- On Election Day Reese shoots a potential jumper and is forced to go into counseling. The new number is for a pollster who suspects the election for Governor of New York was rigged. It was - by Samaritan, and his life is now in danger.
- Because of his penchant for gunfire, Reese is placed under mandatory therapy and surveillance by Internal Affairs. He may find it difficult to lie to the therapist, Dr. Iris Campbell, about his undercover life. As Reese is preoccupied with these matters as well as the mountain of paperwork from those shootings, Finch assigns the next number to Shaw. That number belongs to Simon Lee, a pollster for Governor James Murray, who is seeking reelection. Lee is seen as a wunderkind, who knows how to predict poll numbers accurately, he having done so for ten straight elections for his winning side. On election day, he has Murray at a 52/48 edge over his competitor, Michelle Perez. However, the election results do not match his poll numbers. In searching, Lee has found election fraud which he is intent on reporting to authorities. However, Finch, Shaw and Root discover who was behind that election fraud, and as such know that Lee's life is in danger if he continues on his quest to report this information. They have to do whatever necessary to keep Lee hidden, not only for his own safety but their own as well. Through it all, Finch and Root have a philosophical disagreement about the nature of the Machine, from the perspective of its creator against that of its devoted follower.—Huggo
- Reese avoids a corrupt man from committing suicide shooting his leg and Internal Affairs asks the psychiatrist Dr. Iris Campbell to schedule therapy sessions for him. Meanwhile Shaw is working in the campaign committee of Governor James Murray to be close and protect the next number, pollster Simon Lee, who predicted the victory of his boss for 52% x 48% over his opponent Michelle Perez. But after the election, Perez wins, and Simon believes there is electoral fraud. Finch checks his numbers and concludes that Samaritan has tampered the result of the election. The whistleblower Simon Lee becomes a target for Decima that sends operatives to kill him. Finch believes Michelle Perez may resign when he sends dark information about her past to her cellphone. However, Greer's killer Martine Rousseau murders her during victory celebration simulating a heart attack. Soon they learn that Greer wanted her vice-governor, who is a weak man, to assume the position to be easy to manipulate him.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- After yet another on-the-job shooting Reese is forced to meet with an Internal Affairs counselor named Iris Campbell.
Shaw has been assigned to the latest number. His name is Simon Lee, a pollster golden boy working for Governor Murray in his re-election campaign against Michele Perez. Lee's never lost an election and is predicting a four-point win for Murray.
Shaw is working in Murray's campaign office on Election Day. She watches as returns begin to roll in and it seems Lee's predictions weren't right. Murray's campaign manager isn't happy.
Root stops by to see Finch. She talks about her role with the Machine being to change cover identities every few days. Her latest one is that of a journalist. She gives Finch a shadow map that displays places in the city without surveillance.
Despite Lee's assurance it was impossible, Murray loses the election by four points. Lee and the campaign manager have a fistfight in the middle of the room.
We flash back to 2001 when Finch is beginning to put the Machine online. Ingram walks in and Finch tells him he's teaching the Machine values. He spots some new unfamiliar code. When he asks the Machine about the code, the program lies to Finch and he shuts it down. He tells Ingram they have to be careful with the Machine or they risk disaster.
Finch tells Shaw that Lee is correct. The governor should have won. We see Lee tell Murray he suspects there was tampering with the election, but the governor just wants to move on. Finch worries Lee will be getting into something bigger than he can handle and sends Shaw to follow him.
Reese has his first session with Campbell. He attempts dishonesty and she picks up on it right away. She thinks she can help him, but he wants no part of it. She reminds him that he's under investigation.
Lee meets with the election commissioner. Root shows up at the behest of the Machine and sits next to Shaw. They watch a disgruntled election official steal the gun from a guard and attempt to go back and kill his former boss while he's meeting with Lee. Shaw is there to save the day. Root realizes that Samaritan rigged the election and "now it's cleaning up."
Back in 2001 we forward a few months later to Finch and Ingram working on later version of the Machine. This time the Machine tricks Ingram into giving it his password so it can hack into his laptop. Finch is forced to pour coffee on the machine and unplug the system. He's worried how quickly the Machine is learning.
Finch tells Shaw they need to get Perez to resign. He wants Root to help him dig into her history for skeletons. Reese briefly shows up at the crime scene but Finch convinces him he needs to leave for the good of the group.
Root admits to Finch that for the most part her communication with the Machine has stopped. If the Machine talked to her, "Samaritan would see." Finch finds evidence online that Perez worked as a prostitute to put herself through college. His plan is to show her the evidence in order to compel her to stand down.
Finch and Root arrive at Perez' victory celebration. Shaw is there as well since Lee has arrived in order to confront Perez. They also spot a Samaritan operative. Lee walks towards the stage but Perez drops dead before he can arrive. Root thinks Samaritan killed Perez.
Another moth later back in 2001 we see another iteration of Machine has pulled off a dangerous plan. It tries to set fire and asphyxiate Finch. Ingram wonder whether the whole endeavour is too dangerous. Finch is going to give it one more try the following day.
The Samaritan operative gets word through her earpiece and heads towards Lee. Shaw steps in to put her off the track. Root helps direct Lee to a safe path away from Samaritan. He ends up in a hotel. Finch is able to disable several cameras so Samaritan can't find him.
Finch and Root realize Samaritan's goal was to install Perez' Lieutenant. Root and Finch argue over what the Machine really is. She thinks it cares about them, but Finch assures her all that matters now for it is the objective.
Lee borrows a cell phone from one of the maids and tries to call out to 911. Before Finch can disable the signal it is picked up by Samaritan and the operatives head towards Lee's location. Root grabs several weapons and helps fight off the lead operatives. She sustains several wounds, but helps Lee out of the building. Outside on the street Shaw and Reese grab Lee and knock him unconscious. The plan is to dump him someplace safe.
The following day Finch meets Lee, pretending to be a reporter and tells him that the conspiracy wasn't real and there was no rigging of the election. His data all appears different and Lee is confused. "I'm never wrong." Finch tells him to move on and leaves. Finch leaves and we learn that he and Shaw doctored Lee's information to trick him into dropping the whole thing.
In a session Campbell she thinks Reese likes shooting people. He responds that "it's what I'm good at" and says he feels it's his job to save everybody. He also references Carter and feeling guilty he couldn't save her. Campbell thinks they're making progress.
We see Lee call Murray and admit that he made a mistake. This takes Lee off Samaritan's radar. Root arrives and sits with Finch. She's fine, off to her next identity. She says the difference between Samaritan and the Machine, "is you."
Greer meets with Perez' Lieutenant governor, who ia about to take over. He says he's with government affairs and "we have much to accomplish. We learn that Greer and Samaritan have 58 politicians in their pocket across the country. Samaritan's next mission seems to be to "FIND THE MACHINE."
The episode with Finch looking up into a camera on the street: "It's time we had a talk, you and I."
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content