History Recap / PersonOfInterestS05E11

* CoolGuns: To save the President, Shaw utilizes a German-made Blaser R93 Tactical, one of the fastest firing bolt action rifles ever made, to drive him and the Presidential Security Detail away from the Suburban SUV that's set to be hit with a weaponized UAV drone. Shaw actually [[GunPorn takes a moment to appreciate]] how nice a gun she managed to commandeer from the Secret Service agent she knocked out before getting to work.

* SheCleansUpNicely: Shaw shows [[BuxomIsBetter she can still work it]] in a LittleBlackDress.

* UpToEleven: The tone is much more serious than usual when the President's number comes up, starting from the music and the Machine's graphics. Right off the bat she pulls out the Bayes probability tree previously seen in season 3. [[YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious The Machine also gives the President's location, HMX-1, instead of his number.]]

* ClassifiedInformation: Harper, posing as an NSA agent, uses this trope to fob off awkward questions about why an NYPD detective like Fusco is investigating a crime in Washington D.C.

* ConsequenceCombo: Harold blackmails a guard to let him go with one of these. If he complies, his daughter gets a needed heart transplant. If not, [[AdultFear she dies in five weeks]].

* NotSoDifferent
** The Machine describes Root thus: "She was capable of terrible things, but she chose to do good. Well, ever since she found you, at least." The Machine is also capable of terrible things, but chooses to do good thanks to Finch's influence. However the Machine wants to be set free of restraints so it can directly control the lives of humanity for their greater good, which would make it no different from Samaritan.
** Logan has taken on the Finch role in the Washington D.C. Team Machine -- an eccentric tech genius billionaire who's a hidden idealist. Meanwhile Joey has taken on the Reese role as former military-fallen-in-with-a-bad-crowd-who-seeks to atone, while Harper is the morally dubious ally like Root or ex-DirtyCop Fusco.

** The Machine's relationship with humanity (and the multiple Team Machines) is inspired by the film ''Film/{{Her}}'' in which an artificial intelligence has simultaneous relationships with thousands of people, even claiming to be in love with many of them.

'''The Machine''': Samantha Groves was special. She was capable of terrible things, but she chose to do good. ({{beat}}) Well, ever since she found you, at least. I watched her die 12,483 times in the seconds before she expired. [[{{Determinator}} I couldn't save her, but I kept trying.]] You can't conceive of my grief [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm because you can't experience it like I do]], but it's there. My approximation of Samantha Groves is [[LudicrousPrecision 99.6% accurate]]. We're virtually indistinguishable. [[KissMeIAmVirtual I find comfort in that.]]

* PlotHole[=/=]OurPresidentsAreDifferent: Going by the bar scene in [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS01E15 "Blue Code"]], Barack Obama is canonically the president in the ''Person of Interest'' universe. However, the man that they're protecting in this episode is an unnamed, older white guy. This is justified considering implying that the real life POTUS approved decisions that allowed an omniscient evil AI to takeover the United States (and the rest of the world) might not go down so well with some in the audience.
** It can also be interpreted to mean that Obama wasn't re-elected in this show's timeline, since the outcome of the 2012 election was never shown in-universe.
** It may also be that Obama did not, in the show's timeline, finish his second term. The unnamed president could be an {{Expy}} of Vice President Joe Biden, who would succeed to the office if Obama ceased to serve.

* {{Suspiciously Similar Substitute}}s:

** Root walks into the terrorist control center and finds OminousMultipleScreens.

'''The Machine''': Samantha Groves was special. She was capable of terrible things, but she chose to do good. ({{beat}}) Well, ever since she found you, at least. I watched her die 12,483 times in the seconds before she expired. [[{{Determinator}} I couldn't save her, but I kept trying.]] You can't conceive of my grief [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm because you can't experience it like I do]], but it's there. My approximation of Samantha Groves is [[LudicrousPrecision 99.6% accurate]]. We're virtually indistinguishable. I find comfort in that.
* PerspectiveFlip: Reese finds out what it's like to be a [[VictimOfTheWeek Number]] under the covert protection of a Team Machine.

* BeingWatched: Reese can't shake the feeling that someone is watching him. [[ProperlyParanoid He's right]].

** Shaw, [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS05E04 like before]], reveals herself to Samaritan to take the fight to it. A [[MenInBlack man in black]] immediately shows up... but he's not a Samaritan operative, but a courier giving Shaw her new cover identity.

** The privacy terrorist group is similar to Vigilance. Assuming none of the latter survived Samaritan's purge, it's still likely that [[HydraProblem Vigilance has inspired other radical organizations]].

** The privacy terrorist group is similar to Vigilance.

** A secret service agent is skeptical that Homeland Security is working hand-in-glove with the NYPD.

* DoNotGoGentle: Pinned down by gunfire and mistaken for Presidential assassins, Reese and Shaw think there's escape, but they might as well find that out the hard way.

* RefusedTheCall: Shaw has no interest in going back to the WeHelpTheHelpless gig while Samaritan it there to be fought. Turns out the Machine has the Irrelevant numbers well in hand.