S05.E13: Return 0

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SERIES FINALE! (boo hoo!)

Quote

Finch, Reese, Fusco and Shaw embark on one last mission to prevent Samaritan from destroying The Machine and cementing its hold over mankind.

Promo:

[CinAZ]

My DVR wouldn't play this episode. I had to watch it on the CBS app (what a ripoff) 

OMG this show.

I will miss it very much. What an amazing and intelligent show. 

I watched the preview. It doesn't look very good for any of them.

I will be going to the cable place tomorrow to exchange my DVR. The irony is the only show I have never erased off this DVR, is the very last episode of LOST. It will play but POI won't. I might watch the LOST finale one last time before returning the DVR.

[fastiller]

On 6/17/2016 at 11:56 PM, CinAZ said:

My DVR wouldn't play this episode. I had to watch it on the CBS app (what a ripoff) 

 

Wait - the finale is up at the CBS App?  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Sneak Peek #1:

 

Return 0 - Score Recording Session:

 

Message from POI executive producer Greg Plageman:

[ShannaB]

I want to say this now before the series Finale.  I decided to watch POI because I was impressed with the line-up of actors involved in the series and I stayed because of the actors and the writing.  Somewhere during Season 3 I sat back and went DAMN! this series is evolving into something else besides an interesting procedural.  So to CBS, the King/Queen of procedurals, I say thank you for stepping out of your obvious comfort zone and keeping this show on the air.  It has been a wonderful viewing experience and I will miss it dearly but I am grateful that it was a part of my TV life.  An additional thank you to the actors for making the characters so real and wonderful.  I will miss them, the Machine and dear dear Bear.  It has been a very satisfying journey for me.  Here's hoping I don't walk away tonight completely devastated by the Finale. 

[Gigi43]

If my Aunt used the internet she'd definitely be a poster here too (as it is now she does ask "what does the internet think?" after each episode!) She's watched from the first season just as I did. I got a text from her a few hours ago saying "I'm nervous!", there was nothing said prior and I didn't have to ask about what -it's obviously about the finale- I just immediately wrote back "I know it just needs to be on already!" I saw the preview that aired after last weeks episode but other than that I've stayed away from sneak peaks and am restraining from reading interviews. I want to know already what happens... and yet, I don't.  I'm trying to remember the last show I was anticipating like this; it might have been Angel's finale. I loved the Sopranos and House so much in their primes but by the time they both came to an end I was really ready to be done with them (in Houses case I had already dropped to on-and-off viewing.) I hate that PoI is ending but that seems to be the TV rub, either a show ends too soon or it goes on too long in my experience so I'm trying to convince myself it's a good thing, I think I'm more upset at this point that it didn't get a full 22 episode finale season more than I am that it's the final season.

 

Less than 2 and a half hours to go!

[Trey]

Bravo, show, bravo!

[mtlchick]

Are we doing a live chat in here for tonight?

[FormerMod-a1]

1 hour ago, mtlchick said:

Are we doing a live chat in here for tonight?

No.  I can start a live chat thread though.

Link

[econ07]

BRAVO! ENCORE!

[TigerLynx]

Reese died the way I expected him to.  It was interesting both Reese and Finch wanted to live up to what they believed their father’s expectations were for them.

I didn’t like Finch’s ending.

I wanted Fusco to get custody of Bear.

I’m glad Shaw killed that guy.

I wish the machine had been Nathan’s voice.  I did not like having Amy Acker talking through the entire episode.

I did not like Shaw having the last scene.

[mtlchick]

All the feels.  ALL THE FUCKING FEEEEELS.

RIP John Reese.  People had already guessed that this was the end for him but it still hurts and yet awesome to go out in an actual blaze of glory.  I guess all he wanted was to die a hero by saving the world...only to save one person at a time which eventually led to him saving the world with some snarky remarks to boot.  (Not to mention, this show pointed out that Hot Jesus can work a suit like no other.) 

Looks like Shaw goes on to do the team's work, Fusco is still on the force, Finch finds a happy ending and Bear lives.  

(shakes fist at CBS) I would hate you completely but you still keep Amazing Race on.  So for now, I how The Machine finds a way to prove to you that cancelling the show because you were "breaking even only" was a mistake. 
 

Someone hold me while I watch the show from the start. 

Edited June 22, 2016 by mtlchick

[AimingforYoko]

After the way the episode started, the ending was amazingly hopeful. I kind of hope Finch lives out his life with Grace and Shaw finds another admin to work with. 

Reese died how he wanted, I suppose it's all any of us could ask for. RIP Reese.

[janeta]

Ok, then. :)

That could have been way worse. 

Anyone remember what John said about liking the new, terrifying, side of Finch? :)

So TM is living in the bird overhead.

I do wish they had edited the music volumes better--again, hard to hear the dialogue sometimes.

[econ07]

Implying that the machine came back to life wasn't really necessary ... but great episode.

[benteen]

Great episode.

RIP, Mr. Reese. 

I still don’t think they had to kill him but at least he died in a manner fitting for him, saving Finch’s life and being a hero.  It won’t ruin my enjoyment of the show when I decide to rewatch it.

Heheh, they still won’t reveal what John’s real last name was.  I saw “Ta” on his grave and an earlier episode said his name ended with an “s”.  I can’t even guess what that name would be.

I was happy to see Harold survived and finally reunited with Grace.

A lot of great character moments, funny lines and batshit crazy action.

Good-bye Person of Interest and thank you to all involved (except for CBS for canceling the show).

[beadgirl]

Sniff.  Sigh.

You know, watching the last 20 minutes I was struck with how very Catholic this show was -- it was all about free will, atonement, redemption, sacrifice, and helping others, and about realizing that there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed.  All in all, a very thoughtful series.

[kwnyc]

So sad. So beautiful. So much to like about the finale. I can't begin to sort out what I'm feeling. But I'm glad (and called!) that Shaw lives. Thought Lionel would. Harry gets his love...though if the Machine is resurrected...will it go looking for its Father?

[kaygeeret]

I laughed, I cried and at the end I felt hopeful.....

I'm not even sure how they did all that in one show.

Kudos to great writing, great acting and great production!

RIP

[TV Anonymous]

Maybe I am not smart enough to comprehend, but what is the story with the two police officers? Was that the young Fusco?

[Yokosmom]

For one terrifying moment, I thought that Shaw was going to offer Root's killer John's slot on a new team.  Thank god that she lived up to her murderous self.

I hope that at some point Finch lets Fusco know that he's alive but out of the numbers business. Is Fusco off the force?  I thought that he was back at work.  I think that Shaw is going to need partners if she's working the numbers again.

Really pleasantly surprised that everyone made it out (even the machine) except John, whose death was not unexpected.  Loved that he came back to save Harold.  Finch would have noticed the lack of antenna on his building sooner if he hadn't been shot.

Glad that Finch decided to use his second chance to grab at some happiness.

[DeepRunner]

From the top:

* Adios, John Reese. You were my favorite character. You were the one who started the series with Finch, although you were not his first "helper monkey." Through the years and seasons, The Man in the Suit was one of the coolest characters on the cool medium. You were Finch's best friend, to the very end, and the good soldier. I knew Reese would die, but I didn't expect him to be the only one, so, I guess I can say, for the purpose of this, the final episode, he alone died. But he didn't necessarily die alone. He died for his friend.

* Shaw saved Lionel and killed Blackwell. Her dialogue with Blackwell was perfect. "They wouldn't want you to kill me." "You're right, but they're all dead." Two in the chest. I will miss Shaw. But, since the door is open more than  a crack for PoI (ok, it's freakin' way wide open) to continue in some form, maybe it won't be long before we see Shaw again

* Fusco lived. I thought he was done for when Blackwell stabbed him. Good to see Fusco living. With the dog. Maybe. If Shaw let's him.

* Finch tried to sacrifice himself to save Reese, and I couldn't help but wonder if, in terms of the character, it was a small way for Harold to try to save a friend when he couldn't save Nathan years ago. He will miss Reese. Finch's running conversation with the Rootchine was perfect. And he got his happy ending. Not in an Italian bistro, as some thought, but it was appropriate for him to come to Grace while she was painting.

* Finally, good to The Machine survive and Samaritan to be crushed (maybe?). Let's see what Nolan and Plageman do from here.

[dalek]

The Machine winning after losing for pretty much the last 30 or so episodes was a bit of a deus ex machine ending.  "This time I know I have to win" - would have been nice if you'd had that attitude a bit earlier Machine.

Still annoyed that Root died.  I would have liked her and Shaw to take over doing numbers at the end rather than just Shaw.  I did like the Machine telling Shaw on Root's behalf that she was perfect as is. And I'm glad Shaw killed that guy. That was very satisfying.

Still, I was expecting a higher death count than what we got.  OTOH, I generally prefer happy endings.  

[ShannaB]

That was a hard episode to watch.  I won't lie, my stomach was churning through it all.  The ending was wonderful though and it made me smile.  John died a hero and won't be forgotten and I think he died at peace knowing he saved Harold.  Good on you John!

So....is Shaw the new John?  Loved her smile at the camera and that she has 'her' dog.  Harold meeting up with Grace and all ready to be loved up.  Nice.

Welcome back machine:)

[Oloryn]

Given Harold's comment that the Machine had been on a hiring steak lately, and that we've seen at least one other team deployed, I don't think Shaw will have any problem finding another "admin".

[benteen]

The musical score tonight was great.

I agreed with the IGN review that Jeff's storyline didn't really come full circle.  Blame the short season for that.

Favorite line of the night came from Finch "The suspense is killing me... in addition to the gunshot wound."

[beadgirl]

Jeff is Blackwell, right?  I agree that his story was unsatisfying, especially given the flickers of conscience they gave him earlier in the season.  I fully expected him to turn on Samaritan and help the good guys, right until he killed Root.

[Dodginblue]

After what Shaw went through after she was taken by Samaritan and losing Root, I'm glad that she made it through to the end.  I think she'll meet up with the others who are getting numbers and will carry on.    Fusco will be around, maybe he'll help out now and then, but I think mostly he'll work his regular job, raise his kid and find someone to fall in love with.  Harold will be with Grace and I think he'll teach math and be a mentor to his students.  He won't work numbers, he won't know it's happening, except somehow I think he will.  He'll read things in the newspaper or see something on the net and he will know.  

John Reese was one sexy guy.  To the end.  I like to think he's with Carter now, still out there in some other dimension doing the necessary when it's necessary, kicking ass and taking names.  Hooah!

Edited June 22, 2016 by Dodginblue

[MDL]

Quote

Looks like Shaw goes on to do the team's work, Fusco is still on the force, Finch finds a happy ending and Bear lives.  

Great episode, great ending to the series. The machine, and its work goes on. I liked it.
Reese went out saving the earth.... Not a bad way to go. The rest of the team survived, not too shabby either.

I liked having Root be more (to us) than just the disembodied voice.

Two things regarding Shaw: I'm glad she shot the bastard that killed Root.
Also, when "Root" told Shaw what she thought of her – the comment about the straight-line – I thought Sarah S did a great job of showing Shaw's true emotion with subtle facial reactions.

Well done show,and thanks.

[llongori]

Not happy...  For so many reasons... 

[Gigi43]

3 minutes ago, Yokosmom said:

For one terrifying moment, I thought that Shaw was going to offer Root's killer John's slot on a new team.  Thank god that she lived up to her murderous self.

 

I've seen speculation in past episode discussion that Blackwell was going to end up on whatevers left of the team and so when Shaw found him, I did panic for a second. Then I figured Fusco and Finch had to have been dead with her "those people are dead" line, because Reese it's debatable whether or he'd condone killing Blackwell these days, and Root sure as shit would love Shaw killing who killed her, a better response would have been when he started to say that's not what her friends would want "no, this is what one of them would have wanted."  

 

I expected Reese to die. I've been expecting Reese to die since episode one. I wasn't sure about Finch, but I did think another fake death was entirely possible. I loved their scenes so much tonight. The expression on Reese's face as Finch explained his bomb to the guy was great, as was pointing out Finch is now terrifying. So happy Fusco lived! I suspect he and Shaw will be seeing each other around, if for no other reason than so Bear doesn't go into a complete depression missing so many of his humans.

 

Reese directly talked to the Machine to save Finch (from Root) and has been willing to talk to it along the way,  the idea that they've "had a deal" was very fitting. I get they wanted to end with hope for some kind of continuation, but, I would have preferred Shaw's scene answering the phone, or some other scene of just her by a computer that's loading the Machine, and then Finch with Grace. This is Finchs' show, he should have had the last scene. Finch is so stubborn I see him repeating himself all over again and not contacting Fusco or Shaw at all keep them thinking he's dead just as he did to Grace.

 

That's all I got in me right now. I need to re-watch and take it all in still. Over all though, while there are thing that I wished had happened differently, this was a solid finale, and a great series.

[juliet73]

I'm satisfied with the ending. I didn't really like Finch's ending with Grace. I wish Finch and John died together. John shooting off the bad guys while Finch was doing the thing with the satellite. Then Reese gets shot, goes down, Harold presses enter (or whatever as the satellite passed over), he gets shot,  goes down. Then everything else the same. 

I wish the machine didn't call Finch "Harry". She always referred to him as "Father" and that should have remained when she took Root's voice.

Instead of the anonymous kid at the cemetery holding the flag,  I wish it had been Carter's kid at her funeral. 

I love that the NYPD finally figured out Reese was the guy in the suit. Ha! Talk about hiding in plain sight. 

The music was FANTASTIC in this episode. This show has always had awesome songs and scores!

All in all.  Good finale to an exceptional show. All the seasons were well written and well acted!  I'm going to miss this show!! 

[valen]

I think the kid was John as a child. It's what made him who he was and influenced who he wanted to be. By observing death, the machine learned about people, and that's how she learned about John.

[mjc570]

Who was Shaw referring to when she told Blackwell that "they" all died, that "they" wouldn't have wanted her to kill him?  Aside from Carter, wasn't John the only one who died?  Finch and Fusco were the obvious ones, but they didn't die.  I thought that was kind of a cheap misdirection, and it wasn't really necessary in such a rich episode.

[Netfoot]

I'm not happy with this episode.  Because I couldn't be happy with any episode that signals the end of such a tremendous series.  The plot-lines, characters (and character development), the intelligent writing and the tremendous effort from the cast over five seasons just can't simply come to an end and leave me happy about it.  Still, I can say I am satisfied with the ending, if not happy with it.  It was sad without being bitter, and hopeful without being corny.  And was about as good as I hoped it might be.

Reece had to die.  There was no escaping it.  And he went just how he should.  Fighting against overwhelming odds, vanquishing all opposition until his final mission was complete, saving the world -- and his friend -- in the process.  To quote the stranger at the funeral, "The man was a hero."

Fusco wounded, but recovering and in good spirits.  A different man to the bad cop we originally met, way back when.  And a man who is on friendly terms with Bear, and with Shaw.  Roll on,  Lionel!

Bear, the picture of health, and in the care of his favourite human, Shaw.  Couldn't have asked more for him.

Shaw, surprisingly unscathed by the events of this final episode.  Physically unscathed, anyhow.  But she was able to deal with Blackwell, which might help her over the loss of Root.  Blackwell says "Those people... they wouldn't want you to kill me!"  Just for a split second I thought he was going to survive.  But then Shaw replies "You're right!" and a little smile crosses his lips.  That's when I knew his ass was grass!

Harold injured, but obviously survives, possibly to have a little happiness for a change.  And Grace happy too!   Goodness knows how they'll work things out, but Harold can do it if anybody can, and Grace doesn't look like she will be a hard sell.

Samaritan, wiped off the face of planet earth, and out of elliptical orbit too.  And Northern Lights and all it's smarmy-assed proponents getting their asses put in a sling!

The machine, surviving the encounter with Samaritan, and returning to earth to put things back together, one surveillance square at a time.  How will it turn out?  Don't know, but I am hopeful, given the upbringing it received at Harold's hands, and the continued guidance it will have with a redeemed sociopath at it's core.

So, happy?  No.  But I'll take it, and be grateful.  All the while cursing to hell forever, the name of the blasted fool who thought that pulling the plug on this truly great show, was a good thing to do.

[alias1]

The anonymous kid at the cemetery was John Reese.

I was happy with the ending.  Shaw got to kill Blackwell.  Fusco lives!  Bear lives.  Shaw lives (is she the new Reese?).  And Finch got his happy ending with Grace.  

[stealinghome]

So, I have mixed feelings on this episode. As an episode itself, I thought it was pretty solid. But as a series finale? I find myself somewhat unsatisfied. Maybe it was because I pretty much called from the start who would die, and that we'd get Finch Dark Knight Rising it with Grace in Italy, but...I just didn't find that an entirely satisfying finale.

1) The pacing in this was HUGELY rushed. HUGELY. The first 15 minutes were entirely unnecessary and made the rest of the episode--the good stuff--feel compressed. The show should have started with the scene of everyone meeting at the subway for one last planning meeting and saying their goodbyes. Shaw at Root's grave, much as I appreciated it, and Reese/Fusco at the precinct/the water was literally pointless. Then the rest of the episode had to fly by so fast it couldn't quite achieve epic status. Which is especially unsatisfying given that, when the episode DID slow down (see below), it really was emotional.

2) I am really irritated that Finch lived and got his HEA with Grace. Going into this season I wanted him to live, but Finch has just been SO frustrating this season that at this point, I personally don't feel he deserved to live. Not when Root and Reese (and Elias) are all dead because Finch wouldn't get off his ass until the bodies were literally falling around him. Pretty much everything that happened with Samaritan, certainly since S5 began, is his fault, and he lives? Reese is my least favorite character, but imo it's fundamentally unfair that he was the one to die and Finch lived. The karmic scales feel really, really off here. If anyone was gonna die, should've been Finch.

3) The show has been building up to a The Machine-Samaritan direct fight for like 3 seasons...it should have lasted more than 5 freaking seconds. Having the Ice-9 virus basically be the thing to take down Samaritan makes all the "how empowered should we make The Machine?" debates anticlimactic.

4) The idea of Shaw having to listen to a Machine that's Single White Female-ing Root for the rest of eternity is...kind of creepy. Not sure I like that ending for Shaw.

5) I don't know that I loved the decision to have The Machine embodying itself as Root for most of the episode. It was really affecting in the scene where TM put her hand on wee!John's shoulder and then we flashed to The Machine putting her shoulder on adult!Reese's shoulder as he died, but for the rest of the episode, it seemed a bit too much to me. The Machine works best when it's humanized but not human...part of me feels they made it too human tonight. And overall, I wonder if they should have had some of The Machine's stuff tonight in the last episode, and let tonight focus on the remaining characters more.

6) We spent way too much time with the rando cops who gave the "Everybody dies alone BUT" speech.

 

Okay, there were definitely some good things. Hands down the most emotional scenes were Reese and Finch's goodbyes and The Machine giving Shaw Root's message. Shahi just nailed Shaw's reaction to hearing Root's message, delivered in Root's voice--just nailed it. Some of the best acting she's done on the show. And Root's "you were a straight line. And arrow" really gets to the heart of who Shaw was as a character. For the first, while it was totally cliche (and a little ridiculous from adjacent rooftops!), Finch and Reese's goodbye did tug on my heartstrings, though I also feel it was one of the victims of compression--it felt like that should have been longer. (Also I call bs on Reese's whole "after saving the world, one person at a time seemed anticlimactic" thing, he took to working the numbers like a duck to water immediately.) I liked how Reese went out, with a little smile on his face, but goodness, did we need to see him carved up quite so much before he went? Though again, I loved when we saw The Machine put her hand on his shoulder, with him until she went offline--but I also wish they'd been able to get Susan Misner back as Jessica, because John deserved to see Jessica one last time before he went.

The FitBit gag was hilarious and I loved Shaw offing Blackwell, though his storyline definitely went nowhere. I loved the score tonight (though I agree that once again the music was often too loud). The thematic connections all the way back to S1, where Reese said to Jessica "In the end we're all alone. And no one's coming to save you" were solid tonight, with the whole "everyone dies alone but...maybe you never really die" message, that if you love someone enough, they never really leave you and vice versa (thanks Harry Potter!). Fusco lived, he's the show's cockroach, hee. Oh, and Bear lived and ends up with Tiny Hammer Lady, of course. I do kind of like the idea of Shaw and Fusco teaming up, because they've always been a great pair.

Overall, I think the show almost nailed it, but didn't quite get there. Which is kind of the story of all of S5. The show's high point will remain S3-S4A, and the best episodes TDS and If-Then-Else. Though this episode was better than I was expecting tbh...it's probably Top 10 for the show.

Quote

Instead of the anonymous kid at the cemetery holding the flag,  I wish it had been Carter's kid at her funeral. 

That was young John Reese at his father's funeral.

Quote

Who was Shaw referring to when she told Blackwell that "they" all died, that "they" wouldn't have wanted her to kill him?  Aside from Carter, wasn't John the only one who died?  Finch and Fusco were the obvious ones, but they didn't die.  I thought that was kind of a cheap misdirection, and it wasn't really necessary in such a rich episode.

Shaw and Fusco think Finch and Reese are both dead, though. Plus Root. As far as Shaw knows, only Fusco is still alive.

[immortalfrieza]

10 minutes ago, stealinghome said:

1) The pacing in this was HUGELY rushed. HUGELY. The first 15 minutes were entirely unnecessary and made the rest of the episode--the good stuff--feel compressed. The show should have started with the scene of everyone meeting at the subway for one last planning meeting and saying their goodbyes. Shaw at Root's grave, much as I appreciated it, and Reese/Fusco at the precinct/the water was literally pointless. Then the rest of the episode had to fly by so fast it couldn't quite achieve epic status. Which is especially unsatisfying given that, when the episode DID slow down (see below), it really was emotional.

3) The show has been building up to a The Machine-Samaritan direct fight for like 3 seasons...it should have lasted more than 5 freaking seconds. Having the Ice-9 virus basically be the thing to take down Samaritan makes all the "how empowered should we make The Machine?" debates anticlimactic.

 

The whole season was definitely rushed, and the fact that Team Machine had to resort to something as painfully obvious and anticlimactic as a computer virus to kill Samaritan was one epic asspull of an ending, like I predicted they would have no other choice but to resort to last season with how ridiculously overpowered the show built Samaritan up to be. I doubt things would have been much less rushed if they had a whole season, but it definitely would have helped the whole Deus Ex Machina (literally) of the whole thing.

Edited June 22, 2016 by immortalfrieza

[valen]

10 minutes ago, stealinghome said:

So, I have mixed feelings on this episode. As an episode itself, I thought it was pretty solid. But as a series finale? I find myself somewhat unsatisfied. Maybe it was because I pretty much called from the start who would die, and that we'd get Finch Dark Knight Rising it with Grace in Italy, but...I just didn't find that an entirely satisfying finale.

1) The pacing in this was HUGELY rushed. HUGELY. The first 15 minutes were entirely unnecessary and made the rest of the episode--the good stuff--feel compressed. The show should have started with the scene of everyone meeting at the subway for one last planning meeting and saying their goodbyes. Shaw at Root's grave, much as I appreciated it, and Reese/Fusco at the precinct/the water was literally pointless. Then the rest of the episode had to fly by so fast it couldn't quite achieve epic status. Which is especially unsatisfying given that, when the episode DID slow down (see below), it really was emotional.

2) I am really irritated that Finch lived and got his HEA with Grace. Going into this season I wanted him to live, but Finch has just been SO frustrating this season that at this point, I personally don't feel he deserved to live. Not when Root and Reese (and Elias) are all dead because Finch wouldn't get off his ass until the bodies were literally falling around him. Pretty much everything that happened with Samaritan, certainly since S5 began, is his fault, and he lives? Reese is my least favorite character, but imo it's fundamentally unfair that he was the one to die and Finch lived. The karmic scales feel really, really off here. If anyone was gonna die, should've been Finch.

3) The show has been building up to a The Machine-Samaritan direct fight for like 3 seasons...it should have lasted more than 5 freaking seconds. Having the Ice-9 virus basically be the thing to take down Samaritan makes all the "how empowered should we make The Machine?" debates anticlimactic.

4) The idea of Shaw having to listen to a Machine that's Single White Female-ing Root for the rest of eternity is...kind of creepy. Not sure I like that ending for Shaw.

5) I don't know that I loved the decision to have The Machine embodying itself as Root for most of the episode. It was really affecting in the scene where TM put her hand on wee!John's shoulder and then we flashed to The Machine putting her shoulder on adult!Reese's shoulder as he died, but for the rest of the episode, it seemed a bit too much to me. The Machine works best when it's humanized but not human...part of me feels they made it too human tonight. And overall, I wonder if they should have had some of The Machine's stuff tonight in the last episode, and let tonight focus on the remaining characters more.

6) We spent way too much time with the rando cops who gave the "Everybody dies alone BUT" speech.

 

Okay, there were definitely some good things. Hands down the most emotional scenes were Reese and Finch's goodbyes and The Machine giving Shaw Root's message. Shahi just nailed Shaw's reaction to hearing Root's message, delivered in Root's voice--just nailed it. Some of the best acting she's done on the show. And Root's "you were a straight line. And arrow" really gets to the heart of who Shaw was as a character. For the first, while it was totally cliche (and a little ridiculous from adjacent rooftops!), Finch and Reese's goodbye did tug on my heartstrings, though I also feel it was one of the victims of compression--it felt like that should have been longer. (Also I call bs on Reese's whole "after saving the world, one person at a time seemed anticlimactic" thing, he took to working the numbers like a duck to water immediately.) I liked how Reese went out, with a little smile on his face, but goodness, did we need to see him carved up quite so much before he went? Though again, I loved when we saw The Machine put her hand on his shoulder, with him until she went offline--but I also wish they'd been able to get Susan Misner back as Jessica, because John deserved to see Jessica one last time before he went.

The FitBit gag was hilarious and I loved Shaw offing Blackwell, though his storyline definitely went nowhere. I loved the score tonight (though I agree that once again the music was often too loud). The thematic connections all the way back to S1, where Reese said to Jessica "In the end we're all alone. And no one's coming to save you" were solid tonight, with the whole "everyone dies alone but...maybe you never really die" message, that if you love someone enough, they never really leave you and vice versa (thanks Harry Potter!). Fusco lived, he's the show's cockroach, hee. Oh, and Bear lived and ends up with Tiny Hammer Lady, of course. I do kind of like the idea of Shaw and Fusco teaming up, because they've always been a great pair.

Overall, I think the show almost nailed it, but didn't quite get there. Which is kind of the story of all of S5. The show's high point will remain S3-S4A, and the best episodes TDS and If-Then-Else. Though this episode was better than I was expecting tbh...it's probably Top 10 for the show.

That was young John Reese at his father's funeral.

Shaw and Fusco think Finch and Reese are both dead, though. Plus Root. As far as Shaw knows, only Fusco is still alive.

I also don't think Fusco would mind her killing Blackwell, so really, all the people that would stop her, as far as she knows, are dead.

[AlwaysWatching]

Yes. Yes. I cried! I admit it.  All that dying alone stuff and that fact that love, kindness and helping others can keep you from truly dying at all....::sniff::

It was so moving when Root/Machine was telling how she has watched everyone die and that she really didn't know anything about anyone until their very last moment. I do think the young boy she kept going back to was a young Reese.  But, I didn't see the first year or so of POI, so I don't know the backstory on Reese.  But she touched his shoulder the same way she did with Reese on the roof right before his last moment.

I guess we are to assume that TM finally did beat Samaritan at the satellite and did make "her" way back to power up again.  When Shaw answered the phone booth phone at the very end, I just took it that TM was back and that it still had Root's voice.  I have no idea if they meant to imply that the game was on once again. 

I'm still in shock from a surprise ending on another show I LOVED.  This ending felt very good.  Thanks to all involved both in front and behind the cameras.

[DarkRaichu]

I am still processing if I like this end or not.

Reese went out the way he wanted was hard to watch.  Although when the 3 Samaritan agents shot him the CGI blood was so obviously painted on and was distracting.  When Machine said Reese and it had long standing agreement, my mind went back to the end of season 3 where both Reese and Root picked up the phones in train station.  Root became analog interface but they never mentioned what Reese heard over the phone.
I loved the flashback to John's childhood.  The woman by the kid clearly called him John

I think Finch died on that rooftop and Harold DASHWOOD was the one standing in front of Grace.  Although I could not imagine Harold would retire.  He is too smart not  to figure out somehow that the machine is back.

Fusco being alive was not a surprise after what they did last episode.  So he survived mutated flu virus, building collapse, being shot at, and getting stabbed all in 1 season.  Long live Fusco! :)

TBH, Shaw becoming the new analog interface was hinted in the protect the Potus episode.  Not sure if I am ok with her killing Blackwell though.  After all these years with TM, Harold's no kill policy still has not rubbed off on her.

 

I could buy Machine defeating Samaritan on the satellite since this was the version after Root's upgrade.  The version losing 10000000 to 0 in Faraday cage match was prior to Root's upgrade. 

[DEM]

1 hour ago, mjc570 said:

Who was Shaw referring to when she told Blackwell that "they" all died, that "they" wouldn't have wanted her to kill him?

I had a different take on this than others did here. Shaw wasn't honestly talking about Team Machine; she was toying with Blackwell. Like, "this is the speech you would hear if your life were a movie, but PSYCH!" *blam blam*

Edited June 22, 2016 by DEM

[pennben]

For a second at the beginning, I thought it was ultimately going to be a speech to us, the audience, and I was going to be really annoyed. I still think they wanted that moment of "so what are you going to do", but I'm glad they moved away from the lesson for all of us ending.

[juliet73]

I'm confused... How could that kid at the cemetery be young Reese?  The machine wasn't even thought of at that time so how could it be present for his father's death?  I'm tired....

[bros402]

1. That episode needed to be 90 minutes. It was a great episode, but it couldn't been amazing with a bit more time to help with pacing.

2. For people complaining about how anti-climactic the fight was... that would probably be how long it would be, it is two beings infinitely more intelligent than us battling in a manner of microseconds.

3. I rather enjoyed Carrie Preston's acting at the end.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

My biggest disappointment with the finale: no Leon!

I loved that both Harold and Reese were determined to sacrifice themselves to save the other.

My favorite exchange of the night:
Reese: Try not to die.
Fusco: Yeah, I love you, too.

Also loved that both Fusco and Shaw think that Bear belongs to them. I hope they work out a custody agreement so he can see them both. Poor Bear is going to miss Reese and Harold.

I'm glad that most of the team made it to the end.

I, too, thought that Shaw might try to bring Blackwell onto the team (especially since what she and John did before working with Harold was about the same) but I was fine with her killing him. He killed her Root and she couldn't let him live which is totally in character for her.

[scrambled eggs]

2 hours ago, MDL said:

Also, when "Root" told Shaw what she thought of her – the comment about the straight-line – I thought Sarah S did a great job of showing Shaw's true emotion with subtle facial reactions.

I started crying there and didn't stop until the next commercial break. I'm really glad that Shaw and Root were able to have closure, via The Machine. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

6 hours ago, Gigi43 said:

I want to know already what happens... and yet, I don't.  I'm trying to remember the last show I was anticipating like this; it might have been Angel's finale.

Hard to believe that was TWELVE years ago! "I kinda want to slay a dragon." (although this may be more appropriate: "'I'm feeling grief for him. I can't seem to control it. I wish to do more violence.")

[yellowfred]

So, I really liked this episode.  All things considered, it was much more contemplative than I was expecting it to be, which is particularly fitting, since I could say the same thing about the show itself.  

Personally, I really liked Finch going off to be with Grace.  It worked, for me, on a number of levels.  On the one hand, it's him stepping away from the Machine and trusting Her to do good in his absence.  It's also a move towards him letting himself be happy, which I, personally, think he deserves.  On top of that, there's the fact that John and Root and a number of other people have died to keep him alive, so throwing away his life, the way he seemed to want to, would have been a pretty hollow way to honor that sacrifice.  Plus, it fit well with the way the episode put so much emphasis on the importance of human connection.  Harold spent a very long time trying to avoid connecting with people after he lost Nathan; becoming so close with John (and the others) was a happy accident.  So, having him actively seek a connection after losing John felt, to me, like a satisfying conclusion to his journey.

I also particularly loved the idea of Shaw continuing to work the numbers.  Like, just in general, I like it when series finales give you a sense that things will continue, even if they're changed, and having Shaw working the numbers as the new Interface for the new Machine seems like a fitting way to do that.  Also, with the idea that keeping people's memory alive, in a way, keeps them alive, Shaw is keeping John's memory and Root's and Harold's (even though Harold isn't actually dead, but she doesn't know that).  So, for me, it makes perfect sense for her to be the final shot of the series, because she's now the keeper of their legacy.

2 hours ago, MDL said:

Also, when "Root" told Shaw what she thought of her – the comment about the straight-line – I thought Sarah S did a great job of showing Shaw's true emotion with subtle facial reactions.

Oh, man, that scene wrecked me and she played that moment so perfectly.  Both the line itself and the way she reacted to it conveyed so much genuine love and understanding.  Like, I'm not sure I could ever explain to a person who didn't watch this show how a statement like "if you were a shape, you'd be a straight line" could be romantic at all, and yet it's so weirdly perfect for them that I almost screamed.  

I also love the fact that the show made time, with everything else going on, to address the idea that Shaw felt insecure about her inability to grieve the way she thought she was supposed to.  She tried to say goodbye at Root's grave and it just felt wrong, because she was trying to perform it the way she thought she should.  Then, Root's message sort of gave her permission, in a way, to grieve in whatever way felt right to her, because Root understood her in that way and loved her for it.  So, instead, she said goodbye to Root while looking at the Machine, which is kind of extra fitting for both of them.  

Plus, it sort of confirmed my theory that Root spent a significant amount of time talking out loud to the Machine about her feelings for Shaw, because that's probably too specific a statement for the Machine to have figured it out any other way.

52 minutes ago, DEM said:

I had a different take on this than others did here. Shaw wasn't honestly talking about Team Machine; she was toying with Blackwell. Like, "this is the speech you would hear if your life were a movie, but PSYCH!" *blam blam*

That was actually how I read the scene, too.  Like, she wanted to see him look hopeful for a second before she killed him.  Shaw's kind of a little shit sometimes; it's part of why I love her.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I liked the reminder that no one is ever truly gone if they have touched someone else's life or helped someone else. Of course, it also reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry says essentially the same thing to Susan's parents (because he watched Star Trek 2 the night before) and George gets roped into working for her foundation so I had to laugh a little bit.