"Person of Interest" with Michael Emerson

So, it's one of those nights where sleep eludes me, watching the latest episode of Person of Interest on the DVR and just had to pause it andnwrite a few comments. I had commented in another discussion that I was wary of any shows with LOST cast members, because I didn't wantnto to remember them any other way.

That's not a problem here. But I do have some other concerns. The pilot episode was a little fast paced, as Emerson's character had to recruit Someone to help carry out his missions. A little more background, Finch (Emerson) is the guy who invented that computer that listens to everyone's phone calls and reads everyone's emails and watches everything everywhere through web cams and street cams and all cams to catch terrorists. But the system also flags other possible normal possible crimes and spits out the "person of interest". They could either be the victims or the perps. The government discards this intel as is not terrorist related. But Finch, who is no longer with the program but still has back door access, collects the data and sets out to try and prevent whatever crime is about to happen.

He needs help, so he recruits Reese played by Jim Caviezel, a now homeless ex-CIA agent. So the first half hour or so of the pilot was Finch in the process of convincing Reese, who had basically given up in life, to shave his beard and join the cause. That was quite an abrupt about face, but easy enough to overlook as it's not the point of the show. They set about their first mission where Reese uses his CIA skills to investigate and prevent the crime.

So the next episodes each have a person of interest, and the do their thing. (mini spoiler alert): But there's a twist when we find out that POI who appears to be the victim, turns out to be the perp. Ok fine, but they repeat the same twist in the episode I'm watching now. It's revealed earlier on this time, so it's less of a surprise.

So far, each episode has a standalone plot with no indication of a serial plot or one that may soon form. I do hope the writers add some complexity in this manner, rather than one stand alone episode after another, no matter how good or suspenseful they may be. Theres also no indication of any further character development, which there is room for in the context of individual cases.

But Emerson is a pleasure. His character is Ben-like and nothing like Ben at all at the same time. The nuances are subtle with his delivery, mannerisms, and look, that I don't see Ben. That goes to his acting skills. a lessor actor may try to hard to be different from his previous role, and would seem forced and fake. And what's interesting is that the characters are not radically dissimilar. He's still the man behind the scenes and someone with resources who can make things happen. And with that, he does throw in some Ben-like moments, but they're at the right time and not over used. One of my favorite examples is when he'll add a quip, admonishment or warning - while the other person is leaving the room and may not even hear what he said, as he's mostly saying it to himself in the first place.

So overall, I like the show, will keep watching and hope for more complexity. Anyone else been following this show so far?