In the nineteenth episode of the first season of Person of Interest, I am a gentle, sensitive soul, and this is destroying my fragile being. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Person of Interest.Â
There are FOUR MORE SEASONS OF THIS SHOW. How? How??? How can this energy and urgency possibly be sustained for like… any amount of time? I am just shocked at how far “Flesh and Blood” went, y’all. Oh, I don’t believe Elias is done at all, and the final scene of this episode is confirmation of that. Yet I still believed that the big confrontation between Elias and Carter would take place at the end of this season, not a few episodes short of it, and it’s a brilliant choice that the writers have made.
I just… there is so much to love here. Where do I start?
Cool Story, Still Murder
Lest you think you should sympathize with Elias, “Flesh and Blood” does a fine job reminding the audience that Elias is an awful person who will make anyone suffer if it gets him what he wants. That isn’t a surprise revelation here, of course; we knew this long before this episode. Through flashbacks, however, we’re given context. We see how Elias struggled with acceptance and family while in foster care. That affects his perception of the world, and it pushes him to seek out his father in the hope of working for him. Initially, it seemed like Gianni Moretti actually did accept his son, albeit in private. YEAH, NOPE. Moretti is The Worst in many ways, and his rejection of Elias – HE ORDERS HIS MEN TO EXECUTE HIM!!! – sets Elias on his path of destruction. This isn’t about building a sympathetic character so much as giving us a complete one. We know why Elias was so intent on revenge beyond the murder of his mother, and it explains why he wanted to be the sole survivor.
Oh god, you know what I just realized? He ultimately got exactly what he wanted.
Close Calls
I think it’s happening by the end of this season: Carter and Fusco will discover that they’ve both been working for Reese/Finch. Y’all, there were SO MANY close calls between these two, and I was certain we were going to see the inevitable here. Surely, Fusco had to realize that Carter got that safe house from someone, right? Of course, he’s still convinced that she’s going by the book, but what I loved about this episode was how Carter came to realize she could trust Fusco. Now, I’m interested to see how she’ll deal with the revelation that Fusco used to be a dirty cop. Will that affect the trust earned here, or will she believe that he’s turned over a new leaf?
HR
Look, I just can’t believe how blatant it is that police corruption – which appears to be a significant, if not majority, part of the NYPD! – is an element of Person of Interest. You don’t have Fusco’s character without it, and you certainly don’t have the organization known as HR, who play a critical role within “Flesh and Blood.” The kind of corruption we see here isn’t even a fiction, at least in a general sense, and it’s the basis for the relationship we see that’s built between Elias and the NYPD. It’s also really fucking scary. That actor playing Officer Simmons is just… god, it’s almost too much for me, especially since I’ve had interactions with cops just like him. What makes him so intimidating is that he’s always so sure of himself. He knows that he will get away with everything because… well, cops always have. They’re protected and insulated from accountability, perhaps more than almost any other profession.
So that’s why that scene where Finch directly approaches Simmons made my heart want to explode. Y’all, again: Michael Emerson is just unreal. The way that he was able to convey Finch’s fear during that scene? HELP ME, HE’S SO TALENTED. And what a writing choice, friends. Finch went to HR. FINCH WENT TO HR. THEY KNOW HIS FACE NOW. Well, Simmons does, but that’s probably going to be important later, right???
Flesh and Blood
OH, I WAS SO WORRIED THAT TAYLOR WAS GONNA DIE. Part of that was because… look, I don’t trust shows with non-white characters, I’LL JUST SAY IT OKAY. SO… unintentional creation of suspense??? Expecting one thing and getting something else??? Y’all, can we also talk about the deliberate way this show gave us stories about family, loyalty, and betrayal, and the only family set-up as the ideal was Taylor/Joss? BECAUSE IT REALLY IS. The Elias family is fucked up; the Moretti family is fucked up; the whole mafia family is now DEAD except for most of Elias’s people. Yet when Carter’s son is kidnapped, she doesn’t waver. She doesn’t give up on her son either! She is nothing like these men who betray one another to get on top; Joss Carter loves her son, and it’s the major emotional core of “Flesh and Blood.” I LOVE THAT SO MUCH.
Whew, this was a lot. Somehow, the season still isn’t over. WHAT ELSE WILL THIS SHOW DO TO ME.
The video for “Flesh and Blood” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
-Â Please visit my new site for all announcements. If you’d rather not have to rely on checking a website regularly, sign up for my newsletter instead! This will cover all news for Mark Reads, Mark Watches, and my fiction releases.Â
