“It’s all about relationships.”
One of the best aspects of this show is the development of relationships, relationships that are not so much romantic as they are platonic. We’ve seen our team grow tighter and tighter over the course of the series, and we’ve seen what happens when one of those team members is taken away without warning. Now, we’re seeing what happens when our main characters come into conflict with a group of people who know how to exploit relationships, who don’t care for others as long as they are ahead. Both The Brotherhood and the people behind Samaritan embody these characteristics.
First off, we have Martine going around threatening children and shooting bar owners, and it’s clear that her robotic nature parallels the machine-driven world implemented by Samaritan. She and Greer have no need for developing relationships because they’re working to wring all that they want out of others’ relationships, and well, it’s working so far. At the end of the episode, Martine tracks down Shaw, pulls a gun out of her bag, and heads off to kill her, and it remains to be seen what will happen.
This also illustrates the fact that the team is off its game because of the threat of Samaritan. Shaw keeps the phone connecting her to Romeo, and earlier, the reveal of Mini as Dominic–there’s dramatic irony here, considering we already figured this out a few weeks back–seems to highlight a true shock to the team’s system. Their whole deal is preventing violent crimes before they occur, but now, it looks like that’s going to be increasingly difficult to do.
One of the reasons? The Brotherhood, which will definitely serve as an intriguing group of villains outside of Samaritan. At the head of it all is Dominic, someone who knows the rules of the game, someone who’s extremely intelligent, someone who inspires mutual respect and looks down upon people like the Trinitarios deputy. His Edward Snowden speech is fantastic, and his later monologue has him characterizing himself as the big, quiet kid at the back of the classroom. From what we know so far, that characterization is spot on, and it’s going to be incredibly compelling watching him face off against Elias; you may underestimate him at first, but he will get the better of you in the end.
Of course, as excellent as the Brotherhood is at manipulating relationships, there will always be people like Dani Silva, people who get second chances and do the right thing the second time. The story we see of hers in this episode is very compelling, and it’s clear that Reese relates to her. In the poignant scene they share in the car, he even brings up Carter, and once again, we circle back to the idea of relationships. Martine and Greer may stand in a room somewhere thinking up ways to exploit relationships, but ultimately, what really endures?
GRADE: B+
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Was Finch Dominic’s teacher? His whole circle explanation is straight out of Finch’s teachings in “2πR”.
-Adria Arjona, who plays Dani Silva, has just been cast for season two of True Detective. She is excellent in this episode, and I’m sure she will be great there.
-Bear is scuba certified! Bear is awesome! Bear has grenades!
-Jessica Pimentel–OITNB‘s Ruiz–shows up as Dominic’s lieutenant. Great addition to the cast.
-Hmm, it looks like Dr. Iris Campbell is starting to fancy Reese. I don’t think we need a plot like that now, but we’ll see where that goes.
-Apologies for the lateness. I had quite a bit to do yesterday.
-Next week’s episode looks to be a game-changer (last year’s episode 9 certainly was). Any Elias episode is usually excellent, and we also have that Martine-Shaw cliffhanger. I’m excited.
Photo credit: CBS, Person of Interest
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I love PoI because it is not formulaic, it not a procedural police/detective show,and it is not hell bent on Ross and Racheling every male/female or even male/male or female/female relationship. I am so SICK of that trope to be honest, it is tired and depleted. I do love that they focus on platonic relationships and the idea of trust and forming alliances and family out of people you would never consider.
I love how they have all learned over time to trust and care about each other. You saw that with Finch and Reece, then Reece and Carter, Carter and Fusco, Root and Finch, Reece, Fusco and Shaw, and Shaw with everyone on team Machine, and the Machine with her Father Finch. They all were fragmented people who have come together for a purpose and now care for each other.
Being on the run is draining and it is getting to team Machine and when one is tired they can get sloppy but I think that they will wake up in time.
I think ( well I hope and pray) that Martine will not get to Shaw, she will get out of that cliffhanger. The Machine needs her and I am sure her number came up and Root will be there to save her.
This whole episode to me was about ‘falling asleep at the wheel” Elias with Mini, I do not think he has underestimated Mini he said as much, but I do think that he is not really paying as much attention as he should. Shaw not deleting Romeo from her phone was just something she though she could handle by not answering his call, something we all do at times with people we do not wish to engage with at times. Finch with the Machine, Reece with his cover, they are not giving it their full attention, but I think that they will and when they do Samaritan is going to get it! : )
Oh and I do not think that Finch was Dominic’s teacher, I think Elias was.
Oh and I have said this before I am NOT a dog person, they chew shoes and I have a lot of shoes, but I honestly think that Bear is the BEST dog in the world! : )