Whoa. Just whoa. Let’s all take a minute to reflect on that Person of Interest. Hell, let’s take two weeks to reflect on it – we have that until the next episode. That was sublime. The episode perfectly combined the show’s traditional sense of humour, drama and the serialised element to give us one of the best episodes the show has ever done. This changed the game. Completely.
Let me be clear: I was terrified for Team Machine having watched the promo. I had no idea what was going to happen. I feared for the lives of our team, of everyone. I had no idea what to expect. I was blown away.
The episode began as if the episode was nothing more than a random number – potentially making the episode what has been recently known as ‘filler’. However, this did bring out some great Reese moments, particularly when he walked in on McCourt and his aide. His suggestion that he should have gone with Root was just as good.
Speaking of Root, we had a brilliant lighter moment with her and Shaw in Miami (seriously, I need to get on board with these people; they just go to Miami in a moment’s notice!) as, having taken out several Mafia members, they are just sipping drinks. What a life, eh?
Of course, the major talking point of the episode was the twist that Decima were actually trying to protect Congressman McCourt, and that the Machine had tasked our trio to kill him, in a last-ditch attempt to prevent Samaritan from coming online. This is an incredible moment for the Machine, considering its main task now is to save lives, not to take them.Yet, Reese’s assumption that the Machine is trying to save lives – hundreds of thousands perhaps – and to do so, one man’s life must be sacrificed was completely correct. Root has spent the season obsessed with the idea that something is coming, something big, in which many people are going to die. The Machine knew it in the season premiere (the reason for enlisting Root), and Root knew it soon after. For a time, I had wondered whether the HR war was it, but we are far past that now.
The Machine is really desperate. Finch pointed out that it would be feasible for the Machine to give out a number that needed to be killed, providing the stakes were high enough. The stakes have never been higher, and the choice was an impossible one for Finch. Honestly, I’m in agreement with Reese. While not entirely trustworthy – sending numbers just before the event occurs, among other things – the Machine was built by Finch, who we do trust. And it knows everything. So when it says that McCourt needs to die, I’m inclined to believe that he does. And had I been Reese, I would have killed him.
This brings me onto a question. Did Reese actually kill McCourt? Now, having read multiple opinions around the internet, it seems almost unanimous that he didn’t. However, I have another theory. What actually happened was that the scenes with Greer and Garrison in the art gallery were flashbacks; they took place BEFORE all of the scenes with Reese, Finch, Shaw and McCourt. Samaritan was granted the trial before Team Machine tried to save him. Reese killed McCourt, but it was the day after he got Samaritan through Congress. The final scene with Greer (as Samaritan powers up) did happen after the events at the house, when the team were back in New York. In short, the events with Reese, Finch et al were pointless, as they had failed their mission objective (as dictated by the Machine) before they even began the mission.The twist that Decima were trying to protect McCourt had fooled me. From what we’ve seen of them thus far, it doesn’t seem plausible that they would be trying to protect anyone. It also seemed a little ridiculous that if they are trying to protect McCourt, why shoot in his general direction if Reese is there? Granted, they saw Reese as a threat, but attempting to kill him from that distance is bewildering, since they have a chance of hitting McCourt with a stray bullet. Not the best plan from Decima.
The final scene was incredible. The last time they did a scene this good was the opening scene of ‘The Devil’s Share’, which was also a montage of scenes assisted fantastically by music. I really loved the varying emotions shown throughout, while the tone of the music reflected Finch’s absolutely perfectly. The moment when he stared into the camera, as if to say ‘How could you?’ in a disappointed tone, was incredible. As they often say, pictures do tell a thousand words.Seeing Shaw get shot, and Finch leaving her and Reese to roam the streets of New York by themselves was shocking. As was seeing an empty library. Everything really has changed. Now Finch is being targeted by Samaritan, and for those that have read the next episode’s press release, it seems obvious why Grace comes back into the picture.
Odds and ends:
- Root’s timing is impeccable.
- No Fusco this week. I think we’ll have another case of him not being needed in this final stretch, as was the case last season.
- WHERE’S BEAR?! If Decima gets him they will deserve everything coming to them.
- “I could shoot you in the leg, sir.” I love Reese’s extreme methods, even if it is just trying to help him get out of going to the opera.
- More on Reese’s methods: shooting at a guy you’re trying to protect. All logic went out the window there.
- I’d also agree with Reese’s description of the opera. “Screeching cat” seems like a compliment.
No episode next week, but then it’s three straight episodes. Then we have summer hiatus. That is a horrible thought. Anyway, what were your thoughts on the episode? Let me know in the comments below.
"No Fusco this week. I think we’ll have another case of him not being needed in this final stretch, as was the case last season."
ReplyDeleteYou have NO IDEA how wrong you are. :D
I could say more, but what'd be the fun in that?
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued now. Does he have a major role in the final three episodes then?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to refer you to director Chris Fisher's Instagram. instagram.com/widgetfactoryco
ReplyDeleteOK, so he's in the finale. To be honest, unless they're gonna use him in a big way, it doesn't seem necessary. But OK.
ReplyDeleteSPOILER: He's also part of Reese's mission in Ep. 21 with regards to Grace.
ReplyDeleteHmm.
ReplyDeleteEspecially with the 3 person team he's gonna be a part of in the finale.
ReplyDeleteThe real question is indeed: Where is BEAR????????????????????
ReplyDeleteAw, Bear is there too!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think Reese killed McCourt. When there is a flashback, we can see the timeline going backwards.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was amazing. And that ending... that ending!! Seriously WHERE is Michael Emmerson's Emmy? The things that man can make me feel without speaking a word.
Taking down the rodent car jacking ring with Leon.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Except the Fusco point obviously ;)
ReplyDeleteYou didn't know. Which is understandable.
ReplyDeleteTrue, true. Although, in my timeline the Machine didn't know that it happened before so it might not know it's a flashback, if that makes sense?
ReplyDeleteYeah, Emerson was incredible throughout.
Yep. I still stand by my point though - unless he has an important role to play, they wouldn't actually need him. They realised that last year towards the end of season 2, so hopefully he has a big role to play. Because, let's be honest, the war is between Team Machine and Decima. Granted, Fusco is part of Team Machine but with Reese, Shaw and Root as firepower, is he needed that much in just that respect?
ReplyDeleteSuperb review as usual, but I personally don't think McCourt was killed. If I remember, one of the law enforcement officers arriving on the scene gave a brief "thumbs up" to the other officer upon checking McCourt's body, so it appeared McCourt lived with that scene involving him, Garrison, and Greer occurring in present time.
ReplyDeleteNow, as for whether or not Team Machine should have killed McCourt, I shared Finch's mentality; in my view, the moment Team Machine conforms to the Machine's standards - any and all standards - is the instant they begin to lose themselves. Shaw herself even admitted that her behavior underwent serious alterations since working with Reese and Finch. Although I could understand Reese's perspective, the audience could easily discern that he was still hurting from Carter's death as the mere thought of inaction dredged up painful memories (not to mention Caviezel's acting during that sequence was nothing short of outstanding).
There's a common writing device known as the "well-intentioned extremist" and the Harold Finch character has shifted from one end of the spectrum to the other with regard to that trope. In the beginning, he didn't care about the "irrelevant" list until his apathy on the matter of a "backdoor" to the Machine indirectly led to Nathan's death (along with Finch's current physical handicap); in an older episode, Finch explains that a key rationale he possessed for denying anyone access to the Machine is that he, himself, may very well become tempted to abuse its power.
Fastforward a few years, and Finch has now transformed "saving the irrelevants" into both his life's work and a fitting tribute to his closest friend, for whose death he felt (and still feels) responsible. I know this might come across as an exaggeration, but I'd say Finch is one of the best written and most complex characters currently on television, whether "broadcast" or cable.
I loved how Root was tasked with Relevant numbers. However, if the machine saw McCourt a threat it would have sent it to Root to take care of. Instead it sent it to Harold, That change alone should have clued Team Machine in. But as Harold said these are untested waters. Indeed it is. Now Samaritan is hunting down Finch. Thus Grace is in danger.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Yes, I did notice that when I was going back and rewatching that montage. What I descrived was the way I saw it at the time, upon first watching the episode.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point. Yes, Reese is still hurting from Carter, but his point was still highly valid. Had they killed Simmons on a previous occasion, Carter would still be alive. Shaw was on the side of Reese, despite not being too happy about it. Caviezel, as always, was fantastic in that scene.
I totally agree about Finch. He's a fantastically well-written character, and Michael Emerson is outstanding too. There are so many layers to him and Emerson plays that so well.
Law and Order: SVU - Squirrel Victims Unit. :P ;) :)
ReplyDeleteNot really backtracked but repurposed. Root follows the Machine blindly. So if McCourt was such a threat then Root would have had no qualms on eliminating that threat. Sending it to Harold however makes the choice of life or death His and only his. The Machine punted to its creator.
ReplyDeleteI think, even though had he been killed, a major crisis would've been averted, there's still that bit of innocence in him. Now, obviously we know he was a threat, plain and simple, but the Machine would have seen a victim, as Reese said, Root used to be an assassain for hire, and so after the Machine got her to feel regret over what she did, it wouldn't want her to start feeling guilty again.
ReplyDeleteThere's your spinoff. Dick Wolf'll probably make another 50 million from a beaten to death franchise.
ReplyDeleteFirst note: I didn't think that McCourt is dead either, both because of the thumbs up and because or the lack of "rewind" marker.
ReplyDeleteSecond note: I hope that from now on every time when somebody (be it a fan or a showrunner) brings up the excuse that "we have only 40 minutes, we don't have time to put in everything" someone else will point to this show and this episode. COTW - check. Big story arc development - check. Hilarious moments - check. Action - check. Sucker punch emotional drama - check. Really deep moral questions - check. In 40 minutes. Just saying.
Third note: Agreeing with Alexander's comment in the thread about Finch, I must also point to how much the show went into the territory of the best, classic science fiction as well. If the Machine sent them to kill McCourt - and that's what seemingly happened - they went back to Asimov classics and put a twist into his three rules of robotics. Does the Machine - which developed maybe not emotions but responsibility towards humans on the level that she even wanted to plant those into Root as well - has the right of self defence? Even if it means taking away somebody's life? The Machine doesn't "think" herself secondary to the people (if anything, her terminology of marking them as her "assets" shows this), has a kind of compassion to the human beings - does she have the right to act the same way like human beings should do? She - indirectly - sent death squads after known threats to a larger community, when sent the relevant numbers, just like John has pointed out. Now there is an equally big threat not only to the same community, but herself as well - what's wrong with eliminating this threat just like the others?
Yes, this show is definitely a benchmark for other action/drama shows. Many episodes have done that.
ReplyDeleteI would agree, the Machine deserves to be protected. The problem is that Finch wants to protect everyone. Not just the larger amounts of people, everyone. That means to him that sacrificing McCourt is just as bad as if thousands of people die. He should have listened to Reese.
I had hard time myself with the poll, especially since your title also made me think of "God Loves You As He Loved Jacob" and "Plant a Good Seed"!! :p
ReplyDeleteI guess I would probably kill him, simply because he's so unethical and he wasn't even scared about what's all happening around him and I always think that's a sign of a really bad person, but I could definitely feel for Finch and creating something in which perhaps the idea was to never have to make this choice and have the Machine put him in this position, although I think there's room to argue that there are times he didn't listen to the machine (ala Root) and that this might be the consequences of that.
I definitely think given the finale episode title we will see all of the main cast (and some) in the finale. I think the only way for the writers to be true to that title is to have every known plan and in-view character in a horrible place and then have the machine and/or unexpected allies appear! (I'm thinking Nathan, Elias, or [an in witness protection] Carter - you made note of a similar scene in The Devil's share! Nice catch -and Reese mentioned her and ironically Shaw gets shot...).
I agree that it's hard to figure out what exactly Decima wants, but their ability to not just kill Root in the previous episode and protect McCourt does muddy the pond in making them completely "black and white" villains, which I like...
It will be interesting to see what Finch does now, especially given what press release says we're in store for with "Beta"...I don't know how Finch will get out of this or what will happen at the end of the season, outside of secret hackers, but I think there has to be something more personal about these things happening to Finch, as opposed to him just being a threat.
I don't mind the puns. I just hate it when it's done by social media marketing campaigns of reality shows.
ReplyDeleteFinch's problem and conflict is clear - in the next episode it will probably go to the extreme if he is going to have to choose between Grace's life and saving everybody else. (Or just someone else - what if he should choose between saving Grace or the wounded Shaw? They've already lost Carter and Reese hasn't completely forgiven it yet.)
ReplyDeleteYet I don't think he should have listened to Reese. Or more precisely I agree with the writers that they made him not listening to him. Another basic scifi topic is that what makes humans valuable, better than the perfect machines? Root has already given up herself completely, wanting to be the perfect first maid of the Machine more than anything else. In this episode Shaw and Reese also accepted the "the Machine knows it better than us" principle. Finch remained the only one who sticked to the need of free will, even if it results a mistake. Our irrational part is the one what he wants to save and what he thinks even more important than always making the best decision. (Remember that Root offered him that he could have the same tight connection with the Machine as she had, he only needed to want it, but he refused.)
The twist is that in PoI Nolan and his team changed the typical scenario with the Overseer, which wants to control the humans but doesn't understand them. The Machine doesn't want to control and seemingly at least understand the importance of our irrealistic part - see her lecture to Root. So the question is not as clear cut as it is usually served, which makes taking sides even harder.
The Congressman is clearly alive and only after he Mcourt called Senator he granted decima the access to the feeds for 24 hrs
ReplyDeleteI can easily see Grace dying in the next episode. And Reese will never forget Carter's death, neither will Finch or Fusco or Shaw.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point about why he shouldn't listen to Reese. This is obviously a big moral question, with the whole sacrificing one to save many debate. The Machine element is interesting because its main function was to prevent acts of terror, which involve mass casualties.
I think on some level, Finch did sort of suspect this sort of thing may happen - Reese pointed out very well that it did already happen when he, Kara, Shaw, Hersh etc. kill people for the government. With the exception of Reese in RAM, they always obeyed the killing command. It'll be interesting to see the consequences.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Elias will be back. I'd love to see more Nathan though.
Other than Greer, Decima are pretty useless aren't they? OK, so the henchmen are going up against Reese. But they aren't exactly putting up much of a fight when it all comes down to it. They are evil though, since they only protected McCourt because it suited their needs.
Finch will obviously have to protect Grace and probably reveal he is alive. I think she'll die to be honest, and that's why he goes back to Team Machine. It'll also make him doubt his decision to disagree with killing McCourt, as Grace would still be alive.
Yeah, and my theory was that that scene happened before the Reese/Finch/McCourt scenes.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note: the two girls on the motorbike were absolutely hot and I want to see the take ASAP in which Amy Acker put on her helmet backwards :)
ReplyDeleteRemember an early episode when Finch was at the casino teaching the machine capabilities and calculating the "odds"? I believe Death Benefit is playing the odds versus killing one to save the many. Finch "calculates" probabilities and strategy, just as the he programmed the Machine to execute. I stress "execute" because that is the primary function of computers, not humans. The next episodes that are "relevant" to Death Benefit are Trojan Horse, RAM, Mors Praematura, and "/". Each of the episodes related to computer programming activities and controlling information. Monica knows the "information" and security and was hired by one of Finch's companie; Greenfield knows Viligence's "coded messages", operational capacity, and intent; Casey knows hacking; and "/" noted Finch's sleepless nights???? Finch is bringing the battle with Decima to the battlefield of choice, programming and information, as is the strategy of many commanding generals. The edge belongs to the Machine, as it has years of data that Decima does not possess. So, who is to say that Decima's new NSA feed will not be bombarded by "corrupt and spoofed" data that will produce inaccurate information and false targets? Who's say that Finch has not created another virus to target Samaritan? Is it not feasible that Claypool told Finch about Samaritan's "back door". Finch would kill both systems versus letting both be exploited by others. He has made that very clear. Lets face the facts, Finch did not tell Reese that he created the virus that Kara uploaded until "God Mode". Therefore, we cannot under estimate that Finch is keeping facts close to the chest until after the fact and he calculates probabilities to out maneuver his opponent. Finch's moral direction to spare the congressman was simply an opportunity for the congressman to do the right thing and now that the congressman has green lighted Decima, all bets are off. I look for the congressman's conduct and investment activities made public because Finch records everything! This has played out in several episodes.
ReplyDeleteSo now we wait --- two weeks to think and debate the probabilities, motivations, and outcomes. And even though we have "behind the scenes" pictures of Hersh and Mr. Reese dressed in Viligence garb, we do not know the words contained in a closely guarded script nor in the final edited version of the season finale.
And finally, POI was renewed for another season, so someone and at least one of the Machines survives the cyber war.
Hey, I am always important!!! And I will be in the next episode there have been photos of me and glasses woman!!! When Grace is in trouble, Better Call Fusco!!!
ReplyDeleteHaha I'm sure Shaw feels that way ;)
ReplyDeleteWrong the Machine monitors all calls and that was definitely a call it should have heard.
ReplyDeleteNo you do not understand Root would not feel guilty it the Machine gave her the order. She believes in the righteousness of the Machine much more than people. So she would have no qualms eliminating anything.
ReplyDeleteBut did it actually hear the call, or just should have heard it?
ReplyDeleteI know it wouldn't, but the Machine may have thought Root may have done.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is the Machine could not make that number relevant so it knew it was in trouble so it looked to its higher power. Harold. It allowed Harold to make the decision on whether the machine would live or die.
ReplyDeleteIt heard it. There is no holes in the machine coverage.
ReplyDeleteOne thing we learned is that Harold is the ultimate decider in the Machine logic.
ReplyDeleteThat is only assuming that Machine "understands" guilt ;)
ReplyDeleteI mean the machine is about saving lives, but it's more complicated in that it's choosing between different sums of "infinities" (the greater over the few), which is why I'm assuming we already have assassins doing a lot of it's dirty work and why I think Phnxgirl has a point that the machine [at this point] may not be interested in "morals", but rather just whatever saves the many....
Yeah, the Machine tries to prevent mass casualty events. That is its main purpose. So it'll always choose one death over thousands.
ReplyDelete"Who's say that Finch has not created another virus to target Samaritan? Is it not feasible that Claypool told Finch about Samaritan's "back door"."
ReplyDeleteMe, and IMHO it's not feasible. Creating a virus for Samaritan would have required to know its existence - which he didn't do. Even if Claypool would have told Finch about a backdoor during their very hectic escapade (which we have no facts or hints about) exploiting a probably very well hidden and shielded backdoor of a protected program is not something what one can do based on gossip. Not to mention the "small obstacle" that he has absolutely no clue about either the code of Samaritan or the place where it is.
I can't help thinking the Machine was testing Finch. The Machine is prepared to do all it can to protect Finch. Is Finch prepared to do all he can to protect the Machine. Nope. Finch has a moral compass and at the moment it's pointing at 'don't go down that route'. What will tip him over the edge? Grace? Maybe it will be like Star Trek:TNG with Data (the killing thing, transporter beam, weapon discharge etc). I think if it does happen the intent will be there but he will be spared the killing cos someone else will do it for him.
ReplyDeleteFinch cared for Claypool during his last days...it is possible, especially given Claypool was prone to spontaneous "data dumps". Finch and Claypool discussed Samaritan coding in the vault. We don't know anything until each of the last 3 remaining episodes are aired. My comments, like everyone else's is based on previous episodes and speculations/opinions. We did not fully understand John's trip to Ordos, China until RAM, even though we were given numerous "flash backs" of his CIA activities. Casey found Harold's back door in the Machine when he was hired by "Research" to hack into the system. And in RAM we know that Root sent Casey to the same location as she sent Greenfield. Harold does not necessarily need location of Samaritan, but he can track where Greer shipped the generators --- all Harold needs is a link to Samaritan that the U.S. government is providing, i.e, 24 hour NSA feed. Harold can track that connection and exploit the data feed.
ReplyDeleteAnd in the end.....all things are possible in the movies and TV shows.
Casey had access to the functioning software when he found the backdoor, unlike Harold now. The show has a lot of liberties on the suspend your disbelief field, but never went so far that somebody could reconstruct and exploit a very complex program code just by "tells". Even if Claypool told him the concept and the general algorythm, it's not a code.
ReplyDeletePlus - and to me it's the most decisive point - I would be terribly disappointed in the writers if they pulled the same card in this finale which they used last year. It would be simply below the level of the show, very cheap, mainly with all the before mentioned technical and plot problems.
The one reason I do not adopt the save the many by killing one theory (which I can be wrong) is that in episode 4C, Reese was not directed to kill the black market drug king. There is a way to have it both ways, eliminate the threat and save the masses without killing the threat. I have to restate that killing the Congressman was not the objective, but for him to make a moral choice to choose between good vs. evil. "Bad Code", like we have seen was the outcome. The Machine directed Root not to kill Hersh, even though Hersh would continue working to eliminate both Finch and Reese. It would be better served for the Congressman and Senator to be outed for their corruption and cooperation with Decima versus killed by individuals defined as rogue anti-government vigilantes.
ReplyDeleteIf the Machine is a product of Finch's virtues, which even though in self-preservation mode, would maintain those qualities and characteristics that form its common core element despite the threat. We saw this in "/" when the Machine directed Root to save the janitor. Otherwise, the Machine would now be serving Decima's objective versus Finch's design....meaning that the Machine has become capable of human reactions, such as hate, love, happiness, etc. There is no proof that the Machine has developed human capacity to kill, it was only a speculation in the last episode that Finch could not support or determine.
I do believe that there will be some flashbacks in the last 3 episodes or next season to explain the dialogue and actions/inactions of Finch and others that will explain what, when and why what has/has not transpired regarding the Machine and the moral choices Finch made.
FYI: In ancient Roman religion and myth, the Parcae (singular, Parca) were the female personifications of destiny, often called the Fates in English.The names of the three Parcae were: Nona (Greek equivalent Clotho), who spun the thread of life from her distaff onto her spindle; Decima (Greek Lachesis), who measured the thread of life with her rod; Morta (Greek Atropos), who cut the thread of life and chose the manner of a person's death.
I just don't know if we are choosing between good verses evil or if we are choosing between the lesser of the two evils and/or if these distinctions are not coming only from calculated variable sets/alagrythms verses actually understanding emotions...
ReplyDelete"Conscientiousness" in relation to an ability to "feel" might be the thing that distinguishes between a sentinel being and a machine, -and because it's a field of science that we have only begun to understand, many still see this as the "spiritual" difference separating our creations/technology from ourselves in which we struggle with purpose and moral delema....
So I'm just not sure if the Machine is "conscience" and "feeling" verses just being very advancely programmed, but I do think your last paragraph paves the way for artificial intelligence to creating conciseness/emotions in our machine, as an eventual plot or outcome...I still sometimes wonder if we will see something like "Transcendence" on the show with Root or Finches conscience downloaded to the machine...
I also agree in that instance that Reese (4C) still had a choice, but I do not know if "it" cared about which outcome Reese chose so long as Reese came back help Finch in order to help itself save more lives. I think the machine multi-tasks and so it makes it that we can see this from both sides...
Jonathan Nolan on Larry King Live, short snippet of future of POI will be artificial intelligence. http://www.hulu.com/watch/622971
ReplyDeleteHaha, I know the feeling. I drop everything once the time hits ten o'clock on a Tuesday night and glue these eyeballs to the television screen.
ReplyDeleteIs that not kind of the point? (Simmons being killed instead of being taken down by the justice system as Carter wanted.) If they had killed Simmons earlier, it's true, Carter would perhaps still be alive, but it would have also betrayed the exemplar that Finch set for himself and the rest of the team (by extension).
I don't know if you've seen Lost, but Michael Emerson was certainly one of the best aspects to that show, even once it started going downhill. The man has a sheer talent for enunciating almost any quality with mere facial expressions.
True, but would Finch have been against the killing of Simmons had he known that letting him live would result in Carter's death?
ReplyDeleteI'm a few episodes into season 5, but yet Emerson is fantastic in that. Despite the fact that I knew he was a bad guy before he even showed up, I was convinced for about 3/4 episodes that he was a good guy.
The second paragraph, all of it.
ReplyDeleteI'm fully anticipating Finch to play one last card being the vastly intelligent and perspicacious man that he is, but a rehash of his plan from last year's finale would be too underwhelming given the higher stakes in the current timeline.
Right, but artificial intelligence can mean different things with different definitions and/or levels of acquiring information, applying information, and making decisions about information verses feelings and expirences and verses someone else telling "it" what to do, as this is the 3rd Bad Robot show to explore it from a different, more contemporary, and realistic angle...Almost Human has various androids with various intelligence/feeling levels, Revolution has astral projecting, virtual reality creating, and altering matter "nanites"...It's not that I don't think the machine will cross over into the more "human" plateau, I'm just not sure if it is exactly there yet...
ReplyDeleteOne other point I was making was also about how it might not be FINCH's standards the machine is catering too, as Jonathan Nolan stated on a semi-recant interview that the machine is capable of having different kinds of relationships with different people, -again it's just a matter of "if" those relationships still fall under it's ultimate goal/purview and if the goal is still what Finch expects of the machine after the gambling odds situation???
Thanks for the link! :D
Great question. At least based on the events of the latest episode (most up to date), I'd say he still would have been against killing Simmons. Finch doesn't strike me as the hypocritical type and assuming he did heed Root's initial warning, there could have been an outcome where Simmons was apprehended without being killed.
ReplyDeleteAh, good. I'm glad the writers took notice and made Linus into a breakout character. And yes, I was rooting for him as well. :)
So, just curious...
ReplyDeleteAnyone see Elias showing up within the next three episodes?
*hopes thread is revisited over the next two weeks*
I wouldn't be surprised if he appears surprisingly :) If the Team Machine manages to settle the Samaritan threat (probably only benching Decima again, but not eliminate them for good) I can see a turn which brings us back to the "normal" crimelord vs. people vs. police scenario, but probably only in the last takes of the finale.
ReplyDeleteElias had quite enough time to regain his power after the fall of HR and following his thread could give more quality screentime to Fusco as well.
Hello Lionel :)
ReplyDeleteNot likely. https://mobile.twitter.com/filthymcnasty/status/455467222178496512
ReplyDeleteIf you could look closely at the scenes when the tear gas is exploding in the house, one of the rescuers checks the Congressman and gives a quick thumbs up to another masked rescuer. So that clearly implies that he is not dead at that point.
ReplyDeleteHere's to wishing that was a purposeful lie in order to surprise the audience!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised, given that the end of last season had Carter saving him. He's a wild card and often pops in to do the things that "civilized" people can't or won't do. So he's the perfect person (and his henchmen) to do what might need to be done with Decima, or the Northern Lights folks, where Finch might inhibit our good guys from doing something that may need to happen in order for the "good" guys to win out ultimately.
ReplyDelete"Carl Elias: because he's the hero NYC deserves, but not the one it needs right now."
ReplyDeleteJust in case if somebody revisit the topic during the hiatus, another theory. Not mine, but I find it both PoI-flavoured and plausible. Plus I debated before that Finch can't make a backdoor to the Samaritan just by ear, so here is an alternative.
ReplyDeleteThis was the second time when the Machine sent somebody to stop Decima (and the Samaritan), and both times they failed because of their humanity. (Root could have shot Greer without a word, and the "old Root" would probably had done that.) To us and in the Decima's eyes it shows that the Team Machine is hindered by their moral, it makes them vulnerable and an easier enemy to beat.
But what if the Machine doesn't want to stop the Samaritan, just the opposite? If she needs it, with the newest hardware and wants to control or more likely incorporate, merge the Samaritan into her? She couldn't stop Decima to gain access to it, so now she let them believe that they are on the right way to reach their goal and their most powerful potential enemy is bound by moral ties and not formidable at all.
Now the Samaritan is online and get the data - but from the same sources as the Machine, so now she can find it. It's the same like when a stealthy aircraft opens its weapons bay before the attack - being ready for the attack comes with being visible too. And while I think highly unrealistic that Finch alone could write a hack by heart to an unknown system in a few weeks beside all of his other duties, the same is not true to a group of elite hackers with the full active support of the Machine and with months of time.
Someone on twitter was tweeting with Scarface, stating he and Elias would be back in Season 4.
ReplyDeletenotice in both the past episode and "No Good Deed", Reese asks the operatives if they know why they were tasked to protect or kill? Making them aware of their blind loyalty while recognizing how he once conducted similar operations in the past with the same set of blinders. Interesting. My only beef with the last episode is that Finch decided to get off at a point that was of his own making, as creator of the Machine. Abandoning John and Shaw to fend for themselves. He knows they are each sitting ducks for Decima, yet turns tail and runs.
ReplyDeleteI have made similar statements--Greenfield and Casey were "positioned" together for a reason. I believe Root's disappearance after the Miami trip, has something to do with the programmers/hackers. In order for the Machine to take control, there must be two variables --- pathway into Samaritan (NSA feed) and programmers to exploit the coding, under the guise of "data". Similar to Finch's coding a virus within a virus. I think the inclusion of Heartbleed2 was the hint that a vulnerability exists and/or created. I think that if the programmers can force bad data into Samaritan, it will cripple Decima's effectiveness on the ground. Much like the Machine creating Thornhill (?) can't remember name right now. The Machine could effectively send Decima and Vigilance operatives into a game of the cat chasing its own tail. Guess we have one week to wait for promo clip and two weeks to wait until the episode is aired to see what happens, that will build up towards the season finale.
ReplyDeleteI believe that was me. See https://mobile.twitter.com/filthymcnasty/status/455467222178496512
ReplyDeleteWas watching "wolf and cub" this morning and noticed something interesting at end. "System Administrator Security Breachd. Evaluating Options: Mitigate, Subvert, Monitor." Then "Monitor" began flashing. (This was in response to Fusco's on-going investigation into Harold and Fusco telling Reese about "Harold Wren".
ReplyDeleteObviously the Machine has the capacity to protect Finch, even though he programmed it to protect everyone. Was the Machine protecting Finch by directing the team towards McCourt? If the Machine wanted a "kill" he would have sent Root, who has a noticeably less "Moral Compass" towards "kill" versus "save".
It will be interesting to watch the next 3 episodes to see if Samaritans query does not trigger the same dialog box, but instead of "Monitor", it selects the "subvert" option. The only "record" of Harold that exists is that of "Harold Burdett", the identity he used in "mission creep" as a witness to the heist in the property lockup, that included his photo and a phone number that Harold stated he had altered in "Super".
So, now will watch Fire Wall, The Contingency, and Bad Code to see if the Machine responded to Harold being kidnapped by Root. It would stand to reason that Root (at that time) was an equal threat to the "System Administrator" as was Fusco's "paperwork" investigation.
Will watch with interest the dialog boxes carefully during the next three episodes to see if the Machine detects a threat to "System Administrator" again by Samaritan. (If the writers maintained continuity between scripts as the story line played out.)