It's all code to me
May. 26th, 2014 08:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessThe weekend featured me catching up with the last four episodes of Person of Interest season 2. So it got very intense.
POI 2.19 Trojan Horse
Such a lot happened here.
So, the NOTW was an exceptional black woman tech executive, emphasised by her male assistant, and along with Reese, I thought Harold had a little crush and was very amused by Reese teasing Finch about it. Nice to see him cruise by as an IT expert among experts.
It seemed she wasn’t the only Number in town and that the Machine was glitchy, but no. Hi, Shaw and your sense of mission! 10 points for finding the library.
I presumed Elias’s ghostly opponent was Root (but they might link the city-wide conspiracies with the global one). And now Shaw is going after her for revenge, and while, physically, Shaw might be able to handle her, Root is smart. (And together, they’re female mirrors of Reese and Finch.)
Though it was all really intense between Carter, Cal and Fuscoe, I didn’t remember if we ever knew who Cal was working for. Did we know he was the HR boss’s godson? Nice to see the boss end up making the call to eliminate rather than remove Cal, rather than his lieutenant, who’d seemed the most bloodthirsty initially. Okay, not nice, nice, but typical of the reveals of this episode. Meanwhile Lionel was murkily mainly trying to protect himself, but also Carter a little, though he underestimated her doggedness with less excuse than the HR boss had for underestimated Cal. Though Beecher really should have made a move after Elias (after all, he’s a chess-playing CRIMELORD) warned him. Poor Joss.
(Also, oh BEAR! The stupid security guards could have shot him! He likes sofas and Shaw. Please don’t put him in the line of fire, idiot, irresponsible owners!)
Although there was a lot of exposition to remind us, because I was grateful for some of it, I’m not going to whine, and then they really moved stuff on in this episode – certainly by the end.
Because no, rather than it being a whole country, rather than a company having infiltrated Monica’s company, came the reveal that they were the group that Stanton worked for/with. I had twigged that before it was revealed. Ditto that it wasn’t Ross who was the man behind the first killing.
And then came the reveal that this group was targeting the Machine, and it was suggested that they’d been partially successful by the new flash of a screen full of binary that appeared in this episode.
But finally, let’s end on being annoyed with the English baddie assuming the hacker was a man. I mean, it was, it was Harold – genius to have them literally cross paths – but it could have been a woman (like Root). Humph.
Harold totally owns the company Monica is going to go work for, doesn’t he? It would be good if a couple of the NOTWs they’ve saved and he’s employed come back into the story and help them out. Seeing as the show is being THIS ambitious, why not?
I was really impressed with how things developed in this episode.
Life and Demand Five meant I couldn't see what happened next immediately after.
2.20 In Extremis
Bad timing from the Machine? Well, it gave the NOTW a countdown before dying, which was different. I don’t have much to say about the last day to live or the ‘mission’, although it later occurred to me that it paralleled Lionel facing a day of reckoning.
For the main thing about this episode was that Beecher’s death and Fusco’s behaviour previously brought his HR chickens home to roost. And it was worse than I thought, or let myself think, because Kevin Chapman has managed to make Fusco endearing, even when we knew the facts about him, so I really felt for Carter when she said it was complicated. Stills was his friend, sure, but he traded on that for a very dubious favour, and Lionel was weak and trapped. But we know how hard he has tried to make amends...
I am confused about why Carter now has Bear (to protect her or him? Or is the library compromised?), but the price for Fusco is to help her find Beecher’s killer – and Mr I’ll Quote from Plato Also was COLD, so it’ll be satisfying if they do.
But mainly, the MACHINE! It’s all broke now, and I thought they made great use of the coming-up with the numbers too late as build up for the crisis, with Harold has recognised the scale of more than Reese. Up until now.
Again, all very exciting.
2.21 Zero Day
Oh, poor Machine.
Also, Bear was back with Harold. Huh.
So much to unpick! This is not the review that does that. This is mainly my running reaction as I stayed up late, for me, to watch it.
No wonder they sent Fusco away on a case with nearly every other returning character returning.
I loved how they continued to show the Machine’s brokenness in the insert and the switch to days rather than using dates.
So I presume Nathan Ingram (ooh, who knew about his real name and hacking past) was on the drugs because he’d started going after Names of the Week.
You might not be a sociopath (you say) Root, but I don’t blame anyone for not trusting you.
We got to see the first time Harold went into the library! And the way there.
Carter, how’s your cop senses? Or luck.
Finch, what have you done to your AI Machine? Root’s description of it as limping was painful.
But we the audience have seen that it clearly does have memories. So, I’m confused.
And of course Finch provided the laptop to (one set of) the badguys (not that I guessed that he had, but I really wasn’t surprised when it turned out that he had). But he needs to explain himself.
Ha, Harold really didn’t like hearing that bit about ‘it was like it was waiting to do it.’
I made noises at the news that Nathan was the last ‘irrelevant’ number the Machine threw up under the old system.
But of course The Phonecall wasn’t what it seemed, and of course Harold could reconnect The Real Phonecall. And he trusted John to take it.
!?!?!?!? but brilliant fun to watch.
And even though I’m all ‘aww!Machine, it imprinted on Harold and set him up with Grace’, it was viciously amusing, given Finch’s general disregard for privacy, that he tried his hardest to get it for the proposal, which worked charmingly at the remove, anyway.
2.22 God Mode
Excellent!
There was Root thinking she was the Admin, but watching the Machine interact with John, who put Finch first and trusted him, even when, as Shaw pointed out, there were good reasons not to...(and the payback being when Ingram accused Harold of not trusting anyone, but he did trust Reese – well, more than most, anyway...).
And in the meantime, Carter was being HRd (although you just knew that man would regret referencing Cal, let alone threatening her son or calling her a girl).
I loved the way all the threads came together – because that looked like ‘the Russians’ whom Elias and Carter were whining about that Reese and Shaw dealt with – as we had a glimpse of Finch after the leg injury and losing Ingram. And then we went back in flashback to find out how he got to the point where he took on Ingram’s mission.
And I’m just really impressed by how all this stuff has been developed and the timing of the reveals. Throughout, you still had the sense that Finch knew more than he was showing, but were also aware that the Machine had its own agenda too.
I snickered at how conspicuous the Shaw and Reesemobile was.
Ah, Root wanted to protect Finch. But he ‘betrayed’ her. Or didn’t quite share her vision.
Meanwhile, the Elias scene was a brilliant distillation of his storyline, and it was awful-wonderful that Carter was forced by her situation to save him because of the role he plays, and that he holds some things as dear. Murky.
And I also snickered at how Reese and Shaw got the medivac. So along with mysteries and some solutions, we also had thrills.
So, Finch had done what Root threatened to do – set the Machine free. So, there was the pay-off that he trusted the Machine!
Actually watching the way that the relevant number the Machine had given up (dubious though it was) was allowed to injure and kill to remove one man and then Harold run and hide from Grace (well, hobble) was heartbreaking.
The guy who ‘sealed the room’ and his total blank face at the new orders (I hope “Ma’am” turns out to be brilliant) was dismaying, because he did have a chance after what Reese told him, and Shaw took her chance to take another path.
So, although Reese found out his girl (whose name I honestly never remember) was a Number, he had enough perspective, enough of a grasp of the bigger picture, which Root accused him of not having, to forgive. TYPICAL that Finch let Reese know that he knew what he did with the money. Those two and their unique boundaries.
But it’s utterly fascinating that the Machine chose to contact the Government, Finch and Reese, and Root – well, at least it got her out of her stunned depression.
Season 2 has been very good, I wonder if they can keep it up for season 3.
POI 2.19 Trojan Horse
Such a lot happened here.
So, the NOTW was an exceptional black woman tech executive, emphasised by her male assistant, and along with Reese, I thought Harold had a little crush and was very amused by Reese teasing Finch about it. Nice to see him cruise by as an IT expert among experts.
It seemed she wasn’t the only Number in town and that the Machine was glitchy, but no. Hi, Shaw and your sense of mission! 10 points for finding the library.
I presumed Elias’s ghostly opponent was Root (but they might link the city-wide conspiracies with the global one). And now Shaw is going after her for revenge, and while, physically, Shaw might be able to handle her, Root is smart. (And together, they’re female mirrors of Reese and Finch.)
Though it was all really intense between Carter, Cal and Fuscoe, I didn’t remember if we ever knew who Cal was working for. Did we know he was the HR boss’s godson? Nice to see the boss end up making the call to eliminate rather than remove Cal, rather than his lieutenant, who’d seemed the most bloodthirsty initially. Okay, not nice, nice, but typical of the reveals of this episode. Meanwhile Lionel was murkily mainly trying to protect himself, but also Carter a little, though he underestimated her doggedness with less excuse than the HR boss had for underestimated Cal. Though Beecher really should have made a move after Elias (after all, he’s a chess-playing CRIMELORD) warned him. Poor Joss.
(Also, oh BEAR! The stupid security guards could have shot him! He likes sofas and Shaw. Please don’t put him in the line of fire, idiot, irresponsible owners!)
Although there was a lot of exposition to remind us, because I was grateful for some of it, I’m not going to whine, and then they really moved stuff on in this episode – certainly by the end.
Because no, rather than it being a whole country, rather than a company having infiltrated Monica’s company, came the reveal that they were the group that Stanton worked for/with. I had twigged that before it was revealed. Ditto that it wasn’t Ross who was the man behind the first killing.
And then came the reveal that this group was targeting the Machine, and it was suggested that they’d been partially successful by the new flash of a screen full of binary that appeared in this episode.
But finally, let’s end on being annoyed with the English baddie assuming the hacker was a man. I mean, it was, it was Harold – genius to have them literally cross paths – but it could have been a woman (like Root). Humph.
Harold totally owns the company Monica is going to go work for, doesn’t he? It would be good if a couple of the NOTWs they’ve saved and he’s employed come back into the story and help them out. Seeing as the show is being THIS ambitious, why not?
I was really impressed with how things developed in this episode.
Life and Demand Five meant I couldn't see what happened next immediately after.
2.20 In Extremis
Bad timing from the Machine? Well, it gave the NOTW a countdown before dying, which was different. I don’t have much to say about the last day to live or the ‘mission’, although it later occurred to me that it paralleled Lionel facing a day of reckoning.
For the main thing about this episode was that Beecher’s death and Fusco’s behaviour previously brought his HR chickens home to roost. And it was worse than I thought, or let myself think, because Kevin Chapman has managed to make Fusco endearing, even when we knew the facts about him, so I really felt for Carter when she said it was complicated. Stills was his friend, sure, but he traded on that for a very dubious favour, and Lionel was weak and trapped. But we know how hard he has tried to make amends...
I am confused about why Carter now has Bear (to protect her or him? Or is the library compromised?), but the price for Fusco is to help her find Beecher’s killer – and Mr I’ll Quote from Plato Also was COLD, so it’ll be satisfying if they do.
But mainly, the MACHINE! It’s all broke now, and I thought they made great use of the coming-up with the numbers too late as build up for the crisis, with Harold has recognised the scale of more than Reese. Up until now.
Again, all very exciting.
2.21 Zero Day
Oh, poor Machine.
Also, Bear was back with Harold. Huh.
So much to unpick! This is not the review that does that. This is mainly my running reaction as I stayed up late, for me, to watch it.
No wonder they sent Fusco away on a case with nearly every other returning character returning.
I loved how they continued to show the Machine’s brokenness in the insert and the switch to days rather than using dates.
So I presume Nathan Ingram (ooh, who knew about his real name and hacking past) was on the drugs because he’d started going after Names of the Week.
You might not be a sociopath (you say) Root, but I don’t blame anyone for not trusting you.
We got to see the first time Harold went into the library! And the way there.
Carter, how’s your cop senses? Or luck.
Finch, what have you done to your AI Machine? Root’s description of it as limping was painful.
But we the audience have seen that it clearly does have memories. So, I’m confused.
And of course Finch provided the laptop to (one set of) the badguys (not that I guessed that he had, but I really wasn’t surprised when it turned out that he had). But he needs to explain himself.
Ha, Harold really didn’t like hearing that bit about ‘it was like it was waiting to do it.’
I made noises at the news that Nathan was the last ‘irrelevant’ number the Machine threw up under the old system.
But of course The Phonecall wasn’t what it seemed, and of course Harold could reconnect The Real Phonecall. And he trusted John to take it.
!?!?!?!? but brilliant fun to watch.
And even though I’m all ‘aww!Machine, it imprinted on Harold and set him up with Grace’, it was viciously amusing, given Finch’s general disregard for privacy, that he tried his hardest to get it for the proposal, which worked charmingly at the remove, anyway.
2.22 God Mode
Excellent!
There was Root thinking she was the Admin, but watching the Machine interact with John, who put Finch first and trusted him, even when, as Shaw pointed out, there were good reasons not to...(and the payback being when Ingram accused Harold of not trusting anyone, but he did trust Reese – well, more than most, anyway...).
And in the meantime, Carter was being HRd (although you just knew that man would regret referencing Cal, let alone threatening her son or calling her a girl).
I loved the way all the threads came together – because that looked like ‘the Russians’ whom Elias and Carter were whining about that Reese and Shaw dealt with – as we had a glimpse of Finch after the leg injury and losing Ingram. And then we went back in flashback to find out how he got to the point where he took on Ingram’s mission.
And I’m just really impressed by how all this stuff has been developed and the timing of the reveals. Throughout, you still had the sense that Finch knew more than he was showing, but were also aware that the Machine had its own agenda too.
I snickered at how conspicuous the Shaw and Reesemobile was.
Ah, Root wanted to protect Finch. But he ‘betrayed’ her. Or didn’t quite share her vision.
Meanwhile, the Elias scene was a brilliant distillation of his storyline, and it was awful-wonderful that Carter was forced by her situation to save him because of the role he plays, and that he holds some things as dear. Murky.
And I also snickered at how Reese and Shaw got the medivac. So along with mysteries and some solutions, we also had thrills.
So, Finch had done what Root threatened to do – set the Machine free. So, there was the pay-off that he trusted the Machine!
Actually watching the way that the relevant number the Machine had given up (dubious though it was) was allowed to injure and kill to remove one man and then Harold run and hide from Grace (well, hobble) was heartbreaking.
The guy who ‘sealed the room’ and his total blank face at the new orders (I hope “Ma’am” turns out to be brilliant) was dismaying, because he did have a chance after what Reese told him, and Shaw took her chance to take another path.
So, although Reese found out his girl (whose name I honestly never remember) was a Number, he had enough perspective, enough of a grasp of the bigger picture, which Root accused him of not having, to forgive. TYPICAL that Finch let Reese know that he knew what he did with the money. Those two and their unique boundaries.
But it’s utterly fascinating that the Machine chose to contact the Government, Finch and Reese, and Root – well, at least it got her out of her stunned depression.
Season 2 has been very good, I wonder if they can keep it up for season 3.
