S05.E05: ShotSeeker

[ElectricBoogaloo]

NOTE: In May, Person of Interest will be airing two episodes a week, the first on Monday and the second on Tuesday. In June, the show will revert back to one episode a week on Tuesdays.

Quote

Reese protects an NYPD analyst whose investigation into a software glitch has drawn the attention of Samaritan. Also, Reese and Fusco are threatened by an ally of Elias's, who is looking to avenge his friend's death.

[Cranberry]

Promo:

[Yokosmom]

Enrico Colantoni is in the credits, so we'll get to see Elias, if only in flashbacks.  I so wish he wasn't really dead, but I really don't know what they would do with his character in the limited number of episodes that are left.  Nice to know that he inspired loyalty in folks besides Scarface.  Glad to see Fusco is back, too.

And no, I shouldn't feel sentimental about a stone cold organized crime guy, but hey, charm and wit make up for a lot.  Can't wait for tonight.

[janeta]

Ooh, good ep. :-) Have we seen Bruce before? And nice ending. ;-)

[TigerLynx]

You go Fusco with your bad self.  Why don't they just clue Fusco in already?  He is already in danger.

"My IT guy is probably better than yours," Hee!!!

I loved Reese threatening to kill Bruce if he didn't leave Fusco alone.

Why is Elias still alive?

[beadgirl]

Elias!  I dearly, dearly hope he is involved in the ultimate take-down of Samaritan.

I've always held up the character arcs of Londo and G'Kar (from Babylon 5) as two of the best things on TV; to that I'm going to add Fusco's arc. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by beadgirl

[FormerMod-a1]

I loved Reese thanking Lionel.  He's usually so short and curt with him.  About time he loosened up on him.  I know he first met Lionel as a dirty cop, but a LOT has happened since then and Lionel has really turned around and likes doing good.  I worry for him though.  I really want Fusco to survive this.  

Surprised and happy Elias was back.  So, does he know all about Samaritan, or does he know just "enough" to know it's something beyond normal crime and law and government?

[wilnil]

4 minutes ago, janeta said:

Ooh, good ep. :-) Have we seen Bruce before? And nice ending. ;-)

Yes -- he's Elias' financial guy; they and Anthony all met as kids in the juvie facility we saw in "The Devil You Know" last season.

[Trillium]

I may or may not have literally squealed in delight upon seeing the back of that head. I'm not sure how they'll use him to defeat Samaritan, but I can't wait to find out!!

 

Oh and Reese thanking Fusco was a check mark on his road to heroic death. Break up with Dr Boring, check. Sincerely thank Lionel, check...

[stealinghome]

This was a solid episode; not as engaging as last night or SNAFU, but definitely way way more interesting than 5x03's snoozefest, and a solid return to the status quo.

I wish I hadn't been spoiled that Elias was coming back, because the episode lost a lot of its punch knowing that. But I also don't know that I love that the show brought Elias back. Like, I really really enjoy Elias as a character and his dynamic with Reese and Finch, but now he's yet another loose end the show is going to have to tie up in the next EIGHT episodes. I kind of wish the show had left his arc where it ended in 4x22, just because that was such a natural ending for him. And wouldn't require the show to devote screentime to him in this short season. That all said, he's definitely going to have an instrumental role in taking Samaritan down, probably dying for real in the process (not a spoiler, just my strong belief--they wouldn't have brought the character back otherwise).

Was anyone else having TDK and TDKR flashbacks with "Go back to the shadows, Bruce"? No? Just me? Also, Bruce is pretty dumb for not backing off when Elias told him to. Double also, now we know why the safehouse was compromised earlier this season. Not because of Samaritan, but because of Elias!

Finch is driving me up the wall with his stance on The Machine. I understand and appreciate caution, but there's caution and then there's illogicality. What's the definition of insanity? Building the same Machine that's not equipped to fight Samaritan over and over and expecting a different outcome? If he really thinks The Machine needs to reprogram itself, Root needs to start directing her nut up talks to it. Perhaps another "Get. In. The. GAME!" is in order. (I also really really thought we were going to get a "1" in The Machine's column at the end of the episode, and was quite disappointed we didn't.) I loved the image role reversal of Root outside the locked cage, hanging all over the bars, and I think ROOT did too.

Also, I like the new Samaritan guy, Blackwell. I have a feeling he's going to end up a team ally sooner rather than later (and also die heroically helping take Samaritan down), because he looked genuinely distraught at the thought of murder, and if Samaritan's bigger picture's ever revealed to him, he is NOT going to be down.

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You go Fusco with your bad self.  Why don't they just clue Fusco in already?  He is already in danger.

For real. After tonight, it's inexcusable that they aren't reading him in, it's starting to feel like Writer's Fiat instead of anything logical or organic from the characters. Though I am enjoying his relentless digging as a character arc.

Edited May 18, 2016 by stealinghome

[shura]

5 minutes ago, aquarian1 said:

I loved Reese thanking Lionel.  He's usually so short and curt with him.  About time he loosened up on him.  

I loved it even more when Reese said to Bruce "Want to talk about loyalty? If you come near Fusco again, I'll shoot you myself." To me, it's even more valuable than thanking Lionel face to face.

Not sure how much new groundbreaking research can be done in freeze-drying. But hey, we got another corporate guy ready to kill someone for profit just like that (I know he was framed here, but apparently he'd done it in Ecuador).

[stealinghome]

As I think about the episode, I have to ask: is anyone else bothered by the logistics of how Fusco saved Elias? Because I'm thinking about it but having a hard time making it work.

I know that the official story is that his body burned up with the van, and I know at some point the investigators told Fusco that the whole incident happened in a blind zone, so Samaritan wouldn't have seen Fusco haul Elias' mostly-dead body away. Which, okay. I can even fanwank that Fusco knows the shadow map well enough to use it to get Elias to the safehouse and figured that it was better that he not show up on any official camera. But like...did the NYPD not send cops out immediately to help with the BIG-ASS CAR CRASH that involved their two biggest prisoners?? Does the NYPD have the response time of a snail? And if we assume that it would have taken Fusco at least an hour to get Elias to the safehouse, get a doctor, and get back to the crash site...did the investigators not notice that Fusco took an HOUR-LONG break in the middle of the investigation and dragged a body (or "body") off with him? And/or, did they not notice that they showed up and Fusco had fled the crime scene? Nothing the IAB guy in 5x01 said made it seem like that was the case.

Maybe this is something I just need to handwave, or I've missed something obvious, but it's bugging me.

[Gigi43]

I'm all for Elias being alive but either I misheard/aren't getting something or the logistics of how the hell Fusco could have gotten him to where ever the supposed accident happened to the house where Reese and Finch (and maybe Root?) could have saved him, the night they were on the run all over the city from the "Correction" just does not work.  However, that shot of Bear at the foot of Elias' bed goes a much longer way than it probably should in allowing me to get over it.  I've had it with them not bringing Fusco in fully. Especially with their Elias secret. What more has to happen?!  

 

However, over all I really enjoyed the episode. They helped a number. Fusco was awesome. Michael Emerson continues to make the best "we're screwed" faces around. I really enjoyed the conversation with Finch and Root about the Machine and self preservation leading to aggression, etc. I really want to know why Samaritan wanted to bury the research.

 

Speculation: Fusco's Son and Bear end up together.

 

ETA: @stealinghome, I saw your post above mine right after I sent it, only you spelled it all out. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by Gigi43

[bros402]

I'm guessing Fusco has to read in to the Machine during one of next weeks episodes

[Agent Dark]

5 hours ago, stealinghome said:

As I think about the episode, I have to ask: is anyone else bothered by the logistics of how Fusco saved Elias? Because I'm thinking about it but having a hard time making it work.

I know that the official story is that his body burned up with the van, and I know at some point the investigators told Fusco that the whole incident happened in a blind zone, so Samaritan wouldn't have seen Fusco haul Elias' mostly-dead body away. Which, okay. I can even fanwank that Fusco knows the shadow map well enough to use it to get Elias to the safehouse and figured that it was better that he not show up on any official camera. But like...did the NYPD not send cops out immediately to help with the BIG-ASS CAR CRASH that involved their two biggest prisoners?? Does the NYPD have the response time of a snail? And if we assume that it would have taken Fusco at least an hour to get Elias to the safehouse, get a doctor, and get back to the crash site...did the investigators not notice that Fusco took an HOUR-LONG break in the middle of the investigation and dragged a body (or "body") off with him? And/or, did they not notice that they showed up and Fusco had fled the crime scene? Nothing the IAB guy in 5x01 said made it seem like that was the case.

Maybe this is something I just need to handwave, or I've missed something obvious, but it's bugging me.

I'm guessing a massive shoot-out at an inner-city electrical substation, that coincided with a massive power outage (don't forget that was happening too - Samaritan was flushing The Machine out), maybe had the NYPD distracted.  As for how Fusco got Elias back, treated his injuries and so on?  Clearly Bear had his back.  Also clearly I don't know on that one lol, but its not improbable that someone like say Harper gave Fusco a hand in getting Elias to Dr Tillman or someone.

[Sakura12]

I loved Monday's episode, this one was kind of dull for me. I liked seeing Elias again but this one felt more like filler than Monday's. Shaw ep showed us what is happening to her. This one showed us Samaritan is better than the Machine which we already knew. What did we learn that was new info in this ep? 

They do need to tell Fusco, his life is already in danger. I don't see how keeping him in the dark is helping him. He knows he's working with two hackers (one who is also an assassin) and two ex government assassins. Letting him know he's also working for an ex government intelligent AI that is trying to fight another government intelligent AI isn't going to change much. 

[StarBrand]

It was kind of depressing to see the Mini-Machine and Mini-Samaritan battle be so one sided. The kid needs to learn to push back on the bullies at the playground. The Machine has already (mistakenly) aggressively defended itself from Root and Finch. Turn that aggression out on Samaritan, and see what happens.

Fusco is definitely going to force the team into reading him in, because he's going to get himself in really big trouble. Meanwhile, Samaritan's been busy-homicides are down, suicides and disappearances are up-and it's also been busy taking out other crime lords all over the place. Speaking of which, I was surprised as anyone to see Elias alive as anyone. It's hard to see how bringing him back fits into things, but he has to be back for a reason. For one thing, doesn't he have access to a LOT of firepower?

[Yokosmom]

Agree with everyone's comments re Fusco.  They aren't protecting him at this point, they are actually hurting him.  I think that they are treating Fusco the same way that they've always treated him and don't realize that their relationship with him needs to change.

Loved that Elias is back, and am glad that he is in the safe house. I'm just going to handwave how Fusco managed to save him. It's got to feel like a bit of a cage at this point, but I'm sure that they have impressed upon Elias that he can't ever show his face outside again.  I'm not sure how he can be an asset at this point, but hopefully he will prove useful.  I'm a bit surprised that Fusco actually saved him--I could see one of the others doing that more than Fusco.

I didn't see Elias being alive (oh those lying showrunners), but was getting irritated that I hadn't gotten my Elias flashback when there was only 5 minutes left to air.

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Finch is driving me up the wall with his stance on The Machine. I understand and appreciate caution, but there's caution and then there's illogicality. What's the definition of insanity? Building the same Machine that's not equipped to fight Samaritan over and over and expecting a different outcome? 

Finch is between a rock and a hard place.  He can't make the Machine too much like Samaritan.  He doesn't want it to defeat Samaritan, only to have the Machine turn around and turn into Samaritan2.

I found the whole number of the week case rather confusing.  I kept expecting that the ShockSeeker guy was just a ruse by Samaritan to draw our heroes out in the open.  I wonder what Samaritan is up to with the powdered food?

Edited May 18, 2016 by Yokosmom

[basiltherat]

Elias!  I never was so happy to see a sadistic Mafia don as I was to see him!  And being protected by Bear (seated at his right hand on a satin pillow, no less).

As usual, Lionel shows that he is more than worthy to be on Team Machine.  Our little fireplug has great big cojones.

Sorry, Finch, but when you are being destroyed by an all-knowing, all-powerful Samaritan, you need to use all the tools you can get your hands on --whether it be Mafia or Root and her Goddess -- and whoop some ass.

[Hanahope]

There was a look on Root's face when Finch said the Machine was going to have to reprogram itself.  I think Root is going to help it along in that respect.

Great to see Elias again, and yes have to assume that he and Bruce will have some future role to play in taking down Samaritan.  I'm waiting for Control to show up as well.  Also agree that Samaritan's 'newest asset' will also end up flipping.

I think the 1 that the Machine finally comes up with is going to result in more deaths to its assets than the Machine really wants, but that's the only way to get the win.

[johntfs]

13 hours ago, Trillium said:

I may or may not have literally squealed in delight upon seeing the back of that head. I'm not sure how they'll use him to defeat Samaritan, but I can't wait to find out!!

 

Oh and Reese thanking Fusco was a check mark on his road to heroic death. Break up with Dr Boring, check. Sincerely thank Lionel, check...

I've noticed that the team isn't making mention of money or the need to acquire it, so I figure Elias is already helping them by using some of his socked away crime fortune to bankroll them.

[Gulftastic]

I know it's probably in her contract that her name appears in the opening credits, but they shouldn't taunt us with Sarah Shahi's name unless she is going to appear!!

[TigerLynx]

I want Fusco to live.  It's not that I want the others to die, but if they do, I will be okay with that.  Fusco has come so far from where he started in the Pilot, I just want him to live, and keep being a good cop.

I wish Finch would realize that Reese, Nathan, hell even Root, had very valid points about The Machine.  Because Finch and Nathan for the most part were good decent people, The Machine can learn that from his creator (Finch).

[basiltherat]

Finch needs to learn that his little baby machine, in order to grow up, needs to make her own mistakes without parental helicoptering. 

[janeta]

And don't forget, peeps: one episode at ten next Monday, and TWO starting at nine on Tuesday.

Edited May 18, 2016 by janeta

[MissLucas]

7 hours ago, Yokosmom said:

I found the whole number of the week case rather confusing.  I kept expecting that the ShockSeeker guy was just a ruse by Samaritan to draw our heroes out in the open.  I wonder what Samaritan is up to with the powdered food?

Ditto - if all Samaritan was interested in was stopping Krupa's research from going public then why did Fusco get his labelled 'obstructionist'  for not giving up looking for her? Samaritan has covered its tracks pretty good by blaming the CEO and Fusco is just doing his job.

[stealinghome]

I'm assuming that because Samaritan had already flagged Fusco in 5x01 as an obstructionist, it's just adding more and more things to the list of irregularities and maybe its bar is lowering. Being pivotal in preventing Samaritan from stopping that research's release, saving the number, and then looking into the missing person's case when the implication is that others have been encouraged to drop it is probably suspicious on top of the other stuff he's done lately.

If Samaritan is monitoring him closely and seeing him as a threat, I wonder if Lionel's number is going to come up soon, and THAT is what leads the team to finally reading him in.

[bros402]

8 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Ditto - if all Samaritan was interested in was stopping Krupa's research from going public then why did Fusco get his labelled 'obstructionist'  for not giving up looking for her? Samaritan has covered its tracks pretty good by blaming the CEO and Fusco is just doing his job.

He stopped the assassin sent to the station.

[DeepRunner]

One Word: E-L-I-A-S!!!!!!!!!

The coolest bad guy in a long time is alive. Excellent reveal. When last season ended, Dominic was shot in the head, but Elias was only shot, albeit with a high-powered rifle. Bonus points for his being saved. I imagine, if he really is in the land of the living, in Finch's safe house, that, for all his talk of remaining in and returning to the shadows, he will end up avenging someone's death. Maybe Reese's.

Fusco was great trying to find Reese. This is the mini-season of Lionel. Also, Root having the machine look for Reese and then going out to save him from Samaritan was a nod to the season opener, when Reese saved Root from Samaritan soldiers. Each one understands the stakes and knows that the whole team must survive if they are to win. Jeff Blackwell didn't seem to be served much by the plot in this episode (seemed a bit dopey), but maybe he will return.

The simulated battle between AI's that Finch was running, showing the 10-billion-to-none results, was window-dressing for the coming final battle. I can't imagine The Machine won't find a way during the simulation to discover a vulnerability and exploit it.

All in all, a good episode.

[Coxfires]

After a great hindsight into Shaw's psyche in the previous ep., I was extremely pleased to see Fusco back on screen. The handling of his character over the 5 seasons has been fantastic and all the kudos to KC for being awesome in the role. I agree that it is definitely time they stop fooling around with him: he IS part of the team, whether they like it or not, and at this point not cluing him in on the risks he is facing is ridiculous. I mean, The Machine herself tagged him as Secondary asset and Team Machine would be stupid not to think that Samaritan didn't pick up on Fusco's implication, what with him digging deeper and deeper into the "fustercluck" that is going on. I hope that by mid-season, he'll be finally integrated 100% in TM.

I too loved the fact that Root was genuinely worried about Reese and actively looking for helping him the same way he went to her rescue in the season opener. They will never actually make grandiloquent friendship declarations to each other, but there is an undeniable bond they have formed that is expressed through their actions, and god knows I love when Team Rocket brings it up. They've gone a long way, these two, and I appreciate that it wasn't acknowledged in an ostentatious fashion, but little by little each episode.

Actually, I can't wait for Shaw to be fully back to get some of my favorite interactions going on: Shoot (obviously), the Mayhem Twins and Team Badass.

Regarding the episode itself, several things come to mind: I wonder if Root's encounter with Samaritan's clueless operative might not help recruit him in TM in the end, I'd like that: if Samaritan can recruit people, so should team Machine. 

The simulations outcomes are quite chilling, but as said above, the 1 in billions time the Machine manages to win, if it ever does, will be crucial. It might indeed require from the Machine to deviate from what we saw in If-Then-Else last year: will it have to resort to an excruciating sacrifice? I found it really interesting that finch said that TM should re-code itself, considering how wary he was of her before.

Finally: ELIAS!! I was so giddy when I saw him!! although I found him a bit depressing and despondent... I need to know how much he knows, and I hope he'll be there to fight the good fight until the end.

[ABay]

Elias could be key to defeating Samaritan since Samaritan doesn't know he's alive and neither does Shaw.

[Yokosmom]

Yes, Elias looked wan and depressed, but this is fairly realistic.  And kudos to the show for indicating, even 4 months later, that he doesn't appear to be totally recovered from a gunshot wound to the chest.  Much more realistic than the shows where someone is shot one week and then seemingly well the next.  It would have been bizarre if he wasn't depressed.  He can't go outside, his main role in life is gone and he probably has no idea what in the world he can do with himself or any future for him at all.  As far as helping Team Machine, he's not a superhacker, and, though he is no doubt good with a gun, he isn't on the assassin level of Reese and Shaw. What he does have is cunning and wiliness.  Maybe that will come into play somehow.  I'm hoping that they brought him back so that he can do something great and not just so he'll be shot down by a Samaritan minion.

Two scenes that I want to see--Finch and Elias playing chess again (even though Finch hates chess) and any interaction at all of Elias with Bear.

[Dagny]

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 Much more realistic than the shows where someone is shot one week and then seemingly well the next.  

After dealing with an impingement in my shoulder, and having PT & the Drs explain how it occurs, I just roll my eyes anytime someone gets shot in the shoulder now.  I don't keep track of all of the wound they suffer, but everybody's body, but Harold should be criss-cross and pockmarked with old injuries.

[TigerLynx]

18 hours ago, stealinghome said:

If Samaritan is monitoring him closely and seeing him as a threat, I wonder if Lionel's number is going to come up soon, and THAT is what leads the team to finally reading him in.

I like this idea.  I agree.  This could lead to Finch and Reese telling Fusco the truth.

I like the idea of Elias bankrolling them, and using his underground resources to help the team against Samaritan.

At this point, my money is on Reese dying, Finch faking his death like he did when Nathan died or dying along with Reese, Fusco living and continuing to help people, Shaw or Root possibly dying.  If would be hilarious if Fusco, Elias or Bruce, and Root are left to carry on what Finch and Reese started.  Fusco will need another partner like Reese, Elias or Bruce would supply the money, and Root would be the IT/Hacker. 

Edited May 19, 2016 by TigerLynx

[thuganomics85]

I managed to remain unspoiled somehow, and I totally didn't predict Elias still being alive.  I do wonder how in the hell was Fusco able to drag his body back to the safehouse, by himself.  Good thing it had happened during a black-out, or I'm sure he would have gotten a few stares.  Still, I'm certainly not going to complain about getting to see more of Enrico Colantoni being his normal, awesome self.  Curious to see what part Elias will play in the end.  I really enjoy how he's a bad guy, but he somehow ends up being someone the group needs.  He's like the devil, but in this case, he's Team Machine's devil that need to survive Samaritan.

Glad Fusco returns and got the main focus in this one.  I really like that he is truly a good detective now, and loyal to a fault.  It didn't matter if he was putting his life in danger: he was not going to stop until the found Reese.  Well done, Fusco!  I wish the group would stop keeping him in the dark though.  If anything, this is going to cause him to be in more danger, because if he knew the truth, he would probably me more careful with his investigations, what he says around cameras, etc., instead of just rushing in.

Cool seeing the Bruce character again.

POI of the week was a bit by the numbers compared to the rest.  I saw pretty much every twist coming, and I'm not sure how this episode will fit in the long run, unless this food thing really was a big part of Samaritan's plans.

Things are not looking good for The Machine, if those test simulations were any indication.  Root is right that The Machine will probably need to learn to start fighting back as soon as possible.

Three episodes next week?  They really are trying to get this over with quickly, huh?  I don't mind, but I still wish they just had the entire season available to bing, since they don't seem to really care about the time-slot/ratings anymore. 

[Dowel Jones]

Just one nitpick:  If Shotseeker is so accurate and timely, why doesn't it pick up on the average 327 gunshots fired during any encounter between Finch the assortment of bad guys sent from Samaritan?

[atua]

Any shots heard by Shotseeker would be "sanitised" by Samaritan as false alarms, assuming Samaritan allows the shots to be registered at all. Samaritan's spoofed electronic trails for its sinister purposes before, like in last year's episode "Prophets" about the election pollster.

Edited May 20, 2016 by atua

[fastiller]

The last shot of the episode,the crane-shot where we panned up to see the ShotSeeker mics lead me to believe that ShotSeeker is actually Samaritan (or a Samaritan product at any rate).

Also: ELIAS!! So glad I wasn't spoiled for that one.  

And yes, they are going to have to read Fusco in on the machine.  I get that they are concerned about keeping him in plausible deniability territory, but -- as many of you have already said -- after a point it becomes more dangerous for him by not knowing.

[valen]

3 hours ago, fastiller said:

The last shot of the episode,the crane-shot where we panned up to see the ShotSeeker mics lead me to believe that ShotSeeker is actually Samaritan (or a Samaritan product at any rate).

Also: ELIAS!! So glad I wasn't spoiled for that one.  

And yes, they are going to have to read Fusco in on the machine.  I get that they are concerned about keeping him in plausible deniability territory, but -- as many of you have already said -- after a point it becomes more dangerous for him by not knowing.

I think this is probably Samaritan's true interest in the software. Now, it can listen in on face to face conversations as well as phone conversations.

[immortalfrieza]

Elias' return muddles things up quite a bit, it fact it smells of outright retconning to me. Not only is it incredibly unlikely Elias would survive a sniper shot, we've got Fusco spending an entire episode a few back investigating the coverup of Elias' death he already knows didn't actually happen and could have painted a target on him for even looking into it. Fusco's actions during that episode and since don't really make any sense after this revelation.

[stealinghome]

I don't think it's a retcon in the sense that in several post-S4 finale interviews, the EPs played coy about Elias' fate, refusing to confirm he was dead. So I definitely believe a surprise "he's alive!" reveal was the plan all along. I'd have to watch BSOD again to decide whether Fusco's actions in that episode make no sense, but in general, I don't see him digging for answers and him covering up Elias' non-death as mutually exclusive. It kind of explains why he was SO on edge about the investigation in that episode. I'm more bothered by his motivation--like why, exactly, would Fusco think saving Elias is a priority? If it's to honor a debt to Carter's avenger, I could buy it, but I'd appreciate a look into Fusco's headspace here regarding why he took such a huge risk for a crime boss he's been trying to take down for, like, the whole series.

That said, I do agree Elias' survival is pretty implausible, both from a "surviving a sniper shot that hit like 2 inches from the heart" and "how the hell did Fusco get him to the safehouse in time to save him unnoticed by either the NYPD or Samaritan" way. And as I said above, I question whether bringing him back is really the best thing for the story at this stage. I enjoy the character but I have a feeling I'm going to wish the writers just left him dead last season.

[benteen]

Elias!  I was so glad to see her was alive.  I didn't think his story had a real conclusion yet and bringing him into the world of the Machine and Samaritan is fascinating.

Great return for Lionel and I'm glad he's getting a big storyline this season.  I share everyone's sentiments that it's ridiculous that the team hasn't told him about the Machine yet.  They know that Samaritan is putting down anyone who even questions the "official story" in public yet they are still keeping him in the dark?  What are they waiting for?  For Lionel to end up dead like Carter?  It's really gone past the breaking point for me and there's no reason for him to be kept in the dark.

Good lord, Bruce is a stubborn one.  Truth be told, if Elias was dead I wouldn't have seen a problem with bringing Bruce into the fold as he would be another weapon against Samaritan. 

I liked this return to the number of the week and didn't mind it tying into the Samaritan storyline (as it really should at this point).  The mini-Machine vs mini-Samaritan storyline was fascinating too.

[kwnyc]

I nearly wrenched my arm out of its socket patting myself on the back! I KNEW Elias was coming back (and I was unspoiled.) And certain images and actions keep being played out, as they have been over the course of the whole series (masterful!) Things like individual humans doing things that even an AI can't predict/know (like Elias...and I will fanwank that he had a bulletproof vest on).

And HOW many scenarios did The Machine run during If-Then? Wasn't it a couple hundred million? So the "kernel" might just be slower to learn than the full Machine. (Though that kernel of Samaritan is an ass-kicker.)

I'd also like to know how Samaritan got to be so all-powerful when it was never really tested by its father, but only put to work by Greer some years later. The act that they mentioned Finch's old colleague who created Samaritan and then a "kill switch" in the previous episode makes me wonder whether there's going to be some kind of back door that SOMEONE finds soon.

And my unspoilered speculation might be that the Machine is subsumed into Samaritan and ends up serving as the conscience of the super-AI.

Damn this show is good.

[Mom x 3]

I don't think it's so far fetched that Fusco went all out to find Reese.  No one else knows that he isn't really a cop.  It would have looked suspicious if he hadn't have demanded a full throttle search for his partner and fellow officer.  

Loved having Elias back.  I hope he does play a large role in things.  I am suspicious about Bruce though.  It seems out of character that he would not listen to Elias, after they have been friends for so very long.  It makes me wonder if Bruce is in on something nefarious, and was tired of just being "the financial guy."  I wonder if Samaritan has promised him something.  

I do hope Root helps the machine re-code a bit.  Finch is looking pretty forlorn.  

[HawaiiTVGuy]

On 5/18/2016 at 5:15 PM, stealinghome said:

 

Finch is driving me up the wall with his stance on The Machine. I understand and appreciate caution, but there's caution and then there's illogicality. What's the definition of insanity? Building the same Machine that's not equipped to fight Samaritan over and over and expecting a different outcome? If he really thinks The Machine needs to reprogram itself, Root needs to start directing her nut up talks to it. Perhaps another "Get. In. The. GAME!" is in order. (I also really really thought we were going to get a "1" in The Machine's column at the end of the episode, and was quite disappointed we didn't.) I loved the image role reversal of Root outside the locked cage, hanging all over the bars, and I think ROOT did too.

Also, I like the new Samaritan guy, Blackwell. I have a feeling he's going to end up a team ally sooner rather than later (and also die heroically helping take Samaritan down), because he looked genuinely distraught at the thought of murder, and if Samaritan's bigger picture's ever revealed to him, he is NOT going to be down.

For real. After tonight, it's inexcusable that they aren't reading him in, it's starting to feel like Writer's Fiat instead of anything logical or organic from the characters. Though I am enjoying his relentless digging as a character arc.

I am curious if the writers have been asked as to how they are internally justifying not looping in Fusco.  Is it because he has a family and they are afraid he will accidentally do things to compromise things with his knowledge?  Fusco does have a weakness when it comes to his kid, so I could see that there is a fear he may do things that could end up tipping off Samaritan.  That is the only thing i can think of, because at this point, his lack of knowledge is becoming a hindrance since he is still a cop first and foremost.

Regarding Blackwell, this goes back to my feelings that Samaritan's recruitment practices of human assets will end up biting it in the butt.  Whatever supposed vetting it did was not accurate in determining that Blackwell was a good black-bag operations candidate.  He felt he was doing something "good" but you can tell in his confrontation with Root that he isn't a killer and knew something was fishy and seemed swayed by her words.  I know others indicated that there was information that Samaritan pulled up on Blackwell that supposedly showed he had some propensity to violence, but it seems like Samaritan fails to see that people evolve, and/or violence by humans are not equal.  Again, this brings up Claire the hacker from before, she was shocked that she actually was shot, and almost killed just to try to trap Finch, and you could see doubt creep in her mind about Samaritan's actions at that point.

[HawaiiTVGuy]

On 5/18/2016 at 5:45 PM, stealinghome said:

 

 

On 5/18/2016 at 0:20 PM, stealinghome said:

I'm assuming that because Samaritan had already flagged Fusco in 5x01 as an obstructionist, it's just adding more and more things to the list of irregularities and maybe its bar is lowering. Being pivotal in preventing Samaritan from stopping that research's release, saving the number, and then looking into the missing person's case when the implication is that others have been encouraged to drop it is probably suspicious on top of the other stuff he's done lately.

If Samaritan is monitoring him closely and seeing him as a threat, I wonder if Lionel's number is going to come up soon, and THAT is what leads the team to finally reading him in.

I think that he is being considered "obstructionist" as a label of a "potential threat" because he hasn't uncovered anything yet, but he could possibly if he digs deep enough.  Wasn't the IAB guy also labeled an "obstructionist" before being offed via pacemaker?  I think that was also because of his vocal skepticism of the "official story" that the FBI asset was feeding him with the doctored ballistics report.

I also just realized, now I know why Fusco was being so seemingly evasive about the incident when IAB and the FBI were investigating it, it wasn't only because of the unknown shooter, but because Elias was actually NOT dead!

[Camera One]

There are only a limited number of episodes left, so I hope they clue Fusco in earlier rather than later, so we can see some of the fun with him as a full member of the team.  We could have seen a lot more of that with Carter, but we never will.

I've watched the show from the beginning, and this is the first episode this season that got me really sad that it's ending.  This was a good quality numbers-of-the-week episode, and it tied in reasonably well with the overarching Samaritan plot, and the type of episode I tend to enjoy the most.  I liked that nerdy Shotseeker guy.  It was sad that an innocent (Mary) and also the missing chemist had to die.   

I'm not a huge fan of Elias (and Bruce was frankly an annoyance this episode in the midst of the plot), but hopefully, he will be a useful weapon against Samaritan.  

Edited May 24, 2016 by Camera One

[Enigma X]

8 hours ago, Camera One said:

 I'm not a huge fan of Elias

Me either!