4.13 M.I.A.

[J-Sun]

[From Wikipedia]: Reese and Root follow the previous episode's lead to a small town in upstate New York. They discover that Samaritan has taken over an old textile mill, providing jobs for everyone while conducting human psychology experiments on the citizenry. In an unrelated story back in New York City, Fusco and a young policewoman work to protect a key witness to a mob crime from a hit man. Reese and Root cause considerable disruption at the factory and Samaritan decides to pull out. The lead had taken them to a different woman, and no one knows what happened to Shaw. The team rescues the woman. When Root asks the Machine for help, it advises the team to stop looking for Shaw. Harold tells Root continuing to look for Shaw would consume and expose the team; they have to accept that they may never find out what happened to Shaw. At the end, Shaw is revealed to be alive and in Greer's custody.

Shaw is alive and that's great news! Or is it? The scene with her and Greer was like the scene with Stanton and Greer. Stanton was easy to subvert because she wanted to be subverted. But I wonder, given the mind-control aspects we've seen and saw here, if we aren't getting set up for Shaw to become an unwilling adversary. Or maybe we just don't see much of her for awhile at all. I also wasn't very happy at all that it seems like Groves may be going off-stage for awhile, too, due to her disagreement with Harold over Shaw. (And this is bad writing as Harold's being stupid - whether they believe she is alive or not and whether they believe it is healthy to act like it, they can't afford not to. Shaw knows too much about them and their methodology to be spilling her guts to Greer and Samaritan. They'd have to kill her if she wasn't already dead and they couldn't free her. (I mean, we know Harold would never do that but that's how most every other group of operatives would act.)) I liked and like Fusco's new friend (in her second or third appearance) but I don't like the idea that she may be being promoted to more regular status to fill a Shaw/Groves void.

On the other hand, if this is the case, it gets it back more like it was: Finch & Reese, Fusco & partner.

As far as the main story arc, while it made me think of X-Files episodes, I liked the "test town" scenario which does emphasize how dystopian this is. And I thought it was perfectly played that Harold was saying "No" and Groves was saying "Yes" and Reese was holding Groves in check with some "Maybe" regarding getting information out of the "mayor". A little hand demo was acceptable to Reese.

Anyway, pretty good ep that I'm not thrilled with all the same. But we'll see how things continue to unfold.

(I really hope that, 4 or 5 (or more) seasons, PoI knows what it's getting and wraps up right. It'll kill me if they're told they're getting 5 seasons, so leave things unresolved, and then get cancelled or something.)

 

[ctg]

Shaw is alive and that's great news! Or is it? The scene with her and Greer was like the scene with Stanton and Greer. Stanton was easy to subvert because she wanted to be subverted. But I wonder, given the mind-control aspects we've seen and saw here, if we aren't getting set up for Shaw to become an unwilling adversary. Or maybe we just don't see much of her for awhile at all. I

Well, you could clearly see that she has either swollen a beachball or then she's really pregnant with twins, and I doubt we will be going to see her in this season or in the next one, as the IA lady is going to take her role in the show. So in that respect I don't think it was a flashback, but actual disclosure to Shaw fans. The producers, which includes now JJAbrams, had to put her in even though I would have prefer that they would had left her out and kept people waiting for news while she gets pregnancy over and done with.

As far as the main story arc, while it made me think of X-Files episodes, I liked the "test town" scenario which does emphasize how dystopian this is.

X-files or the Fringe, nevertheless it made sense that Samaritan would had done that sort of experiment in little town as it's lacking any morals or restrictions unlike its cousin, the Machine. And that is because I doubt Greer would had done it even though he's becoming more and more like one of those pesky megalomaniacs. In fact someone could claim that the power has gone in his head, but then again we can look his Ai and see that the Samaritan is offering power and fortunes to anyone it seems fit to advance its agendas.

 

[Dave]

As far as the main story arc, while it made me think of X-Files episodes, I liked the "test town" scenario which does emphasize how dystopian this is.

I knew it reminded me of a story, but I couldn't place it. That was it, thanks (though it could well be Fringe too.) The scenario is exactly what you would do if you aimed to take over the world by altering human behaviour. It is also similar to The Puppet Masters and The Invasion of the Bodysnatchers.

I thought it was an okay episode. I didn't like them stringing out the is she/isn't she dead, so I'm glad that there is now a reason given for her being missing, even if it is weak. If she returns as a brainwashed double agent she will be a considerable opponent.

 

[markpud]

It is heartbreaking to see how much Root (and to varying degrees Reese and Finch) needs Shaw to be alive and well. In hindsight all the flirting between them was setting up this emotional explosion from her following Shaw's disappearance. But will she go as far off the rails as John did following Carter's death?!

So in that respect I don't think it was a flashback, but actual disclosure to Shaw fans. The producers, which includes now JJAbrams, had to put her in even though I would have prefer that they would had left her out and kept people waiting for news while she gets pregnancy over and done with.

I was really surprised to see Shaw at the end given the real-life reasons for her being written out. Hopefully this will be paid off when she eventually returns. It does smack of fan service though. And I thought JJ had been an Exec producer on the show from the start? But it's very much Nolan's baby.

 

[REBerg]

The Machine may possibly have told the team to stop looking for Shaw because it wants an “asset” inside the Samaritan organization. Perhaps we will see an AI tug-of-war over control of Shaw's mind. Samaritan would be the underdog in such a struggle, given Shaw's loyalties and mental toughness.