Person of Interest: Foe
November 17, 2024 11:07 AM - Season 1, Episode 8 - Subscribe
Reese and Finch hunt an escaped East German spy who is eliminating his former Cold War colleagues in retribution for betraying him and causing his wife's death.
A cold war tale of betrayal. As Reese and Finch track resurfaced Stassi agent Ulrick Kole (played by Alan Dale) bent on avenging the death of his wife (played by Laila Robins), we get glimpses of Reese's past as an agent as well. This is the first appearance of Stanton, Reese's partner in the CIA (played by Annie Parisse) and her particular approach to the job.
Ulrich's quest for revenge (and the discovery that he has a daughter who was raised to think her father was a hero) dovetails with John's first assignment with Stanton and her pointedly telling him there is no way back to his old life.
Ulrich tricks John into killing him. Afterwards, John sits with him as Ulrich dies remarking that while everything was taken from him, something of himself survives in his daughter.
In the end, Finch and Reese ponder Kohl's fate (buried under a name that isn't his) in relation to their own.
Cameo by Austin Pendleton as Pilcher, who unofficially keeps pre-digital records about covert operations and spies from the 1980s.
A cold war tale of betrayal. As Reese and Finch track resurfaced Stassi agent Ulrick Kole (played by Alan Dale) bent on avenging the death of his wife (played by Laila Robins), we get glimpses of Reese's past as an agent as well. This is the first appearance of Stanton, Reese's partner in the CIA (played by Annie Parisse) and her particular approach to the job.
Ulrich's quest for revenge (and the discovery that he has a daughter who was raised to think her father was a hero) dovetails with John's first assignment with Stanton and her pointedly telling him there is no way back to his old life.
Ulrich tricks John into killing him. Afterwards, John sits with him as Ulrich dies remarking that while everything was taken from him, something of himself survives in his daughter.
In the end, Finch and Reese ponder Kohl's fate (buried under a name that isn't his) in relation to their own.
Cameo by Austin Pendleton as Pilcher, who unofficially keeps pre-digital records about covert operations and spies from the 1980s.
Pretty good episode. The backstory of Reese is pretty good and Alan Dale's sheer gravitas makes the case-of-the-week very good.
I like how - unlike every previous POI - Ulrich is ahead of John and Harold every step of the way. He successfully kills (or nearly so) everyone he's after, and John is only able to take a shot at him when Ulrich basically asks him to.
I did get Prince Humperdinck vibes when Ulrich was giving human neurology / torture lessons though.
posted by mmoncur at 8:42 PM on November 20, 2024 [2 favorites]
I like how - unlike every previous POI - Ulrich is ahead of John and Harold every step of the way. He successfully kills (or nearly so) everyone he's after, and John is only able to take a shot at him when Ulrich basically asks him to.
I did get Prince Humperdinck vibes when Ulrich was giving human neurology / torture lessons though.
posted by mmoncur at 8:42 PM on November 20, 2024 [2 favorites]
I hope Pilcher is recurring; or at least occasional. Is that name a subtle wink towards Silence of the Lambs? -- Pilcher there being one of the entomologists that Starling consults, "cheeseburgers and beer" etc etc. Anyway, kinda interesting to see that Finch has an offline network to draw on in addition to his online skills.
Alan Dale guest-starring rings the spot-the-Lost-alum bell; not for the last time I bet.
The all-over-the-map German accents in this were a little distracting.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:35 PM on November 30, 2024 [1 favorite]
Alan Dale guest-starring rings the spot-the-Lost-alum bell; not for the last time I bet.
The all-over-the-map German accents in this were a little distracting.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:35 PM on November 30, 2024 [1 favorite]
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I couldn't catch who flashback (?) lady was? IMDB says Kara Stanton unless I'm mixing up my actresses. [The first few paragraphs of this answers that]
posted by porpoise at 7:24 PM on November 18, 2024 [1 favorite]