History Recap / PersonOfInterestS01E08

* CoolGuns: Reese's Barrett M82 sniper rifle and Kohl's Welrod pistol.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Heinlein, the German agent, telling Carter and Fusco the truth about Kohl in order to help his targets rather than just stay silent until his DiplomaticImmunity kicks in. When Reese destroys Heinlein's car later on, the latter gives him the necessary information about Anja with little prompting and tells her to save her if he can.

* RareGuns: Kohl uses a Welrod, a pistol with an integrated silencer that is purported to be one of the quietest ever made[[note]]it was even bolt-action so that users wouldn't have to worry about sound from a cycling action and shell casings flying out[[/note]]. They were made for Allied spies during World War II and had no distinguishing markings beyond an engraved serial number.

* ColdBloodedTorture: Kohl attempts to torture Reese for Anja's whereabouts, using his needles to pinpoint nerves.

Former Stasi hitman Ulrich Kohl (Creator/AlanDale) arrives in New York, pursued by German intelligence and determined to carry out a mission of revenge against his former colleagues who have since defected to the United States. When the number of his alias, Wallace Nagel, XXX-XX-5209, comes up, Reese and Finch intervene to try and stop Kohl before his RoaringRampageOfRevenge reaches his supposedly-dead wife, Anja (Creator/LailaRobins), while Carter and Fusco attempt to smooth over a potential international incident.

Former Stasi hitman Ulrich Kohl arrives in New York, pursued by German intelligence and determined to carry out a mission of revenge against his former colleagues who have since defected to the United States. When his number comes up, Reese and Finch intervene to try and stop Kohl before his RoaringRampageOfRevenge reaches his supposedly-dead wife, while Carter and Fusco attempt to smooth over a potential international incident.

In flashbacks to 2006, Reese reports for his first CIA operation and meets his new partner, Kara Stanton, who has the task of bestowing him with a new operational name. They meet with a pair of American spies who have been flagged -- by an anonymous source -- as being responsible for helping a terrorist escape the country. Stanton casually murders both spies and orders her new partner to clean up the mess, and comes up with his new name: "John Reese".

* CompromisingCall: How Kohl gets a bead on Hauffe, his first target. When he sells off his East German marks, he uses the store's phone to make a call to Hauffe's apartment to see if he's home. Hauffe answers, Kohl goes to his apartment and kills him.
* CurbStompBattle: Reese handily beats Heinlein even when the other man has a gun trained on him; he barely gets to throw more than a punch before being knocked out.

* BigDamnHeroes: Reese hijacking Wernick's ambulance and injecting him with something to counter the poison.

* NotSoDifferent: Reese and Kohl.

* MoralityPet: Kohl lampshaded this with his FamousLastWords.

* BigDamnHeroes: Reese hijacking Wernicks' ambulance and injecting him with something to counter the poison.

* UnPerson: Kohl has been jailed illegally by the German government, hence they can't ask for help officially. "He's not supposed to exist."

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Heinlein, the German agent, telling Carter and Fusco the truth about Kohl in order to help his targets rather than just stay silent until his DiplomaticImmunity kicks in.

-->'''Kohl''' : You were right to fear me. You were right.

* WideEyedIdealist: Kohl finds out too late how complicated the world really is.

* TheAtoner: Wernick (and to lesser extent Steiller) are disturbed by what they did in the Cold War and have been trying to live model lives since, with Wernick also showing no resistance when Kohl is prepared to kill him.

* SurpassedTheTeacher: Kohl displays this when he is able to defeat Steiler.

* DrinkOrder: Finch takes Sencha Green Tea with one sugar.

* JumpedAtTheCall: Reese and Kohl. "Your country needs you."

* {{BFG}}: Reese's Barrett sniper rifle.
* DrinkOrder: Finch takes Sencha Green Tea with one sugar.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The final 2006 flashback is this for Stanton, when she goes straight back to thinking of a new name for John after executing two men right in front of him. She then orders him to dispose of the bodies, and sums up the reality of their job in five words: they're walking in the dark.

* {{Flashback}}

* NotQuiteDead: Anja.

* AndThenWhat: Reese asks Kohl what he's going to do after he finishes his RoaringRampageOfRevenge.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge

* BadassBoast: Reese tells Kohl that he was once [[ElectricTorture tortured with electricity]] for sixteen hours without even giving up his name. And with the sniper rifle.