Mr. Reese, I understand your frustration with the opacity of the Machine, but there's a reason I chose to make it that way. The Machine only gives us numbers, because I would always rather that a human element remain in determining something so critical as someone's fate. We have free will. And with that comes great responsibility and sometimes great loss. I miss her dearly, too.
But the machine has already moved on to a higher level, which is an astonishing thing. It moves around Finch and acts on its own decision. Not only has it given the relevant number (the sphinx) to the ISA who has set an operative on the flight to take out Owen. It seems to have reconsidered its action by not trusting this operative to also save the passengers. So it acts on it's own by directing Reese on this flight (so much for free will!) in trusting his ability to save everybody. The episodes name 4c sounds like foresee, that is exactly what the machine does. Finch still believes in his rules and accepts John's resignation as his decision of free will, the machine doesn't. In the episodes Lethe and Aletheia he blames the machine by not giving him enough help to save Carter. But obviously he is also angry at Finch. That becomes clear in his angry speech to Owen: You computer guys - you built something you can't control and when it backfires you won't accept responsibility. Have you really made anything better? Owen can feel that this is not about him.
Helping people:
The episode is obviously about bringing Reese back to the team. He is walking without purpose, falling into bad habits by feeling depressed and drinking too much. When he is asked about baggage his answers is no baggage which is a nice wordplay because it is quite clear from the look of his face and his clearly NOT wearing a suit that we know: This guy has a lot of baggage! The line of thought was started with Fusco's discussion with Simmons before fighting him and continued in the prison cell with John one episode later. John: What was it exactly we are doing? Fusco: Helping people! This is now lost on John, but he is still the good guy who gives up his seat, helps the old lady with her baggage and has his way of dealing with the dushbag who knows better when to shut off his phone. Holly is also in the business of helping people but in an ordinary job. Like John she is frustrated with humanity: What has happened to people just helping other people? She asks John who has no answer for her at this moment. But the machine has figured him out long ago. This is the guy who says in his last words that saving one person at a time is anticlimactic and finds solace in his purpose to save his best friend and the world. So now he needs something better than just saving the nerd who brought it all to himself like Leon before. But saving 130 passengers might do the job.
Shaw:
Shaw now has to take John's place as investigator and general badass. That scene at the travel agency was obviously only planted there to give her the speech about feeding the tie. Much more subtle is the scene in the restaurant with her old buddy Hersh. Such a great job of the actor of the terminator Hersh whose tongue is set loose by the drug. He knows it and cannot help it, so he is answering with clenched teeth, and that last question about Shaw's new employers - so heartwarming coming from this stonecold killer!
Goof points to:
- Finch
But the machine has already moved on to a higher level, which is an astonishing thing. It moves around Finch and acts on its own decision. Not only has it given the relevant number (the sphinx) to the ISA who has set an operative on the flight to take out Owen. It seems to have reconsidered its action by not trusting this operative to also save the passengers. So it acts on it's own by directing Reese on this flight (so much for free will!) in trusting his ability to save everybody. The episodes name 4c sounds like foresee, that is exactly what the machine does. Finch still believes in his rules and accepts John's resignation as his decision of free will, the machine doesn't. In the episodes Lethe and Aletheia he blames the machine by not giving him enough help to save Carter. But obviously he is also angry at Finch. That becomes clear in his angry speech to Owen: You computer guys - you built something you can't control and when it backfires you won't accept responsibility. Have you really made anything better? Owen can feel that this is not about him.
Helping people:
The episode is obviously about bringing Reese back to the team. He is walking without purpose, falling into bad habits by feeling depressed and drinking too much. When he is asked about baggage his answers is no baggage which is a nice wordplay because it is quite clear from the look of his face and his clearly NOT wearing a suit that we know: This guy has a lot of baggage! The line of thought was started with Fusco's discussion with Simmons before fighting him and continued in the prison cell with John one episode later. John: What was it exactly we are doing? Fusco: Helping people! This is now lost on John, but he is still the good guy who gives up his seat, helps the old lady with her baggage and has his way of dealing with the dushbag who knows better when to shut off his phone. Holly is also in the business of helping people but in an ordinary job. Like John she is frustrated with humanity: What has happened to people just helping other people? She asks John who has no answer for her at this moment. But the machine has figured him out long ago. This is the guy who says in his last words that saving one person at a time is anticlimactic and finds solace in his purpose to save his best friend and the world. So now he needs something better than just saving the nerd who brought it all to himself like Leon before. But saving 130 passengers might do the job.
Shaw:
Shaw now has to take John's place as investigator and general badass. That scene at the travel agency was obviously only planted there to give her the speech about feeding the tie. Much more subtle is the scene in the restaurant with her old buddy Hersh. Such a great job of the actor of the terminator Hersh whose tongue is set loose by the drug. He knows it and cannot help it, so he is answering with clenched teeth, and that last question about Shaw's new employers - so heartwarming coming from this stonecold killer!
Goof points to:
- fighting with anything else but a gun in short succession: knife, corkscrew, fork, thermos, plastic bag, pen, guitar, sissors, hairspray, golfcub
- to the passengers that never notice anything
- to the guy with the phone and the aggravating kid
- to Reese knocking people out and covering them with blankets
- to Reese pushing drinks on everyone: himself, Owen, Holly and even the kid (Titus!) (he has lost his scalpel or maybe never had one)
- to the knocked out guys who stay so for hours
- to the three kinds of assassins coming for the little dude
- to the little nerdy dude who takes Fusco's place in name calling. When Fusco called John Mr. Tall-dark-and deranged, Owen calls him right at the beginning Mr. dark and stormy, the ASI-guy is the walking steroid, John is Mr. blanket-coverup and so on
- to John, the ex-international spy, who is just crap at lying: International Homeland Security Agency
- to Finch landing the plane with a game-controller
- to Finch inviting John to an art exihibition
- to another incredible suit of Finch