Contributor: Edmund B.
Written by Melissa Scrivner-Love
Directed by Jeffrey Hunt
“Person of Interest” returns to its tried and true format after the high-wire shenanigans of the two-part premiere. But even in a case-of-the-week, the show keeps building on its basic template, layering in character development for the principals and the numbers themselves. As the new credits indicate, the team has officially expanded and is operating in concert, at last. Which is a good thing, because, given the loose threads that are re-emerging, they’re going to need all hands on deck very soon.
This episode’s number starts off as extremely superficial. Protecting a Brazilian diplomat’s spoiled daughter is pretty standard bodyguard stuff. The fun is in seeing Reese out-maneuver his competition and then his charge. What is a departure is the bond Reese develops with Sophia in a purely protective, not creepily romantic, vein. Reese’s stone cold façade has crumbled. He now cares as much about getting a number on the right track as ensuring they live to see another day. The show’s far from turning into “Quantum Leap”, even if Sam, Al, and Ziggy do superficially resemble Reese, Finch, and the Machine, but it’s a nice evolution for Reese.
Meanwhile, Finch has some demons to battle in the wake of his abduction. He has always made his way in the shadows. Being thrust head-long into the world has whiplashed him into post-traumatic agoraphobia. Luckily, Reese has picked up Bear during Finch’s absence. At ComicCon, Michael Emerson invoked W.C. Field’s line about never working with babies or animals, and he was right. Finch’s slow acceptance of his canine companion is a lot of fun, but Bear will up-stage him every time. Reese’s palpable concern for the man who has become his friend is another sign of their growth together. It was good to see the mutual respect at the end, even if they can’t agree on what they’re drinking.
This is the first time we see the newly integrated team back on home turf. It was a huge relief to get past the deceptions and manipulations of Carter and Fusco in last season’s finale. The team feels much more natural with that out of the way. They can actually indulge in some relaxed banter, like Carter taking out the last guy in the bar after Reese has overstayed his four minutes. The much put-upon Fusco gets his moment, too, when Sophia’s giggles turn into an unexpectedly positive appraisal. And the final take-down of the drug dealer pulling the strings was a complete team effort, not just them cleaning up after John.
The ongoing story gets its due, too. The Alicia Corwin investigation gets more interesting, as a new player enters the game. Agent Snow’s appearance at the morgue, sporting his new limp, heralded the return of Kara Stanton. Now that Amy Acker has erased my disappointment that Stanton wasn’t Root, I am giddy at the prospects for mayhem that ensue from throwing Stanton into the mix with Washington, Root, and our intrepid team. It adds yet another layer to a show that operates on so many levels, from the procedural to the sublime.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Directing: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Total Score: 9/10