Recap / Person Of Interest S 04 E 04

Season 4, Episode 4

Brotherhood

Malcolm: This is all my fault. That gun the cops found on my mom—

Reese: It was yours.

Malcolm: My mom lied. She said it belonged to her. She wouldn't even be in jail if it wasn't for me.

Reese: Why'd you have a gun, Malcolm?

Malcolm: Just wanted to protect my own. All I did was make it worse.

Reese: You're right. It is your fault. Doesn't mean you can't make it right.

The Team gets the number of two kids, Malcolm (14) and Tracy Booker (8), who stumbled on a Brotherhood drug deal gone bad and took the money for themselves, intending to use it to pay for legal representation for their imprisoned mother. To protect the kids from the Brotherhood, Reese allies with a DEA agent investigating the drug deal and Finch approaches Elias for a little help.

• Ambiguous Ending: A subtle one: will Malcolm join The Brotherhood or not?
• The Atoner: Malcolm
• Big Bad: Dominic is revealed. Like Elias in Season One, he hides under an innocuous cover, thinks in the long term and is entirely capable of outsmarting Team Machine.
• Booby Trap: Reese sets up a pepper spray version in the elevator.
• Car Fu: Shaw rams the gangbangers gunning for the Booker kids.
• Continuity Nod:
  Elias: Where have you been keeping yourself?
  Finch: Guess you could say that I've decided to go back to school.
  Elias: A humble teacher? I played that role once myself.
  • The bricks of heroin are wrapped in the same manner as the Afghan Blue that Reese purchased in the first episode of the season. At the time Reese asked where it came from, but didn't get an answer.
• Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind: Fusco saving Reese.
• Deal with the Devil
• Detective Mole: The DEA Agent working with "Riley" (Reese) mentioned that Dominic had people everywhere - including the DEA. She should know - it's her.
• The Dog Was the Mastermind: Like Harold in season one, Dominic disguised himself as one of his own employees, who Shaw held prisoner for half the episode without realizing it.
• Hidden in Plain Sight: Dominic pretends to be Dumb Muscle inside his own organisation.
• High-School Hustler: Reese apparently lost his pocket change playing hopscotch before finally getting the Booker's location.
• Honor Before Reason: Malcolm offering himself to the Brotherhood: "I'll work for you, be your corner boy, take a fall for you, whatever, just leave my sister be."
• Hostage For Macguffin: Shaw threatens to torch a sizable portion of the Brotherhood's smack supply if they don't let Reese go.
• I Gave My Word: Reese said he'd protect the Bookers, so he gives himself up in exchange for Malcolm.
• I Have Boobs, You Must Obey!: Shaw in a Little Black Dress taunts Reese that she didn't have any trouble getting information from the neighbourhood kids.
• Ironic Echo Cut: Between the screams as the gangbangers get shot, to the screaming of kids playing in the school.
• Ironic Nickname: a Giant Mook named "Mini."
• Meaningful Name:
  • Malcolm Booker
  • And 'Link', who serves as the link between the Brotherhood and their unseen boss.
  • Also DoMINIc.
• Money to Throw Away: The Bookers dodge Finch this way.
• My Dog Ate Your Homework: Bear ate all the papers Harold needed to grade.
• Not Afraid to Die: Dominic has a fatalistic view of his profession, so he's not intimidated by Shaw's threats. Even Link doesn't send someone to rescue his boss because he has standing orders not to.
  Dominic: Only one rule. We all die in the end.
• "Not So Different" Remark: Link says that 'Detective Riley' and Shaw might be a problem in future, as they're not playing by the rules. Dominic points out that neither are they.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Dominic looks like the typical Dumb Muscle Giant Mook, and plays on this.
  Dominic: They always underestimate you.
• Overt Rendezvous: Finch meets Elias in a subway train.
• Public Secret Message: Elias has worked out that Nothing Is the Same Anymore, and demands an explanation from Finch, who is too paranoid to risk openly discussing Samaritan. Instead he hands Elias a copy of The Invisible Man, as a hint of how Elias should conduct his affairs from now on.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Link asks what they should do with the Booker kids. Instead of killing them, Dominic tells Link to arrange the release of their mother and make sure the elder Booker kid knows it, as he'll be a useful asset in the future. As Malcolm was thinking of becoming a cop, this has sinister implications.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: The DEA Agent, for trying to run off with the drug money.
• So Much for Stealth: Tracy's shoe falls off and bumps down the fire stairs, giving away their location.
• The Reveal
  Lennox: I can explain everything. Where's your boss?
  Mini: [shoots her in the head] You just met him.
• Tracking Device: Shaw enjoys messing with Finch's head by saying she's planted a tracker on him. Dominic casually destroys the chip that Shaw left on his watch as part of The Reveal that he's the Big Bad.
• Trick-and-Follow Ploy: Shaw does this to the mook she's captured, hoping she'll lead her to Dominic. He goes to a stash of heroin instead, so she uses that to bargain for Reese's life. Turns out Dominic knew she was following, couldn't shake her, and decided to sacrifice the heroin.
• We Gotta Stop Meeting Like This
• Would Hurt a Child: The Brotherhood show no qualms about shooting at kids.
• You Owe Me:
  • Elias pointedly tells Finch that his help comes with an expectation that Finch will return the favour.
  • Dominic sets this up with Malcolm by arranging the release of his mother.

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"Ain't no long game for guys like me; just the game. Doesn't make a damn bit of a difference what you edit or who you edit it for. You ain't no different; just another troper like all the rest. Only one rule: We all ruin our lives in the end."