'Person of Interest' 3.12 "Aletheia" Review

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Before the brief holiday break, Person of Interest started to finally reveal the true origins of Harold Finch. We got to see him with his father, a kind farmer with an affinity for bird-watching, whose tragic mental decay led Harold to building the very first version of the Machine all the way back in 1979. It's these scenes, as well as the introduction of Harold's old MIT classmate and fellow tech wunderkind, Arthur Claypool, that truly illuminate the way Root has always viewed the Machine--a more than passable facsimile of humanity itself that could very well bring on an entirely new phase of science. If you think of the Machine as supergenius born in a lab with all the same abilities it has now but with a more traditional human form than it's easy to see why there are factions out there that want it eliminated and that want to take control of it for their own gain. Last night's episode, 'Aletheia' was essentially a clusterfuck of these forces coming together to try to take control of that which, as Root laughingly told Control, they could never even begin to understand.

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I do wonder if this is the first time Harold has truly opened his eyes to think about what he's created in the context that Arthur and Root view it--actual human life with all of its quirks intact. This has always been one of my favorite things about POI with the exception of Reese blowing things up. I do love when he blows things up. The show has never been afraid to tackle the big questions and it's part of why Person of Interest continues to stand out from the pack. Root gives herself over completely to the protection of 'her' and it's hard to doubt that things really are as the cracked hacker sees them. It also brings up an interesting question of how far these characters should have to go to ensure it. Root can certainly say that she's bled for her faith while Harold is allowed to escape true harm thanks to his protectors. Now that Root is once again in the wind, I wonder what it's going to mean for what the Machine has planned for her destiny--it's quite a show that makes you side with a psychopath but Root has more than proven her connection to the Machine is beyond skin-deep.

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One of Finch's main protectors, John Reese, is understandably still reeling from the death of Joss Carter and it makes me wonder if he's truly given up on his job for good. Even though he and Fusco managed to save the day (don't think about the logistics of getting all the way from a Colorado jail cell to infiltrating the TAC team in the nick of time, just enjoy the spectacle of the reveal). Harold practically had tears in his eyes when he saw Reese's face again and really, the man has lost so much because of his creation that you can't blame him for desperately not wanting to go through it again. It feels authentic to me that John would be so disenchanted by Carter's death. HR is basically gone so of course he has to blame the only entity that also played a hand in things. Reese has yet to realize that just like people, the Machine is not perfect either and I wonder what new role he'll take on the show if not with Team Machine.

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At least Shaw and Fusco will be there for Harold as the fight continues. Shaw and Fusco's back and forth is becoming one of the highlights of the series. What an odd couple but sometimes the best onscreen brotp's come from that. It's a great way to show that Shaw is more capable of feeling and caring than she gives herself credit for and a nice way to continue with Fusco's redeemed corrupt cop storyline. Despite the fact that Reese is all set to give up faith in everything around him, I think that 'she' will still have a plan for him in the long run. Perhaps Root will meet up with him and find a way to open his eyes to the awesome truth of Harold's 'child'. They've both been tested and Finch and co. are going to need all the help they can get now that the Machine's 'sibling' of sorts Samaritan is back on the scene.