Warning: Spoiler Alert
As the previous episode of the CBS series “Person Of Interest” concluded, we saw storm-clouds ahead on two fronts, one concerning Artificial Intelligence System Samaritan, the other with a rapidly growing New York street gang, known as The Brotherhood. Although the first situation needed a speedy solution, most of this episode revolved around the second, as the leader of The Brotherhood Dominic, challenged the Boss of the New York City underworld Carl Elias. Although both men get involved in criminal activities all over the spectrum, Harold Finch and John Reese prefer that Elias remain in power, as he’s cleared up the chaotic situation the city was, before he took over.
The open finds us watching Sameen Shaw and Samaritan operative Martine, staring down each other inside a high-end clothing store. Sameen’s boss picks the worst possible moment to criticize her countertop at the makeup center, as Martine pulls out her pistol and begins firing, Shaw getting her and the manager down below the counter before the bullets get close. Shaw reaches into a cabinet underneath her counter and pulls out an automatic weapon, that likely weighs more than she does and starts advancing and firing on her foe. She winds up behind a post, puts down the weapon and grabs her pistol engaging in a firefight, until she makes it to an exit that deposits her on the street.
Root rides up on a motorcycle, gives Shaw a helmet, tells her to jump on and off they go, while Samaritan loses their signal. Root rides the bike up a ramp and into a moving van, then covers the motorcycle with a furniture blanket, they hide behind some furniture and the movers close up the truck and take off to someone’s new home. Harold reaches them inside the truck and tells Shaw that her cover’s blown and she’s not safe on the streets, she needs to get back to headquarters. Shaw replies they’re in the back of a truck and have no idea where they are, but Finch tells her he’s got her GPS signal.
Reese’s following the number that “The Machine,” assigned them, Crime Boss Carl Elias, as Dominic stole every important document about Elias from the NYPD computer. Elias and his number one guy Anthony are walking the boardwalk when they meet up with another man, Bruce Moran, his childhood friend and the man who handles all of Carl’s money. Bruce tells him about a couple of crisis he averted and tells Elias he’s lucky to have him. Elias gives him a hug and he walks away.
The moving truck’s stopped and we hear the driver talking with a cop, who opens the back of the truck and it’s Fusco. He gets them out and then tells the truck-driver everything’s cool and he can take off. Using the shadow-map that Finch designed they start following the trail that will take them back to headquarters, without being detected by cameras, and thereby Samaritan.
Reese approaches and Elias says it’s an unexpected pleasure to see him so soon and John responds it’s not a social call. Elias asks who he’s playing Guardian Angel for this time and Reese tells the Crime Boss it’s him, Dominic’s coming after him hard, and he stole all sorts of info from the Department’s computer. Carl thanks John but tells him he can handle this young lion on his own, when he and Anthony leave, one of Elias’ men tries to shoot them in the back, but John shoots him first.
Reese tries to talk Elias into leaving the city for a while and he flat-out refuses, but he appreciates John providing him extra protection. The trio head over to one of the gang leaders that work for Carl, a guy named Gino. Elias tells him about the attempted hit and Gino says he’s shocked, but looking at Carl’s face he realizes that Dominic turned him. He asks Gino if Dominic got to Bruce, and Gino responds he honestly doesn’t know but he’s on his way there right now, Reese tells the other two guys they need to leave and they get out in plenty of time.
Martine calls the head of Samaritan John Greer and tells him that she lost Shaw, that somehow Samaritan developed a blind spot, which puzzles Greer. He tells her to keep digging and he’ll investigate further into what happened with Samaritan. She decides to talk to the cop that stopped the truck, to see if he knows anything.
As Shaw and Root walk they start talking and she asks when “The Machine,” will provide her with a new identity, and Root gives her a pitying look. Shaw’s truly ticked off, she says that Root goes through a dozen identities in a week sometimes, she only gets one and done? Root tells her she doesn’t make the rules but if she doesn’t go into seclusion she’ll put all their lives in danger.
Dominic heads to Gino’s who told the leader of the Brotherhood he tried to stall with Elias, but they took off and they realize Gino got turned. Dominic asks what else did they discuss and Gino mentions they discussed his accountant Bruce. After they leave Gino’s Dominic tells his second in command that this Bruce must run all of Elias’ businesses, when he was in jail and living off the grid.
Bruce’s office’s located in the penthouse of a dilapidated building that Carl owns and he’s only restored the penthouse. When they reach the floor it looks like a totally different building. Elias needs to get something from his safe and starts punching in the combination, when the Brotherhood start shooting through the door. Reese grabs Elias and they go out through a secret passageway, Anthony starts to join them, but gets shot, so he tells Reese to get Carl out. Elias tries to go back, but John stops him, then attempts it himself, but there’s too many guys. The two of them hide in a room that Carl says he never liked.
Harold contacts Root and Shaw and tells them he’s off to help Reese and Shaw can’t join them, for fear of Samaritan seeing her. She says she thought that the Artificial Intelligence System can’t see them and Root agrees but tells her their operatives can. Sameen asks Root if she knows where Reese is and she nods, but won’t tell her. Shaw says she won’t move unless Root takes her there and for once Root’s bested.
Back in the room Carl dislikes, Dominic calls Elias on his cell and tells him he’s got a chance to make one deal, if he turns himself in he’ll allow Anthony and Detective Reilly to go free, Elias says he needs a better deal than that and hangs up the phone. As soon as he does though, we see the regret on his face and he tells John that he’s been friends with Anthony forever, they met at a Juvenile Detention Center when they were kids, Anthony got sent there as his father beat his mother for years, until one day Anthony slit his father’s throat. He then asks John if he ever wonders how long he can keep things going, Carl’s quite melancholy and Reese realizes he may struggle to get saved.
Reese gives Carl a gun and then says as soon as he gets Elias safe he’ll go back for Anthony, the reach the street and Elias comes out second, then points the gun at Reese and tells him he’s sorry, but he can’t let John go back in that building, they’re too much even for him. He then slams the door behind him, and there’s no knob on the street side of the door. Finch calls Elias and tells him he shouldn’t do this, he’s the one that brought back order to the streets, Carl tells him he’s touched with John and his efforts but he must go and we see Dominic and two of his men directly in front of Carl.
Root takes Shaw into a building, but it’s not where John, Elias, The Brotherhood and Finch are at. Instead Root sticks Sameen in the neck with a syringe filled with elephant tranquilizer, Shaw tries choking Root, but passes out first.
Elias asks Dominic where’s Anthony and Dominic tells him the deals terms have changed he needs to give up the safe’s combination, before he releases Anthony. Elias now gets angry and says how do I even know he’s alive and the leader of The Brotherhood calls up to the penthouse and they put Anthony on the phone. Anthony says that Elias should give up the combination and Carl says he’s waiting for him to get released, but Anthony says he doesn’t think that’s happening. Elias gives the guys in the Penthouse the number, but he kind of smiles at the end, something’s up.
The guys upstairs get to the last digit and Dominic screams stop, but it’s too late, the safe’s wired as a bomb and detonated upon that code’s entry, the entire penthouse blows up, the only person to escape, Dominic’s right-hand man. Dominic said he still won and Elias asked him how come he’s not smiling, then Reese shows up and Dominic slips away. Elias tells John and Harold that he appreciates their support, but a day’s coming when Dominic will pay for Anthony and advises them to stay out of his way.
