Person of Interest - 'Liberty'

Either John Reese is looking for a sailor or Jim Caviezel has badly misjudged
his outfit for the South Pacific audition.

So, by a pleasing coincidence Season 3 of Person of Interest kicked off this week on Sky, barely a fortnight after I finished Season 2 on Netflix.

'Liberty' opens with Reese protecting a kidnapped playboy - hilariously by jumping into the back of the kidnappers' van in a ski mask and waiting for them to notice the extra body - and Shaw and Fusco saving a nasty piece of work from several nastier pieces of work. This is all prelude to the main event, however, as the Machine provides the number of a sailor on shore leave... along with several thousand other sailors.

Alongside the A plot, we also catch up with Carter - busted back to uniform after HR disappeared a gun from a man she shot in self-defence, although not for keeping a major organised crime figure in private protective custody, since she's kept that one hidden for now - and Root. Currently undergoing psychiatric treatment at the expense of her 'Uncle Harold' (she tells her psychiatrist that 'it's complicated', which given her actual relationship to Harold is putting it lightly) she has been contacted by the Machine and designated 'Analog Interface', and seems to be being sent on an enigmatic mission which is likely to involve bad things happening.

In fact, thanks to this reviewer we can see the breakdown of potential bad things which flash up as a decision tree representing the Machine's advance into consciousness (and if Root is to be taken as gospel, feminine divinity):

MONITORING ASSET...
RETASKING IN PROGRESS...
PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: UNKNOWN

GENERATING PREDICTIONS:

BLUE(a):

OPERATIONAL RELEVANCE - 1.94, 2.06, 1.91, 1.99, 1.91%

YELLOW(b):

ASSET ACTIVATION - 28.44, 28.56, 28.41%
ASSET CAPTURED - 62.79, 62.91, 62.76%
CRISIS AVERTED - 17.71, 17.56, 17.64%
AUX_ADMIN(c) - 2.06, 2.08%
MARRIAGE/PROCREATION(d) - 0.0% / RECLASSIFICATION: NON-RELEVANT - 0.04%

RED:

DEATH: ASSET - 12.54, 12.66, 12.51%
VIOLENCE - 30.19, 30.31, 31.27, 34.98, 40.06%
DEATH: CARMICHAEL, RONALD W.(e) - 78.09, 78.21, 78.06, 78.14, 78.06%
DEATH: ADMIN(f) - 12.54, 12.51%
MASS CASUALTY EVENT(g) - 9.84%
GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR(h) - 2.84%

My observations:

a. Apparently this is 'relevant' operations, i.e. anti-terrorism. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Root is not predicted to be much of an anti-terror asset. I guess that c.2% probability is a 'set a thief to catch a thief' scenario.

b. Yellow is 'non-relevant' operations, i.e. Team Machine. The Machine is not predicting great guns here, so I guess it's a little desperate vis a vis the 'crisis' involved.

c. Probability of the machine gaining a new admin? Of Root being that admin?

d. Actually, I wonder if 'aux_admin' refers to a partnership with Admin (Finch, if he still is), with the marriage/procreation percentage being for Finch and in general. Bad news for shippers and the Root Testosterone Brigade (You know they're out there), but overall probably good news for Harold. Maybe the Machine is looking to secure its supply of future partners.**

In all honesty, the decision tree stuff is just gravy after we opened on Fusco in
this fake beard to masquerade as a Central Park carriage driver.

e.That's Root's sleazy shrink.

f. Finch! No!

g. I know I shouldn't care more about Finch than 'mass casualties', but I do. I'm just glad it's not predicting death chances for Bear.

h. There is literally more chance of the sexy, sassy bad girl character causing a thermonuclear war than hooking up with someone. I love this show.

** And I know I'm way behind in the broader scale, so don't spoil me, bro.