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It is 6 degrees F. outside, which makes getting up to do things not the most pleasant thought, but I've managed to zip through quite a few tasks this week (at the standing-up desk, mostly - which is in the coldest room) so feel justified in being almost through Foxglove Summer and having watched POI 4.11 "If - Then - Else" twice.
And wow, what a stunning episode. Structurally brilliant (if not unpredictable - lots of people guessed the format based on the previews and the title) and a perfect exhibition of the show's combination of action and emotional punch (emotional knockout, even), with Finch-voiced moral lesson to boot (and having just published a book full of chess metaphors I am not at all prejudiced, but I thought it was beautifully done). I have been spending more time on Tumblr than I should looking at the ideas and beautiful gifs posted (though not much discussion - still not a good place for that).
It's one of those episodes where minor plot quibbles don't bother me much even if I notice them, though WTF why is there an override button across the room, I suppose for vague security purposes as well as convenience for self-sacrifice? Also, in all the scenarios after they break out of the lunch room Root kicks guns aside (not always into the same place, which was interesting) but no one picks them up, I don't think - you'd think the extra bullets would have been useful. But I liked all the details of difference between the scenarios, and though Harold stopping to admire the Degas was perhaps a bit too him (and… why was it there?), I loved the "what good is it saving the world if we can't enjoy it?" message switching voices from Harold to Root in the real action. Also, the Machine ships Fusco/Root, ha ha.
I am a big sucker for the flashbacks on this show, especially those involving Harold teaching the Machine. And technically I suppose all (or most - the really old ones are problematic) of the flashbacks are Machine flashbacks, but nevertheless we label them with characters' names, thinking of them as memories. These ones really were Machine flashbacks - her own memories of learning lessons and consideration of what to do with them. Evidence that she does have, in her machine-like way, a conscience or a moral foundation. Which Samaritan does not. So that was great, and the chess was great, and the trial scenarios were wonderful, especially the speeded-up one with placeholder dialogue - which, aside from being funny, shows that the Machine has near-human powers of observation and synthesis, one might almost say a sense of humor. And is amusing herself. Possibly as distraction from the awfulness of the situation.
I'm wondering if she told Root about the tiny chance of asset survival. It's also interesting to look at Martine's almost robotic behavior as contrast to all the humanity shown by Team Machine (and the Machine's apparent understanding of it) - Martine may be enjoying herself in obedience to Greer's exhortation, but she doesn't show it. Lambert does a bit. (And ha, it's fun to watch Julian Ovenden in that part, after last seeing him as baby-face Andrew Foyle.)
Anyway, so many wonderful pieces to this episode, and they got the pacing just right despite all the repetition, or maybe because of it - a simple scenario, in the end, and I didn't miss any of it even on first viewing. I loved everyone, but of course especially Shaw, who does the protecting and paid what may turn out to be the ultimate price because of it. And Root, oh my God. Especially in that "it's enough" scenario where she steps out into the hail of bullets. All of them are willing to sacrifice for the team, for humanity, and for the ones they especially love, even Harold with his low-key warning to Root before he's shot. Fusco is an interesting partial exception - not that he wouldn't go down to protect the others, but we never see him do it in the scenarios (it's implied in the first, but not shown), and he's undamaged at the end - but not uncompromised. I'm wondering if the opening credits, next time, will show him as a threat to Samaritan. They certainly know about him now, and know that he knows much more than he did; I think Harold's going to have to fill him in even more to protect him. (I'm not worried about John, at least in the sense of recovering from being shot. He'll be fine. He will not be fine about Shaw, but it won't be a repeat of last season. They are all going to need to work together to calm Root down.)
ETA: The worst thing about the scenarios is that they're all likely outcomes of future crises, because the Machine knows her operatives that well, both their capabilities and their weak points. Root would indeed prefer to sacrifice herself knowing that Shaw cared at least a little bit (the repeat, in real time, of her "can't a couple of gals" line was chilling), and in fact they'll be hard-pressed to stop her from doing it now. Harold would not react fast enough in a crisis. John would be self-sacrificing and protective to a fault, when in fact it would have been better to keep Fusco with him to hold off the goons. It's all so true.
And there's a longer essay I could try to write when there's time, about character deaths and especially Carter vs. Shaw, why this one worked for me and the other one didn't. Of course Shaw may well not be dead, and I hope she turns up again - there are all sorts of reasons for Samaritan's operatives to keep her alive, and all sorts of ways she could be useful later on - but it looks like it won't be for a while. Congrats to Shahi on the twins, yay!
Also, aha, the kiss. It's great to watch that happen and then imagine Tumblr exploding. It was great, although the angle and the interfering hair were odd, but awkward passion works for me so very well, and I'm so happy they did it. (The parallels with Reese/Carter are for the essay I could write.)
In conclusion, fantastic episode. And now I have to wake up the kid and make sure he finishes packing - we drive to Allentown today, how much fun in this weather.
And wow, what a stunning episode. Structurally brilliant (if not unpredictable - lots of people guessed the format based on the previews and the title) and a perfect exhibition of the show's combination of action and emotional punch (emotional knockout, even), with Finch-voiced moral lesson to boot (and having just published a book full of chess metaphors I am not at all prejudiced, but I thought it was beautifully done). I have been spending more time on Tumblr than I should looking at the ideas and beautiful gifs posted (though not much discussion - still not a good place for that).
It's one of those episodes where minor plot quibbles don't bother me much even if I notice them, though WTF why is there an override button across the room, I suppose for vague security purposes as well as convenience for self-sacrifice? Also, in all the scenarios after they break out of the lunch room Root kicks guns aside (not always into the same place, which was interesting) but no one picks them up, I don't think - you'd think the extra bullets would have been useful. But I liked all the details of difference between the scenarios, and though Harold stopping to admire the Degas was perhaps a bit too him (and… why was it there?), I loved the "what good is it saving the world if we can't enjoy it?" message switching voices from Harold to Root in the real action. Also, the Machine ships Fusco/Root, ha ha.
I am a big sucker for the flashbacks on this show, especially those involving Harold teaching the Machine. And technically I suppose all (or most - the really old ones are problematic) of the flashbacks are Machine flashbacks, but nevertheless we label them with characters' names, thinking of them as memories. These ones really were Machine flashbacks - her own memories of learning lessons and consideration of what to do with them. Evidence that she does have, in her machine-like way, a conscience or a moral foundation. Which Samaritan does not. So that was great, and the chess was great, and the trial scenarios were wonderful, especially the speeded-up one with placeholder dialogue - which, aside from being funny, shows that the Machine has near-human powers of observation and synthesis, one might almost say a sense of humor. And is amusing herself. Possibly as distraction from the awfulness of the situation.
I'm wondering if she told Root about the tiny chance of asset survival. It's also interesting to look at Martine's almost robotic behavior as contrast to all the humanity shown by Team Machine (and the Machine's apparent understanding of it) - Martine may be enjoying herself in obedience to Greer's exhortation, but she doesn't show it. Lambert does a bit. (And ha, it's fun to watch Julian Ovenden in that part, after last seeing him as baby-face Andrew Foyle.)
Anyway, so many wonderful pieces to this episode, and they got the pacing just right despite all the repetition, or maybe because of it - a simple scenario, in the end, and I didn't miss any of it even on first viewing. I loved everyone, but of course especially Shaw, who does the protecting and paid what may turn out to be the ultimate price because of it. And Root, oh my God. Especially in that "it's enough" scenario where she steps out into the hail of bullets. All of them are willing to sacrifice for the team, for humanity, and for the ones they especially love, even Harold with his low-key warning to Root before he's shot. Fusco is an interesting partial exception - not that he wouldn't go down to protect the others, but we never see him do it in the scenarios (it's implied in the first, but not shown), and he's undamaged at the end - but not uncompromised. I'm wondering if the opening credits, next time, will show him as a threat to Samaritan. They certainly know about him now, and know that he knows much more than he did; I think Harold's going to have to fill him in even more to protect him. (I'm not worried about John, at least in the sense of recovering from being shot. He'll be fine. He will not be fine about Shaw, but it won't be a repeat of last season. They are all going to need to work together to calm Root down.)
ETA: The worst thing about the scenarios is that they're all likely outcomes of future crises, because the Machine knows her operatives that well, both their capabilities and their weak points. Root would indeed prefer to sacrifice herself knowing that Shaw cared at least a little bit (the repeat, in real time, of her "can't a couple of gals" line was chilling), and in fact they'll be hard-pressed to stop her from doing it now. Harold would not react fast enough in a crisis. John would be self-sacrificing and protective to a fault, when in fact it would have been better to keep Fusco with him to hold off the goons. It's all so true.
And there's a longer essay I could try to write when there's time, about character deaths and especially Carter vs. Shaw, why this one worked for me and the other one didn't. Of course Shaw may well not be dead, and I hope she turns up again - there are all sorts of reasons for Samaritan's operatives to keep her alive, and all sorts of ways she could be useful later on - but it looks like it won't be for a while. Congrats to Shahi on the twins, yay!
Also, aha, the kiss. It's great to watch that happen and then imagine Tumblr exploding. It was great, although the angle and the interfering hair were odd, but awkward passion works for me so very well, and I'm so happy they did it. (The parallels with Reese/Carter are for the essay I could write.)
In conclusion, fantastic episode. And now I have to wake up the kid and make sure he finishes packing - we drive to Allentown today, how much fun in this weather.
