“There’s just one rule: we all die in the end.”
The unrelenting cycle of violence and crime seems to be a common topic among television shows these days, with The Bridge exploring that idea in terms of the U.S.-Mexico border and with Boardwalk Empire doing so in a historical, gangster world context. Person of Interest is tackling the issue in present-day New York, in a steadily evolving world that gets more restrictive as time progresses.
“This was never about winning. It was just about surviving.”
No one can definitively “win” in a world that’s constantly changing, making room for new technologies and new beliefs and new lifestyles; like Root says, one can merely survive, protecting those you love and keeping yourself safe. So, as we’re ushered into the age of Samaritan, that’s exactly what Reese, Finch, Root, Shaw, and co. have to do.
“I’d like you to avoid violence if at all possible, but if they harm Grace in any way, kill them all.”
No other line sums up the character of Harold Finch better than this one does. He’s not a man of violence, but he’s capable of love, of feeling so strongly about someone that he’d truly desire to enact revenge. For, he’s now facing the inevitable consequences of his actions, and he’s willing to place himself at risk.
What an incredible hour of television.
It’s always great to see Root back in the picture, doing what she does best. However, this episode takes the character and improves on it, adding layers and revealing truths and exploring further. By episode’s end, we’re presented with a fully fleshed out, incredibly compelling character who I only want to see more of.
Now that’s more like it.
After a few shaky weeks, we’re back in full force to kick off the final arc of the season. “RAM” is the perfect mixture of backstory and teaser, shading in myriad character moments and tying together myriad storylines; this is some truly impressive stuff right here.
Well, the team’s really back together again.
Understandably, this episode is fairly inconsequential, and I expect a few of these before we get into the final arc of the season. Of course, as with all Person of Interest episodes, “Provenance” is still consistently entertaining.
Just a few quick bullets…
-Man, how great is Saul Rubinek in this episode? He goes through the full range of emotions–wonder, curiosity, fear, sadness, you name it–in the span of 42 minutes, and it all culminates in a truly heartbreaking scene in which the Machine acts as the gateway Finch wanted to be to his father. This whole storyline raises intriguing questions about the relationship between humanity and technology, and in Finch and Arthur’s conversation in the bank vault, we see the Samaritan tech being referred to almost as a child, a fully fleshed out being worth protecting and destroying.
-It’s really an addition to Root’s ongoing storyline with the Machine, and once again, Amy Acker blows it out of the park here. Her interactions with Control are absolute dynamite in “Aletheia”, and it’s chilling to watch her not only endure torture, but to slowly turn the tables on her torturer.
Person of Interest just wrapped up one of its best, if not the best, arcs in the show’s history, culminating in the death of Joss Carter followed by a beautiful episode dealing with the fallout of that death. The show’s been cemented as one of the best on television, and based on tonight’s events, it looks like the action won’t let up.
The present day action is interspersed with flashbacks to Finch’s early days; as usual, the two storylines are connected thematically, this time through the idea of degeneration of the brain. Finch’s father’s situation was very similar to Claypool’s in the present day, and both are connected to their own machines. It’s an interesting set-up here, and I’m looking forward to see how the show handles the clashing of two artificial intelligences. Both fill some type of emotional and personal need, but both are also targets for those looking to spin a profit. The show’s always been asking about the human cost of machines like this and whether it outweighs the benefits to be reaped from them, and it looks like we’ll get some pretty engaging debate in the weeks to come; in addition, there’s no doubt Root will fit into this somehow.
On a less thematic side, it’s nice to see the Shaw-Finch team-up here; it’s fitting that these two would be the ones to go up against Vigilance and take this case, much like it was fitting that Fusco and Carter would go up against HR. Sarah Shahi does a nice job with the subtle, small influxes of compassion amidst her seemingly steely exterior, and in fact, we see her have as close of a heart-to-heart with Diane as we’ll ever get from her. So, it’s definitely a punch in the gut when she finds out about Diane’s true allegiance, as well as Hersh’s involvement. Sadly, this is the type of world that rewards emotional detachment and lack of compassion.
Anyway, the ending makes for a pretty exhilarating cliffhanger; I’m looking forward to the new year of Person of Interest.
GRADE: B+
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-We also get a Reese-Fusco subplot, which is great because it brings together the two people that were hit the hardest by Carter’s death. It’s nice to see the lingering effects of that tragedy, and it’s a mark of a great show that it allows its characters to grow organically. Their fight at the end mirrors the one in the last episode, and while it may seem repetitive, I can see why it would arise; honestly, both needed to get that out of themselves, and Fusco’s doing it out of compassion.
-We’re back after 3 weeks, and…..we’re gone for another 3 weeks. Damn it.
-The scene in which Finch and Claypool sing the school song is pretty sweet.
-Well, this is one of the last television reviews of the year; we still have Nikita, Treme, and one more SNL to go, but this is pretty much it before our end of the year lists and thoughts. Look for those in the upcoming weeks. See you on January 7th, which is going to be a loaded night: Justified’s premiere and the returns of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, and Person of Interest.
Photo credit: CBS, Person of Interest
The fallout of a character’s death isn’t something easy to handle, but Person of Interest deals with Carter’s in a creative, moving, and flat out brilliant way that serves as a thrilling capper to a wonderful half season.
It would be fairly simple to descend into the overly melodramatic, but the show instead opts to use its stylistic flair and its intimate knowledge of each character to evoke an even stronger sense of loss. For example, the opening credits are missing here, instead having the fantastic, mood setting montage of Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” (fantastic song choice, by the way) cut to a black screen for a few seconds. Much like the lack of a “Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode” last week, the show is paying homage to its fallen character.
As for the intimate knowledge, the episode is structured around a series of flashbacks that delineate how exactly various characters used to deal with loss compared to how they do it now. They each strove for something greater, but they couldn’t shake the doubts burrowed in their minds. The flashbacks provide insight into the pasts of each person while drawing myriad parallels between them, unifying them under the presence of Carter. In fact, usually the person sitting across from them would be a Carter-type figure, helping set them straight and attempting to connect on a deeper level; the difference here is that Carter would actually succeed, and this is a very clever way of conveying that sense of loss.
That sense of loss permeates the present day as well; instead of focusing on Carter’s funeral, we get to see how each character is affected by it, none more so than Reese. It’s a striking change to see him so unhinged and raw, and he’s a very different man than he was in that flashback. Yet, it’s completely realistic; sometimes we forget that Reese is a human being with real feelings, and Caviezel does a marvelous job of portraying a man essentially killing himself over his partner’s death, willing to do anything it takes to serve cold, hard justice. I like that he slips up and ends up trying to shoot Quinn; although the gun doesn’t go off, it reminds us just how far Reese is willing to go, and it’s, quite frankly, an inherently human decision.
Of course, it isn’t just Reese that’s affected. Every other character wears some type of metaphorical mask, attempting to cover up the grief, guilt, and frustration that each is feeling. However, they’re still able to make sensible decisions; Shaw and Finch realize how useful Root is and the necessity to put aside their differences, so they do so. They’re not going to lose someone else.
Oh, and how awesome is Root in this episode? Really. Freaking. Awesome. Kinda hot, too, according to Shaw.
At the end, Fusco gets his moral victory by electing to arrest Simmons instead of killing him. It’s a thrilling moment because even now, he’s paying his respects to Carter by honoring her wishes. In fact, that fight scene draws parallels to Reese’s fistfight with Simmons, and both men had similar attitudes toward killing: some people deserve it. It’s a very interesting aspect to explore, and that’s only strengthened by Elias’s final lines. He respects Carter and he values civilized actions, and Simmons deserves what’s coming to him; Elias won’t get his hands dirty, but sometimes, justice needs to be swift and permanent. People are going to die, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end all be all for a person’s legacy; Carter’s character was all about how she affected others, and we continue to see her live on today. She’s not going away anytime soon.
GRADE: A
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Fusco’s face when Root’s telling him everything she knows about him. Hilarious.
-“Tall, dark, and deranged.”
-“He lost a lot of blood. I’m gonna steal some more from Manhattan General.”
-Powerful acting from everyone tonight. They conveyed so much through just their facial expressions.
-I have to say, I was at first inclined to write a review that went like this: HOLY SHIT THIS WAS AWESOME. I MEAN, YOU HAD REESE JUST ACTING BADASS AND DISPATCHING A BUNCH OF BAD GUYS, AND THEN ROOT WITH HER TWO GUNS JUST BLASTING IT UP, AND AN AWESOME FISTFIGHT, AND THEN OH MAN ELIAS THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT.
Credit to CBS and Person of Interest for all pictures. I own nothing.
Wow.
What a ride this has been. I’m not even going to bother with some fancy opening because that was my reaction after this episode. Wow.
It’s hard to write about an episode that kills off one of the best female characters on television, not because it’s necessarily a bad decision, but because it’s so gut-wrenching when it happens. Taraji P. Henson created a character that was layered, complex, witty, and downright awesome, and her presence will be sorely missed.
Then again, I still don’t know what to think an hour after the episode ended. On the one hand, her storyline was essentially closed off; she’s grown from a regular cop into a determined, powerful woman, and her vendetta has come to an end. Yet, I can’t help but feel emotionally manipulated; why does Carter have to be killed off? Is this just sweeps bait? Still, my opinion will fully form on this matter over the weeks; it entirely depends on the execution by the writers. The fallout of this is key; right now, her death may feel a little manipulative, but if the show handles it with nuance and delineates the deep-reaching effects on the other characters, I may feel a little better about it.
Still, no matter what you think about those final five minutes, I think we can all agree that what comes before is one of the most thrilling, intense episodes this show has ever produced. Watching this show is like watching an action movie, and when we see these characters in different situations, we’re actually afraid for them. When Reese and Carter bond over their pasts and their almost impending doom, we’re scared they won’t make it out alive. When Fusco is tied up and taking a beating, we’re terrified for him and his kid. It’s really a mark of a well-crafted show when every single character can elicit such an emotional response from the audience.
Also, the character work is impeccable here; Shaw maintains that quiet demeanor because that’s how she moves on in life; she’s crushed that she can’t save Fusco, but she can’t let it show. Fusco remains steely at first, throwing out witty remarks to cover up his fear. Reese continues to believe in the strength of his comrades even while accepting his own death. The episode does a nice job of conveying acceptance of reality and emotional vulnerability amidst the facades we put up to help ourselves escape. For example, it might seem strange to see Reese and Carter kiss, but it’s understandable; they really do share such a powerful connection, and their shared hardship leads into it. It’s a kiss of compassion, not of lust. Of course, her death cheapens that scene a bit.
All in all, this is a roller coaster ride of an episode that barrels into the midseason finale with many interesting threads to tie up. Again, I don’t know what to think of Carter’s death without having seen the next few episodes. Perhaps it’s a symbol of the effects of corruption; such a powerful person can be brought down in the shabbiest of ways. Perhaps it’s a masterful way of closing out a fantastic character. Perhaps it’s cheap. You decide for yourself. Whatever the case, that final scene is a masterful handling of emotions, tension, and love, and moving on will be incredibly difficult to do.
GRADE: A-
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Using Fusco as misdirection? You’re killing me, writers. I must’ve had 100 heart attacks.
-Root and Finch also share some fantastic scenes. Finch also has to accept here; he’ll essentially give up Reese to prevent Root from escaping, and Emerson does some fantastic work detailing the struggle in his mind.
-That phone ringing over the final scene is chilling.
-I want one of those fortune cookies.
-This show, man. This show.
Credit to CBS and Person of Interest for pictures. I own nothing.
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