4 Oct 2013 10:19 am
Person of Interest, S1
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frayadjacentWe finished Season 1 of PoI. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to S2 once we can get a hold of it. I'm not sure I'll ever be super fannish about it, but assuming that S2 doesn't suck, I'll likely keep watching it regularly.
I found that the Reese/Finch ship doesn't do anything for me, and I'm really not all that invested in Reese as a character. I mean, I don't dislike him, and of course it's fun to watch him be a badass. But his motivations don't really pull me in emotionally. Finch works a little more for me, even though we know even less about his motivations and backstory. I think it's just that the actor has more charisma.
The character I'm really all about is Carter. Which I suppose is fitting, because seeing a vid with her in it and realizing the show isn't just about two white dudes sort of sealed the deal for me in terms of giving it a shot. It's funny -- I rarely connect with cop characters and it really annoys me that shows so often have their one or two black characters be cops. But I find myself liking and rooting for her a lot! I was a bit annoyed by the flashback to her past as an interrogator in Iraq, because I thought she was portrayed as pretty naive in a way I found hard to believe. But at the same time, it is that idealism, that generosity of spirit (combined with a ton of courage and tenacity and intelligence and a fun balancing act where rule-breaking is concerned) -- something I usually find so unbelievable and therefore irritating in police-type characters -- that makes me like her so much.
I also kinda love Zoe, and am delighted she's re-appeared a couple of times.
In terms of story arcs, one thing I'm quite pleased with is how many different players, all with different agendas that compete and intersect, the show has introduced. There's Elias, there's the NSA/CIA, the FBI, HR, Reese's former partner, and HACKER ACKER. (I am never not going to call her that. I nearly jumped out of my seat with squee when that was revealed. Which, BTW: should've seen it coming, TOTALLY DIDN'T.) All of whom are or will likely be antagonists, except when they aren't. Then on the more firmly good-guy side, there's Carter, Fusco (whose agendas are starting to align more), Zoe, Reese, and Finch. Even the last two aren't totally a unit yet.
I guess it could turn into a big mess with a bunch of dropped storylines, but right now I am super pleased with this web of intersecting plots and plans and agendas. It feels like a lot to play with. It feels fun. And there's more women than I expected.
Speaking of: HACKER ACKER. OMG with both her and Elias I started the episode feeling like these one-off victims were a waste of a talented actor, only to be totally delighted when they're revealed to be so much more than that. :D :D :D Basically I want to see Amy Acker in everything ever, especially if it's well written and plays to her tremendous range as an actor. So I am quite good right now.
Also -- I'm really glad that, in the course of the first season, the writers weren't afraid to change and develop people's relationships. I'm so glad Carter and Fusco both became so integrated into Finch and Reese's work. I'm so glad they finally found out about each other. AND I'm really happy that the immorality of the machine is finally being raised as a real problem, while at the same time Finch continues to defend it. I like how all the characters are holding their own corner, which makes the ethical questions of the machine a lot juicier.
I found that the Reese/Finch ship doesn't do anything for me, and I'm really not all that invested in Reese as a character. I mean, I don't dislike him, and of course it's fun to watch him be a badass. But his motivations don't really pull me in emotionally. Finch works a little more for me, even though we know even less about his motivations and backstory. I think it's just that the actor has more charisma.
The character I'm really all about is Carter. Which I suppose is fitting, because seeing a vid with her in it and realizing the show isn't just about two white dudes sort of sealed the deal for me in terms of giving it a shot. It's funny -- I rarely connect with cop characters and it really annoys me that shows so often have their one or two black characters be cops. But I find myself liking and rooting for her a lot! I was a bit annoyed by the flashback to her past as an interrogator in Iraq, because I thought she was portrayed as pretty naive in a way I found hard to believe. But at the same time, it is that idealism, that generosity of spirit (combined with a ton of courage and tenacity and intelligence and a fun balancing act where rule-breaking is concerned) -- something I usually find so unbelievable and therefore irritating in police-type characters -- that makes me like her so much.
I also kinda love Zoe, and am delighted she's re-appeared a couple of times.
In terms of story arcs, one thing I'm quite pleased with is how many different players, all with different agendas that compete and intersect, the show has introduced. There's Elias, there's the NSA/CIA, the FBI, HR, Reese's former partner, and HACKER ACKER. (I am never not going to call her that. I nearly jumped out of my seat with squee when that was revealed. Which, BTW: should've seen it coming, TOTALLY DIDN'T.) All of whom are or will likely be antagonists, except when they aren't. Then on the more firmly good-guy side, there's Carter, Fusco (whose agendas are starting to align more), Zoe, Reese, and Finch. Even the last two aren't totally a unit yet.
I guess it could turn into a big mess with a bunch of dropped storylines, but right now I am super pleased with this web of intersecting plots and plans and agendas. It feels like a lot to play with. It feels fun. And there's more women than I expected.
Speaking of: HACKER ACKER. OMG with both her and Elias I started the episode feeling like these one-off victims were a waste of a talented actor, only to be totally delighted when they're revealed to be so much more than that. :D :D :D Basically I want to see Amy Acker in everything ever, especially if it's well written and plays to her tremendous range as an actor. So I am quite good right now.
Also -- I'm really glad that, in the course of the first season, the writers weren't afraid to change and develop people's relationships. I'm so glad Carter and Fusco both became so integrated into Finch and Reese's work. I'm so glad they finally found out about each other. AND I'm really happy that the immorality of the machine is finally being raised as a real problem, while at the same time Finch continues to defend it. I like how all the characters are holding their own corner, which makes the ethical questions of the machine a lot juicier.
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