- Title: Person of Interest – Control-Alt-Delete
- wiki: link
After one of the show’s must gut-wrenching episodes that saw the apparent death of Shaw (Sarah Shahi), Person of Interest continues to deliver the unexpected with “Control-Alt-Delete.” Rather than offer us an episode from the grieving Reese (Jim Caviezel), Finch (Michael Emerson), Root (Amy Acker), and Fusco (Kevin Chapman) dealing with the loss, the latest episode is entirely from Control‘s (Camryn Manheim) point-of-view giving us a look into the the Government’s use of, and frustration with, the intelligence provided by Samaritan. We also get the return of the computer system’s young avatar and glimpses of Samaritan’s plans to gain more power.
With only sketchy reports of a masked man and woman taking down Samaritan agents, the episode focuses on Control’s faith in her system which begins to waver when Samaritan refuses to share information it deems irrelevant to the current terrorist threat (which the episode suggests is far more likely a threat to Samaritan itself). We don’t even see our heroes until halfway through the episode when they confront Control further planting a seed of doubt in her mind about the Decima Technologies’ Machine. Disbelieving their statements, the episode still ends with her discovering the truth of their words possibly giving the remaining members of Finch’s army an ally on the inside.
It’s a credit to the show that even after killing off it’s second major character Person of Interest can still offer an episode almost entirely from the perspective of one of its legion of recurring characters who never fail to deliver strong performances. Even with limited screentime “Control-Alt-Delete” gives us Finch, Reese, and especially Root all grieving in their own way for their recent loss. The attack on Control serves dual purposes of alerting her to the real machinations of Samaritan and finding Samaritan’s own spy on her detail which the group uses to get a lead on Shaw who may, or may not, still be alive. With the smallest sliver of hope (and knowing Shahi is taking at least an extended absence from the show for her pregnancy) what will they find?
