3.01: Liberty

[Lenny]

Person of Interest is back... and it's business as usual!

I didn't really notice it in the first series, and it wasn't until late in the second series that the thought struck me, but with this week's number it is totally clear that the writers are going down the route of using our imperiled guest (they're pretty much always the victim, and never the perpetrator. I can only think of Elias and the identity-thief from the second series who were committing the crimes) to drive the development of our main characters, and it looks like Reese's past is going to be the main arc this year.

I could barely remember anything from the series two finale, so I had a look back at my notes, predictions, and thoughts. Turns out that I might have been right on a few points:

Starting small: Carter saved Elias. He's had a much reduced role this series, and I've started to wonder why he's been kept around. Maybe we'll see a sub-plot involving Carter and Elias (Fusco too?) taking down HR?

Slightly bigger: Root is still active. The question is whether the phone call was real, or whether she imagined it. If it is real, then what does the Machine want her for? Is she to become its agent, or does it want her for her computing skills? I want to see more Amy Acker.

Similarly: is Shaw going to return as part of Finch's team? I don't like her, but it will be interesting to see how she and Reese will handle numbers. Multiple numbers at a time, perhaps? Or could she be an agent who takes on assignments that will take a while to accomplish?

Carter and Elias have some sort of agreement in place, and Carter has converted the back of her wardrobe into an "HR Investigation" board. I didn't expect Carter to be busted down to patrol, though, so that's a nice development.

Root appears to have become something important to the Machine (which has introduced a new box colour - Root is now seen by the Machine with a black box and yellow markers. She is an asset, but doesn't have the solid colour like Finch and Reese, or the Other Side who had solid blue). I suspect that the Machine is trying to learn more about the human brain, possibly to better inform its predictions. It's interesting to note that, as shown by the graphic after Root's last scene, the Machine has no idea whether Root will kill Dr. Carmicheal.

Finally, Shaw. You know, I actually rather enjoyed her presence on the team. She may be something of a two-dimensional, female Reese at the moment, but her appearances were fun, and I'm looking forward to her interactions with Reese.

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I think true enjoyment of PoI comes from ignoring the weekly stories (because, let's be honest, unless they're part of the main series story-arc, they're kind of crap), and watching instead the main character interactions, and watching the main arcs play out.

With at least five possible subplots (Carter/Elias; Reese's history; Root/Machine; a continuation of Decima Technologies; a continuation of the storyline with Shaw's original group, as we have yet to meet "Ma'am", and we have yet to see what they wanted with Alicia Corwin's implanted RFID tag), and only twenty-two episodes, we may see more main story this series than we did last series.

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Oh, and my thoughts on the episode: it felt more like the original pilot than the series two opener, and I'm glad. Series two started very strongly, and then kind of petered out when the main arc was suddenly dropped, whilst the first series slowly built the main arc into the Number of the Week episodes, giving it a much more consistent feel. If this third series follow the same structure, I think this may be a more enjoyable series than the second.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that this series I'll probably only comment on episodes that are obviously part of a main story arc, because with twenty-odd episodes to watch, many of which will likely be filler, I won't have the motivation to chime in every week.

 

[ctg]

What can I say Lenny. I loved having POI back and as much as I enjoyed the episode, I was confused about all the mixes they put in this one episode. Somehow it felt the episode was degraded when they could had dedicated much more time to R00t then they did. But what I can say about the Machine is that it looked to me as if there were two different AI's floating the cyberspace. One dedicated to the POI team and one twisting around r00t's persona.

 

[J-Sun]

Person of Interest is back... and it's business as usual!

Yep, that's one of my problems with the episode - the season finale was feature movie caliber and I didn't see how the premiere would live up to it and it turns out they didn't even try, but just issued a standard episode, for the most part. It was fine, but nothing special except for a couple of strands.

Carter and Elias have some sort of agreement in place, and Carter has converted the back of her wardrobe into an "HR Investigation" board. I didn't expect Carter to be busted down to patrol, though, so that's a nice development.

That is my major problem with this whole thing - I cannot come up with a plausible psychological or logical reason for the Carter-Elias relationship. And while I can see some advantages in having Carter be a beat cop (however bad it is for her), I prefer her as a detective.

Root appears to have become something important to the Machine (which has introduced a new box colour - Root is now seen by the Machine with a black box and yellow markers. She is an asset, but doesn't have the solid colour like Finch and Reese, or the Other Side who had solid blue). I suspect that the Machine is trying to learn more about the human brain, possibly to better inform its predictions. It's interesting to note that, as shown by the graphic after Root's last scene, the Machine has no idea whether Root will kill Dr. Carmicheal.

Amy Acker was the high point of the whole episode. I'm not sure precisely why the Machine is interested in her, either, but THAT it is, is completely unsurprising. Root's brilliant and so can be a great asset or a great liability. And, in a weird way, she's not really evil, but just deeply deeply bent. She does sort of worship the Machine and has problems with her (and everyone's) humanity, so this would be very interesting to any machine trying to get a grip on machine and human intelligence. And, simply, she's the perp and victim rolled into one that the Machine is (sub)tasked with helping save/deal with. This is a storyline that will be incredibly easy for the writers to screw up but could be part of true greatness if they do it right, lifting the show above its often mediocre level.

Finally, Shaw. You know, I actually rather enjoyed her presence on the team. She may be something of a two-dimensional, female Reese at the moment, but her appearances were fun, and I'm looking forward to her interactions with Reese.

Yeah - I'm biased - I've thought Sarah Shahi was great ever since Life and I'll watch her read the phone book. I thought she did a fine job with what she was given but the writers did make her too one-note and need to diversify her character without losing her "one shot through a brick wall in the dark" charm. I think she can add a great deal to the show but the one thing they need to avoid is making us wonder how we got by without her but suddenly need her all the time now, if you see what I mean. Probably the best way would be to run separate story lines where she and Reese aren't always working the same number at the same time.

I think true enjoyment of PoI comes from ignoring the weekly stories (because, let's be honest, unless they're part of the main series story-arc, they're kind of crap), and watching instead the main character interactions, and watching the main arcs play out.

I'll agree that the "number of the week" eps do tend to be "paint by numbers" and mediocre or worse but there's no inherent reason for this but laziness, For instance the episode with Linda Cardellini (man, does PoI pick some great cast members) where she played the doctor out for revenge over her abused sister was very good, and there are others. (I was disappointed that they didn't make her recurring and instead had Finch threaten an almost random doctor to get Reese treatment and now have Shaw doing field medic service. They need a doc in their line of work and Cardellini as actress and character would be great.) But, yeah, the continuing subplots are the real substance of the show. I wonder if the Stanton-type flashbacks are over now? I thought those were often interesting.

With at least five possible subplots (Carter/Elias; Reese's history; Root/Machine; a continuation of Decima Technologies; a continuation of the storyline with Shaw's original group, as we have yet to meet "Ma'am", and we have yet to see what they wanted with Alicia Corwin's implanted RFID tag), and only twenty-two episodes, we may see more main story this series than we did last series.

Don't forget the past subplots such as Finch's fiancee and boss, Reese's past, and current elements like HR and probably more that I AM forgetting.

 

[Dave]

That is my major problem with this whole thing - I cannot come up with a plausible psychological or logical reason for the Carter-Elias relationship.

Cal Beecher?

She knows Elias' men did not kill him. She knows it was HR and a cover up. She wants the boss of HR (though she doesn't yet know it is Alonzo Quinn but is getting close.)

Under the circumstances my enemy's enemy is my friend.

It was back to the regular episode but different. There is a whole gang now rather than Finch and Reese. The chemistry has changed slightly. I'm still watching anyway.