For my new followers: I’ve been watching Person of Interest really slowly and posting reactions to each episode with gifs. Check out the tag #miro does poi if you’d like to see more. Or, ya know, blacklist it.
POI 03x23: Deus Ex Machina
I thought some parts of this episode worked and some did not. Gonna do some big overarching thoughts, then call out some specific moments.
I generally liked Collier as a villain. Some of that is an affinity for Leslie Odom Jr., but as I said in a prior post I also really like villains who have a point but take it too far. And I thought Odom played him really really well. The guy is crazy charismatic and brought every ounce of that to bear in this role.
So I felt a bit let down by the trial as culmination of his arc. It’s just… kind of dumb? Like did they actually believe that doing this show trial at gun point - of two political operatives and three people no one knew - was going to … what? Convince people to rise up against the government and demand greater privacy rights? Or was it to make themselves feel better about killing the people responsible for Northern Lights? It just seems pretty half-baked for a character who I felt had been previously set up to be intelligent and driven.
And I didn’t really like the reveal that Greer had been pulling the strings the whole time. It made sense for the broader Samaritan plot but it undermined everything about Collier. I think I would have preferred if they just had Decima influence how the trial went rather than have them be responsible for the entire Vigilance movement.
The trial did create the set up for Harold to be self-sacrificing. Again. Still. Some more.
So much of Harold’s actions throughout the series seem to be motivated by guilt. Actually, remorse is probably more accurate. He only thinks he’s important in terms of what he can do for others. BRB my heart is breaking.
Another thing that got my wheels turning was this part with Control where she gives her experience on 9/11 as her motivation for undertaking the surveillance program, and I’m interested in how that reads to younger people and people who aren’t American.
I was 17 on 9/11 and it isn’t much of an exaggeration to say that you could feel the country change in real time. Control’s story of having the rest of her life motivated by that day isn’t at all rare. I know several people who signed up for the military on 9/12 or shortly thereafter.
Probably most of the people using this site weren’t even born on 9/11 and I wonder if Control’s story comes off as contrived or manipulative to you. I know that for me, I do feel the remove of 22 years. I know that 9/11 jokes and memes are pretty common now. But I don’t think that was the case when this aired. I think we were still too close to it then, and Control probably came off as sympathetic or at least doing the wrong thing for the right reason. I’m not sure this part of the show has aged well. But also Camryn Manheim’s performance is fantastic.
I find it super interesting that when I try to use gif search, the majority of gifs that come up, and the first ones, are ALL Shoot. I’m not sure if that’s because there’s just more of them or if Shoot fans tag their stuff differently or what. I didn’t embed any here because this was getting lengthy, but this scene was great, they have excellent chemistry, and I generally love how their dynamic is developing.
Fusco’s arrival was fantastic because I’m always happy when he shows up but also Root … apparently sent a message on??? with??? Bear? We’re not going to interrogate the mechanics of how Root got Bear out of the library while she was going after Samaritan but I was very glad Bear was there too.
Also! Fusco still doesn’t know about the Machine!!! 🤦🏻♀️
Oh look, Hersh ends up being great and I’m kind of attached to him now. Of course he’s dead at the end.
Let’s talk about the Rinchiness. As always, we have John’s single-minded determination to get Harold back for the majority of the episode.
But then there is this oh so gentle and affectionate scene that I suspect lives in every Rincher’s heart.
Sigh.
And the ending. Goddamn the ending was gutting. RIP Library.
That’s a wrap on season 3! Thanks for sticking with me, y’all. Reminder that my ask box is open if you want to share your thoughts!
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Would you be interested in doing this anime bingo with any anime of your choice?
https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/18wu6dj/the_ranime_2024_new_year_bingo_game/
Sure! I chose Bakugan for obvious reasons. Finding the episodes was relatively easy, but photo editing took longer than I expected. I couldn't clear the entire bingo board, though.
I included all my episode references in case anyone was interested!
02x27 = Press conference (interview on national Vestal news)
01x14 = European character (Klaus von Hertzon is German)
02x25 = Open a door with a passcode/keypad (trophy room)
01x12 = Character in a hospital bed (saddest episode ever)
02x28 = Cabbage (Baron just finished buying groceries)
02x50 = Cake (Happy re-birthday to Keith!)
02x09 = POV camera shot (Altair lost track of Ingram & Percival)
02x25 = Grabbing someone's wrist (Mylene dragging Hydron away was quite funny)
02x15 = Villain in a western-style suit (this entire episode gave me anxiety)
04x27 = Giant robot (I ultimately chose Mechtavius Destroyer)
04x31 = Flying plane (this is Marucho's new helicopter)
02x09 = Cracked phone screen or mirror (literally destroyed)
01x28 = [Accidentally] walking in a character bathing (Dan's mom could see her son in the bathtub, but she couldn't see Drago)
01x01 = Looking into the refrigerator (Dan's dad loves pudding)
04x25 = Characters looking in the sky together ("Dark Moon")
03x23 = Gun (Boomix can extend for sniper attacks as needed)
02x28 = Doing laundry (meet Baron's mom)
02x09 = Characters are tied up (Marucho to the rescue!)
01x49 = Visiting a Japanese shrine (not an amusement park; the shrine isn't apparent until after the ice damage got undone)
02x31 = Stained glass (this is from Klaus's new mansion in Vestal)
02x47 = Character wearing only one glove (Lync hid a copy of the "Alternative" data in the glove that he's about to throw)
01x17 = Sending or receiving a text/email/etc. (this email was a scam/trap with false information)
02x03 = Crashing plane (Mylene: "This time, I AM driving.")
02x27 = Fish (Mira's first time seeing Marucho's aquarium)
Paper crane N/A (unless you want to treat Skyress as one, considering the symbolism behind paper cranes)
Thanks for reading this list!
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This cover is so so beautiful, her voice is incredible! I wish they had recorded a full-length version of this song..
Where Have You Been (All My LIfe) sung by Anne Bobby (playing Susannah)
03x23 Up in the smoke
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