Person of Interest: Risk
November 28, 2024 9:29 AM - Season 1, Episode 16 - Subscribe
The Machine leads Reese and Finch to Wall Street when a sharp young trader at a major investment bank becomes embroiled in a multi-million dollar financial scam.
Reese, posing as asset manager John Rooney, meets Saunders (this episode's POI) at the firm with a large check from Finch to invest. Saunders and the rest of the office watch the news report of the verdict in the trial of the head of Virtanen Pharmaceuticals (see s1 episode 6 "the fix").
Back at the Library, Finch monitors the money that was given to Saunders and tells Reese that most of it is also going into Tritak. Reese takes Saunders to the homeless encampment where he used to live to hide him. Later Reese and Finch get word of a bill allowing shale fracking in New York being passed in the legislature, something that would eliminate the need for a natural gas pipeline and consequently deal a huge blow to a company like Tritak. The next morning, as the company's stock value goes into free-fall, Reese discovers that someone powerful was able to push the fracking bill through the legislature, making Reese question why they would build Tritak up so heavily only to have it collapse.
Reese and Finch eventually sort out that stock is being shorted by someone within the firm and devise a plan to destroy the profits from the planned short sale. The next day, Saunders returns to his job and begins buying all of the sold Tritak shares on Finch's behalf to drive the price back up. The plot flushes out the killer, who attempts to flee when the cops arrive. Luckily, Reese stop him.
Reese returns to the homeless encampment where he thanks Joan, a woman who helped him when he was homeless. Adam arranges for his uncle to feed the homeless people. He also buys the building where the encampment is to provide stability and aid the residents.
Through a phone retrieved by Carter after a SEC agent's seeming suicide, Reese takes the phone and uses it. He's greeted by Elias saying, "Hello John. It's been a long time" revealing that he is the mastermind who shorted the stock in order to fund his vendetta against other crime organizations.
Points of Interest:
Elias re-appears as indicated at the end of s1 episode 7 "Witness" when he says "This is just the beginning."
This episode's plot involving fracking for natural gas in New York state has some basis in real events. There have been attempts to pass a bill that would allow drilling in the Marcellus shale. The Utica shale as mentioned by Finch in the episode actually lies underneath the Marcellus shale and together they form the second largest reserve of natural gas on earth.
Reese, posing as asset manager John Rooney, meets Saunders (this episode's POI) at the firm with a large check from Finch to invest. Saunders and the rest of the office watch the news report of the verdict in the trial of the head of Virtanen Pharmaceuticals (see s1 episode 6 "the fix").
Back at the Library, Finch monitors the money that was given to Saunders and tells Reese that most of it is also going into Tritak. Reese takes Saunders to the homeless encampment where he used to live to hide him. Later Reese and Finch get word of a bill allowing shale fracking in New York being passed in the legislature, something that would eliminate the need for a natural gas pipeline and consequently deal a huge blow to a company like Tritak. The next morning, as the company's stock value goes into free-fall, Reese discovers that someone powerful was able to push the fracking bill through the legislature, making Reese question why they would build Tritak up so heavily only to have it collapse.
Reese and Finch eventually sort out that stock is being shorted by someone within the firm and devise a plan to destroy the profits from the planned short sale. The next day, Saunders returns to his job and begins buying all of the sold Tritak shares on Finch's behalf to drive the price back up. The plot flushes out the killer, who attempts to flee when the cops arrive. Luckily, Reese stop him.
Reese returns to the homeless encampment where he thanks Joan, a woman who helped him when he was homeless. Adam arranges for his uncle to feed the homeless people. He also buys the building where the encampment is to provide stability and aid the residents.
Through a phone retrieved by Carter after a SEC agent's seeming suicide, Reese takes the phone and uses it. He's greeted by Elias saying, "Hello John. It's been a long time" revealing that he is the mastermind who shorted the stock in order to fund his vendetta against other crime organizations.
Points of Interest:
Elias re-appears as indicated at the end of s1 episode 7 "Witness" when he says "This is just the beginning."
This episode's plot involving fracking for natural gas in New York state has some basis in real events. There have been attempts to pass a bill that would allow drilling in the Marcellus shale. The Utica shale as mentioned by Finch in the episode actually lies underneath the Marcellus shale and together they form the second largest reserve of natural gas on earth.
Sometimes Finch's wealth feels just a bit too story-convenient to me; like, just having $153M lying around to pursue a number-of-the-week hunch convenient.
(Although I think we're maybe supposed to assume that the destroying-the-short plan actually resulted in Finch profiting on the case? Much as he did by shorting Virtanen in S1E6 and ... does Finch's private/privileged information mean that strictly speaking he too is insider trading? Heh.)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:06 AM on December 1 [1 favorite]
(Although I think we're maybe supposed to assume that the destroying-the-short plan actually resulted in Finch profiting on the case? Much as he did by shorting Virtanen in S1E6 and ... does Finch's private/privileged information mean that strictly speaking he too is insider trading? Heh.)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:06 AM on December 1 [1 favorite]
I had forgotten Reese's alias here. In season 2, episode 7 (which I just watched yesterday), he also poses at an asset manager named John Rooney.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 6:30 PM on December 3
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 6:30 PM on December 3
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Also Reese thanking Joan, that was a tear jerker.
posted by porpoise at 7:19 PM on November 29 [1 favorite]