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Person of Interest: Triggerman

“Good to know the Irish mob’s still alive and kicking.”
“I suppose if the city’s going to have organized criminals, they should at least be diverse.”

Person of Interest returns to the world of organized crime with a bang. And what would be a PoI mob episode without everyone’s favorite big boss?

Yes, Elias is back. The writers of PoI certainly give the audience credit for remembering its recurring characters. We haven’t seen Elias in almost seven months, yet there was no awkward exposition. ‘Elias? You mean that mafia boss who tried to take over all organized crime in New York and who we put in prison after he had Carter’s son kidnapped?’ Unfortunately for me, I happened to catch Enrico Colantoni’s name on the credits and spent the first half of the episode eagerly awaiting his appearance. I hate when that happens, don’t you?

It was Finch who went face to face with Elias in prison. That really surprised me. I thought for sure he’d send Reese or Carter. Finch and Elias have a really interesting dynamic. Both are controllers. Elias controls half the city’s crime and Finch controls Reese (more or less...). The scene between the two was very good. I almost found Elias threatening. The lighting was major league creepy and his smile at the end was delightfully disturbing. It seems that Elias agreed to help Finch for a game of chess. I like it. Very intriguing. Was he trying to figure Finch out? Looking for weaknesses in the Finch/Reese system? Hopefully we won’t have to wait seven months for Elias to reappear.

Enough about Elias, let’s get to this episode’s story of the week: a mobster in love. It was good, very PoI. There were times it veered from classic tragedy/romance into hackneyed tragedy/romance, but the acting was decent enough for me to forgive them. I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but the best episodes of this show feature victims (or baddies) with more than a little grey in their lives. Riley is not an innocent man; he’s a killer, but his love for Annie is innocent, good, and worth protecting. At least for Reese, Finch had some doubts.

Finch is still suffering from his ordeal with Root. It looks like one late night stroll with Reese and Bear doesn’t fix everything instantly. Finch’s gradual healing is so far, so perfect. It’s believable without getting old. For me, the magical overnight healing of psychological wounds is just as annoying as letting the healing drag on and on and on.

Now that I’ve gushed enough over the awesomeness in this episode, I have to address the anti-awesome. Something was off in the beginning of the episode. It was driving me crazy trying to figure out why I was bored and distracted. Finally, it hit me: 42 minutes. That’s how long we had to wait before Reese had any contact with Riley or Annie (unless you count Riley shooting Reese). Reese spent the majority of the episode as some weird combination of stalker, guardian angel, and sniper.

The show’s best when we see Reese interacting with his weekly persons of interest. They ask Reese “Who are you?”, he comes up with a snappy but evasive reply, he fights for them, he connects with them. That’s the show’s formula and that’s, typically, why it works. This week, Reese was just too above everything. He was basically Finch, and we already have a Finch. This episode was missing a Reese, or at least it was for 42 minutes.

Bits and Pieces:

Massey’s teeth were so, so bad. Doesn’t the mob have dental?

Fusco called Reese “Mr. Tall, Dark, and Fearsome.” I love it. New code name?

Lots of examples of this show’s typical comedy. Snappy two-liners, courtesy of Finch and Reese.

Bear didn’t have much to do this week but smile for his close-ups. I find this a gross injustice. His agent should really demand more screen time.

Quotes:

“What do you suggest?”
“Improvising.”

“Mr. Reese, I may have found something.”
“That’s good, Finch, because I may have lost something.”

“He shot you, John.”
“It wasn’t personal.”

“He’s a killer. He’s just bad code.”
Root may have kidnapped and traumatized Finch, but at least she gave him a fun new catchphrase?

“Don’t tell me you’re with him.”
“Okay, I won’t, but I still need your help.”

“You got a detective in your pocket?”
“More like on my back.”
Aww. I’m going to assume Reese meant ‘on my back,’ like backing me up and not like consistently pestering me.

two and a half out of four chess pieces
---
sunbunny, Person of Interest and Bear the Dog fangirl

8 comments:

  1. And this week's LOLs from Sunbunny's review:

    1. Fusco called Reese “Mr. Tall, Dark, and Fearsome.” I love it. New code name? I wasn't much of a fan of Jim C. before PoI, but I am, now. Tall, Dark and Fearsome works for me.

    2. Bear didn’t have much to do this week but smile for his close-ups. I find this a gross injustice. His agent should really demand more screen time. Yes! He's adorable. And he really just did smile for his close-up. I swear, I look at that dog and start reconsidering my long career as a cat person.

    Great review, Sunbunny.

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  2. Thanks Billie! I heart Bear as well. My dad actually met a Dutch-speaking attack dog this week at work. He even got to see him attack a man wearing a pillow suit thing. I'm so jealous.

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  3. Something was off in the beginning of the episode. It was driving me crazy trying to figure out why I was bored and distracted.

    God, yes. I think it was the dialogue, too: there was an insane amount of exposition.

    Oh, well. Not every episode can be perfect. And I, too, am still loving the dog.

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  4. Good review, sunbunny.

    Elias' smile always give me the creeps, really.

    Reese killed the Bounty Hunter in the end, right?

    I seemed to have heard a gunshot with a silencer.

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  5. PlatinumRosebud - I think that was the implication. Either that or he tranked him and hauled him off to that Mexican jail from Many Happy Returns. I'm guessing the former.

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  6. Good stuff. Great review.

    Too bad we stopped counting the knee shots and the general ones. Lots of shooting in that show.

    I ADORE Fusco. It was a hoot at the bar : "merry Christmas !" "happy birthday !"

    "Wrong way guys." Reese always smiling when he's about to beat the crap of bad guys (or when menacing lousy ones on ledges).

    Great to see Elias again. A chess game ! Sublime !

    BTW, I just love the new intro. It has a Matrix vibe.

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  7. I don't know, sunbunny. I think Bear played a larger role than you mentioned.

    At the beginning, there is a throw-away shot of Finch petting him while he is talking to Reese. It is documented, and I will attest forever, that petting a dog is the best cure for stress/trauma/PTSD there is.

    And then, when Finch had to go into the world to look for Annie in her apartment, he assured Bear (and himself) that he would be fine. Bear gave him someone to help bolster himself up.

    Dogs are awesome; Bear is one of my favorites.

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  8. The dog is great but I miss The Baby. Not even joking, lols.
    Even though last episode wasn't good I was still essentially glad to see the procedural element return to the show. Sorry to say, I was down on episode 2 and was relieved to see Finch's captivity won't be drawn out. And with this episode I was fully back to season 1's level of relaxed enjoyment. Better luck next time with the serialized stuff (the season 2 premiere was excellent, to be clear).

    I wish the guy got away with the girl, regardless of what he deserved.

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