Television Review: Matsya Nyaya (Person of Interest, S1x20, 2012)
Matsya Nyaya (S1x20)
Airdate: 26 April 2012
Written by: Ray Utarnachitt
Directed by: Kevin Bray
Running Time: 44 minutes
As the inaugural season of Person of Interest approached its climax, the writing team seemed to be functioning under a palpable pressure to consolidate the narrative landscape. There was an evident urgency to tether the numerous loose ends, to delve deeper into the personal backstories of its leads, and to close the chapters on origin stories that had been teased but not fully explored. In this context, Matsya Nyaya—the twentieth episode of the first season—is a quintessential example of this narrative pivot. Rather than focusing on the immediate procedural challenges facing Reese and Finch, this episode shifts its gaze aggressively toward the past, offering a flashback-heavy structure that serves to deepen character lore while simultaneously advancing the overarching conspiracy. It is a bold experiment that pays dividends in thematic resonance but falters in the execution of its primary plotline, creating a dichotomy between its atmospheric depth and its mechanical pacing.
The flashback sequences are the engine of this episode, transporting the viewer back to 2010. We witness Reese in the midst of an "enhanced interrogation" with his former partner, Kara Stanton. The scene is immediately cut short by a phone call from Jessica, a woman whose voice brings a rare moment of vulnerability to his hardened exterior. Despite his promise to return to her, Mark Snow prevents it, dispatching Reese and Stanton to China on a covert mission. Their objective is the retrieval of a laptop containing the source code for Stuxnet, a biological weapon of sorts for the digital age. The stakes are laid out with chilling precision: the virus has already crippled the Iranian nuclear programme, and if Chinese operatives reverse-engineer it, the consequences for the United States could be catastrophic. The duo must infiltrate Ordos, a corporate ghost town and research lab that has been quarantined due to a bird flu epidemic. The atmosphere is claustrophobic and foreboding, setting the tone for the tragedy to come.
Upon entering the abandoned town, they find a massacre. Bodies litter streets and corridors, suggesting a quick and brutal extermination. The sole survivor, a researcher, rambles incoherently about "the Machine" before Stanton, in a macabre display of efficiency, puts him out of his misery. They secure the laptop, but the extraction point becomes a trap. Stanton reveals that the mission was never about the technology; it was about cleaning up loose ends. Snow had issued a secret order to eliminate Stanton because she had been compromised by Hezbollah operatives. In a tense standoff, Stanton turns her gun on Reese, telling him that she received identical order to eliminate him. Reese manages to slip away into the shadows, leaving Stanton to presumably face a missile strike from an unseen drone. This sequence is pivotal, illustrating not just Reese's survival skills, but his growing disillusionment with the intelligence community and the ruthlessness required to survive in it.
Switching back to the present, the Machine provides the number of Tommy Clay (Pablo Schreiber), an employee of an armoured van company. On the surface, Tommy appears to be the epitome of the model citizen: a family man with a spotless record. Finch’s intelligence suggests that a high-stakes robbery is imminent, so Reese infiltrates the crew under an assumed identity to protect Tommy and observe the event. The robbery unfolds with clockwork precision, but the reveal is expectedly treacherous. Tommy reveals himself as the ringleader. During the heist, he cold-bloodedly kills his partner and shoots Reese in the back. Reese survives, a testament to his resilience, and soon discovers that Tommy is far more ruthless than anticipated. He has already dispatched two of his robbery partners, marking a stark departure from the man he pretended to be.
The catalyst for Tommy's descent into savagery is Ashley (Virginia Kull), a waitress with whom he has a torrid affair. Reese tracks them, but gets cornered at gunpoint, but the episode delivers a brutal twist: Ashley is the true mastermind behind the operation. She executes Tommy, but her victory is short-lived. Captain Lynch and Fusco, who have been tracking the case as part of HR’s fence operation, intervene. Lynch, harbouring a personal vendetta against Reese, shoots Ashley. In the ensuing chaos, Lynch is ultimately eliminated by Fusco, who proves his loyalty to Reese once again. The episode ends with a sombre exchange between Reese and Finch, questioning the value of their intervention. Apart from the shedding of blood and the punishment of the guilty, what was actually achieved? It is a question that lingers long after the credits roll.
Concurrently, the episode maintains the tension for Detective Carter. Mark Snow and Tyler Evans approach her, warning her against co-operating with FBI agent Donnelly. Their search for Reese leads them to a room where they are ambushed. Evans is killed, and Snow is wounded, setting the stage for a confrontation with Stanton, who has survived her ordeal in Ordos. This subplot reinforces the interconnectedness of the characters and the looming threat posed by the government agencies hunting them, serving as a reminder that the past is never truly dead.
The title, "Matsya Nyaya," holds significant weight in understanding the episode's thematic core. It is a Sanskrit phrase that translates to "the law of the fish." In Hindu philosophy, it describes a concept where, in the absence of a higher law or morality, the bigger fish devours the little fish. It is essentially the "law of the jungle." The script by Ray Utarnachitt illustrates this philosophy perfectly. Whether it is Reese being discarded by his superiors, Tommy being disposed of by Ashley, or Ashley being killed by Lynch, every character in this episode is a victim of betrayal or a participant in the cycle of violence. It paints a bleak picture of a world where trust is a luxury and survival depends on being the biggest fish.
The direction by Kevin Bray deserves praise for its atmospheric construction. The sequences set in Ordos are rendered with a haunting visual palette. Blue filters and ingenious CGI are used to transform the familiar Rockaway Beach in Queens into an otherworldly, creepy ghost town that feels like a different side of the world entirely. The setting helps to ground the flashbacks in a reality that feels disconnected from the present, mirroring the isolation of the characters.
However, the episode is not without its flaws. The regular procedural storyline, centred on Tommy Clay, is mechanically weak. It unfolds with a predictable rhythm that feels more like a checklist than a compelling narrative. There is an annoying red herring involving a prank by Reese's colleagues that serves only to delay the inevitable. The Jacobean bloodbath near the end is overly stylised and feels somewhat gratuitous. Reese's convenient survival at the end feels like a plot device to reaffirm his status as the protagonist rather than a logical resolution to the conflict.
Furthermore, the casting of Pablo Schreiber as the "Person of Interest" is a letdown. Schreiber is a capable actor, but he lacks the time, depth, or gravitas required to make Tommy Clay a compelling figure. Compared to the depth of the supporting cast, his performance feels thin and underdeveloped. He never truly sells the transition from model citizen to ruthless criminal, making the audience less invested in his fate.
On a more positive note, the episode offers a nice fleshing-out of Detective Fusco's character. We see a glimpse of his humanity amidst the corruption of HR. Despite his professed desire to become an honest cop again, the narrative shows that he isn't above using ill-gotten money to buy new hockey sticks for his son. It is a small detail, but it adds a layer of complexity to a character who is often relegated to the role of the muscle.
In the end, "Matsya Nyaya" is a complex episode that balances thematic ambition with narrative shortcomings. It succeeds in creating a dark, atmospheric experience that explores the harsh realities of Reese's past and the cynical worldview of the show. The flashbacks are well-crafted and essential to the series' arc, providing crucial context for Reese's trauma and hinting at the broader, more sinister uses of "The Machine." However, the present-day storyline is weak, relying on contrivances and lacking the punch of the flashbacks. While the episode falls short of perfection, it remains a significant entry in the series' mythology, grounding the show's high-concept elements in the gritty, human cost of its premise.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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