Person of Interest Series Review

Person of Interest (2011-2016)

Season 1 - 23 episodes (2011-12)
Season 2 - 22 episodes (2012-13)
Season 3 - 23 episodes (2013-14)
Season 4 - 22 episodes (2014-15)
Season 5 - 13 episodes (2016)
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Created by: Jonathan Nolan
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman, Amy Acker, Sarah Shahi, John Nolan, Enrico Colantoni
Rated: TV-14
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Plot
Off-the-grid and presumed-dead former CIA agent John Reese is hired by mysterious tech billionaire and software genius Harold Finch to prevent violent crimes before they happen in New York City via an advanced surveillance AI.

Verdict
This series does such a great job of continuing to build the story as each season broadens the scope. This starts with two guys trying to save people and by season four it's a battle against two opposing AIs. The show makes the transition so well it's not even a leap. This mixes case of the week with the larger ongoing story of government surveillance, and I enjoyed this from the beginning. The concept and characters remain engaging. The mix of story structure always kept my interest as the case of the week episodes developed the characters and their backstory. The final season is my least favorite; it's not the show's fault for being canceled and trying to rush to a conclusion. This show goes for it, telling a big story that only grows with each season.
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Review
What piqued my interest for this show was the description that this started as a procedural but evolved into a science fiction drama. Due to an early cancellation, the planned fifth and sixth seasons were compressed into just a thirteen episode fifth season. It's unfortunate as every season of this show managed to include so much story. It's a case of what could have been. The final season understandably disappoints.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first season and couldn't wait to get back to the show. It's ahead of its time with cameras and surveillance tracking everyone. This is a show likely borne from the paranoia of the 9-11 attacks. Even more surprising is that Snowden didn't release the NSA information until 2013, two years after this show premiered. What this show posited as future science fiction was actually happening. Creator Nolan stated that he wasn't prescient. News stories had already released that the government was spying on the public at a massive scale.

S1: Michael Emerson plays Harold Finch

John Reese (Jim Caviezel) is a washed up operative living on the street. It's a deliberate choice as it's hinted he lost someone. He's bailed out by Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) who claims to have the ability to predict crime before it happens. He just needs someone like Reese that can get the job done. There's a lot of questions, chiefly how Finch does it. The information is generated by a machine Finch built but to which he no longer has access. With each episode Reese and Finch either have to protect or apprehend someone. They don't know which and sometimes it switches when they realize they're presumed victim is actually a perpetrator.

It's basically a grounded Batman premise. Their super power is Finch's sizable wealth. Money gives them access to everything. I was surprised at how engaging each episode is. We get these two guys that have a past that's revealed piece by piece as they fight crime high tech style. Reese lost someone and Finch was part of a company that created this software. Finch did all the work but had a friend act as the front. Later in the season they've befriended Carter (Taraji P. Henson), a cop devoted to the job that doesn't like their vigilantism but appreciates justice. The relationship is mutually beneficial as she feeds them info and they provide her with criminals.

S1: Jim Caviezel plays John Reese

One thing I appreciate is that procedurals often fall into the trap of the same setup every episode, just changing the story. This never starts the same way. While it's a lot of episodes, this feels like multiple seasons compared to contemporary seasons that are ten episodes or less. We get the initial setup, the cop that becomes their ally, a formidable foe for Finch, the CIA chasing Reese, and even a mobster, Elias (Enrico Colantoni). He's setup throughout the season before we know it and he has a comic book like arc where he hides in plain sight before making his move.

I hadn't wanted to binge a show like this in a while. I couldn't wait to see what happens next and learn more about these characters. They and actors do a great job. Each story has a moral question to it. While Reese and Finch work outside of the law, it's an effort to save people. Despite all the work they do, they still don't quite trust each other. The final episode of season one is the big finale where Reese is cornered by the cops and feds. All his acquaintances must pitch in to help him escape the situation.

I immensely enjoyed the first season. It's a great premise, and nearly every episode  builds a broader story. I couldn't wait to keep watching, and all the reviews state that the show only gets better after season one.

S2 Title Screen

With season two we learn more about this machine that feeds Finch and Reese numbers. Finch has created safeguards to limit the machine as he worked tirelessly to perfect it. We also learn more about hacker Root (Amy Acker) and her desire to set the machine free. We're introduced to Shaw (Sarah Shahi) who leads another team that also gets numbers every day.

Reese and Finch also get a dog this season. It seems like a very television network thing to do. That also caused me to consider how they never lose anyone. While they have the most powerful AI backing them, it seems nearly impossible to always get it right as they race against the clock. Though there are people the duo never gets the chance to save. Then there is the amount of car collisions Reese not only has but walks away from unscathed. It's wild. That seems like his preferred method of deceleration. His other trademark is shooting foes in the knee.

Taraji P. Henson plays Joss Carter

The moral questions persist. Nearly every episode they have to decide whether a target is in danger or about to cause danger. It's not always easy to determine. We learn about Reese's past as an operative, and in episode twelve Reese is apprehended and Carter must interrogate him, knowing she can't pin him. The way he lies so convincingly is impressive. Through the season Finch gets to assume various jobs to get closer to targets. It's always a lot of fun as he's so good at each job. My favorite might be his turn as a concierge.

The first season finale felt like such a big event and season two is no different with Root and Reese both racing control of the machine against government agents. We also learn about what happened to Finch's business partner and how that has set him on his path.

S3: Jim Caviezel, Sarah Shahi, Michael Emerson play John Reese, Sameen Shaw, Harold Finch

With season three this show keeps getting bigger, adding Shaw to Finch and Reese's team while Carter is after a group of corrupt cops dubbed HR. Root establishes a direct connection to the machine.

There's a prescient episode about a social media company. While the CEO claims he has nothing to hide, of course he has plenty he doesn't want uncovered. This company is responsible for so many traumatized people due to their deceptive practices and information gathering.

With long seasons, it allows the show to do so much. In the ninth episode Reese has the entire city after him. This season is definitely bigger than the previous seasons. We get a larger cast and some big story arcs as well as the introduction to the government's tracking machine, Samaritan.

S4 Title Screen

In season four they all have cover jobs after the events of last season. The machine is trying to bring them together, but they have to be discreet due to Samaritan perceiving them as threat and trying to track them. This show continues to build on the premise. In this season the original AI, "The Machine" is in hiding after the government's AI "Samaritan" went online. They're still trying to help people, but their time and resources are limited as The Machine operates covertly to avoid detection.

The episode count of each season seemed daunting, but this covers so much ground that I couldn't stop watching. Contemporary shows with only ten episodes often feel like they have filler but at over twenty episodes this never does. The show  keeps getting better. Each season proves it know how to build to a big finale and season four is no exception. Samaritan's power grows, but I do have to question it's child proxy.

Unfortunately the show was canceled before the fifth season and the writers had to cram two seasons of content into just half a season. Because of that, season five feels incredibly rushed. Previous seasons had broad arcs and plenty of development, and this season is just a sprint to the end. We do get conclusions for the characters, and while they're fitting it also doesn't feel earned. This season is weak, but you can't blame the show for being canceled. This season isn't satisfying, but it's the conclusion to the series so you have to watch. The finale doesn't do the show justice, failing to achieve the energy and excitement of the previous seasons. Then again, maybe there's no way a show about warring AIs that monitor everything we do could ever end on a positive note.

The first four seasons are such a fun ride. I thought it would take forever to get through this show, but I just couldn't put it down. The way the show's story builds and the characters develop is incredibly engrossing. I really wish it could have gotten the two full seasons for a conclusion it deserved.