Warning: Spoiler Alert
Times are trying for Harold Finch and John Reese currently as they went into this week’s installment of the CBS series “Person Of Interest,” with just a skeleton crew. They are living under the assumption, that Sameen Shaw’s dead, even though she’s alive and kicking, held as a captive by Samaritan. Samantha Groves, better known as Root, left the reservation, when Finch told her they might never find out what happened to Shaw and Harold told Reese it’s a good idea to keep NYPD Detective Lionel Fusco out of the loop, for fear he ends up badly injured or killed. So just like the early days of season one, Reese and Finch decide to operate once again as a two-man-team.
Unfortunately, Harold’s been called for jury duty in his guise as college professor Harold Whistler and he fears avoiding it, because it could mess up his cover-story. So Reese’s is on his own, trying to catch up on numbers “The Machine,” gave them over the last few weeks while they were preoccupied with staying alive. Finch tells John that all the numbers he’s looked into that they couldn’t help are either dead or in jail as they couldn’t stop the people they got assigned to monitor, from committing foolish acts.
Finch’s pulling out all the stops trying to avoid serving on the jury, he tries hacking the court’s computer system, but the attempt fails. He tells the judge and the two presiding attorneys that he believes a giant computer runs this nation, without most citizens being aware it exists. That almost gets him off, but he ends up replacing a previously selected juror, who’s cellphone rings in the courtroom.
As if Finch doesn’t have enough on his plate he’s joined by a former high-school English teacher named Emma, played by veteran actress Blair Brown. Depending on your age, you may know her from her younger days when she starred in movies such as “Continental Divide,” with the late, great, John Belushi or her TV series which was the first show referred to as a Dramedy, by Television critics, entitled “The Days And Nights Of Molly Dodd.” Or if you’re younger you might remember as Nina from the FOX series “Fringe.”
Turns out that Emma’s “The Machine’s,” new number, both Reese and Finch believe her problems stem from the trial and they’re correct as someone’s threatening the former teacher via text. She needs to ensure a guilty verdict in the trial or people will get hurt and their blood will be on her hands.
Lionel sees three missing person’s files on John’s desk at the police station and realizes that he’s working on a “side-project,” and offers to help, but Reese brushes him off, which only arouses Fusco’s curiosity. He knows he’s being shut out by Finch and Reese, but can’t understand why.
The trial that Emma and Harold are on the jury for, is a murder trial as the State of New York has charged Chad Brice with the murder of his wife Caroline, a high-flying executive with a tech-company. The prosecution states that Brice was jealous of his spouse’s success and worried she’d leave him high and dry, so he murdered her and the evidence points in that direction. Finch believes that Emma’s getting pressured by the defendant and he vows to convince the rest of the jury to convict Brice.
Reese’s standing in the courthouse when he runs into an old friend, Zoe the executive fixer. A woman whose job description’s cleaning up messes left by wealthy individuals. Her arrivals not coincidence, she realizes John and Harold are involved in the trial and came by to give Reese some assistance.
Finch sees Emma grab another cellphone out of her purse and links his phone to hers, and soon sees the texts being sent between Emma and the person who’s threatening her. She tells her stalker she can’t do what they asked of her and we read a text for her to follow the instructions she got or someone will get badly hurt. She says Kill Me, but the fixer says they know they’ve got her vote so she won’t be harmed.
Things look gloomier for Brice with every witness who testifies, as all speak of Caroline glowingly as if she was Mother Theresa, while barely hiding their contempt for Chad. Numerous witnesses state the marriage was troubled and that Caroline had been talking about divorce right before she got murdered.
Zoe and John spend an entire night coaching Harold, to become a man who can convince the other jurors to follow him. He’s far too polite according to Zoe, when they first start, but Finch practically screams at John and Zoe when they portray opposing jurors at the end of the session. Zoe pronounces Harold ready to do the job.
The lawyers give their summations the following morning and then the Judge calls recess for the courtroom so the jurors can start deliberating. There’s a challenge for the foreman, as this Type A, female business executive wants the slot, but so does Emma. They put it to a vote and just one juror raises his hand to support the executive.
Emma asks if anyone has comments and Harold stands up and says he believes the evidence against Brice is so overwhelming he must be guilty, he’s shocked seconds later when Emma says she agrees with Harold completely. They take their first vote and all the jurors vote to convict, except for Finch. A sports fan named Tim asks Harold why he changed his mind and he replies he think his decision was too hasty and they should examine all the evidence piece by piece. The rest of the jurors groan. That night they’re told they’re sequestered and have to give up all their electronics, so Finch’s connection with John and Zoe’s over.
When Emma gets into her hotel room she sees a message on her bed, from the fixer. There’s a picture of all the jurors with a red-bubble around Finch’s picture saying he’s going to die and it’s her fault. She finally snaps and climbs out on her balcony and gets ready to jump off and end her life. Reese and Finch, communicating with Morse code as John tells Harold to get out on his balcony now.
Finch sees Emma ready to jump and climbs over the railings so he joins her on her balcony. He tells her that he’s aware she’s getting pressured to have the jury convict Brice, by an agent working for the real killer but he says he’ll help her and they’ll catch the guy.
The two of them go into Emma’s room and suddenly Tim bursts her door open, he’s the fixer and he’s going to take Harold out and make it look like a suicide. He doesn’t factor in Reese showing up and the two duke t out with Harold and Emma helping John however they can. Tim trips and slips over the railing and he’s holding on with one hand when his grip starts to loosen. Reese grabs his hands and hoists him back up, when Tim asks why John saved him, Reese tells him he wants him to stand trial, then knocks him out with a punch to the jaw.
Charges against Brice get dropped, it turns out that it was Caroline’s assistant that killed her as the project she created was dangerous to people and she planned on alerting the country. Lionel cuffs him and takes him to jail.
Fusco confronts John in the next scene and says he knows what Reese and “Glasses,” are doing, because Shaw’s status is unknown they’ve decided to protect him. Well he knows the risks and he’s not giving it up, he’s part of the team and it’s his choice what he’s willing to sacrifice his life for.
Finch and Reese meet for breakfast at the same restaurant the next morning and John lets Harold know that Lionel’s back on board, he tried to get rid if him but he’s like a fungus. John looks at Finch and says to Harold they can’t do this alone. Harold smiles and says he’s well aware of that, that’s why he hired John.
The Story Continues Next Tuesday at 10:00 pm on CBS.
