Person of Interest – Return 0

By: Alex Steele

To think this is the last time I write about this other-worldly, deeply philosophical, action-packed series, is incredibly baffling. Season Five has raced passed us at high-level speed, delivering non-stop action and violence, heartbreaking and humanizing drama while solidifying Team Machine as people we’d all be lucky to have in our corner. On the back of last week’s heart-stopper (in which Harold [Michael Emerson] installed the deadly Ice-9 virus] Team Machine were preparing for an all-out ASI war with lethal foe Samaritan. Titled “Return 0” opened with images and news bulletins from across the world as the technological effects of Ice-9 were being proliferated at high-speed. And then these images stop and all we see is a black screen. There is silence, but then we hear it. It’s Root (Amy Acker) – or should I say, The Machine. Remember way back at the beginning of the season where Root was heard talking in combination with the deserted subway? Well, this time the words were the same, but the weight of them so much heavier.

We then cut to a bloodied, wounded Harold on a rooftop. The Machine is confused as to whether this is a memory or real time. They share one of their beautifully philosophical exchanges while Finch clings to life and we see flashes of Fusco (Kevin Chapman) bleeding and Shaw (Sarah Shahi) at Root’s grave. The Machine makes an important point about what she’s learned, that everyone dies alone and to predict people you first need to understand them. Leaving Harold, we view the scene of Shaw standing over Root’s grave and it’s subtle but her grief is evident. She’s there to say goodbye if this war turns out badly. She apologizes to Root for this not being her thing and the sound of her voice is enough to illustrate just how much she wishes she was “good at this stuff.” This is when she notices though, that the grave has been disturbed and to make a weird situation weirder, The Machine makes contact. Shaw is taken a back, confused and even hopeful that this could be Root. Even the way she says “sweetie” is true to Root and Shaw’s relationship, but Shaw soon realizes that The Machine has taken her voice especially when she’s directed out of a near Samaritan assault.

Meanwhile, Fusco and Reese (Jim Caviezel) arrive at the precinct to see chaos and it doesn’t take too long for them to be caught in the crossfire. Or should I say, literally stopped by countless gun-wielding Samaritan operatives. They are transported in a van, handcuffed and made to get onto their knees as they wait for their execution. They share a really nice moment, saying their respective goodbyes, with Fusco thanking John for making him a better man. And just as the guns are pointed to the back of their heads, sniper bullets rain on them taking out the operatives. Who saved them? The Machine probably, but when Finch shows up it seems as though everyone is a part of this war now. This scene is followed by a short, telling, flashback of Grace (Carrie Preston) and Finch in the park where he is evidently tormented by all that he’s done. We then reunite with Harold on the rooftop – we learn this is a flash forward of sorts – where he is still talking with The Machine. This time; however, he’s hallucinating Root.

“Human life is ephemeral, which makes it precious” – The Machine

Back in real time, the team finally introduce Fusco to the Machine, but they are soon broken into teams as the war begins to heats up. The Machine has instructed Shaw on her plan. She’s made a copy of herself, something Samaritan has done also, and requires John and Finch to disperse this copy while Fusco and Shaw stay back to protect The Machine. The goodbyes are quick and relatively un-sappy, with all members knowing their place and their role. Harold and Reese arrive at the Federal Reserve – an impenetrable gold vault – where the Samaritan copy is being stored. Reese is unsure of how they are to get in, but Finch in all his darkness threatens the security guard with a thermal nuclear bomb that could kill his family. It works and Reese states how terrifying this new side of Finch is, but also how much he likes it. With some knock-out gas and help from the Machine, the two successfully break into the vault and start to employ the Ice-9 virus in the copy of Samaritan. Meanwhile, Fusco and Shaw use C4 to blow a hole in the subway so they can get the Machine mobile. And it works. Unfortunately, good old Jeff Blackwell (Joshua Close) hitches a ride and attempts to take them out. He shoots Shaw, but only in the shoulder while Fusco comes to the rescue and subdues him.

Back with Finch and Reese, Samaritan operatives have arrived and gun fire breaks out, but the first of the bullets hit Finch. As Reese holds them off, Finch continues to work away at infecting the Samaritan copy, but it doesn’t succeed in time and a compressed copy of Samaritan escaping. With this news, the phone rings. It’s the Machine. The copy has been sent to a building in midtown to a satellite. Harold must send the copy of the Machine from stopping the Samaritan. Stopping Samaritan from what you may ask? Launching a cruise missile into New York City. The catch? Whoever uploads the copy, at the building, won’t make it out alive. Back on the subway, Shaw discovers just who Blackwell is as it seems he’s the sniper who shot Root. As the audience waits for her to lose it, they are actually surprised when she doesn’t. After talking to the Machine, Harold has made up his mind. He distracts John long enough to lock him inside the vault. Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel give a performance worthy of all the acclaim; a partnership Finch only believed to be professional. He had not predicted that John would become such a good friend. Both men are eloquent in their delivery of this exchange and there is not a dry eye to be seen.

The goodbyes start when Shaw and Fusco are instructed to get off the subway at the next stop. Up until this point, Shaw has remained in control and on track, but when she questions how The Machine is going to get away she realizes the end is imminent. The “Person of Interest’ writers continue to do such justice to the Root/Shaw relationship that even with Root gone (somewhat) we learn just how deep her feelings for Shaw were. The Machine tells Shaw that there is something she wants to tell her, before she’s gone. Shaw jokes, but the Machine (with every bit of love she has) states, “I chose you for exactly who you are.” This line means more as it’s said in Root’s voice. We then learn something that Root had wanted to say to Shaw…

“You always thought there was something wrong with you because you don’t feel things the way other people do. But she always felt that’s what made you beautiful. She wanted you to know, if you were a shape, you’d be a straight line. An arrow.”

The camera doesn’t move, it stays locked in on a close up of Shaw as she listens. Shahi is outstanding in this scene with every word spoken chipping away a bit, little by little, of Shaw’s tough exterior. And as the Machine finishes, the tears in her eyes are all that the audience needs to know how timeless this bond is. As Shaw turns back to reality, she carefully wipes the tears away. To have the evolution of a character like Shaw’s conclude in this way is unparalleled, with the “Person of Interest” creative team giving each member such an unseen humanity in the face of their own mortality. Unfortunately, following this moment is an altercation between Jeff Blackwell and Fusco, leaving the Detective with a pretty nasty stab wound.

After locking John in the vault, Harold barely makes it the rooftop, suitcase and gun in respective hands. Checking back in with the Machine to see if she’s finally remembered that pearl of wisdom from earlier, it doesn’t take long for Harold to realize that things don’t seem right. He scopes the satellites out and realizes that they aren’t what they need to pull this off. And that is when it happens. Off in the distance, a dark figure emerges on another rooftop across from Harold. It’s Reese. He got out. Harold is obviously shocked and concerned, but Reese continues to explain that he and the Machine have had a long-standing agreement. When Harold opens the suitcase and finds it empty, he and the audience hold their breaths as reality hits home. They’ve swapped places. Harold is annoyed, it’s supposed to be him. Yet the Machine assures him that where he is, is exactly where he is supposed to be. Reese was never going to let Harold die; reminding Harold that he always wanted to be a hero and he’s learnt that saving one life, if it’s the right life, is enough. Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson were exquisite in this moment, bringing to the forefront their commitment to the cause and one another. The Machine assures Harold she will stay with Reese as long as she can and when the shooters diverge on him she does just that. But no sooner has this begun than her core systems begin to fail; she’s almost gone. Before we bid the Machine farewell, she remembers that pearl of wisdom. The “Person Of Interest” writers delivered an unparalleled script with this episode. The monologues are so deeply, philosophical and tinged with sadness, beauty and love that do the greatest job of reminding us of how precious life is. And this line did just that, said first by the police officer from the flashbacks…

“Sure, everybody dies alone. But if you mean something to someone, if you help someone or love someone, if even a single person remembers you, then maybe you never really die at all.” – The Machine

The creative decision to have The Machine take Root’s voice was one of the best decisions. Her voice adds an unquestionable humanity to this ASI. And as her systems continue to fail, she asks Harold one more time, “We helped some people, didn’t we?” As Harold hears this, and watches one of his closest companions fight to the death, his answer is simple, “Yes, we did.” This moment is as hard to watch, as I imagine it was to film. Root is no longer standing by Finch on the rooftop as he walks down, while Reese watches this and smiles with relief. The goodbyes between this trio are gut-wrenching, with all three actors delivering them so viscerally that the audience feels it all the same. As images of John continue to flash, he is shot countless times as Root (The Machine) stands by, unable to do anything further to save our beloved Man in the Suit. As it ends, her voice is heard again, this time explaining how she learned to find connections. That if we were to go back and look at the most important moment in one’s life, we would find out who they were. This narration is cut with an image of a young boy (Reese) standing over his father’s grave. He was a hero. This parallel is all the more emotional, as we learn at just what moment John decided he wanted to be a hero. John dies just as he wanted, a hero, and in this moment The Machine successfully infects Samaritan and the missile launched.

As the black screen fades, they are calling it a “cyber-attack” that originated in China; however, the Senate hearing believes it may have been indirectly related to Northern Lights. Regardless, Northern Lights is no more. Elsewhere, Jeff Blackwell is packing his stuff, obviously wanting to make a run for it. Unfortunately, he is stopped in his tracks by none other than Shaw. Her facial expression doesn’t change as she’s there on a mission and we all know what that mission is (note that Shaw is wearing Root’s leather jacket). Jeff explains that it was nothing personal, it was just a job and a part of Shaw understands that but that was before she met some people. These people were good and taught her the value of life. For a moment, Jeff Blackwell thinks this is what will save him, encouraging her to think about them and that they wouldn’t want her killing him. Yeah okay, but the thing is dude, they are all dead. And with that, she shoots him. Sarah Shahi, since her arrival on our screens as Sameen Shaw, has inhabited this role in a way that from the beginning we never questioned her capacity to feel. Yes, she may not show emotions like we’re all used to, but when Shaw has taught us is that that is okay. You don’t need to cry or scream to really feel and Shahi, in moments such as these, does a beautiful job is communicating the loss she feels over Root. But also, the anger she has at Blackwell for taking her away.

After taking care of business, she meets up with a healed Fusco and Bear at a nearby diner. They’ve heard no news on “Glasses” or John. Fusco is back at work and Shaw, well, she’s there to collect “her” dog. Yes, that’s right, Bear is now in the custody of his biggest fan. This exchange communicates a deep, staying comradery that can only be born out of experiencing what these two have – trauma, war and loss. And their goodbye, so typical to the Shaw and Fusco dynamic we have come to love, ends with “I’ll see you when I see you,” from Shaw. “Not if I see you first,” replies Fusco. As Shaw leaves, The Machine’s voice is heard again. This time, we see the subway where the computers jump back to life and the duplicate is coming back online – could this mean? This time, the profound line about what the Machine has learned is said by Amy Acker; her voice now synonymous and revered. The cracks in her voice, the pride, the sadness, the longing, the belief – it’s all there. And when a shot shows a living Harold watching Grace paint, our hearts leap out of our chests. The reunion is simple, no words, but just eyes connecting. Meanwhile, the camera then lands back on Shaw with Bear in tow, walking tall as the swag is made all the more poignant as she dons Root’s leather jacket. It is interrupted though by a phone ringing. Shaw answers it, reluctantly, looking toward a camera. She hangs the phone up, looks again to the sky and smiles. It’s that cheeky, scheming, sociopathic smile only Shaw can pull off that is combined with this line from the Machine…

“…And maybe this isn’t the end at all…”