label on the box. No wonder the admin reminded the doctor to update her malpractice. Actually the hospital will be sued big time as well!

    I chose to believe that this time Shaw's escape is real, since the Samaritan's perspective kept shifting from NYC to South Africa. And the fact that Shaw stated she'd never been to South Africa. At least I hope the writers are not just messing with our heads some more, cause that'd be mean.

    ReplyDelete
  5. As Lionel was leaving John behind at the precinct, there was a sign on the door that said, "don't leave valuables behind." Probably just set dressing, but I liked the connotation. Also, nice touch still having the little fat cop figurine that was introduced back in season one. I hope that John saves it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "WHY ARE WE GETTING SO MUCH FILLER?!"
    Apparently even after giving them the axe the network still had the audacity to expect procedural stuff peppered through to the very end.
    *Swears at them in Dutch to make Bear's ears prick in confusion*

    ReplyDelete

We love comments! We moderate because of spam and trolls, but don't let that stop you! It’s never too late to comment on an old show, but please don’t spoil future episodes for newbies.