The fifth and final season of CBS’s sci-fi drama, Person of Interest, premiered recently this year after a long hiatus, bringing about the conclusion of one of the greatest science fiction shows to have been made. In its final run, the show successfully managed to set itself out as a clear example on how to deliver a satisfying sendoff to a great show by bringing together all the elements that made it special over its short, thirteen episodes long final season. However, it is still debatable whether or not the ending of the show struck the right chords in relation to what viewers may have expected.
Season five of Person of Interest picked up a short while after where viewers last saw the characters and spent the first three episodes warming up the characters into their new status quos and setting the stage for the final series of events in the story. Things elevated into the ambience of a climatic season when the show threw a shocker in episode four (titled “6,741”) from where the stakes and thrills rose increasingly throughout the season and culminated in a terrific penultimate episode and an equally great finale but wound the series up in a way that was a bit surprising.
The biggest challenge Person of Interest had this season was in terms of its plot. Over the previous four seasons, the show had set up a huge, complex main plot and a number of subplots and character arcs. It was obvious that the writers had more plans in stock for the show’s future. However, this did not affect the quality of the final season that the viewers did get. The talent of the show’s crew was well reflected in how season five was handled. Equal emphasis was given to both the core-plot and side-plots in the show and both dimensions had a lot to offer, whether it was twists, action, or character moments. There was a lot of content crammed into this final season of Person of Interest, but it never got excessive thanks to the brilliant direction.
Michael Emerson as Harold Finch and Amy Acker as Root
The writers were able to find the perfect balance between the serialised episodes and fillers, considering how many stories they had left to tell. The core-plot never left the stage and was always acknowledged one way or the other which compensated for how the filler elements of the show sometimes became predictable. Person of Interest had always been a fast-paced show and it only got even more accelerated towards the end with episode ten(“The Day the World Went Away”) being the highlight of the whole season, coming head-to-head in terms of quality to the episode “If-Then-Else” from season four which is revered as the show’s best episode ever. If there was any downside to this season, it would be how the climax was left open-ended which felt a bit irregular since every other subplot and character in the show were given proper closure. There were also several callbacks to the former shows of the season to gratify the hardcore fans of the show.
Additionally, all the characters were treated with adeptness in their development especially with Michael Emerson and his character, Harold Finch, standing out on both fronts. Finch went from being the sensitive genius who wanted to save the world to an unstoppable force bent on annihilating his foes and Emerson could not have portrayed these different dimensions of the character any better. Finch’s “relationship” with The Machine was also deeply explored whereby The Machine was given the aura of a human character. Jim Caviezel was at the top of his game as Reese throughout. Kevin Chapman, Amy Acker, and Sarah Shahi also returned as their characters.
Sarah Shahi as Sameen Shaw in “The Day the World Went Away”
The action sequences in the show were outstanding and excellently choreographed as they always have been with episode ten again deserving a special mention. Person of Interest also served an abundance of explosive stunt scenes to keep the viewers engaged. Finally, one of the greatest parts of the show was its music composed by none other than Ramin Djawadi. Music’s role in the show has always been cardinal and continued to make it even more pleasurable. Ramin Djawadi deserves just as much respect and recognition for his work on Person of Interest as he got from Game of Thrones.
All facts considered, it is safe to say that Person of Interest got a glorious farewell in its final season. It had a marvellous plot which was presented almost impeccably and continued to discuss the implications of an artificial intelligence and massive public surveillance. Person of Interest will always be considered as a unique classic in the sci-fi drama genre and holds a fair deal of re-watch value.
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