Person of Interest (TV Series) 6,741 (2016) User Reviews

Sarah Shahi, Denise The, and Lucas O'Connor Deliver A Series Classic

[awoolfork · 10/10 · 16 May 2016]

Masterpiece is how you sum up episode 4 of season 5 titled "6741". Yes i saw it early so I'm going to do my best two give little things away without the rich spoils.

This episode truly felt like it was the birth child of If-Then-Else from Season 4. The style of experimental cinematography that went into 6741 was mind altering and truly awesome. The writing by Denise The and Lucas O'Connor proves to be a dynamic powerhouse unlike any other. But when it comes down to it in the end the one that brings this whole episode to life was none other then Sarah Shahi who makes her triumphant return in such a way that makes even her awesome screen debut back in season 2 look small footed. The rare time where Amy was fantastic in an episode and Sarah actually stole the show from the show stopper herself in Amy Acker. This episode in a fair world would be Sarah Shahi's ticket to a best actress Emmy Nomination.

The connection/Dynamic between Root And Shaw is one of the most loved on the show by many but for the detractors who think this was a forced relationship from the very beginning... Watch this episode and the chemistry between two actresses on their A+++++ game and tell me that has no meaning or its forced especially when its a dynamic that's been built up going all the way back to their recurring days in season 2.

Its an episode that has a lot of unique but disturbing images as well and its pretty violent. One of the more bloodier episodes, but no doubt watch this Monday night at 10pm on CBS. From its acting performances, the way it was shot and filmed, the whole presence and theme of the episode was one of an epic and this is easily a top 5 POI episode in the series. The episode was hyped up months before it ever aired and boy we can rest easy because it lived up to it.

Dark, Brutal, Best Episode

[adamjobs-06234 · 10/10 · 17 May 2016]

Loved this damn episode! Sarah Shahi put on a performance for the ages and truly took is into the inner struggle of trying not to break. This episode is the anti-If-Then-Else, a unique way of Samaritan showcasing its own unique abilities of predictability by use of subverting and not prevention.

This episode was a master class and possibly the best episode of the series. Anyone who doubts the magic and chemistry of Root and Shaw after they have been built perfectly the course of a 2 and a half seasons... watch this episode!

An amazing character study

I love everything about this episode.

[nhinguyen-99226 · 10/10 · 16 May 2016]

THIS EPISODE IS TOO GOOD OMG!!!! Even thought everything wasn't real but it would be better that way. Shaw has been willing to kill herself about 25 times a day just to save Root. If that's not LOVE I don't know what is. She actually likes Root's flirts, Root calling her BABY, Root taking care of her tiny little (muscle) body. AND please give Sarah all the awards for her excellent acting!!! I really don't get why CBS decided to cancel this AMAZING show. This is the only show that NOT focuses on sappy meaningless romance. The whole story line got that great consistency and surprising plot twists, and just EVERYTHING. Come on CBS, please reconsider your decision! :(

A Totally Misunderstood Classic Episode

[cwoolfork-40306 · 10/10 · 20 May 2016]

Watch this episode people, Do what you must to watch this episode. This is for my sake's the best pure single episode of TV POI has ever produced (Yes even surpassing its forefather If-Then-Else ). This should either be seen as the best episode of the series or in your top 4, if its not in either something is very wrong.

Like someone else said in another review "the goal was to make a parallel of how Samaritan could use it's own predictive abilities in a way meant to subvert rather than save, as The Machine's goal was back during If-Then-Else".

With that said its easily the best single episode of the series and tremendous character study for Sarah's Sameen Shaw. Unless the series finale delivers nothing will top this masterpiece.

Escape (Total Spoiler Alert)

[skipperkd · 8/10 · 17 May 2016]

Major spoiler alert!! Total reveal below. Episode 4, titled 6,741, was written by Denise Thé and Lucas O'Connor — which is only fitting, because these same authors first wrote Shaw into captivity in Season 4 "If-Then- Else" (a favorite of mine). Originally sequenced in the episode 7 position, "6,741" comes directly after Truth Be Told, wherein Machine 2.0 is finally running well and free. Yes, La Machine Divine is no longer hobbled, buggy, or fragmented.

And now... Sameen Shaw wins free, too. She fights her way out of Samaritan Hell and comes roaring back. Maybe not in pristine condition, maybe feeling a bit buggy and somewhat broken, but FREE!

Yay!!

At least...That's what we thought. That's what we were supposed to think. But it all occurred in Shaw's mind, in a virtual reality world programmed to induce her to reveal the location of her friends. And this was not the first time it happened. Not the first time Greer put Shaw through Samaritan's simulation. No, she's been there, done that 6,740 times before, making this Simulation Run #6,741. Hence the title.

(So I guessed wrong in thinking the title "6,741" referred to the hours Shaw spent in captivity and of Sarah Shahi's coinciding pregnancy, adding up to 9 months. Yet if the sim lasts about 45 minutes, Shaw has done little else since her capture.)

I should have known something was up when the episode began so abruptly, without even that familiar opening montage "You are being watched. The government has a secret system." But I didn't catch on for a while.

I did start to guess that SOME scenes were hallucinations when Shaw jumped Root's bones. The sex scene felt so off. And again when Finch admitted that he never looked for her, when we know he did (in Asylum, 4:21). And when Shaw killed Greer so early in the season. I knew for sure when Shaw shot Reese. My suspicion was validated when Lambert showed up in the scene again, hunting Shaw in the crowded streets, despite his recent gut-shot.

BUT....I never guessed the ENTIRE escape was a simulation. Never guessed that our poor girl was still strapped to that damn bed. Really pulled a rabbit out of the Matrix.

Lambert likens Shaw to his old German shepherd, who had a microchip embedded. Greer says this chip is more advanced. But we see no scar on Shaw's neck in the final scene. No evidence of a chip. Is the chip part of the simulation? Hope so.

In virtual reality Greer said, "We didn't need a chip. We broke you months ago. We are already in your head. You couldn't hurt me even if you wanted to, but you will have blood on your hands when you murder all of your friends." (Nolan does a wicked evil laughter).

So maybe no chip. On another potentially hopeful note, there is reason to posit that Shaw knows she's in a virtual world, because she sees her reflection, strapped to the bed with monitors on her head.

And more hope...even after 6,741 simulations, Shaw still has not revealed her friends' location. Instead, she has shot Lambert and killed Greer (sweet). She's loyal and incredibly strong. Stubborn.

Unfortunately, she also shot Reese. Killed him. Then shot herself, before she could do any more harm. She knew she was not in control. Knew that Samaritan was in her head: "I don't know who's controlling this. Controlling me."

Sarah Shahi totally killed it with her heart-wrenching soulless eyes. Empty eyes, a spirit nearly snuffed, lost and without bearing in the endless void. That's some incredible acting!

But she wasn't totally alone in the dark. She had a candle. Shaw to Root: "The torture. I couldn't escape it. But when things got to be too bad, there was one place I would go to in my mind. You. It was you. You were my safe place." (Tissues all around. That felt real.)

So...nothing totally new happened in this episode that we didn't already know, which is a bummer. Seems wasteful, given only 13 episodes in the season.

But "6,741" offers faint hope for Shaw. She's been through extensive conditioning — and torture — for months, but she's resisted, remained loyal. Surely she will eventually escape and gradually triumph completely over Samaritan's lies? Right?? Even her sociopathic psyche might turn out to be a gift, to help her resist the Koolaid.

Shaw: "First thing I'm gonna do when I get out of these straps is make you bleed." Lambert: "Promises, promises."

I REALLY hope she gets to fulfill that promise.

(I hated this episode the first time I saw it. I felt betrayed.)

The Birth Child Of If-Then-Else Becomes POI's Best Episode

[adamjobs · 10/10 · 17 May 2016]

Wow, I'm at a lost for words. This episode had a lot of hype and promise going into it but holy crap did it live up and much more. Sarah Shahi's performance was too show stealing to put into words. the fact that this was a simulation, much like If-Then-Else was, is entirely intended, and as such, doesn't feel as lazy as the "all a dream" trope could make the whole thing seem. This was confirmed by Jonathan Nolan in an interview over on IGN - the goal was to make a parallel of how Samaritan could use it's own predictive abilities in a way meant to subvert rather than save, as The Machine's goal was back during If-Then-Else.

Just an outstanding showcase of human study into the mind of Sameen Shaw. Luca O'Connor and Denise The delivers and so does Sarah!

This show transcends many genres.

[sm-harieswar · 10/10 · 17 May 2016]

It was a very dark and twisted episode when compared to the previous episodes. You felt that darkness right from the beginning. The writers have shown that you can tell the intensity of the story (without me getting into spoilers) in a very unique way. Says a lot about the quality of Person Of Interest. I was wondering that this season was rushed because it was the last and got half the usual count from CBS, but the writing has been just the right speed and manages to tell a story at the same time develop more shades to its characters. Thank you Jonathan Nolan and J. J. Abrams, this work of fiction will be an inspiration for many story tellers!

The Critically Acclaimed Black Sheep of POI

[Rossi2111 · 10/10 · 3 July 2016]

When this episode aired it got tons of praise and acclaimed from many television reviews and fans for its dark, unique, and tragic tale of a woman held prisoner in her own mind.

But for some reason, there is a huge portion of the audience ( Hardcore POI fans, Anti Root and Shaw fans, Homophobic Watchers, Casual CBS Fans ) That snub their noses at an episode that was such a masterpiece in all aspects of television.

This episode was so strong from every including Amy in the final scenes but... This this the Sarah Shahi show, she delivered what would be in a fair world, a powerful performance that should have garnered some Emmy Award buzz ( but critics suck bad ). She's had many great performances in season 5 ( likely the seasons MVP ). But make no mistake 6741 is still her Diamond episode if you ever wonder if she can take the Reigns of being a lead actress in a major TV drama.

The writers knew people would know it was a simulation, because while this episode was the evil, anti, If-Then-Else ( i think it tops If-Then-Else ), Its not about whether or not its a simulation itself. Its a surreal character study of one woman trying to keep hold of reality as she is a prisoner in her own subconscious. Every should watch this episode and appreciate its classic and genius design and execution because it deserves that. Don't even get me started on the homophobes who scream fan service or any other crap, thats such a stupid claim against this masterpiece.

Haters can hate and snub all they want, 6741 is a clinic in TV wriitng, filming, and acting performance lead by the incredible Sarah Shahi. It is a imo the 1st or 2nd best episode in the shows entire run and it deserves more credit then people purposely ignoring it because of personal hate or feelings. I have never seen an episode get so much acclaim and praise but get snubbed by others like this one. Its sad and not right!

Person Of Interest enters the Twilight Zone

[gridoon2024 · 9/10 · 24 April 2021]

Horror-style episode that will leave you speechless even if you guess the final twist. It has a heightened quality and a dark intensity unparalleled in this series. ***1/2 out of 4, but quite close to ****. Almost as good as LOST's "Flashes Before Your Eyes".

One of the best episodes of the series

[SnarkAttack88 · 10/10 · 19 November 2022]

How does one begin to review a work of art like 6,741? Person of Interest as a series really is a sum of its parts. When a crew and cast of this caliber come together each episode and bring their A game, you get this brilliant show, POI. They brought their A+++ game to this episode. I can not NOT mention the cinematography, score, HMU, locations, and all of the other departments slaying. We normally see Sarah's character, Shaw, throwing the perfect pitch, and Amy's Root knocking it out of the park. In this episode it is reversed, further proving their brilliant dynamic, and their talents as actors. I often wondered if we would see more episodes like this one had Shaw not been a sociopath. Getting these peaks into her mind were so rewarding. In my opinion, playing a character like Shaw actually seems like a harder task. At worst, she could be reduced to a carbon copy of Reese, and as a sociopath, how do you get audiences to fall in love with you when you express emotion quietly? Sarah is incredibly talented. How the writers continued to build the Root/Shaw relationship and maintain the stakes, like, I am forever indebted. I love that Samaritan tries to recruit Shaw instead of just eliminating her. Who wouldn't want her on their side? And keeping things grounded with lines like "Move along, Millhouse." I mean, come on. We're not worthy! I think the internet had spoiled the twist before I had a chance to watch and that didn't even matter one bit. Horrific, glorious, magnificent episode. Light a cig after this one.

One of the best episodes of the show!!!

[anishpunaroor · 10/10 · 29 May 2022]

This episode was one of my personal favorites, the element of the machine in this episode being the main character basically because of the simulations changed the type of episodes we see in this show mostly. Just like the first simulation episode with Shaw. This episode offered a lot of character development for Shaw and we really got to see how loyal Shaw is dedicated to the team. It was unpredictable because of the simulation twist. To the people who thought this episode was bad, you need to learn what a show is and then decide what you think about it. You need to show your anger on the Kelli Lin episode because that episode was truly trash. Thank you!

The least believable episode

[nemesis-88 · 3/10 · 24 February 2024]

This is quite possibly the second least believable episode in this whole series, after american invasion of China by Stanton and Reece. Yes, artificial intelligence is a given in this show. Yes, for some reason it has global control, even though the USA is the only country where intelligence services have full uncontrolled access to all private data. Let's write it off to the "artistic license".

But this episode reminds us that this is actually science fiction. Projecting an entire alternative universe into Shaw's head. Controlling her actions in it. AND watching it on a laptop screen. I'm sorry but this is just too much.

The sex scene was unnecessary. WHY? What did it bring into the show? That Root loves Shaw? We know that. It was such a charming subtext. Now it's all vulgarized and put on public display. I don't care if it's appropriate or moves it into PG13 category. My concern is that it is VERY primitive writing. And quite a cheap trick to attract bum-titty-weewee audience. Also, this episode is boring.

grate episode grate acting shaw 👏🏻

[mmaryah · 10/10 · 17 July 2021]

Sameen shaw acting in this episode was perfect and the way the writer's get the story line to us with the simulation thing amazing we all hope that garer die 😂

Simulations

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 11 March 2024]

Shaw has a chip implanted near her brain, but it does not work as expected and she goes to a hospital to have another chip implanted. Out of the blue, she reacts and escapes from her captors. She unsuccessfully tries to remove the chip in the bathroom of a department store in New York City. Then she threatens the life of the clerk Bobby Jackson to call the attention of The Machine. Samaritan's operatives also arrive at the spot, but Reese and Root save her life. They note that Shaw is acting strange, and they go to a subway train, where Root removes the chip. Then they go to Root's apartment, where Finch meets them but do not disclose the location of The Machine. Shaw spends the night with Root, they have sex and on the next morning, Root meets Reese in a diner and tells that Shaw is still strange. However, Root is bugged by Shaw, and she overhears their conversation. Root decides to confront the Samaritan and tells their location at the diner to the Samaritan. It sends two agents to retrieve Shaw, but Reese and Root defeat them and Finch triangulates the call and locates Greer. They capture and bring him to a church, where Shaw tortures him and finds flash drive hidden below the skin in his arm. Finch and Root go to another place to investigate the flash drive, and Reese and Shaw keep watching on Greer. When Shaw is alone with the prisoner, he confronts her, and Shaw shoots him in the head. Reese leaves the church with Shaw and, out of the blue, she has a convulsion and kills Reese. She calls Root and tells that Samaritan's agents killed Reese. Root meets her, Shaw confesses that has killed Reese and commits suicide.

"6,741" is probably the most suspenseful episode of "Person of Interest", totally based on Sameen Shaw, brilliantly performed by Sarah Shahi. Her actions under the power of the chip are terrible, but the final twist is totally unpredictable I believe for any viewer in one of the most intriguing episodes of the series. Unfortunately, there is a totally unnecessary scene to please specific audiences that has nothing to do with this fantastic series that makes this episode great, but not excellent. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "6,741"

Load of tosh

[namstonk · 1/10 · 4 April 2021]

Pure stupidity, a filler episode, omg lesbians in love sweetie, never heard of that. The fact the whole relationship was shoehorned to appease the gobs and subsequently spoilt the texture of the show means nowt. 6741 should be the minus stars this episode deserved, lazy writing. Some people called this a masterpiece, you wonder what they would call Citizen Kane ... old, probably.

Oops... They did it again.

[omero-omero · 1/10 · 10 October 2022]

There are only 10 episodes in the whole run of the show that I dislike: the one titled IF-THEN-ELSE, and this.

It is a pun intended, of course, aimed precisely at those persons out there that understands binary.

More binary analogies?

Good news: One Machine team character is finally back on the scenes.

Bad news: Samaritan is trying to make one Machine team character flip over to his side.

The reasons I dislike this episode are not at all related to the artistic performances of the actors, which are impeccable and even excellent, but to the scripting of the story line, that immediately breaks apart after minutes into the episode, dissipating whatever "suspension of disbelief" impulses have survived that far.

While it is understandable why the cheap logic/heuristic trick used in IF-THEN-ELSE to temporarily put offline (standby) one interesting character, reusing the same trick to bring it back is ... Lack of originality.

6,741 or the worst episode in Person of Interest history

[Jocelyn72 · 1/10 · 15 July 2016]

For me this episode was the worst episode in the history of Person of Interest. It mainly focused on what had happened to the character of Shaw. Nolan once again decided to give Sarah Shahi an episode on her own. And once again it totally failed and proved again that Sarah Shahi just can't carry an entire episode on her own. She is no Michael Emerson, no Jim Caviezel or no Taraji P. Henson or Amy Acker. After watching for like 15 minutes i knew this episode was not real and parts of me were thankful for that, because let's face it. The writing was painful for this one. And to top it all they added a love scene into this mess of an episode. Why? That love scence between her character Shaw and Root came completely out of nowhere and was the worst love scene i have ever seen on TV. I felt sorry for the show because this episode was so cringe worthy.

Poor kids

[twistedink-14766 · 1/10 · 19 October 2020]

My kids love the show but to have episodes that aren't watchable because of sexual content just sucks. It's not suitable and therefore disparages a potential audience. Most of the episodes - the vast majority - are great for the whole family. There was no need for this.

digusting

[abortamir · 1/10 · 21 November 2021]

A disgusting relationship then it was all in her mind, I just want both of the leading actress to be killed off, garbage episode. The man got weaker as the series progress.

Which 12 year old kid wrote this garbage?

[truebatmantd · 1/10 · 26 January 2023]

I find it extremely hard to believe that this garbage was written by an adult. The entire episode including the super predictable "plot twist" feels like it was written by some 12 year old who spends most of his time playing video games. Looks like the regular writers of this episode wanted to take the day off and let their kids write this one instead.

I could also say the same about all those people who rate this episode 9s and 10s, calling it a masterpiece, saying that it's the best episode ever. Either these people have no standards or they are brain washed by all the video games they play in their mom's basement where they spend 24 hours a day.

There is no way a normal person with a functioning brain can think this episode is nothing but absolute garbage. This episode is like an IQ test and if you think it is great, you've failed the test (along with whoever wrote this episode).