Line #12 Recap/PersonOfInterestS03E09


1	'''Season 3, Episode 9''':
2	!The Crossing
3
4	->'''Simmons:''' Your time's up. Told you I'd end you.\
5	'''Carter:''' No, not today!
6
7	Picking up right where "[[Recap/PersonOfInterestS03E08 Endgame]]" left off, Reese and Carter escape from the judge's house with Quinn, heading for the FBI building. HR goes into damage control mode with Officer Simmons putting a contract out on "The Man in the Suit" and deploying HR's full resources to find Carter and his boss before she can deliver Quinn and her evidence on HR to the FBI.
8
9	-----
10	!!Tropes present in this episode include
11
12	* AirVentEscape: Reese ducks out of the air vent, leaving Carter locked in the morgue while he performs a HeroicSacrifice.
13	* AffectionateGestureToTheHead: Reese strokes Carter's cheek before their BigDamnKiss. As she's dying, he kisses her forehead while shedding ManlyTears.
14	* BadassInDistress: After two seasons, Fusco's cover is finally blown. Simmons is most displeased and realizes he could be used for leverage in his operation to recover Quinn and kill the man in the suit. He has his men engage in some ColdBloodedTorture and the results aren't pretty.
15	** Likewise, Reese decides to lead the HR officers and criminals bearing down on him and Carter on a wild goose chase, running out of bullets for his gun and with a lone HR officer closing in on him. Finch saves him in the end.
16	* BaitAndSwitchComment: Root says that Finch is in danger of losing his greatest creation. Not the Machine, but John Reese.
17	* BaitAndSwitchGunshot: Shaw killing the man who was about to shoot Fusco's son.
18	* BattleDiscretionShot: Some subway punks decide to collect the bounty. Cue their groaning bodies being thrown out the train by Reese. Shaw herself does something similar.
19	* BloodyHandprint: Quinn is being smuggled past the HR roadblock in an ambulance, but Simmons sees this on the vehicle, giving the game away.
20	* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Reese reveals that what stopped him from being DrivenToSuicide when the show began was when he first met Carter all the way back in the "Pilot".
21	* BigDamnHeroes: It's a very bad idea to threaten children in the proximity of Shaw, especially the child of a Team Machine member.
22	* BittersweetEnding: Team Machine manages to get Quinn behind bars and the satisfaction of watching HR's collapse in the aftermath. Unfortunately Simmons escapes, and in the last scene of the episode, he comes after Carter and Reese just as Finch arrives to retrieve them. Finch and Reese survive the encounter, but Carter dies, and Simmons falls back into the shadows.
23	* BigDamnKiss: Between Reese and Carter just before he sets off to clear a path for her to the FBI building by engaging in a gunfight with the HR officers and criminals bearing down on them.
24	* BlatantLies: Reese when Finch informs him his number has come up.
25	-->'''Carter:''' Something wrong?
26	-->'''Reese:''' No more than usual.
27	* BrokenMasquerade: Carter has figured out how Reese and Finch get their information and gets upgraded to a yellow box; this is in contrast to Fusco, who still appears to be in the dark (despite hearing Henry Peck's ramblings back in Season 1 - apparently the Machine can tell if someone informed of its existence actually believes their source).
28	* CallBack:
29	** Reese performs another of his renowned [[MookHorrorShow Mook Horrror Shows]] on a subway train--just like in "[[Recap/PersonOfInterestS01E01 Pilot]]", as Reese notes afterward.
30	** When Reese and Carter are in the 3rd Precinct just before she releases him, their conversation reprises their first meeting back in "[[Recap/PersonOfInterestS01E01 Pilot]]."
31	** As in "Flesh and Blood", the solution is provided by calling some honest police who aren't on HR's payroll.
32	* CarnivalOfKillers: The open bounty version.
33	* [[ChekhovsGun Chekhov's Grenade]]: During the events of "Mors Praematura," it is revealed that Shaw keeps hand grenades in her refrigerator. [[ChekhovsGun She breaks one out during this episode]] and uses it to [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique interrogate an HR officer]].
34	-->"Now I want you to call your pal Simmons and find out where he's keeping Detective Fusco....Do it now, or I lose the pin to this grenade...permanently."
35	* {{Cliffhanger}}: The Machine calling Finch as Carter dies in Reese's arms.
36	* CompanionCube
37	-->'''Root:''' You have the relationship with Her that you wanted. She respects that. My relationship is more...intimate.
38	-->'''Finch:''' [[TooMuchInformation Sorry I asked.]]
39	* CutPhoneLines: Quinn does a FiveFingerDiscount to Reese of all people, removing his phone and smashing it, cutting them off from Finch.
40	* CutTheJuice: HR cut the lights in the morgue before going in after Reese. Finch turns on lights and fire alarm to draw attention to the building so Carter can escape.
41	* DeathGlare: Fusco does an utterly chilling one to the HR officers.
42	* DespairEventHorizon: Fusco handcuffed to a chair in a warehouse being forced to listen over the phone while his son is about to be executed, helpless to stop it. When the gunshot is heard, all he can do is break down in tears. [[spoiler:But Shaw's voice over the line telling him his son is safe brings him back.]]
43	%%* DiedInYourArmsTonight: Carter.
44	* DoubleMeaningTitle: The Crossing refers to both Carter and Reese crossing New York, as well as where Carter is killed.
45	* DragonAscendant: With Quinn indisposed, Officer Patrick Simmons becomes nominally in charge of whatever may be left of HR.
46	* DealWithTheDevil: Root repeatedly milks this trope for all it's worth, offering Finch the chance to locate John and Carter at one point with her status as The Machine's analogue interface. He turns her down.
47	* DonutMessWithACop: Averted; this one has eaten too many Pizza Pockets.
48	-->'''Shaw:''' You know that's not real meat, right?
49	* DyingMomentOfAwesome: Before going down Carter is still able to get one accurate shot off which hits Simmons.
50	* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Simmons has been able to convince a sizeable portion of New York's criminals along with deploying HR's full resources in trying to kill Reese before he can get Carter and Quinn to the FBI.
51	* {{Fingore}}
52	* FireForgedFriends: Fusco and Shaw starts as TeethClenchedTeamwork, but ends up this way after Shaw saves his son.
53	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
54	** "When your time is up, it's up."
55	** "See you on the other side."
56	** "Can’t take down a group of bent cops without having casualties. Someone was always gonna end up in a casket. Truth is, guys like you and me, we’re all gonna catch a bullet sooner or later. Best you can hope for is someone to hold your hand while you bleed out."
57	** On a meta level, Simmons' line "I KEEP my promises!" could refer to the fact the show runners repeatedly stated that a major character would die. Though it could also refer to Simmons promising to kill the Man in the Suit in the previous episode.
58	** For the episode "[[Recap/PersonOfInterestS03E16 RAM]]", Root mentioning that Reese wasn't the first helping Finch in his crusade.
59	* ForcedToWatch: Fusco is Forced To Listen to his son's SoundOnlyDeath on the phone. Only he hears Shaw instead, telling him his son is safe.
60	* GodzillaThreshold: Root claims that this is a very good time for Finch to cross it by setting her free. He doesn't, which could very well have been directly responsible for Carter's death.
61	* HeroKiller: Simmons graduates to this by shooting Carter.
62	* HeroicSacrifice: Carter saves John by purposely taking most of the bullets Simmons fired at him.
63	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: All those fingers Simmons broke? They just made it easier for Fusco to slip through his handcuffs and viciously kill his would be executioner.
64	* IHaveAFamily: Played with; the fat cop pleads with Shaw that if he betrays HR, Simmons will go after his family. [[TheMobBossIsScarier Simmons shows he's more than capable of this.]]
65	* [[IHaveYourWife I Have Your Son]]: Simmons threatens to send a mook to kill Fusco's son if he doesn't talk. When he finds out Fusco lied, he orders both Fusco and his son killed in retribution.
66	* IsThatTheBestYouCanDo: Fusco being tortured by HR.
67	* ItHasBeenAnHonor: Just before he leaves to buy time for Carter to transport Quinn to the FBI office, Reese flat out tells Carter she stopped him from being DrivenToSuicide all the way back in Season 1 and treats her to a BigDamnKiss.
68	* KarmicDeath: Peterson is eager for a chance to kill someone. He gets killed himself.
69	* LetsGetDangerous: Fusco pulls off a glorious one when seemingly on the verge of getting executed he breaks out of his restraints, incapacitates the HR officer who was trying to shoot him and crushes his windpipe. And he does all this after having been severely beaten up and having his fingers broken.
70	* LetsSplitUpGang: Shaw and Fusco have to split up to cover the two possible subway destinations that Reese and Carter could end up. [[TeethClenchedTeamwork They're not exactly disappointed at having to do this]], but it leads to the inevitable disaster when Fusco is captured.
71	* MarkedBullet: Reese still has the bullet he intended to kill himself with before the series started. He leaves it behind with Carter when going out to confront HR.
72	* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: The payphone ringing, and the traffic light turning from yellow to red just as Carter dies.
73	* MeaningfulEcho: Reese and Carter deliberately repeat the words of their first meeting in "Pilot".
74	* MisfortuneCookie: Simmons plays this for all it's worth when torturing Fusco in a fortune cookie factory.
75	-->'''Simmons:''' "You will be unusually successful at your career." You know, I don't think that one's true. "A thrilling time is in your future." We're getting close now. Oh, here we go. "Tell your friends what they want to know, or they will break you apart limb by limb." That's more like it.
76	* MomentKiller: Finch calling to say HR is breaking into the building in force, right after the BigDamnKiss.
77	* MrSmith: Reese is arrested as John Doe.
78	* NotActuallyTheUltimateQuestion
79	-->'''Root:''' I can't imagine what it must be like for you. After all this time, to have to let go of your creation.
80	-->'''Finch:''' The Machine is still sending us numbers, Ms. Groves.
81	-->'''Root:''' I wasn't talking about the Machine. John.
82	* NotSoStoic: Reese, Finch, Fusco and Shaw.
83	** Also the most common reaction of the fans to the ending of this episode.
84	* PreAsskickingOneLiner:
85	** a Pre-Tasering One-Liner from Finch:
86	-->'''Finch''': I'm the guy who's going to catch you when you fall.\
87	''[he then tasers the guy and promptly lets him fall to the floor.]''\
88	'''Finch''': Sorry, I'm [[NonActionGuy not very good at this]].
89	** Fusco gets one against Peterson:
90	-->'''Petersen:''' You want me to hold your hand, Fusco? Oh, I forgot, we broke your fingers.\
91	'''Fusco:''' Yeah, you did. Which made it no big deal for me to break my thumb.
92	* OneDialogueTwoConversations
93	** Fusco talking to Shaw sounds to Peterson like Fusco is reassuring his son.
94	** Reese talking to Finch sounds to the policeman arresting him like he's answering their Miranda warning.
95	* PerpSweating: Shaw gives the fat cop a grenade with the pin out to hold. When he still refuses to talk out (because Simmons would kill his family) Shaw tosses the key in the back seat. Only he's still handcuffed to the roll bar.
96	* PyrrhicVictory: Carter fulfills all the objectives of her operation to destroy HR and even gets reinstated as a Detective, but gets shot by Simmons soon after getting Reese out of NYPD custody.
97	* RageBreakingPoint: Simmons really shouldn't have pissed off Fusco by targeting his son. Petersen gets the short end of the stick when Fusco crushes his windpipe with the handcuffs.
98	* TheRemnant: In the aftermath of Quinn's arrest, 98% of HR quickly collapses, as shown by the portraits of known HR members being greyed out from The Machine's perspective. Simmons is among the 2% still at large.
99	* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: The Judge who set up Carter is killed by Simmons.
100	* SadisticChoice: Shaw has to chose between preventing HR from murdering Fusco's son or saving Fusco. She picks the former but is not very happy about it. However, Fusco tells her she made the right call. Then he saves himself.
101	* ScarSurvey: Reese and Carter show their physical wounds from the War on Terror. Naturally this {{UST}} leads to a [[BigDamnKiss BDK]].
102	* SlippedTheRopes / BreakingTheBonds: Fusco.
103	* ShoutOut: To the 1979 film ''Film/TheWarriors.'' However instead of a gang being attacked as it makes its way through New York along the subway system, it's Reese, Carter and Quinn.
104	* ShutUpHannibal: Reese does this to Quinn by injecting him with some sedatives.
105	* SneakyDeparture: Reese sends Carter into the closet before escaping through an air vent to draw off HR.
106	* TemptingFate:
107	** Reese notes the irony when he finds they've taken refuge in the City Morgue.
108	** "No one I'd rather be with at the end."
109	* TonightSomeoneDies: Simmons, at the very end of "[[Recap/PersonOfInterestS03E08 Endgame]]", declared that "The Man in the Suit dies tonight." At the end of the episode, he takes his shot. Reese lives; Carter dies.
110	* TookALevelInBadass: Fusco breaks out of his restraints and viciously crushes the windpipe of the HR officer who was about to execute him. What's more, he does it while severely beaten up and with broken fingers.
111	* TooDumbToLive: The HR judge really should have known he only had seconds to live when Simmons asked if there was a firearm in the house.
112	* TortureForFunAndInformation: Simmons and his HR goons rough Fusco up in an attempt to find out where Carter's safe deposit box full of incriminating evidence is.
113	* TrailersAlwaysLie: In the commercials for the episode, shots of Fusco being tortured were accompanied by a voice-over saying that someone on Team Machine would die. Carter dies.
114	* UnstoppableRage: Fusco. And it's utterly terrifying.
115	* UnderestimatingBadassery: The HR officers really don't know how strong Fusco has become while working with Team Machine. He breaks his own thumb just to slip out of his restraints and violently throttle Petersen before they can kill him.
116	* WhamEpisode: The episode ends with Simmons shooting Reese and Carter. Carter's wounds are fatal.
117	* WhamLine
118	-->'''Root:''' Come on, Harry. Let's not pretend that John is your first helper monkey. Exactly how many guys did you go through before him?
119	* WildGooseChase: Reese resorts to this, engaging in a running fire fight with the criminals hunting them in order to buy time for Carter and clear the final four blocks to the FBI building so she can get Quinn there without being intercepted.
120	* WorfHadTheFlu: Reese runs out of bullets, then has his pistol confiscated by the NYPD on being arrested. This leaves him vulnerable to a single man with a gun.
121	* WouldHurtAChild[=/=]MoralEventHorizon: the HR goons are poised to kill Fusco's son, and put him on the phone so that Fusco can hear the fatal shot. They reckoned without Shaw.
122	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Simmons blows away the HR-affiliated judge Quinn was using to try and lure Carter into a trap in the previous episode.

Context Recap / PersonOfInterestS03E09