Person of Interest - 'Lady Killer'

It's that episode, although props for how awkward Shaw is outside her comfort
zone.

Team Machine are tacking a new Person of Interest, but once more the lines are blurred between victim and perp. What appears to be a harmless preppy morphs into a hipster, emerges as a sinister stalker and is finally revealed as a victim of loss and deceit. Meanwhile, a new and familiar number comes in, as the Relevant Authorities close in on Root.

The main plot of 'Lady Killer' has plenty of twists, but is ultimately low on suspense as, with the exception of a nut allergy scare and despite Reese's more-than-friendly concern, the smooth-talking Ian never feels like a serious threat to Carter. What it does have is some wonderful character moments and lines, from the three ladies in their killer dresses comparing purse weapons to Shaw and Reese arguing over who gets to row when they are undercover as a couple.

Shaw's comfort zone.

I have to admit, Shaw is growing on me, perhaps because she is bonding with Bear. Initially she just seemed to be another whispery badass, and we kind of have one of those, but increasingly she's showing up the softer side of Reese, as well as revealing her own emotionality in unguarded moments of literal dog-petting. The fact that the show is allowing its female characters to bond instead of competing like cats in a sack also impresses.

But the meat of this episode belongs to the outsiders, as the Machine guides its interface through an elaborate, but bloodless - well, deathless - plan to escape not merely the institution where she is being treated, but also the assassin Hersh. Especially interesting is the moral influence the Machine, the only authority she could ever recognise, appears to be intent on exercising over Root. This ties interestingly to the Machine-view assessment of the threat to Root, which while strictly done through computer and video images conveys something akin to concern.

I think my big concern for Season 3 is that the focus may drift from Team Machine to Root, and that the increased ensemble will lead to weakened interpersonal drama, but so far they are holding it together well. They are also moving more into arc plotting, which is a tenuous time for a series, but fingers crossed they're going to make it.