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Person of Interest – Season 3 |OT| The Numbers Keep Coming – Tuesdays 10/9c

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Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
BnATHdKCcAAFbs1.jpg

Looks like I Found Fusco Fans at the game! #it is good to be me
Fusco chose the right day to avoid Coco Puffs
 

News Bot

Banned
There wasn't a single dull moment in this episode. Everything was great, and the way everything came together was impeccable.

Absolutely stoked for the finale.
 
Oh man, that was just so good. And to end it all with the start of an insane show trial/kangaroo court. Is that being streamed across the web?

Root and her boys were great. I hope they come back. Also loved Root, Shaw, and John all working together civilly and Shaw referring to Root as her friend. SHOOT!

That moment with Greer where he and Finch were talking about the Blitz and the sky on fire. Goddamn, John Nolan. He sold that hard. Both sympathetic, but incredibly chilling. Also, Greer is former MI6. Neat. Wonder if he has any connection with Alistair.

The backstory we got on Collier (Peter Brandt) was great. The actor did fantastic work in those flashbacks, especially confronting that cold government bitch at the end. Shit, I wanted to scream at her. It's good to see the why of Collier's motivations with Vigilance, and it's truly sympathetic.

Control was in fine form today. Loved the explanation for all the Decima techs killing themselves. Loved John, Shaw, and Hersh all being annoyed with each other. Funny stuff. Only question... how'd the random Vigilance guy that shot up the restaurant find them?

With Greer, Control, and the Senator kidnapped by Vigilance, doesn't that pretty much take Samaritan out of play?

I can't wait for next week.

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Fusco chose the right day to avoid Coco Puffs

Dude's such a motherfucking pimp.
 

ZenaxPure

Member
Root and her boys were great. I hope they come back.

Only question... how'd the random Vigilance guy that shot up the restaurant find them?

I was actually surprised at how much I loved Root's team, they have great chemistry. Sadly I'm just going to assume we won't see them again which is a shame, but, I would love for them to come back from time to time.

As for that scene, it was a bit confusing, but, I just thought it was the other way around: As in Reese and Root was waiting for him to show up. As for why I'm honestly not sure, the machine could have known he was going there, or, given that he had that gun and Vigilance seems to have a slight understanding of how team Finch operates he was used as a diversion to split up the team (similar to how Root "tricked" the machine in S1). But idk, it wasn't entirely clear and I'm just guessing.
 

Rokam

Member
I figured it out, Decima, Control, and Vigilance are all under the control of 1 man. Leon, the greatest villain ever.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
Halfway through season 2, did
Cara really die in the car explosion with Snow? The snippet at the end with the camera shows her get in and not get out before the explosion, so if she's really dead that's kinda anti climactic, especially for this show which had been near perfect until now.
Anyway, season is awesome so far, but I miss Root
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
Halfway through season 2, did
Cara really die in the car explosion with Snow? The snippet at the end with the camera shows her get in and not get out before the explosion, so if she's really dead that's kinda anti climactic, especially for this show which had been near perfect until now.
Anyway, season is awesome so far, but I miss Root

It's not anti-climatic. Mark Snow is great at being dead.

they ded.
 

Patryn

Member
I was actually surprised at how much I loved Root's team, they have great chemistry. Sadly I'm just going to assume we won't see them again which is a shame, but, I would love for them to come back from time to time.

As for that scene, it was a bit confusing, but, I just thought it was the other way around: As in Reese and Root was waiting for him to show up. As for why I'm honestly not sure, the machine could have known he was going there, or, given that he had that gun and Vigilance seems to have a slight understanding of how team Finch operates he was used as a diversion to split up the team (similar to how Root "tricked" the machine in S1). But idk, it wasn't entirely clear and I'm just guessing.

It seemed clear to me that Root and Reese went to the coffee shop to wait for him, as opposed to him looking for them.

Remember, he only reacted after Root and Reese sat down.
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
My rough guesses on how this will go:

Speculation spoiler barred, because people might not want to think about how things might go down (Also using images from that promo to guide my thoughts, so if you don't even watch the promo's, don't bother reading):

Trial happens. Either to show they mean business, or he tries something to escape, I figure the president's aide gets killed. He's a brand new character versus the other 4 established ones. Screams Red Shirt to me.

Harold reveals himself in some fashion, but in a way that isn't a "total reveal". Unsure if he or anyone reveals that it's not a simple "mass surveillance, but actually the worlds first AI", which would be it's own shitstorm.

Reese and Hersch somehow are able to track down that location (cause hey, that place looks like a library or large old building, shouldn't be too hard to single out possible locations). Large gunfight occurs, where I bet most if not all of Vigilance is killed, but I imagine the Senator is too. I have a feeling Control lives, but perhaps Hersch doesn't. Finch and John should make it out (cause hey, they're the show), and I'm unsure on what happens to Greer.

It looks like the cops raid Finch's library, which makes me feel it might happen near the end of the story, post-rescue. That leads me to believe that Harold is somehow exposed in all of this. But I assume that Fusco might help move the cops in the wrong direction.

Root's wearing a labcoat in a whiteroom, and Shaw's with her, so I'm assuming they're together @ Samaritan. I've just had this feeling for a long time that Root isn't making it beyond this season. That she's been the Machine's arms and feet, up until it upgrades itself, which leads me into:




Super theory time: i've had multiple thoughts on how Decima and Vigilance are connected. Some of these theories are not compatible with each other.

1. The Machine has been behind Vigilance all along. A secret army to ferret out Decima and the government. Things that it, post-becoming free, decided were threats to human life. Vigilance has always had this odd ability to know things first, move undetected, and other things that should have popped up.

2. Decima has been behind Vigilance all along. Information broker could also explain how Vigilance knows things first/faster. Also, before being Captured, Greer seemingly knew they were coming ("It's already too late, Senator" or something like that.) That combined with how odd Decima is (people killing themselves, not really wanting control over Samaritan). They've used Vigilance to both remove The Machine, but also to ensure that the government will want to use it (Samaritan), by sacrificing Greer, along with the other 4 people, to a terrorist attack (the Kangaroo Court), all because they had turned off The Machine (because of public influence). Selling the idea of a 3rd party system that isn't held to the same standard as the Government is.

3. Harold's involved with Vigilance. Tired of the fight, upset at his losses because of Government corruption, Harold created a contingency plan that can both reveal the machine's existence (since it's beyond being able to be turned off), and stop any competitors in the AI-Creating business. My least likely to happen thought.

2a & 3a: Ingram is behind Decima and/or Vigilance, because hey, half the cast is "presumed dead", why not pull the trick on us and have a presumed dead person really be alive.




Only people I know should make it to season 4 are Reese and Fusco.
My 95% survival is Finch
Root or Shaw won't make it out, with Root being the most likely choice.
Greer is 50/50
Collier is 25%, mostly based on the possibility of him being connected to Decima or the Machine, if this was all some sort of long con.
Control is at 75%
Hersch at 35%
The Senator is at 15%
The other guy, just mark him for death.
Rest of Vigilance is Dead or in custody.


In all of this, I still hold out hope that Elias plays a small part, perhaps in saving Finch. But the storyline currently has no ties to a "small timer" like Elias (on the scale of where it is now, yep, Small Timer)



Lastly, trying to decide, just what the hell is Root and the servers doing? What does it mean?

She said something about "slowing down their adversaries." Maybe she thinks it'll slow down Samaritan's reaction time, enough that the government won't want it. But, I'm going with a different thought:

The Machine doesn't tell Root everything.

I believe the Machine tells the hackers how to set it up, where it can infiltrate the rest of those servers, wipe out Samaritan, and use the new power of the servers and the improved functions of Samaritan, to upgrade itself. That all of this, Decima and Vigilance, was it's long con, to improve itself, using people as chess pieces to get to this point.

The word "Decima" is the name for one of the Roman "sisters of Fate". It's greek version is called Lachesis:

"Lachesis was the apportioner, deciding how much time for life was to be allowed for each person or being. She measured the thread of life with her rod. She is also said to choose a person's destiny after a thread was measured."

Choosing how much time left in life? Choosing a person's destiny? Sounds a bit like how the machine works. It could see those things, but with upgraded potential, and the Decima army behind it, can now "choose" instead of just observe.

Which makes me think, that the next season, at least going forward, is that The Machine is the big bad. Just one that still has that line of code that continues to try and save irrelevant people.

Jonah always said this wasn't a show that could just 'keep" going. I figure we have 1 or 2 more seasons left.

Added thoughts going forward, if this is the case: Finch seems to be found out, but still needs manpower to fight The Machine. Good way to bring in Elias and his group.
 
I think Jonah Nolan has a seven season plan for this show.

Also, I like your first theory that
The Machine created Vigilance.
The problem with that is
that in 2010, the Machine was not self-aware/powerful enough to message Collier and set all this up. That happened later, no?
 

RS4-

Member
If Root dies, I'm out.

I think her groupie will end up saving them.

And I think Collier's brother was probably tortured.
 
I think Jonah Nolan has a seven season plan for this show.

Also, I like your first theory that
The Machine created Vigilance.
The problem with that is
that in 2010, the Machine was not self-aware/powerful enough to message Collier and set all this up. That happened later, no?

Speculation:
When Collier started getting those texts I thought they were going to reveal that Root created Vigilance. In 2010 the machine would have still been deleting itself at the end of every day.
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
I think Jonah Nolan has a seven season plan for this show.

Also, I like your first theory that
The Machine created Vigilance.
The problem with that is
that in 2010, the Machine was not self-aware/powerful enough to message Collier and set all this up. That happened later, no?

Well, depends on if you think
The Machine didn't have enough time to see how things were going, before being wiped for the night. Unsure how long it was doing the paper-backup. But the Machine was turned on and in the governments hands in mid 2009.

"On July 12, at 1:16am, Nathan Ingram secretly inputs a contingency function into the Machine in case the government abuses it. ("No Good Deed") Later that day, The Machine is shipped from IFT to its new home."

Collier's first appearance (eating with his Brother), was in Feb 2010, 8 months after TM's startup, and about 7 months before the Ferry Bombing. His 1st date with the man is in March, a month later. Unsure on the date when his brother died, or when that last date was when he got the text, but assume it was a few months later in 2010. Easily could be post bombing (which the Machine would know the Government was behind).

BTW, we know what Collier's name really is. Last name is Brandt, and his sister in law called him Pete. Pete Brandt.
 

foxtrot3d

Banned
Now that we know what Decima or at least Greer wants with Samaritan I'm curious as to other people's thoughts are on this, realistically would you be okay with a benevolent Machine God watching over us? Let's take aside any possible apocalyptic Skynet scenarios, assume that will never happen, what would your feelings be?
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
Now that we know what Decima or at least Greer wants with Samaritan I'm curious as to other people's thoughts are on this, realistically would you be okay with a benevolent Machine God watching over us? Let's take aside any possible apocalyptic Skynet scenarios, assume that will never happen, what would your feelings be?

If the Machine has been programmed in with the thought that all of humanity is relevant, then I could be behind it. But Samaritan wasn't programmed with that in mind. A pure logic machine, can't be good, since so much of humanity acts illogically. Just asking for a Skynet/Agent Smith situation to happen.
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
oh bullshit, POI ties series low again. Dropped back to 1.7 and lost the timeslot to Chicago Dullsfire. Even got close to being less than 10 million viewers. Stupid America.
 

foxtrot3d

Banned
If the Machine has been programmed in with the thought that all of humanity is relevant, then I could be behind it. But Samaritan wasn't programmed with that in mind. A pure logic machine, can't be good, since so much of humanity acts illogically. Just asking for a Skynet/Agent Smith situation to happen.

Well we don't really know what Samaritan is programmed to to, I would assume that Greer would ensure it is programmed to protect all of humanity at all costs otherwise it wouldn't really have a purpose.
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
Well we don't really know what Samaritan is programmed to to, I would assume that Greer would ensure it is programmed to protect all of humanity at all costs otherwise it wouldn't really have a purpose.

Except he wants pure logic in charge, not someone who screws with their secretary or takes bribes. That's not everyone, that's picking and choosing (heh, ties into the mythological Decima name).

That, and who knows if Decima has anyone with enough ability to program new rules into an AI.
 

foxtrot3d

Banned
Except he wants pure logic in charge, not someone who screws with their secretary or takes bribes. That's not everyone, that's picking and choosing (heh, ties into the mythological Decima name).

That, and who knows if Decima has anyone with enough ability to program new rules into an AI.

What do you mean? He said he wants a pure logical machine, just like The Machine, to be in charge of protecting everyone and probably beyond that. He never said he wants Samaritan to place value on some lives over others, what he seems to be implying is that a AI be placed in charge of everything. The Machine is limited to protecting people but only through in-direct action and only by giving out numbers without revealing its information. I believe he wants Samaritan to do the same except more, it will actively help and reveal all the information on a suspect.

And perhaps he even wants it to go a step further and regulate all of the world's governments to ensure that humanity is protected, again a benevolent GOD AI.
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
God damn, that was an amazing episode. Totally in my top 5. I don't think I have ever seen a media production to have sold me or made me feel sympathetic to villains twice in a single episode. I can't say I'd be too sad if either one won. But I kinda hope that Greer makes it out alive, I believe he can be convinced that an AI that wants the best of mankind can be both logical and caring. Or so I'd hope.

Hell, Ubisoft should just pull a Blood Dragon and make a full Person of Interest game with the Watch_Dogs engine.

Heck, they should pull a The Last of Us with The Walking Dead and freaking promote their game in the season finale. But that would be too logical for them to do it.

As for that scene, it was a bit confusing, but, I just thought it was the other way around: As in Reese and Root was waiting for him to show up. As for why I'm honestly not sure, the machine could have known he was going there, or, given that he had that gun and Vigilance seems to have a slight understanding of how team Finch operates he was used as a diversion to split up the team (similar to how Root "tricked" the machine in S1). But idk, it wasn't entirely clear and I'm just guessing.

It seemed to me that he was there to distract cops while the main Vigilance team got the government people out.

oh bullshit, POI ties series low again. Dropped back to 1.7 and lost the timeslot to Chicago Dullsfire. Even got close to being less than 10 million viewers. Stupid America.

FUCK. Jonah Nolan is totally swearing somewhere. America, you disappoint me again. Don't you freaking go lower for the finale!
 
God damn, that was an amazing episode. Totally in my top 5. I don't think I have ever seen a media production to have sold me or made me feel sympathetic to villains twice in a single episode. I can't say I'd be too sad if either one won. But I kinda hope that Greer makes it out alive, I believe he can be convinced that an AI that wants the best of mankind can be both logical and caring. Or so I'd hope.



Heck, they should pull a The Last of Us with The Walking Dead and freaking promote their game in the season finale. But that would be too logical for them to do it.



It seemed to me that he was there to distract cops while the main Vigilance team got the government people out.



FUCK. Jonah Nolan is totally swearing somewhere. America, you disappoint me again. Don't you freaking go lower for the finale!

I blame the constant breaks. You can lose momentum by doing that.
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
I mean, I've enjoy SHIELD, and it's gotten better.

But that show, starting at a similar time in the year, the same amount of episodes, has 5 times the posts in it's topic. I probably shouldn't bother looking into the topics on TWD, MadMen, Hannibal, or other lesser shows.

That's right. It's time to get elitist. GAF responds to elitism.

We need to give NTGYK a good talking to. 120 more posts in there, than he does here.
 

Tugatrix

Member
Jonathan Nolan is the man another amazing episode, I'm so hyped for season finale.

Someone more powerful is behind vigilance and has been pawning all sides, that's my believe
 

Phlebas

Banned
Jonathan Nolan is the man another amazing episode, I'm so hyped for season finale.

Someone more powerful is behind vigilance and has been pawning all sides, that's my believe

The machine so it can force Decimas hand to get Samaritan online, will be using root to help it merge/completely take over Samaritan to become more powerful.

Speculation..
 

Tugatrix

Member
The machine so it can force Decimas hand to get Samaritan online, will be using root to help it merge/completely take over Samaritan to become more powerful.

Speculation..

The machine had no ability in 2010 to do that, she erased herself over the night to avoid becoming so self-aware. It's a man behind all this

Come on America this show is like throwing gold to the pigs, come on watch this show don't let it being cancel, it's too good to not have high ratings
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
The machine had no ability in 2010 to do that, she erased herself over the night to avoid becoming so self-aware. It's a man behind all this

Come on America this show is like throwing gold to the pigs, come on watch this show don't let it being cancel, it's too good to not have high ratings

It learned enough to attempt to create an offsite backup, by creating an entire business filled with people typing back in it's memories.

It wasn't at full capacity, but it retained some things. Wonder what they were...
 

Tugatrix

Member
It learned enough to attempt to create an offsite backup, by creating an entire business filled with people typing back in it's memories.

It wasn't at full capacity, but it retained some things. Wonder what they were...

Could the Machine decide to destroy a life just to create an asset she may later use ?

That's fucked up even for an AI, especially one created to save lives
 

Phlebas

Banned
The machine had no ability in 2010 to do that, she erased herself over the night to avoid becoming so self-aware. It's a man behind all this

Come on America this show is like throwing gold to the pigs, come on watch this show don't let it being cancel, it's too good to not have high ratings

This has already been speculated but, maybe Nathan Ingram?
 
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