Television Review: Number Crunch (Person of Interest, S1X10, 2011)
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Number Crunch (S1x10)
Airdate: 15 December 2011
Written by: Patrick Harbinson
Directed by: Jeffrey Hunt
Running Time: 44 minutes
The tenth episode of Person of Interest, titled "Number Crunch," serves as a pivotal turning point in the series' evolution, steering the show away from the confines of a simplistic procedural formula and into a realm of vastly greater complexity. This episode abandons the comfort of the case-of-the-week format in favour of a narrative landscape that is morally ambiguous and fraught with danger, where the personal stakes for the protagonists are elevated to terrifying new heights. By this stage in its first season, Person of Interest was running hot, an effortless mesh of an intriguing, multi-layered individual story and the development of an overarching story that was feeding the show's mythos in a very intriguing manner.
The episode initiates with the Machine delivering a task that is significantly more intricate than the standard single-number assignments Reese and Finch have grown accustomed to. Instead of targeting a solitary individual, the system delivers four numbers simultaneously, connecting four disparate individuals: university lecturer Claire Ryan (Helen Cove), waiter Mark Duggan (Jeremy Berk), hair stylist Wendy McNally (Bridget Regan), and Paula Vasquez (Melonie Diaz). Reese is quick to realise the danger when Claire is found bludgeoned to death almost before Reese's arrival. Unable to track three remaining people in the same timeframe, Reese recruits Finch and Detective Lionel Fusco,. The pressure becomes palpable when Finch, much to his regret, fails to prevent Mark Duggan from being blown to pieces by a bomb hidden within a child's stroller. Two victims have each been spending large amounts of money, and Reese quickly deduces that this financial irregularity is the thread that will connect the remaining two survivors.
The investigation reconstructs a narrative of opportunistic greed involving a tragic accident. It is revealed that all four individuals had come to the aid of a young man who had died in a terrible crash, only to discover a suitcase full of ill-gotten money and cocaine scattered across the scene. They took the spoils for themselves and split them into four equal shares. The money is traced back to Jim Hallen (Michael Murphy), a congressman investigating banks, who was actually in cahoots with a corrupt banker named Davis Bannerman (Jack Gwaltney). They utilised Hallen's son's fake charity to launder the funds, effectively turning a tragedy into a financial windfall. Reese tracks down the two surviving women—Wendy and Paula—revealed to be foster sisters who simply wish to help their foster mother save her home. Reese neutralises the assassins sent to eliminate them, while Finch records incriminating conversations between Hallen and Bannerman, ensuring the corrupt politicians are undone by their own deceit.
In the meantime, the narrative weaves in the darker consequences for Detective Joss Carter. Having recovered from a shooting, she is relegated to desk duty and subjected to an investigation by Internal Affairs. Captain Womack (John Fiore) orders her to co-operate with two mysterious federal agents, who are revealed to be CIA operatives Tyrell Evans (Dariell Sills-Evans) and Mark Snow (Michael Kelly). Snow describes himself as Reese's best friend and manipulates Carter into setting up a meeting that serves as an ambush. Reese is hit by a sniper and seriously wounded, a moment that confirms that his former friends and colleagues view him as an inconvenient rogue asset rather than a valued ally. Carter, who witnesses the incident, makes an unprecedented choice to help him get away, a decision that bridges the gap between her professional duty and her moral compass.
Written by Patrick Harbinson, Number Crunch is a fascinating episode that brings a welcome novelty to the series. For the first time, Reese and Finch are tasked with saving more than one person, and because the challenge is so arduous, they only achieve partial success. This struggle mirrors the broader theme of moral ambiguity that defines the show. Reese is overwhelmed and barely survives the ambush, a testament to the ruthlessness of his enemies. The episode is well-written and intertwines the regular procedural storyline with the background character arc of Carter and Reese, creating a cohesive and tense narrative. It sends the audience into a mini-cliffhanger with Reese wounded and his recovery seemingly reserved for future instalments, adding a layer of suspense that keeps the viewer hooked. The episode is strong on continuity, relying heavily on the consequences of events that occurred in previous episodes, particularly the shooting of Carter.
The episode features an interesting guest cast that adds depth to the narrative. Veteran character actor Michael Murphy is sufficiently convincing as the hypocritical politician Jim Hallen, portraying a man who hides his corruption behind a veneer of public service. Michael Kelly delivers another credible performance as the menacing villain Mark Snow, ensuring that the CIA threat feels genuine and dangerous. Bridget Regan, best known for her role as Kahlan Amnell in Legend of the Seeker, plays one of the rare characters who appears to flirt with Reese, though this later proves to be a calculated ruse. Thematically, the episode continues the trend of adhering to the populist anti-banking feeling characteristic of the Occupy Wall Street era, which coincided with the series' premiere. It critiques the financial elite and the politicians who facilitate their corruption, using the plot to comment on the systemic injustices of the banking world.
Ultimately, "Number Crunch" is a strong entry in the season, successfully transitioning the series from a standard crime drama into a serialized masterpiece. While some critics might miss the brief appearance of the arch-villain Elias, the episode's focus on character development and mythos progression is undeniable. It is certainly one of the better episodes of Person of Interest in Season 1, offering a blend of action, intrigue, and social commentary that elevates the show above its contemporaries.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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