Person of Interest season 5

[Christopher]

Great to see Sameen back. And they gave us the Shaw/Root scene we've been wanting, hooray. But...

Spoiler

About 24 minutes in, I noticed that Harold seemed a bit off -- too cold and distant and unexpressive. And it suddenly hit me -- "This isn't real. This is a simulation to get Shaw to lead them to the Machine." And I think if it hadn't hit me then, I would've probably figured it out from something else -- like how every scene was from Shaw's POV even if it didn't initially seem like it, or how we never actually saw the subway station, or how the storyline just advanced to the endgame too quickly.

Still, it's a suitably epic return for the long-absent Sarah Shahi, and it's no doubt leading toward even more, though maybe not right away.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I realized it sooner because her escape was way too easy. Pretty much took me out of the whole episode realizing it was probably a simulation. Not that it wasn't traumatic and such, but the emotional punches did hit me at all. And as you said, Finch was acting cold and distant. Even Reese was more distant than usual. While it might have been more of a poor directing point, but there was one moment at the apartment where Reese is standing very awkwardly and robotic like in the background while others are talking.

 

[auntiehill]

Very sad episode. Of course, it was obvious from the start, especially with the strange way they were acting but it was still sad nonetheless.

 

[Stephen Lee]

I realized it sooner because her escape was way too easy.

I had the same feeling while watching the same scene.

I laughed as the dining ware hit the floor, someone must have been just standing there throwing them on the ground with the camera pointing to the ground. Friggin' CTV had their logos up at the beginning of the show, blocking the subtitles...

 

[Christopher]

I realized it sooner because her escape was way too easy.

I was suspicious of that myself, since I've seen The Prisoner, but at that point I probably figured it was at least a real-life staged escape rather than a simulation.

Even Reese was more distant than usual. While it might have been more of a poor directing point, but there was one moment at the apartment where Reese is standing very awkwardly and robotic like in the background while others are talking.

Yeah, that was the other thing I noticed in the same scene that tipped me off, although I noticed it just after the idea occurred to me.

Two other clues that it wasn't real: Fusco didn't appear (because Samaritan doesn't know he's on the team), and I'm pretty sure that the only leitmotifs we heard in Ramin Djawadi's musical score were Shaw's and Samaritan's. I've become very aware of his heavily theme-driven scoring in my recent rewatch, and I didn't notice the themes for Root, Finch, and Reese accompanying their scenes, which was probably a hint from Djawadi that these weren't really them. (The music does have the occasional spoiler in it if you pay attention -- like Samaritan's theme kicking in under things that are only later revealed in dialogue to be connected to Samaritan.)

I laughed as the dining ware hit the floor, someone must have been just standing there throwing them on the ground with the camera pointing to the ground.

Yeah, that bugged me, because it didn't look like the result of the dishes being carelessly knocked off the table so much as being deliberately thrown at that specific point on the floor.

 

[FPAlpha]

I had my suspicions throughout the episode but i was near sure when she shot Reese.. you don't kill off a main character this close to the show finale.

But it was still a very good episode and Shaw is back! Poor Sameen though.. thousands of simulations This will be one heck of a storyline once the team hears she's alive and tries to bust her out.

 

[Christopher]

I just hope Root and Shaw get the chance to make their part of the simulation a reality, rather than having a tragic ending like too many recent same-sex TV relationships. Just imagine how satisfying it would be for Root -- after all, Sameen's had over 4,000 tries to get it right!

 

[auntiehill]

A good episode tonight...Fusco is now in the cross-hairs, apparently.

 

[Christopher]

I called it! I knew that

Spoiler: "ShotSeeker"

Elias getting shot in the upper chest instead of the head meant he'd turn up alive this season. It turns out Team Machine's been hiding him the whole time. And he seems to be in the loop about Samaritan, at least to a degree. I wonder what role he'll play from here on.

I presume the ShotSeeker system is based on a real technology. It's an intriguing idea, but it seems a bit problematical in the context of this show's continuity. I mean, if the NYPD has a system that immediately detects gunfire and dispatches police to the scene, then how are Reese and the others able to wage running gun battles on the streets of Manhattan on a near-weekly basis without attracting more official attention? It didn't seem here like the system was brand-new.

We're getting to see a bit more about how the open-system Machine works. They're able to put direct requests to her and get information almost immediately. Although she's still oddly reticent in giving them information about the numbers and exactly what danger they're in or what crimes they plan to commit.

I like how Finch has grown. He trusts in the Machine's intelligence now and feels that it's not his place to decide what changes to impose on the program. And he called the Machine "she" again, this time with Reese instead of Root.

 

[Stephen Lee]

Nice to see the ex-criminal in play, seems like Samaritan is using his assets as efficiently as possible. Assets with no issue killing sent to kill. Others who need a paycheck and aren't willing to kill, B&E.

I know the 'the cage' is supposed to stop wireless? but what happens when you open the door? wouldn't it be more secure to have double doors?

For Canadians watching live, we are back in-sync with the US. So Mon, Tue (double ep) -- 3 friggin' episodes next week!!

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I presume the ShotSeeker system is based on a real technology.

Yeah, the most popular real world version, which is used in NYC on a trial basis, is called ShotSpotter. It also has a problem with false positives.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/shotspotter-installed-in-city-streetlights-ge
http://www.shotspotter.com/

 

[Christopher]

I know the 'the cage' is supposed to stop wireless? but what happens when you open the door? wouldn't it be more secure to have double doors?

I'm not sure if a Faraday cage needs to be completely enclosed to be effective. I mean, there are already gaps between the wires of the cage. And a mesh cage isn't perfect at attenuating signal anyway -- solid steel would be better, though still not necessarily absolute. So I assume the idea is just to interfere with the wifi enough to prevent a connection. I'd assume the laptops' wifi or Bluetooth antennae aren't turned on anyway, that they're hardwired together. So it seems more a precaution (in case mini-Samaritan somehow found a way to enable wifi) than an absolute need.

 

[Stephen Lee]

5x06 'A More Perfect Union'

That was amazing in so many different ways.

 

[Commander Richard]

Finch doing Twisted Sister was hilarious.

 

[Christopher]

I felt this one was a little awkwardly written and paced. It just seemed a bit off somehow. The wedding mystery was never interesting, since the parties involved were more plot points than people, aside from the leads. And what's with leaving the Machine unattended? Is that a good idea? For a moment there, I was afraid that the tunnel slated for demolition was going to be the subway tunnel, and that Fusco was going to stumble upon the Batcave while everyone was away and would cause some kind of bad thing to happen (like, say, opening the Faraday cage and letting the Samaritan kernel out into the wi-fi).

And having Sameen's adventure in Manhattan turn out to be a VR simulation again wasn't all that shocking a reveal. I also didn't buy Greer's line about how her "former employer" wouldn't have registered the Chechen terrorist plot. After all, the Machine was responsible for guarding against "relevant" threats for years.

 

[auntiehill]

Finch doing Twisted Sister was hilarious.

Yes, it was!

Pacing was a little strange; the wedding seemed slow and forcefully extended, while Fusco's story was rushed and Samine ended up sandwiched between the two. Not a bad episode but not as good as the previous two.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Rather meh episode. The only thing I got out of it was seeing more Sarah Shahi and the hope that Fusco will finally be brought into the circle.

 

[Hugo Rune]

UK TV!! Think of the children!!* Put POI on the damned box!!

Hugo - ducking, diving and leaping over spoilers like a hyperactive elf battling for his life in Middle Earth

 

[Stephen Lee]

I enjoyed the episode. Everyone, even Bear got action in the episode. I guess you can say this episode was setting up for the next few.

I admit I was fooled by the VR this time. I guess if you were really paying attention, there were clues she was still being tricked.

..afraid that the tunnel slated for demolition was going to be the subway tunnel...

Some good mis-direction? When the phone rang, I was hoping it was Shaws' number & the Machine was sending Root to her rescue but alas not true.

...that Fusco will finally be brought into the circle.

Risky since he doesn't have a server to protect him from Samaritan. Fusco also has a kid. The team is trying to protect him.

 

[Christopher]

Risky since he doesn't have a server to protect him from Samaritan. Fusco also has a kid. The team is trying to protect him.

Yeah, but Samaritan's already watching him as a potential risk. If Sammy puts Fusco on its hit list, the team will have no choice but to take him underground for his own protection.