In the twelfth episode of the second season of Person of Interest, Reese and Finch utilize their new ally to shut down a corrupt arrangement in the parole and foster systems. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Person of Interest.
Trigger Warning: For discussion of racism and prison corruption.
Oh my god, this was so fucked up. I promise I won’t make many (or possibly any) comparisons like this again, but I was reminded of the real-life systems and occurrences that were the basis of a number of Leverage episodes. And while “Legacy” isn’t a high-level examination of things like the school-to-prison pipeline, for-profit prisons, or the insidious racism that has infected our justice system or foster care, that’s the reality that is the bedrock of the events of this script. It’s real, y’all, and that made “Legacy” a million times more frustrating. Because there is corruption within these industries, and it’s ruining the lives of innocent people who – SPOILER ALERT! – are overwhelmingly non-white and mostly Black.
So I loved the twist in the final act that revealed that Galuska, the parole officer who was framing HIS OWN CLIENTS FOR MONEY, was working with Chris, not Gloria. Over the course of this episode, Reese, Finch, and Carter move deep within these different worlds and learn just how fucked up everything is. The Machine’s number draws them to Andrea Guitierrez, a one-woman force within the NY judicial system who was known for trying to fight on behalf of ex-cons who had grievances against their parole officers. Like Carter, she was alone in a sea of corruption, and yet, she stuck with it. I love that there’s this quiet parallel between these two characters, since they’re both able to empathize so much with the people they work with. And Andrea worked against mounting odds and mounting debts, all so she could do the right thing.
I admire that, and I love that she’s the person deserving of protection within “Legacy.” It makes sense in terms of characterization, too, since Andrea had a criminal past as a teenager. Instead of becoming someone who turned against the city she grew up in, though, she became someone to help those most forgotten by the system. In this case, Terrence King is her focus after he’s framed for possessing drugs while his son is put in foster care. And like all the good mysteries on this show, I couldn’t figure out why someone wanted Andrea dead so badly! She did such an undeniably good thing for these people!
It’s not lost on me, then, that those responsible for the layers of injustice in this episode are such massive bigots. Chris in particular views these ex-cons as subhuman, as people deserving of nothing but prison, as beyond any and all help. Oh, and he makes money off of kids in foster care, sometimes by inventing children. Like, both the men in this case are categorically evil and racist and it almost astounded me how awful they were, except… well, we all know people just like them exist in this world and often have the most power, too. SOME MIGHT RUN MY COUNTRY.
Anyway, I also need to YELL at PROBABLY ALL OF YOU because BRINGING CARTER INTO THE FOLD WAS THE MOST SATISFYING EXPERIENCE OF MY ADULT LIFE. I am being facetious because I need y’all to understand just how much I love this. This was already a fantastic, thrilling story, but it’s made even sweeter now that Carter is tentatively a part of the machine. She brings a dynamic to this that Fusco lacks, especially since she’s so much better of an investigator than he is. He’s competent, but she is leagues ahead of him, as made clear by how quickly she is able to make connections throughout “Legacy.” What’s also fascinating to me is how she struggles with the fact that Reese does not do things by the book. It’s a point of pride for Carter. She’s not corrupt, nor does she have any desire to be corrupt. So she sets a rule: she isn’t breaking the law to help out Reese and Finch.
But then there’s that look on her face as she’s arresting Chris, and it’s like she’s starting to understanding why Reese and Finch do what they do. It’s like… well, I guess it’s her realizing that the ends justify the means in this case. Reese broke the law multiple times, but in doing so, they were able to help Andrea dismantle something truly horrific. So is it really so bad that she’s gotten involved now? (NO. KEEP IT GOING.)
Which makes me wonder what’s going to happen with Nathan’s son. Can Finch get him involved, or is he merely a liability? Reese believes that the fewer people who know about the Machine or what he and Finch do, the better. So what happens when that guy starts getting too close?
I’M SCARED.
The video for “Legacy” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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