History Recap / PersonOfInterestS01E13

!!Tropes present in this episode include:

!Root Cause

Finch attempts to locate the hacker who set up Powell -- a woman who goes by the name "Root" -- but she reverses the trace and starts destroying Finch's systems from the inside-out. To prevent Root from compromising everything, Finch destroys his set-up at the library and orders Reese to destroy his cell phone before going mobile with nothing but a laptop.

* ConspiracyThriller: The episode.

* FallGuy: Scott

* FrameUp

The latest number is Scott Powell, an unemployed construction manager who has sent threatening emails to a congressman and obtained a rifle license. Reese and Finch believe he's planning to assassinate the congressman at a public event in the city, but when Reese tries to intervene at the last moment, they realize the shooter is someone else entirely: Powell is a patsy, set up as the assassin by a computer hacker. With the evidence against him, Powell is arrested by the FBI, forcing Reese to intervene and break him out of custody, which kicks off a city-wide manhunt. Finch attempts to locate the hacker who set up Powell -- a woman who goes by the name "Root" -- but she reverses the trace and starts destroying Finch's systems from the inside-out. To prevent Root from compromising everything, Finch destroys his set-up at the library and orders Reese to destroy his cell phone before going mobile with nothing but a laptop.

While Reese and Powell evade the shooter, who is determined to clean up the final loose ends, Finch calls in [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS01E06 Zoe Morgan]] to help figure out who hired Root and the shooter to kill the congressman. Together, they're able to gather evidence on the congressman's business partner and forward the information to Carter while Reese dispatches the assassin and Powell turns himself in to the FBI so he can be exonerated. After Powell returns to his family (With Finch hinting that Powell may be contacted by a construction company he owns that has a foreman job opening up in the near future), Finch is contacted via IM by Root: she knows his real name, acknowledges him as a worthy opponent, and looks forward to "the next time".

* ThatsWhatIWouldDo: Reese discusses the use of a patsy in assassination. When Finch asks how he knows this, [[YouDoNOTWantToKnow Reese doesn't answer]].

* DrivenToSuicide: Or so Root claims, but [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident she was there to type up a suicide note]] on his laptop.

* SamusIsAGirl: The only thing we know about Root (At this point, anyway - we learn a lot more about her in later episodes) is that she's a she.

* ShoutOut: The shooting takes place in a similar manner to the one at the end of ''Film/TheParallaxView'', which was also about a patsy used for a political assassination.

->> [[AC:I wanted to acknowledge a {{worthy opponent}}\\

-->-- '''[[TheCracker Root]]'''

-----

* KindaBusyHere: The episode opens with opens Finch at the library pouring tea, then ringing up Reese to wish him a pleasant "Good Morning". Cut to Reese being slammed about the room by a bald-headed thug twice as big as he is.
-->'''Finch:''' Bit of a bad connection. Were you able to convince Mr Billoc to abandon his plans to kill his ex-wife?\\

->> [[AC:I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE A [[WorthyOpponent WORTHY OPPONENT]]]]\\
> [[AC:AND SAY I'M [[WeWillMeetAgain LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT TIME]]]]\\
> [[AC: ...HAROLD]]

The latest number is Scott Powell, an unemployed construction manager who has sent threatening emails to a congressman and obtained a rifle license. Reese and Finch believe he's planning to assassinate the congressman at a public event in the city, but when Reese tries to intervene at the last moment, they realise the shooter is someone else entirely: Powell is a patsy, set up as the assassin by a computer hacker. With the evidence against him, Powell is arrested by the FBI, forcing Reese to intervene and break him out of custody, which kicks off a city-wide manhunt. Finch attempts to locate the hacker who set up Powell -- a woman who goes by the name "Root" -- but she reverses the trace and starts destroying Finch's systems from the inside-out. To prevent Root from compromising everything, Finch destroys his set-up at the library and orders Reese to destroy his cell phone before going mobile with nothing but a laptop.

!!Tropes present in this episode include

* ConspiracyThriller: the episode.

* DuelingHackers: Finch hacks Root's computer, only to realise that [[TheHunterBecomesTheHunted she's let him do so in order to hack his own]].

* TrademarkFavouriteFood: Root's love for coffee - established before the audience even gets to see her face.

* WhoAreYou: A bad guy version; Finch says this on realising that Root is just as good a hacker as he is.

While Reese and Powell evade the shooter, who is determined to clean up the final loose ends, Finch calls in [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS01E06 Zoe Morgan]] to help figure out who hired Root and the shooter to kill the congressman. Together, they're able to gather evidence on the congressman's business partner and forward the information to Carter while Reese dispatches the assassin and Powell turns himself in to the FBI so he can be exonerated. After Powell returns to his family (With Finch hinting that Powell may be contacted by a construction company he owns that has a foreman job opening up in the near future), Finch is contacted via IM by Root: she knows his real name, acknowledges im as a worthy opponent and looks forward to "the next time".

> [[AC:AND SAY I'M [[WeWillMeetAgain LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT TIME]]]\\

* ThatsWhatIWouldDo: Reese discusses the use of a patsy in assassination. When Finch asks how he knows this, Reese doesn't answer.

* IkeaWeaponry: Subverted; he's assembling a confetti-firing cannon.

* ShoutOut: The shooting takes place in a similar manner to the one in ''Film/TheParallaxView'', which was also about a patsy used for a political assassination.

* TheHunterBecomesTheHunted: Finch hacks Root's computer, only to realise that she's let him do so in order to hack his own.

* InMediasRes: Reese is in the middle of a fight when the episode begins.

* ConspiracyThriller
* TheCracker

* DrivenToSuicide: Or so Root claims, but she was there to type up a suicide note on his laptop.

* BrickJoke: The womanizing student Finch meets at the library gives him the thumbs up later on.

* HunterBecomesTheHunted: Finch hacks Root's computer, only to realise that she's let him do so in order to hack his own.

* WorthyOpponent: These exact words are used by Root. When she says WeWillMeetAgain, even Finch can't resist a smile of anticipation, implying that he has the same view of her.

* TheHunterBecomesTheHunter: Finch hacks Root's computer, only to realise that she's let him do so in order to hack his own.

* WorthyOpponent: These exact words are used by Root. When she says WeWillMeetAgain, even Finch can't resist a smile of anticipation, implying that he has the same view of her.

* WorthyOpponent: These exact words are used by Root. When she says WeWillMeetAgain, even Finch can't resist a smile of anticipation, implying that he has the same view of her.

* WorthyOpponent: These exact words are used by Root. When she adds WeWillMeetAgain, even Finch can't resist a smile of anticipation, implying that shares this view of her.