In the eighteenth episode of the first season of Person of Interest, Reese and Finch track a case of stolen identity while Carter struggles with recent decisions. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Person of Interest.
Trigger Warning: For nonconsensual drug use.
HOLY FUCK, THIS WAS SO GOOD. So good!!! This case was one hell of a mystery; Michael Emerson is a gift to the world; CARTER’S CONFLICT IS SO SATISFYING AND I CAN’T BELIEVE THERE IS YET ANOTHER COMPLICATION TO EVERYTHING. Let’s do this.
Identity
It’s so clever to me that in an episode that focuses on stolen identities that Carter must cope with the dual identity of John Reese. She knew that he was a man of mystery, that his past was nebulous and impossible and weird, and yet??? Agent Donnelly strolls into her life, and she presents a portrait of Reese that is… well, frankly, it’s terrifying. This is the most information that she’s gotten about Reese, and it’s not at all comforting. Donnelly confirms the CIA connection, but then suggests so much more: that Reese is a dangerous sociopath, that he shouldn’t be allowed to run about New York, that he can never adjust to any sort of “normal” life.
And when does she learn this? After the disastrous events of “Baby Blue.” There, Reese exhibited many of the qualities that Donnelly tells her. He is interested in himself in a way; the end justifies the means; he rarely cares about the collateral damage he leaves behind. However, the opening case that Carter works haunts her. Does the end justify the means? Is it worth it if they can save a life? And that’s the conflict she has to constantly deal with throughout “Identity Crisis,” not just because she wonders if she could have stopped the murder at the beginning. But does she help the FBI? Is it a net good thing to do so? Or is the world better because Reese and Finch are subverting the law and the rules? This script doesn’t particularly answer that in a grand way. Oh, I think Person of Interest says that for the most part, Reese is helping people to overcome unbelievable odds. But is he a good person? Is he moral? What would he be without the guidance of Finch? And can Carter continue to be an Actually Good Person if she’s preventing the FBI from doing their job?
THIS IS SUCH A DELICIOUS PLOT, I LOVE IT.
Mistaken
I have faith at this point that this story can last five seasons because SOMEHOW, THE WRITERS KEEP SURPRISING ME. So, what happens if The Machine spits out a number that identifies TWO PEOPLE AT ONCE? Well, we get this tense, twisting nightmare of an episode, which is SO cleverly written that I’m still blown away at how well the truth was hidden from us. The first act introduced the mystery to us: Who was the real Jordan Hester? And it’s so fun because the show plays with our expectations: Is it the man who works at a bar? The woman who loves antiquing? And then each new detail seems to confirm NOTHING about either of these individuals, right up until it’s clear that the man is the one running an ECSTASY LAB through the woman’s stolen identity.
Oh, to be so publicly wrong, friends. BECAUSE HOLY SHIT, WHAT A TWIST. I love that when Reese figures out what’s actually going wrong, he straight-up insults Jordan for his terrible, terrible plan to reclaim his identity. WHAT A GREAT MOMENT, Y’ALL. Because in case your identity gets stolen, you probably shouldn’t conspire to steal it back by TAKING A DRUG DEALER’S OPERATION FROM THEM.
Needless to say, I was entertained. That entertainment was mixed with horror, though, and I’m still reeling from the sequence in which Tara, the real culprit, drugs Finch with ecstasy when she realizes he’s gotten too close. Now, y’all know I have a big thing about being drugged (since it happened to me), but this didn’t upset me like I expected it to! Oh, it was upsetting to watch, but the show absolutely portrays FInch’s drugging with a palpable sense of horror, even if we are amused by Michael Emerson’s acting. From the music to the camera angles, Tara is framed as the villain who takes advantage of Finch’s momentary vulnerability. In short? It really is horrifying.
Yet it’s the final scene that made me feel better about all of this. Reese could have asked Finch anything. He could have learned about any of the secrets that Finch keeps close to him, and yet he respected that Finch was not in a place to truly consent to that sort of behavior. So he left him alone, and I really, really liked that moment.
ALSO: JOHN’S REAL NAME IS NATHAN???
The video for “Identity Crisis” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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