Person of Interest S4E21 - Asylum

This week on Person of Interest, holy shit, there is so much going on. I don't know how to deal with this.

Damn, this is intense. This show is really gearing up for the finale. Let's divide this into sections.

Control

Control has been digging up info on Samaritan and it's operation, which leads to her kidnapping a woman she believes is working for Samaritan.

Shelly argues that she hasn't done anything Control herself hasn't done in the name of national security. And to be fair, she has a point. Control has ordered the deaths of countless people and organised events of mass destruction. Shelly is doing the same things, just in name of a different AI. And technically, while Shelly is taking orders from an AI, the Machine never gave orders to Control, she gave the orders herself.

What the hell is this 'correction' Samaritan has planned?? It does not sound good...


Harold and Root

Root receives a call from Shaw, which gives Root the push to start looking for Shaw again. This time she is going to make the Machine answer her questions by giving it a choice: the Machine can tell Root the call's location or she will kill herself. This forces the Machine to comply and gives Root and Harold the location, the headquarters of Samaritan's operation posing as an asylum.

"Who exactly is after you?" "The Brotherhood, the federal government, an artificial super intelligence, obviously." And the sad thing is, he really is telling the truth. Poor Harold.

I wonder if Martine is telling the truth that they managed the break Shaw and forced her to tell them how to get Root to come running to them. Considering Shaw's mental condition, breaking her would have to involve some truly terrible techniques.

I have to say, it was satisfying to see Root snap Martine's neck, even if a little terrifying. I keep forgetting that Root used to be scary as hell. "Now I surrender."

How chilling was to moment the Machine decided to intervene? When it decided that Harold and Root are more important than it is. That was a great scene. And the best way to ensure Harold will stay loyal till the end.

And now the team has to race Samaritan's people to the location of the Machine in an attempt to save it.


John and Fusco

Both Elias and Dominic's numbers have come up, so Fusco and John head out to give Elias a heads up. But Dominic and his crew attack, leaving Elias, John and Fusco as prisoners.

Was anyone surprised when Elias manipulated Dominic into believing there was a rat in his crew and subsequently into killing Link? Because I saw that coming from the start. The second Elias said "be careful what you wish for" I knew he was planing something that would lead into Dominic knowing exactly what it felt like to be responsible for your friend's death.

Why is Harper there? I still hate her and to be honest I still cannot remember her name, I always have to look it up. But seriously, her presence is absolutely pointless. It adds nothing and only makes me feel more annoyed. I know she said the Machine told her to save John and Fusco, but does she have to be present here? Yeah, I really can't stand her.

You know, I never realised it before but the war between Elias and Brotherhood is a direct parallel of the war between the Machine and Samaritan. How the hell did I not see this obvious symbolism before?!? The old ruler Elias (the Machine) cares about the people who work for him and is trying to preserve order while the new threat Dominic (Samaritan) seeks to rule everything, even though he does not see the big picture yet and even his closest friends are expendable. Both Elias and the Machine give themselves up for the people who work for them. Let's hope they both don't die for their actions.

Elias tells Dominic that you "can't conquer something you don't understand". Dominic does not understand John and Harold's roles in this, so he cannot conquer their loyalty, nor does Samaritan fully understand this world and humanity. It thinks violence, dictatorship and forced order is all it takes to rule over everyone. I hope Root and everyone else can come up with something that proves Samaritan wrong.

I am both excited and terrified of the finale next week.