Written by: Kevin Berge
For all the interesting things PoI does, their season posters are ridiculously boring. (Image Courtesy of: secondsuntil.com)
Quick Take: Person of Interest Season 4 takes the most radical shift in direction for the series though does not keep its usual form with a string of significantly weaker episodes and unexciting main threats. Still, the acting is top notch, and the series steps up with a few of its best episodes yet.
***This is a spoiler heavy review of the fourth season of Person of Interest, written with the expectation that the reader has seen the fourth 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 fourth season.***
From season three to four, Person of Interest made its most radical shift in focus to a science fiction dystopian survival story. While the series still had its usual procedural episodes, the team dynamic and the feel of the world shifted radically and in a way that felt notably better at least at first.
The problem that came with season four were some unexpected changes that the series did not seem ready to cope with. Most notable among those changes was Sarah Shahi's pregnancy that led to Sameen Shaw being written out for the second half of the season.
While Shaw was not always a part of the series, she had become the most interesting character in the series, and much of the second half of the season seemed to be spinning its wheels with more than a few episodes that could, for the first time in PoI's run, be called boring.
Meanwhile, the end of season 3 had largely wiped out the threats set up in previous seasons, forcing the show to again create more villains. Foremost among those threats was Dominic, a mob boss played rather plainly by Winston Duke (The Messengers). For some reason, the series went as high tech as possible but ended up just diving back into the tired mob threat that Carl Elias (Enrico Colantoni) began in season one.
Meanwhile, the one Big Bad left this season, Samaritan and John Greer, added some extra faces to its full scale threat with the addition of God Mode agents Martine Rousseau (Cara Buono, Let Me In) and Jeremy Lambert (Julian Ovenden, Colonia) as well as Samaritan's "avatar" Gabriel Hayward (Oakes Fegley, This Is Where I Leave You). All the performances are passable but a bit wooden rather than memorable.
Where this season shines is the roots of the series itself. As always, the characters are the center of the series, and their reaction, changes, and decisions in the course of this newly morphed world still make this a compelling season even if it is notably flawed.
From season three to four, Person of Interest made its most radical shift in focus to a science fiction dystopian survival story. While the series still had its usual procedural episodes, the team dynamic and the feel of the world shifted radically and in a way that felt notably better at least at first.
The problem that came with season four were some unexpected changes that the series did not seem ready to cope with. Most notable among those changes was Sarah Shahi's pregnancy that led to Sameen Shaw being written out for the second half of the season.
While Shaw was not always a part of the series, she had become the most interesting character in the series, and much of the second half of the season seemed to be spinning its wheels with more than a few episodes that could, for the first time in PoI's run, be called boring.
Meanwhile, the end of season 3 had largely wiped out the threats set up in previous seasons, forcing the show to again create more villains. Foremost among those threats was Dominic, a mob boss played rather plainly by Winston Duke (The Messengers). For some reason, the series went as high tech as possible but ended up just diving back into the tired mob threat that Carl Elias (Enrico Colantoni) began in season one.
Meanwhile, the one Big Bad left this season, Samaritan and John Greer, added some extra faces to its full scale threat with the addition of God Mode agents Martine Rousseau (Cara Buono, Let Me In) and Jeremy Lambert (Julian Ovenden, Colonia) as well as Samaritan's "avatar" Gabriel Hayward (Oakes Fegley, This Is Where I Leave You). All the performances are passable but a bit wooden rather than memorable.
Where this season shines is the roots of the series itself. As always, the characters are the center of the series, and their reaction, changes, and decisions in the course of this newly morphed world still make this a compelling season even if it is notably flawed.
How can two delightfully interesting people be so boring together? (Image Courtesy of: tvseriesfinale.com)
With Shaw's exit mid-season, this was mostly Amy Acker's season to carry the show, and she is fantastic with Root officially a part of the team and in a more complex state than ever. Unfortunately, she does not work well with Jim Caviezel who is good this season as always but seems to be struggling to find the right dynamic to balance between humor and drama.
Michael Emerson was fantastic as always as Harold Finch's somewhat more morally gray views come to light with his childhood better explored. Surprisingly, Kevin Chapman is also allowed to play more of a dramatic role this season with Fusco being kept out of the loop by the team. He continued to show more of his range than the show let on early in the series.
In fact, while there are issues this season, the performances really aren't the source. The dynamic seems a bit off, but the actors are usually at the top of their game. As always, the smaller roles are well done as well thanks to strong casting and direction. It's just a problem on the writing side mainly.
Pre-"If-Then-Else", the series was chugging along just fine. The writing just seemed to get a bit lazy once Sarah Shahi was written out. Perhaps the issue just came down to Shahi's pregnancy being the surprise to the writers who had to rework the second half script without her in play.
Even the penultimate episode of this season "Asylum" misses some of the heft of previous wind down episodes of the series. The writing lacks the usual attention to detail and ability to fit pieces together without it feeling telegraphed. Of the second half of the season, only "Terra Incognita" and "YHWH" are memorable.
Still, this season has some great episodes along the way. "Prophets" brings up the tension of the early dystopian feel of the world. "If-Then-Else" has a fantastic Groundhog Day feel to it as the Machine goes through simulations, ending in Shaw's near-death. "Terra Incognita" is an emotionally draining but beautifully done ride that looks back at Carter's life one last time.
Michael Emerson was fantastic as always as Harold Finch's somewhat more morally gray views come to light with his childhood better explored. Surprisingly, Kevin Chapman is also allowed to play more of a dramatic role this season with Fusco being kept out of the loop by the team. He continued to show more of his range than the show let on early in the series.
In fact, while there are issues this season, the performances really aren't the source. The dynamic seems a bit off, but the actors are usually at the top of their game. As always, the smaller roles are well done as well thanks to strong casting and direction. It's just a problem on the writing side mainly.
Pre-"If-Then-Else", the series was chugging along just fine. The writing just seemed to get a bit lazy once Sarah Shahi was written out. Perhaps the issue just came down to Shahi's pregnancy being the surprise to the writers who had to rework the second half script without her in play.
Even the penultimate episode of this season "Asylum" misses some of the heft of previous wind down episodes of the series. The writing lacks the usual attention to detail and ability to fit pieces together without it feeling telegraphed. Of the second half of the season, only "Terra Incognita" and "YHWH" are memorable.
Still, this season has some great episodes along the way. "Prophets" brings up the tension of the early dystopian feel of the world. "If-Then-Else" has a fantastic Groundhog Day feel to it as the Machine goes through simulations, ending in Shaw's near-death. "Terra Incognita" is an emotionally draining but beautifully done ride that looks back at Carter's life one last time.
There's a supercomputer systematically destroying everyone who remotely posses a threat to it, and there's also some mob bosses who are vaguely threatening. (Image Courtesy of: tribzap2it.files.wordpress.com)
Where this season does succeed certainly is the feeling of suspense surrounding the season as a whole regarding Samaritan. The previous three seasons has largely made out the hero team to be one step ahead. Nothing could stop them even if it got fairly close.
With the threat of Samaritan, the team becomes truly vulnerable in everything they do, week to week. Even basic stop bad guys and save victims stories have an extra layer of threat with the promise that, if the team steps too far out of line, they'll be caught and taken out for good.
This makes it even more troubling how boring the second half of the season is. The procedural episodes should have extra weight without effort rather than less. John Greer is too bland a main villainous threat, and his henchman are too unrefined to make the most of their overwhelming presence.
The closing chapter of this season though does impressively set up the final season, killing off many of the main villains left in one swift stroke that finally let Samaritan overwhelmingly declare its dominance on the narrative. It's a shame that dominance couldn't be universally asserted this season.
In the end, this season almost takes a step too far away from the series' strengths due to some less than convincing late season writing. However, it brings home the story enough to make the fifth and final season exciting and worth sticking around for.
With the typical strong acting, all that is missing from this season is one of its central actors, but Sarah Shahi's absence is almost shockingly affecting for the series despite her only being around for two seasons of episodes so far. Due to the way the character dynamics had shifted up to this point, the writing never did an effective job this season of rebalancing the team dynamic and letting the episodes shine as bright as the concept for this season deserved.
With the threat of Samaritan, the team becomes truly vulnerable in everything they do, week to week. Even basic stop bad guys and save victims stories have an extra layer of threat with the promise that, if the team steps too far out of line, they'll be caught and taken out for good.
This makes it even more troubling how boring the second half of the season is. The procedural episodes should have extra weight without effort rather than less. John Greer is too bland a main villainous threat, and his henchman are too unrefined to make the most of their overwhelming presence.
The closing chapter of this season though does impressively set up the final season, killing off many of the main villains left in one swift stroke that finally let Samaritan overwhelmingly declare its dominance on the narrative. It's a shame that dominance couldn't be universally asserted this season.
In the end, this season almost takes a step too far away from the series' strengths due to some less than convincing late season writing. However, it brings home the story enough to make the fifth and final season exciting and worth sticking around for.
With the typical strong acting, all that is missing from this season is one of its central actors, but Sarah Shahi's absence is almost shockingly affecting for the series despite her only being around for two seasons of episodes so far. Due to the way the character dynamics had shifted up to this point, the writing never did an effective job this season of rebalancing the team dynamic and letting the episodes shine as bright as the concept for this season deserved.