Person of Interest - 'Nothing to Hide'

Bear!

The latest number is a bit of a conundrum for our heroes. An internet millionaire whose stock in trade is data farming is apparently being targeted by people whose lives have been soured by personal information released by his website. Finch considers him the living embodiment of the reason the Machine had to be totally secure, and there is some satisfaction among the team as it begins to look as if his need for revenge will make him the perpetrator and not the victim. And then twist happens.

No Root this time, but we do get the return of Bear, although in a quiet cameo more than a featured role. The PoI is nicely conflicting, with the line between victim and perpetrator blurred and the nature of Wayne Kruger's business as strong a comment on current concerns over digital privacy as the Machine is. Kruger is not intentionally malicious, but his business enables doxing and shaming and whatever his claims of innocence, his fixation with the bottom line is clear. Interestingly, this makes the episode more intriguing than gripping, as the stakes are lessened when you don't actually care what happens to the PoI, and it's hard to give a toss if a fictional hypocritical scumbag is facing death.

The climax of the episode introduces a new player to the table in the form of a group of 'concerned citizens' with apparently significant resources, whose stated intention is to bring down men like Kruger who spy on ordinary folk and abuse their knowledge. One wonders if this is what the Machine needs its analogue interface for.