Summary: The Machine is glitching out with several bugs and Finch is struggling to fix them all. The Machine sends out 30 numbers and Reese and Fusco investigate them. However, majority of these cases aren't even cases and The Machine is not applying context and appears to be unstuck in time. The Machine eventually labels Reese, Finch and Root as threats and refuses to cooperate with them, also refusing to allow them to reboot it. The Machine sends an assassin to kill Reese, disguised as a POI. Root's cochlear implant is used to cause her pain when The Machine is angry so Finch knocks her out so she can't be used as leverage. Finch speaks with The Machine and manages to figure out the issue, winning it over again. Reese is able to defeat the assassin. One of the 30 POIs deemed irrelevant by Finch turned out to be a genuine POI as he is recruited by Samaritan.
The Good: I really liked the concept behind this episode. There wasn't a proper POI case in this episode and instead the whole episode focused on the team trying to bring The Machine back to life. It made for a very unique story that was different from anything that the show has done before. I liked the story of Finch attempting to fix tons of bugs. He is rebuilding The Machine so it makes perfect sense that there would be loads of complications. Additionally, it led to that hysterical scene where The Machine was imprinting the wrong faces over the dialogue it was hearing, leading to some pretty funny line deliveries from the main cast which I really enjoyed. It reminded me of the terrific simulation gag from "If-Then-Else". The bugs had a surprisingly big effect on The Machine, as a simple bug of The Machine being unable to understand the concept of time caused it to turn on the team and determine that they were all bad people. It was surprising to see the team pitted against The Machine for an episode, and it made for a really unique story as they were essentially forced to befriend a hostile AI. Root and Finch did very well in this story as they managed a mix of disappointment, fear and desperation when they realized that The Machine was actively working against them. The final confrontation with Finch trying to convince The Machine that they were its friends was built up really nicely and it felt like a monumental moment. The scene was played out similarly to all of those wonderful flashbacks we saw of Finch teaching The Machine about humanity, only this time it was infused with much more tension and emotion. The last scene we spend with the team was wonderful television. We rarely get to see the four of them just relaxing due to the show's constant fast pace, so this felt different and refreshing. It felt like a classic "calm before the storm" moment, and it allowed me to reflect on the bonds between the team. The final twist of Jeff actually being a threat and joining Samaritan's cause was interesting. It's staged as a really big deal so I imagine that Jeff will become a major character. It's interesting that Reese was the one that let him go, deeming that he was irrelevant. Perhaps he will come to regret that decision in a future episode. The Bad: Reese and Fusco's side stories aren't very interesting. I thought that far too much time was spent on Reese vs Laurie, which consisted of some pretty bland action. The Unknown: Why did Finch see Grace? Evidently The Machine did not do it. Was it really in Finch's head? Is he missing the times he spent with her? What will become of Samaritan recruiting Jeff? What will Jeff's role be? Will Finch really keep The Machine on an open system? How much more useful will it be for the team? Best Moment: Finch speaking to The Machine and convincing it to trust him was impressively emotional. Character of the Episode: The Machine. Conclusion: This was a really fun episode carried by an outstanding main story that was creative and filled with more emotion than I had anticipated. The side stories weren't anything special, but it was fine because the main story had so much going for it. Score: 71
1 Comment
Joe Y
4/7/2022 12:32:53 pm
I love how this episode homages Lost. The Machine needed a Constant! Not much of what the show has to say about good and evil is original--but few things are. What matters more is the manner in which you say it, and by grounding that message in the characters that the show's worked hard to flesh out, it comes off brilliantly. We know that the main cast has done some very, very bad things--but they're trying hard to be good.
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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