We’ve become spoilt for choices when it comes to TV shows, and it’s hard to navigate through the everlasting flurry of new and ongoing series on the tube. However, one of the TV shows you do not want to miss is ‘Person of Interest’, which started back in 2011 and just started it’s 4th season. The story kicked off with a rich, eccentric billionaire recruiting a former CIA operative looking to stop crimes before they took place. The two of them are provided with a number, which again leads them to a name to chase down… However, they do not know if the person they’ve been hinted at is the victim or perpetrator, something they themselves have to figure out.
Whereas season 1 mostly had different stories for each episode, the later seasons have provided us with a more typical seasonal arch approach to the storyline, creating one of the smartest and most entertaining shows airing today.
Highly popular amongst its fans, there are several good reasons to check this one out. Here’s 6 of them, without including any spoilers for those who haven’t seen the show:
1. The Writing
Does the name Jonathan Nolan sound familiar? He’s Christopher Nolan’s brother, and together they’ve made some pretty formidable movies. They co-wrote the brilliant ‘The Prestige’ together, as well as Batman movies ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, all of them directed by Christopher. In addition to this, Jonathan wrote the short story ‘Memento Mori’, which his brother rewrote as a screenplay and turned into the brilliant movie ‘Memento’ (if you haven’t seen it, please do). In other words, Jonathan Nolan is a writer with plenty to offer, and as the showrunner (head writer) for ‘Person of Interest’, he has created a unique and very smart show that offers both action, excitement, humor and style. Each season has also brought on further aspects of the intriguing story of “The Machine” and its followers, and season 4 seems to turn the tables completely…
2. The Cast
Jim Caviezel portrayed Jesus in ‘Passion of the Christ’, and in ‘Person of Interest’ he follows the orders of what could be dubbed a God like machine. Caviezel plays John Reese, a former CIA operative who’s lost his way. He is recruited by Harold Finch, a computer genius and a billionaire, who is looking to prevent crimes before they actually take place. Finch is played by Michael Emerson, who you might remember as Ben Linus in ‘Lost’. Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel are the heart of the show, and they’re a great duo together. John Reese is a man who prefers using force instead of words, but you still feel it is pretty much justified whenever he decides it’s time to kick butt. Harold Finch is the man in the shadows, using his computer skills to get info on the targets they’re looking to save… or stop. The humor and chemistry between them is very good, and they’re probably one of the most underrated TV duos on the screen these days. There are plenty of other great characters on the show as well, such as Kevin Chapman, who plays Detective Fusco, a policeman with a rather shady background but a good heart. Taraji P. Henson is brilliant as Detective Joss Carter, whereas Sarah Shahi and Amy Acker have both been great additions to the show in its later seasons, with Shahi joining near the end of season 2 and Acker joining in as a regular at about the same time. On a side note, Sarah Shahi was the female lead in the very underrated TV show ‘Life’ a few years back, with Damian Lewis (‘Homeland’) the male lead. Definitely worth checking out if you haven’t seen it. Unfortunately only two seasons aired, but they are two seasons ou do not want to miss.
3. Sheer Entertainment
There’s rarely a boring moment in the show. A lot of other shows might dwell too long on personal matters for the characters involved, but ‘Person of Interest’ spends very little time on this, and never does so without it having something to do with the plot driving the story forward. There’s plenty of action, but you don’t have to be a fan of action flicks to like this. The action is approached with a somewhat ironic distance at times – a Bondesque approach if you like – which adds to the humor of the show. Sit through a few episodes. Chances are you’ll continue watching it…
4. What happens next…?
Especially in its later seasons, season 2 and 3, there is a constant feeling of “what now?” as you finish the episodes. The storyline becomes more and more intriguing and complex, however the writers still seem to be in full control. In other shows one might feel that there are too much going on for everything to make sense in the end (“Hey there, ‘Lost’…), but ‘Person of Interest’ manages to keep the viewer interested, and at the same time it is constantly evolving and renewing itself. I’ve rarely looked as much forward to a new season of a show as I have with ‘Person of Interest’, and maybe particularly to season 4.
5. The score
I have to mention the music on the show as well, as there seems to be quite a lot work put down creating a great score to the show. Both when it comes to standard instrumental music setting the tone, but also for the songs chosen for the different scenes. The show has featured artists such as Nina Simone, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radiohead, Johnny Cash, The Black Keys, M.O.P. and John Lee Hooker amongst others.
6. Guest appearances
The show has had some great actors/actresses appearing on the show through the years, including Clarke Peters, Annie Parisse, Michael Kelly, Mark Margolis, Linda Cardellini, Natalia Zea, Jacob Pitts and Nestor Carbonell. Some of them have been in one episode, some in a handful, but they’ve all been good. And as I’ve written before, you need those supporting characters to bring their A game as well…
Anyone already watching? Thoughts on the show?
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