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Person of Interest - Terra Incognita - POLL + Review + Roundtable Discussion

Apr 15, 2015

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With momentum beginning to build from last week’s episode after a string of instalments that pushed Samaritan and the battle of the machines from the forefront, you’d have been forgiven for expecting at least some focus on the plot in this week’s outing. Instead, one mention was made of the malevolent AI, firmly putting the brakes on any momentum that had been built, as the episode focused solely on the procedural story of the number-of-the-week.

Fortunately, that break in momentum was more than made up for by some superb writing that gave us one of, if not the best procedural episodes that the show has done. Taraji P Henson’s return to the show as Carter was handled fantastically but it was Jim Caviezel who really shone this week, taking up most of the screentime along with Henson and delivering a superb performance.

One of the things that makes Person of Interest the best show on television is its ability to shock an audience with big twists through brilliant writing. ‘Terra Incognita’ was a prime example of that as I was left stunned by the revelation that what at first appeared to be a simple flashback to one of Reese and Carter’s stakeouts was in actuality a dream-like fantasy sequence that played out in Reese’s head as he bled to death (Reese’s “What?” when Carter told him he was dying is a reaction I very much shared). It turned what was an enjoyable procedural episode into a superbly complex episode.

For the most part, however, it was the emotional character development of Reese that made this episode stand out. As TV’s number 1 threat to kneecaps, John Reese has always remained something of a closed book when it comes to his emotions. Lately, he’s been beginning to open up to Dr. Campbell, but seeing him open up to Carter was fantastic to see. My favourite part of that was hearing why Reese broke up with Jessica - “I figured if maybe I didn’t have a picture to carry around with me… that I’d be better at my job.” It almost brought me to tears.

Jim Caviezel had easily his best episode of the series this week as his portrayal of Reese’s emotions were coupled with his constant hesitance to open up - until his potentially final few minutes - was outstanding. Caviezel has often shown this in small batches - Carter’s death and the aftermath, flashbacks to after Jessica’s death to name just a couple - but not with this much depth. It was truly excellent to watch as Reese broke down about as much as he ever will, and Caviezel deserves a lot of credit for it.

It was great to see Taraji P Henson back on the show nearly 18 months after Carter’s death. I really don’t think they could have done anything better with her return, because she was too influential a character to just be used in flashbacks (and Person of Interest is too smart a show to do that). Henson adapted to each of Carter’s different scenarios terrifically and really sold everything she was given. It’s a real shame to consider that we likely won’t see her again on the show because she brings so much both in her acting and character. The only consolation is that she will remain awesome on Empire, but unfortunately, it’s not quite POI.

Elsewhere, there was a brief few mentions of Elias and Dominic early in the episode. I don’t expect Dominic’s plot to carry over into season 5, so the lack of development with it this week frustrated me more than the lack of an AI plot. However, it was some nice set-up for the final two episodes with Dominic likely to be aggrieved with his men having been killed. Also, it was slightly worrying for a moment to consider that the Machine may be having issues, especially after Samaritan was searching for it.

Odds and ends:

  • If you rewatch the first two minutes of the episode, there is some fantastic foreshadowing of the twist. The sound of the gunshot and the snow being moved on the opening black screen, Reese turning up the heat in the car and looking in slight discomfort rubbing the right side of his body. That continued throughout the episode with Reese turning the heat up even more and looking in more and more discomfort. I awe at the brilliance of the writing.
  • The number-of-the-week storyline fell into the background somewhat given that Reese got shot, and it wasn’t anything too special. I never thought that Chase was the killer, and I liked the twist that it was his unknown half-brother that did it - though, the ‘if I can’t have him, no one can’ mentality of killing the entire family is a little overkill, no?
  • Root’s entrance was amazing. The sheer shock and confusion on Finch’s face as Acker entered in a wedding dress was a definite highlight.
  • “You forget your water bottle, Finch?”
  • “You brought home a beast, I have to walk it, and water it, and feed it, lest it consume any more of my books.” The only thing better than a Bear appearance is early season 2 Finch’s frustrations with Bear.
  • “Hot dogs aren’t dinner, Fusco. Not for normal people. Guess it’s the thought that counts.”
  • “You sure you were an interrogator, not a drill sergeant?”
  • Who’s there to save Reese? Fusco is my guess.

‘Terra Incognita’ halted the Samaritan momentum but it was completely worth it. The emotional aspects and smart storytelling counteracted the potential negative effects of halting the arc - though hopefully Reese’s injury will play out in the final two episodes in conjunction with the Samaritan and Dominic arcs. So, what did you think of the episode? Who is in the car at the end? Make sure you vote in the poll at the top of the page, and feel free to leave a comment with any thoughts you have about the episode. Below you can find our roundtable discussion about the episode. Thanks to all those who participated! Do feel free to answer any of the questions yourselves in the comments below too.

How did you feel about the twist that the Carter flashback merged with Reese’s dream-like visions?

Jimmy Ryan: I thought it was fantastic. The flow developed into its own thing, and the cross between past and present was done beautifully. It’s one of Person of Interest’s finest moments in its history.

Brandon Rowe: I liked it. It was artistic and definitely a surprise when you realized what had been going on the whole time.

Diana Mack: All the flashbacks put some revelations in Reese’s case and personal life.

Did you enjoy Carter’s return?

Jimmy: Absolutely. The creative team have continually acknowledged Carter’s place in the hearts of Fusco, Finch and particularly Reese. The episode gave us the chance to see the unseen relationship Carter and Reese had, while revealing more about Reese’s past and why Carter’s loss hit him particularly hard. Carter was also featured constantly throughout the hour, which was both surprising and fantastic because bringing the character back only for a few moments wouldn't have done her justice. It’s been an all round fantastic move by the creative team.

Brandon: I actually didn’t really enjoy her return in this episode because I didn’t see the purpose in it. It just felt like the writers decided they wanted Taraji P. Henson back randomly. It wasn’t that it wasn’t well done, it just didn’t feel organic enough for me as a whole for the season.

Diana: Of course I enjoyed Carter’s return. When I watched her dying back in season 3, I was so upset because she was one of the main characters and gave Reese a reason to live again and save people. Carter and Reese have always shared a special bond, whether it was a romantic one or platonic one, it was important for him to have someone on his side who could have understood him better than anyone.

Were you surprised that there was no focus on the AI plot this late in the season?

Jimmy: Yes, this did bother me to an extent, but on balance, the amazing and powerful emotions the episode brought forward, along with the stunning acting performances by Jim Caviezel and Taraji P Henson made it a worthy sacrifice. It’s worth remembering Reese is still in a critical condition, so his fighting ability will be stunted in the final 2 episodes of the season.

Brandon: Absolutely. For me, the last few episodes of a season should be a long run of wrapping up loose ends with big cliffhangers and the introduction of bigger storylines. This didn’t do a whole lot in that regard, and I didn’t enjoy it as much because of it.

Diana: Not surprised at all. I think the show needed some rest from the main plot.

There was a brief mention of Elias and the Brotherhood. Were you disappointed that it wasn't explored much this week, and do you think that story will play a big role in the final two episodes?

Jimmy: No and no, for the same reasons as my answer to question 3. Sometimes in television - but not often - a one-off detour is warranted but the execution has to be top notch. Person of Interest went above and beyond top notch. It blew my expectations.

Brandon: Elias is a fantastic character and the Brotherhood is a great storyline, but I can’t really say that I missed it a whole lot this week. I really missed more of the Samaritan story. Ultimately, I think Samaritan’s defeat is what could lead this series to its end though so I understand why they are dragging it out.

Diana: Elias was put in a corner for a while and I’m bit disappointed, but I trust in the writers. I hope they will bring us some new issues with Elias and the Brotherhood, as I’ve always loved those plots.

Did you like that the episode centred on Reese and scarcely used the other members of Team Machine, or did you miss them?

Jimmy: It was clear that this was Reese’s hour considering Carter returned. I thought the use of the other series regulars was well slotted in, and didn't intrude into the main storyline at all. This was another aspect of the episode that was very well done.

Brandon: I really missed the other members of Team Machine. Seeing Reese move around as a one man army is always entertaining, but it felt off balance with the rest of the season.

Diana: The other members were marginal in this episode, but in some ways, they helped Reese to understand what is going on with him. Since Carter died, his life changed. He became closed in himself without letting people in. Carter’s vision enlightened what Reese is without his team: nobody, because no one is better off alone. There are people out there who care about him, like Finch and Root who didn't stop on finding him.

We ended on a cliffhanger. How do you expect that to play out in the next episode?

Jimmy: Reese has been injured numerous times but this is perhaps one of his worst yet. We still don’t know who turned up in the dying seconds to rescue Reese. It could be someone else we've never seen before. That’s the most important question at this stage.

Brandon: My expectation is that Fusco has arrived to save the day. I would love to see a new character introduced here though!

Diana: I don’t really know, but I hope Carter's words have given Reese a shake in his life. I hope he’s going to be more determined and open to people around him.

Any favourite moments from the episode?

Jimmy: Picking a single moment wouldn't do the episode justice, but seeing Root in a wedding dress has got to be up there. On a more serious tone, Carter encouraging Reese in spirit to get the car keys from the dead man in the snow was epic to watch, along with the moment when Reese was confused and thought he’d talked about the likes of Jessica with Carter, when in fact he hadn't.

Brandon: Carter telling Reese that he had never told her anything about his personal life was a good moment in my opinion. Reminded me of something we would have seen towards the end of Lost.

Diana: I liked every scene between Carter and Reese in the car. The interesting one was when she tells him that people change and he disagrees with her. Also, the last scenes were very intense. Finch and Root struggle to find Reese’s location, while he’s freezing in the car with Carter’s vision talking to him. He seems to surrender to his death, thinking he doesn’t have a reason to stay alive anymore; then he has a revelation: he’s never let people in, that’s why he couldn’t share his past with Carter. She keeps that photo with him and Jessica (his ex), waiting for the moment he was ready to talk about. Even if Carter is dead and Reese wanted to solve her cold case all alone just to have a sort of connection with her, she says to him he’s not alone; there are people who care about him (Finch, Root and Fusco). That was a very intense e deep scene, and it made me think about the movie “Life is wonderful”.

Any final thoughts on the episode?

Jimmy: Not much other than to say Person of Interest deserves far more recognition from the various critics and award ceremonies. Nothing else on television is better than Person of Interest, and the level of quality in all aspects of this episode does not deserve to be ignored.

Brandon: I would like to see a big conclusion to this season with a lot of action, Samaritan doing evil things, and the Machine finally striking back. This season has been unbalanced for me, but I would really like to see a good closing!

Diana: It was a bit slow but a deep episode, like I said before, it felt like being in a movie. Also the music was superb.

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
Recent Reviews (All Reviews)

34 comments:

  1. Kinda meh episode for me as i think this late in the season they need to be focusing on the main storyline

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  2. Solid final 20 minutes. 7/10 for me.

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  3. Am hoping the last episodes of the season are epic with Samaritan 's storyline closing out ( as I am sick of it) or it transforming somehow.Have been eager for Control's return as am sure she will play an important role. ( Maybe she and Martine will take each other out - or Control and Greer will do the honors for each other). But with all the rumbling about 'people will wonder how the story will be able to continue after the finale", I fear that sounds like the death of The Machine, Harold's creation. Root has been so spot -on in her scenes, I don't understand how anyone could want her character gone - yes, she is a murdering sociopath, but dang she is funny, clever , and surprising..

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  4. Outstanding episode, one of the best episodes of the season in terms of writing, and the cinematography just sparkles. I can't put it over if-then-else, control-alt-delete or a couple of others but its atleast for the moment top 6 of the season. when we really think about it, its not the first time an episode is placed at a spot of the season in which it doesn't connect main plot wise with the others so unlike others im not going to behead the writers for this choice. as long as the episode was great i didn't care and it was amazing. look im a big mark for the stuff with the samaritan arch as much as most hardcore fans but this is one i would rewatch. its a beautiful and very sad episode to watch. people im sure are going to nitpick and try to point out a negative and rate the episode low or say it was meh but you won't get that from me. this is a combination of many things as to why person of interest is the best show on television despite what anyone says.

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  5. It could be Elias. They need a way to bring him back if he's in the series finale.

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  6. Tonight's episode was brilliant. It showcased the type of quality that makes this show one of the best dramas on TV. The level of performance was spectacular from Taraji and Jim. They have great chemistry together. It was really moving. Kudos to Person Of Interest for nailing this reunion amongst these two, creating one of the most memorable scene this TV season.

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  7. I'm still piecing my thoughts together, but this episode was really well done. In fact, feeling a little confused about some aspects is okay, because Reese was feeling confused himself. Pretty much everything about the way the episode was structured makes sense, especially the fact that it was so firmly centered on Reese -- it reflects his tendency to shut people out.

    I was surprised about its focus, but not disappointed. In terms of momentum, I don't think there has been a lot anyway, which isn't a bad thing. As I said before, I think this season works different structurally -- the big premise is the AI war, and it's been continuous. Guilty worked as a scale shift, and Blunt didn't end with much momentum. The pieces given in Search and Destroy were sufficiently small (Samaritan looking for the Machine was established in Prophets), and Khan's death gave a nice finality to bring the tone down. Also worth noting in that regard is that the first thing in this episode is a gunshot.

    It's appropriate that this episode comes now. After a season of having to be a more normal person on top of an alias (which the Machine made clear in the single POV shot), after the "death in the family", and after Reese starts opening up to Iris, he looks deeper into himself through his connection with Carter. I love the AI story, but I love the show as a whole even more, so an exploration like this into the mythos and the characters is fine by me.

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  8. If-Then-Else, Control-Alt-Delete, and Terra Incognita are the three most experimental episodes the show has ever done as is this season. In regards to Terra Incognita, the cinematography is a style i have never seen the show use before. it wasn't just a case of the normal machine flashbacks like we are acustomed to. I haven't been teared up that much since... i don't know any amy acker peformance this season in regards to shaw. the writers could have easily went the simple route with this episode, instead they made it standout which shows how amazing and gifted the crew is.

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  9. As I said on the advance preview post, I feel this episode would've been better during the slew of stand-alone episodes we had post-Shaw. With so few episodes left this season, I feel it would've been better to focus on the main things they set up in the first half of the season, with Elias vs. Dominic and Samaritan vs. Machine. Now, while I'm excited for the last 2, I do worry that it may be too much crammed in all at once when it could've been spread out better.

    Still, the character focus on Reese was truly great. We haven't had a whole lot in terms of looking deep into Reese since the first season, so it was nice to return to that. But I didn't get into the episode until it was revealed that Carter/Reese in the car was Reese hallucinating and it got really good to me, prior to that I was kinda bored.

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  10. You, the funny thing about this episode is while watching the entire episode I was wondering if this episode would be better off before "Skip" when Reese and Iris finally shared their feelings to one another, but then after tonight's episode I remembered about Zoe and Reese's talk in the last episode("Search and Destroy") and this episode totally feels perfect now be here and not earlier. For Reese to finally move on, it has nothing to do with sharing his feelings with Iris, but be having these talks with such important women in his life, who are Carter and Zoe. Zoe referenced how Reese could hurt Iris and Carter was that final stamp, even when in reality it can be looked on as a mentality Reese had to get past but using Carter was smart because it's using the other important woman in Reese's life while also tying it all together by referencing Jessica too.

    It might end blood for Reese and/or Iris, but perhaps Reese can find some happiness with Iris in some way or form.

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  11. As someone who only began watching POI recently (I knew about the death of Carter), I found this episodes one of the best I've seen in the land of TV in sometime. After reading some of the other reactions about this episode, I was a bit perplexed. Why wouldn't anyone want to see Reese open the door and reveal what he holds so internal? There are so many shows that fail to show deeper aspects of a specific character and that makes me crazy. I for one do not want to watch some undeveloped shell of a character in a "robotic" mode just going through the motions. I mean, we knew that Reese didn't have some storybook life but the intense show his emotions was beautiful to watch.

    At the end of the episode when Joss reminds Reese that he never had that conversation regarding what happened between he and Jessica was especially poignant. It was proof that John does have regrets and that time is constantly ticking by and if he keeps on the path of loneliness, he will die "alone." Granted he has Finch but it definitely felt like a bit of a wake-up call via the ghost of Joss. Another thing that I loved and felt annoyance towards was that John didn't actually reveal to Joss his "feelings." It felt like more of a dance between the two of them with each reading between the lines. It was a beautiful yet a heartbreaking realization for John.

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  12. This season of Person of Interest should be called Person of Misdirection Interest.

    What started out as two cops on a common stakeout quickly spirals into a damaged man's last gasp of a hallucination. As an individual episode, this was magnificent, however, in terms of storyline, it only brought table scraps to the Brotherhood arc.

    This episode is difficult to rate because it is a complete and perfect episode but the season has felt unbalanced. It swapped storyline for character development but it did so in a way that very few shows can and do execute properly. Episode 14 and 17 this season also tried to invoke some development into Harold but those felt like surface character developments. What this episode managed to do was wring Reese's psyche and emotion out of him when he was in a perilous situation and the writers took the ball and ran with it. The case of the week does not matter. What matters is that Reese has finally opened up and this will only help with the Samaritan/Brotherhood dilemmas coming up.

    As TheDarkShaw said, this along with If-Then-Else and Control-Alt-Delete have been the most experimental episodes that Person of Interest has ever done. Those episodes have been successful because they delved deep into the root of the problem. As much as the pacing this season has been wonky, I wonder now if the writers are deliberating doing this on purpose. Maybe they want to liven up the show a bit and keep things fresh. After Carter's death and Shaw's fake out, would killing more people really shock and awe viewers?

    If there's one thing that this episode succeeds in telling us is that the show will continue to challenge and take chances. The rest is up to you to decide.

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  13. Awesome episode from start to finish. 10/10.

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  14. POI is one of my personal favorite shows soI expected to love this episode but ,in truth, found I only liked it - maybe my expectation was too high. There were some great moments though. What worries me is that it was the type of episode a character gets just before they kill him off.

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  15. Awesome episode!

    Two things I did not understand I would appreciate if somebody explained:
    - Reese was shot inside the cabin. Why was there a bullet hole in the car's window then?
    - What happened to the number? His half-brother said he had 8 hours, so why he did not help Reese? Where did he go?

    As for who could be in the car, aside from obvious Finch/Fusco/Root, I would also not be surprised if it was Greer, Control, maybe even Shaw, or somebody completely new!

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  16. Brilliant episode! The writing was excellent (Erik Mountain of "Many Happy Returns," of course), the visuals and editing were exceptional, and the master class in acting given by Taraji P. Henson and Jim Caviezel took my breath away. This was Classic POI!

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  17. For me was one of the most emotional episodes of the season and one of the best too. Reese and Carter centric episode was a great idea. This was like "Many Happy Returns", before they focus on the war between Dominic and Elias and the main storyline with Samaritan.

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  18. Wow. Brillant, absolutely brilliant episode. One of the best this show has ever done. Reese has been on backburner this season, plus he was getting sloppier and sloppier. I thought writers were just focusing on different things, but nope...all fricking planned and this episode payed it all out so beautifully. And Cavieziel just plain destroyed the screen.
    Best show on tv.

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  19. Fantastic, heartbreaking episode featuring an Emmy-worthy Jim Caviezel performance. I was skeptical at first, but it won me over.

    A review: http://polarbearstv.com/2015/04/15/person-of-interest-terra-incognita-review-4x20/

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  20. what was the point of this episode anyway? it was one big fat filler...
    are we gonna learn the fate of the victim and perpetrator of this episode next week?

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  21. he had a gun pointed at that family killer, I think he shot him and maybe hit the car window as well...the guy who took the pills was probably unconscious because of the pills and if not given help he would die within 8 hours. Those things need to be explained next week.

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  22. Interesting. Hadn't considered that myself. I'd quite like that, actually.

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  23. I don't think they're going to kill Reese off. Yes, there has been quite a bit of foreshadowing recently but if they wanted to kill Reese, then they'd do it here. There is zero point in them almost killing him to then kill him in one of the two following episodes.

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  24. As matt jobb says below, I think either the bullet was a through and through when it hit the half-brother or Reese may have missed once.


    But yes, they dropped the ball a little with Chase there. Hope it's explained in the next episode.

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  25. I hope you are correct, though I have seen this sort of sequencing done in other series - you let someone have a near death experience , only to surprise the viewers by really killing him soon afterwards. Prefer your version. I would have liked Reese to be 100% fit for the final episodes so he could do his full- on terminator John exercises in the field, but unless they do a time gap long enough for him to fully recover by the next episode, he will be less than a full blown enforcer due to his injury. Never stopped him before,of course, but still would rather he be 100% for the finale showdown - more fun. Iris is problematical - if she is for real, then what are they going to do with her - if she is working for Samaritan , it makes no sense because then they would be onto all of John's movements anyway and would not need her. Also, wonder about Dominic because the last time we heard from him he was going to look into John and was also getting suspicious about the machines' existence. Surely she has no connection to Dominic,gulp.

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  26. Did anybody see Taraji on Saturday Night Live? She was really funny in the show. As really her beloved Charter has been missed.

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  27. Get a clue Reese WEAR A BULLET PROOF VEST!!
    I can't believe I am typing this but I am beginning to think that I might have to give up on this show.

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  28. Random question:
    Does anyone know why Finch always makes the comment that they don't have as much money as they did before? We know about the $10 Million for his University grant but Root helped him get the lock-up with the Serbian(?) criminals money. There were several man sized dufflebags filled with cash. And just looking around the lock-up, there was an insane amount of guns and flat screen tvs.

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  29. Jim Caviezel was absolutely stunning, for sure one of its very best episodes of the series. I loved this episode, one of my favorites.It was amazing.

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  30. who cares ? leave then!

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  31. Brilliant, one of the best episodes of the show.

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  32. I want Root gone. I cannot stand her voice, it's just a constant whine.

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  33. It was an amazing episode.

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  34. what a fantastic emotional episode! the moments between carter and Reese made my eyes wet. The writers did a fantastic job again.

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