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Person of Interest - Control-Alt-Delete - POLL + Review + Roundtable Discussion

Jan 14, 2015

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After ‘If-Then-Else’, I was sceptical going forward. Not because it was a weak episode by any means, but because it was so unbelievably phenomenal that I doubted the show would ever produce as an episode as stunning. While ‘Control-Alt-Delete’ didn’t reach the heights of the previous outing, the episode was outstanding nonetheless, giving us an in-depth look into the world of Control.

Something that I’ve felt since her real introduction back in ‘Lethe’ is that she hasn’t had nearly enough development for such a crucial character. Instead, she has simply lingered in the background. That is, until this episode. She was given tons to do and Camryn Manheim was excellent.

The opening scene was a great way to start the episode off. It was so simple, yet so effective. Showing us that Control has a daughter humanises her, which adds so much more to her character. Control isn’t an all-out evil villain, and her antagonist label is simply down to her being on the opposing side of Team Machine. She isn’t a villain, and as such, though we aren’t supposed to like her, we also aren’t supposed to hate her and this scene helped with that.

Conversely, the scene towards the end in which she shoots Yasin Said reminded us that Control certainly isn’t one of the good guys, at least not from our standpoint. She still believes that she is doing right by adhering to Samaritan’s orders to terminate potential threats, and though she is technically correct to do so, in this instance, she got it wrong, despite previous warnings from Finch (because, let’s be honest – Said was a set-up by Samaritan, given that he said he won the Nautilus game).

However, the final scene was very interesting. I had thought that Control had completely disregarded what Finch told her, but in actuality she was, in a way, playing both sides. She killed Said to protect the country, because Samaritan had told her Said was a threat. She still took on-board what Finch told her and went to see if there was any truth behind it, and that is a huge thing moving forward.

The biggest question currently on my mind is where Control goes from here. Now that she knows that Finch is telling the truth (at least to some extent) and she may in fact be losing her control (pun very much intended), will she begin to doubt Samaritan? I think that somewhere along the line, Control will decide that she wants the Machine back and that will cause a huge problem between the government and Greer (and this connects in to my next point).

I was impressed with how they portrayed the way that Control works now. Obviously, we got an insight into how relevant numbers are handled back in ‘Relevance’, so seeing Grice and Brooks going in to eliminate threats wasn’t out of the ordinary. What was interesting to see was how things worked behind the scenes. I always expected Samaritan to eventually be trouble for the government. Greer promised a system that the government had full control over, yet he went back on that statement.

Obviously, had Travers granted Control access to Said’s laptop, it would have potentially compromised the mischievous work that Greer is doing. But Greer still backed out of his original promise. With Northern Lights, the government controlled it – up until ‘God Mode’. The government couldn’t stick with Northern Lights after Vigilance released the black budget report, but something I’ve felt is that with Samaritan being used since, how is one any better than the other?

My reasoning for bringing this up is that Northern Lights never gave the government a problem. Even when it took control of itself, it still provided relevant numbers to Control for her to “handle”. Samaritan hasn’t been around very long, and problems are arising with it. What I think may happen at some point is a consideration by either Control, Garrison or any other government official into whether they could go back to Northern Lights. Of course, Greer and Samaritan won’t take that lightly, and the latter’s desire to have a conversation with the President may squash any hope the government have of reverting back.

Speaking of that desired conversation, I thought that Oakes Fegley was again fantastic as Gabriel. I felt he wasn’t quite as good as in the conversation with the Machine, but he was still chilling to watch in his two scenes. Samaritan’s request was an odd one, I felt. I’m not yet sure quite what the system expects to achieve from such a conversation, but I’m very intrigued to find out.

Team Machine didn’t come into the episode properly until halfway through, and given the way ‘If-Then-Else’ ended, I was surprised they didn’t choose to address it right away. However, I felt that they handled it well, and in the end, the team didn’t need focus from the very beginning.

The episode ended with no real resolution to the question of ‘Is Shaw alive?’ and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about that. Moving forward, what I’m hoping is that the investigation into whether or not she’s alive dies down, because with Shahi not expecting to return for about two years (if at all), Shaw isn’t going to be popping up any time soon, and the show cannot go on that long with the group attempting to find Shaw. By all means keep the search going in the background and don’t forget that she existed, but it does need to be pushed to the background.

What this search did do, however, was allow Reese and Root to work together. I loved seeing them work together, especially given the sheer lack of it to date. The partnership when interrogating Control was very much ‘bad cop, worse cop’. Jim Caviezel does the quietly angry moments so well, and when emotion is combined with that it’s a joy to watch. It wasn’t as full on as with Carter’s death, which makes sense given he was closer to Carter than he was Shaw, and that he still hopes Shaw is alive. Still, it was clear to see that Reese was struggling.

However, it was Amy Acker who really amazed me. Her portrayal of the broken Root worked to perfection. I loved how resilient she was in her scene with Control, and that through all the pain she was able to seem much like her normal self. Her final scene, however, in which she fought to hold back tears in the car with Reese was superb. It was clear to see in that moment how much Root cared for Shaw, and Acker portrayed it magnificently.

Odds and ends:

  • How awesome was Finch when he was aggressive?
  • That altered intro was fantastic. It’s always great when the intro gets changed.
  • Equally, the music played at the end of the episode was also great. Though, unlike previous songs (such as last week’s Fortune Days by The Glitch Mob), this one gets slightly annoying if you listen on repeat (trust me, I did it). It was called The Violent Bear It Away, by Moby, and you can listen to it here.
  • They finally found a use for that rocket launcher!
  • Fusco was barely in the episode, but he did get a couple of great lines with “You almost done checking email?”, “Sorry, were you talking to me?” and my personal favourite (in response to the Samaritan operative asking if anyone had eyes on the target) “Yeah, I do.”
  • I will NEVER tire of hearing Control’s theme. One of Ramin Djawadi’s best.
  • How easily did Grice and Reese both have the gun removed from their hands in that fight?
  • “I asked for my personal detail, my regular guys.” I still miss Hersh, damn it.
  • “We gave you a marvellous car. Surely you didn’t think I’d let you drive it yourselves?”
  • The short Bear/Finch scene was sad.
  • There's no new episode until February 3rd, which is terrible.

‘Control-Alt-Delete’ didn’t live up to the standards of ‘If-Then-Else’, and I doubt any POI episode ever will. But it was a fantastic episode nonetheless; certainly one of the best of the series. Below you can find our roundtable discussion about the episode. Thanks to all those who participated!

The first half of this episode was very light on Team Machine, and instead was very focused on Control. Do you feel this worked after last week’s ending?

Jimmy Ryan: Yes, I was amazed at the extended period of absence for more than half the episode, but somehow it worked beautifully. It shows that life goes on, Samaritan continues to do its thing, targeting relevant numbers, while The Machine works to protect its own and those considered irrelevant.

DarkUFO: It was an oddly strange start of the show. At first I was wanting to see the fallout from the end of the last episode but as usual POI writers soon had me hooked in on the story.

Diana Mack: Yes, I think it worked. We needed some break from last week’s episode, which was very intense and thrilling. I found the first half dedicated to Control really interesting. Like Jimmy said, life goes on, and the Machine keeps doing its job in spite of everything.

Brandon Rowe: Overall, yes. I was very interested in getting back to our main characters, but the writers also made it very easy for viewers to pickup on what was going on with Team Machine without just focusing on them. I liked getting to know Control more.

Robert Fruin: I would say that it did work well. I was expecting the episode to focus mainly on the fallout from the events of the last episode, so when the first half was focused mainly on Control, I was quite surprised. I did like it though as it showed us no matter what happens the numbers will always keep on coming, also It was good to see a little more of Control.

Ben Norton: I always liked the character of Control, and it was great to see some character development on her behalf. I felt that focusing on Control after last week’s astonishing ending worked very well and I was utterly surprised at how it impacted the rest of the episode.

We learned more about Control’s backstory this week. How have these character developments changed your view of her (if at all)?

Jimmy: Camryn Manheim did an excellent job throughout, but the main thing I took away from her time in the spotlight is that she is human, and that she has a bit of a conscience, which was proven when she questioned Samaritan’s evidence on the four suspected terrorists.

DarkUFO: It was certainly nice to understand the character better and see her as a real person. However, just when you started to feel, dare I say it, sorry for her, the POI writers bring her right back again.

Diana: We learned that she’s human too. She has feelings, she wants to protect her daughter (the writers marked this with a simple action: she picks up her daughter at school).

Brandon: I think it's very clear that Control sees herself as a hero and, to an extent, it's hard to argue with her logic. She is working as a Patriot for her country and obviously trying to do the right thing, while also not compromising her own safety.

Robert: Camryn Manheim did an excellent job this episode, she completely nailed every scene. I thought learning more about Control’s backstory was needed, and it actually made me see Control in a different light, she does have a conscience, and she does have feelings. When she started to question if she was being lied to, it made me, dare I say it, root for her to uncover the truth.

Ben: We learnt that Control actually has a real life, she isn’t all bad news, she actually has a daughter that she cares for. Through learning about Control’s backstory, it made me understand the character a lot more, and also wonder what is coming next.

This was the first time since Carter’s death that we’ve seen Reese so miserable and angry, though it was a little less visible than a year ago. Would you agree that Reese wasn’t as close to Shaw as he was Carter, and that was the cause, or was it that glimmer of hope that she may still be alive?

Jimmy: Its important to remember that Reese had Carter to thank for bringing him back from eventual suicide shortly before Finch introduced himself. That’s something that cannot be topped by anyone in his mind. Carter also passed in Reese’s arms, meaning that he had immediate closure of sorts. Everyone knows there is a chance Shaw survived, and Reese knows that if there’s anyone who would take on odds of 2% and win, it would be Shaw.

DarkUFO: I think it was a mixture of both. I agree that Reese was probably closer to Carter on a personal level but I think he still feels there is a chance Shaw is alive.

Diana: Reese’s relationship with Carter was different. She saved his life once before his meeting with Finch. I think this created a special bond between them. Also, she died in his arms. I see Reese’s relationship with Shaw as friendship. The problem is during season 4, Shaw became closer to Root more than Reese, so apparently his reaction after her apparently death was a bit strange. But I agree to think he wants her to be still alive. He also cares for Shaw.

Brandon: I think it was a bit of a combination of things. He has a different relationship with Shaw than he did with Carter. For Reese, Carter was this person that he brought into the world of the Machine. Carter was Walt's definition of good. Shaw, on the other hand, was probably in the game longer than Reese. He does also still have that glimmer of hope that Shaw is alive though so that also had something to do with it.

Robert: Carter’s death was heartbreaking for Reese since she died in his arms, he had a very close bond with Carter as she saved him, from himself. It’s different with Shaw, sure he cares for her, but I think he sees her as more of a partner than someone who he can connect with on a personal level. If there is a slight chance Shaw is alive though, I think Reese will want to take it. He also knows if anyone can survive at impossible odds Shaw can.

Ben: Reese hasn’t worked with Shaw for as long as he did with Carter to understand Shaw, so that would be understandable. Although saying that, Reese still cares for Shaw, and I think he will do anything in his power to save her.

Finch’s conversation with Control became quietly aggressive on Finch’s part. Is this something that’s being built into his character after all the loss he has suffered, and do you like it?

Jimmy: What this episode did was lock Finch at the top of the character food chain. Michael Emerson was outstanding and the character was expertly leveraged despite not appearing until the 30 minute mark. Since the start of the season Finch has come to realize that the war he is in the middle of is murky and dirty. He has realized that he has a lot of power in areas starkly different to anyone else, namely his intimate knowledge of his Machine and its capabilities. To Finch, everything The Machine does is logical and makes sense because that’s how he programmed it. Samaritan is not anywhere near as predictable, and its administrators haven’t yet realized this. This puts Finch in a unique position which he is beginning to leverage.

DarkUFO: Finch, as always, was awesome and is the show’s voice of reason. He has certainly "toughened" up since the early days of Season 1 and it's something that's good to see.

Diana: I think Finch’s always known the power behind the Machine. In season 4, he’s started to understand what kind of power Samaritan has.

Brandon: I think Finch has always been quietly aggressive. He has a strong set of ideals and is unrelenting in this thinking.

Robert: After losing Carter, Finch said “I have already lost a friend, I don’t intend to lose another”. So it was clear back then that losing someone who he deemed a friend, and someone who he trusted has made him realize that he can’t always be the good guy. So it’s understandable that he has become more aggressive since he has now lost two friends who were helping him deal with the numbers he was getting from the machine he had built.

Ben: I think Finch is stepping up his game a lot lately, getting out into the field more often is a perfect example. I think he has realized that in order to defeat Samaritan, he has to be more aggressive. I like aggressive Finch, a lot.

After Control’s discovery at the end of the episode, do you think there will soon be a point where Control attempts to go back to using Northern Lights?

Jimmy: This episode did Control some justice by proving she’s reasonably resourceful and intelligent. However she learned Samaritan and its connections are far more passive-aggressive than she first realized so her actions will be radically different to those she’s tried thus far. I’m leaning towards Control approaching Finch asking for his help, or to reveal more information if she has it. Control is definitely a woman in the middle of two powerful forces, so she will have to pick a side very quickly to ensure the safety of her and her daughter.

DarkUFO: My guess is that at some point she'll uncover something that shows her that Samaritan manipulating things. At this point I can see her joining Team Machine.

Diana: Yes, I think at some point Samaritan and Control will have to put a fight, or at least, confront each other in technical terms.

Brandon: Possibly, but I believe the threat of Samaritan is a more glaring issue for her at the moment.

Robert: I don’t think she will go back to using Northern Lights, but I can’t see her trusting Samaritan anymore, especially after all she has discovered. She has always been in the middle of a chess game, and has never really chosen as side, but this season she will surely have to pick which side she’s on if she wants to remain alive. If she is smart she will call upon Finch for help.

Ben: I think that there may be a time, that she will attempt to go back, but not for a while. In the near future I can expect that Control will find something out about Samaritan that makes her mistrust it.

Gabriel (Samaritan’s interface) was back this week, and was very forward in his demands. What is Samaritan’s end game here?

Jimmy: Samaritan is flexing its muscles. I don’t think it’s after world domination, but it is definitely out to protect its own security, hence its constant attempts to capture Team Machine. As for its endgame, it’s anyone’s guess

DarkUFO: Absolutely no idea what the end game is... It’s a very good question.

Diana: That kid scares me a lot. Anyway, I have no idea about it. And that’s probably the best thing in this show: the plot twists.

Brandon: I have no idea. Obviously, getting into a position of power is very advantageous for Samaritan, but it seems like an odd way of going about it.

Robert: It is clear Samaritan wants power, so getting the president to side with them will give them a huge advantage, but as far as the end game goes I have no idea what it could be.

Ben: I have no idea what Samaritan is planning, but whatever it is I think it’s going to be big. As far as Gabriel goes, I think talking to the President will give it more power, and that is something Samaritan wants very much.

There was no real resolution to whether or not Shaw is alive, but Root and Reese are chasing a potential lead. With Sarah Shahi not expecting to return to the show for two years (because of her pregnancy), how much longer should this search go on?

Jimmy: This is anyone’s guess. If the series lasts long enough, and Shaw does return, the creators should get a heads-up a few months in advance and will be able to write her return in as a slow buildup of sorts, even if they use a body double to play Shaw in a long distance grainy shot that The Machine occasionally spots. I’d be more in favor of The Machine continuing the search for Shaw, perhaps under Finch’s orders, or autonomously. That leaves the team to continue their work in the knowledge that someone is keeping an ear to the ground.

DarkUFO: My guess is that there will be some resolution to this next episode. Whether it's a case of we know for sure that she is dead or that she is "lost" for the foreseeable future, but my guess is that the team will stop the search at this point.

Diana: I think we’ll see some resolution next week, or possibly in the season finale.

Brandon: I'm unsure of this. They can't admit defeat, but they also can't keep looking until Sarah Shahi decides to return. To me, that story has to come to some sort of a conclusion.

Robert: As much as I like Shaw, I think having the possibility of Shaw being alive continuously dangling over the teams heads will be frustrating to see, so I hope she is either confirmed dead or the team stop the search for her soon.

Ben: I don’t think the search can go on too long, I’d like to see either some evidence that Shaw has gone overseas, or something that can confirm that Shaw is indeed dead. It will create a nice plotline for the show.

Any standout/favourite moments from the episode?

Jimmy: I thought Finch’s entrance was beautifully done. As I said earlier, Michael Emerson was stunning tonight, but his entrance was used to assert his unique position of power.

DarkUFO: There were a lot of great scenes, both action and emotional but my personal favourite was at the end with Root tearing up with Reese asleep next to her in the car. It was a simple but very effective scene that showed just how much Root cared for Shaw.

Diana: The episode was quite enjoyable, a lot of intense moments from the emotional point of view. Root and Reese were both angry, lost and hopeless because of Shaw’s disappearance, and the moment when they show this weakness is in the last part with both of them in the car. Two different personality who are going to support each other and believe Shaw is still alive.

Brandon: Root's interrogation of Control and Root & Reese shooting Control down with a rocket launcher!

Robert: I liked the scene at the end that had Root tearing up, it showed us that Root does have feelings, whilst also showing us how much she cared for Shaw, and even loved her. Another great scene was when Root was interrogating Control, it showed us that the team were willing to do anything to locate their friend, but the absolute standout scene was when Finch walked in on Root tasering Control. It showed us just how much power Finch holds over them, and also how much they respect him enough to listen, and follow him.

Ben: Probably the interrogation between Reese, Root and Control. Brought back some great memories from season 3.

Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

Jimmy: This series is just awesome. It is without question television’s number one show. Everything about it is incredible. If a Tuesday night has no new episode scheduled, it feels so boring and dull without it. 2015 is off to a flyer, and its first 2 episodes are surely just the tip of the iceberg.

DarkUFO: Bring on the next episode ASAP!

Brandon: I'm disappointed that we will be losing Shaw for a bit, but am extremely excited about the possible increase in action screentime for Root and Reese. I am also interested to see if the writers decide to "replace" Shaw's character for a bit.

Robert: This episode, like last week’s, proves again how this show is simply the best show on television.

Ben: Just that this show keeps on getting better and better by the week.

About the Author - Bradley Adams
16 year old based in England, currently Senior Staff at SpoilerTV. Most of his posts are news/spoiler based, though he is currently the reviewer of Person of Interest, as well as being in charge of the yearly 'Favourite Episode Competition'. A big TV fan, his range of shows are almost exclusively dramas, with some of his all-time favourite shows including 24, LOST, Breaking Bad and Friends. Some of his current favourites include Person of Interest, Arrow and The Walking Dead. He also runs an Arrow blog, ArrowFansUK, and aside from TV, is a keen cricketer. Get in touch with him via the links below or via email bradley@spoilertv.com
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58 comments:

  1. You guys should do these every week! Great analysis of one of the most thought-provoking shows on television now.

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  2. Very, very solid episode. Lots of moving pieces. Lots of great moments. Looks like some epic stuff is being set up for the remaining part of the season.



    The roundtable discussion above has captured everything perfectly. Thanks guys. :)

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  3. I find myself glad that there was no actual death confirmation and I hope there isn't in the next episode, though I do hope they resolve the search for Shaw. The hope the Shaw is out there somewhere, and unable to come back for whatever reason, just seems a better fit for her character than death.

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  4. Excellent episode. I love that the show is able to switch perspectives so easily and still deliver compelling stories, and that's exactly what we get with Control. Here, the Machine Team is actually pretty terrifying--kudos to Acker and Emerson and Caviezel--and it's really fascinating to see. I'm looking forward to seeing what Control does, now that she seems to realize what's going on.

    Also liked how at the beginning, she told her daughter that she didn't like her playing violent games, especially given what came after in the episode.

    A full review: http://polarbearstv.com/2015/01/13/person-of-interest-control-alt-delete-review-4x12/

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  5. Another great episode, the last one was perfect indeed, but this one focus on the goverment side of the problem, Samaritan blind the leaders of the country, when his turn the rest of humanity apart.


    I like how this episode give us more of Control, she definitely will be a wild card in this game for now on, she realise at the end that she is in the wrong side of the coin.


    This is the most 'relevant' kind of episode since Shaw's episode 'Relevance', I liked a lot.


    The irrelevant side came in the middle of the episode, just to prove that POI knows how to make a interesting show with just secundary characters like Control, Garrison and Rice.


    The best part of the episode was the dialogue between Finch and Control, he telling her how blind she is was amazing and she reply to him about Shaw situation was great too.


    The last scene was incredible powerful, the writers gave us hope that Sameen is alive, but will be a long way until she returns to the show.

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  6. Great episode. Not as epic as the last episode but that was expected.
    I enjoyed getting a glimpse of Control's life and seeing at least the beginning of her wising up to Samaritan. I think she killed the "terrorist" at the cabin because it's her job, whether she agrees with it or not, and because if she didn't, Samaritan may suspect something is up and may make a move against her. Control can't risk that, at least not right now.
    I think next episode will provide some resolution to the search for Shaw. It can't realistically go on for long.
    What frustrates me a bit that it's been advertised that this was going to be part 3 of a Person of Interest trilogy but it seems like what's going on is longer than the span of three episodes. So why claim it to be a trilogy?

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  7. Wouldn't say awesome episode as was too light on team machine to give it that but saying that very good episode. I liked getting some backstory on control. Cudas to acker/Emerson. On the shaw front I think some kind of closer needs to happen as it can't contiune to dangle there.

    I think this episode set up what the end game of the season is & that is control digging n digging more into Samaritan until it gets to a stage where she can't take it anymore & realises Samaritan is evil & she will be the one to give team machine the upper hand over Samaritan & will help them take it out.

    Is it just me or did this setup the possibabilty of control becoming a fully fledged member of team machine & could/will replace shaw. As it pretty much was a control episode

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  8. I gotta say, the no resolution to Shaws "death" is what I predictably figured and is annoying as heck. Otherwise everything else is great

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  9. We wish we could as well! This time round we were very fortunate to get a screener (thanks CBS!)

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  10. Next week's promo might help you out >> http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/01/person-of-interest-episode-413-mia-promo.html

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  11. The strength of this show certainly lies within its characters and their compelling interactions. It's not to take away from a legendary conflict involving two artificial intelligences, but even the overarching story feels like a backdrop compared to the tribulations of human flaws and suffering. The opening scene breezed right along without the slightest drop in quality or intrigue, and it was yet another deep facet of the POI universe that deserved further exploration.

    It's sad to hit the realization that Shaw might not return until 2017, if at all, but it does raise my hopes for an extended length of the series; granted Nolan and the rest can keep this philosophical rollercoaster going without risking a dip in fresh storytelling.

    My reasoning for bringing this up is that Northern Lights never gave the government a problem. Even when it took control of itself, it still provided relevant numbers to Control for her to “handle”. Samaritan hasn’t been around very long, and problems are arising with it. What I think may happen at some point is a consideration by either Control, Garrison or any other government official into whether they could go back to Northern Lights. Of course, Greer and Samaritan won’t take that lightly, and the latter’s desire to have a conversation with the President may squash any hope the government have of reverting back.

    It's developing just as Finch predicted it would. Once humans place their trust and responsibilities onto omniscient machinery, it would only be a matter of time before those very humans are deemed 'irrelevant'. The great irony here is that the one man who understands this better than anyone else in the world is devoting his life to saving the very people labeled 'irrelevant' by artificial intelligence.

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  12. after last week's outstanding ep I figured that a follow up would have to a take a step down in story points and general awesomeness as last week was just soo good. Still, this ep was great in letting us see the relevant side in action and the scariness that all of that is unknowingly being controlled by Samaritan.... but loved how they seeds of doubt/suspicion was planted in Control's mind possibly recruiting another future ally in her and possibly Grice, who's had some doubts for a while. Great work done by the cast, but notably Amy Acker. Good to see Fusco helping out, but I'm still a little fuzzy as if he was ever fully read in on the state of everything, if he hasn't he should be by now although that might put him a little more at risk as he doesn't have a Samaritan blind spot like the others do.... another excellent ep

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  13. This was a great episode like that we got to see Control is human and have feelings and that she started to see Samaritan isn't what they seem Control and Root was the stand out in this episode they are both deadly women but they are human I do hope Shaw is alive and being held captive somewhere but I don't want it to be their main focus to find her and their focus is still to defeat Samaritan and helping people

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  14. Most chilling lines of the episode and very relatable to present day real life scenarios:

    "Maybe they picked us, because that's what exactly you would expect" .
    "Can you consider for a sec, the possibility you've been lied to? "

    This show, very subtly, makes us question our govts. and their policies in myriad ways and I love it.

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  15. Another awesome episode that closes out the trilogy perfectly. POI can do no wrong.


    The episode mainly being getting a more understanding of Control was an unexpecting but much needed route to go through. So great to have the badass Camryn Manheim back. Loved the bit where Finch tells her that she's being kept in the dark for a reason because it's true. She doesn't know anything that Samaritan is doing. Thankfully, it looks like she starting to open up her eyes at the end there and is realizing the possibility that maybe she hasn't been told everything. Could we possibly be seeing her and the team teaming up to take down Samaritan? Hmmmm, an ally perhaps?


    The interrogation scene with Control and the team was badass. The tables being turned with Root now having the upper hand on her was great to watch after what happened on their last encounter. And Root's taser is back! I've missed it haha.


    Root and Reese being badasses together by causing havoc in New York was something I wanted to see! I'm sure it would have been epic :) And Reese's fight with Grice was intense. And I liked that Reese spared him because of their affection of Shaw. She's both important to them and she wouldn't want them fighting to the death. Also, I wouldn't mind seeing him join the team and help out on a couple of missions from here on out.


    Nice that the Nautilus competition that Samaritan set up was brought up! And Control shot the winner dead XD


    The final scene was definitely emotional. Root being filled with different kinds of emotions, looking like she was about to cry in the car made me feel for her greatly. I know the pain of losing someone she loved near and dear to her heart and it just wrecked me while I was watching it. Powerful stuff. She's come a long way since the beginning of the show.


    Can't believe we have to wait 3 weeks until the next episode when we just got out of a break :( The search for Shaw continues.

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  16. Yeah doesn't exactly help with anything lol. Hopefully next ep resolves it

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  17. Thank you, it was really funny! As Jimmy said, we were lucky to get a screener to do that ;) hope for the next one!

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  18. You know what I liked especially about the episode? Beside all the other great things already mentioned?
    The possibilities for the upcoming storylines that were open today!
    Especially, Control not trusting Samaritan as she used to anymore, her subsequent decisions, etc.
    I can totally see her enlisting Team Machine for some off-the-record work against Decima, or at least consulting Harold for his insights.
    I am so excited!

    By the way, let us not forget the code that Harold uploaded to that woman's laptop in China or some country around there (I can't even remember where it was.)
    He has a backup plan up his sleeve, he will use it when the time is right!

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  19. I don't know... But I think Samaritan might be aiming to destroy the Machine itself.
    Remember the piece of code someone weaponized that Samaritan 'secured' for its own protection? What if it secured it not for itself but to use, at a later point in time, against the Machine? It did say, in the last episode or the one before that, that it was going to destroy the Machine.


    This might just be the beginning of its plans.

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  20. Yeah, not as much of a trilogy as the last one was.

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  21. Personally, I don't think the episode needed too much of the team, given that they were trying to develop Control. But after Shaw's 'death' in 4.11 I expected a lot more of the team.


    I don't think Control would ever replace Shaw, but I can certainly see her joining the team in some way at some point in the future.

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  22. Oh yeah, and that's Feb 3rd, so it's not even next week ;)

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  23. Ever since we learned that relevant threats are dealt with by agents blindly killing numbers, I've had doubts about the way the government works (in this show, certainly).

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  24. The President's number coming up would be a stunner.

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  25. That would be a huge thing if Samaritan took over or destroyed the Machine.

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  26. it would be a really twist and would be funny to see where the show would go. or if Finch would manage to save the Machine or if she could repair herself from the inside out.


    I just find it a likely course of action.

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  27. I wrote an IMDB review after I finished last night. I'm going to base my comment on that






    The trilogy is over - and the result is pretty impressive. While Ep.
    4.10 was slow-paced with a lot of nice set-up, 4.11 turned out as the
    best episode so far. POI's trilogy is a must-watch.
    If you were expecting an episode in 3.10 The Devil's Share style, you
    might be a little disappointed. It is more like in 2.16 Relevance
    style, which I personally enjoyed very much. If you open your mind and
    like it when they change narrative for a while, you'll probably end up
    loving it (especially if you have and had so many burning questions
    about the many plot threads going on - they're finally fleshing out
    this world in the Samaritan era. It's actually pretty disturbing in a
    positive way).

    So here's where it gets a bit a bit "spoilery" - I loved the development Control got. It was long due and in a way the right moment to do so, after this incredible 4.11 episode.
    So many details and callbacks, fantastic scenes (angry Finch & Control, final minutes w/ some Homeland vibes (the operations room, Control observing the drone strike) and superb acting. Amy Acker did very well, even in subtle moments (almost crying in the car and you could see she and Reese were close in their pain).
    Now Control knows what's happening and I'm sure this going to cause much trouble but also support for Team Machine.

    POI is right on track and I'm so excited about episode 4.13 which might be more like the "grief and search" episode many people were waiting for. This is definitely the best show on the air.

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  28. Yeah, because of the last trilogy, I was expecting this episode will be the resolution of the Samarian threat. Imagine my disappointment. But I believe that resolution will arrive at some point this season.

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  29. I kind of like how the team was in the background for part of the episode. It created an air of suspense about what they are up to. It's the same suspense I felt when Reese was on the warpath after Carter died.

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  30. Yep. Reese was barely in that, and it really built things up. Worked then, worked here.

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  31. I didn't expect it to be the end of the Samaritan threat, but there was a small, 1% chance thought looming in my mind going into the trilogy that it would be. I think maybe the season finale.

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  32. I agree/see where from on didnt need too much team machine as did develop control alot. As one thing the POI writers do very very well is develop the characters very good & this developed control alot & good But i just cant give an episode an Awesome grade if too light on team machine as too me They Are The Show if no what i mean.

    It was still a very very good episode but not as good as say last weeks. On the control replacing shaw i more meant with shaw gone for the foreseeable future there is probable a slot open on team machine & i could see control potentially filling that slot

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  33. I am sad that Control did not believe Harold. I loved the way Root and Reese are going on a rampage over Shaw.

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  34. I liked this episode maybe even better than the previous one. It was a perfectly done gimmick, a new way to make a "what if" episode, but somehow this one hit harder. Maybe because PoI started from a noir-ish tune and this brought it back again.
    I loved how they gave us glipmses about Control as a person. I was happy that in the end she shot down the poor setup guy. It would have been so easy to go on the cheesy way but she remained what she is - the ruthless protector who can not risk a mistake.

    That's why I think it's a more crucial point in this year's arc than the last episode was. To Control national security is the Holy Grail. With the Machine she had no doubts - it was sophisticated information source without any own agenda. Even after freeing itself it supplied data and those were reliable. Control only now started to realize that Samariatn isn't just an information source, but something with own goals and interests. And somebody this resourceful and this close to the heart of the country can be the biggest NS risk.

    Based on how things unfolded in this episode I can imagine that at the end of the season the Machine "wins": manages to achive the disabling of Samaritan. I think in this case Control (if she survives, which isn't a sure thing in this show) would offer an unofficial truce to the Team Machine: the government will use the relevant numbers again (it was them who stopped listening, not the Machine stopped sending) and until they won't cross her operations, she pretends as if they don't exists. But this is just an idea, a possible outcome only after half of the season.

    One final note: we rarely talk about the pictures, but during Control's interrogation the scenes how Root watches her from behind the fence, it was like how agitated carnivores watching you in the zoo through the bars. Memorable acting from Amy Acker and excellent camera work.

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  35. Up untill the end of this episode she saw the Samaritan only as a more sophisticated version of the Machine. The Machine would have never hide a serious national security breach from them, so as she had no knowledge about what Harold told her only logical reaction was that Harold is only spinning a tale.
    That's the same reason why she shot the guy. He managed to call her attention and plant doubt, but killing him was safer than letting him loose without hard evidence of the scheming of the Samaritan. BTW: I loved how the janitor metaphory returned in the end.

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  36. Thanks you guys! Awesome discussion for a Fantastic episode.

    " However, the final scene was very interesting. I had thought that Control had completely disregarded what Finch told her, but in actuality she was, in a way, playing both sides."

    I was so glad to get a Control/Government-centric episode, especially since the arc started with a Greer-centric episode, but what's so great about Control, is her ability to not show expose her vulnerability, but this episode at least made point that she has some humanity and that she has to start being more honest with the current situation...(although what she's going to do about, I don't know)

    I'm also glad that despite this was a 3-part arc, that there is still a lot of open roads and that the game changer wasn't as finalized or even destructive (as in: costing us one of characters' lives), as I really thought it was going to be. ((I personally think they will be bring Shaw back next season and/or maybe even SS could of filmed a scene for the finale. I think they would of killed her off right here and now, if that was not the plan. I think they will bread crumb it along on again/off again)

    Some other musings I had was that we saw the boy again in the role of avatar/speaking piece of Samaritan. I had half expected that Sumatran would change up it's mouth piece to be more complex and it makes me wonder if there is something more behind the boy than meets the eye, whether it be "mind control" (think Fringe) or an android, and/or if whoever this boy is/was will be important?????

    It was fun to see Grice and Brooks reappear and see how they themselves were table-turned by Samaritan. I also really loved the scene where Reese realized who he was and let him go. I suspect that we will see them again...


    I also enjoyed seeing Root and Reese work together

    Just to add some fun Bad Robot Stuff:

    Fringe - alumni Michael Gaston is in a rather similar role as his former Stanford Harris, possible mind control experiments [on children], and melting laptop(s)!



    LOST - Sayid [character name] on the run, accused of being a terrorist (juxtaposition), and being manipulated and disrespected by the US Government.

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  37. Does anyone else think that that code that the student wrote that compressed information is ever going to come into play? It was the episode when Finch was a teacher. Every time people talk about The Machine dying, I always think about this as an option.
    Also did the guy from this episode end up in the same cabin in Canada that the Relevant number ended up after Reese let him go?

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  38. The possibilities for the upcoming storylines that were open today!


    Agree. The best thing about this episode is the ground work laid for more story lines.

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  39. I think that code will be sent by Samaritan to the Machine.

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  40. As I understand it the relevant number in this episode was working on climate change data. The code I am referring to is the code that the teen PoI wrote in "2πR" Season 2 episode 11. Finch was really impressed that with this code, what would normally take up rooms of servers and millions of gigabytes (I am not a technical person) can be compressed to fit onto an ordinary memory stick. Anyway it was something that struck me several seasons ago and I would like to think that the writers would be that good at plotting the story and giving us the hint.

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  41. No, the relevant number had, apparently, created a virus that could threaten Samaritan's system.
    Assuming he works much the same way as the Machine, it would affect her as well.

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  42. I will have to watch the episode again. Thanks

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  43. This review and discussion were totally spot-on in my view, and it hit on all the points that I pondered as I watched and thought about afterward. This episode didn't have quite the intensity of the week before, but it addressed many of our concerns and feelings about the previous episode.

    One thing not mentioned, I think they are setting up Grice to perhaps come into the team down the road. He has now disobeyed Samaritan several times, and I think he'll have to hide out soon if he doesn't go back to toeing Samaritan's line. He's a sharp guy and I think he and Reese would get on well if he does change sides. Not sure if his female partner will do so, since they have not given her much of an identity yet, so she may become the casualty that makes Grice realize that he's gotta get out of there fast if he wants to survive himself.

    I think Control will come to understand just how dangerous Samaritan is, and how it really has no loyalty to the United States or its best interests as Control does. I totally believe she does see herself as a patriot, and Gabriel will likely help her see the naked power that Samaritan is seeking. I do believe that Samaritan is out for world control at any cost, and would have no qualms in ruthlessly pursuing that goal. I think that will eventually help Control see that Team Machine is the only computer system with ethics, and that she will take their side eventually as the only choice she will have, or go down in the struggle.

    I do hope that they will keep the door open for Shaw somehow, and perhaps this semi-open door is testing the water to see how strongly the fans feel about her character. They got so much negative feedback on Carter's demise, they may want to see if the fans will fight for her. I may be wrong, but sometimes fan feedback does make a difference when a character's future is in the balance, and is a beloved character who furthers the story lines and fills a strong role in the cast. Who knows, though. But I have grown to truly love her character and the spot she fills.

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  44. I think that Grice could more likely become a team member than Control. He could fill an "action" character than I believe she would, though I think she could well become a part of the team.

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  45. And it would be a worldshaker for Control! That could turn her over to Team Machine! Interesting possibility...

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  46. Even though I'm not sure if that one will fit in here, I love your line of thinking!!! I keep hoping that some of these POI's that seemed "one shot-ish" could turn around and become more relative--in fact, it would kind of be a neat twist that if in the final season, a majority of the POI's deemed irrelevant, became integral to saving the world and all reappeared in the final episodes!

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  47. I think with the way they've set up this new stuff on Samaritan that it won't be so much that they'll stop looking for Shaw as the trail will start to get cold and then Samaritan blows up a bit and of course no matter how much they care about Shaw, it ain't gonna do her any good if they find her but the world's gone to hell. I doubt Samaritan will be resolved this season, but as we've seen with the trilogy, they have ways of pushing stuff to the brink and pulling it back. I think it'd be a very subtle and realistic way for them to do it, more so than them just deciding to give up.

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  48. This episode worked well, same structure as the Shaw "Relevance" episode, where Reese featured in the end scenes

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  49. Ok i have to write this. Over the course of the years that this show has been on screen we have seen a lot of good double episodes and so on, but this Trilogy was not at all Trilogy.

    Almost every episode stood on his own, from time to time we had some kind of mix between connection and completely unconnected story-lines.
    And in this episode well it didn't have anything so interesting, the episode was awesome, but this trilogy for me was not necessary.
    In this episode we saw Control being in Control exactly around 5 minutes of the whole episode. After that botched laptop extraction well it showed everything that we have been seeing. And not to mention that this episode was a mash up of well nothing too interesting for me.
    We saw a lot of the back dealings within Control's operation and how Samaritan controls everything,
    I don't have much to say about this episode other than, it wasn't at all Trilogy in my opinion.

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  50. Four seasons in/eighty episodes in and this is the first time I'm puzzled to what the title is in reference to with this episode. There was no true end to any task in this episode, so why is this episode called "Control-Alt-Delete" afterall?

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  51. I think it was simply a reference to Control.

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  52. I'd disagree. As the episode went on I thought that Control was starting to lose hers.

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  53. Bradley, you are a terrific writer. Incredible. I always enjoy your writing. Thank you.

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  54. I know. I feel the RoundTable discussion captured everything perfectly. I don't feel there is much left to say, except......I can't believe we have to wait 2 or 3 weeks until the next episode.

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  55. Camryn M. who plays the head of Control, is such an excellent actress. She won Emmys for her role in The Practice (in the 1990s I think; I never watched it). It takes such believable actors to bring the story to life. Michael Emerson just *kills* it playing Finch. Top-notch acting nails it. Everyone did well in this episode. Amy Acker (Root)'s acting, Fusco, Reese.

    I like how Reese and Grice were fighting, and they recognized each other (or they recognized they both knew Shaw) at the last minute, just when Reese was about to "end" Grice. And they said something like "...Shaw." "Sameen?" "You knew Shaw?" "She was a good agent." Basically saying, "Oops, sorry I almost killed you. I didn't realize you knew Shaw." I guess Reese wouldn't have recognized Grice as one of their "numbers" from a while ago.

    I can't wait until Control switches to Reese-Finch's side, if they do. I don't see the Camryn M. character surviving, if she does try to switch. Samaritan seems indestructible. But then again, H.R. had seemed indestructible, too. And now we never hear about them.

    Speaking of HR, are we ever going to hear about them again? Did HR really dissolve after its head was imprisoned? I thought they would resurrect this storyline at some point. But then again, you can only have so many "bad guys." I'm confused enough trying to figure out who's on what side.

    Great episode.

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  56. Losing hers during the episode, I agree. Samaritan acted like the main boss whether in be Control or Washington entire, but at episode's end...nothing ended.

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