Season 3, Episode 3:
Lady Killer
"Our guy is a chameleon: Organized, efficient, sociopathic...not that there's anything wrong with that"
-Shaw
The latest number, Ian Murphy, is a serial dater who seems to be a serial killer. Meanwhile, Hersh is searching local mental hospitals looking for "Miss May," and Root tells Dr. Carmichael that she has to leave the hospital because "a government operative is coming to kill me."
Tropes present in this episode include
- Action Girl: Carter and Shaw bond over firearms. Zoe then produces a pink taser which Reese gave her as a present. What a guy!
- Amazon Brigade: One consisting of Carter, Shaw and Zoe is assembled for the job - dressed to kill both figuratively and literally.
- Anywhere but Their Lips: Despite kissing Carter on the mouth earlier during their date, Ian kisses her on the cheek at the end of the episode, out of gratitude for helping him reunite with his son.
- Assassin Outclassin': Root utterly does this to Hersh with a little help from The Machine.
- The Bait / Honey Trap: Carter, Zoe and Shaw are sent to the nightclub where Ian hunts his girls.
- Black Site: Hersh intends to send Root to one, after interrogating her to find the location of the Machine.
- Break His Heart to Save Him: It's suggested that Dana Wellington refused to answer any of Ian's calls in order to get him to take her very powerful, very ruthless father's payoff and leave town.
- Cassandra Truth: Dr. Carmichael thinks Root is being paranoid when she says a government assassin is coming for her. He's still reluctant to accept that she's talking to a Machine God, thinking the embarrassing information she used to get his phone was from Hollywood Hacking. What he sees during Root's breakout removes all doubts.
- Crazy-Prepared: Ian's 'stalker stash' is research he does on any potential new girlfriend."Women like that I can anticipate their needs. They're used to guys doing the bare minimum."
- Death Glare: Reese's predicts that Shaw's permanent pissed-off expression might be an issue when snaring a LadyKiller.
- Ethical Slut: Shaw seems to take this philosophy.
- Everyone Can See It: Shaw picks up on the connection between Zoe and Reese right away.
- Exact Words: Root makes sure her play by play of her escape attempt comes true.
- Fair Cop: Carter goes to the nightclub as herself, which is what gets Ian's attention.
- Fast-Roping: Shaw rappels off the roof of Wellington's house. Zoe likes the Dynamic Entry.
- Foreshadowing: Shaw, on overwatch with Reese while Carter is in Ian's apartment, foreshadows "The Crossing" when she notes Reese's attraction to Carter.
- Friendship Moment: Between Shaw, Carter, and Zoe, as the girls share a drink and relax at the club, and another at the end of the episode with them sharing a drink in a bar.
- Girl's Night Out Episode: Featuring Two Girls to a Team Carter and Shaw joined by frequent Guest-Star Party Member Zoe. Likewise, the main non-POI subplot focuses on Root.
- Hyper-Awareness: As in "God Mode", Root uses the Machine to anticipate the moves of someone trying to kill her.
- It's Quiet… Too Quiet: Because Root has used Knockout Gas on everyone in the building.
- Just Friends: When Shaw notes that Reese seems overly protective of Carter, he responds with this trope.
- LadyKiller: It's the title of the episode! Subverted, though in so many ways.
- Ladykiller in Love: Inverted; Ian was in love, and now is a professional ladykiller after losing her.
- Master of Disguise: "Our guy just went from blue blood to hipster faster than you can say 'ironic facial hair.'"
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Machine distracts Finch with a phone call warning of Root's assassination, giving Ian the window to do something stupid and kidnap his son (fortunately he realises this is a mistake and lets Carter handle things). Finch meanwhile is too late to stop Root escaping; intentionally on the part of the Machine, who likely only contacted Finch as backup in case something went wrong.
- Not That There's Anything Wrong with That: Shaw pegs Ian as a sociopath, then quickly gives this trope.
- Not My Driver: Ian replaces his son's driver in order to meet him.
- Offhand Backhand: Machine-assisted Root shooting Hersh, to the astonishment of Dr. Carmichael.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Root's escape, assuming it went like she described. It did
- Oh, Crap!:
- Finch, upon arriving at the wrecked mental hospital.
- Dr. Carmichael, once the phone rings.
- Hersh when Root walks up to him after wounding him, slides his gun away and is on the verge of killing him.
- Old-Fashioned Rowboat Date: Subverted; it's actually Reese and Shaw on surveillance.
- Pre-emptive Declaration: Root spells out to Dr. Carmichael exactly how she's going to walk out of his mental hospital without his permission. And does so.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: "Did you really think she would abandon me?"
- Prophecy Twist: Team Machine thinks they got Ian's number because he's a serial killer, but it's really because Wellington put out a hit on him.
- Running Gag: Reese and Shaw have another argument over who's driving. In a rowboat.
- Sherlock Scan: Ian is able to deduce that Carter has a severe nut allergy and that she was a detective and not just an officer when they meet in the club.
- Ship Tease: Despite their strong friendship, this is the first time anyone has suggested there's something more between Carter and Reese.Shaw: You two have thing or something? 'Cause, I mean, I clocked you and Zoe right off the bat, but I never thought you and Carter.
- Slave to PR: Wellington. It's why he is after Ian and also what forces him to leave him alone.
- Stalking is Love: That's what Ian seems to think. Unfortunately, that storyline got more or less dropped half-way through the episode so it never gets resolved in a satisfactory manner.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: The Machine stops Root from killing Hersh, much to her bemusement. "Really? Even this guy? [The Machine beeps an affirmative] I guess you're the boss."
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The driver disappears after Ian knocks him out and is never seen or mentioned again.
- When She Smiles: Ian notes this about Carter.
