^You're definitely right
I think her scenes and character arcs are just the weirdest, goofiest bits to me. I think this happens mainly because she's used to propel the plot forward, which makes me associate the goofiness of the entire show with her character more specifically.
John's a goof, but a well-known cinema CIA badass goof that I had to get over in the first season in order to handle the show. In order to get to the interesting moral dilemmas, one had to put aside John's impeccable aim and improvisation.
With Root it's like another level of 'computer hacker turned right-arm of God/delusional AI-worshipper, lover, lesbian(?), turned impeccable aim with a firearm who gets to explain everything that's happening behind the scenes in all of her scenes'.
If anything, it's more the show's gotten so ridiculous it's painted itself in a corner. I'm fine with it, since the show's still got some interesting scenarios I'd love to see played out--and since I hope Jesus, Ben, and Fred get to play-act more.
Also note that this is the first season I'm watching weekly. It's probably a lot easier to complain when you don't watch the season in a week.
I kind of agree, though. The show squeezes in some cheese in there every now and then, and that takes several different forms: the knee-capping, the basically superhero-like abilities, stuff like that. It does it in such a way that they play it off like an inside joke, and I think that's why it works. It's self-aware about it, so I think it deserves a pass in that respect.
If you really want to get to the
of the problem, though, we could start with all the action scenes in the first place. I mean, the show has some pretty great set-pieces and the action is really well-choreographed. However, it's so excessive. That whole thing is based on appealing to a larger audience, but I often times feel like the whole thing is at odds with the plot. When the plot of this show takes off, it really is something else; yet it's cerebral, and not at all reliant on gunfights. Sure, it makes sense given the context of who the heroes are fighting against and saving at times, but it almost feels like they didn't think as far ahead as these warring AIs. I completely understand that they didn't, as they probably couldn't given several different factors like whether the show would even make it past the first season; but that's where the seams are and I think it's important to recognize it. Once they realized they could start telling this incredibly engrossing and compelling tale, they were already in it with this superhero-like premise that they couldn't exactly back out of.
All that said, yes, Root is the least grounded character on the show; you have to go to great lengths to justify what her character does. For example, as far as we know, she was never very good with guns; she basically relies on the Machine to give her aim assist. To think that the Machine can help someone with barely any training use guns
that well, it does take some suspension of disbelief. But, fortunately, that's probably the most irksome part of her character. As far as characterization, I think she's been a fun character, but also a very deep one. We may not have seen all of it, but she's come a long way since kidnapping Finch. While she may have started as a zealot, she's formed relationships and she's become more aware of her expanded role with respect to both the Machine and the Team. Most of that makes sense.
So, yeah, I'm totally fine with most of this. As you've said, I think I could watch these characters do things all day, even if it's just save the number stuff. It's really what makes the series what it is, even if the AI plot elevates it into true greatness.
