Whereas last year's premiere, "The Contingency", opened with a bang, "Liberty" goes for a more conventional, episodic Person of Interest approach having not returned with an ongoing cliffhanger from the end of Season 2. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, particularly as the 45 minutes are stuffed full of story continuation and moving pieces that it flies by very quickly.
The case of the week is a welcome change of pace from the plethora of insanity which occurred during "Zero Day" and "God Mode". The storyline itself is not the most complex (which is partly a relief as some episodes tend to stumble as a result of becoming overly convoluted) but is insanely fun, providing great character moments and action packed brawls that state "hey, we don't have to always take ourselves too seriously!" The opening is particularly entertaining whilst simultaneously reintroducing our favourite characters doing what they do best.
The episode also sees Shaw (Sarah Shahi) making her debut as a regular. Whilst reception towards her has been polarising throughout the PoI community, I feel this was her best showing, as much of her icy persona has been transformed into cheeky zingers and a more spunky attitude. Whilst her transition hasn't been perfect (I feel she needs to ditch some of the Reese-isms and become more of her own character a bit), I'd expect that this dynamic should strengthen as the writers and Shahi become have become completely grounded with her.
Root (Amy Acker) also enters the episode as a newly promoted regular, and what the impact she makes in her (very short) three scenes is outstanding! Her final monologue concerning truths, and her relationship with the Machine provides is arguably the episode's standout scene, both establishing the character as a imminent threat as well as an outstanding exhibition of Acker's acting ability. It was definitely one of the most chilling moments the series has conjured so far and a fantastic way to end the show.
The seeds of future story lines are planted throughout the episode, such as a brief encounter with fan-favourite Elias and the revelation that Carter is on a personal mission to take down the notorious HR, and things are looking good for the third season of this fascinating show. On the whole, don't expect this episode to be as mind-blowing as those which preceded it but you can guarantee to find a bit of story progression and plenty of highlights which capture the essence of both the show's gripping nature as well as its more light-hearted side.
The case of the week is a welcome change of pace from the plethora of insanity which occurred during "Zero Day" and "God Mode". The storyline itself is not the most complex (which is partly a relief as some episodes tend to stumble as a result of becoming overly convoluted) but is insanely fun, providing great character moments and action packed brawls that state "hey, we don't have to always take ourselves too seriously!" The opening is particularly entertaining whilst simultaneously reintroducing our favourite characters doing what they do best.
The episode also sees Shaw (Sarah Shahi) making her debut as a regular. Whilst reception towards her has been polarising throughout the PoI community, I feel this was her best showing, as much of her icy persona has been transformed into cheeky zingers and a more spunky attitude. Whilst her transition hasn't been perfect (I feel she needs to ditch some of the Reese-isms and become more of her own character a bit), I'd expect that this dynamic should strengthen as the writers and Shahi become have become completely grounded with her.
Root (Amy Acker) also enters the episode as a newly promoted regular, and what the impact she makes in her (very short) three scenes is outstanding! Her final monologue concerning truths, and her relationship with the Machine provides is arguably the episode's standout scene, both establishing the character as a imminent threat as well as an outstanding exhibition of Acker's acting ability. It was definitely one of the most chilling moments the series has conjured so far and a fantastic way to end the show.
The seeds of future story lines are planted throughout the episode, such as a brief encounter with fan-favourite Elias and the revelation that Carter is on a personal mission to take down the notorious HR, and things are looking good for the third season of this fascinating show. On the whole, don't expect this episode to be as mind-blowing as those which preceded it but you can guarantee to find a bit of story progression and plenty of highlights which capture the essence of both the show's gripping nature as well as its more light-hearted side.
