A Noteworthy Binge: Person of Interest

Victim or perpetrator? Who would you be?

At the beginning of every episode in “Person of Interest,” John Reese and Harold Finch are given the social security number of someone who is about to enter some kind of dangerous situation. The person can end up either side of the coin: victim or perpetrator.

As the episode unfolds, Reese and Finch fight to save the person whose life is in danger, and if the number ends up being the perpetrator Reese does everything in his power to bring them down.

Reese, the lead character, is a defector of the C.I.A. He was spiraling out of control when Finch, found him and offered Reese a job to protect those who can not always protect themselves. Finch is a self-made billionaire who everyone believes is dead. He is a ghost, ultimate hacker and the creator of “the Machine.”

“The Machine” is its own character. The device was created by Finch to detect terrorist attacks based on human behavior and acts of violence against nations. But, “the Machine” was unable to determine which of the people in danger was relevant to national security and irrelevant. The irrelevant list is forwarded past the government and straight to Finch. Once he receives a new number the countdown begins until that person’s life comes to end.

In a nutshell, “Person of Interest” is a massive conspiracy theory, stemming from the fear Americans felt after the attacks on 9/11 and spiraled into panic about race and government security. The show discusses the potential behind technology that can see and hear everything by reading their emails, texts and listening to phone calls. Using surveillance surpassing that of NSA, “the Machine” culminates what many Americans fear, and “Person of Interest” only builds on that, allowing the terror of mass surveillance to be what save lives.

The first season of “Person of Interest” feels kind of like a boys club as the only female character is NYPD Detective Joss Carter, a retired soldier. Her character is dedicated and holds her own against the two main male characters, Reese and Finch. In season two we add another white male character, Lionel Fusco, and two female characters, Root and Sam Shaw. The new females are off and on through the second season but become main forces to be reckoned with later on.

“Person of Interest” follows routinely the same episode plot: every one is about a different person in danger, but there are multiple sub-plots that follow through for three seasons that keep you guessing.

There are currently 3 seasons on Netflix with more being produced. Each season has about 20 to 24 episodes per season. So, no worries, there is quite a bit of material to binge (especially over the upcoming Thanksgiving break!)

You may enjoy “Person of Interest” if you watch “Blacklist,” “The Mentalist,” “Castle” or “Prison Break.”

Starring: Michael Emerson, Jim Caviezel, Kevin Chapman, Tariji Henson, Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi.