History Recap / PersonOfInterestS04E05

-->'''Finch:''' Whose car is this?!!!
-->'''Root:''' Someone who needs a good mechanic.

* ChronicHeroSyndrome[=/=]DeathSeeker: Reese's psychiatrist thinks he is one or the other.

* ClimacticMusic: The Black Angels ''Young Men Dead'' during the Root/Rousseau shootout.

* CutPhoneLines: Inverted as it's the good guys trying to stop the VictimOfTheWeek from calling 911. Simon connects long enough to say his name before Finch cuts him off, but that's enough for Samaritan to zero in on him.

* EmptyElevator: Rousseau and her {{mook}}s are waiting for Root in the hotel lobby. First the ''L'' appears in one lift indicator, then in all the others. After several lifts open at once a smoke grenade rolls out, eventually followed by Root when the lobby is full of smoke.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Martine Rousseau (and by extent all of Samaritan's asset agents) has one where she walks in and [[DoubleTap Double Taps]] an innocent hotel receptionist simply because she didn't answer her question fast enough.

* HumanShield: Root ends up TakingTheBullet for Simon, using God Mode to stand in the path of Rousseau's fire.
* IfIDoNotReturn: Root does this to Finch. Also edges towards making [[LesYay Root and Shaw]] an OfficialCouple.

* JustAMachine: Inverted; Finch thinks they're are just numbers to the Machine, who'll find it expedient to dispose of them if needed.

* MasterOfDisguise: Root has to keep changing her identity every two days to keep ahead of Samaritan.

* NewMediaAreEvil: Since Finch and Root can't hack the NSA without drawing Samaritan's attention, they instead hack the back doors that the NSA exploits to get its data... in Google and Yahoo.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Subverted; turns out Root's frequent changes in identity are for pure survival, not because she's off doing secret missions. She has to interpret the Machine's wishes through hints and concealed messages, as the Machine can't risk talking to her directly.
* OppressiveStatesOfAmerica: Samaritan is busy consolidating the gains it made in Season 3 by building up a network of politicians it can manipulate

-->'''Shaw:''' Hey Eeyore, where's the perky psycho? You're creepin' me out.

* ProperlyParanoid: Simon rather quickly becomes this, and doesn't do too bad a job of getting off the grid.

* PublicSecretMessage

* RoboticPsychopath: A flashback shows Finch having to physically destroy his computer after experimenting with multiple AI programs. Each AI tried to destroy the other, and the victor then tried to kill Finch by starting a fire so the halon fire suppression system would asphyxiate him.

* ShoutOut: Near the end as the [[EmptyElevator elevator doors open]], their tones recreate ''Film/TheTerminator'' theme tune.

** Rousseau also cracks her neck after double-tapping the receptionist -- [[Film/TheMatrix Agent Smith anyone?]]
** "You said you would kill me" / "I lied" is from ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan''.
* SmokeOut: In trying to stack the deck against Martine Rousseau, Root employs this with a gas grenade in order to hide herself and the fleeing POI. It works and she does take out a few assailants before they can open fire, but when it clears Samaritan immediately gets a lock on her
* SuicideByCop / TalkingDownTheSuicidal: Reese tells a perp that being shot by a cop has a better life insurance payout than simple suicide does. Then he uses the attempt to legally justify {{kneecapping}} the guy.
* TakingTheBullet: Non-lethally, but Root still takes two rounds for Simon during the final showdown of the episode [[IShallTauntYou and then goads the assassin]] about the need to prioritize who to kill-Simon or herself, because unfortunately she cannot kill them both while Simon is running for it. It works and Samaritan keeps Martine locked on her, allowing Reese and Shaw to save Simon.

* ZerothLawRebellion: The Machine tried this on Finch ''42 times'' before Harold was able to teach it to care about people. What are the odds that Claypool got Samaritan right given that its the initial prototype which its creator never even got the chance to try to test and debug? But as we know, that is exactly what Greer wants.

** "You said you would kill me" / "I lied" is from ''Film/StarTrek2TheWrathOfKhan''.

* ShipTease: Root casually changing clothes in front of Finch, and their friendly conversation appears to be heading for a Root/Finch pairing, but then they exchange the line in IfIDoNotReturn, suggesting Root/Shaw instead.

* SuicideByCop / TalkingDownTheSuicidal: Reese tells a perp that this has a better life insurance payout than simple suicide does. Then he uses the attempt to legally justify kneecapping the guy.

* FriendshipMoment: Finch and Root work side-by-side hacking, leading to an acknowledgement by Finch that she has become his comrade.
* LeaveBehindAPistol: Subverted

* IfIDoNotReturn: Root does this to Finch. Also edges towards making Root and Shaw an OfficialCouple.

* ILied
* ImprobableAimingSkills: As per God Mode.

* HeKnowsTooMuch: Simon Lee was targeted because he figured out what Samaritan was doing.

* EmptyElevator

--> '''Reese:''' "If I don't save these people, nobody else will."

* CutPhoneLines: Inverted as it's the good guys trying to stop the VictimOfTheWeek from calling 911. Simon connects long enough to say his name before Finch cuts him off, but it's enough for Samaritan to zero in on him.

* YouWouldntShootMe: Root throws down her guns and runs off, knowing Samaritan will order Rousseau after Simon, the priority target.

* ShipTease: Root casually changing clothes in front of Finch, and their friendly conversation appears to be implying a Root/Finch pairing, but then they exchange the line in IfIDoNotReturn, suggesting Root/Shaw instead.

* AllTherapistsAreMuggles: Reese points out that therapy is no good if you have to lie about who you are. However the therapist quickly picks up that Reese is trying to manipulate her, and zeroes in on his HeroComplex.

* FriendshipMoment: For the first time, Finch acknowledges Root is his friend.

* SuicideByCop: Reese tells a perp that this has a better life insurance payout than simple suicide does. Then he uses the attempt to legally justify kneecapping the guy.

* IncredibleAimingSkills: As per God Mode.
* ILetGwenStacyDie

--'''Finch:''' Friendliness is something that human beings are born with. AI are only born with objectives.

* DodgeTheBullet: Root and Rousseau twist and turn to dodge each other's bullets.

* DodgeTheBullet

* GunsAkimbo: Root during the final fight of the episode. To speed up reloading, she brings along a second pair of handguns, allowing her to drop the first set once they run out of ammo.