Person of Interest 5×06: “A More Perfect Union” Review

They say laughter is the best medicine, POI takes a big dose

Person of Interest gave us another number of the week on CBS with “A More Perfect Union.” As The Machine received a location and a date via a marriage license, Reese (Jim Caviezel) and Finch (Michael Emerson) had to figure out a way to snag an invite to the lavish wedding. The wedding was for the daughter of possibly shady race horse owners who were constantly being protested for potentially giving their horses steroids. Root (Amy Acker), noticeably upset about not being invited to help crash the wedding, came up with her own plan to attend the festivities. (She showed up there later as the kick ass caterer). After assuming that just about everyone at the wedding, including the photographer were the perpetrators, it turned out the perp was the brides older sister who wanted the photographer dead for snapping pictures that could incriminate her in the horse doping. After riding in on horseback to save the day, Root, along with Finch and Reese, seemed to enjoy their final “irreverent” night by watching and taking everything in, knowing bigger problems lie ahead.

Meanwhile, Fusco was fed up with being on the outskirts of Team Machine, never truly knowing all the details behind his adventures. After refusing to help Finch with the latest mission at the wedding, he instead chose to focus his investigation on the string of people who have gone missing lately. Eventually, with the help of everyone’s favorite sidekick Bear, his pursuits led him to find multiple bodies (including that of Bruce (Jame Le Gros)) being stashed in a tunnel by Samaritan. Unfortunately for him, the tunnel was rigged to explode and he was caught inside.

Elsewhere, Greer (John Nolan) continued to play with Shaw’s (Sarah Shahi) mind by showing her simulation after simulation of what life could be like if she chose to work with Samaritan. The simulations even included the return of Samaritans analog interface, aka the child who should have starred in ‘The Omen” (Oakes Fegley).

Cue.. Uncle Ralph?

Finch as a long lost uncle from Ireland? Okay, sure! One of the funniest parts of the latest episode of Person of Interest was Finch and his believable, yet somewhat off Irish accent. In order to make everyone believe that he belonged at the wedding, Finch had to pretend to be the groom’s long lost Uncle Ralph; straight out of Ireland. While the accent alone was funny, it truly made us crack up when Finch stood up to sing at the wedding and sang, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister. What a brilliant comedic choice by the writers.The best part? Everyone at the wedding got super into his performance! Including Root and Reese. Root looks on in amazement and quips:

“How come Harry never sings for us?”

Reese responds in his typical one liner fashion:

“He’s never sung for you?”

The banter between the members of Team Machine is becoming one of the greatest things about the show. Root and Reese always made hilarious comments about each other, but never to each other. Harold is their touchstone. They truly care about each other and they’re able to joke in spite of everything crumbling around them because he brings them together. Way to go “Uncle Ralph.” You nailed it.

Fusco is done

Fusco is the unsung hero of Team Machine. He’s proven himself to be loyal and trust worthy, but he’s still left out of all important Team Machine information. While the decision to leave him out was made mostly to protect him, he’s already been in enough danger to warrant the truth about what he’s really been apart of. He’s never been brought into the fold and told everything from start to finish and he’s had enough. In this episode of Person of Interest, Fusco essentially gives up. He’s sick and tired of being left out and in turn decides to focus on his job as a cop and chooses to investigate the recent string of disappearances. He’s done with helping anyone who won’t be honest with him. When Reese asks him to help with latest number, Fusco simply responds with,

“No can do.”

You know the old adage, “people only fight when they care?” Fusco has stopped fighting. He doesn’t care about the information he’s being left out of. He’s over the lies and half truths. He wants answers. With or without anyone’s help, he’s going to find them. We can only hope they let him on the truth before it’s too late for all of them.

Root continues to impress

Person of Interest has continued to push the character of Root to the forefront, and I’m completely here for it. While it was evident that Root longed for some sort of normalcy in her life, possibly with Shaw, judging by the look on her face at the wedding she crashed with boys, she also did humor like no one else truly can. When both Reese and Harold initially questioned her desire to help crash she says:

“I’m beginning to think no one thinks I belong at a wedding.”

Such a simple moment delivered in such a nuanced funny way made us laugh. In a nod to one of her more ridiculous and hilarious cover identities from last season she responds:

“I left a guy at the alter just last year”

The amount of humor that Root infuses into episodes time and time again continues to amaze us. With a simple look, or head tilt, or word, or even a motion, we’re led to fall for this character over and over again. She’s layered, she’s complex, she’s entertaining and of course, she saved the photographer by riding in on horseback sans saddle. This woman does it all.

Final Verdict: Person of Interest makes us laugh, but misses a bit of the bigger story

The latest episode of Person of Interest titled “A More Perfect Union,” sort of become another number of the week plot that didn’t really have a place among the other fast paced, frantic, live or die type of episodes we’re getting used to seeing in this fifth and final season. While it definitely hit the mark in terms of entertainment value, it missed with mark when it came to delivering a solid storytelling episode that pushed anything truly important forward. Aside from a few Shaw related moments that made our hearts break for her even more, there was no real Samaritan vs. The Machine story arc. That being said, the comedy that the writers have infused into this season is a much needed break from the knowledge that we’re in the home stretch of this incredible, unique, and well loved show. Harold signing in an Irish accent to a room full of wedding guests and Root riding in to save the day on horseback will stand out as iconic moments in the show purely because of the joy those moments brought out of us. These characters really do do it all and we’re not ready to say goodbye.

Person of Interest Questions/ Comments:

• Honorable mention for funniest moment goes to John being mistaken for a stripper
• Are we done with “irrelevant” numbers?
• Great location filming, beautiful sets.