Person of Interest – Number Crunch review!

‘Number Crunch’ is the tenth episode of Person of Interest to air, and if I didn’t know better I would say that this was a season finale as it ends on an almighty cliffhanger. Yet, I do know better. Season 1 is supposed to have 13 episodes even if it’s not clear when the other three episodes will air. One thing that I have stated many times before when reviewing Person of Interest episodes is that this show manages to reinvent itself time and time again and this episode is no different.

As for the story…

The episode starts with a traffic accident after which Finch informs Reese that ‘The Machine’ has turned up four social security numbers of people who are either perpetrators of victims of murder. Before Reese can act the first on the list is murdered. Reese gives Finch and detective Fusco a name each so he can follow the third. Finch’s tail is killed by a woman with a bomb just when he is buying a new Ducati. The connection with the earlier murder victim is that they have come across a lot of money recently. Reese and Finch deduce they took the money from the car crash in which the son of congressman Hall died. His son might have been a drug dealer and so his partners are looking for the money.

Meanwhile detective Carter is being grilled about events from the previous episode, investigators from the CIA are eager to wheel in Reese and so pressure her to turn against him. This is subplot to this episode that becomes more important as the case surrounding the missing money unwinds.

Reese and Fusco are on the track of the ast two names, both lose contact with them but not before Fusco sees one of the women buy a gun from a street hoodlum. Reese tracks down one of the women to the house of her mother. There he finds the woman who bought the gun as well. Finch discovers they are sisters. Reese questions how they got the money as they weren’t involved in the accident like the other two victims. They happened to walk near the site of the accident and decided to split the money four ways when they discovered it. At this moment a man call at the house and says his car has broken down. After a brief exchange the man opens fire on Reese who just narrowly manages to fend the man off. The shooter flees but not before his accomplice in the car takes a few shots at Reese. The sisters have fled however, Finch suggest they might be with their mother in the hospital.

While Reese is on his way there Finch meets with congressman Hall, after claiming to be a blogger who found out about the money the congressman calls his accomplice Bannerman and so Finch overhears how they conspire together.

While at the hospital trying to find the two sisters Reese is briefly approached by a nurse, little does he know she was the woman who set of the bomb earlier. A gunmen manages to abduct one of the sisters and thus a exchange is set up. the money stolen for the sisters save return. After Reese manages to kill the gunmen the female hitman shows herself and almost manages to put the load on Reese.

After this encounter Reese is contacted in the parking lot by an old CIA friend, after some unpleasant words a sniper shoots Reese in the abdomen and leg. Finch manages to rescue Reese but his stopped by detective Carter. Carter recognises Finch as the man from the ‘Elias’ evidence holdup and allows the two to escape.

We won’t known until next week how badly hit Reese really is.

Conclusion…

This episodes deals with two plots that are of fine quality, each is given enough time to develop. Reese’s background at the CIA elaborated and it is suggested he killed his partner. All the while viewing this episode I had a feeling that Elias might be behind the CIA’s presence in this episode, a question that will be answered soon I hope.

Like last episode the character of detective crater is a lot closer to the action, and so are Fusco and Finch for that matter. This gives the series a new dynamic as before it was more like Reese being sent of to find someone and finch staying behind the computer.

See you next week..

Score; 9 / 10.

Viewer Rating; 12.93 million. Again this is even better than the previous week, only the pilot had slightly higher numbers. Person of Interest will probably be back for a second season.