Person of Interest – Episode 3.17 - / - Review: Root’s Path

This episode was very Root-focussed. For the tech savvy of you out there (or those with the ability to Google/Bing/whatever takes your fancy), you would know that the ‘/’ is a computer term meaning Root Path (much like ‘/’s predecessor, ‘RAM’ is a computer term for ‘Random Access Memory’). It was obviously going to be about Root, and this was made clear by the use of Amy Acker’s voice to do the “You are being watched” intro, usually done by Michael Emerson.

It was a thrill ride to see Root going about her missions, and for it to be focussed on her rather than on Reese/Finch/Shaw. Ever since she got that phone call back in ‘God Mode’, we have only seen glimpses into her following The Machine’s every command. Again, this episode can be compared to the previous, where insight is provided into a storyline that little detail is known.

This episode went some way towards humanising Root, to improving her as a person. We knew that before gaining access to The Machine, Root wasn’t the nicest of people around. She was a contract killer. Not exactly the noblest, or most legal of professions – although her experience in the job has helped while working for the Machine.

The Machine’s ultimate job is to help people. While this is usually in the form of preventing violent crimes, this episode spoke to another level of the Machine – almost a human layer. Root was never in danger of death (let’s face it, who the hell is going to kill someone THAT good with a pistol in each hand?). So what could the Machine possibly do to help her?

It is the ultimate intelligence. It knows everything. So it was no coincidence that Root’s mission was to protect a man whose friends and colleagues she was hired to kill five years earlier. This was a massive moment for the Machine. This is a new motive. Obviously, it will do whatever it can to help its user interface, but actually attempting to make Root reconsider the way she used to live by making her protect a guy whose life she basically ruined? The Machine has developed in unimaginable ways since the beginning of the show, and I can only see further development in the future.

Even without the Machine’s influence, Root still managed to show some sort of humanity. “You think I don’t care about people, Harold? I’m doing all of this to save you.” Coming from somebody who kidnapped him a just under 24 months before, I’m not very inclined to believe that. However, it is clear that the relationship between the two has progressed from kidnapper-kidnapped to being partners of sorts – at the behest of the Machine, not through their own free will. I enjoy that Root actually cares about Finch (and Reese and Shaw on some levels). She’s getting ever closer to being an accepted member of Team Machine.

Anyway, we shouldn’t call her Root anymore. We should be calling her Root 2.0. The hearing aid that she had Finch modify to ensure that she was never out of reach of the Machine was genius. She clearly worships the Machine, and I dread to think what she would do if she ever lost access to it.

Once again, Greer appeared and as usual, attempting to turn Samaritan online – using a powerful chip only built three days before. His motives for wanting Samaritan online are still yet to be established. This is the one thing that bugs me about the story, yet at the same time I love it. I have no clue as to why he is doing this (other than the obvious: he wants to know everything about everything and control the world, but that’s so last week). Perhaps we’ll find out when Samaritan is turned on.

Anyway, Greer showed his passion for turning Samaritan on, delivering the line “Opening (the freezing chamber) now would kill you all. And more importantly, damage the chip.” Chilling. Greer got what he wanted, and now has all he needs to turn Samaritan online. Well, at least I think he does.

Vigilance also returned, and terrorised Shaw for a while. This seemed kind of pointless, and more of a way to relegate Shaw to the character who rarely appears, yet you know will survive. And seriously, we’ve had enough of Fusco doing that all season. I do wish they refrain from repeating this with Shaw. It did set up a potential rivalry between her and Vigilance though, especially considering they want to expose the exact same government she worked for, yet she doesn’t want to help them (mainly since she still works for the Machine). While the potential is there, I doubt Vigilance will be around much longer.

Odds and ends:

• What a cool opening five minutes. And hey there Tommy from Arrow (Colin Donnell)!
• Root had an FBI badge to gain access to a Tulsa nuclear facility. Potentially where the Machine is located?
• Come on show, I know this was a Root-centric episode, but can we have some more Fusco please? And more Bear?
• Does Root actually know Reese’s alias?
• "Are you guys going to shoot again, or just talk me to death?" I do love Shaw.
• The below image does not look good.

The next Person of Interest episode airs this Tuesday. Greer is set to appear, but the promo suggests it to be nothing more than a regular episode. I do hope it is more than that.

Bradley Adams

15 year old in England. Love Hawaii Five-0, NCIS, NCIS LA, Person of Interest, Elementary, Criminal Minds, Nikita and Arrow, and the new The Blacklist, Hostages and The Tomorrow People. I am reviewing Person of Interest and The Tomorrow People for Spoiler TV. I run an Arrow blog, ArrowFansUK. Aside from TV, a keen cricketer.