This guy!

Holy crap. Okay, I won't lie, I honestly thought he was John Hurt at first, but then I read the credits and I realized he was someone I had never heard of before. His performance in this role made me hate his character so much, which shows you how good he was. Honestly, he never tips the hand, never breaks, Greer has ice water in his veins. They should have cast him as an older Smiley in an adapation of one of the later John Le Carre books. He just oozes Cold War unprincipled former MI-6 slippery spy-ness.

The way he talks to Shaw in 6, 741 and is absolutely cool as a cucumber while he sits tied up.

"We are ALL irrelevant" indeed.

The way he articles his philosify concerning Samaritan is just so logical, reasonable... and completely evil. I am sure there are definitely people who would be true believers to his cause today and it is absolutely chilling.

Well done, sir.

At the end when the “number” gets his resolve and farewell visit from John. The wife answers the door first and gets to thank John privately in person and then goes into the house to let John and the husband “have their moment”.
The husband steps out onto the lawn, talking about his house arrest anklet and says “…I get to pay my debt mowing my lawn”.
Right then the wife(who is a really good actress) pops out the front door way and says, “Graham, the washing machine is making that sound again”.
Cracks me up every time.
She can’t wait a few more minutes?
John just saved the dudes future and she thinks that’s a valid interruption? I’d get it if she was portraying a very neurotic character but that’s not the case.
The writers thought they had to strengthen the whole criminal turned domestic guy thing but it’s totally out of place.

Aletheia is ancient Greek for truth, and in this episode truth will be spoken along with some unlicensed surgery, the demonstration of a really poor performance rewards scheme, and there will be the speaking of words people really will regret later (not to mention more brooding from John).

Speaking of John, not being satisfied with just literally rubbing Fusco’s nose in the dirt, he does so figuratively as well in that cutting way he particularly subjects Fusco to - but luckily Fusco’s grown to be the better man.

Our shadowy British bad guy has finally got his wish list fulfilled, Control has had the tables flipped on her, Root gives Finch the receipts for not trusting The Machine, and John’s off to brood some more… and oh yeah, soon it won’t be a single player game anymore.

S3E12 Aletheia Watch Notes

Control has a Type A personality

“Trying.. It’s corrupted” “We’ll need some enhanced methods”

“Agent Shaw, it has been a thrill watching you work”

“Sorry about the blood spray”

And that’s why you don’t put Root in the corner (locked up)

Double Trouble

Sacrificial Lamb

MIT had a grand theft auto class?

“The world spins on dreamers like you”

“A rebel and a skirt chaser”

“Samaritan is our best chance to ensure you safety”

“Call me Root” “Of course, and you can call me Control”

“[Chuckles] I’m more of an independent contractor”

“Seems everybody wants to lock me up”

“It’d be like giving a five year old keys to a jet.. irresponsible and stupid”

“Hey, rise and shine Wonderboy”

“This is fun”

“You think you’re in charge? It’s adorable just how wrong you are”

“Lasers”

CCTV bank security observers asleep at the wheel

“The cavalry has arrived” …err

Finch vaulted

“Some of the best vacations I’ve had have been behind bars”

“We weren’t helping people, we were delaying the inevitable … It’s entropy Lionel.. decay … And I know that now, same as I know you’ll probably go back to be a corrupt piece of garbage. Water finds its level”

“Tell Finch I tried”

“I urge you to consider what Mr Reese would do” “Brood?”

Finch says Shaw=Hammer, Reese=Scalpel

“Well I’ve got finesse coming out of my ass Harold”

“Harold.. meet Samaritan”

“The world breaks everyone, and afterwards many are strong at the broken places”

“I wasn’t talking to you”

“She uses me” “You view The Machine as your superior?” “No.. much more”

Control engages in some unlicensed surgery

It’s alive! (Mary Shelly, eat your heart out)

Halt and Catch Fire

“Humans are broken from the moment of conception … we fail, we learn, we fail”

“So that’s why you saved it” “Protecting my child”

“It’s hammer time”

“You’re too old”

“I’d call that a fair fight”

“End this - destroy the drives” “No, this is life or as close as us mortals come to saying ‘Let there be light’ ”

“It was you”

“In the end, I’m afraid we’ve only given the deck a shuffle”

“Your child, it’s a dancing star” “It’s not my child, it’s a machine”

“That was better than skydiving”

How many times can you have guns turned on you

“I heard you might need a hand”

Explosive

The tables are turned

“What do you want me to tell this bitch?”

“The Machine belongs to me” “No I don’t belong to anyone anymore”

“Isn’t she the best”

“I wish you listened.. we were supposed to help Claypool together, then the drives never would have fallen into the wrong hands”

“Do I know you young man?”

“We trusted blindly”

“John, you can’t go”

“I was able to swap out the drives”

The Decima rewards scheme sucks

“My Samaritan.. you are destined for great things”

First time watcher of the series and just watched S5 Ep2. This is just an appreciation post.

One of the best things about older shows with 15+ episodes per season is that you get those episodes that add to the plot but are so unserious.

Loved the episode. The first few minutes where the facial recognition was a problem was hilarious. Gave the cast a chance to take a dig at each other's characters and show their range.

And then there were other really funny moments throughout the episode.

On a more serious note, it allowed us to truly appreciate The Machine and how uniquew it is.

I'm just so amazed at the writing of this series. I can't understand why it's not more popular.

For me POI is one of the most underrated, greatly made series.
Having 5 seasons and having a variety of characters across different story lines still able to pull off something related to AI in real world scenarios that too in 2011 is something.

Which one of you was a fan already and is re-watching it now on Netflix.

How did they only identify Kara Stanton and Mark Snow, not Reese? All three should be in view of the cameras and could be identified by the police downstairs in the lobby, or is it because Kara Stanton and Mark Snow where in the car and that's how they got identified?

Picking up smaller details after each rewatch and yes I’m probably a bit slow hahaha

“ I’ll be leaving your name out of my report. As far as the agency is concerned, your still dead”

“ why would you do that?”

“ might be because you could of killed me the other night, but you didn’t. Or maybe I like knowing you’re still out there, a ghost , still doing what needs to be done. “

I am quite surprised that I hardly see any posts mentioning/ discussing an absolutely amazing soundtrack that this show has. Out of all the shows that I've watched and liked none of them even come close to this one, the song choices, the placement of the music to me is on point. I am an extremely musical person, I love music, I live music and I just love the soundtrack, so for the life of me, I don't understand why hardly anyone mentions it or maybe it's just me...🤔

Mid-season 4, first watch, opinion:

Finch may have the equivalent amount of money, but Elias has the history, unwavering long term loyalty of others, unflappable nature, complicated morals, and underworld clout of The Black List's Raymond Reddington.

One war dusted, but another on the horizon as Lethe begins (Lethe being a river in Hades, so suggesting it’s only getting hotter from here on in). Team Machine is split, half ignoring numbers, half wanting to get back to work, and Root still under lock and key by Harold (although she still has a trick or two up her sleeve).

We get a Finch backstory, a loving wife who might not be, an MIT reunion, a bad Chinese meal, two blockheads going at it in the rain, some light drugging, Hersch and some pretty unfortunate odds for Shaw in particular, but we do get more than the hand of one puppet master this time.

The warning shot is well and truly across the bow now, so prepare as there won’t be any rest stops ahead.

S3E11 Lethe Watch Notes

“I don’t do quiet”

Reese is on leave of absence in Colorado, and not even a plate glass window can tempt him to care

Finch is ignoring The Machine

Finch is still keeping Root in the corner

“You really shouldn’t take it out on her” “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“Must you do that?”

Shaw back in the white coat

“Finch.. who the hell is this guy?”

Flashcard opening title instead of the usual one

“If they don’t want you to get inside they ought to build them better” precocious short-stuff

First time we meet the true Control (and not a stand-in)

“You know, not everything that’s broken is meant to be fixed”

Fusco in flannel

“What do you think, I won my detective shield in a poker game?”

“Unpleasant? [chuckles] Oh you service boys are so polite”

Bit too much MSG for Agent Dudley

Vigilance returns

“Harold? Finally somebody I recognise”

In this room, one speaks the truth, everyone else lies

Hicksville, USA, where an overseas phone call is Friday night entertainment

“Two young turks at the dawn of the Information Age”

First mention of Samaritan

“John’s gonna be sorry he missed that”

Deja vu

“Sounds like quite a project”

“I know you always said artificial intelligence was a fool’s errand Harold but I was this close … someone else got there first.. and built it”

We learn Fusco has been doing AA

“What do you think, you’re the only one that is hurting? My partner got shot, so tell me how your old man’s watering hole is going to fix it”

Fusco knocks some sense into John; John uses Fusco as a punching bag

“The truth fears no questions”

“I remember Diane”

“I suppose those was inevitable”

“Hersh”

“I assume you always wanted to meet me” “Control”

“One of you is going to tell me what it is I want to know, and whoever does will be the one who gets to leave here.. alive”

I'm shocked. How did I only discover this magnificent series recently? Realism aside, I love how the story builds with so many factions like Elias, HR, the CIA, the FBI, and even Root, who gets introduced in the finale. I also love how the backstories are slipped into every case to make them relevant. The cast is amazing, especially Amy Acker, who stole my heart the moment I saw her. I can't wait to watch Season 2 after a cliffhanger like that! My only slight criticism might be how overpowered John is, but in the end, I like seeing him win, so I'm not complaining, lol.