History Recap / PersonOfInterestS04E11

'''Root:''' There's no time like the present, Sameen. Why are you so afraid to talk about your feelings? ("Overt come-on.")\\

* KillEmAll: It appears most simulations end this way. Fusco is the only one to survive all simulations (at least on screen).
* KindaBusyHere: PlayedForDrama or ShipTease.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent

* HandWave: Shaw's BigDamnHeroes into a sealed basement is put down to that old AirVentPassageway trick.

* RealityEnsues: InUniverse when the Machine has to pick the best scenario and go with it. The plan fails because of the elevator stop button, [[RewatchBonus which isn't in the viewpoint of any security camera]].

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Root coaxes a reluctant admission from Shaw that she would be interested in Root, if they were the last people on Earth.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: The security firm employee that has the passcode. He has one line, but it's ultimately Shaw getting the code from him that saves the team. (The simulations where Shaw did not talk down Gary resulted in Reese/Fusco/Root having to shoot the lock, drawing Samaritan's operatives' attention, which in turn resulted in the predicted deaths of the characters.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: They may play it, but empathic people might not enjoy it. After having taught chess to the Machine in 2003, Finch notes that he dislikes the game because it comes from a time where people thought pawns were worth less than kings. Presumably, he got over it.
** A bit of FridgeBrilliance kicks in. The only other time we see Finch playing chess is against Elias. At the time, Elias was ''exactly'' the kind of person Finch said "deserved to lose". Or at least that's what Finch thought. [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS04E09 He is later shown to be a man of honor, loyal to his friends.]]

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Finch gives an account of the history of the TabletopGame/{{Chess}} queen involving Queen Isabella taking offense to the weakness of the piece corresponding to her and the court immediately changing the rules to their modern version. While some scholars agree that the change was first described in Spain in the late 15th century, the rest of the story is pure speculation.

* ShipTease: Shaw finally confirms that [[BiTheWay she finds Root attractive]]. She just doesn't think [[DestructiveRomance them getting together is a good idea]].

* NoodleIncident: In the flashbacks, [[DidntSeeThatComing Harold captures The Machine's queen, seemingly paralyzing the AI's strategies]]. The flashbacks afterwards continue off at a point where The Machine has already checkmated Finch anyway. [[spoiler: Though that is explicitly a different game, as Finch checkmates the Machine (knocks over its King) in the earlier one.]]

* GoOutWithASmile: "Yes, Sameen. That's good enough for me."

'''Shaw:''' No, we do ''not'' have time to catch up. ("Mildly embarrassed defensiveness bordering on hostility.")

'''Root:''' There's no time like the present, Sameen. Why are you so afraid to talk about your feelings?
("Overt come-on.")\\

("Overt come-on.")

* HandWave: Shaw's BigDamnHeroes is put down to that old AirVentPassageway trick.

'''Shaw:''' No, we do ''not'' have time to catch up. ("Mildly embarrassed defensiveness bordering on hostility.")\\

* NoodleIncident: In the flashbacks, [[DidntSeeThatComing Harold captures The Machine's queen, seemingly paralyzing the AI's strategies]]. The flashbacks afterwards continue off at a point where The Machine has already checkmated Finch anyway.

* ASharedSuffering: How Shaw [[TalkingDownTheSuicidal talks down the bomber]].

* {{Understatement}}: Yes, your artificial super-intelligence can be said to have "a lot on its mind" when it's evaluating ''over 830,000'' possible options.

* TheMenInBlack: Martine's team are the first Decima/Samaritan employees who finally live up to this trope, but seemingly only in the simulations. At the end of the episode Shaw and Root manage to slaughter them all with gunfire and explosives leaving only Martine and Lambert alive. It is Martine and Lambert who shoot Reese, Root and Shaw.

-> '''Finch''': We need a strategy.
-> '''Root''': A little help, please.
-> '''The Machine''': [[AC:Evaluating strategies...]]
-> '''Reese''': Hell of a time for your Machine to go on the fritz, Harold.
-> '''Finch''': Give it a second. It's got a lot on its [[BulletTime mind...]]

--> '''The Machine:''' [[AC:Simulation terminated. Resetting to real time...]]

* BadAssNormal: Fusco isn't an ex-CIA assassin, a genius hacker, or the analog interface of an AI. He still gets by with courage and street-smarts, and his skill set succeeds in places where Harold and Reese make critical mistakes. His marksmanship also allows him to keep up with the others in neutralizing multiple Samaritan Assets. All this means he's the only member of the team to stay alive in all three simulations.

* BolivianArmyEnding: Most of the simulations end this way.

--> '''Reese:''' Lionel, remember the Alamo?\\

* EverythingIsOnline: Averted, at first; the building's camera system is closed-circuit, so neither the Machine nor Samaritan can get access ... [[ZigZaggingTrope until Finch enables the Machine to get access]].

-->'''Root:''' Hey, sweetie. You busy? ("Overly affectionate greeting")
-->'''Shaw:''' A little. Skip the verbal foreplay, Root, why are you calling? ("Annoyed attempt to deflect subtext.")
-->'''Root:''' Can't a couple of gals take a little break from work to catch up? ("Transparent rationale for conversation.")
-->'''Shaw:''' No, we do ''not'' have time to catch up. ("Mildly embarrassed defensiveness bordering on hostility.")

--> '''The Machine:''' [[AC:[!] No valid options]]

* HandWave: Shaw's BigDamnHeroes is put down to that old AirVentInfiltration trick.

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Samaritan's Agents must attend this academy. As four people are able to take out a small army of them simply because they can't shoot straight and Team Machine can.

* [[MeaningfulTitles Meaningful Title]]: In most programming languages, "If-Then-Else" is the most basic decision-making statement. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin It's what the Machine does for almost the whole episode.]]

* NeverSplitTheParty: In the first two simulations the Machine splits the group into two teams and sends one to the server room to stop the financial crash and the other to the generator room so they can bypass the controls on the elevator. However, the server room team cannot accomplish its task without triggering an alarm and is thus overwhelmed when Lambert's team arrives. The generator room team is either ambushed on the way there or will be wiped out when Martine tracks them down. Only by keeping the group together, can they get to the server room without triggering an alarm and can thus activate the failsafe without engaging in a major firefight. They will then have to fight both Lambert's and Martine's teams at the elevator but it is still the best alternative. Even more importantly by keeping everyone together, Fusco will have the time to give Shaw advice on how to talk down the suicide bomber which prevents her from being arrested and gets them the security codes to the server room.

* NotSoStoic: Root absolutely loses it when Shaw shoves her back into the elevator, seals it off and goes to press the activation button, dooming herself to be taken out by Martine.

** Even Martine gets in on the act. She lets Root say a rambling farewell message to Shaw, looks pretty choked up and has to take a second to adjust her grip on her sidearm before opening fire.

** A bit of FridgeBrilliance kicks in. The only other time we see Finch playing chess is against Elias. At the time, Elias was ''exactly'' the kind of person Finch said "deserved to lose". Or at least that's what Finch thought. [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS04E09 He is later shown to be a man of honour, loyal to his friends.]]

** Finch says, "For a second, Miss Groves, I thought all might be lost." Lambert comes up from behind and shoots him.
** Fusco says that maybe Root was right to send them to the server room. That idea doesn't work either.

* ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption: Averted; Team Machine only succeeds if Shaw can talk down the man wearing the bomb vest.

Recap article: Terminated]]]]

** SchrodingersGun: The writers noted that we now essentially have Schrödinger's Shaw. As her actress is pregnant, she had to be removed from the show, but her "death" scene was explicitly kept ambiguous enough to allow her to return and Sarah Shahi has expressed an interest in doing so.

* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: Lambert, who immediately targets Finch.

-> '''The Machine''': [[AC:evaluating strategies...]]

--> '''The Machine:''' [[AC:simulation terminated. resetting to real time...]]

--> '''Greer''': And Martine?
--> '''Martine''': Sir?
--> '''Greer''': Enjoy yourself.
--> '''Martine''': ''[gives a [[PsychoticSmirk psychotic smirk]]]''

* CasualDangerDialogue

--> '''Reese''': Lionel, remember the Alamo?
--> '''Fusco''': Yeah, what about it?
--> '''Reese''': Well, you're gonna miss it.
--> ''(Reese pushes Lionel to safety in another room and locks him out)''
--> '''Fusco''' (banging on the door): Hey, what about you?
--> '''Reese''': Somebody's gotta be the hero.

** This exchange between Fusco and Martine.
--> '''Martine''': FBI, drop your weapons or we'll shoot.
--> '''Fusco''': [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS04E09 I thought you were DEA?]]
--> '''Martine''': [[DeadpanSnarker What does it matter? We'll shoot either way.]]

--> '''Trader''': His name's Greg.
--> '''Gary''': It's Gary, you pathetic piece of sh-
--> '''Shaw''': Okay, alright, Gary.

--> '''The Machine:''' [[AC:[!] no valid options]]

-->'''Martine:''' Shots to the head and center mass. On my mark, one--
-->'''Reese:''' ''(peering through door window)'' --two, three!

--> '''Finch''': There are more possible games of chess than there are atoms in the universe. No-one can possibly predict them all, not even you. Which means that the first move can be terrifying. It's the furthest point from the end of the game, there's a virtually infinite sea of possibilities between you and the other side... but it also means that if you make a mistake, there's a nearly infinite amount of ways to fix it. So you should simply relax, and play.
* PetTheDog: Simulation 2 has Martine being surprisingly polite and having her unit hold off on killing Root before she's said her farewell message to Shaw. Martine even looks a tiny bit choked up about it and has to take a second to adjust the grip on her gun before pulling the trigger.
** When the team turns the corner in real life and is immediately shot at by Samaritan's operatives, Reese's first instinct is to shove Root behind cover before taking cover himself or opening fire. Saving people has always been Reese's [[ChronicHeroSyndrome thing]], but it's still a nice way to show how the relationship between the two of them has evolved from what [[TheRival it]] [[SitcomArchnemesis was]].

--> '''Martine''': Last time I saw you was in church. You should have prayed a little harder.
--> '''Reese''': I go to hell, I'm [[TakingYouWithMe taking you with me]].

* SpreadingDisasterMapGraphic: Greer is monitoring the worldwide financial crisis on TheBigBoard.

** John threatens Martine with this in the first simulation, then does it to Lambert in the second.
* {{Understatement}}: Yes, your artificial super-intelligence can be said to have "a lot on its mind" when it's evaluating ''over 800,000'' possible options.

* TheMenInBlack: Martine's team are the first Decima/Samaritan employees who finally live up to this trope, but seemingly only in the simulations. At the end of the episode Shaw and Root manage to slaughter them all with gunfire and explosives leaving only Rousseau and Lambert alive. It is Rousseau and Lambert who shoot Reese, Root and Shaw.

--> '''The Machine:''' [[AC:[!] no valid options]]
* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse:

* YouWillKnowWhatToDo: Root says this to Finch, who when he gets to the elevator room finds a generator he can modify, thanks to his days tinkering with cars.

* RealityEnsues: InUniverse when the Machine has to pick the best scenario and go with it. The plan fails because of the elevator stop button, [[RewatchBonus which isn't in the viewpoint of any security camera]].
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Sarah Shahi got pregnant with twins, so it was either Shaw [[HidingThePregnancy developing an affinity for holding basketballs and fruit baskets]] or her being ''removed'' from the plot. (There was some discussion of doing a WrittenInInfirmity, but they decided there was just no way that pregnancy would fit Shaw's character.)

* RealityEnsues: InUniverse when the Machine has to pick the best scenario and go with it. The plan fails because of the elevator stop button, [[RewatchBonus which isn't in the viewpoint of any security camera]].
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Sarah Shahi got pregnant with twins, so it was either Shaw [[HideThePregnancy developing an affinity for holding basketballs and fruit baskets]] or her being ''removed'' from the plot. (There was some discussion of doing a WrittenInInfirmity, but they decided there was just no way that pregnancy would fit Shaw's character.)