3.03: Lady Killer

[J-Sun]

Too... many... PEOPLE!

And I get it: about 90% of the remaining TV audience is female - but let's not lay the appeal-to-women thing on quite so thick especially when, insofar as such things are such things (still), this was more a guy show in concept.

BEGIN SPOILERS:

They overwrote the first part though - I knew the guy wasn't the perp from the start but, given that they were trying so hard to make us think so, they made his "due dilligence" way too creepy for a "good guy" and a new dad, even. Still, the storyline was almost worth it to see how Shaw looked in that dress - she simultaneously looked great and looked hilariously uncomfortable and pissed. But, seriously, it was an okay/bleh story of the week thread.

The prize for the ep was Amy Acker and Root's thread and her "discussion" with her shrink and the government agent. That made the episode a can't miss, just like her part in 3.1.

But, as I say, they need to have either Zoe or Shaw or Root on most every (but not every) episode. But they need to stop throwing so many people on the same night. Because I like Shaw, I was initially unthinkingly okay with her becoming a regular but it really messes up the dynamics. And what's with inviting the subjects in to meet everybody all the time? Reese is supposed to be the hands/eyes-on guy, and so the contact. Finch is supposed to be the Mystery Man and all the other assets are supposed to be out of sight, as well.

Still, over all, better than 3.1 and .2 - so "best episode of the season"!

 

[ctg]

Okay, best episode of the season three ... so far. Because I'm sure there's going to be many, many worthy candidates to claim the whole prize. And to be honest, Nolan didn't had to write much to make all the changes to work, in such sort space of time.

Three episodes is nothing, when you compare its threads against all the other ones that were loosely hanging from the last season, and in the same time move forward the whole story at as well as giving room for the characters to grow.

I like the "Boardroom" in the safehouse. It gives Fince, Reese and Shaw a chance to study their marks with the special guest stars. Some of them will become assets and some of them will perish, like the poor perp in the last episode.

And I am quite sure that they will follow "r00ts" storyline very close as now she's walking with the other A.I. . You could even say that r00t is the chosen one for the Machine's child (or split personality). She is the avatar; the face of the Machine.

 

[ctg]

I know what the endless datastreams of pure alphabets that the Machine's company printed out in the end of the last year is now. You just look at the picture and try to understand how the system works, and you get it, you see that all those alphanumericals were part of the decision system that the Machine uses when it tracks the subject.

So it's like how Fincs said it: "It's memories." And that picture is one of those memories, as much as what it shows about the Lady Killer.

Root's social security number through first name of books and call signs: "Black, Kilo, Tango. Penguin, Alpha, Kilo. Two, Delta, Gulf." ("Lady Killer")

Root - Person of Interest Wiki

 

[Dave]

Okay, best episode of the season three ... so far. Because I'm sure there's going to be many, many worthy candidates to claim the whole prize.

I agree, and although it did have quite a lot of the long arc story, the story of the week was funny and interestingly different too. (Someone was saying how the story of the week was boring and only the arc stories were interesting.) We are unlikely to get much more on the identity of the big boss woman, or of the 'Machine's big plan since it will be kept back for a grand season finale, but there is certainly enough going on to keep me watching.

Too... many... PEOPLE!

And I get it: about 90% of the remaining TV audience is female - but let's not lay the appeal-to-women thing on quite so thick especially when, insofar as such things are such things (still), this was more a guy show in concept.

They are good looking women though. Guys can like that too. But I don't agree that there are too many people. Certainly the dynamics have changed. It isn't the reclusive tech guy who has hired a gunman any more; now it is a Scooby Gang of all sorts. But they have all joined in an organic believable way. Except maybe Shaw, since her back story was told in one episode and seemed a bit forced.

I also agree that the whole r00t and the Psychiatrist thread is the best part of the last few episodes.

Not sure how Shaw has won over Bear.

 

[Lenny]

I(Someone was saying how the story of the week was boring and only the arc stories were interesting.)

That was me. Whilst I didn't find it particularly true in the first series, the standard number of the week episodes in the second that had no bearing on the story arc started to bore me. I doubt I'm the only one, either, as we don't have threads for about half of the series two episodes.

I think I've said somewhere that the addition of more storylines might go some way to remedying what I saw as a problem, as the writers could then link every episode in to a larger arc, rather than giving us a filler episode (many of which you could watch totally out of order and not notice).

---

I enjoyed this episode (although I didn't comment because I'd have simply said: "I enjoyed this episode. Shaw was cool, the larger cast doesn't bother me, ooooh, subplots!"), but I did find myself really wishing that the perp would stay a perp, rather than turn out to be someone who acts like a dick and happens to be in danger.

To be fair, though, and it's something I forgot to mention (and I don't think anyone else actually picked up on), the show did show some spine in episode two, and gave us the rarity that is the team failing to save somebody. I'm surprised not more was made of it.

 

[J-Sun]

They are good looking women though. Guys can like that too. But I don't agree that there are too many people. Certainly the dynamics have changed. It isn't the reclusive tech guy who has hired a gunman any more; now it is a Scooby Gang of all sorts. But they have all joined in an organic believable way. Except maybe Shaw, since her back story was told in one episode and seemed a bit forced.

They are that. But it's not that so much as the "girls night out" aspect (and - no spoilers - in tonight's episode they have a group of women in a book club) and so on. And on the number, that's my point: its changed from a, uh, dynamic duo* to a scooby gang and I don't like that. But if you do, it's not a problem.

Not sure how Shaw has won over Bear.

I actually lit up a little when I saw that - that just seemed right. Dogs just "know" (barring the ep before last) and I think Shaw likes him (Shahi was very subtly very convincing) and he likes Shaw - simple. That was something I didn't have to be convinced of. There is a reference to that in 3.04, too.

I think I've said somewhere that the addition of more storylines might go some way to remedying what I saw as a problem, as the writers could then link every episode in to a larger arc, rather than giving us a filler episode (many of which you could watch totally out of order and not notice).

Exactly - that's arc-writing 101: no episode ever needs to be completely stand-alone though few episodes ever need to be completely arc-based. I don't know why the writers can't throw in more arc per PoI-of-the-week episode.

I did find myself really wishing that the perp would stay a perp, rather than turn out to be someone who acts like a dick and happens to be in danger.

Amen.

To be fair, though, and it's something I forgot to mention (and I don't think anyone else actually picked up on), the show did show some spine in episode two, and gave us the rarity that is the team failing to save somebody. I'm surprised not more was made of it.

True - I think I was more concerned with not liking the episode and being more concerned about a bad arc (vs. none at all) to really notice. But it is a good thing to have happen once in a great while. Good point.
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* Actually, a dynamic duo and their dynamic duo of cop assets, but they all usually had plenty of breathing room so that their connections had impact when they happened.