![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrwubblesI always give shows 4-5 episodes before a final verdict...
Note: Spoilery word stuff behind cut.
I had my misgivings after viewing the pilot. Finch and Reese just didn't gel together, were emotionally fathoms apart and the angst was given away too quickly in a pilot's fatalistic habit of 'let's give the audience everything' core dump.
But, it was the pilot.
Times like this, I love, love to be proven wrong.
Abrams and Nolan eased back on the 'Let us tell you why they have man!pain' and sprinkled some nice buddy-buddy potential tidbits sprinkled through the episodes. They're nowhere near sharing a pizza atOriginal, First, Famous Rays. Heck, Finch is still paranoid enough to jump jobs--er, cubicles the moment his cover is burned, but you see the groundwork paving to a friendship and trust.
And you know what? That works. I don't need them to be instant buddies. Some of my favorite shows lure me in with the evolution of friendship (coughWhiteCollarcough). It makes each gesture, each clip of dialogue all the more poignant. I want to stick around to see where they go.
FAVORITE MOMENTS:
1. 'Harold' meets Ku--I mean, Reese. LOL
2. Reese bringing coffee to a post all-nighter dozing Finch, offering to find him a job (dog walker=lol)
3. Finch going into Evidence Lockup to warn Reese about the setup
4. Reese thanking Finch for giving him a job (aka: a purpose, a focus)
5. "Try the egg benedicts, Mr Reese" and the menu
Finch is growing to be a fascinating character. The glimpses we were given in 1X03 "Ghost" with his friend during the machine's evolution gave us a subtle glimpse of Finch before whatever had happened to him. The fact that it isn't an extreme change of personality (both Finches were restrained, contained) but I definitely can see a lot more altered Finch besides the limp and the spine grafts (BTW: Ouch!!). His bland delivery of one liners is perfect ("I could use the miles") He's very, very cautious and paranoid so every tiny tidbit he gives Reese is more telling than if he were to give the soft-spoken (hot!!) Reese a bear hug. Which...would be weird. LOL.
Reese is...well, he's Batman. Truly. Motivated by both the self-destructive drive and the need to be able to 'save them all', Reese executes justice with deadly accuracy and wit that echoed his elusive military career. The more he does, the more he acts, the more you suspect to know. I was glad they eased back on the angst over what must have happened with Jessica. While she may have been the catalyst that spiraled Reese to that dark solitary place, it was nice to see they didn't make Reese wallow in it. Yes, sad is good, but maudlin is bad. The actor delivered a very subtle, deadly hushed speaking haunted character. And his almost impish, poking search to find out more about his employer is fun. Plus, I'm shallow! Look into his eyes and you want to make him cookies and hot cocoa. LOL.
Carter, as the driven homicide detective is still a little one-dimension for me. She's the Colonel Decker to the A Team, Agent Fox to the Starman, the Foundation to Airwolf. (And if you don't know those references, don't tell me, because that's too depressing. LOL.). We're only given a glimpse of her determination to catch Reese but other than the by-the-book Joe Friday driven determination, we're not told why. Deliberate? I'm not sure. Carter was potentially a breath of fresh air: non-supermodel body type, smart, with an attitude, former military. I should love her. But if they don't flesh her out a bit more, Carter runs the danger into becoming a cartoon.
Lionel, in the meantime, seemed to be more fleshed out compared to Carter. We've seen his origins, we've seen him with his son, we know his flaws. Yea, he was corrupt, but reveals some redeeming qualities even if it's forced out of him by Reese's extortion. And hey, he has a soft spot about kids as we're shown in today's episode. There's a hint of evolution, of redemption for Lionel and that makes him very interesting to watch.
Person of Interest surprised me. The crimes are still a bit more Clue than Sherlock Holmes but the producers don't seem to focus on the crimes anymore. There's a shift in the episodes to concentrate on how the mystery binds two normally emotionally evasive men closer, how trust is slowly regained. The plot drives the characters which in turns drives me to want to watch. And watch, I will. In real time, too.
Oh boy, I love being wrong. LOL.
Note: Spoilery word stuff behind cut.
I had my misgivings after viewing the pilot. Finch and Reese just didn't gel together, were emotionally fathoms apart and the angst was given away too quickly in a pilot's fatalistic habit of 'let's give the audience everything' core dump.
But, it was the pilot.
Times like this, I love, love to be proven wrong.
Abrams and Nolan eased back on the 'Let us tell you why they have man!pain' and sprinkled some nice buddy-buddy potential tidbits sprinkled through the episodes. They're nowhere near sharing a pizza at
And you know what? That works. I don't need them to be instant buddies. Some of my favorite shows lure me in with the evolution of friendship (coughWhiteCollarcough). It makes each gesture, each clip of dialogue all the more poignant. I want to stick around to see where they go.
FAVORITE MOMENTS:
1. 'Harold' meets Ku--I mean, Reese. LOL
2. Reese bringing coffee to a post all-nighter dozing Finch, offering to find him a job (dog walker=lol)
3. Finch going into Evidence Lockup to warn Reese about the setup
4. Reese thanking Finch for giving him a job (aka: a purpose, a focus)
5. "Try the egg benedicts, Mr Reese" and the menu
Finch is growing to be a fascinating character. The glimpses we were given in 1X03 "Ghost" with his friend during the machine's evolution gave us a subtle glimpse of Finch before whatever had happened to him. The fact that it isn't an extreme change of personality (both Finches were restrained, contained) but I definitely can see a lot more altered Finch besides the limp and the spine grafts (BTW: Ouch!!). His bland delivery of one liners is perfect ("I could use the miles") He's very, very cautious and paranoid so every tiny tidbit he gives Reese is more telling than if he were to give the soft-spoken (hot!!) Reese a bear hug. Which...would be weird. LOL.
Reese is...well, he's Batman. Truly. Motivated by both the self-destructive drive and the need to be able to 'save them all', Reese executes justice with deadly accuracy and wit that echoed his elusive military career. The more he does, the more he acts, the more you suspect to know. I was glad they eased back on the angst over what must have happened with Jessica. While she may have been the catalyst that spiraled Reese to that dark solitary place, it was nice to see they didn't make Reese wallow in it. Yes, sad is good, but maudlin is bad. The actor delivered a very subtle, deadly hushed speaking haunted character. And his almost impish, poking search to find out more about his employer is fun. Plus, I'm shallow! Look into his eyes and you want to make him cookies and hot cocoa. LOL.
Carter, as the driven homicide detective is still a little one-dimension for me. She's the Colonel Decker to the A Team, Agent Fox to the Starman, the Foundation to Airwolf. (And if you don't know those references, don't tell me, because that's too depressing. LOL.). We're only given a glimpse of her determination to catch Reese but other than the by-the-book Joe Friday driven determination, we're not told why. Deliberate? I'm not sure. Carter was potentially a breath of fresh air: non-supermodel body type, smart, with an attitude, former military. I should love her. But if they don't flesh her out a bit more, Carter runs the danger into becoming a cartoon.
Lionel, in the meantime, seemed to be more fleshed out compared to Carter. We've seen his origins, we've seen him with his son, we know his flaws. Yea, he was corrupt, but reveals some redeeming qualities even if it's forced out of him by Reese's extortion. And hey, he has a soft spot about kids as we're shown in today's episode. There's a hint of evolution, of redemption for Lionel and that makes him very interesting to watch.
Person of Interest surprised me. The crimes are still a bit more Clue than Sherlock Holmes but the producers don't seem to focus on the crimes anymore. There's a shift in the episodes to concentrate on how the mystery binds two normally emotionally evasive men closer, how trust is slowly regained. The plot drives the characters which in turns drives me to want to watch. And watch, I will. In real time, too.
Oh boy, I love being wrong. LOL.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-10-21 03:12 pm (UTC)We both love this show. And love the cautious, non-buddy, prickly way Finch and Reese interact.
My favorite moment of last night's episode? That Reese actually checked inside the menu, not knowing for sure if the eggs Benedict line was a show of trust AND a new job or just a show of trust until he saw there was no picture inside. Such a perfect, subtle and wondrous way to build the relationship between them. One is a pusher and the other is a retreater by their very natures, and it is only when the pusher gives that the retreater chooses not to retreat. Love it.
I, myself, really dig Carter and how she mirrors Reese as the "repatriated to social structure" version of who he has become. She's implied she was either Delta Force or CIA in her military service, and she shows, in her pursuit of Reese, the same inability to step away from an enigma as Reese shows in his pursuit of Finch.
They are two sides of the same coin. Neither can be told "I am not your business. I am doing good. Accept this, and accept me at face value. Let me stand in the shadows while we work together for the greater good of society as this is the only way in which I am willing to work with you." It is not in their NATURE to accept this kind of "take it or leave it" declaration from someone in whom they have developed a professional interest, so despite sensing the innate truth of the declarative parameters set forth, they must still dig for the truth of who is really there behind the facade they are allowed to see.
For me, that is a very smart and extremely rewarding black/white dichotomy and parallel between Carter and Reese ... one that is extended all the way to their race and gender. They are true mirror images of one another. Both of them the military elite enlisted to do governmental wetwork in the name of the greater good, but reflected as polar opposites along the event horizon of their very natures such that the end result is that, while both continue to act as protectors in their post-military lives, one acts in service to the law while the other acts in defiance of it.
At this point in time, I'm loving everything ABOUT person of interest. Even with the occasional flaws it does manifest.
My second most favorite moment of the last episode? That Reese did not ever look away from the bag guys after their gun battle, but rather asked the judge "Is your son okay?" while maintaining every once of his attention where an ex-CIA operative would have maintained it.
My least favorite moment? That a EE mobster of the ilk they painted the baddies as could be motivated to give information by being rolled around in a trunk ... which was totally redeemed by the "2 Cats in a Bag" gambit, which made me quite literally laugh out loud.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-22 05:14 pm (UTC)Oh yes! For me, it was really a great turning point for me: Finch offering what we, the audience, might feel is just innocuous information, but to Finch, it's a huge allowance to Reese.
I like how it's kind of full circle, too, from the beginning of the episode, where Finch almost lashes back at Reese's "So what's good here?". The audience was given great tantalizing hints to what must have happened to Finch (ie: bust of his friend we say as he left his company as the newly unemployed 'Harold') I only hope TPTB don't inflate and disappoint our expectations of what it was. I actually kinda like guessing and leaving it to us to build the clues. Ideally, I would like Finch revealing it to Reese, but hopefully in not some grandiose angsty, maudlin way. This almost reluctant sharing between them has been good so far.
For me, that is a very smart and extremely rewarding black/white dichotomy and parallel between Carter and Reese
You know, that's an interesting way to view the link with Carter and Reese and I can see the parallels. If they continue that route, I can 100% accept Carter. My hesitation is that strong female characters are as common as bipartisanship (lol). More often than not, they rise to fill in an often male dominated role as the strong and determined personality but whether by laziness or lack of insight, the writers fail to follow through and the female character just becomes an inverted stereotype. I'm being cynical, I know. I want to like her, but until we get more of bamf!Carter and not just I'm gonna get you!Carter, I'm reluctant to buy in completely on her.
Then again, Abrams and Nolan can surprise me.
My second most favorite moment of the last episode? That Reese did not ever look away from the bag guys after their gun battle, but rather asked the judge "Is your son okay?" while maintaining every once of his attention where an ex-CIA operative would have maintained it.
Oh yes! There is something so completely riveting and alluring about a competent man of action. We saw him in action before, but that glimmer of heart (concern for the son) yet maintaining his composure and competence at the same time? Wow.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-21 07:09 pm (UTC)Characterisations of Finch and Reese are quickly developing, and I am enjoying seeing their relationship and individual nuances being enhanced. The Carter B-storyline is more of an annoyance than anything else for me to this point, though - for me, it doesn't add drama or risk or anything; it's simply an irritating interruption.
The main characters are fast becoming interesting enough that I'm willing to put up with the Carter storyline, though ;-).
no subject
Date: 2011-10-22 05:17 pm (UTC)And yes, that's what saved the show for me and maintain its staying power. If they kept as they were in the pilot I would have lost patience. But I always give allowances for the pilot but that also means they better dang impress me by episode 6.
This show did it by episode 3 for me. :)