POI Ranked with descriptions

One of my top 5 favourite things in all entertainment media. Incredible on every level (except for maybe the first 2 minutes having some expository dialogue that the characters have no reason to be having), it is funny and entertaining, fast paced and plot heavy, character driven, tragic, emotional and even philosophical. It achieves as much in 43 minutes as I think is possible while still being cohesive and fun to watch. When the slow motion happens during Shaw's 'death' it isn't a crutch for dramatic affect, it is a representation of how the machine sees a loss. Since it is always trying to calculate how to get its assets out of a situation, seeing it try to calculate how to get someone out of an unwinnable situation is heartbreaking and dramatic in all the right ways.

The framing device of the chess game flash backs is masterful and contains some of my favourite moments in the series. Little details like "evacuate assets" being the primary goal, and throwaway jokes like saving the painting fitting and adding to the themes of the episode and show just add so much and makes this episode immensely rewatchable. The chess motif also works so well to juxtapose Finch and Greer throughout the whole series.

There is so much more I could say about this episode and it is so much more than just a fun gimmick.

10/10, would be higher if possible.

Speaking of achieving a lot in 43 minutes. This episode is emotional, action packed, fun, hilarious at times, wraps up 2 and a half seaons of story while setting up the next 2 seasons, introduces major elements of the story (e.g. Root working with the team) all while managing to have a coherent thematic throughline. Has some of the most satisfying moments I've seen in anything, as well as some of the most heartbreaking. Sets up my second favourite character arc (Reese) on the show and contains part of my favourite character arc (Root). Just insane storytelling and a joy to watch.

10/10, would be higher if possible.

I forgot how great this episode was. This is probably the episode where I least felt like I was watching network television. Even at its worst, Person of interest was still far above average network television, but its best episodes always transcended those constraints. There were however some rare episodes where there was no trace of network tv in any part of the presentation. This was one of those cases.

A fantastically directed, edited, acted and scored episode. One of the best scripts of the series in that it ties together so many of its own self contained plotlines as well as informing on the characters past and future, tying up loose ends and answering questions that have lingered for seasons. It also manages to introduce a major plotline in the show without it ever feeling like set up, and we get a cameo from Special Counsel which is great.

It switches perspectives throughout the episode seemlessly and has these perspectives converge towards the end in such a satisfying way (seriously that scene where Reese spares Casey with Finch watching on as the machine leitmotif starts might be one of my favourite moments in any TV show, I can't even fully describe why). It is really hard for me to comprehensively explain why I love this episode so much, but it might be the one episode of this show that I have literally no flaw with. I like the top 2 episodes more, but there are some little technical issues with the action or dialogue here and there, this episode is flawless on every level.

10/10

This is probably number 2 on my list of episodes that felt least like network tv. So seemlessly edited, and my only real flaw is the adbreaks. That sounds strange, but with an episode that has such a fluid timeline, the fact that they have to insert points where ads can be means that they can't create the full effect. That however is my only flaw, because everything else about this is perfect. Character driven, emotionally draining, beautifully shot, incredibly well edited, contains some of the best performed scenes on the show and has possibly my favourite ending to any episode. The revelation on Reese's part that he never opened up to Joss and has never really opened up to anyone is handled so well and it is so significant for his character to realise this, and that is why they cut from Reese's perspective to explain that Fusco was in the car that picked him up.

Not only have we now discovered that Reese is dying in the car and have caught up with the timeline (thus a cut from his perspective isn't jarring from the fluid nature of the episode), but it was also necessary to the narrative that it was one of his friends that saved his life. He starts the episode by not telling anyone (specifically not telling Fusco) about the case, and it nearly gets him killed, which is a not so subtle extension of the character flaw that is examined in this episode, that Reese isn't willing to open up to people. The reason that it needs to be a friend who saves his life, is to show that he has genuine friends that he needs to let in, doubling down on the revelation of the episode. It was too late with Carter, it doesn't have to be too late with everyone else.

10/10

One of my favourite series finales ever. Incredibly well structured. I love how most of the best episodes of the final season of this show were the introspective ones (e.g. SNAFU, B.O.S.D, Return 0, .exe). This has big action moments for our characters sure, but the framing device of this episode is a conversation between Harold and the Machine, and it is a examination on the themes of the entire show.

While the 2 episodes leading up to this are great standalone episodes (I even love .exe as a companion piece to this episode), they do have to rush through a lot of the plot and story; the ice-9 virus kind of just happens, samaratin feels like it is kind of just some random basement, Greer just dies after 2 scenes etc. This was obviously not the creators fault, they had to cover so much ground in so little time because of the shortened season, but this finale is perfect. If that rushing meant we could get this introspective finale, then I say it was worth it.

10/10

This episode is so well structured, even as Shaw's body lies lifeless for a moment, you aren't necessarily dissatisfied because of how well executed the previous 43 minutes were as a standalone story.

I love how well this works as a standalone spy thriller in the vein of mission impossible, and the way Reese and Finch are introduced into the story (with Shaw seeing all of the kneecapped bodies outside the house) is just so wonderful.

This episode as a whole a peak of action storytelling I'm not sure the show ever matched again.

10/10

Probably the best season finale this show did (excluding Return 0), although they are all great.

I love that almost every major character outisde of team machine has been an antagonistic force at some point during the season. Control, Collier and Hersh are all great characters, and their "hero moments" don't feel out of place. They are just representative of a changing situation and I love whenever tv shows pull that sort of thing off.

The twists are all fantastic even if some are predictable, they all fit the season so perfectly. It culminates in what is possibly the show's best scene and a chilling ending that I'm not sure it ever topped.

10/10

This was easily my favourite episode of the show when it aired, the fact that there are 8 higher now just shows how good the series got. Like all the best episodes of this show, this one juggles a lot for 43 minutes. The conversations between Carter and all of the "suspects" are riveting and Finch having to create new identities for Reese as the conversation between him and Carter unfolds is probably as thrilling as the show got in its first couple seasons.

It also has maybe one of my favourite running gags in the show's history with Fusco's case of the week, and the gag of Finch having a dramatic escape plan for Reese works for me every time. This episode set a new standard for POI at the time and in my opinion, the show never looked back.

10/10

Purely from a perspective of juggling plotlines, themes and character progression, this episode wouldn't be far off number 1. So much happens and none of it feels rushed. The 25 minutes in the middle when you have Arthur Claypool and Harold in the bank vault (which has some of my favourite dialogue of the entire show), Shaw sneaking through the bank trying to find a way out for Harold, Fusco and Reese in the holding cell, Root getting tortured with the morse code (one of my favourite sequences in the whole show), Vigilance showing up at the bank unexpectedly, and Hersh and the gang trying to stop vigilance (while also trying to get to Harold) is basically peak tv. That all happens while 1980 flashback Harold has an interesting plot of his own.

Arthur Claypool was an entertaining character and the fact that within these two episodes which have so much else going on, he has his own arc and an emotionally satisfying payoff is just great writing. I just love the machine sending him on his way, especially paired with the unsettling dialogue from the machine directed at control earlier in the episode. The ambiguity of the machine was so well done in season 3.

Also did I mention that this episode (along with Lethe) basically sets up the plot of the next 2 and a half seasons and introduces the main overarching villain of the whole show?

10/10

As I mentioned before, Season 5 was at its best when it was at its most introspective. This episode mainly works because of the history of the show and the characters, and that's the biggest compliment I can give an episode in the final season of a show. By season 5, you've known these characters for such a long time, that basically dedicating an episode to that history and to how far they've come as people is necessary.

This still wouldn't be this high up if it was just a fun microcosm of the themes of the show up to this point, it also manages to be incredibly comedic, emotional and clever in its portrayal of time.

I probably haven't put enough emphasis on the comedy though, through all this introspection, this is possibly the show's funniest episode. The comedy is intrinsically linked to what the episode is exploring, it isn't just fun one liners (as much as this show excels at those), the comedy is a part of the story.

Just great television, and outside Terra Incognita, this might be the show's most underrated episode.

10/10

This is possibly the boldest episode of the show. It has lofty goals and basically pulls all of them off. Season 4 could be a little rocky at times but the final 2 episodes pay off everything so satisfyingly and shockingly in ways. The tone and atmosphere of this episode is so distinct and memorable as well. The stakes just feel so high throughout the whole episode and it results in possibly my favourite scene from any tv show ever. I can see arguments for how this episode is heavily flawed, and there are some even more absurd than usual moments that feel fairly network tv (at least compared to others in the top 10) but this episode offers one of the more emotionally stressful and distinct tones the series ever pulled off.

9/10, lower rating than some episodes below it, but I can't rank it any lower because of what it actually pulls off.

I've always really liked this episode, but something about it rubbed me the wrong way when I first watched it. I think it is probably that I figured it was a simulation only like 5-6 minutes in and I was just waiting for the big twist and wasn't really able to appreciate the episode for what it was. On a second watch however, I got much more invested into the story and themes of the episode. As a sequel to If-Then-Else, it is incredibly well done, instead of showing how the machine treats life and sees people, it shows samaratin's perspective. The fact that I was able to pick the twist, was by design. This episode is meant to show how warped Samaratin's view is, with how poorly it represents the characters (which is why it never gets any information out of Shaw, because none of the characters really act like her friends).

Also this is possibly the most visceral experience the show ever produced. Shaw's constant trips, the fast paced purposefully jarring editing, the violence being turned up way further than any other episode of the show, etc. This is also the episode where the Shaw Root relationship moved me the most.

While I was never as infatuated with this relationship as a lot of fans of the show, I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and around the second half of season 4, found it heartbreaking. However in season 5 the relationship went up another level and became one of my top 5 favourites on the show (only behind Root/Harold, Harold/The Machine and of course Harold/Reese).

9/10, again like YHWH, rated lower than some of the ones I've placed lower, but I think it has loftier goals than some of the more perfectly structured episodes of the show.

I just love the concept of this episode so much. The fact that the machine set itself free by making up a vague company and a fake personality is just so great. I love how they play on the well established formula to make this plotpoint as fun and interesting as possible, introducing it as a generic case of the week episode only for it to be revealed that they are protecting the machine itself. Shaw and Reese have to work together for the first time which is great fun and the ending "Can you hear me?" being the first time you hear the machine speak (outside of military codes for letters) is a great way to set up the finale. We as an audience realise that the machine is probably closer to human than we ever could've seen in the show up to this point, and it has finally set itself free.

10/10

A lot of what I said about "Aletheia" is applicable here. It is very much a 2 parter. This episode still has individual highlights, the flashbacks to Finch's childhood are engaging, Reese and Fusco fighting in the rain is one of my favourite things the show did, the transition from the HR plot to the second half of season 3 is masterful and the episode revealing itself as almost entirely connected to the overarching narrative, culminating in the Control twist is also great. The period of this show from season 3 episodes 5-13 is probably my favourite run of episodes, and it is certainly the run of episodes I rewatch the most and have the most fond memories of.

It's such a ballsy move to immediately follow up an episode as dense as The Devil's share with a 2 parter that is if anything just as dense, god I love this show.

10/10

There are some rocky moments in the action (the 10+ samaratin goons all looking the same and getting merced by Shaw and Root out in the open is, while hilarious, very network tv and hard to take seriously, mainly because the direction didn't really sell it) in the first half, everything after Harold enters the car with Root is almost perfection. Her conversation with Harold, Harold's monologue, Reese and Shaw's wordless interaction, the ultimate "He's not the victim, he's the perp!" moment in the whole show, just so so good.

When Harold answers that phone and responds "Root?" followed by the machine replying "No Harold, I chose a voice" and a NIN needle drop, cutting to Fusco looking over Root's corpse is some of the most gripping tv I've seen. I can understand complaints of Root's death feeling rushed but rewatching this episode I think it was done fantastically. Elias going through a nostalgia trip through episode 7 before his death is also some well done and well earned fan service that works better than a lot of story fitting that description.

Overall, a flawed episode with some of my favourite moments from any tv show.

9/10

Like the season 2 episode "Relevance", this episode just works incredibly well as a singular tight thriller narrative. With incredibly high stakes, 3 different factions with different motivations, a fourth introduced with Alicia (and eventually a fifth with Root), the episode remains thrilling for the whole runtime.

This was the first of 5 incredible season finales, it set the precedent for the series, haivng so many moving parts, tying in so much of the story from the 20+ episodes prior, paying off season wide plot threads and working as a thrilling narrative in its own right, this was the first time POI really showed what level it could rise to.

All of the last 3 episodes of season 1 are great and there are a few classics throughout the season, but I still think this teased the quality of the following seasons better than any other episode.

9.5/10

I may be overrating this a touch, but I love everything about what this episode is trying to do and it does it pretty much flawlessly.

10/10

A lot of my favourite individual cases were the conspiracy thriller ones tied to a larger plot (this, No Good Deed, Search and Destroy, QSO and Nothing to Hide). Especially those where the POI basically goes through the first act of a conspiracy thriller film, this is the best of those. This episode uses that conspiracy thriller format for entertainment and fun, while also using it to tease the season ahead.

However, that isn't even the best thing about this episode as the development in the Harold Root relationship is interesting and satisfying, producing some of my favourite scenes of the show. The flashbacks are also stellar.

What holds this back from being a top 15 or top 10 episode is the Martine element, while not terrible, in an episode that manages to be genuinely exciting and introspective simultaneously, her goofy terminator-like presence seems a little out of place. Her role in episodes 9-11 was handled with far more finesse.

9.5/10

In terms of juggling converging plotlines and complex timelines and whatnot, this episode probably doesn't deserve to be this high. But as a fan of Elias, this episode is a no-brainer. The episode is exciting and emotional throughout, so much of it is dedicated to the complex relationships Elias has developed throughout the show, with John, with Harold and with Scarface (which admittedly was developed before the show's timeline). The brotherhood is introduced to the episode in an exciting way and it manages to keep that thrilling tone throughout.

Not to say that it doesn't have multiple major plot threads through the episode, along with the exciting Elias plotline which is a payoff to a major storyline within season 4 which had admittedly been a little rocky up to this point, there is possibly an even more major plotline in Shaw being discovered. The shootout in the mall is as fun as it sounds.

I guess I'm just trying to explain why this episode is great outside of the famous payoff with Scarface. However, that is still easily the best thing about this episode. Even as predictable as that being a bomb was, you can buy that Dominic didn't predict it (which is kind of the whole point of Dominic's character) and seeing him lose that mini emotional battle with Elias is great to watch. It doesn't hurt that the performances from both David Valcin and Enrico Colantoni are as good as they got in this show here. So many of the "once villains, turned allies" if you want to call them that, get such great death scenes, this show in general nailed death scenes. My only real flaw is unfortunately with the budget, with how great this show looks for network tv generally, the cgi smoke, while unavoidable, is a little disappointing (especially with how great a moment that was).

9/10

You know a show is great when this is your least favourite season finale. Reese and Root both having God Mode, Reese and Shaw having to deal with a bunch of miscellaneous numbers on the way to finding Finch, the heartbreaking flashbacks on Finch, Nathan and Grace, the twist that the Machine has already set itself free, Special Counsel going out like a champion, teasing control and the Machine choosing Root as its analogue interface, is all fantastic, it is just so much. This episode honestly could've been 2 hours and held my attention for the entire time. It just manages to do so much, and the result is occasionally plot points can feel either rushed or confusing.

This is a minor complaint in the grand scheme of things, and I love so much that this episode does, and like every other season finale of this show, it is incredibly exciting and never loses your attention.

9/10

As a massive fan of season 2's "Relevance", this episode is a no-brainer for me. Choosing to focus on Control after the heartbreaking ending of If-Then-Else is a bold choice, but it makes sense considering showing a rampage across the city for Shaw would feel like a repeated plot thread from season 3, and using Shaw's disappearance is a great way to introduce to Control that maybe Samaratin isn't all that it seems.

The way Team Machine is framed here is so satisfying to watch, they almost seem like a group of evil criminal masterminds. When Finch stops Root from continuing the torture on Control, it genuinely feels like Finch is some sort of evil mastermind type, taking over from his goons. He comes off as so intimidating towards control, and him walking calmly off as you hear gunfire surrounding him is genuinely a moment you'd give to a villain.

Framing the team like this is such an interesting take and I think it worked wonders. The actual "case of the week" (technically) is really compelling here as well. The thought of Samaratin choosing American college students with middle-eastern backgrounds to be able to brand them as terrorists once it doesn't need them anymore is chilling and depressing.

Season 2 episode 11 to this episode is probably my favourite 2 season period of any show ever (although once I'm done I expect The Wire season 3 and 4 to contend for that spot).

9/10

Root is probably my 2nd favourite character on this show (behind Harold) so an episode almost entirely centred on her is obviously going to be a favourite. This episode is basically the machine teaching Root the value of human life, Root always had faith in the "bigger plan" and the machine, but this episode is when she learns that the bigger plan is humanity itself, not some arbitrary mission to defeat a rival AI.

9/10

The best "first episode of a season" this show did, action packed and introspective simultaneously, this was well worth the ridiculous wait between seasons 4 and 5. The flashbacks here are genuinely spectacular, Finch instantly regretting deleting the machine's memories is one of my favourite scenes from any show. The cinematography and general look of the show is way more cinematic here than previous seasons and it was clear that the reduced episode count and awareness of the impending conclusion let them be a bit more bold with the visuals.

9/10

Another one of my favourite episodes at having concurrent plotlines. The final scene in the titular asylum where The Machine trades its location for Harold's life is emotional and genuinely eerie, one of the more atmospheric scenes the show ever did. The entire story in the asylum in general is also just so much fun and Root's determination to find Shaw is captivating.

The Elias Dominic plot is also way more interesting and entertaining here than the previous 12 episodes and I like Elias' look with the beard.

The only thing keeping this from being a top 15 episode is that there aren't that many satisfying payoffs (outside of "How does it feel knowing you're responsible for your friends death") within this episode and its final montage (as great as it is) is just teasing what turned out to be a stellar finale.

9/10

There are parts of this episode that make me want to rank it in the top 5, an emotional rollercoaster and one of the more action-packed episodes this show ever did.

I really just don't like the Carter Reese kiss, not just because I prefer those two as friends (the show never really hinted at romance until this episode, unlike the tragic kiss in If-Then-Else) but also because the scenes seem to act like Carter is the sole reason for Reese being alive which sort of cheapens the Harold Reese relationship momentarily (of course that cheapening only lasts about 20 minutes and the show redeems itself massively in the following episodes).

It just felt like that sort of dialogue was added to give her death more weight, but I think the death would've worked fine without it. Also the show doesn't really discuss the Carter Reese relationship as if they were lovers at all after this point and I think it works better that way.

All that said, this is still a fantastic episode. Fusco and Shaw's pairing is possibly the episode at it's strongest, Shaw saving fusco's son is possibly in my top 10 scenes of this show, and even with the, in my opinion, unnecessary romantic angle the show took with the Carter Reese scenes, they still work to an extent.

While some may say the death scene is a little cheap, the lack of music, along with the ringing telephone was such a clever way of giving the death as much weight and emotional shock as possible and it leads into my second favourite episode of the show in a brilliant way.

9/10

So great that this show basically has a James Bond episode. In most shows, especially network procedurals, an episode like this, would be wildly entertaining, but frustrating in the long run due to returning every minor and major element to the status quo. It wraps up the major plotlines set up in the show up to this point SO well and SO neatly it could almost be a problem. With this show however, you learn that when things are wrapped up this neatly, it is not to return to status quo, it is to establish a completely new one. The show has 2 or 3 episodes that conclude basically every major plotline up to that point, and every time it is an excuse to jump into completely new stories and themes rather than returning to formula. All this is to say, this episode is amazing fun, and what may seem like weaknesses such as a return to the status quo reveal themselves as strengths with later episodes.

9/10

This episode isn't as mindblowingly structured or fun as the episodes above it, but it does work incredibly well as the second part of a 4 part arc to end season 3, and delivers on many of the show's most emotional moments. Michael Emerson is electric here and tips this episode from a very good one to a top 30. The bridge scene is among the show's very best and the episode leads up to it fantastically, establishing the Finch Grace relationship purely through dialogue.

9/10

avengers joke. Basically every long running show (and apparently 23+ film running franchise) has an epsode named endgame, and this is one of the best in that category. It manages to flashback to Carter's past, introducing characters who hadn't really been mentioned in any significant way without making it simply feel like cheap emotional manipulation preparing you for a death, all because the flashbacks aren't just giving you emotional stakes, but they also work in their own right as an emotional narrative. Outside of that this episode is just incredibly exciting, opening one of the show's best arcs, it starves itself of a higher spot by being largely setup for an arc and not having its own satisfying conclusion.

It still manages to stand on its own, with a very different vibe to the other two episodes in this arc, this is really just me separating some of my favourite episodes of television.

9/10

This is genuinely emotionally stressful and exhausting in a way network tv, or really any tv rarely gets. There are shows with more intense scenarios and setpieces, but this specific brand of emotional stress is something I don't find often. This probably deserves a space in the top 20 as it has twists and an atmosphere that the show possibly never topped again.

There is just something about that song, even with how well it sets the mood, that I really don't like, and the first half of the episode is rather expertly pedestrian, to make the twist really catch you off guard in a satisfying way, but that doesn't change the fact that when I rewatch it there are moments in the first half where I am waiting for things to get moving.

All that said, a position out of the top 20 is all these complaints really contribute to, because number 29 of this show is still a 9/10 for me and on my arbitrary rating scale that's pretty fucking excellent.

9/10

I love a good conspiracy plot and many of my favourite cases of the week of POI are those where the POI goes through the first act of a conspiracy thriller, basically finding out that everyone and everything is against them and they have no way out of it. This is possibly the best example of that and it uses this plot and case of the week as an excuse to open the narrative to the bigger universe of the show. Wonderful writing and generally very compelling performances, even from the one off.

9/10

Not the best first episode of a season of the show (that goes to B.S.O.D. imo) but probably the best "season premiere". In terms of opening a season, reintroducing the characters with a completely changed status quo, and playing with the show's well established tropes in an interesting way that plays into the story, this episode is basically the perfect season opener.

The highlight is how it reintroduces John, his whole plotline is basically him using his old tricks and being told by Finch and Shaw that he can't anymore, and having to work around the new status quo. It means it uses all of his funniest tropes (the sock over the head and a rocket launcher, entering a bar and throwing someone out, implied action after a cutaway, etc.) and subverts them. Creates for some great entertainment and is the perfect way to open a season after a grim season finale prior.

9/10