Person of Interest Season 1 Episode 1

Person of Interest Season 1 Pilot

When Person of Interest was announced as the brain child of Jonathan Nolan and JJ Abrams they had me sold. The Pilot episode of the show however didn’t leave me with any of the jaw dropping moments I had expected from such powerhouses of TV and Film. Not to say this is the worst new show on TV, but not that thrilling (from an Alias, LOST or Fringe way).

Jim Caviezel plays Reese, a former Special Forces officer who has been living on the streets and is recruited by Michael Emerson’s mysterious character, Finch who is a mysterious benefactor who wants crimes in the future to be prevented. Finch does this by a series of machines that find these people who are either in danger or want to commit a crime.

Both characters have silver linings that save them from mediocrity, but their portrayals are unbalanced. Reese doesn’t like to kill people, but does so several times in this episode. And by all means is a much more interesting character when he is dispensing fast justice instead of doing surveillance. Finch, who is very aloof by all accounts, needs to play things more closely to the vest. He gives far too much exposition to Reese at the front end of things. There are still many questions left about Finch, but this character should not be giving any sort of flat exposition. Neither should Michael Emerson. Ever.

Person of Interest has a lot of potential to it and that is where I put my faith. The future of the show. The pilot really didn’t do justice to the potential that Noland and Abrams have been known to do in their respected works. I feel as if CBS had a strong hand in throttling down the explosive action that the show does very well. And it needs more of this, right away.

Rating: Watch (give it a few episodes to pan out)

Original Air Date: 9/22/11

Thursday’s at 9/8c on CBS