Television Review: Firewall (Person of Interest, S1x23, 2012)
Firewall (S1x23)
Airdate: 17 May 2012
Written by: Greg Plageman & Jonathan Nolan
Directed by: Richard J. Lewis
Running Time: 44 minutes
Person of Interest occupies a unique space in television history, distinguished by a premise that grew increasingly prescient with each passing year. Its unromantic, gritty approach to the worlds of espionage and high technology offered a refreshing alternative to the glossy, formulaic dramas dominating the airwaves. At its core, the series posited a world governed by surveillance and artificial intelligence, a concept that felt less like science fiction and more like a terrifying prophecy as the digital age matured. However, despite its innovative foundation, the show was ultimately a mainstream production for a US broadcast network. Consequently, its Season 1 finale, Firewall, while effective in its execution, inevitably reveals its network television DNA, relying on rather traditional and conventional storytelling techniques to cap off the season.
The episode commences with a very traditional cold open, immediately signalling the show's intention to ground itself in familiar procedural tropes. FBI Agent Donnelly summons Detective Joss Carter to his office, the classic setting for a procedural hook. He announces that his men have located the "Man in Suit," showing Carter a grainy video image of Reese and a mysterious woman.
The plot then pivots a few days earlier, a structural device often used in network finales to provide context to the opening hook. It reveals the identity of the woman: Caroline Turing (Amy Acker), a psychologist who practises psychotherapy. The Machine has identified her as a person of interest because at least one of her patients is a powerful figure concerned that secrets told during therapy sessions might slip. This sets the stage for a classic cat-and-mouse game. Fusco later informs Reese and Finch that a hit has been ordered against Turing by someone who has hired HR to eliminate her. Reese, ever the protector, is determined to save her. He first attempts to integrate himself into her life by posing as a potential patient, a tactic that highlights his resourcefulness, and later he physically rescues her from an attempted killing on the street.
As the stakes rise, the duo decide to take temporary shelter in a hotel under assumed names. However, they are ultimately tracked by both the FBI and HR hit squads, creating a claustrophobic siege situation. Reese, who is being guided by Finch’s intel, must use all of his resourcefulness to somehow evade both groups. This section of the episode showcases Reese’s tactical brilliance against overwhelming odds. Simultaneously, Fusco reaches a breaking point; he very reluctantly comes forward to Carter with his prior involvement in HR and his undercover work for Reese.
The case proves so demanding that Zoe Morgan, a character previously defined by her own self-interest, has been recruited to assist Reese and Finch. She investigates Turing's office and her patients, discovering that one of them is actually a conman hired specifically to act as a threat to her. At the same time, Alicia Corwin, the figure from the government conspiracy, stumbles into the Library and finds alarming information about Finch.
The climax of the episode sees Reese manage to work out a complex plan to get away from the hotel. While he stays behind to hold off attackers, Turing successfully escapes and goes to a rendezvous with Finch. Reese, helped by Fusco and Carter, also manages to get away, and an anonymous tip to Donnelly helps bring down many members of HR.
However, the episode delivers two unpleasant surprises for Finch. He has been successfully tracked by Alicia Corwin, who holds him at gunpoint. After identifying him as the creator of the Machine, she demands that he helps her destroy it. Yet, before Finch has a chance to respond, Corwin is shot dead by a killer who happens to be Turing. It turns out that she is really Root, and that the entire business with the threat against her was just a ruse to lure out Finch. She takes him captive, shifting the villainy from the criminal underworld to a far more formidable opponent.
The episode ends with a deeply emotional scene. Reese, in despair over the loss of his partner and facing an uncertain future, addresses the Machine by talking to a street camera and asking for help to locate him. The answer comes in the form of a ringing from a payphone, and Reese picks up the call.
This ending perfectly encapsulates the cliffhanger nature of Season 1. Like most conventional series, it ends with a serious cliffhanger; the half of the regular protagonists are suddenly gone, their fate uncertain, and the remaining half are forced to seek some rather unconventional allies—specifically Root—who might not even exist at all or have an agenda which might not even be human.
On the other hand, the end of Season 1 is also an opportunity to tie some loose ends and close some storylines, which Firewall does in a natural way. The awkward arrangement with Fusco and Carter working for Reese without knowing each other's true motives is over, and Fusco is now a full-fledged part of the team. HR is apparently being taken out, and with Elias behind bars in previous episodes, it seems that Reese and Finch don’t have any serious enemies, other than the increasingly hostile government. Then, the script by Greg Plageman and Jonathan Nolan solves this problem by showing that the true villain is the most formidable opponent of all—Root. She is immensely resourceful and manipulative, an archvillain who lured the heroes by arranging her own professional assassination. This twist recontextualises the entire season, turning a story about a city crime syndicate into a story about the survival of the Machine itself.
According to Greg Plageman, the identity of this archvillain and the ending of the season were decided relatively late in the production process. Yet, the casting proved fortunate, with Amy Acker successfully playing what at first looks like a professional expert, then a typical damsel in distress only to end as ruthless and shrewd operator. Her ability to pivot between these three distinct personas provides a satisfying payoff to the episode's setup.
While the actual showdown in the hotel is not particularly well-directed, the rest of the action scenes, and the dramatic finale show great skill by director Richard J. Lewis. He balances the procedural elements with the sci-fi thriller aspects, ensuring that the emotional weight of the ending lands effectively.
Season 1 of Person of Interest ended with a bang, securing its place as a standout series in the genre. By taking risks with its characters and introducing a villain of such magnitude, it promised many good things in seasons to come. The finale successfully elevated the stakes, proving that despite its network constraints, the show was willing to break the mold and deliver a genuinely thrilling conclusion to its debut season.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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