“I built it,” says Finch (Michael Emerson) to Collier (Leslie Odom Jr), one of the leaders of Vigilance who, with his gunman, have created a kangaroo court to try the creators of The Machine. Collier is streaming the trial of the ones behind The Machine and all its surveillance, or so he believes, to the world via the internet in the third season finale of the crime drama Person of Interest.
It’s been a shocking and busy season for Reese (Jim Caviezel) and Finch who, along with Shaw (Sarah Shahi), have witnessed the rise of Vigilance, a mysterious group of vigilantes who somehow found out about The Machine’s existence and are determined to find and destroy it, and they’re willing to kill anyone they suspect is part of its operations. They’ve also been battling a private and very powerful shadow company called Decima who’s trying to bring their own super-computer online and get government backing.
So with Finch being on trial for creating The Machine and likely to be made an example of, Reese teams up with a new ally – Shaw’s old CIA boss – to search the darkened streets (The Machine made the power in New York City go off) to find some of Vigilance’s people and get them to reveal the location of the courthouse where the trial is being held in order to save Finch.
Meanwhile, Shaw and Root (Amy Acker) have found the main storage facility of Decima’s super-computer and are working to stop it from going online – or so Shaw and the audience believe – before it becomes the largest threat Reese, Finch, and The Machine have ever faced.
Suspenseful and surprising, Person of Interest‘s season three finale titled “Deus Ex Machina” brings to a close the most ambitious and shocking season of the crime drama series to date. Series co-star Taraji P. Henson’s character Detective Carter died bringing down the corrupt police outfit known as HR and saving Reese halfway through the season’s run. The mysterious leader of Decima, John Greer (wonderfully portrayed by British actor John Nolan), became a major villain and at the end of this episode seems to have the upper hand on our heroes.
The show has an even stronger cloak and dagger tone to it with the rise of Decima and with Reese and Finch battling them along with CIA rogue agents and politicians. The sense of paranoia and double-cross have increased considerably.
Jim Caviezel owns the role of “The Man in the Black Suit” John Reese with his icy stare and half smirk as he delivers his lines to the show’s villains as he bests them. This is also the first season since the show’s beginning that he conveyed emotions of true sadness and bitter grief when Carter was taken from the team. Caviezel does a fantastic job of showing real concern and care for Finch who has been in more danger this season than either previous season. The two men have become more than just partners but true friends willing to die to save the other.
Michael Emerson is the moral and emotional center of the show as Harold Finch, the billionaire mastermind who sacrificed so much of his personal happiness to help and save others who would be lost if not for him, Reese, Shaw and The Machine. He’s the one character who stands by his ethics and morals and who has had a positive effect on those around him. A perfect example of this is in the episode titled “Death Benefit” when it becomes clear The Machine wants Finch and Reese to not save a Congressman but kill him to prevent Decima’s super-computer from becoming a reality. Finch can’t believe it at first, but then realizes it’s true and says to Reese: “If we’ve reached the point where The Machine is telling us to commit murder, I’m sorry this is where I get off,” effectively convincing Reese not to go through with it.
With great action scenes, sharp dialogue, riveting shoot-outs, interesting and deadly villains, and unforeseen twists and turns, Person of Interest is the best crime drama on television. Can’t wait for season four!
GRADE: A
