“You can’t run away from your past.”
The dating scene is oftentimes a way to get a fresh start, to move on from whatever bad history you may have or whatever problems you’ve encountered in the past. However, “Wingman” suggests that no matter what you do and no matter who you do it with, the past will always, to some extent, catch up with you. It’s how you handle the situation that determines who you will be moving forward.
Someone like Andre Cooper can become a slick pickup artist, someone who knows just how to dress and just how to act around women, but that’s only a temporary respite from the troubles of the past. There’s a sense of artificiality here, a veneer that’s poked apart when Mickey shows up during one of Fusco’s sessions and completely torn away when Cooper and Fusco end up being left to die in a shipping container. Andre’s been on a balance beam for a while, and it’s telling that he’s unable to be in a relationship at the moment because after all, he hasn’t confronted his past yet; it’s simply something he must do before he can move forward and commit to a new life.
Fusco, on the other hand, certainly has confronted his past recently, especially in regard to HR and the time spent with them. He’s a new man, changed, and the end of the episode brings a sweet moment in which he seems to be hitting it off with someone. He has a responsibility to his job–as we see earlier when his conversation at the charity event is cut short–but there’s also a part of him that is young and bursting to break free.
As for Reese/Riley, we have an example of someone who still tends to exhibit the qualities–e.g. kneecapping–that make him as great at his work as he is. However, there’s also the responsibility of the job, the fact that Captain Moreno has him “under a microscope”. Whether you’re dating or getting a job or attempting to evade the gaze of a powerful computer program, someone is always watching, always ready to pounce at any little slip up.
It is, after all, something we also see with Finch as he’s attempting to play the role of Egret the weapons dealer. He’s certainly able to play the role, but the cracks in his character are apparent with each passing second; Emerson imbues in Finch’s facial expressions a sense of worry, a sense of cognitive dissonance, and he ends up abiding by his morals over the role. It’s all good, though, because this is all part of the Machine’s plan. Everything’s looping back around to the driving force of the first few seasons of the show–to the past–but in doing so, our characters are stronger and smarter and more capable. Confronting the past is difficult, but once again, it’s how you handle the situation that determines what will happen in the future. It’s the irrelevant numbers and the rocket launcher and the money, all unified under the umbrella of purpose, that allow the team to use the past to spring even higher toward the future.
“If you live in the past, you’ll wind up alone.”
Reese and Finch and Shaw and Root and Fusco and Bear. They’re certainly not alone.
GRADE: B
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Cooper ends up deciding to testify about his former friends, which is essential considering it involves him taking all factor into account before the decision. Fusco himself also knows that the loss of your friends–no matter how–is always difficult to move past.
-The montage of Fusco getting rejected…that smile… It’s just pretty damn entertaining watching Fusco, and I’m glad we’re still focusing on him as very much a part of the team.
-The smile Reese gives after the Captain says she ought to give him points for being a good shot is hilarious.
– “And I’m giving you a bad Yelp review! Ass!”
-Finch plays Evil Mastermind really well. He’s channeling some of that Ben Linus magic, it looks like.
– “I have two modes: calm and serious. It’s the rare person who gets to see the latter and lives to talk about it.”
– “Fine, but I’m taking the dog.” This season is utilizing Bear much more than last season, and the show is better off for it because Bear is Bear.
Photo credit: CBS, Person of Interest
Polar Bears Watch TV 
Happiness for me is Tuesday and PoI! I love this show and the characters of team Machine, the actors and the layered nuisances of the plot and scripts! They got their bankroll again now they can really and readily operate and compete against Smaritan. I love how this episode had them all in some way accepting and learning from their past. I love Reece as a cop and Fusco as his partner, by the way Fusco worked that suit he gave John competition. 😉 I am really loving how Root has grown and changed she had her past catches up moment last season, she understands, and I love that she refers to the machine as SHE. Emerson as Egret was well acted but I was not surprised by the menace that he can show at a drop of a dime, I saw and heard that when he voiced the Joker in The Dark Knight animated film, he played the Joker with quiet, almost gentle, evil menace, great work! I love that the Machine knows her Father so well that she knew what was going to happen and created an out.Huzzah for Bear! I am not a dog lover but I adore Bear. Huzzah for Shaw kicking ass, I love watching her fight. Huzzah for the ice cold cool that is Reece, yes his smile when the Captian said he was a great shot was funny, it was not really a compliment and Ilove that he did not realize that right away. Huzzah for Lionel’s date montage, that manic grin he had…yikes! I am happy that he met someone in the end! I just thought of something that Smaritan is like Root before her ephipany, very clever, calculating, cold and efficient, but Root was taken down by the compassionate Machine and the compassionate people of team machine. That is why, I think they team Machine will triumph in the end,it “feels” Harold taught it to and he gave it free will to make the right choices. Samaritan despite the phrasing is being controlled by Palpatine light and I think like the sith Mythos it will turn on its master. Love this show and I look forward to your reviews! Hurry up next Tuesday! 😄