Monday, June 20, 2016

Person of Interest – “.exe”. It’s a wonderful life, but Samaritan is inevitable, I’ve found.

The importance of human life has always been a theme that has permeated Person of Interest since its beginnings, and once again the show returns to that. People on an individual level matter and so do the choices they make. As Finch continues his journey to stop Samaritan, he ponders on the choices that have led him to his current circumstances. He has some doubts, if not regrets, about whether or not creating the Machine has actually made the world a better place, and whether the friends that he has met – and lost – along the way, was worth it, even at the cost of saving all those lives.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Person of Interest – “Synecdoche”, rounding off the numbers by threatening the POTUS

I guess “Synecdoche” is it. This episode is the last proper number-of-the-week the show will ever have. So it makes sense to go all out and threaten someone with the stature and gravitas of the President of the United States. Like similar episodes that find their place in the flow of a season of Person of Interest, this does quite a bit of work as the show rounds into the final two episodes that will end the show forever. It is an episode that concentrates equally outward and inward, as it unfolds more about our characters – because in the final two episodes, it is inevitable the show will be as such – and presents to us almost a consolation prize. A could have been – a spinoff show, or a look into the Person of Interest Expanded Universe™.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Person of Interest – “The Day The World Went Away”, but maybe there’s something on the other side too

“The Day The World Went Away” opens with Finch pondering and reflecting on what is the last five seasons of the show, and whether or not he is, or will be the catalyst for the death of his friends. He surmises that his intervention might be the one thing that will directly lead to all of their demises, and by the end of the hour, he is proven right, twice.

It is interesting that this episode revolves around Finch, but also at the same time does an incredible job with sending off what are essentially two vital pillars of the show. These were two characters who were on a bad path until they intersected with Finch, and found themselves entangled in his cause. The past, present, and presumptive future all collide in the 100th episode of the show, both as a plot device and as ways to stir character and emotional development. The show never fully relies on the parallel narratives employed in shows like Lost and Once Upon a Time fully, choosing to employ it sporadically, but treats it with much care when they do. But they also have five seasons of character development and history to fall back on and loyal viewers know every thread running underneath every interaction.