POI is worth your time There are shows i love,
and there are shows that become bigger than the sum of their parts and grow into
something… meaningful. The kind that i find myself drawing lines from again and again,
especially at harder points in my life. Shows so elaborate in their fiction and deliberate in
their message that it’s this infinite playground of meaning that adds up to what we just call
“Art”
Person of interest is that show.
On paper, that’s not the kind of dramatic hype you’d think to get for an under the
radar nbc sci fi thriller and…. Yet? Poi is my example of genre-transcending TV -- im
not “a crime thriller fan” but the show is one of my favorite stories i’ve ever seen
And on the chance it could be for you, too, here’s
WHY POI IS WORTH YOUR TIME
POI is a sci-fi-thriller drama that ran from 2011-2015
in which a cryptic man with access to eerily accurate information about people in trouble
approaches a depressed washed up badass with a dark past to give him a job helping
these people also amy acker’s eventually there--wait [cut to angel opening theme]
Wrong show, sorry
Anyway
As the show will explain in its opening sequence voiceover, Harold fauxhawk sideburns
is the creator of “the Machine,” a secret system he built for the government to detect
crimes relevant to national security. The machine, however, also picked up those crimes that weren't
of national interest, or “irrelevant.” These appear only as a set of social security “numbers,”
which becomes shorthand for the “person of interest” see what i did there of each episode.
Harold enlists John, an ex cia operative, to team up him to prevent these crimes before they happen.
The catch, which makes the episodes fun and introduces some unpredictability,
is that they never know if the number will be that of a victim or perpetrator. Their operation
leaves a trail of kneecapped bad guys that catches the attention of Detective Joss Carter,
played magnetically by taraji p henson, who they develop a cat and mouse relationship with.
Concurrently, flashbacks of john and harold’s life which hint that there
may be more to their stories, and more to the machine than simply a purveyor of information.
As they continue their mission, John and Harold grapple with the nature of their
work and the frustration of helping people they occasionally cannot save. In this way,
the thesis echoes that of another show i love [insert angel clips] that tells us, simply
and self-evidently, that life is best lived with others. And that without a finish line, every day
is a new chance to do something kind, and right. It’s got a lot to say about surveillance, privacy,
individual freedom versus collective safety, pragmatism versus idealism,
love, and the value of human life. And eventually, POI gets this larger-than-life
feel, epic in a way i enjoy and also grounded between realism and full blown science fiction.
“But i’m not into scifi/thriller/cop shows”
Yeah, at a first google search glance, I didn’t think it was for me either. I mean,
who wants a dull edgy bro-y crime show? And when the first season starts to drift that way,
Joss Carter queen of my heart keeps it from collapsing into that entirely.
Secondly, the genre itself is a backdrop for what is an incredibly original and captivating
story. The packaging looks like any other rote procedural, but it is so much more than that,
and several of its 102 episodes are some of the best television i’ve ever seen, period.
“It looks too serious” I mean, yeah, LOOK at all those brooding
faces on the cover. Probably some impenetrable, 2 dimensional characters--JUST KIDDING
The characters in person of interest are as engrossing on paper as on screen,
both protagonists and antagonists a grey-shaded bunch that are as likeable
as they are conflicting--usually. Whether or not you like every character, they all behave
in a way that is believable and thought provoking, echoing one of the greatest strengths of the show.
Which is that--POI is, without a doubt, one of the most existentially and philosophically sharp and
rich shows I’ve ever seen. It’s as thorough in its use of theme as, like, Buffy, each minute packed
with meaning down to the episode titles.The very premise itself puts the characters in situations
demanding moral decisions--which means, we or characters, will occasionally disagree with
those choices, making for a viewing experience that is as fun as it is BIG BRAIN HOURS INSPIRING
But it’s not all
heavy moralizing--well, not usually (thanos clip perfectly balanced) it’s
funny in a way that suits it: wry, situationally, and self-effacing.
[how do you do that with your voice? “Do what?’]
And, as usual, i’m going to talk about music
POI’s score by Ramin Djawadi is a brilliant and beautiful piece of its ambiance and storytelling.
Industrial, edgy beats mixed with--you guessed it--flawlessly integrated motifs that make
the show feel like a cohesive tapestry of a world. It’s dark, it’s tender, it’s poignant
[root’s theme] [machine’s theme] Sidenote--this isn’t that important but poi
has an opening, like, an actual full opening which i realize is becoming more and more a lost art.
It changes every season making it feel dynamic with the story. It’s also stylistically cohesive,
changing scenes and time periods within th digital-camera-street view of the
machine. It at once ties the show together and makes the machine feel very much…. Alive…..
“I tried the first season, it wasn’t for me”
I respect that. And you know what? Sometimes certain shows just don’t work for us.
Season 1 isn’t unsuccessful, it’s just a bit removed from what the show will become.
It’s far more episode of the week, so if you find that tiring, there’s certainly a few episodes you
could skip. BUT, in MY PERSONAL OPINION, [don't let me tell you what to do] wouldn’t skip the
season itself, as the foundational episodes do a lot to establish character and theme.
I sometimes think of creative works like people; they might take some time to find themselves,
but it is worth it to stick around. The one offs are kind of like self-contained case
studies on morality (kind of good place but more guns). Eventually, the show’s rhythm merges one
offs with season arcs in what i’ll tentatively say is the best of that balance i’ve seen yet.
“This all sounds a bit bleak” Well, sometimes. But not self-indulgently,
and it’s not without humor, or hope, either. Almost each main character starts off with
a cynical view of the world or humanity, and eventually come away with their own modified
answer. Including, because of, their connections to each other. This idea that people can make you
better--that a kind act is always worthwhile, and that most of all, there is nothing more
human than our ability to choose. Even, and especially, when we choose and fail.
Oh, and there’s a dog. An actual dog
Not a side character like a dog that sticks around that
they feed and co-parent and Im getting ahead of myself
It’s clever, supremely acted, and most of all, has something to say.
I wish i could say more but i genuinely can’t because of spoilers, so i’ll leave you with this.
Watch it. For the dog, and the existentialism.