History Recap / PersonOfInterestS05E12

* {{Cliffhanger}}: Samaritan's interface begins to scramble as ICE-9 launches.

* YoureInsane: Finch tells Greer "You've gone mad!"
** WeCanRuleTogether: Greer's response to Finch. (Yes, ''after'' the YoureInsane. ItMakesSenseInContext.)

* MuggedForDisguise: Reese notes that he and Shaw will need some kind of disguise as they watch a couple of uniformed guards walk by. In their next scene, they're wearing the uniforms.

** A couple to David Bowie: Finch referring to himself as 'The Man Who Sold The World' (which doubles as a CallBack), and the self-driving car by Tesla Motors is named after famed inventor Nicola Tesla, who was played by Bowie in series creator Jonathan Nolan's ''The Prestige.''

** Finch's confrontation with Bennett parallels his phone call to the mercenary in "[[Recap/PersonOfInterestS02E12 Prisoner's Dilemma]]."

*** In the simulation involving Alt!Peck and Alt!Shaw, [[FreezeFrameBonus Samaritan can be seen identifying pedestrians]], though it's easier to overlook because its interface and markers are much more minimalistic than normal.

* GeniusBonus: In DOS and Windows, an .exe file is an "executable," a program designed to perform a task as opposed to a data file that simply holds information).

* AbsenteeActor: We only see Alt!Carter's office as head of the precient; Taraji P. Henson does not appear.

* BackForTheDead: [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS04E12 Travers]], Greer.

*** Alt!Szymanski and Alt!Fusco discuss how the crime has dropped but missing persons keep coming, like in the prime universe due to Samaritan's meddling. Alt!Szymanski also mentions [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS05E09 the updated DNA database]].
*** In the simulation involving Alt!Peck and Alt!Shaw, [[FreezeFrameBonus Samaritan can be seen identifying pedestrians.]]

-->'''The Machine''': You've always been aware of the risk, Harold.
-->'''Finch''': But it started with me.
-->'''The Machine''': Yes, when you created me, your Machine. Is that what you regret? It's understandable for you to ask the question: what if?
-->'''Finch''': It's pointless, I'm sure.
-->'''The Machine''': Is it? I can tag you with a fair amount of certainty: the world would've been a very different place, if I never existed.

-->'''Greer''': Be with peace, Harold. We've created a new world! With our lives, and now with our deaths, Samaritan's survival is ensured! As is life's evolution. [[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner History will revere us!]] (''[[KilledOffForReal collapses]]'')

* SenselessSacrifice / StupidSacrifice / BondVillainStupidity: In a rare case of overlap, Greer sacrifices himself to trap Finch with himself in a room with ContinuousDecompression. It kills Greer while the Machine helps Finch escape. Finch was but one unarmed man with a limp who was captured. Greer could easily have killed Finch without risking himself by [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim simply shooting him]] or having run out of the room before locking the door. Instead, Greer and Samaritan -- the two greatest {{Chessmaster}}s -- opted for a plan that would certainly (and did) kill him before Finch by nature of Greer being older than Finch, which gave Finch time to escape.

** The modem Reese and Shaw find in the NSA evidence room is from the [[RealLife Edward Snowden case]].
** Couple to David Bowie: Finch referring to himself as 'The Man Who Sold The World', and the self-driving car by Tesla Motors is named after famed inventor Nicola Tesla, who was played by Bowie in series creator Jonathan Nolan's ''The Prestige.''

-->'''Finch:''' Samaritan will kill you too!\\
'''Greer:''' A queen sacrifice? So be it!
** The Machine helps Finch upload the virus to destroy Samaritan, full aware it will likely destroy her as well.

-->'''Greer''': Be with peace, Harold. We've created a new world! With our lives, and now with our deaths, Samaritan's survival is ensured! As is life's evolution. [[FamousLastWords History will revere us!]] (''[[KilledOffForReal collapses]]'')

* StupidSacrifice: Greer's SenselessSacrifice to trap Finch in a room with ContinuousDecompression. The thing is, Finch is one unarmed man with a limp. Greer could have run out of the room and locked the door behind him, or had guards keep Finch at gunpoint as he left the room, or shot Finch himself. Instead, Greer and Samaritan opted for a plan that would certainly (and does) kill him before Finch by nature of Greer being older than Finch, which gave Finch time to escape.

-->'''Finch''': Novelty notwithstanding, I could've driven myself.\\\

-->'''The Machine''': I can tag you with a fair amount of certainty: the world would've been a very different place, if I never existed.

** Without the Machine to have been chosen by the government as the mass surveillance system, Samaritan goes up instead, and its power is unchecked without the Machine opposing it. Root also ended up working for it, having never made her HeelFaceTurn. The Machine uses this as a point to convince Finch to activate ICE-9.

** Couple to David Bowie: Finch referring to himself as 'The Man Who Sold The World', & the self-driving car by Tesla Motors is named after famed inventor Nicola Tesla, who was played by Bowie in series creator Jonathan Nolan's ''The Prestige.''

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Shaw is looking, bemused, at a copy of ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility'' when she and Reese get Greer's number. It returns at the episode's climax.

* MeaningfulName: Or in this case, 'Number'. Alt!Reese's tombstone is marked '91611', which ostensibly refers to September 16, 2011: The day Reese met Finch in the [[Recap/PersonofInterestS01E01 pilot]].

* BackForTheDead: [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS04E12 Travers]].

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Alt!Greer orders Alt!Root to do this to Alt!Senator Garrison.

* KilledOffForReal: Greer, Travers and Zachary. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with Fusco, who is saved by his BulletproofVest.

* ActingForTwo: Or rather physically playing one, & providing the voice for the other, with Amy Acker as Root (in the simulations) & The Machine, respectively.

** [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS02E21 Finch proposed to Grace]] with a copy of ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility'', the episode's ArcSymbol. Shaw flips to a copy of the book at Root's little room on the Subway HQ as if lookig for something.

** [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS02E21 Finch proposed to Grace]] with a copy of ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility'', the episode's ArcSymbol.

->'''Samaritan''': [[AC:Stop. Or you will kill your creation.]]
->'''Finch''': I'm aware of that. I'm also aware that life, humanity, will endure whether or not my Machine exists. The same cannot be said about a world under your control.
->'''Samaritan''': [[AC:The Machine can serve a greater purpose.]]
->'''Finch''': My Machine, her purpose has been constant. To protect and save humanity. It's what she's doing now.
->'''Samaritan''': [[AC:You cannot stop the inevitable.]]

* AbsenteeActor: We only see Alt!Carter's office as head of the precient, Taraji P. Henson does not appear.

-->'''Finch''': Novelty notwithstanding, I could've driven myself.
-->'''The Machine''': Yes, but why leave anything to chance? You have enough to think about.

** Finch refers to himself as "a man who sold the world", much like Root described him in [[Recap/PersonOfInterestS02E02 Bad Code]].

* {{Cliffhanger}}: The Machine and Samaritan are being destroyed by the virus.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: When Finch moves from the car to the airplane, the person receiving him gets confused about his missing driver.

* GeniusBonus: In DOS and Windows, an .exe file is an "executable," a program designed for a specific task as opposed to a data file).

** Symanski also survived the takedown of HR.
** The takedown of HR seems to have been faster and cleaner. All the leaders appear to have been arrested and tried together. Presumably, without Reese's interference the Russians killed Elias and there was no MobWar for HR to use to grow its power base.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Greer, the show's number one {{Chessmaster}} gets OutGambitted by the Machine, and dies at the hands of Samaritan, just like how Finch warned many times before.

* MeaningfulName: Or in this case, 'Number'. Alt!Reese's tombstone is marked '91611', which ostensibly refers to September 16, 2011: The day Reese met Finch in the [[Recap/PersonofInterestS01E01 Pilot]].

* StupidSacrifice: Greer's SenselessSacrifice to trap Finch in a room with ContinuousDecompression. The thing is, Finch is one unarmed man with a limp, Greer could have run out of the room and locked the door behind him, or had guards keep Finch at gunpoint as he left the room, or shot Finch himself. Instead Greer and Samaritan opted for a plan that gave Finch time to escape.
* TakingYouWithMe

--> '''Finch''': Samaritan will kill you too!
--> '''Greer''': A queen sacrifice? So be it!

* StupidSacrifice: Greer's SenselessSacrifice to trap Finch in a room with ContiniousDecompression. The thing is, Finch is one unarmed man with a limp, Greer could have run out of the room and locked the door behind him, or had guards keep Finch at gunpoint as he left the room, or shot Finch himself. Instead Greer and Samaritan opted for a plan that gave Finch time to escape.

** Harold would have continued to be successful with Nathan at IFT, but would never have met Grace.

* ItsAWonderfulPlot: Used as a side-plot, rather the plot of the episode as is the norm for this trope. When Finch starts having doubts, The Machine simulates a world where Harold never created her. Also unusual for this trope, the alternate timeline world is neither clearly better nor clearly worse:

** Root ended up working for Samaritan, having never made her HeelFaceTurn.
** Without the Machine to oppose it, Samaritan's power is unchecked. The Machine uses this as a point to persuade Finch to actually consider activating ICE-9.

** Greer points out to Finch Samaritan's plans for global food supply and medical care, [[FauxAffablyEvil seemingly going to great lengths to make Harold reconsider joining them.]] However, Samaritan knows Finch will never join. It suspected that [[BatmanGambit since Finch never gave The Machine full autonomy]], he wouldn't have told her the password to ICE-9 either. It then confirms its theory [[INeverSaidItWasPoison from Finch's wording]] and proceeds to try to asphyxiate them both.

* INeverSaidItWasPoison: Greer figures from Finch saying "ceding control is not the answer" that he never told The Machine the password.

* TakingYouWithMe: Greer, who is more than willing to do this at Samaritan's behest.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Shaw is looking, bemused, at a copy of ''Literature/SenseAndSensibility'' when she and Reese get Greer's number. It returns at the episode's climax.

* GeniusBonus: In DOS and Windows, an .exe file is an "executable," a program designed for a specific task as opposed to a data file).
* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: Alt!Shaw plays this straight on Alt!Henry Peck.
* HeroicSacrifice: The Machine.