S04.E01: Panopticon

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Forced to take on new identities created by Root, the team tries to adapt to their new lives. However, some find it hard to ignore The Machine’s numbers, which puts them all at risk of being detected by Samaritan.

 

Promo:

http://youtu.be/czw2_IncmzA

 

Clip:

http://youtu.be/1UG6WQKrhJA

[AimingforYoko]

Man, what a waste of Fred Weller.

So the first number they get Post-Samaritan just happens to have built a communications network invisible to law enforcement. I wonder if there's a vigilante group that could use something like that? Oh Machine, you think you're so clever.

[janeta]

Oooh old subway station! Did she move the books too?

Whistler should have just put a vest on the dog--he's disabled, Bear could go under cover as a service dog.

[merylinkid]

Awwwww Fusco and the Man in the Suit are partners.    

 

But geez, Root, leave people alone.   THey are sick of being manipulated by your psychotic ass.    

 

This is why the Machine only gives numbers and doesn't take orders.    That much power can lead to wanting to take out people who are ... inconvenient.

 

Finch, what difference does it make if you save one or two people?   To those you save, it makes all the difference in the world.   You still have a moral choice about what to do if the Machine spits out a perpetrator number.

[mustbekarma]

That machine is damn clever! I loved this, and I can't decide what my favorite moment was. Finch discovering the new bat cave was awesome. That little pause before Reese settled at  her desk. She's gone but not forgotten. Reese and Fusco being partners is going to be amazeballs.

 

The new guys that Shaw was going to work with, they were awfully purty, too. They can stay for for eye candy alone.

[Actionmage]

If Harold is finished with his hissy fit, maybe he can be like the Harold we met in S1, but a bit savvier and a bit more empathetic? Yeah, his paranoia has good cause, but when the sociopath is telling you that every life matters, ya know, maybe you need to catch up with everyone else.

 

Loved how things turned out and felt a pang at Carter's desk.

 

Loved it, but will be back after I sort through and read ya'll here.

Edited September 24, 2014 by Actionmage

[AimingforYoko]

Two best funny moments: Shaw aggressively spraying the unsuspecting customers with the perfume and the coed getting up and leaving after figuring out her charms were going to be useless on Harold.

[Bort]

I'm guessing Samaritan doesn't bother monitoring the VHF frequency ranges that are no longer used by TV? A nice broadband radio would pick those phones up.

Reese and Finch are like a divorced couple, the way they share custody of that dog.

[fastiller]

Reese at Carter's desk is a nice touch. But, I am nearly incoherent: I've been inside the "drug processing" house! It is in my old neighborhood. Right around the corner from the pharmacy that they filmed in for the episode that took place in Atlantic City (I think that was the ep, anyway).

[Starchild]

Who was the cutie in the van at the end who picked up Shaw? Was that Misha Collins?

[benteen]

Person of Interest is back and this is an exciting new direction for the show.  They've always done a good job of reinventing himself.

 

I was glad to see Reese front and center and leading the charge for Team Machine.  A nice change from last season.  Him and Lionel as partners should be fun and I liked the bit with him recognizing it was Carter's desk without saying anything.  It's nice that her presence is still felt.

 

I like the set-up for the new Team Machine and the return of Elias as well.  Like the new players being brought into this war (increasing the epic factor in the process) and they picked a great song for the last scene.

 

Root REALLY has a serious thing for Shaw.  The next step is probably getting Shaw a job as a clothes store so she can help her get dressed.

Edited September 24, 2014 by benteen

[Yokosmom]

I was hoping that the poor journalist at the beginning was their first number and that they'd be able to save him. My major hope of the season is that the Samaritan hit woman gets taken down.

I was surprised and pleased to see Elias again. Compared to Samaritan, et al, he's almost warm and fuzzy. Enjoyed his reaction to John's job offer.

So that was a subway station at the end? It was so dark that I couldn't tell what Harold was reacting to.

I think that Harold is simply terrified out of his wits and he's not used to having so little control over his own life. Hence his attitude in this episode. He still hasn't owned up to the fact that his refusal to kill the congressman directly led to the mess that they are in now. I don't expect him to say that it was wrong to not kill the guy, but some acknowledgement of the consequences of that decision would be nice.

Am I a bad person for cheering for the senator's demise?

[stonehaven]

Oh this had a little bit of everything..some flippage from the pilot where Reese tells Finch, he needs a purpose....and I love how the Machine made them save Elias realizing the asset he would be...

It is just so good to have this show back....

I am wondering who Shaw went to work with though.

[stealinghome]

I only got to see the second half of the episode because my cable was going wonky (grrrrr!), so I'll watch the first half tomorrow, but: I thought the second half was pretty strong, if something of a letdown from last season's finale (mostly because that episode was balls to the wall sheer intensity and awesomeness--really can't be matched). You really got a sense for the new world order here: how careful the "Mayhem Twins" (bwah!) are going to have to be, how even simple meetings in the park are now seriously dangerous, how much every one of the team is struggling with their new life (albeit in different ways), how hard this fight is going to be. Really looking forward to seeing this play out over the course of the season. That said, I hope the Samaritan-safe phones are the only technological advances the team gets for a while. Part of the fun of this setup, for me, is seeing the team have to go guerilla style and operate underground (literally, given the ending). Give them too much Samaritan-safe technology and that goes away, so I'm crossing my fingers that the safe phones (and the Batcave) are it for a while.

 

I loved the pause when both Reese and Fusco realized that Reese would be sitting at Carter's old desk. Such an understated, poignant moment. I'm not sure I like the idea of Reese and Fusco as partners, though perhaps because they'll have to spend so much time together, their relationship will evolve and I'll like it better. (I'm also unsure because I really enjoy Reese and Shaw's bickering, sibling-like partnership, and have to think that Reese/Fusco being official partners will cut into Reese/Shaw time, which, boo. Gotta say, I understand why Reese is the one, but I would much rather have seen Shaw get partnered up with Fusco, because that relationship cracks me up. Also because it really, really stretches my disbelief that "The Man In The Suit" wouldn't be recognized by some cop at some point after HR circulated his picture in S3.) Seeing Reese leading the Team Machine charge is awesome, too; a nice role reversal from last season, and hopefully it will propel the Reese/Finch relationship, which imo had gotten a bit stale by last season, into some new ground.

 

I really, really appreciated Root calling Finch out, particularly when she told him that he got Shaw and Reese into this mess, and it the least he could do is help them stay alive. Finch has been long overdue for some truth bombs about the consequences of his (in)actions, and Reese and Shaw care about/respect him too much to drop them. Root likes Finch, but has no hesitation about telling him he's being shitty. Root's speech to Finch about how everyone matters was really interesting, too; Acker played it with a bit of desperation, like Root is trying to pretend she's calm and collected and together, but not knowing The Plan has her cracking around the edges. (Also it's got to be obnoxious seeing the guy who was leading the Teach You Morality charge trying to give up just when his lessons are finally sinking into you!) Root is easily the show's most compelling character for me, so I'm really quite intrigued by what she's doing in the new world and how she handles it.

 

Other things I really liked: Root's massive, obvious from outer space crush on Shaw, and how she is trying to make up for the crappy mall store job by hooking her boo up with a second, more exciting job. (I'm interested to see who Shaw's now working for, too, because obviously it's going to conflict with Team Machine at some point.) And also Elias, because he's so much fun.

Edited September 24, 2014 by stealinghome

[kwnyc]

I love how they use bits of NYC urban legend...like lost subway stations...in this show. I'm not sure why the machine is sending Shah off into a life of crime, unless it realizes she gets bored easily. I'm also wondering how easily John's ID as a detective can be poked through: after all, he has no guys he's worked with before on the force (granted, NYPD has 30,000+ cops) except, well, Fusco. 

 

And yeah, the pause at the desk was exactly the reason I love this show.

[Jlina]

Huh, I found that disorienting.  Wasn't Harold in peril tromping through the woods on his own last we saw? And Reese and Shaw off in a different direction? 

 

Suddenly they have id's and are not recognized as threats by whichever machine was monitoring them?

 

I get the apathetic Harold and his world view and loved John being the super hero but the show was dark (literally and figuratively) and our good guys are looking a lot like bad guys sort of. 

 

When you're happier to see Elias than Finch, the show's done something wrong.  Perhaps Carter dying was the last "human" touch we'll see for a long, long time.  All the others are damaged in ways seen and unseen.  Sad.

 

And I hated the new segueway static scene of code on paper or something like that. 

 

I thought Harold had found where the machine had set itself up, actually.  Dank, damp, dark...batcave?  ugh.

[FormerMod-a1]

Suddenly they have id's and are not recognized as threats by whichever machine was monitoring them?

 

They set that up in the last season finale.  Shaw and Root had infiltrated Samaritan and planted the cover IDs and made it so Samaritan would not recognize the 4 of them.

[Jlina]

 

They set that up in the last season finale.

 

Thanks!  All I remember is the scene in the woods.  Will have to find a recap somewhere ;)

[stealinghome]

Thanks!  All I remember is the scene in the woods.  Will have to find a recap somewhere ;)

fwiw, I believe the scene you're thinking of was the last scene of 3x21--so you might look for a recap of both 3x22 and 3x23. :)

[tessaray]

I'm so happy that PoI is back.  Loved the Battlestar Galactica twist - well, the whole old school tech to dodge the new super tech. Loved Harold finally getting a clue with the thesis typos.  Analog FTW.  ;-)

 

Trying to think of anything I didn't like... okay, Fred Weller getting killed.  He would have been a nice addition to the cast. 

Edited September 24, 2014 by tessaray

[DEM]

Starchild, Romeo was played by Andreas Damm.

[Actionmage]

Man, what a waste of Fred Weller.

I agree, but it was a replay and condensation of his story in the last episode of season 3, iirc. At least he gets a check for this episode too!

 

Speaking of, wasn't the woman who killed Fred's journalist the one who claimed to be from Homeland Security then threw her badge away not five feet from those cops at the drug bust? If they weren't the same actress, then we may need a scorecard to keep up with the Shady Blondes already.

 

I was hoping that since Ali was talking about potentially moving ("we are the store"), that Harold would buy the shop/take over the lease and run everything from there. At least he can keep Bear there with him and no lazy coeds will try to mack on him for a better grade!

Edited September 24, 2014 by Actionmage

[tessaray]

 

speaking of, wasn't the woman who killed Fred's journalist the one who claimed to be from Homeland Security then threw her badge away not five feet from those cops at the drug bust?

Yes. Cara Buono. IMDB only had her in this episode but knowing this show, I'd bet we'll see her again.

 

Edited because Cara isn't Carla.

Edited September 24, 2014 by tessaray

[Oscirus]

I really, really appreciated Root calling Finch out, particularly when she told him that he got Shaw and Reese into this mess, and it the least he could do is help them stay alive

 

I was more along the lines of shut the hell up, Root. She has the same computer skills that Finch had actually she probably has even more. So instead of doling out life lessons like a psycho Jiminy cricket, she probably should have been helping the team.  Save the lecturing for after the POI was secured.

 

I actually understood Finch quite well. This is a dude who realizes that his failure to do one evil deed has led to the death of many people. I understand why he wants to shut himself off from the computer. I'd actually prefer that the writers let him come to the realization that he's needed on his own terms as opposed to forcing him into the action.

 

All in all, this was a successful premiere and the show didn't go in the direction I feared it would. I shall continue watching and enjoying this show.

[Machiabelly]

When the lady killed the reporter she said something about two more people knowing what was going on, but they were going to die in a car accident in Seattle. Was that a reference to anyone the team saved?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awwww, I was disappointed that Marshall Marshall got killed off so quickly!

 

So glad to see Bear again and I loved that Finch made sure to let Reese have some time with Bear. I bet he misses his two daddies!

 

I totally assumed that Harold was going to justify Bear's presence at school by saying he was a therapy dog so I was surprised when he didn't put up any fight at all about not being able to bring him to class anymore.

 

LOVED Shaw spraying random customers in the face with perfume and how annoyed she was when she found out that Reese's new identity was a cop.

[Helena Dax]

 

So the first number they get Post-Samaritan just happens to have built a communications network invisible to law enforcement.

I think the Machine was waiting for an opportunity like this to start sending numbers again. 

 

Loved the episode. I agree that Root has a massive crush on Shaw, it's cute. And poor Shaw, her job at that shop must be a nightmare for someone like her. Her face was pure gold XD I'm confused about Romeo. Is he a new character?

 

I'm glad Harold's ready to work again with the Machine. His scenes with John were great.

 

Reese and Fusco working together? I'm in! And that moment with Carter's desk was touching, they haven't forgotten her. But I'll be a bit disappointed if no one there gets suspicious about John.

 

Glad to see Elias!

[atua]

I don't think the Scooby gang's going to be alone on their "invisible" network for long. Elias' main henchman picked up one of the modified phones before he left. With an untraceable communications method and ambitious, smart leadership, I expect Elias is going to come back in a big way.

 

Reese might want to dress down in his new job; that slick suit stands out like crazy! Almost unbelievable that not a single cop recognised him as the "man in a suit" in that outfit.

 

Interesting that the machine has sent Shaw to work with a gang of thieves(?). Bound to run into a certain pair of detectives eventually...

[Princess Lucky]

Yesssssssssss. They’re back.

 

Overall, it was pretty much a typical PoI premiere, though better than all the previous ones, in my opinion. More coherent, more fun, but also more emotional. We got a reintroduction of everyone, we saw them assuming new roles, it was light on the drama and heavy on the action, we saw new players introduced (Cara Buono’s character, plus Link and the unseen Dominic who I imagine will be the new HR, i.e. the new criminal overlords) and we saw old friends returning (Elias! And Scarface driving that truck, with his hair shinier than ever! What a smart idea; since the team can’t be ‘deviants’ for fear of detection, they can just hire actual deviants who won’t stand out. Great way to reincorporate Elias).

 

The opening was very cool (though I’d have liked to see Fred Weller a bit more, it was fun that he just came on for this role since the scene made more of an impression with a familiar face) and it set up Cara Buono’s character fairly well. I think she of the multiple aliases might be working directly for Samaritan, not Greer or Decima, since she is handling threats to the system. Does Greer know about her? Or does he assume someone like her is out there? And she’s already onto something, isn’t she? She appears to be Samaritan’s face (or Root, if you will) for now. Hm.

 

Speaking of Decima, it’s been dismantled? What a great, unexpected (by me at least) development. An indication that Greer truly is only bothered with Samaritan, he is no longer interested in any other side deals etc, but also a great source of potential conflict between him and Garrison. Indeed, if the government gets plausible deniability and Decima, the company supposedly handling the data directly, no longer exists, who will take the fall if everything comes out in the open? That was a great little way to show why the government might be more open to possibly returning to the Northern Lights regime or something like it, even if Samaritan is even more “aggressive”/effective.  Also, it was great to see Greer directly communicating with Samaritan. So much potential there.

 

I totally called that the typos in the dissertation would spell something out, but I hoped it would be a cool message, the Machine directly talking to Finch like Samaritan did (something like ‘Daddy come back!’, you know?). But what we got was even better. She got him a new location. A new home. Aw. How thoughtful. Truly. The Machine yet again demonstrates that she understands what people need, like it did with Arthur, when she showed him his dead wife.

 

Also, Michael Emerson’s pronunciation of “Whistler”. I love him.

 

And Reese? Wearing darker shirts? And also, making bad decisions and going all out, trying to fix things? Aw. It could be seen as a plot hole/clunky writing that he didn't think about the son, but I thought it was really Reese being Reese, not always seeing the bigger picture. Indeed, Finch is the one usually spotting these things, the one cautioning the team. Reese needs him. They all do. Plus, we got Terminator Reese again, because someone’s kid was in danger. “Not yet I haven’t”. Sigh.

 

I noticed that we got great interaction between various duos only, and I think that was necessary; there was no group interaction (or even 3 people at once) because it would be too risky. That made the show feel a bit different, it showed us how their daily lives have changed. Reese/Fusco (Crockett!) and Root/Shaw were flawless, Reese/Shaw was hilarious (she was jealous but also happy for him, because he still got to kneecap people), and Root/Finch was fantastic. Amy Acker killed that scene.

[Root] has the same computer skills that Finch had actually she probably has even more. So instead of doling out life lessons like a psycho Jiminy cricket, she probably should have been helping the team.  Save the lecturing for after the POI was secured.

I think Root is the least likely to doubt the Machine, the least likely to ever do something of her own volition, the least likely to disregard the Machine's suggestions. If the Machine tells her she needs to go to a job interview (which, by the way, what? A corporate gig perhaps? Hm.) or a black tie event, she goes. Unlike Reese and, to a lesser extent, Shaw, who are all "ugh why". Shaw still trusts Root/The Machine more, which is why she went to that "date" at the end (and I think Root probably didn't know the details, she just knew that the Machine had a reason). Reese still trusts people more, he trusts Finch more, and while he gets info from the Machine so he can help, he doesn't follow her orders. So, in my view, Root would not help unless the Machine told her to help. And she asked Harold to help because that's what the Machine wanted.

 

Another thing I just loved was the Reese/Finch screentime (speaking of duos sharing the screen, we got so many moments of the central pair). They were just amazing. The love! Reese has healed, hasn’t he? And Finch is broken now. I loved that reversal. With Reese trying to bring Finch back into the fold (the opposite of what happened last season). With Reese repeating the line from the pilot about needing a purpose, going all smiley and ‘Haaarold’ trying to get him to help, giving him the PoI’s file with those pleading eyes, sweetly saying they’ve done so much good. And all of Jim Caviezel’s subtle satisfied half-smiles, like when Finch finally showed up (‘a friend’, aw) or when he took the phone in the end. But Finch showed emotion too. When the PoI said “you put a lot of trust in your friend”, Finch visibly paused. Like he only realised it in that very moment, when it was said out loud. Or, like he was reminded of it. “I do. In all the time I’ve known him, he’s never let me down”. Again, the love!

 

Last but certainly not least, Reese (or, rather, Detective Riley) is Fusco’s new partner. John is the new Carter. Because no one else, no one new would ever compare. I’m still reeling from that because, yet again, the writers managed to surprise me/emotionally punch me in the gut even though I technically predicted what would happen. While I had totally guessed Reese and Fusco would partner up, I didn’t truly grasp what that meant. That moment when John approached Carter's old desk (CARTER’S. OLD. DESK.) and stopped in his tracks? And the music? I felt my heart tighten. JC really nailed it without saying a word, as always. And then Fusco's look. Just. What a poignant, strong moment. Such emotional resonance in a 10-second scene. This is why I love this show. They never forget anything. And, indeed, all of this matters.

[Abstract]

Reese might want to dress down in his new job; that slick suit stands out like crazy! Almost unbelievable that not a single cop recognised him as the "man in a suit" in that outfit.

...

You know that memory-erasing flashy thing that Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones used in Men in Black? Reese has one of those built into those pretty, pretty eyes.

[FormerMod-a1]

The Machine crafted these cover identities with an end goal in mind, not just for their immediate safety.  And now she's putting her chess pieces into place.   I am looking forward to see how it plays out.

 

I liked the return of Elias.  I hope this means we see more of him this season.  

[halaciHU]

Could somebody help me out with Shaw's end scene?

 

First: should I remember the guy in the car from before? (Shaw seemed to know him).

 

What was in the car, I couldn't see clearly, but it seemed like a drill with a brick/concrete grinder attachment - so I presume they were some robbers?

 

If "Romeo" was an unknown person, how did he know her real name (I hope the Machine had changed it in her papers) and how did they know from a dating site that she could be a capable escape driver? "Trained field agent with perks useful in crime" - hardly a good personal statement when there is an omnipotent overseer outside looking for all kind of deviants.

[Julia]

Yes. More Elias, more Fusco, more Fusco and Reese, Shaw off being badass, Harold and Bear, and under two minutes of Root including random scenes shipteasing Shaw. This is going better than I expected so far.

[Princess Lucky]

First: should I remember the guy in the car from before? (Shaw seemed to know him).

 

What was in the car, I couldn't see clearly, but it seemed like a drill with a brick/concrete grinder attachment - so I presume they were some robbers?

 

If "Romeo" was an unknown person, how did he know her real name (I hope the Machine had changed it in her papers) and how did they know from a dating site that she could be a capable escape driver? "Trained field agent with perks useful in crime" - hardly a good personal statement when there is an omnipotent overseer outside looking for all kind of deviants.

I think we (and Shaw) were just supposed to recognise him as Romeo, the guy from the app, was it 'Angler'? And they were criminals for sure.

 

As for him calling her Sameen, I think the entire team has kept their first names. In part because apparently that's a thing that's actually done when people go uncover or in witness protection, so they don't turn around after hearing the wrong name etc, and in part because the show would have trouble establishing totally new names like, I don't know, George Riley. And it's also fun on another level, because only their first names are real. Their former last names, "Reese" and "Shaw" and "Finch" are all fake anyway. But it's the names we've come to know them by.

 

And I think there's something up with Shaw's profile, she may have a fake (Machine-planted) background, a reputation. Maybe the robbers/criminals recruit from the app, maybe there was a keyword or something. And I have to think the Machine has an overarching plan. Maybe she wants Shaw to even get arrested at some point. Or maybe if Sameen is a deviant but neither a Samaritan-threatening deviant nor a terrorist, just a run-of-the-mill criminal, maybe Samaritan will still mostly ignore her.

[beadgirl]

Yay, it's back!  And not as dark and depressing as I feared.  I'm glad that Shaw and Reese are still trying to help people.  Finch's depression, I totally get.  His refusal to kill the senator in cold blood has lead to a great evil, and it is understandable that he would be disillusioned and not want to be involved in anything.  I absolutely think he made the right decision, and I hope he continues to think so, but it would take a cold person to be unaffected by the consequences.

 

 

I'm also wondering how easily John's ID as a detective can be poked through: after all, he has no guys he's worked with before on the force (granted, NYPD has 30,000+ cops) except, well, Fusco.

I've decided that Detective Crockett (is that his cover name? I really want it to be) came to NY from another jurisdiction, so of course no other officers know him, but that he quickly proved his worth.

 

How clever of the Machine to provide the team with a new communications system and home base!

 

Were we supposed to recognize "Romeo" and his friends in the van?

[ABay]

There's no 15/15 here, right?

 

OMG, they killed Fred Weller. You bastards! After that, it was meh until very near the end.

 

Finally, the Library of Congress classification system.

 

Harold and others to be gathered or recalled should be working on a virus to take out Samaritan, like the one used on the Machine. Maybe Artie...sorry, Arthur...left something behind. It would be even better to find a way to graph the Machine onto Samaritan so no one notices the difference. But not before Samaritan kills Greer, as it is clearly going to do, probably through the Woman in a Suit.

 

Since I always thought the Man in a Suit was the most ridiculous identifier in the history of identifiers--they're in NYC which is full of men in suits, including the detectives and FBI agents investigating the Man in Suit--I was happy to see John ditch the suit jacket for most of the episode. OTOH, he looked weird without a jacket.

 

 

They set that up in the last season finale.  Shaw and Root had infiltrated Samaritan and planted the cover IDs and made it so Samaritan would not recognize the 4 of them.

And the 3 guys who helped Root.

 

 

I've decided that Detective Crockett (is that his cover name? I really want it to be)

That was Fusco making a joke. Riley as the name John was using. He's used it before when playing cop.

Edited September 24, 2014 by ABay

[Trey]

Last season's finale was so intense that I was worried this premier would disappoint - it did not!  I loved it!  I am even liking Root and that is saying something since my original dislike for her was very deep.

 

So, Finch's boss at the university - is he part of their group somehow?  Since he's the one who gave Finch (Whistler) the code to find their new home.  I did expect Finch to tell him that Bear was a service dog and had to stay with him.

 

I love Elias so I'm glad he was there, along with Scarface, who reminds me of Sammy  "The Bull"  Gravano.

 

Anyhow, I am so glad the show is back.  Thanks to all your posts I am now clear on a few details that I missed while watching.

[atua]

Finch's boss only spell checked the dissertation The Machine created as part of Finch's new cover. The typos were deliberately added as a hidden message to Harold.

Edited September 24, 2014 by atua

[Trey]

Thanks, atua.  I'm glad he's not part of the group, just the sort of person who goes around looking for typos.  And if he doesn't want Bear around, we don't need him around.

[TV Anonymous]

How does Northern Lights (The Machine, as opposed to Samaritan) know the content of the book if that book is not electronically catalogued and its contents scanned and electronically stored? As well, how does it know for sure the existence of such underground place if there is sensory device there?

 

This is my problem in general with this show. If The Machine is an ultra powerful computer, it still needs data input so that it can "know" and "understand" things. For the data to be captured by that computer, the computer needs input and data transmission. For input it needs a sensory device: camera, microphone, scanner, electronic port and whatnot. After the information is captured, it needs to be transmitted electronically.

 

There are many instances that we get video footage of occasions where there should not be any camera around. Example is when the fireman pulled little Shaw from the car. There are also instances where The Machine can get information when data can not be transmitted. Example is Root's implant that works even in places where radio signals are jammed.

Edited September 24, 2014 by TV Anonymous

[ABay]

I'm worried that they're making Samaritan omnipotent. It's not satisfying, for me anyway, when the deck is so stacked.

 

With regard to the dissertation: *Obviously*, the Machine runs UMI and input a dissertation it wrote, with typos, so it could be retrieved via Digital Dissertations & Theses by the typo-hunting chair/dean/provost, whoever that was.

[halaciHU]

I think we (and Shaw) were just supposed to recognise him as Romeo, the guy from the app, was it 'Angler'? And they were criminals for sure.

 

As for him calling her Sameen, I think the entire team has kept their first names. In part because apparently that's a thing that's actually done when people go uncover or in witness protection, so they don't turn around after hearing the wrong name etc, and in part because the show would have trouble establishing totally new names like, I don't know, George Riley. And it's also fun on another level, because only their first names are real. Their former last names, "Reese" and "Shaw" and "Finch" are all fake anyway. But it's the names we've come to know them by.

 

And I think there's something up with Shaw's profile, she may have a fake (Machine-planted) background, a reputation. Maybe the robbers/criminals recruit from the app, maybe there was a keyword or something. And I have to think the Machine has an overarching plan. Maybe she wants Shaw to even get arrested at some point. Or maybe if Sameen is a deviant but neither a Samaritan-threatening deviant nor a terrorist, just a run-of-the-mill criminal, maybe Samaritan will still mostly ignore her.

 

Regarding the first names you are probably right, though to me "Sameen" was a name unique enough that if this logic is the standard procedure, a targeted search with a human visual check would easily blow up her cover - there are probably not thousands in NY. (Though if Samaratian covers global inputs and she need not be in NY, that would widen the field a little, I agree :) )

 

regarding her profile: in the finale (if I recall it right) when Samaritan came fully alive, all kind of deviancies were checked, from shoplifting to sexual deviation. Again, can be the hope that she is a needle in the haystack, yet somehow it seems minimum risky to advertise her real talents in any form. On the other hand I agree that Romeo and his friends are very likely the part of another story arc.

[tessaray]

 

How does Northern Lights (The Machine, as opposed to Samaritan) know the content of the book if that book is not electronically catalogued and its contents scanned and electronically stored?

Because of Google Books where they scanned entire university libraries?   It isn't too much of a leap - even if it isn't available to us, it could still be out there on some system waiting rights clearance, etc. And there is a card catalog system that tells you where the known copies of books reside - WorldCat.org.

[ABay]

Google doesn't even have to do that for dissertations: that's what UMI does. Now theses and dissertations are submitted electronically and in print, but in ye olde days, UMI scanned them onto microfiche and could print out copies for those willing to pay. Many of these have been converted to digital format and are available in full text through several methods*: you can request through interlibrary loan (even if you don't know who owns a copy, a librarian will find out), you can buy a copy from UMI, or if your library subscribes to the database, you can look up the diss or thesis and download it to your PC, or print it out (if you are ink and paper rich).

 

There are limits. Some universities and individual writers choose not to make full text available online. Nonetheless, UMI will have a copy somewhere and you will most likely be able to buy a copy. Also, universities are not eager to lend dissertations thorough ILL.

 

As for the subway book. The book, the pictures, quotes from its discussion of unused mostly forgotten underground places in NYC, whatever could be cited in a work that is available online, even if the content of the first book hasn't been scanned. If it's been cited enough (Google Scholar is a marvel), it would become obvious that it's the classic on the topic. From there, the Machine can find the call number etc. and whether the book is in the university library with WorldCat or because college catalogs are online and anyone can search them.

 

All of which is stunningly convoluted but, you know: The Machine.

Edited September 24, 2014 by ABay

[Izeinwinter]

It occurs to me that the machine might well have intended Harold to read the entire thing - I mean, is it really that predictable that his new boss would be so anal as to helpfully bookmark the spelling errors? Well, maybe. But "The etics of high-speed decision making"? That is not a random topic! Isn't this what the machine does ? 

[thuganomics85]

Just caught the premiere a few minutes ago.  A pretty fun return, hinting at new directions.  Cool seeing everyone in their undercover gigs, although I totally have to believe The Machine was trolling Shaw.  Reese and Finch got jobs that might have been boring, but manageable to them.  But, to stick freaking Shaw in a customer service job?!  Ha!  She would have hated anything that didn't involve shooting, but even a mere office job would have contain the crazy better then having to deal with customers.  But, I guess since she didn't knock anyone out, she is improving!

 

Reese being a police office is a hard reach, but I can buy The Machine somehow pulling this off, I guess.  But, it's all worth it now. Reese and Fusco are partners!  Yes!  They better not drop this.  I want to see plenty of those two together, dealing with an occasional crime or two.  There better be at least one car chase, where Reese is driving, and Fusco is freaking out and trying not to have a heart attack.

 

Guess I can't be too surprised that Finch was still bitter over The Machine trying to make them kill the senator, and had to take a while to be convinced again.  I'm glad he came around, but I wish that it didn't have to be Root who did it.  For some reason, I"m still having problems warming up to her.  But, I feel like she's the TPTB's favorite, so I guess I have to go with it.  I do get a kick out of her obvious flirting with Shaw.

 

I kind of wish they didn't have Enrico Colantoni's name in the credits, because it would have made the Elias reveal even better.  But, it's always fun whenever he shows up.

 

POI of the week was fine.  Fun seeing Marlo from The Wire as the bad guy.  He also briefly appeared on The Strain too.  Oh, and John Doman (Senator Garrison), is currently Falcone on Gotham too.  I do like seeing my The Wire alumnus.

 

I'm sure Decima and Greer are still going to play a big part in this season.  Especially since they introduced this hitwoman played by Cara Bruno.  Strange that they got the guy from In Plain Sight to show up, only to die in less then five minutes.

[kwnyc]

 

psycho Jiminy cricket,

...that's right up there with CoCo Puffs for Root! Nice one.

[basiltherat]

I squealed with delight (and I was alone, sadly) when Enrico's name appeared!  Somehow, on a show about morality and helping people, the Mafia don and his Scarface lieutenant are a welcome sight.  As is the wacko Root and the antisocial Shaw.  I was wondering how the new way things are would include Lionel, and that's the perfect case of full circle when he was the one who was partnered with Joss.  It seems the perfect solution for this brave new world.  I am wondering if we will see Ma'am again (I know Camryn is/was on another show), I know the senator will go bye-bye soon and I look forward to the day when ol' prune face will be gone. 

[Jipijapa]

Sigh... I know that Root can't remain a crazy-ass Machine-worshiping witch for her entire time on the show, and that she has to undergo some sort of development... but, I was really hoping for her to go full hog and meld with the Machine.  We don't have enough female characters on TV who are "out there" enough to not need the company of other humans - male or female.  I loved Root when her one and only fascination was with the Machine.  Now she's getting all socially conscious and shit.  Well, I understand it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.  I liked her better when she was a wild-eyed, obsessed spirit woman dabbling in the dark arts.  If they just make her crypto-lusting after Shaw, I'll be kind of disappointed.   Just because that's been done on so many other shows.  Sorry, I'm bored to death with ho-yay, I've seen it so many times.  (and yes, I'd be just as annoyed if she started lusting after a man)

 

Not that I hate her now or anything, but I knew deep down they wouldn't dare have a female character who continued to not need people.  I mean, the relationship between Root and the Machine was PURE, dammit.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Jipijapa

[areca]

Starchild, Romeo was played by Andreas Damm.

He can stay.