3.06: Mors Praematura

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Freed from her psych ward confinement, Root receives a directive from The Machine that requires Shaw's assistance – by any means necessary – and takes extreme measures to gain her compliance. Also, Reese and Finch look for clues as to why a mild-mannered estate investigator’s number has come up.





Mors prematura (praematura) is Latin for the medical term for premature death.

 

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*** Spoilers ***

What is the Machine’s end game? Does it even have one? Root believes that the Analogue has a greater plan, but what if her faith is shattered to pieces because there isn’t one. The Machine isn’t all powerful God that she believes it might be. It cannot create life as we know it, but it can only spawn offspring’s that are one way or another connected back to the great machine. In a way you could even argue it had failed on being a deity and its actions are not far from what you see Elias or HR doing weekly basis.

This time The Machine sent out two teams in on the same mission, but for completely different reasons. And just like it was with last week number the case violently crossed over into another, bigger crime where Vigilance wanted to wipe out a hacker who’s on the wanted list after the death of Wayne Kurger from few weeks ago.

While Reese and Finch get numbers regarding citizens in danger, Root gets cryptic orders directly relating to The Machine's overall safety. And The Machine needed Jason alive. "My guess is you're necessary," Root explained, showing her blind trust in The Machine, not even knowing why she was risking her life to save a stranger.

It is almost like she has taken a leap of faith and blindly trusts whatever is in Analogue’s mind leads them all to great salvation. But can she do it as the tables are now turned and she’s been put under a lock and key by Finch – The Machine’s other avatar.

What do you think?


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[Dave]

I didn't quite get how Finch managed to imprison r00t, without the help of Reece.

I also don't think it was in character for Shaw to trust r00t just because she said the machine had told her. Until not so long ago, Shaw thought the intelligence came from questioned prisoners, and she hadn't heard of the machine. But r00t mentioning her father and something concerning her past seemed to completely convince her - I expect that we will eventually find out why.

Their run of bad luck ended tonight with both targets saved. I thought it came pretty close to a fail though with the shot in the leg.

Yes, both teams on the same mission but with a different agenda made for an interesting twist, but someone mentioned before about the increasing number of bad guys and good guys - it is getting highly complicated and difficult to follow if you just tuned in today.

 

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So earlier the cases were for finding if the number were victims or perpetrator, then does it mean that this third case is for the preferable assets? Is Analogue gearing up for a war?

 

[J-Sun]

What is the Machine’s end game? Does it even have one?

Did the X-Files or Alias or Lost or...? In other words, probably not. But not necessarily for "in-story" reasons. I just hope that, if we're led to think there is one, there is and, if not, not. I hate the "TV Producer Con Job". So far, I see no reason to think the Machine's not still responding to the world on an ad-hoc basis of just generally trying to "prevent harm" (but naturally growing "as a person" along the way). But, given its machine speed, in human time, now that it's retaining its memories, it could develop an end game very quickly.

Root believes that the Analogue has a greater plan, but what if her faith is shattered to pieces because there isn’t one. The Machine isn’t all powerful God that she believes it might be. It cannot create life as we know it, but it can only spawn offspring’s that are one way or another connected back to the great machine. In a way you could even argue it had failed on being a deity and its actions are not far from what you see Elias or HR doing weekly basis.

She's always been messianic/religious about The Machine so that's in keeping but I don't think she thinks it's literally a god - just a comparative god to humanity's bad code. At least, I hope they're not playing this too literally. I think she still understands it as a simile, though she probably feels it as a sort of reality.

I didn't quite get how Finch managed to imprison r00t, without the help of Reece.

You must have missed the scene where Shaw punched her after the main action. She then presumably trussed her up and handed her over. What I didn't get was why Groves (root) didn't have a bruise on her when Finch was talking to her.

I also don't think it was in character for Shaw to trust r00t just because she said the machine had told her. Until not so long ago, Shaw thought the intelligence came from questioned prisoners, and she hadn't heard of the machine. But r00t mentioning her father and something concerning her past seemed to completely convince her - I expect that we will eventually find out why.

Yeah, I'd agree that that was some fairly lazy writing but I think it sufficed to prove to Shaw that Groves wasn't working on her own agenda - which is to say, she wasn't going to torture Shaw this time around. So that was enough for Shaw to go along and see what happened. Plus, she may be "in for a penny, in for a pound" at this point. She does ultimately work for the machine even when her medium is Finch, so she's still working for the machine even when it's Groves.

it is getting highly complicated and difficult to follow if you just tuned in today.

This is very true and is really going to put a ceiling on audience growth like it has for other complex arc shows, which comes at an especially bad time with CBS monkeying with the schedule - PoI's ratings are still okay, but barely.

Anyway - I enjoyed the heck out of this episode, generally, and have been enjoying this season after its very slow start.

 

[Dave]

So far, I see no reason to think the Machine's not still responding to the world on an ad-hoc basis of just generally trying to "prevent harm" (but naturally growing "as a person" along the way). But, given its machine speed, in human time, now that it's retaining its memories, it could develop an end game very quickly.

There is one difference though. Someone has tried to dismantle it. So, now it is also on the defensive. It must look ahead to being able to defend itself from those elements that still wish to close it down. And I think that is why it appears to be building a team of hackers to call upon.

[Groves/Root has] always been messianic/religious about The Machine so that's in keeping but I don't think she thinks it's literally a god - just a comparative god to humanity's bad code. At least, I hope they're not playing this too literally. I think she still understands it as a simile, though she probably feels it as a sort of reality.

She wasn't in a mental hospital for no reason. She was out murdering people long before she hacked into the machine. Yes, she is very intelligent and she feels what she is doing is for a greater good, but then so do religious terrorists, and that doesn't make them any more right.

You must have missed the scene where Shaw punched her after the main action. She then presumably trussed her up and handed her over. What I didn't get was why Groves (root) didn't have a bruise on her when Finch was talking to her.

I didn't expect Shaw to have handed over the unconscious Groves to Finch rather than just leaving her. That conversation about explaining why they were working together would have been an interesting one to have seen. Maybe it was edited out for lack of time. I also can't see Finch holding her there on his own, and as I have already alluded to, I think she is correct that the machine does want and need her. Finch seems to think nothing has changed in his relationship with the machine, but the machine has grown and teenagers can become difficult.

I'm not sure if the machine still sees the CIA as the threat to it, or that it has identified the Vigilance as a greater threat.

Meanwhile, we didn't mention the B story - that Mike is really Mikhail. I find it hard to believe that they haven't brought in the FBI and haven't already worked out who the boss of HR is. There is surely enough evidence.