Person of Interest – The Day the World Went Away

By: Alex Steele

Happy 100^th Episode of “Person of Interest!” One hundred episodes is a milestone, one not many shows reach, but this is one that “Person of Interest” most certainly deserves. And by golly did it deliver! Not holding any punches, as the war between the Machine and Samaritan heats up, this episode entitled The Day the World Went Away gave us more of what we know and love: action, drama, gun fights and a death or two. Opening on a black screen, something we’ve come to love this season, we hear Finch (Michael Emerson) start to talk and as the shot moves to focus on him, we see him seated at a table, alone. It’s a café. He is alone and talking, but it doesn’t take us long to realize the conversation he is having is with the Machine. Stating that he has been thinking how this (ASI war) will all play out, he asks the Machine about whether his friends will make it out. Will they survive? He goes onto to say that he has probably made that an impossibility. Interrupting him from this seemingly one-way exchange is the waitress with his order. She recognises him, saying how happy she is that he is back. Finch is evidently shaken and strongly responds that she must be confusing him with someone. A coincidence possibly.

Arriving back at the subway, after his close call at the café, Finch is greeted by a somewhat less than chirpy Root (Amy Acker). Checking in with her about Shaw (Sarah Shahi), Root says she is doing fine, but quickly changes that assessment to “not great” and that it will take some time. Finch knowing all too well that’s not all Root is brooding on, she states how upset she is at his decision to close the Machine. She and the Machine respect his decision, but the truth is, they aren’t going to win this war. They aren’t living, they’re surviving. Amy Acker plays Root’s pain and desperation in this scene understated yet so powerfully. Michael Emerson is just as nuanced, with his internal dilemmas slowly bubbling to the surface, through his eyes and his expressions. The conversation turns a corner when they start talking about giving the Machine a voice and why he never gave her one. He believed when it was time, she would choose one herself.

Reese (Jim Caviezel) and Fusco (Kevin Chapman) are going about their own business when the phone rings. A number is up. We next see them bursting into “Professor Whistler’s” office, with Root in tow. This can’t be good. Reese informs Harold that it is his number that has come up, luckily in time to gun down the Samaritan operatives already on the scene. Taking from the subdued operatives a business card with the name “Temporary Resolutions,” it seems they may have a lead. Team Machine, including Shaw (something Finch seems so relieved about) assembles back at the safe house. When the outside is cleared, and while Reese collects all the guns they’ll require, Elias, Finch and Root try and work out how Finch’s cover was blown. Shaw seems to think it was her, but the others don’t.

After Fusco (Kevin Chapman) arrives too, to a not-so-warm welcome, Root reveals to Harold that she may have hard coded something in the Machine before he could close the system. He’s pissed and it’s understandable, but Root goes on to say the hard code gave the Machine the ability to defend herself. And not only that, there is a safe guard which will only allow Finch to give the Machine power to act. In the meantime, more operatives have arrived and Shaw, with all the flirtation she can muster, asks Root if she’s keen to stick around for the party. Oh my, Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi have perfected the banter between these two, making the audience smile and blush all at the same time. Elias (Enrico Colantoni) is tasked with hiding Finch while Fusco and Reese make their way to Temporary Resolutions. Elias hides him away in a high-rise apartment building, guarded by two previously warring gangs. It seems as though this would be the best place right? It is for a moment, until Samaritan operatives find them and they must move. When it seems as though they may finally get away, Elias is brutally shot point blank in the head leaving Harold to be captured.

Elsewhere, Reese and Fusco arrive at Temporary Resolutions to be greeted with total attitude from the receptionist. Soon enough, after being lead to a conference room, they realize not everything is as it seems. The office building has been cleared out and they are approached by gun-wielding Samaritan operatives. I swear they keep multiplying. Back at the safe house, Root and Shaw have successfully subdued the first wave of Samaritan operatives and after a quick call from Finch – who reveals that he went back to the place of Grace and his first date – they know why his cover was blown. Soon after, we’re given another quiet, elegant moment between all the chaos and war. Shaw still believes it is her fault, but Team Machine know it wasn’t. Identifying Harold’s weakness, Root goes on to say they all have weaknesses with a longing, loving look at Shaw. Shaw states that it would be nice to go back, to have the lives we want, but much to her surprise Root reveals that right where they are. This is the first time she has felt like she belonged. The eyes. The chemistry. The fire. The realisation from Shaw, that Root’s feelings are more than just flirtation and annoyance. And as Root reaches for her hand, hold tights, Shaw holds back. And with a close up on Sarah Shahi, Shaw’s love for Root is striking.

Finch is dropped at an undercover location where he comes face to face with his Samaritan counterpart, Greer (John Nolan). Oh, talk about stand-offs. Encouraging Greer to just kill him, Finch has all but given up. Too bad Finch, Greer has other plans saying, “Samaritan actually needs/wants your help. And there will come a time when you see it from our point of view.” With that, Finch is taken away again. When all seems well and done, we know we can count on our two favorite gun-wielding Machine operatives to save the day. And boy, was this one hell of a reunion/gun fight to come back, too. Not sure there is anything better than Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi as their respective characters, bantering flirtatiously while warding off Samaritan operatives. Root, taking this opportunity to counsel Shaw about her “everything is a simulation” problem, suggesting why not look at everything as a shape. We’re all technically simulations, representing a specific dynamic in the real world. This very wise offering doesn’t translate immediately to Shaw, which might have something to do with the ongoing bullet shower she finds herself in. Regardless though, Root persists, trying to peel back another layer of her beloved sociopath. As I write this part of my review, I struggle to describe how profound the exchange was — so here it is people, for you all to read and be equally, if not more, taken with it than me.

“Anyway, Schrodinger said at its base level, the universe isn’t made up of physical matter, but just shapes. I thought that might make you feel better… A shape, you know? Nothing firm. What it means is the real world is essentially a simulation anyway… I liked that idea. That even if we’re not real, we represent a dynamic. A tiny finger tracing a line in the infinite. A shape. And then we’re gone.” – Root

“That’s what supposed to make me feel better? I’m a shape?” – Shaw

“Yeah. And darlin’, you got a great shape.” – Root

“I swear to God, you flirt at the most awkward times.” – Shaw

With monologues like this, Amy Acker excels, using a balance of deep belief in her one and only Machine while adding the slightest bit of humor. What makes this moment even greater, is Sarah Shahi’s Shaw demonstrating of the subtlest hint of emotion – a previous hardened sociopath, now powerless to the charm that is Root. And with another depth-defying line – “Think about it, if we’re just information and noise, we might as well be symphony.” With that, we see a look from Shaw that communicates a knowingness, an understanding, a love. And from proclamations of existential wisdom, Root and Shaw rise from their post, guns at the ready and perform their unique, hard-hitting symphony. It’s bad-ass. It’s true to #Shoot. We all know who we want on our side in an ASI war.

“Listen, all I’m saying is that if we’re just information, just noise in the system, we might as well be a symphony.” – Root

As #Shoot successfully subdues the gunmen in time to rescue Harold, Shaw stands guard with her big gun, but just as they make it to the getaway car, reinforcements arrive. This time, with a machine gun, even Shaw and Root seem a little afraid. Bullets start to fly again and as Root gets Harold in the car she calls to Shaw, but Shaw encourages her to leave. She’ll take the fire while Root gets Finch to safety. Root is not having it, she will not leave Shaw again, but Shaw pushes her to leave threatening to shoot her herself if she doesn’t. As Root and Finch race through the streets, some kick-ass stunt driving I must say, we see Jeff Blackwell (he just doesn’t quit) being guided by a very ominous sounding voice. As we continue to follow Root and Finch on their getaway, Root is bleeding and in pain. Finch states how tired he feels with all of this, the deaths, the sacrifices, etc.. Once again, Root delivers a rousing pep talk stating they all made choices, they died for something they believe in and isn’t that important? And in fact, they aren’t really gone. They’re still there. The Machine is still watching over them and they are watching over us. This monologue and Amy Acker are unparalleled. The love and belief she has in Harold and the Machine he built could inspire anyone. It inspires us. Unfortunately, a car of Samaritan operatives catches them with a loaded machine gun and what follows is one of the greatest action scenes “Person of Interest” has delivered. Who knew Amy Acker/Root could get more bad-ass? Oh she just did; with a scrunchie in hair, heel of her boot on the steering wheel, she exits the sunroof machine gun at the ready and single-handedly takes out the Samaritan SUV. Finishing the conversation with Harold, Root simply states as long as the Machine lives, we never die.

No sooner had they escaped that fight does Root see Jeff Blackwell (Josh Close) atop a nearby apartment building, sniper in hand. Given the orders to kill passenger first then driver, as he shoots, Root predicts (with the help of the Machine I am sure) his plan. She swerves the car and ends up taking the bullet for Finch. But in typical Root style that doesn’t stop her, she’s determined to keep her mentor, her savior safe. “I used to walk in darkness until you guided me to light,” she says. Another line written with such eloquence and spoken with such gratitude, the unspoken love between these two in felt. Encouraging Finch that sometimes you need to fight a little, Root continues to drive. But with her pain becoming more and more noticeable, Finch persuades Root to stop and trust the police that now surround them. Will Root make it? We’re not sure, but what we do see is Harold get arrested.

Now in holding at the police station, the detectives connect Harold to fifteen homicide scenes as well as treason. Meanwhile, Team Machine is on the scene and gets news that one suspect has been arrested and the other is in a critical condition. Take note of Shaw right here, personality disorder or not (sociopath or not) the realization that the individual in the hospital is Root flashes across her eyes so subtly and so hauntingly. Back with Finch, (an Emmy-worthy performance from Michael Emerson) he has a heated conversation with the Machine as the detective listens on, confused. The change from the innocent, not-wanting-to fight, non-violent Finch is instantaneous. He becomes dark, shady and completely fed up with the current situation, none more so when he says “I’m going to kill you” – talking to Samaritan perhaps. Having enough of his rant, the Detective moves Finch to holding, but when left alone for the briefest of moments, the phone rings. He answers and there is a silent pause. “Can you hear me?” – a voice that we all know and love, a voice so synonymous with cheekiness and love for Harold, his relief sudden and visceral. “Root?” he asks. The response he gets is, “No, Harold. I chose a voice.” And with that, Root is now where she has always wanted to be, she is now the voice of a Machine that for so long,we’ve not known as anything but a shadow figure. Cut with a heartbreaking scene of Fusco standing over Root’s dead body, we learn how.

Asking the Machine (Root) whether she is able to get him out, she answers that she can do anything he asks her to do. Moments later the power is cut and prisoners escape. Reese and Shaw are outside when this happens. During all of this, Reese receives a phone call from Fusco with news of Root and with a look to Shaw, no words, reality hits. For the last few episodes, the sociopathic walls Shaw has had have been slowly but successfully stripped by Root and in this moment, Sarah Shahi illustrates those walls instantly coming back up. The magical chemistry between Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi is due to their ability to depict the complex emotions of their characters so understated yet descriptive. The momentary heartbreak written in Shaw’s eyes is enough for the audience to feel her soul break. But no rest for the wicked as Reese solves the mystery of why Finch’s number came up. Maybe it was to warn them of what HAROLD may do to Samaritan?

Final note: Amy Acker, you’ve given us one of the most complex characters on television. Beautifully. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Root is one of a kind.