Person of Interest

Person of Interest

Episode 8: Til Death

By: Carlos Uribe

Person of Interest is a drama about preventing planned crimes before they happen.

Spoilers Ahoy!

Til Death was an episode that was about one theme: love. This is really what the weekly case ended up being about. The machine sends out two numbers that belong to a wealthy, married couple. They own a publishing company together but it's not doing so well. The husband wants to sell the company but the wife wants to retain control of it. Making matters worse is that they're having martial problems beyond their company. They're simply not being able to communicate. It has gotten so bad that it isn't a crazy milita group trying to kill them but themselves. The husband has hired an old childhood friend to kill her and the wife has hired a professional to kill him. The two need some marriage counseling but they decided that they're going to commit murder. It's up to our gang of characters to try and save their lives even if they don't want their help. It isn't until Reese realizes that the best way to keep them alive is to force them to resolve their problems that the episode really gets to be great. He needs to not only call off the bounty hunters but get them to a state where they aren't going to hire replacements when he's gone.

He kidnaps the two of them and forces them to be in the same room together. They're forced to start talking with each other as they're reminded by a single picture that they used to love each other. It isn't until we get to the root of their problem that they're allowed to leave the room. The wife had suffered through a miscarriage. The two are convinced to co-operate with Reese and his team but it isn't until their locked in their pantry that they're able to talk about their problem. The wife learns that her husband wasn't blaming her when he suggested that she take time off but rather trying to get her to deal with her trauma. The husband realized that his wife had mistaken his worry for anger. Once they realize where the other has been coming from, they are able to start communicating once again. They can listen to the other and be heard. It is like a wall has been torn down by the two and they rediscover the love that they share for each other. The episode ends with the two of them kissing as they're arrested. In putting each other's lives in danger they were able to be put in a situation where they were able to resolve their marital problems.

Love wasn't just in the air in the weekly case but with the characters. Fusco is trying to avoid Reese and Finch and there's suggestions that he's up to no good. It turns out that Fusco is up to something and that's called having a personal life. He goes on a date with a character who has a soft side for cops. Their date is at a really nice restaurant that I'm surprised Fusco is able to afford. He's a single-father on a cop's salary so the restaurant bill is probably going to make a dent in his budget. He tries his best to avoid getting summoned to help save people so that he can enjoy the date but it turns out that going on the weekly case saved it. Not only does it provide a perfect excuse for the girl to go to a falafel place for some real substantive food but she liked spending time with him while he's on a stakeout. This girl seems like a good match with him and watching their first kiss was very sweet. I really like Fusco on this show and I'm a fan when good things happen to him. Even Carter gets asked out on a date by a fellow detective. All of these potentially new love interests and the weekly case would have been good on their own but they were reinforced by the flashbacks.

The flashbacks were also about love as they specifically dealt with Finch's relationship with Grace. It shows how they got along really well to the point where he gave her the perfect birthday. He had her go on a scavenger hunt where she got her favorite food and flowers. To top the night off, he even allowed her to see her favorite painting from when she had visited Italy. His glee at making her happy was really the highlight of the episode. That she didn't force him to tell her what he does for a living ensures that she really does get him. She might or might not be scared by what he really does but that she's willing to let him come clean on his own terms is a sign that she trusts him, despite his mystery. The weekly case had some pretty great marital discontent and it was good to see the cops get some love interests but it was the flashbacks that provided the episode with a heart. It emotionally grounded the episode in a way that the modern stories simply couldn't.

Til Death was a pretty great episode of Person of Interest. The theme of love was pervasive throughout the episode but it didn't overwhelm at any point. The relationship between all of the characters was well developed and the humor of the show really shines in this episode. Might I add that they also casted really well for the episode? Mark Pellagrino is a great actor and his presence really helped to add validity to the weekly case.