Written by: Kevin Berge
Sorry, Carter and Fusco, as much as you continue to become likable, it didn't take long for you to lose your places on the totem pole to better characters. (Image Courtesy of: tvequals.com)
Quick Take: Person of Interest Season 2 takes the show a step further, evolving the procedural crime drama into a genuine suspenseful action drama as more chances are taken with the structure of the show while the cast expands to add more top notch talent to the proceedings with Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi.
Previous Reviews: Season 1
***This is a spoiler heavy review of the second season of Person of Interest, written with the expectation that the reader has seen the second season of the series. If you have not and plan to do so, do not read ahead if you wish to remain unspoiled on events and characters in the second season.***
Person of Interest caught my interest in its opening season, but it grabbed hold in the second as the game finally began to change. Slowly but surely, this season bends its rules until they break, and that is where the series begins to shine. Person of Interest was always about its characters which is why the week to week procedural rules just felt like they were getting in the way.
While the numbers and people being saved are still paramount, the series immediately opens up the overarching storyline beyond cases of the week. Reese and Finch are both forced to work alone for a while as Finch gets abducted by Root and Reese gets arrested then abducted as well.
There's even a whole episode placed in the perspective of a brand new character with the introduction of Sameen Shaw, the younger, better looking version of Reese who also just happens to be a borderline sociopath. This season gives time to its characters and adds more intriguing mainstays to the cast who make things more interesting week to week.
This isn't knocking the case of the week formula though which still works for much of this season. It's just that shows can often forget themselves in the wake of playing to that formula, and, while PoI does some excellent cases of the week along the way, its heart shows when it breaks rank and opens up to allow its characters to stand out.
This season introduces more villains with the return of Carl Elias, the growing threat of the delightfully driven Root, the beginning of an underlying mastermind threat headed by John Greer, and the frighteningly efficient threat of the United States government. In many ways, the show is opening up to its superhero roots and giving Finch and Reese many memorable rivals to contend with.
As a whole, this season is an excellent political thriller that still stays mostly within its case of the week boundaries but truly begins to reveal how deep its mythology is rooted. The world that was once so grounded quickly begins to become frighteningly unfamiliar with just a few realistic moves.
***This is a spoiler heavy review of the second season of Person of Interest, written with the expectation that the reader has seen the second season of the series. If you have not and plan to do so, do not read ahead if you wish to remain unspoiled on events and characters in the second season.***
Person of Interest caught my interest in its opening season, but it grabbed hold in the second as the game finally began to change. Slowly but surely, this season bends its rules until they break, and that is where the series begins to shine. Person of Interest was always about its characters which is why the week to week procedural rules just felt like they were getting in the way.
While the numbers and people being saved are still paramount, the series immediately opens up the overarching storyline beyond cases of the week. Reese and Finch are both forced to work alone for a while as Finch gets abducted by Root and Reese gets arrested then abducted as well.
There's even a whole episode placed in the perspective of a brand new character with the introduction of Sameen Shaw, the younger, better looking version of Reese who also just happens to be a borderline sociopath. This season gives time to its characters and adds more intriguing mainstays to the cast who make things more interesting week to week.
This isn't knocking the case of the week formula though which still works for much of this season. It's just that shows can often forget themselves in the wake of playing to that formula, and, while PoI does some excellent cases of the week along the way, its heart shows when it breaks rank and opens up to allow its characters to stand out.
This season introduces more villains with the return of Carl Elias, the growing threat of the delightfully driven Root, the beginning of an underlying mastermind threat headed by John Greer, and the frighteningly efficient threat of the United States government. In many ways, the show is opening up to its superhero roots and giving Finch and Reese many memorable rivals to contend with.
As a whole, this season is an excellent political thriller that still stays mostly within its case of the week boundaries but truly begins to reveal how deep its mythology is rooted. The world that was once so grounded quickly begins to become frighteningly unfamiliar with just a few realistic moves.
Most romances don't start with torture by iron. Only the good ones. (Image Courtesy of: personofinterest.wikia.com)
Jim Caviezel was not as much the focus this season as last as the cast expanded to include several regulars who got their own focus; however, he is still top notch week to week in the dramatic and comedic moments. His grumble tone does continue to become harder to hear though, requiring subtitles at times.
Michael Emerson meanwhile became even more the focus as Finch's backstory was better fleshed out, particularly as the show's mythos continually revolves around his history. Some of the best moments of the season come from Finch's grief driven home by an engaged performance by Emerson every week.
Taraji P. Henson is finally allowed to let loose more in this second season and shines through because of it. Her stance as the series' moral compass is far stronger in this season as her actions become more dangerous and she must make the right decisions at the cost of the life she has built up.
Kevin Chapman also becomes more complex as he must take risks and fight against the expectations placed on him for his past. Still, he spends much of this season as the comedy relief and on the sidelines as other characters become more the focus.
Amy Acker (Angel) is this season's big bad as the dangerous and fanatical Root, and she instantly makes a strong impression even if her initial supposed insanity has a tendency to grate. The ambiguity surrounding her drive and backstory make her a unique and memorable character.
Sarah Shahi (Life) doesn't just arrive on the scene this season but explodes into the frame as her introduction episode "Relevance" immediately makes her a fascinating character. Shahi only gets to work in the home stretch of this season, but her ability to play Sameen Shaw's emotionally deafness as immediately likable and affecting makes her an instantly affecting character.
Included in the recurring cast for this season are Enrico Colantoni (Just Shoot Me!) who makes for a creepy and engaging villain in Carl Elias even if his against type casting makes him sometimes hard to believe, Michael Kelly (House of Cards) who drives home the unlikable nature of Mark Snow, Annie Parisse (Law & Order) who makes Stanton so likably evil, and John Nolan (Batman Begins) who is a tad boring as an all knowing master manipulator.
Michael Emerson meanwhile became even more the focus as Finch's backstory was better fleshed out, particularly as the show's mythos continually revolves around his history. Some of the best moments of the season come from Finch's grief driven home by an engaged performance by Emerson every week.
Taraji P. Henson is finally allowed to let loose more in this second season and shines through because of it. Her stance as the series' moral compass is far stronger in this season as her actions become more dangerous and she must make the right decisions at the cost of the life she has built up.
Kevin Chapman also becomes more complex as he must take risks and fight against the expectations placed on him for his past. Still, he spends much of this season as the comedy relief and on the sidelines as other characters become more the focus.
Amy Acker (Angel) is this season's big bad as the dangerous and fanatical Root, and she instantly makes a strong impression even if her initial supposed insanity has a tendency to grate. The ambiguity surrounding her drive and backstory make her a unique and memorable character.
Sarah Shahi (Life) doesn't just arrive on the scene this season but explodes into the frame as her introduction episode "Relevance" immediately makes her a fascinating character. Shahi only gets to work in the home stretch of this season, but her ability to play Sameen Shaw's emotionally deafness as immediately likable and affecting makes her an instantly affecting character.
Included in the recurring cast for this season are Enrico Colantoni (Just Shoot Me!) who makes for a creepy and engaging villain in Carl Elias even if his against type casting makes him sometimes hard to believe, Michael Kelly (House of Cards) who drives home the unlikable nature of Mark Snow, Annie Parisse (Law & Order) who makes Stanton so likably evil, and John Nolan (Batman Begins) who is a tad boring as an all knowing master manipulator.
Sorry, Colantoni, all I see when I look at you is Mathesar and the father of Veronica Mars. Can't quite see evil mob boss. (Image Courtesy of: personofinterest.wikia.com)
Once more, the direction of the series stands out week to week alongside strong casting in support roles. Despite the show's appearance as a run of the mill procedural, the directors continue to pull quality performances from its cast from the largest to smallest roles.
The writing takes a step up here as the writers were allowed to more freely dive into the lore of Person of Interest and develop more than just its main characters. The hints and tie ins between episodes are still a bit too aloof, but they work to make the series feel more inwardly intelligent.
This season also begins to reveal the Machine itself as a character in the story more. Its origins are more emphasized, and it also is used to reveal details that can be easily missed. The use of the interface of the Machine allows the writing staff to place hints in episodes that can take several viewings to uncover, giving more depth to more traditional stories.
The best episodes of this season include much of the time that Reese is under arrest with "2 Pi R", a fantastic case of the week focused on Finch, and "Prisoner's Dilemma" where Carter and Reese play a fascinating psychological game to get him released. "Relevance" may just end up being the greatest hour of television the show produces, throwing away the rules the show had established, and the season finale was again excellent with "God Mode" shocking left and right.
The main flaw with this season was that its growing focus on the larger narrative did leave room for weaker case of the week entries along the way. While there wasn't truly a bad episode in the season, there were more than a few that felt like they were unnecessary, distracting from a growing and fascinating central story.
As a whole, this season was a nice step up in quality that revealed how many pieces were being set up for future stories in even some of the quieter episodes of the first season. At its best, this season made clear that Person of Interest could be provide several of the hours of television of any show out there.
The writing takes a step up here as the writers were allowed to more freely dive into the lore of Person of Interest and develop more than just its main characters. The hints and tie ins between episodes are still a bit too aloof, but they work to make the series feel more inwardly intelligent.
This season also begins to reveal the Machine itself as a character in the story more. Its origins are more emphasized, and it also is used to reveal details that can be easily missed. The use of the interface of the Machine allows the writing staff to place hints in episodes that can take several viewings to uncover, giving more depth to more traditional stories.
The best episodes of this season include much of the time that Reese is under arrest with "2 Pi R", a fantastic case of the week focused on Finch, and "Prisoner's Dilemma" where Carter and Reese play a fascinating psychological game to get him released. "Relevance" may just end up being the greatest hour of television the show produces, throwing away the rules the show had established, and the season finale was again excellent with "God Mode" shocking left and right.
The main flaw with this season was that its growing focus on the larger narrative did leave room for weaker case of the week entries along the way. While there wasn't truly a bad episode in the season, there were more than a few that felt like they were unnecessary, distracting from a growing and fascinating central story.
As a whole, this season was a nice step up in quality that revealed how many pieces were being set up for future stories in even some of the quieter episodes of the first season. At its best, this season made clear that Person of Interest could be provide several of the hours of television of any show out there.