Last night’s episode focused mainly on keeping the newest number, Elias, safe. There wasn’t any question this time whether he was the victim or perpetrator, although by the end of the episode it could have been questioned about whether the Machine was telling them to protect Elias or protect the people after Elias.
I feel it’s important that I put a line about there being spoilers in this recap. Please skip this recap until you have watched this episode. And if you haven’t been watching this series, get to it, you’re missing a great one.
While this episode did focus on Elias and protecting him from Dominic and the Brotherhood, it began with a pretty kick ass shoot out between Shaw and Martine (who I have decided I will refer to her as her name rather than Robotic Samaritan Woman). Shaw was prepared for being found out, and not only was she carrying a weapon on herself she had a rather large weapon under the counter where she was working. We won’t question how that was possible, we’ll just roll with that.
Shaw did manage to get away with the help of Root. Though this get away from Samaritan gives Greer an insight into why Samaritan has been having such issues finding Harold. He knows the Samaritan is having trouble identifying the team, but he doesn’t know why. He believes it’s the Machine doing it. The way to work around this problem of Samaritan being blind is by providing it eyes, which Greer has given to Martine.
I’m worried for Fusco. He was great with Martine when she questioned him on the stop he made while helping out Root and Shaw. He was smooth and on point and since he was able to name people within narcotics he did very well in convincing her what he was doing was routine. I hope she doesn’t realize he was lying.
Shaw is showing more concern for the team which we can still argue is purely because they benefit her in the long run, or maybe she grew a heart. I don’t dislike this new Shaw, who’s caring and friendly, but I think it’s a huge shift from who they made Shaw out to be. I just don’t understand how you can spend almost a full season making it know that Shaw’s motivations for staying have always been about herself, that she does what she does because she feels it benefits her and at any moment she could flip. But maybe this is what they intend. To get you to believe she’s changed and then pull a fast one and show you she’s the same as she always had been.
This episode highlighted though Roots love for Shaw. I’m not sure how they intend to develop that past where it is since Shaw isn’t into that in general. But Root is very concerned for Shaw, as is Harold and John, but Root more so than the rest in my opinion. Her actions at the end, drugging Shaw is bound to cause some issues, and I’m going to take a wild guess that no one will be able to keep Shaw from leaving.
Now with all that being said, let’s get on to the important parts of the episode. I have to say any episode with Elias and Scarface (Anthony), are great. While watching these episodes you don’t know whether to love Elias or hate him. By the end of this episode that’s still the case, although I was technically in love with him by the end.
During this episode we meet Bruce who at first we’re lead to believe is Elias’ accountant. Dominic, who’s been tailing Elias just like John has, feels that Bruce is more important than just an accountant. Bruce was most likely the legit man on the outside that ran things while Elias was in jail and underground.
We also discover that Dominic has managed to get around to many business associates of Elias and they have, of course as typical criminals always do, turned on Elias. Even within his own inner circle. No one can be trusted anymore.
Dominic decides that to get to Elias he needs to get to Bruce. And while luckily he never got directly to Bruce, he did find where Bruce would have typically been. Of course, that’s where Dominic and the Brotherhood find Elias, Scarface and John as well.
During the escape the Brotherhood manages to catch Scarface and this is when I realized that one of two people were in fact not going to make it out of this episode alive.
In September there was a Nerdist Writers Panel with the writers of ‘Person Of Interest.’ They were asked how they keep the show fresh and Jonah simply said they kill people. As a sort of after thought to that, Great stated that as a matter of fact he had to call someone to let them know they would be being killed off. Of course all of us at the panel were not happy with this revelation but most of us realized that there was no way that Greg would give away the death of a main character to a crowd of fans. So we knew this character had to be a secondary character and frankly that left only two real people, Elias and Scarface.
So when they captured Scarface I realized my assumption about who was going to die was probably correct and it really depressed me. But the manner in which he died, well that was heroic in my opinion.
The Brotherhood talked of power and money, but what they lack in my opinion is loyalty and I think Scarface highlighted that last night in his discussion with Link when asking if when the time came would Link be able to sit there in that chair like Scarface was and die for his boss. It’s clear that Link really hadn’t thought any of that through.
This is the episode that we learn all we ever wanted to know about why Scarface and Elias seem so close. Even though Scarface was Elias’ number two guy, he wasn’t just a body guard. He was his friend; somone who had been with Elias since they were children. Elias reveals how Scarface got his scar, from his father whom he had killed and spent some time in juvenile detention over. We also find by the end of this episode as well that Bruce was in the group home that both Elias and Scarface were in and they are all very close friends.
By the end of this episode Scarface makes the ultimate sacrifice for Elias by dying in the blast that kills off many “good soldiers” as Link put it at the end of the episode. Elias is always prepared for the worst and was prepared for the day he was turned on. I don’t think he intended for Scarface to be sacrificed in reasserting his power, but it happened and obviously Elias is not very happy about that.
He warns John and Harold to stay out of his way while he takes back his control of the city. I hope that they heed that warning.
Of course in all of this, Dominic realizes that there is more to this team that’s protected Elias than just Detective Riley and Shaw. And now he’s intent on finding out who the person is that “runs the show”. Once again, Harold is in danger, not that he wasn’t already in danger. So now Samaritan is looking for Harold as well as Dominic.
I’m not sure if they intend to end this Brotherhood storyline within the next three episodes or if it will carry on for the rest of the season but I’m guessing the next few episodes are going to be packed full of action.
Now onto the random commentary for this episode. I’m going to let my inner fan girl out today and gush at how great all the guys looked in this episode. The wardrobe department is perhaps the best ever in my opinion. Everyone is always dressed very well.
In addition, Jim Caviezel just looked really damn good this time around. I don’t know what they did, perhaps it was his acting more so than anything. But he was a pleasure to look at and watch last night.
I also have to comment on how the writers of this show create villains that the fans love. The writers had talked about the ability for the fans to forgive people within the show. We’ve forgiven Root for her actions, and it seems we’ve forgiven Elias for all his actions. That’s great writing in my opinion. Being able to love people you’re supposed to hate. It shows a complexity to the characters. That it’s not so simple when it comes to good and evil.
This is the kind of ‘Person of Interest’ I enjoy. The ones that leave you sitting in shock as you watch, maybe shedding a tear (I admit it, I cried) and then wanting to jump through the screen and help the characters kick some ass in response to what happened. This is why ‘Person of Interest’ is so damn good.
No new ‘Person of Interest’for the next two weeks. Next week will be a rerun of a previous episode and the following week is the Victoria Secret Fashion show. Try not to go too crazy during the wait!
