Person of Interest - B.S.O.D.

After an entire year off the air, Person of Interest finally returns for its final season. Picking up events on the same night immediately following the events of the Fourth Season's finale, "B.S.O.D." gives us Reese (Jim Caviezel), Finch (Michael Emerson), and Root (Amy Acker) all on the run from a city now completely controlled by Samaritan operatives. Although the spend little time together on-screen in the season premiere, it will take the efforts of all three members of the team to save what is left of The Machine and offer it a chance at rebirth.

If the season premiere is any indication, opening with a tease suggesting negative outcomes for most (if not all) of the team, the final season is likely to be a struggle. The Machine may have survived but we don't know what condition it is in at the end of the episode or how long before it is back in fighting shape to go toe-to-toe with Samaritan. We don't get a whiff of Shaw (Sarah Shahi) in the episode, but from the season trailers we know Sameen will be returning at some point this season.

While the struggle to survive takes up most of the season premeire, the episode does offer a pair of B-stories. The first includes a series of flashback to Finch's creation of The Machine and the reasoning behind his decision to cripple it (in order to prevent his creation from becoming Samaritan). Admitting this was a mistake, it appears once The Machine is up and running it may be given a fair fight against Samaritan this time around. The other B-story involves Fusco (Kevin Chapman) seeing a glimmer of Samaritan's control while being investigated for the deaths of Elias and Dominic. Maybe Lionel is finally ready to learn the truth?