4.08: Point of Origin

[J-Sun]

From wikipedia:

John works as a trainer in police academy, their number is a woman who turns out to already be a cop and is now undercover for internal affairs, trying to find a mole. The team finds out that Mini, the man they thought to be Dominic's muscle, indeed is Dominic. He had the mole steal files from a police computer - all about their next number: Elias. Meanwhile, Samaritan is recovering Shaw's photo and in the end, after having tracked down Romeo, the guy who recommended her for the last robbery job, the blonde female agent working for Samaritan in God mode finds Shaw in her daily job as visagist.

I liked cop girl. Scenes with Dominic reminded me of the scenes with Luther back on Homicide. (Still getting used to current TV in some aspects - can't believe they got away with that description of the basketball. "Are there no standards [and practices] anymore?" )

This episode also uses the Magic Photo I mentioned from last week's episode.

Didn't like the long "gulp" pause for the cliffhanger ending as, if it weren't for the cliffhanger ending, Shaw would have been diving and reaching for the gun attached somewhere to her body several split-seconds (or even whole seconds as long as they held that camera shot) prior to the cut to credits/commercials.

It is kind of weird to be out to save Elias but he has been useful and is just one of those fictional creations that runs away from the creators, I think. Maybe they meant for him to have this long and integral a part in the show, I don't know. But he certainly demands it the way it turned out.

Anyway - this one was good, but not as good as the previous week, and this one's already fuzzier in my memory than that one.

 

[Dave]

Actually, it's the opposite for me, since it is a while since I saw Honor Among Thieves but I just watched this. I do tend to agree with you regarding the photo, but also, there is no way that you could identify Shaw from that grainy photo in that Department Store Perfumery. Every customer also had black hair and heavy eyeliner. I actually thought that the customer Shaw had just served would be mistaken for her. I also agree about the cliffhanger ending and fully expect to see a Flash Gordon/Adam West Batman type of resolution at the start of next week.

The best part of this episode was seeing Bear back in action again!

 

[J-Sun]

also, there is no way that you could identify Shaw from that grainy photo in that Department Store Perfumery

Good point.

The best part of this episode was seeing Bear back in action again!

Another very good point. I didn't think about noting it but it was nice to see Bear actually take a bite out of crime.

 

[willwallace]

I thought the ending was a misdirection, no way that operative knows it's Shaw, she's just fishing for a reaction. And Shaw is too professional to give herself away(I think). Dominic is turning into a character I really want to see the team take out, and now that Elias has come up as a number, it looks like the showdown is coming.

 

[markpud]

I agree, she was looking for the reaction from Shaw - there was a similar size brunette store assistant in the foreground of the shot who could just as easily have been the target. Interesting to see that Samaritan still relies on humans to make the connections where its data sources are limited. Her meeting with Romeo was a cool scene.

Nice to see Team Machine catch up with the viewer in terms of Dominic's identity. I hadn't spotted the "mini" as part of "Dominic" thing! The scene with the Latino gang member turning on his leader was a little dubious for me. I'd expect a bit more loyalty from the #2 guy. He could have turned that weapon on Dominic and brought this whole plot line to an end!

 

[ctg]

The scene with the Latino gang member turning on his leader was a little dubious for me. I'd expect a bit more loyalty from the #2 guy. He could have turned that weapon on Dominic and brought this whole plot line to an end!

Not likely. The known way to test the loyalty is to order turned officer to execute their own at the front of the firing squad. Dominic wasn't in danger when he order the number two to do the job. But I admit that he's a dangerous man, both to Elias as he's against the Machine gang. They have no choice but to intervene or let all out war to commence in the New York soil.

In the meantime The Good Samaritan can execute asset elimination operations against the Machine, as you we can see from their Op finding Shaw under her main disguise. But I wouldn't say that Shaw's going to be a piece of cake to take down, even by the Ai controlled op.

 

[J-Sun]

I thought the ending was a misdirection, no way that operative knows it's Shaw, she's just fishing for a reaction. And Shaw is too professional to give herself away(I think).

Well, if it is, I'd be even more annoyed than I am with the excessive length and cheap teaser elements of it. The camera work gives the definite impression of eye-to-eye and she was drawing her weapon which means she either feels very sure or has very unsubtle ways of provoking reactions (well, this much we know she does, but this would be a little much even for her). And if a gun is headed in your direction, I don't think it's unprofessional to move to defend yourself - it is unprofessional to stand there staring like a deer in headlights. But we'll see tonight!

I hadn't spotted the "mini" as part of "Dominic" thing!

Me either. One of those forehead-slap moments.

Dominic wasn't in danger when he order the number two to do the job.

Agreed - he had some of his crew with them and I'm sure they were ready to blow away #2 if he started to do anything with the gun other than what he was supposed to.