Person of Interest Season 4 Episode 8 Review: Point of Origin
Sean McKenna
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It was only a matter of time before the POI team’s undeniable ability to help others would gradually draw the attention of far greater and more dangerous forces.
By connecting the Person of Interest Season 4 Episode 8 case of the week to the rising tide of the Brotherhood, while simultaneously revealing Samaritan’s killer asset hot on the trail of Shaw, it looks like things are about to converge in a major way.
And now we all know that Bear is scuba certified. (Maybe the most important part of the hour, right?)
Person of Interest’s tendency to call back to the past, to reiterate a larger continuous story, is always a plus for the series. It’s certainly what sets it apart from what could have been a show that was simply straight-up procedural.
Brilliantly, it’s not, so to see that Carter’s death in Person of Interest Season 3 Episode 9 still motivates Reese or that any new mole inside the police force easily reminds the characters of the takedown of HR not only establishes just how much has taken place but the overall buildup of events for the show. So much has happened and transformed since Person of Interest Season 1.
Characters and groups have come and gone, but there’s always fresh forward progress, and there’s always new villains filling a void just as much as Reese and company are forever trying to save the world.
So to see a group like the Brotherhood, one I think even I underestimated, drawing all the other gangs and groups underneath its leader, the no nonsense Dominic, then prepare to challenge Elias for supremacy is a tall order. But he’s not looking to mess around, and he’s clearly good at strategizing and planning his group’s rise. It’s a far more organized ordeal than I was expecting.
And it makes me wonder if even Elias might underestimate him.
Because it’s actually fascinating to think that Elias, a character who has seemed intelligently and dangerously formidable since his introduction, might have some real competition.
Plus, in a battle that big, it could easily draw Samaritan’s full attention on the team. It’s definitely gotten Dominic’s attention, the Man in the Suit continuously crossing paths and interfering.
What’s worse, the Terminator-like Samaritan asset is out for blood, and she was clearly willing to pull on any string to get what she wants. No man is an island, and everyone winds up having someone close to them, someone they care about, and that’s major leverage, especially for Samaritan.
For her to finally come face to face with Shaw – we knew this time would soon come – was the perfect way to end the hour. It was that high note, that eager anticipation for what is going to probably be a shoot out in the cosmetics department. I just worry if Shaw, or really the whole POI team, will be able to come away unscathed.
Does anyone worry another major death is right around the corner?
This hour definitely continued that build-up of Person of Interest Season 4 on the larger story front, but I maintain that the show’s ability to also make the case of the week aspect interesting is just as positive a point. Because even as that story was all about undercover agents (The Departed anyone?) and moles, it gave Reese another friendly and good shooting ally. Plus, that story brushed up against the possibility of blowing Reese’s cover, revealing the Brotherhood’s motives before directing everything towards Elias.
This show really knows how to intertwine its story and characters in such a fun and engaging way. I’m just ready to see how the POI team is going to get out of this next predicament in one piece.
What did you think? Can the Brotherhood take out Elias? Will Shaw escape? Be sure to watch Person of Interest online and don't miss out!
Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.
