Shaw following Finch is something I didn't expect. Although, I did expect Reese to be following her. It was like a game of 'Follow the Leader', except the person in front didn't know about the person following. This new team dynamic seems to be DOA of each episode. Perhaps by the end of the season, Shaw might trust one of them, or vice versa. It shocked me that Shaw did manage to abide by Finch's basic rule, not shooting anyone throughout the episode, considering Finch's lack of faith in her.
Shaw doesn't seem to have the personality to help people. Questioning whether this 'case' is worth their time is probably going to frustrate Finch, especially if she keeps that mentality up the whole season. Since Finch and Reese saved her life without passing judgement, perhaps she could do the same.
As interesting as Kruger's LifeTrace system sounds, it is very dangerous. It can result in stalkers making things easier, engagements being ruined and even Kruger's own life being used against him. Perhaps this idea is best buried (or eaten by Bear).
Carter's visit to Calvin's grave was cut short by Alonzo Quinn (i.e. the head of HR), who suggested that Elias' guys are responsible for Cal's death. Quinn's suggestion on a phone call that they might still have a problem with Carter is probably going to result in Reese having to save her from armed gunmen - again.
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He seems quite nice however, saying that he had looked up to Carter when in the Academy. Once informed of this, Carter decided to let him help. Despite their rocky start, it might be the beginning of a partnership.
The freefalling elevator incident was very strange. When you think of the dangers of technology, I doubt you'd imagine that an elevator would try drop forty-odd floors in an attempt to kill you. This whole episode was very reminiscent of CSI NY's sixth season episode 'Blacklist' (which is nothing to do with the NBC show).
In the end, the perpetrator was the father of a girl who died as a result of a stalker who was found using Kruger's website. Kruger's lack of interest in his own safety resulted in him attacking Finch with a bottle. Despite knowing that by meeting his associates, he was likely walking into his death, he went anyway, intending to kill Sommers (the perp). Reese was able to disarm Sommers, but there was another angle.
As soon as Kruger walked Sommers into that hotel room, I knew that Collier was the man behind it. Collier was able to escape, but not before killing Kruger and shooting Reese's vest. Collier's motives were supposedly the first lesson, meaning we could be seeing him in episodes to come.
One point I'd like to make is that this episode continued a long-running theme. The majority of numbers that Finch gets seems to result in that person being the victim. Since The Machine is designed to find those in danger and those committing a violent crime, perhaps more of the latter could be shown.
A good episode. I'm sure the twist fooled some people, making the episode much better. 8/10
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Another solid review, Bradley!
ReplyDelete"One point I'd like to make is that this episode continued a long-running theme. The majority of numbers that Finch gets seems to result in that person being the victim. Since The Machine is designed to find those in danger and those committing a violent crime, perhaps more of the latter could be shown."
Very interesting point indeed! I think given something that was explored last season, the Machine seems to cow-tow to Finch's belief system and I think when it gets down to it, he cares more about victims....
The floor number was 47 before he stepped in the elevator, which is a wink to Alias. (there are a lot of winks to Alias so far) And probably unrelated, elevators trying to kill you is something that happens in a Fringe episode "Power Hungry" But come to think of it, crazy things happened in Alias in elevators too - thinking of "So it Begins" & "Another Mr. Sloane". Additionally "aerospace" was also mentioned and in Alias Sydney's dad, Jack Bristow lied about his work as a spy saying he worked for "Jimmy's Aerospace" making air plane parts, which was his cover.
Great eppy, and next's weeks looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIt frustrates me because surely if there's going to be a murder, the Machine would give him both the number of the victim and the perp, since his original explanation suggested it gives him numbers of people involved in violent crimes.
ReplyDeleteYa, but at the same time, we're slowly seeing "artificial intelligence", meaning the machine might start doing things "it" wants and not just necessarily what it was designed to do...I think Finch generally has good intentions/and ethics (if the machine follows suite with him still), but I think the over all story might be that there is no perfect ideal in justice and/or philosophical existence, because humanity is flawed and thus our socio-political tendencies are to lean towards our individual ideals...
ReplyDeleteIt might also be that machine doesn't always have all the answers, which is why our gang has to solve the puzzle pieces the machine gives. -Kind of like Fringe's Observers, it may know more than the average person, but it may not know everything as there might always be too many varibels to predict and/or see through all outcomes, especially when sometimes depending on unexpected variable, could turn the tables in an unexpected outcome...
I can understand the machine doing whatever it wants now, but this is a theme I've noticed since the first episode. It was easy to notice when you watch the first season and the first 20 episodes of season two in about 3 weeks. Why did the machine do it back then? I can understand it not picking out Collier or Root as bad guys since they had hidden ulterior motives, but why couldn't it pick out perps in other episodes, ones where it's straight up murder with no other people behind it?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't exactly say it was preventable. For obvious reasons, I see your point. But the guy left the hotel room where he was protected. Reese stopped Sommers and there's no way he'd have stopped Collier, since he didn't even know that he was involved. Yes, Shaw perhaps could have been with Reese and maybe help stop it, but in the pre-Shaw era, nothing different would have occured.
ReplyDeleteRight I know what you mean, but it could be the machine has always done what it thinks Finch would do...it's just we didn't know that for sure until we came upon the flashback...So it just might have been here the whole time, but the audience just didn't know it, but the flashback gives support for it.
ReplyDeleteTo the second half of your question: Because they have to write the show a certain way in order to explore certain things. If the machine would be perfect and would do the exact same things all the time, we wouldn't get all the different types stories/situations we have. and so the show would be over pretty quick. We just have to assume it's contrived for both writing purposes and possibly to reflect a certain aspect of Finch.