Contributor: Edmund B.
Finch: “Who’d want to take her out?”
Reese: “Who wouldn’t?”
“Person of Interest” has conjured a number of comparisons since its premiere. I’ve seen echoes of “The Equalizer”. In our discussions on the Critical Myth podcast, John saw Reese and Finch mirroring Batman and Bruce Wayne. One influence I hadn’t considered was Sherlock Holmes. That is, until this episode, “The Fix”, where we meet Zoe Morgan (Paige Turco), a character who most definitely and deliciously evokes Irene Adler, Holmes adversary and paramour.
I’m not adding this show to the recent transpositions or updates, like “House” or “Sherlock”. Our two heroes do not fit the traditional Holmesian roles. Finch’s limp may recall Watson’s war injury, but he is certainly not the holder of the gun. Reese is a master of tactics, once faced with a situation, but his deductions tend towards the conventional and are often incorrect. However, there is a third player in the mix, the Machine, which does evince Holmes’ powers of observation and deduction. What we have here is a borrowing of elements, an homage, which this latest number fits right into.
It’s good to see Reese and Finch continuing to evolve as a team. They handle Reese’s introduction to Ms. Morgan, as her new driver, seamlessly, while she shows us she’s takes nothing for granted. We also learn Reese has been teaching Finch some field skills. Ms. Morgan shows off some skills of her own, and, after she picks up a street gun, Reese jumps to his latest erroneous conclusion, that she’s a hit-woman. Naturally, that’s wrong. She turns out to be a high-end fixer, retrieving a cop’s lost gun. Reese is immediately smitten, but this is just the prelude to the main assignment, the one that will put her in danger.
In a plot-line that I know will infuriate some (or, at least, John), Big Pharma is the villain of the piece. She is hired to retrieve a recording implicating an executive, who doesn’t want his indiscretion getting back to his father-in-law, the CEO of the company. An affair is implied, but, when her employer tries to kill both her and Reese, we know something more is involved.
In a variation on the classic story, Reese rescues bad-ass girl, Reese loses bad-ass girl, bad-ass girl comes back, but only on her own terms. Zoe and Reese have fabulous chemistry. It’s a joy watching these two equals work the case. Finch uses his wealth to work the case from another angle, as a major new investor in the firm. This is another natural evolution of their methods, a perfect role for Finch, and, eventually, the means of bringing down the company.
The show may be falling into a bit of a rut regarding the people of interest. Only in the pilot has the person been an unadulterated villain. Since then, they may do bad things, but due to mitigating factors or misplaced loyalties. Given the timing, I do wonder if the network suggested the targets should tend towards the ‘heart-of-gold’ variety. Even in this episode, they had the opportunity to present Zoe Morgan as a much more mercenary and amoral character. Instead, her moment of betrayal is mitigated immediately by her slipping Reese his means of escape. For a show that makes a point of saying the Machine finds victims or perpetrators, it would behoove them to throw some out-and-out baddies into the mix.
But perhaps they’re saving all that for the Big Bad lurking in the wings. Through all of this, Detective Carter is off on her own tangent, ably assisted by Dan Hedaya, always a welcome addition. She thinks she’s still on Reese’s trail, as a knife from the stolen evidence box shows up in the chest of a Mafia enforcer. Unfortunately, the audience knows that robbery was not masterminded by Reese, but our mystery man. Having her track down the man who may turn out to be their evil analog (their Moriarty, perhaps?) does serve to advance the plot, but it seems an odd choice after establishing her as Reese’s nemesis. I still think Reese should be hunting this guy, probably over Finch’s objections, seeking vengeance for the killings after the robbery.
That said, these last few episodes have done a great job establishing the team’s methods and introducing more supporting players. Now that CBS has picked them up for the full season, I look forward to seeing what they have in store. And, along with Mr. Reese, I fervently hope that, unlike Irene Adler’s solo appearance, those plans include a return engagement with Zoe Morgan.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Total: 8/10