Person of Interest Season 4 Episode 21 Review: Asylum

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Elias and the Brotherhood. Samaritan’s headquarters. The return of Control.

Person of Interest Season 4 Episode 21 was jam-packed, and it wasted no time in diving right into the various storylines that have played out over the course of the season.

The stakes were definitely raised, and I’m still worried one of the POI team members might not make it out alive by the end of the finale.

At least we know that Reese did actually survive at the end of Person of Interest Season 4 Episode 20, and “seeing” Carter helped give him a new lease on life.

Granted, Reese wound up a prisoner to be shot and tortured by Dominic and his men in this hour, but he’s still around and kicking.

I loved seeing Elias again and getting to watch him work his clever and smart magic against any enemy. I had a feeling that he was going to “name” Link as the mole, but to hear him almost gleefully explain what he did to Dominic was entertaining.

He got him back for the death of his friend Anthony, but he also was willing to die just to do so.

Though, I found it interesting how Dominic wanted Elias’ help in addition to wanting to know about Reese’s boss. He knows about that “third party,” but not quite the full realization of what it is.

Will he find out?

I’m just wondering where his story will go from here.

Dominic has certainly risen in power in New York, but he still seems like a small dilemma compared to the threat that is Samaritan.

Now that was some major tension for the hour, especially by letting Root and Finch learn that Shaw was alive.

It was exciting to hear Shaw’s voice on the phone (and even see her in the car mirror near the end), but I was worried that Samaritan was setting a trap.

The clever way Finch was admitted to the hospital by spouting out the truth was humorous, and it was great to see him and Root working together. Even when he told the one guy about his spaceman being taken and watching Finch’s eyes as he stood up was entertaining.

We also got the final showdown between Root and the agent that shot Shaw. Root’s been eager to get her hands on her, but it seemed like too many bad guys were there to prevent her from getting her revenge.

That is until she got too close and Root managed to snap her neck. I’m glad Root was able to succeed in her mission, but the moment felt a little silly and convenient.

However, it was such a fantastic moment to watch Greer talk about getting into Root’s head followed by Samaritan offering up a trade with the Machine. There was plenty of tension, and I thought that maybe Root’s time had come.

And while it was great to see her passionate pleas to the Machine to keep fighting, it was far more powerful to see the Machine respond and tell Finch that they aren’t interchangeable, that it failed Shaw, and that it won’t fail him.

The Machine was willing to make a sacrifice to save people.

Might that change Finch’s perception of the Machine?

Either way, it was a huge moment. I just hope that the POI team can find a way to locate the Machine before Samaritan and its agents do.

It really feels like everything is coming to a head.

And interestingly enough, Control was back, and I’ve got a feeling she might be just the wild card that the POI team needs.

She’s been learning more about Samaritan and hunting down its agents. Now that her eyes have been opened, it was cool to see her use her skills in a different way. But man, is she still ruthless.

She also uncovered that Samaritan is planning an attack, some “correction.”

But can she even hope to stop it?

This was an exciting setup for the finale, a thrill ride that really ratcheted things up and has got me wondering just how things are going to end. There’s so much up in the air, and with the danger that currently faces the POI team, I’ve got my fingers crossed they can survive and save the day.

What did you think? Will someone die? Can they save the Machine? Tell us what you thought in the comments below. And make sure you’re caught up before Person of Interest Season 4 Episode 22, “YHWH,” and watch Person of Interest online now!

Asylum Review

Editor Rating: 4.6 / 5.0
  • 4.6 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.9 / 5.0 (208 Votes)

Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.

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Person of Interest Season 4 Episode 21 Quotes

I took a trip to the mountains and I saw an old friend. She reminded me of what I've been missing.

Reese

Time to end this war.

Reese