In the tenth episode of the second season of Person of Interest, Reese makes a mistake. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Person of Interest.
Holy shit, how does this show keep doing this to me??? I have to repeat myself because Person of Interest did it again: they twisted the definitions of “perpetrator” and “victim.” They escalated a story to the point where it would fit as the twist at the end of a season, not RIGHT HERE.
How. HOW.
So, lots happened here, and it’s all within a story about revenge and exploitation. As I said at the end of the video for “Shadow Box,” this case works so well for Reese’s downfall. It wouldn’t have made as much sense in another story! And LORD, what a case. A woman who appears to have a squeaky-clean life suddenly moves out of her apartment, closes her bank accounts, steals from a temp job, and makes friends with an ex-marine who, according to her last boss, might be a bad influence on her. Once Reese and Finch discover that she stole blueprints and explosives, it seems obvious: she’s the perpetrator. She is committing an act of domestic terrorism, but why?
Except there’s the exception: if the Machine had determined that she was about to commit a terrorist act, wouldn’t it have reported this to the government, not filtered it out as an irrelevant number? From here, the writers twist the story deeper and deeper into the truly fucked up conspiracy that stole money from disabled and down-on-their-luck veterans. It’s seriously SO EVIL, and the worst part is that I get the sense that the show’s writers didn’t even have to make this up. I am certain this is something that really happened, given how willing people are in our world to take advantage of those who are in dire need of help.
It’s this aspect of the case that attracts Reese, but it’s also what influences him to help them break into a bank. Reese LITERALLY CHOOSES TO ROB A BANK TO HELP THESE PEOPLE. It’s not that Reese and Finch haven’t broken the law before; they do it multiple times PER EPISODE. The difference here is that Reese doesn’t ask Finch to come up with a way to subvert the crime that had been planned. Against the advice Finch gives him (more on that in a bit), he just goes for it. It’s a stunning sequence because it feels so unlike anything Reese has done. Oh, sure, we’ve seen him get too close to a case before, but watching him throw common sense to the wind in order to help these people was THRILLING.
Of course, that’s because the other main plot in this episode converges with this one at the worst possible time. I’m so happy with Carter’s role in “Shadow Box,” both because it hints at the possibilities for future story lines (Carter in the FBI!!!) and because it puts her in such a challenging position. While her personal life with Beecher is going well (SORT OF, HELP ME), she gets a stunning offer: take a temporary assignment with the FBI to assist Donnelly in catching The Man in the Suit. Oh god, THE SHEER POSSIBILITIES OF THIS. For her character, it’s a chance at advancement, though it unfortunately means she might have to leave NYC. In terms of the story, though, Finch and Reese could have someone on the inside of a much larger organization.
Of course, this is just a hint of what might come. The focus of Carter’s temporary advancement, however, is more on the terrifying cat-and-mouse game that comes to a shocking end. AN END. IN THE TENTH EPISODE. See, I kept thinking that at the last minute, Reese would get away. That he’d escape Donnelly again, but he and Finch would have to communicate through a new method in future episodes, since the FBI had figured out how Finch had escaped detection. But now I know why there was that adorable scene in the middle of the episode, where Reese told Finch he felt happy. That line made the ending so much more emotional for me. While I definitely don’t think this is the end for Reese, the final five minutes of “Shadow Box” were still unreal to experience. Reese got caught. HE GOT ARRESTED. Granted, he was arrested with three other men in suits, and Carter lied to protect him, but still. This isn’t good at all. IT’S VERY BAD. And I can’t see what the show does with it!
The same goes for Beecher. I’m a little disappointed that he’s actually Quinn’s godson and working for HR in some capacity. Does he actually like Carter, or was he asked to get close to her in order to keep her in check? MY HEART HURTS, OKAY.
The video for “Shadow Box” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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