Written by: Kevin Berge
The men make their imposing angry faces, but Shaw still looks the most deadly. (Image Courtesy of: atlantablackstar.com)
Quick Take: Person of Interest Season 3 fully embraces its characters as the center of the show with top notch performances and stories that truly begin to change the shape of the series as a whole. Its engaging narrative opens up real questions of just how far we are from science fiction.
Previous Reviews: Season 1 | Season 2
***This is a spoiler heavy review of the third season of Person of Interest, written with the expectation that the reader has seen the third 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 third season.***
I believe the saying is: boom goes the dynamite. Season one and two showed development of an idea that the show was harboring, but season three turns the series on its head as the realistic crime procedural morphs into full blown science fiction in a war of omnipresent machines.
The show always had a tendency to slightly bend the fabric of its realistic world, using real world events to ground the action but also pushing little frightening ideas to make things more tense. Science fiction wasn't a word I would have used for the series at first, but, by its home stretch, the show truly has opened up the doors to that genre.
John Reese, Harold Finch, Det. Joss Carter, Det. Lionel Fusco, and Sameen Shaw have all become a bit of a crime solving, people saving team in this season, happily content with nothing to hold them back which is of course why a whole host of new villains all descend upon New York to ruin their plans.
This season is very much bad guy focused. Almost none of the cases of the week aren't connected to some villainous group, often multiple in conflict. There's even the growing threat that comes to pass of a new Machine coming online in Samaritan, so everyone has rivals to contend with even the Machine itself.
Meanwhile, the show finally shows it is not afraid to take out important characters as Detective Carter who had become a very integral part of the team is killed just after her plan to take down HR is completed. She is allowed a hero's send off in her final episodes even if she also is killed on the side of the street rather in combat as the show makes you expect.
The series in general dives into a darker sector this season as characters are killed off and the game changes radically. Everything becomes darker in the wake of the heroes who seemed unstoppable before, finally losing. The season actually ends with the whole game changing as the heroes are all forced to separate and isolate themselves in the wake of the overwhelming power of Samaritan.
The only happy part of this season is watching Root slowly but surely join the team and learn to find the value in human life. Her transformation is not just the bright spot in the gloom but also one of the best parts of the season as her character alongside Shaw become the new heart of the series in many ways.
***This is a spoiler heavy review of the third season of Person of Interest, written with the expectation that the reader has seen the third 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 third season.***
I believe the saying is: boom goes the dynamite. Season one and two showed development of an idea that the show was harboring, but season three turns the series on its head as the realistic crime procedural morphs into full blown science fiction in a war of omnipresent machines.
The show always had a tendency to slightly bend the fabric of its realistic world, using real world events to ground the action but also pushing little frightening ideas to make things more tense. Science fiction wasn't a word I would have used for the series at first, but, by its home stretch, the show truly has opened up the doors to that genre.
John Reese, Harold Finch, Det. Joss Carter, Det. Lionel Fusco, and Sameen Shaw have all become a bit of a crime solving, people saving team in this season, happily content with nothing to hold them back which is of course why a whole host of new villains all descend upon New York to ruin their plans.
This season is very much bad guy focused. Almost none of the cases of the week aren't connected to some villainous group, often multiple in conflict. There's even the growing threat that comes to pass of a new Machine coming online in Samaritan, so everyone has rivals to contend with even the Machine itself.
Meanwhile, the show finally shows it is not afraid to take out important characters as Detective Carter who had become a very integral part of the team is killed just after her plan to take down HR is completed. She is allowed a hero's send off in her final episodes even if she also is killed on the side of the street rather in combat as the show makes you expect.
The series in general dives into a darker sector this season as characters are killed off and the game changes radically. Everything becomes darker in the wake of the heroes who seemed unstoppable before, finally losing. The season actually ends with the whole game changing as the heroes are all forced to separate and isolate themselves in the wake of the overwhelming power of Samaritan.
The only happy part of this season is watching Root slowly but surely join the team and learn to find the value in human life. Her transformation is not just the bright spot in the gloom but also one of the best parts of the season as her character alongside Shaw become the new heart of the series in many ways.
Not many characters get to go out a gun slinging badass, but they all wish they could. (Image Courtesy of: primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk)
This is the season where the series no longer feels central with John Reese due to no fault on Jim Caviezel's part. He's still as charismatic and emotional as ever with that same annoying grumble, but he continued to lose action scenes to Shahi perhaps due to his age while his history became less important to the story.
Michael Emerson didn't have that same issue as Harold Finch was still public enemy number one for most of the season. He even got more focused backstory on his injuries, romance, and loss of his best friend that drove him to seek out Reese in the first place. Emerson brings out the heartbreak better perhaps anyone else on the show.
Caviezel's loss is partially Sarah Shahi's gain as she gets to show her action chops more as well as become the quick wit character of the group. While she made a strong impression in the first season, she truly shines this season as the funniest and most awesome character on the team.
As Root's story morphs in this third season, Amy Acker is asked to carry the heaviest burden of character development on the show and does so with a breezy ease. Root began a bit hard to like, but she is hard not to like by the end of the season with a strong character arc that allows her more than a bit of redemption as well as being great with one liners throughout.
Taraji P. Henson is off to greener pastures and Golden Globe wins, but she went out with a bang with the two parter of "Endgame" and "The Crossing" being one of the strongest emotional episodes the series has had so far, carried largely by Henson who finally shows the ways she is willing to bend the law but never forget her own morality.
Kevin Chapman finally gets real valuable screentime to shine in this season particularly in "The Crossing" and "The Devil's Share" where he pulls out award worthy performances as a man who nearly loses everything. It is almost shocking to see how good he is at times this season after remembering how he was used in the first two seasons.
The rest of the cast this season are less interesting than usual particularly with John Nolan's John Greer coming to the forefront (though he is brilliantly frightening in the season finale). There is also more focus given to the US government with Boris McGiver (One Life to Lead) more fun than menacing as Hersh and Camryn Manheim (The Practice) not nearly frightening enough as the infamous Control.
That said, a few of the villains do stand out. Robert John Burke (Limitless) whose Officer Simmons spent the previous seasons as just a dangerous corrupt cop shines in this season as the monster of HR and even gets the last laugh by killing Det. Carter. Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash) is magnetic as the leader of Vigilance while getting some of the series' best villain lines and backstory.
Michael Emerson didn't have that same issue as Harold Finch was still public enemy number one for most of the season. He even got more focused backstory on his injuries, romance, and loss of his best friend that drove him to seek out Reese in the first place. Emerson brings out the heartbreak better perhaps anyone else on the show.
Caviezel's loss is partially Sarah Shahi's gain as she gets to show her action chops more as well as become the quick wit character of the group. While she made a strong impression in the first season, she truly shines this season as the funniest and most awesome character on the team.
As Root's story morphs in this third season, Amy Acker is asked to carry the heaviest burden of character development on the show and does so with a breezy ease. Root began a bit hard to like, but she is hard not to like by the end of the season with a strong character arc that allows her more than a bit of redemption as well as being great with one liners throughout.
Taraji P. Henson is off to greener pastures and Golden Globe wins, but she went out with a bang with the two parter of "Endgame" and "The Crossing" being one of the strongest emotional episodes the series has had so far, carried largely by Henson who finally shows the ways she is willing to bend the law but never forget her own morality.
Kevin Chapman finally gets real valuable screentime to shine in this season particularly in "The Crossing" and "The Devil's Share" where he pulls out award worthy performances as a man who nearly loses everything. It is almost shocking to see how good he is at times this season after remembering how he was used in the first two seasons.
The rest of the cast this season are less interesting than usual particularly with John Nolan's John Greer coming to the forefront (though he is brilliantly frightening in the season finale). There is also more focus given to the US government with Boris McGiver (One Life to Lead) more fun than menacing as Hersh and Camryn Manheim (The Practice) not nearly frightening enough as the infamous Control.
That said, a few of the villains do stand out. Robert John Burke (Limitless) whose Officer Simmons spent the previous seasons as just a dangerous corrupt cop shines in this season as the monster of HR and even gets the last laugh by killing Det. Carter. Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash) is magnetic as the leader of Vigilance while getting some of the series' best villain lines and backstory.
Root always makes the most impressive exits, even out of mental institutions. (Image Courtesy of: tvtome.com)
This season was the one where all the pieces fell into place. While there were some less than perfect filler episodes, the overarching story was masterfully organized and developed by Jonathan Nolan (who was less involved in the direct writing process this series than usual) and company with easily the most quality action of the series so far.
That comes down to again quite a few quality directing efforts that are hard to pin down to just a few names. The action felt crisp and well orchestrated from episode to episode with some tight dramatic moments developing the series as well. Frederick E. O. Toye's work with "The Crossing" comes to mind which tied together the action so well while bringing out some truly top notch performances.
Some of the top episodes of this season included the three parter of "Endgame", "The Crossing", and "The Devil's Share" as well as "Death Benefit" which finally complicated the morality of the Machine and once more a season finale with "Deus Ex Machina", an episode that managed to truly tie together every story and change the game entirely for the series.
Watching the characters including the Machine itself evolved this season was truly fascinating as threats rose and fell in the wake of an impressive vision that made the first season look tame in comparison. It wasn't just the actors but the characters' development that stood out this season.
As circumstances changed, there was less emphasis on the humor side of the show which was missed a bit, but this allowed the third season to dive into the lore of the world fully. It also allowed the show to embrace ties that were not wholly apparent early on in the series.
The once striking way the show used pseudo-realism allowed this season shock and awe in the way it made that world crumble. By the season finale, there was very little left besides the characters that felt similar to the show's origin, but that transition was almost frighteningly organic.
That comes down to again quite a few quality directing efforts that are hard to pin down to just a few names. The action felt crisp and well orchestrated from episode to episode with some tight dramatic moments developing the series as well. Frederick E. O. Toye's work with "The Crossing" comes to mind which tied together the action so well while bringing out some truly top notch performances.
Some of the top episodes of this season included the three parter of "Endgame", "The Crossing", and "The Devil's Share" as well as "Death Benefit" which finally complicated the morality of the Machine and once more a season finale with "Deus Ex Machina", an episode that managed to truly tie together every story and change the game entirely for the series.
Watching the characters including the Machine itself evolved this season was truly fascinating as threats rose and fell in the wake of an impressive vision that made the first season look tame in comparison. It wasn't just the actors but the characters' development that stood out this season.
As circumstances changed, there was less emphasis on the humor side of the show which was missed a bit, but this allowed the third season to dive into the lore of the world fully. It also allowed the show to embrace ties that were not wholly apparent early on in the series.
The once striking way the show used pseudo-realism allowed this season shock and awe in the way it made that world crumble. By the season finale, there was very little left besides the characters that felt similar to the show's origin, but that transition was almost frighteningly organic.