Person of Interest 5×07: “QSO” Review

Perfection? Person of Interest hits a bulls-eye with “QSO”

Person of Interest grabbed our attention right out of the gate in its latest episode, “QSO”. The second of three POI episodes that aired this week, “QSO” clearly found the sweet spot. As Fusco (Kevin Chapman) recovered in the hospital after his latest near death experience at the hands of Samaritan, Root (Amy Acker) popped by for a visit dressed as an NYPD beat cop. Fusco began to question his place among Team Machine and appeared to think they’re no longer worthy of his trust.

After leaving to follow more orders from The Machine, Root took center stage (literally) as we watched her stave off Samaritan’s detection by adapting to more than a few new alias’s within minutes of the opening credits. After being an NYPD beat cop, a ballerina, and a colonial reenactor, Root is finally given the instructions that lead her to go undercover as a producer for a paranormal radio show.  All the while demanding that The Machine tell her how she can find Shaw’s (Sarah Shahi) exact location.

Root discovered that Max (Scott Adsit) had discovered a secret hidden code from a caller named Warren that could piss off Samaritan if released. Trying to protect him, Root figured out that she could get a message to Shaw using the same code. In a moment of desperation, Root offers up herself in an attempt to be taken to the facility where Shaw is being held. At the last minute, Reese (Jim Caviezel) stepped in and stops the transaction from happening. As they leave, they make Max promise to not talk about the strange code on air. Of course he does and is murdered by his secretary Britney (Abbi Snee) who is working for Samaritan.

After a discussion with Finch ( Michael Emerson) Fusco tells him that he’s sick of the disrespect and the lies. He hands Finch their closed system phone, and walks away. Done.

Meanwhile, Shaw continued to believe that Lambert (Julian Ovenden) and Samaritan were forcing her to carry out brutal tasks while in simulations. After repeating thousands of simulations time and time again, Shaw began to lose sight of what is reality and what is not. Believing that she was in a simulation, Shaw nonchalantly followed the suggestion of Lambert to murder a doctor in cold blood because he said it was for the greater good, which leads us to believe that she’s the one unknowingly murdering all those missing people Fusco found in the previous episode.

The Machine goes Rogue?

One of the greatest debates in Person of Interest history is the argument about whether or not free will plays a part in saving the numbers that are produced week after week. In “QSO” it appears that Finch believes that while free will is important, it shouldn’t be used as an excuse to not save one of the numbers, Max. After Root and Reese believe Max is safe, they leave him alone and he is killed. Finch questions them and wonders why they didn’t stop him from revealing anything about the code. He also questions The Machine to find out if it knew that Max would die and why it didn’t stop it from happening. As Root defends The Machine, she adamantly states:

“We still have free will.”

Root clearly believes that no matter what number comes up, ultimately, they choose what happens in their life. The Machine couldn’t  have stopped Max from talking anymore than they could. Each week, the growing tension between Root and Finch over how to handle The Machine intensifies and it’s only a matter of time before it comes to a head.

Has Fusco completely given up?

Poor Fusco. In last nights episode, “A More Perfect Union,” he had all but resigned to the fact that he felt out of place with the group. In, “QSO,” all the guy wants is the truth. After recovering from yet another brush with death at the hands of Samartian, Fusco has had enough. At this point, he’s like a cat with nine lives, but eventually all those lives run out and each time gets a little scarier. After meeting with Finch and essentially giving him an ultimatum for his future with the group, Fusco is not given the answers he wants and actually quits. In a moment of pure sadness, Fusco hands back his special cell phone to Finch and says:

“I’m done.”

While we know Fusco has been fed up for a few episodes now, watching him actually say the words to Finch and take a small action towards that end, really stings. Fusco belongs with the team. He’s starting to question their loyalty and trust when he’s more than earned theirs. The whole situation is a mess and we so badly want to shake Finch and tell him to let Fusco in one everything. It’s about time.

Shaw is back in the game

For the past few episodes we’ve had to wait and wonder when Shaw would break free from the constant loop of simulations and finally re-enter the real world. In “QSO,” we got our wish. Although it was pretty heartbreaking when Shaw realized that she actually murdered someone outside of a simulation, it’s the first time we know she’s not under Samaritan’s fist. After Shaw takes out a nurse and sits on the floor contemplating what to do to herself, she receives a message via morse code from the woman who has essentially kept her alive the entire time Samaritan has had her, Root. The message simply says:

“4A”

Shaw immediately knows that 4A means 4 alarm fire. A throwback to season 4 and their conversation about their chemistry together in “If-Then-Else.” Using Root as her touchstone and driving force, Shaw sets out to break out of the facility that she’s being held in. The bond between these two characters is so strong, that even when they’re not in the same room, their chemistry resonates on screen. In typical Shaw fashion, she begins to plot using her greatest asset, her feisty fighting spirit, in order to fight back.

Final verdict: Person of interest became #Toofemale and we’re here for it

It’s 2016 and yet, it’s still frustratingly rare to find women both in front of and behind the camera. This episode of Person of Interest was incredibly thought provoking, intense, smart, clever, and entertaining. Oh, and guess what? It was written, directed, and led by incredible females. Writer Hillary Benefiel hit a home run with her script in “QSO”. Root and her revolving door of aliases, Shaw’s moment of realization, and their never wavering connection being stand out moments. Director Kate Wood also made exceptional choices in her direction and each moment felt more intense than the last. While Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi never cease to amaze with their acting talents, it’s still such a pleasure to watch. “QSO” was a brilliant episode and if it’s #toofemale… count us in.