This week on Person of Interest, the team deals with the consequences of decompressing the Machine and fight the ghosts of their pasts.
Both episodes this week deal with the past and how it can change the way others perceive us. Episode 2 is all about context, and how important it is in order to interpret a situation correctly. It starts of with a funny sequence that establishes how the Machine is having trouble with facial recognition. However, the tone changes quickly when the realities of an ASI that cannot recognize its assets or has no concept of context set in.
Since the Machine has started giving them number again (though they turn out to be old or not at all relevant), John and Fusco have their hands full tracking down possible perpetrators. Meanwhile, Harold and Root are trying to fix the issues with the Machine. Soon things take a dark turn when the Machine starts seeing John, Harold and Root as threats.
To be fair, that is an easy mistake to make. Without being able to see context, the Machine is dealing with absolutes. Harold once told it that murder was wrong. Murderers are evil and should be punished. John and Root have both murdered people, therefore they are evil. Harold has killed several versions of the Machine, so he is evil as well. So how do you reason with an ASI that sends an assassin after John, and sees all of Harold's and Root's actions as threats and locks them out of its system?
In the end, after the Machine hurts Root to protect itself, Harold and Root are forced to make Root unconscious so that the Machine cannot use her a leverage. What follows is an emotional scene between Harold and his creation, and Michael Emerson is just great in it. Harold tries to explain to the Machine that, yes, they have all made mistakes and have done terrible things, but they have also changed as human beings. That the work they now do with the Machine's help is important, and that they are helping people and saving lives.
So Samaritan is still recruiting new assets? You know, at first I didn't realise it was Samaritan and thought it was the Machine. Especially since Mona used exactly the same words Harold used when he recruited John. Also, why isn't the Machine recruiting new assets? Now that its memory is not wiped everyday, couldn't act more independently and efficiently? And I would imagine it needs more people on its side if it wants to defeat Samaritan.
The third episode of season 5 also deals with the past. Specifically John's past. A number comes up, whose brother was a soldier John and Kara investigated during their time in the CIA and who John killed. When it becomes clear that it's the CIA that are after this dude, John's cover is at risk.
I do like exploring John's past (though Harold's is more interesting) and seeing how much his character has changed. This episode provides a great example. He could give this guy the truth. That is brother was a traitor and was shot for it by his own country. But instead John gives him what he needs. He needs to believe his brother was a hero and died protecting his country, so that's what John tells him. Because he is not that cold-blooded killer anymore.
John also meets Iris' parents in this episode and that was hilarious. I love seeing John mixing his personal life with his job and that is why I'm sad he has decided to end things with Iris. I understand why and it does make sense, but I would have loved to see John juggle his relationship with Iris with the war on Samaritan.
All in all, these are some good, solid episodes this week. I don't really have a lot to say about them, but I'm looking forward to next week. It seems Shaw is returning!
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