Person of Interest: Super
November 19, 2024 12:23 PM - Season 1, Episode 11 - Subscribe
Reese works the computer while Finch does the legwork with their latest POI, a building super who keeps too close an eye on his tenants.
Superficially the POI of the week focuses on Ernest Trask, (David Zayas) who is the super of building. But a majority of the plot focuses on flashbacks between Finch and his partner Nathan Ingram as well as the introduction of Alicia Corwin and Denton Weeks. Finch is informed by the Machine that Weeks is a threat to Ingram.
Near the end of the episode, Finch gives Carter her own POI assignment to illustrate the work that he and Reese do. She's able to successfully thwart a shooting afterwards Finch calls her and says, "This is what he we do."
The episode ends with a discussion between Finch and Ingram with Finch reveal that the Machine "Has an impulse for self preservation." When Igram remarks, "You talk about it like it's alive." Finch cautions, "Shhh it'll hear you."
Points of Interest:
David Zayas says "It seems like yesterday I was partying down in Miami." This is a reference to his performance as Detective Batista on Dexter.
Mark Snow uses the line "Coffee is for closers." which is from the movie Glengarry Glen Ross which was a scene created for the movie version of the original play.
In episode 9, Get Carter, Carter remarks she's trying to prevent a homicide for once. With Finch's help, she's able to do so.
Superficially the POI of the week focuses on Ernest Trask, (David Zayas) who is the super of building. But a majority of the plot focuses on flashbacks between Finch and his partner Nathan Ingram as well as the introduction of Alicia Corwin and Denton Weeks. Finch is informed by the Machine that Weeks is a threat to Ingram.
Near the end of the episode, Finch gives Carter her own POI assignment to illustrate the work that he and Reese do. She's able to successfully thwart a shooting afterwards Finch calls her and says, "This is what he we do."
The episode ends with a discussion between Finch and Ingram with Finch reveal that the Machine "Has an impulse for self preservation." When Igram remarks, "You talk about it like it's alive." Finch cautions, "Shhh it'll hear you."
Points of Interest:
David Zayas says "It seems like yesterday I was partying down in Miami." This is a reference to his performance as Detective Batista on Dexter.
Mark Snow uses the line "Coffee is for closers." which is from the movie Glengarry Glen Ross which was a scene created for the movie version of the original play.
In episode 9, Get Carter, Carter remarks she's trying to prevent a homicide for once. With Finch's help, she's able to do so.
Reese: ...but if I'm sending you back in the field, you're getting basic self defense.
Finch: I really don't think...
Reese: Now listen up. If Trask comes at you, put your fingers straight out like this and strike at his eyes.
Finch: Poke him in the eyes? That's your technique?
Reese: No, that's your technique. If that doesn't work, you can take your thumb, jam it in his eye socket and twist till you hit his brain.
Finch: Please stop.
posted by porpoise at 11:29 PM on November 20, 2024 [3 favorites]
Finch: I really don't think...
Reese: Now listen up. If Trask comes at you, put your fingers straight out like this and strike at his eyes.
Finch: Poke him in the eyes? That's your technique?
Reese: No, that's your technique. If that doesn't work, you can take your thumb, jam it in his eye socket and twist till you hit his brain.
Finch: Please stop.
posted by porpoise at 11:29 PM on November 20, 2024 [3 favorites]
..and later Finch does poke someone in the eye.
Solid episode. Continues Carter's education about Team Machine, the CIA looking for John, and the backstory of Harold and The Machine.
I noticed they messed up and the machine moved to the right on the timeline to go BACK in time, then went to the right again to go FORWARD. I note this because it's a rare exception, they're usually consistent with the machine's POV and you can get lots of little easter eggs by watching the text and the yellow rectangles.
The case of the week was kind of the comedy B-story, with Harold sneaking around and learning eye-poking techniques and John re-enacting Rear Window.
Some things got a little bit creepy -- like Harold and John gawking at a female tenant they're surveying, and talking about a creepy stalker watching a woman's every move while they're also watching her every move. But I can forgive that considering that the final message of the episode was that people shouldn't have access to this kind of surveillance because they can't be trusted to use it ethically...
Finch revealing that Trask really used to have a yacht and a pet tiger is one of my favorite moments in the whole series.
posted by mmoncur at 1:36 AM on November 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
Solid episode. Continues Carter's education about Team Machine, the CIA looking for John, and the backstory of Harold and The Machine.
I noticed they messed up and the machine moved to the right on the timeline to go BACK in time, then went to the right again to go FORWARD. I note this because it's a rare exception, they're usually consistent with the machine's POV and you can get lots of little easter eggs by watching the text and the yellow rectangles.
The case of the week was kind of the comedy B-story, with Harold sneaking around and learning eye-poking techniques and John re-enacting Rear Window.
Some things got a little bit creepy -- like Harold and John gawking at a female tenant they're surveying, and talking about a creepy stalker watching a woman's every move while they're also watching her every move. But I can forgive that considering that the final message of the episode was that people shouldn't have access to this kind of surveillance because they can't be trusted to use it ethically...
Finch revealing that Trask really used to have a yacht and a pet tiger is one of my favorite moments in the whole series.
posted by mmoncur at 1:36 AM on November 22, 2024 [2 favorites]
The Finch/Reese role reversal in this is a lot of fun, as is the acceptance that neither of them are great in the other's roles. Reese spends, what, an afternoon trying and failing to crack the hidden camera's backdoor wifi, Finch cracks it immediately on arriving back at the apartment; Finch is obviously outmatched in the final fight, Reese kicks ass even with a cane.
Some things got a little bit creepy -- like Harold and John gawking at a female tenant they're surveying
"And Amber in 714 is..." "Healthy." EEEEW NO SKEEZY.
The apartment building looked kinda familiar; I had wondered if it was the same location as Only Murders in the Building's Arconia, but no; that films its exteriors at The Belnord and this episode's exteriors are The Apthorp.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:09 PM on November 30, 2024 [2 favorites]
Some things got a little bit creepy -- like Harold and John gawking at a female tenant they're surveying
"And Amber in 714 is..." "Healthy." EEEEW NO SKEEZY.
The apartment building looked kinda familiar; I had wondered if it was the same location as Only Murders in the Building's Arconia, but no; that films its exteriors at The Belnord and this episode's exteriors are The Apthorp.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:09 PM on November 30, 2024 [2 favorites]
On the flashback transition: my first-watcher impression is that the Machine-eye flashback rewind/fast-forward is a mechanism that gets used increasingly often through the first season? and again seems another way that the show is gradually pushing the Machine-eye view more to the foreground.
When Igram remarks, "You talk about it like it's alive." Finch cautions, "Shhh it'll hear you."
And if I'm remembering rightly -- I've watched quite a long way further in the season than I've commented on yet -- we then get a Machine-eye closer that identifies NATHAN INGRAM as a THREAT? Which seems new enormously significant to my first-watcher eyes: it seems to me like the Machine is not just observing and analysing, it's reacting; and that it has a sense of self-preservation.
(And... isn't Ingram dead, of as-yet-unknown causes? DID THE MACHINE KILL HIM? don't tell me, please.)
Still very difficult not to think of Ingram as Goodwin though.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:20 PM on November 30, 2024 [2 favorites]
When Igram remarks, "You talk about it like it's alive." Finch cautions, "Shhh it'll hear you."
And if I'm remembering rightly -- I've watched quite a long way further in the season than I've commented on yet -- we then get a Machine-eye closer that identifies NATHAN INGRAM as a THREAT? Which seems new enormously significant to my first-watcher eyes: it seems to me like the Machine is not just observing and analysing, it's reacting; and that it has a sense of self-preservation.
(And... isn't Ingram dead, of as-yet-unknown causes? DID THE MACHINE KILL HIM? don't tell me, please.)
Still very difficult not to think of Ingram as Goodwin though.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:20 PM on November 30, 2024 [2 favorites]
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posted by sammyo at 8:20 PM on November 19, 2024 [1 favorite]