Line #3 Recap/PersonOfInterestS01E15


1	'''Season 1, Episode 15''':
2	! Blue Code
3
4	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/daniel_tullys_file.jpg]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:Must shred Daniel Tully's file...]]
6
7	->''"This isn’t just some speech. We’re not... walking in the dark. We ''are'' the dark."''
8	-->--'''Kara Stanton'''
9
10	Reese and Finch work to protect Michael Cahill -- real name Daniel Tully (Michael Aronov) -- a narcotics officer working undercover in a smuggling ring led by Vargas (Creator/JoseZuniga). He's trying to arrest "L.O.S.", the head of a major drug smuggling operation, and Reese goes undercover in the gang as well to keep Tully's cover intact.
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12	When Reese and Finch learn that the smugglers have paid off "HR" to expose the undercover cop in their operation, Fusco breaks into a secure part of police headquarters and destroys the file that would've exposed Tully before being caught by HR's officer on the inside.
13
14	Reese frames himself as the undercover cop and Tully pretends to kill him, giving Reese a chance to slip away and call for backup. With Carter's help, he and Tully apprehend the smuggling gang and L.O.S., who is really a CIA officer selling drugs on the company's behalf to fund UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror.
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16	Fusco is driven to a remote location so that HR's officer can kill him, but Reese intervenes at the last moment and kills the officer. He orders Fusco to ask for HR's help in covering up the murder, giving Fusco a way to infiltrate HR. L.O.S. is bailed out of prison by Mark Snow, only to be killed in the back of an SUV as punishment for being caught.
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18	In flashbacks to 2008, Reese, Stanton (Creator/AnnieParisse) and Snow (Creator/MichaelKelly) are on assignment in a "god-forsaken place" where they're not sanctioned to operate: New York. Their job is to extract a government official who tries to sell "software" to the Chinese, but it's another twelve hours before their extraction arrives so Snow orders Reese to get some R & R.
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20	Reese goes down to the bar and strikes up a friendly conversation with Peter (Creator/JonnoRoberts), seemingly a random patron, but when Stanton arrives she recognizes Peter as the new husband of Jessica (Creator/SusanMisner), Reese's ex-lover. She convinces him to let the past go and they leave before Peter can "introduce" the pair to Jessica.
21
22	----
23	!! Tropes
24	* FiveFiveFive: The mole's phone number is (917) 555-0182.
25	* AnswerCut: When Carter informs Finch that she won't be helping them break into police headquarters to retrieve Tully's file, Finch just smiles and assures her that they have it covered. Cut to Fusco receiving a call from Reese.
26	* BaitAndSwitch: Reese and Stanton are involved in an illegal rendition of a government official. The numbers station Reese is listening to, and the conversation with Snow, ''[[RuleOfThree and]]'' the fact that John is CIA at this point and they're only supposed to operate outside US borders, imply they're operating in a foreign country, but when Reese walks out the door he's shown to be in New York.
27	* CallBack: Fusco got a commendation for getting ShotInTheAss in the previous episode.
28	* CoffinContraband: Diamonds are smuggled in the stretcher of an emergency heart transplant.
29	* ContinuityNod: Mark Snow mentions that his hunt for Reese took him on a trip upstate. Incidentally, why did it take him four episodes to figure out Reese wasn't in Connecticut?
30	** AbsenceOfEvidence: Well since Reese was never in that state, it would take Snow a while to confirm this.
31	* ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind: Both Tully and Fusco get saved by Reese.
32	* CrowbarCombatant: Reese is beaten with a crowbar to find out what he knows.
33	* CrypticBackgroundReference[=/=]{{Foreshadowing}}: The crime for which the government official is being extracted is offhandedly mentioned as having "sold something of ours to the Chinese. Software."
34	** In the same vein, this episode contains the series' first mention of HR.
35	** Snow says that Reese killed his CIA partner because she'd outlived her usefulness. At the end of the episode it's Snow who kills a fellow CIA agent for that reason.
36	* CutPhoneLines: The leader of the gang has them destroy all their mobile phones, cutting off both Reese and Tully from their backup. However he forgets the mobile carried by the man who was shot.
37	* DestroyTheEvidence[=/=]GoodIsNotNice: Reese destroys the only evidence that Fusco was acting in self defense when he shot the IA officer, because he wants him to infiltrate HR instead by asking ''them'' to cover up the evidence.
38	* DisposingOfABody: "Most accidents don't require a shovel."
39	* EverythingIsOnline: Averted; the files on undercover police officers are hardcopy only, to prevent hacking.
40	* FingertipDrugAnalysis
41	* TheGhost: L.O.S., at first.
42	* GoodFeelsGood: Fusco has started to enjoy being an honest cop (with a WeHelpTheHelpless side-gig) and is disappointed when Reese wants him to be a DirtyCop again.
43	* GunStripping
44	-->'''Stanton:''' How many times are you gonna clean that thing?\
45	'''Reese:''' In the Army, they taught us the fastest way to get shot was to fail to clean your weapon.\
46	'''Stanton:''' In the Marines, they taught us the fastest way to clean your weapon was to shoot a couple people with it.
47	* HalfTruth: Snow once again misrepresents what happened between Reese and Stanton in "Matsya Nyaya", to deter Carter from working with him. Having worked with Reese several times by this point, it doesn't stick.
48	* IfIDoNotReturn: The "tell her yourself" version.
49	* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Snow tells Carter that he thinks Reese is working with a FriendOnTheForce (though he incorrectly assumes Carter planted the fake fingerprints out of state, when it was Fusco).
50	* MeaningfulEcho: "Remember, we're behind enemy lines here."
51	* MexicanStandoff
52	* MissionControl: Finch talks Fusco through the theft.
53	* TheMole:
54	** Reese becomes one in Vargas' crew to protect the [=POI=], a detective who is [[TheMole undercover in Vargas' crew.]]
55	** Fusco becomes one in HR.
56	* NoHonorAmongThieves: Fusco killing a HR member doesn't bother them. They simply use the opportunity to recruit Fusco.
57	* NotWhatItLooksLike: Fusco is caught red-handed shredding the file.
58	* NumbersStations: Reese is shown listening for orders on an ordinary radio.
59	* PercussivePickpocket:
60	** Fusco scanning the swipe card.
61	** Reese fingers Tully as the undercover cop, but it's only to start a fight so he can take the mobile off him.
62	* PunkInTheTrunk: This time Reese ends up there, but Tully slips a torch into his pocket, so he's able to free himself before [[DestroyTheEvidence burning up with the car]].
63	* RoguesGalleryShowcase: Barely. The smuggling crew are employed by L.O.S., a CIA officer who seems to be part of Snow's cabal, and they've paid off HR to look the other way.
64	* SadisticChoice: Should Reese save a dedicated undercover cop, or former DirtyCop Fusco?
65	* SharpDressedMan: The gang are bemused to see the mysterious LOS is dressed like a businessman.
66	* ShootYourMate: A subversion, as Reese is shot for real, [[OnlyAFleshWound but Tully just grazes him]].
67	* ShoutOut: ''Film/ReservoirDogs''.
68	* StealthHiBye: Reese vanishes before he can be 'introduced' to Jessica, his former girlfriend.
69	* TakeMeInstead: When the criminals realize the undercover has a mobile on him, Reese steals it off Tully so he will be 'uncovered' as the cop.
70	* TheyStillBelongToUsLecture: Fusco gets this from both Davidson and Simmons. Worse, Reese makes it an EnforcedTrope.
71	* TrappedInVillainy: Just when he's [[GoodFeelsGood starting to enjoy being an honest cop again]], Fusco is forced to get his hands dirty once again by Reese. Neither man is happy about it, but it's the only way for Reese to get an informant in HR.
72	* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: It's not shown how Reese is able to save both Tully and Fusco.
73	* WhatYouAreInTheDark[=/=]FaceDeathWithDignity: Fusco refuses to betray Reese, even though it looks like Reese has abandoned him.
74	* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Stanton argues this to Reese.

Context Recap / PersonOfInterestS01E15