tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post7350955942312816998..comments2024-03-29T06:56:12.797-04:00Comments on Doux Reviews: Person of Interest: A House DividedBillie Douxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-20205433171834697122014-05-08T18:33:32.355-04:002014-05-08T18:33:32.355-04:00Have to reluctantly agree that the Finch-Greer sce...Have to reluctantly agree that the Finch-Greer scenes did not match up with the rest of the story very well, at least in terms of dramatic action. All exposition and no real drama until Vigilance showed up. The other parts had plenty of both as you pointed out. A real shame because I took a lot from that exposition.<br /><br />Their conversation made me see the two systems as very different children of those two parents. Finch has given The Machine a strong moral center but it also has more autonomy than Samaritan. Samaritan is set up by Greer as an "open" system but it is much more controlled by humans than The Machine. The Machine spits out numbers and lets the humans take on the very human task of sorting perps from victims. Samaritan is "open" for its human masters to decide perp or victim beforehand and make Samaritan do its bidding. Self control versus control by others.<br /><br />I was also reminded of the Greek Myth where Zeus and the other children of the original gods (Cronus et al) killed their parents to rule Olympus. I don't think we're at that point in this show, but it would be interesting to watch.<br /><br />The irony of Samaritan being more "open" but under more control made me think of the libertarian laissez faire capitalism argument that economic systems should be "open" and under no government control. But such a system just ends up under the control of some old white guys in a boardroom. Since I am an old white guy (with much smoother skin by the way and nowhere near a boardroom) I can say that without feeling the need to apologize.<br /><br />I've never seen a doughnut massacre before. That was cool.milostanfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12601982445850157037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-44750706273114298412014-05-08T14:56:38.112-04:002014-05-08T14:56:38.112-04:00Great review! I enjoyed this episode, but it did ...Great review! I enjoyed this episode, but it did feel a lot like set up. Be that as it may, the set up feels like it is going to be quite something to see.<br /><br />It was very cool to see all the people who have been involved with one incarnation of the Machine or the other sitting in a row like that. It made me realize just how complex this show has become. That's a good thing.ChrisBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10843864158239536750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-64135111753179285362014-05-08T06:04:19.931-04:002014-05-08T06:04:19.931-04:00Josie - I did watch Lost, actually, but I haven...Josie - I did watch Lost, actually, but I haven't seen it since its original run. I'm one of those who became disenchanted with the show by its end.sunbunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08553429350476841139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-34292911659985086122014-05-08T01:53:39.942-04:002014-05-08T01:53:39.942-04:00Excellent review, Sunbunny!
Plus, not to be a to...Excellent review, Sunbunny! <br /><br /><i>Plus, not to be a total ageist, but it’s hard to be threatened by a man who looks to be in constant peril of breaking a hip. </i><br /><br />It's funny you say that: to me, Greer doesn't look excessively old. He just makes me to time-travel back to his youth and hand him some moisturizer with a high SPF. <br /><br />You haven't watched <i>Lost</i>, have you? I wound up catching a few minutes of one of Michael Emerson's first episodes on that show--a series of scenes that are more or less like his scenes with Greer: two people having an intense conversation and revealing a lot about themselves, sometimes unintentionally. <br /><br />For all of <i>Lost</i>'s occasional dialogue flaws, those scenes were some of the tautest I've seen. And, you're right, the Greer/Finch scenes here didn't measure up.<br /><br />But they were still fun for me, as were the Collier flashbacks. If this show aired on any channel other than CBS, I'd be inclined to say there there must be a webisode about Root and her team of crack hackers. Now, I just wish there were one.<br /><br />Josie Kafkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17892717530356699008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-57567641170018024652014-05-07T23:45:08.230-04:002014-05-07T23:45:08.230-04:00Interesting. I thought the full custody/drinking a...Interesting. I thought the full custody/drinking again stuff was about 2 years before he was arrested, but your way makes more sense. Correcting the review now.sunbunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08553429350476841139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-33120473065604903352014-05-07T23:32:47.983-04:002014-05-07T23:32:47.983-04:00I don't think Collier's brother killed him...I don't think Collier's brother killed himself while in custody. If you go back and watch the conversation with his sister-in-law, I think it tells a different story. It sounded like the government eventually released his brother without charging him, meaning there was nothing to acquit him of, so he had the cloud of suspicion hanging over him in his community, making it hard for him to do hold down a job, friends, etc. He eventually fell off the wagon, and his ex-wife sued for full custody of their son, which drove the brother deeper into depression. The sister was blaming herself for part of that, but Collier was assuring her that she was just looking out for the best interests of her son, and didn't do anything wrong. <br /><br />Greer really hasn't been doing it for me as a villain, even now that we know more about his motivations. So he's some crazy old man sick and tired of corrupt & incompetent governments, so he wants to put an all-powerful machine in charge of everybody, that about cover it? Yeah, someone please put a bullet through his head already before he activates Skynet. Has NOBODY on this show seen the Terminator movies? Sheesh.<br /><br />Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03943327351499919454noreply@blogger.com