S04.E08: Point of Origin

[FormerMod-a1]

Reese volunteers as an NYPD police academy instructor in order to keep an eye on a talented young officer whose suspicious actions make him question her motives. Meanwhile, Martine – armed with information from Samaritan – hunts a member of the team.

 

 

[Neurochick]

I kind of feel I should watch since they filmed part of this episode in my neighborhood.

[kwnyc]

1) I totally called that Elias was going to be a Number after that confrontation with Dominic at the bridge.

 

2) Why does an Abandoned School have a beautiful, filled swimming pool?

[merylinkid]

Filler.   I'm starting to agree that the Brotherhood episodes are boring.   Kid you are a punk, and will also die someday.   Remember that.   Samaritan may like you for now, but when it is done with you, you are done.

 

Shrinky has the hots for Detective Riley.    Poor Fusco "You first."  SPLASH.   Thankfully Bear is SCUBA certified.   hehehehehehehehe.

 

But seriously show, maybe possibly you cover up a major shoot out at a hotel.   A nice looking one too.    But you cannot hide a shootout at the makeup counter.   There are just too many people who are going to see too much.    Dumb, dumb, dumb.   Will it be Samaritan's hubris that it can cover up anything that will bring it down?

[stealinghome]

OH SHIT y’all, Martine found Shaw!! That didn’t take her long at all! And Shaw’s FACE and the look of utter panic/“oh f***” in her eyes as Martine pulled her gun--in the middle of the store, no less! Not. Good. I felt Shaw’s clock ticking down throughout all throughout the episode; I was just on the edge of my seat for her. Gah. What a tense episode. What an ending. (And--did the fact that Samaritan was all “Target is not present” mean that Root’s patch was somehow interfering in that moment? Because that’s going to clue Team Samaritan into the patch for everyone as well!)

 

Kudos to the writing staff, because as I said last week, while I fully expected our team to get caught at some point, I wasn’t expecting it in episode 8! I thought for sure it was going to be the mid-season finale. I’m not sure how they’re going to top this in the actual mid-season finale. Because, well, damn.

 

Overall, this episode might have been the second-best this season after ‘Prophets.' But it was also both well written and oddly clunkily written. Way too often the dialogue was far too on-point or repetitive--poor Finch got the crap end of the stick especially in rephrasing things three different times--but overall the narrative tonight was pretty good. This was the first episode in which Dominic and the Brotherhood were even moderately interesting (but I have a hard time seeing them beating Elias, so they still seem transitory), and the actor playing Dominic really upped his game, which helps. But holy SMOKES, Martine was uber terrifying tonight in no small measure because she seemed way more human than she has in all her previous episodes combined. Her scenes with the woman from Tomas’ crew, and then with Romeo, were electrifying in the best ways, and also terror-inducing. (I also rofl’ed at her super dry “An app for relationships? How apropos.” I’ll always fall for some ironic, self-winking humor.) And I quite liked Silva, the undercover cop—as with Shaw’s trainees last episode, I wouldn’t mind seeing her again. Though is it just me, or does it seem like they’re chem testing Reese with like 3846346 women this season? Relatedly: I liked John’s therapist the first time we saw her, but she seemed a little oddly pushy the second time we saw her, and then a little chummy the third. I think I want the show to keep her around, but just flash to her conversations with John every once in a while.

 

This episode did confirm for me that I would rather it have been Shaw get the cop cover than Reese, because Sarah Shahi just has more acting chemistry with Kevin Chapman than does Jim Caviezel. (And I'm glad they've toned some parts of John's cop cover down as it is, because it was realllly not working in the first few episodes.) Shaw’s face when Fusco was snoring was HILARIOUS. And poor Shaw--she was seeing red when she figured out the Mini/Dominic connection. Come to think of it, she had a pretty craptastic episode overall, and next week’s just going to be worse.

 

I do call foul on the way John & co got out of the school, because it seemed really far-fetched. But I guess that's a relatively minor nitpick.

 

CANNOT WAIT for next week. (And for Root telling Shaw she cares, because GAH.)

Edited November 19, 2014 by stealinghome

[AimingforYoko]

Kid you are a punk, and will also die someday.   Remember that.

Two things: He knows he's going to die someday and he doesn't care. Leaves him room for a lot more options. And second, underestimate him at your peril, Elias doesn't.

So Samaritan may be fooled about what's in front of it, but human beings are a different matter. I don't understand why the hits are so public, though. Does Martine have diplomatic immunity?

[DeLurker]

I feel cheated - they pimped it like it was going to be Bearcentric.

With Dominic gunning for Elias, I find myself worrying about Scarface.

[benteen]

Excellent episode and that was a hell of an ending they pulled off with Martine spotting Shaw.  With both Shaw and Elias (and Scarface I would think) in trouble next week, things should be very interesting next week.

 

I liked the undercover cop who was the POI.

 

Enjoyed the follow-up with the woman from Tomas's crew.

 

I like the Dominic storyline although I'm getting tired of Dominic sermonizing EVERY SINGLE TIME HE SAYS SOMETHING.  We get it, Dominic, you're a criminal mastermind whose REALLY smart!  Having to listen to the way he talks gets exhausting very quickly.

[Abstract]

I like the Dominic storyline although I'm getting tired of Dominic sermonizing EVERY SINGLE TIME HE SAYS SOMETHING. We get it, Dominic, you're a criminal mastermind whose REALLY smart! Having to listen to the way he talks gets exhausting very quickly.

Maybe his dad is Rowan Pope.

The swimming pool escape has to be one of the stupidest ever.

Therapist is way unprofessional with Reese, not that I can blame her much. Undercover cop was flirting with him too.

[Former Nun]

I'm lost out here...all alone.  Each week I give this show another chance, but I think I'm watching Fonzie over and over again.

[Oscirus]

Has person of interest always been this over the top in terms of getting certain points across? They could have easily shaved off five minutes of the team finding out about Dominic without losing anything. Repetition was not needed in that scene( I write as I do the same thing I just accused the show of doing). That being said, good job finally creating an enemy for Shaw. And while we're at it don't end the show on a cliffhanger showing Shaw about to be assassinated and then show her surviving said assassination in the previews. I mean yea, it's obvious that she wasn't going to die but still let there be room for doubt.

 

I really like the Brotherhood, but seriously, they need a win in the worse way. Even Vigilance got wins against team machine from time to time.  If Elias survives next week, I'm just not going to take these guys seriously anymore. I mean they're good and nihilistic and admittedly that scene when Dominic talked the second in command  into shooting his boss was pretty cool, but still, I need results.

 

Maybe it's just me, but this show seems to get boring when Finch isn't front and center. I just can't get into the other characters trying to outcool/wisecrack one another anymore.

[Princess Lucky]

I really enjoyed this episode. It was so intense and exciting. It held my interest throughout, not a moment was weak. It had been a while since we'd had a more serious but not dark episode. Just good ol' action. I loved it. And it started funny before it went all intense, what with Reese getting kneecapped and, my favourite part, Reese asking his therapist “Iris, are you stalking me?” in JC's hilarious deadpan. I don't even know how Reese said that with a straight face. But after that,.it was all business.

 

I loved how everything was connected. As we approach the midseason finale (2 more episodes, no?) all the threads are coming together. Dominic is finally doing something proactive to deal with Elias, whose gang is the only hold-out in New York City. Also, Dominic is finally focusing on Reese, which may also connect his therapist with the main story because she is ostensibly the only link “Reily” has to the outside world, no? She could very well be used as leverage. Also, obviously, Samaritan via Martine is after the Team, Shaw in particular.

 

The writers have been building up all these threats for a while, even from last season, and now it's all coming to a head. First of all, it was such a great idea to have Dominic steal the NYPD's files on Elias. Smart, like we're used to from him, simple and effective, judging by the fact Elias's number has come up. And, as the episode was ending, I was thinking the writers pulled a fast one; they made us worry about Shaw (after last week's ending with her face on camera) but it'd be Reese who would be in immediate danger. After all, finally Dominic seemed to realise that Detective Reily was somehow important and decided to target him. But nope. That last moment killed me. Martine, that Terminator (by the way, DAMN), found her and straight-up pulled a gun on her in the middle of a crowded department store. Wow.

 

I'm focusing on the implications of the episode plus its crazy ending, but I thought the episode was solid throughout, with great pacing and a lot of action moments. I especially loved that walk-and-talk (and-get-shot-at) scene with Reese tailing the PoI while his shrink was tagging along. So well choreographed and well filmed. The lazer-focus and the urgency in Reese's face combined with annoyance at his shrink was awesome-slash-hilarious, and that whistle was killer. Such a fun scene. I did call the PoI was with I.A.B. and the fact the “nice” guy was the mole, but thankfully neither reveal was dragged out for too long. I also appreciated that the black guy wasn't immediately presumed to be a criminal; instead, he was investigated and it turned out he was a cop (although on this show that is probably worse).

 

I loved the PoI; she really did remind me of Carter. Badass and beautiful. And unwavering in the face of danger. I agree, I'd love to see her again on the show. I really enjoyed her chemistry with Reese; it was interesting to have a younger person with potential; a Carter/Reese hybrid in the making, if you will. The dynamic was very interesting; Reese was almost paternal with her but not in a condescending way, not like she was some kid. He was her “back-up”. He also treated her as a maybe-threat (indeed, because she was with Internal Affairs), which was fun. And he also treated her as an equal. She was a cop, after all. A good cop. And to Reese, that means a lot.

 

Which, of course, brings me to his words about Carter. “She stood up to corruption, gave her life to do what was right”. Sigh. That got me good. Reese is healing but he has not forgotten. Neither have I. There was so much great continuity last night, some of which made me emotional; Dominic talking about Elias taking out the five dons, Reese mentioning Laskey (RIP), operations being hardcopy only like Carter once explained to Harold. I love it when all the details ring a bell. The writers truly utilise every last detail.

 

Speaking of, one my favourite moments was Shaw going 'that's Mini, Dominic's muscle'. I love that we know things the characters don't, and I love it when that is used to build tension. The writers don't let anything drop. We got another small reveal (when that thug went all “Dominic!”) after the major one a few episodes back. It wasn't a huge deal but it made for a fun, intense moment and it also gave Shaw added motive to deal with Dominic. By the way, I love that Shaw, she of the unisex outfits and sensible boots, not only wears but likes wearing (not to mention stealing) a bit of makeup. No stereotypes here. Reminded me of when Carter identified Zoe's shoes way back when. Multidimensional women.

 

Oh and, Bear is scuba certified. I cheered. And I expected nothing less.

 

So. Is it Tuesday already? I mean, that's how you do a cliffhanger. I imagine Root will come to the rescue of Shaw (which, oh my God, someone tell me they're both going to be OK), and it'll be interesting to see Reese, himself a target, trying to protect Elias from Dominic. So much potential for people to get hurt. I am starting to get worried about Elias, or at the very least the awesome Scarface.

 

This episode did seem to be setting up the midseason finale but it did so in a very fun way (better than most "set-up" PoI episodes, if you ask me). The guest actress was great, the episode didn't drag, there was an old school cop vibe and there was a lot of Reese. I loved it.

[Neurochick]

1) I totally called that Elias was going to be a Number after that confrontation with Dominic at the bridge.

 

2) Why does an Abandoned School have a beautiful, filled swimming pool?

 

I didn't see the episode, but it was filmed at the pool where I swim.  A lot of movies and TV shows like to film at that pool because the area around it is large enough for film crews to put their equipment.  All I heard was about the episode, from the lifeguard was the dog jumping into the pool and the explosion,

[ABay]

I was bored. This show has rarely bored me, but it did this week. It has reminded me, though, of a Very Special TV Lesson: do not have a family because they will be used to blackmail you into a Life of Crime.

 

I could not understand more than every 5th word of what Dominic's second in command was saying.

[Texasmom1970]

As always Bear was awesome in this episode. One more reason to love him!

[Sexy Sadie]

Dominic was in the class in the episode where Finch talked about Pi. So they already have kind of met....

 

And I still think the number of today is Dominics mole somehow too..

Edited November 19, 2014 by Sexy Sadie

[shura]

2) Why does an Abandoned School have a beautiful, filled swimming pool?

 

The roof is leaking and it rained a lot the night before? My question is, how does scuba certification help Bear dive without, you know, scuba gear?

 

I don't understand why the hits are so public, though. Does Martine have diplomatic immunity?

 

I don't understand why Martine decided to shoot Shaw right then and there at all (if that's what it was, we haven't seen what transpired, of course). That's just dumb. A smart operative would try to follow Shaw discretely and see if she would lead to the other members of Team Machine.

[Julia]

Therapist is way unprofessional with Reese, not that I can blame her much. Undercover cop was flirting with him too.

 

Thank you. One option is that maybe trouble finds him? FFS, lady, he's a cop. Did no-one mention this to you?

[stealinghome]

I don't entirely disagree, but at the same time, in the like three months Reese has been a cop, he's already used his gun way way more than most police officers use their weapons in their entire careers. Now, some of that could be down to odds (to create an average you have to have a high and a low), but the therapist isn't wrong to be very suspicious of "gee wilikers, I'm just always in the right spot at the right time," and to needle John about it.

 

I mean, she's not wrong about him in general. He has a hero complex the size of Texas. (That reminds me--one of the funniest lines last night was the therapist's "Bullying bullies is like the very definition of a hero complex!" Hee.)

[SnarkyTart]

I could not understand more than every 5th word of what Dominic's second in command was saying.

I'm guessing you're referring to the actor's enunciation?  Or maybe you're referring to the same issue that's been plaguing me.  There's something not right with the sound editing of this show, and it's getting worse.  Initially, a few seasons ago, I thought it was the volume.  I started turning the volume up on the TV, which was required in order to hear and understand all or most of the dialogue.  It's not helping much anymore.  Now I've got the volume way up, much higher than for any other show, and I'm understanding less and less of the dialogue.  The music, sound effects, and background sounds are still perfectly clear, but the ability to hear the dialogue has gotten so bad I'm missing a lot of the plot details and character development.  To continue watching and enjoying PoI, I'm going to have to learn how to turn the closed captioning on, something I've never had to even consider with any other show.

 

Is anyone else having this problem?

[Trey]

Snarky Tart, it's the same here chez Trey.  Mr.Trey and I have the volume turned way up and still have a hard time hearing what they are saying.  I think we missed most of what the POI had to say last night.  And I know our age is only part of the problem:).  We have the same problem with Elementary but other shows are fine.

[SnarkyTart]

Thanks for the feedback, Trey.  I'm not having the problem with any other show, so, like you, can only partially attribute it to my age.  :-)

[Izeinwinter]

The shrink ought to be highly confused right now. Because Reese landing in a shootout right when she showed up is so unlikely and convenient to Reese, that it strongly hints at  a deliberate setup - but her approaching him isn't something he could plan for, so he can't have set it up, so "wtf"?, Of course, we know it is fact a coincidence, its just that unlike a regular police officer,

Reese has things like this happen to him several times a week due to the machine, so something like this was bound to happen eventually,

 

But she doesnt know that, so "What the Fuck". It's blatantly obvious that something really absurdly out of the ordinary is going on with Reese, but the lady just does not have anywhere near sufficient clues to actually guess the truth. I mean, at this point if I was her I'd be itching to bug him. 

Edited November 19, 2014 by Izeinwinter

[thuganomics85]

I admit that the show has done plenty of preposterous stuff in the past, but the escape via blowing a hole in a swimming pool, and swimming out through it, has to be one of the silliest ones yet.  I did laugh when Reese just tossed the mole in there though.  I enjoy "Do not give a damn!" Reese.

 

POI was OK, until the end, where it did feel like she was kind of flirting with Reese, which is kind of getting out of hand.  Her, the therapist, the captain: it's like every woman but Shaw and Root is enamored by Reese.  I know he has the whole "looks like Jim Caviezel" thing going for him, but maybe not have two in the same episode, show.

 

Disappointed that we started out with some Shaw/Fusco stuff, but it got dropped later on.  I love that pairing, and want to see more of it.

 

The ending was great, but if Martine really is going to just start shooting up the make-up store, then she really is going in overkill mode.  Maybe don't tip Shaw off by staring at her like a crazy person, and try to find a quieter place to do the deed.  Does she not care about keeping things on the down low?  Still, I did like the process she went to finding out her identity, and how Shaw's past "associations" came into play (oh, Romeo.)

 

Glad that it looks like Dominic vs. Elias is coming to ahead, but I'm still worried that the end result is going to be Elias' death. Dominic has his moments, but The Brotherhood isn't all that special, and I just find Elias way more fun.  I'll be sad if/when he goes.

[tpel]

Closed Captioning is your friend, Snarky Tart and Trey. Warning: once you start, it's hard to go back. Even if the sound quality on a show is good, closed captioning draws attention to lines that might be mired in background noise. 

 

This may be wishful thinking, but I don't think the show will kill off Elias. The "old lion" still has some tricks left, I believe. However, I'm with DeLurker in worrying about Scarface. In terms of narrative, it would make sense for the writers to kill off Scarface -- they've established that he is on comfortable, maybe even friendly terms with his boss. I think Dominic bumping him off would hurt Elias, which would up the intensity of their feud.

 

Dominic was in the class in the episode where Finch talked about Pi. So they already have kind of met....

 

 

Really? Did we see Dominic in that episode? That would be awesome!

[DEM]

A smart operative would try to follow Shaw discretely and see if she would lead to the other members of Team Machine.

 

I agree that Martine's (Samaritan Inc.'s) methods are bizarrely over-the-top and brazen.  However, she was hunting 'Nadya', the woman who took the vials of the virus.  It hasn't been specified whether or not Martine knows what the members of the Team look like.  If she did know, I would have expected more of a reaction when she asked for an updated photo ("Two-fer!") and possibly an urgent phone call to Greer, but I guess that will be clarified next week.

 

Now that I think about it, though, if she wants to retrieve the vials, shouldn't she be more discreet simply because she needs to, you know, LOCATE THE VIALS before termination?  Odd.

[Abstract]

POI was OK, until the end, where it did feel like she was kind of flirting with Reese, which is kind of getting out of hand. Her, the therapist, the captain: it's like every woman but Shaw and Root is enamored by Reese. I know he has the whole "looks like Jim Caviezel" thing going for him, but maybe not have two in the same episode, show.

.

Doesn't seem far-fetched to me, but then I'm the one who watches this show while playing on my phone and just looking up when I hear Reese's voice. I was always boggled by the whole "man in the suit" thing because it seemed preposterous that not one witness to Reese's escapades ever thought to mention the man's stunning pulchritude.

[merylinkid]

 

that not one witness to Reese's escapades ever thought to mention the man's stunning pulchritude.

 

Which is the real problem with the description of Reese as "the man in the suit."   Cops ask for a description.   If all you can say is "he was wearing a suit."  They ask you things like height, weight, hair color, if you remember anything distinctive about him.   Now anyone describing Reese would not answer "No, nothing distinctive, he just looked like an average guy."   Because there is NOTHING average about Reese's looks.

[Netfoot]

I'm still worried that the end result is going to be Elias' death. Dominic has his moments, but The Brotherhood isn't all that special, and I just find Elias way more fun.  I'll be sad if/when he goes.

 

But his number is up.  Doesn't that essentially mean he will be saved my the Machine and her team?

[stealinghome]

I have a hard time imagining they're going to kill Elias off in the near future--they've primed him to become more involved in the AI stuff too much to kill him off just on the cusp of that, I think.

Scarface, however, might want to watch his back.

[Julia]

I would hope that the showrunners have learned enough from experience to realize that killing off a popular character to promote a new character without broad appeal (at least so far) isn't a good idea.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Julia

[MrWhyt]

 

I would hope that the showrunners have learned enough from experience to realize that killing off a popular character to promote a new character without broad appeal (at least so far) isn't a good idea.

I would hope the showrunners decide to tell their own story instead of caving to the whims of subsets of fandom.

[benteen]

I would hope that the showrunners have learned enough from experience to realize that killing off a popular character to promote a new character without broad appeal (at least so far) isn't a good idea.

 

Agreed.  I suspect Elias won't make it to the end of this series but I sure as hell don't want to trade him in for Dominic.

[kwnyc]

While I agree there will be a clash of the titans (Elias & Dominic), I suspect it will be Elias who will emerge victorious, because the subtext (and text) of Dominic is that "everyone dies and it doesn't mean anything." Elias rather likes living, and he has a moral code (a twisted one, but a way of living, not dying). So while Dominic is young, strong & smart, Elias has a very well-developed survival instinct and The Machine behind him. 

[shura]

I agree that Martine's (Samaritan Inc.'s) methods are bizarrely over-the-top and brazen.  However, she was hunting 'Nadya', the woman who took the vials of the virus.  It hasn't been specified whether or not Martine knows what the members of the Team look like.  If she did know, I would have expected more of a reaction when she asked for an updated photo ("Two-fer!") and possibly an urgent phone call to Greer, but I guess that will be clarified next week.

 

Now that I think about it, though, if she wants to retrieve the vials, shouldn't she be more discreet simply because she needs to, you know, LOCATE THE VIALS before termination?  Odd.

 

Oh, was Martine looking for the virus? I missed that. I thought she was looking for the person who, as Greer put it, "is avoiding detection so well that it makes me wonder if she is one of our underground friends." To which Martine replied "Of course, you want me to locate her", and then he said something to the effect that she is the woman for the job since she used to be an "investigator for The Hague." Some investigator, no?

[Boundary]

I think the Dominic vs Elias is too soon. For one, Dominic needs more time if this is a strategic battle; killing of Elias will still leave his assets against Dominic. Secondly, whilst acquiring intel on Elias at the stroke of a button was clever and efficient, it still wasn't enough for the cops who had said information on file already. My second point goes hand in hand with the first, the files will probably make it easier to locate and kill off Elias (because that was never the police intention) but that does nothing at all to advance the Brotherhood. Dominic needs to convert Elias people to his side, the method used in this episode won't work - Scarface won't betray Elias like that. 

 

The result of Dominic's impatience will be to overlook a very important aspect of Elias' operation that even Elias himself doesn't fully understand: the Machine team. Because the Machine and Samaritan operate at a strategic level that preachy Dominic doesn't even know exists, the fact that the Machine has decided to save Elias (and that Elias and Finch have a working understanding) is beyond Dominic's understanding. He doesn't even know that he is underestimating something, let alone what he is underestimating. I doubt that Dominic vs Elias first round will result in a decisive blow but alerting Elias to the fact that they know certain information can also be dangerous to Finch & Co. But taking Dominic down a peg or two will make it worth it.

 

So Samaritan is zeroing in on Shaw and our Machine seemingly did nothing to alert anyone, focussing on Elias' number instead. That tells me the Machine knew that Martine is basically so useless that Shaw doesn't even deserve forewarning and that the real danger will come when Greer gets in on the act. That tells me something about Samaritan, its intelligence (as in AI) is well below that of Harold's Machine. Greer is the dangerous one because of his human instincts  and intellect, coupled with the absolute willingness to help Samaritan. Samaritan has a virus that it doesn't even know it has and it couldn't react to the clue that it has a virus. It will take Greer sorting this mess out, at which point it will get very dangerous for our team.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Boundary

[stealinghome]

That tells me the Machine knew that Martine is basically so useless that Shaw doesn't even deserve forewarning and that the real danger will come when Greer gets in on the act.

I don't think the Machine has any clue that Shaw is in danger, though. It can't see "into" Samaritan like that, I don't think.

Edited November 21, 2014 by stealinghome

[Starchild]

Shaw and Fusco have the (second) best relationship on this show.

[DEM]

I don't think the Machine has any clue that Shaw is in danger, though. It can't see "into" Samaritan like that, I don't think.

But it can see Martine, right? I had assumed based on Prophets that TM would know who Martine is. Wouldn't it notice Martine visiting Katya and Romeo, and draw some conclusions from that?

[Oscirus]

I believe the machine has as much access to the cameras as Samaritan does. She should definitely know about Shaw. But since Root is shown saving or at least fighting with Shaw it's probably safe to assume that's the machines doing.

 

I do think they will be successful in defending Elias this time around but I can't see Elias being around for too much longer.  Since the show killed off Carter, it successfully established an environment where anybody could die. If the writers refuse to kill off characters based on how much they're liked then the writers are essentially destroying the environment they worked so hard to create and Carter's death becomes meaningless.  Not to mention, Elias gives them a certain level of comfort that needs to be taken away.

 

Then again who's to say that Elias isn't the perpetrator? He's not exactly a wilting violet.

[Julia]

Actually, as the Machine's high priestess and the writers' most favored character, it seems to me that the death which would pay off the air of death being on the table and the writers' mythic fearlessness thing would pretty clearly be Root.

[DEM]

I believe the machine has as much access to the cameras as Samaritan does. She should definitely know about Shaw. But since Root is shown saving or at least fighting with Shaw it's probably safe to assume that's the machines doing.

Sure, but this is the same machine that routinely generates numbers in advance of victims doing whatever it is that will make them targets. In this very episode, it generated Silva's number on the basis of the fact that she was searching for the mole; Silva hadn't even identified the mole yet.  If The Machine hadn't figured out Martine's agenda based on her visit to Katya, it almost certainly should have once Martine visited Romeo -- giving it plenty of time (30 hours) to alert Shaw.

[stealinghome]

Was there a camera at Romeo's bar though? I don't remember, but I had assumed not (I would guess most bars don't have cameras? Maybe I'm wrong on that). I agree that going to see Katya might be a tip-off, if Martine wasn't somehow able to restrict the camera only to Samaritan (I wasn't sure of that's what we were supposed to take away from that scene), but if TM didn't know about Romeo, the visit to Katya only seems slender.

Then again, if Root is waiting for Shaw outside the mall with four guns and a sports car, maybe TM decided to tell Root only.

Edited November 21, 2014 by stealinghome

[FormerMod-a1]

It can also be a calculated risk - Shaw being able to survive vs potential exposure of the entire team.

[fastiller]

Was there a camera at Romeo's bar though? I don't remember, but I had assumed not (I would guess most bars don't have cameras? Maybe I'm wrong on that).

I think Martine speciifically noted that there were no cameras.

 

As to whether most bars have them, they do in NYC at least.  Little bubble thingies scattered around the room and behind the bar.  Almost every bar I've been in or worked at always has one trained right on the cash register (little or no trust with staff and cash). 

Edited November 21, 2014 by fastiller

[DEM]

Was there a camera at Romeo's bar though?

There was a camera at the entrance. The date stamps on the various camera feeds are how I was able to determine how much time had passed.

 

 

It can also be a calculated risk - Shaw being able to survive vs potential exposure of the entire team.

I don't follow. How does that preclude giving Shaw a heads-up?

Edited November 21, 2014 by DEM

[FormerMod-a1]

Shaw doesn't have any kind of link to the Machine so either Root or Finch would have to tell her.  Or the Machine would have to send someone, thus potentially exposing them.

[Zahdii]

Shaw doesn't have any kind of link to the Machine so either Root or Finch would have to tell her.  Or the Machine would have to send someone, thus potentially exposing them.

 

That shouldn't be a problem.  Finch talks to Shaw all the time.  I bet if we see Root fighting what's her name next week it's because the Machine did indeed tell Root and Root shows up to deal with the problem.  I might even consider her a little less creepy if she did so.

[shura]

Finch probably wouldn't be alerted unless the Machine deemed Shaw a regular Irrelevant based on the probability of Shaw dying violently. Shaw being what she is, maybe that calculated probability was not high enough to trigger a call to Finch. Has the Machine ever sent Finch a number just because the number was its asset in danger? Heh, having those numbers up is probably the default for Finch.

 

Another possibility is that not all Irrelevant numbers get delivered to Finch. Some just slip through the cracks. Like Silva's handler, for example.

 

In any case, I'm sure Root has been alerted and is on her way.

[Netfoot]

Shaw doesn't have any kind of link to the Machine so either Root or Finch would have to tell her.  Or the Machine would have to send someone, thus potentially exposing them.

 

But the Machine could simply call her cell and play back a series of recorded words.

 

"Warning.  ENEMY.  operative.  approaching.  Move.  NOW."

Edited November 21, 2014 by Netfoot