Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 11, 2016

With much of the praise for the current crop of television's best going to the cable channels, home to shows like Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, Mr. Robot and The Leftovers, and streaming services that have gotten into the game with content like House of Cards, good old-fashioned network shows sometimes seem to get lost in the shuffle. But it's network TV that gave audiences shows like The X-Files, 24, The West Wing, and Lost, all of which are rightly heralded as amongst the finest dramatic series ever to grace the airwaves. But those...those are the past. Cable is certainly winning the battle in the 2010s, but one of the finest shows on TV happens to be airing on CBS. Person of Interest, from Creator Jonathan Nolan (brother of acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan and co-writer of several of Nolan's most acclaimed films), is a slickly produced and eerily timely show that blends high concept drama, sharp social commentary, tight action, and terrific characterization as it examines a world that's becoming quickly identified more for its technological advances -- and how they can be used for right or for wrong -- and less for the humanity that constructed it. Season four is particularly noteworthy for its broader story arc that sees the characters fighting against a machine that operates across the line of the already gray-area demarcation of radical technology's positive uses and negative consequences.

The fun room.

Official synopsis: The watchers are now targets: the malevolent artificial intelligence named Samaritan has come online, and with the full, secretive backing of the U.S. government, it is subtly surveilling and manipulating lives towards its diabolical purposes -- and relentlessly hunting down the Person of Interest team. Reese (Jim Caviezel), Finch (Michael Emerson), Shaw (Sarah Shahai), and Root (Amy Acker) have so far escaped into new identities, but they and NYPD Detective Fusco (Kevin Chapman) constantly risk exposure as they continue to execute The Machine's missions to protect average citizens from unseen dangers. And the rise of a sinister cadre called The Brotherhood makes their crime fighting crusade all the more perilous...

Season four continues forward along the series' general narrative arc built on timely concepts and deep themes blended with creative fiction that keeps the show entertaining rather than a sourly depressing reminder of the Orwellian Enemy of the State meets Minority report meets Skynet world that really exists behind the façade, and seems to be ever evolving in parallel in the real world, too. Season four maintains the series' sharp, insightful writing -- one-off stories, wider arcs, character evolutions, social commentary, and excitement -- along with pitch-perfect performances from its leads. The season introduces a new, metaphorically correct workplace for Finch, but it's the more intensely focused man vs. man, man vs. machine and machine vs. machine story angles that make this season's central storyline compelling and that keeps the series fresh.

Season four is comprised of the following episodes. Summaries are courtesy of an insert included in the Blu-ray packaging. Some spoilers follow.

Disc One:

• Panopticon: It's about survival. The team gets a makeover with new identities to elude detection. But this is war -- and the "mayhem twins" find it hard to ignore The Machine's numbers, putting them all at risk of being identified by Samaritan.
• Nautilus: The reluctant Finch's interest is piqued when Reese learns the newest POI is a brilliant college student engaged in an elaborate scavenger hunt that's become a most dangerous game.
• Wingman: Fusco is drafted into the case of a professional "wingman," but learning how to approach women soon becomes the least of his worries. Reese must play by the rules at his day job as Finch and Root are sent on a mysterious errand.
• Brotherhood: Two young siblings make off with drug money and are targeted by a heavily networked criminal gang. In protecting them, Reese puts his cover job as a detective in jeopardy.
• Prophets: A talented political pollster's number comes up, and when his normally accurate predictions start going wrong, Finch suspects a connection. Elsewhere, Capt. Marino gives Reese an order that sidelines his work.
• Pretenders: A mild-mannered insurance agent gets into major trouble posing as a detective to solve the murder of a colleague's brother. Meanwhile, Finch's cover profession takes him to Hong Kong.

Disc Two:

• Honor Among Thieves: Shaw joins a gang of international thieves to monitor the latest POI, but their caper puts her dangerously in Samaritan's sights. Finch and Root team up for some educational software sabotage.
• Point of Origin: Reese becomes an NYPD police academy instructor to watch a talented young officer who in turn is watching her fellow classmates. Events circle around to Dominic (Winston Duke), who's launched his plan to bring Elias down.
• The Devil You Know: With Root and Shaw on the run from Samaritan, Reese and Finch are on their own protecting Elias (Enrico Colantoni) from Domic and The Brotherhood. Even after Elias' bodyguard is kidnapped, Elias resists Reese's protection.
• The Cold War: Samaritan exerts control over New York City -- stopping crime one day and unleashing chaos the next -- to provoke a face-to-face meeting with The Machine. Through it all, Shaw chafes at being sidelined.
• If-Then-Else: Samaritan's stock exchange cyber attack threatens a global economic catastrophe. As the team launches a likely suicide mission to correct things, The Machine's got a lot on its mind.
• Control-Alt-Delete: When Samaritan throws a roadblock into an operation, Control (Camryn Manheim) begins to question the program's methods and intensions. Then she encounters a pair of hooded vigilantes who hope to open her mind even further.

Disc Three:

• M.I.A.: The trail to Shaw takes Reese and Root to an upstate town rife with secrets. Back in the city, Fusco teams -- contentiously -- with a former POI to take down a numbered hit man.
• Guilty: Finch's number is up: The Machine assigns him jury duty on a murder trial, where a fellow juror may be rigging the proceedings. Meanwhile, Reese opens up to the department's therapist.
• Q&A: A software programmer with a second life needs protection -- and it's unclear from which aspect of her life the threat originates. Claire, the young Samaritan recruit from Finch's past, reaches out for help.
• Blunt: An experienced grifter unwittingly steals drug proceeds from The Brotherhood and soon learns she's in over her head. On a Machine-mandated mission, Root infiltrates a tech company owned by a former Number.
• Karma: Shrink or vigilante? Reese and Finch shadow a psychologist whose unorthodox methods for helping patients find closure could cost him dearly. Flashbacks reveal Finch's fragile state following the bombing that killed his best friend.
• Skip: A bounty hunter tracking her brother's killer occupies Reese and Fusco, while Finch and Root keep close watch on a software developer whose programming could be the key to deactivating Samaritan.

Disc Four:

• Search & Destroy: Reese and Finch must protect a software CEO (Aasif Mandevi) after a hacker attack reveals his secrets and unravels his life. The operation takes them into the woods -- and a Samaritan showdown.
• Terra Incognita: Reese finds himself on a perilous personal journey when he takes on a home-invasion mass-murder case that Detective Carter (Taraji P. Henson) was never able to close.
• Asylum: Reese and Fusco get caught in the war between rival kingpins Elias and Dominic. A tantalizing clue to Shaw's whereabouts draws Finch and Root into the belly of the beast. Control goes rogue to uncover Samaritan's intended "correction."
• YHWH: They're The Machine's last hope: Finch and Root take a wild ride to beat Samaritan's forces to The Machine's location. Control tries to get a firm grip on the situation in D.C. Reese and Fusco battle to thwart Dominic's bid for domination.

Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season features a 1080p transfer that's every bit a looker. Detailing and color alike are organic and effortless, the former boasting impeccable textures on all variety of surfaces: dense city streets, underground subway terminal tiles and accents, natural leaves and grasses, clothes, and faces. Facial textures are appropriately robust across a diverse spread of looks, from Caviezel's war-weathered face to Acker's impeccably clean and smooth skin. Colors hold firm in all variety of lighting conditions, from sun-soaked exteriors to more dimly lit interiors. The palette never struggles to finds its center in any scene, and while mild crush and light noise intrude on the rare occasion, there's no reason for alarm. The transfer never struggles with obvious bouts of macroblocking, aliasing, or other intrusions. Overall, this is a fine presentation and in-line with the previous three seasons' strong outings.

Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack demonstrates tight command of the series' involved sound design. Sonic depth and dimensionality are impressive. The listener always feels somehow immersed in the moment, whether by way of high energy action, soaring music, full ambience, or gentle subtleties that define even the quietest of locations. Music comes detailed throughout the range and solidified with a healthy low end. Immersion is a signature feature and the wrap around to the back comes naturally, not forcefully. Action is dynamic and entertaining, and even as there's a large variance in sonic signatures -- diverse gunfire, explosions, crashes, crunches, and other examples of mayhem -- the track handles each with impeccable definition and perfect stage placement and movement. Ambient effects are terrific. Cityscapes spring to life with a vibrant sonic landscape featuring mixed, but identifiable and lifelike, din spilling from every speaker in perfect proportion to the action, distance from it, and other variables. About the only hiccup is dialogue that occasionally plays with a harsh edge about it, a mild sense of detachment. Otherwise, vocal clarity is usually strong, placement remains in the center as a rule with few understandable exceptions, and prioritization is constant. This is a terrific listen for one of the more sonically interesting TV shows on the market today.

Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season contains all of its supplemental content on disc four. A voucher for a UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Music of Interest (1080p, 17:44): A detailed look at Composer Ramin Djawadi's music and its importance in defining the show's actions and emotions. Key cast are interviewed, and audiences are granted an inside look at the music selection process and discussions centered on how the music helps shape key moments in the show.
• Going Underground with Root and Finch (1080p, 4:57): Amy Acker and Michael Emerson offer viewers a closer look at one of the season's new key sets.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 2:58).
• Person of Interest 2014 Comic-Con Panel (1080p, 28:36): Moderator Ralph Cirella hosts Writer Greg Plageman and Actors Jonah Nolan, Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Kevin Chapman, Sarah Shahi, and Amy Acker.

Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Person of Interest is one of the best shows going on television, particularly on the network landscape that's being overshadowed by the deluge of good-to-great-to-classic cable programming. Season four continues to demonstrate that excellence with an evolving story arc, ever timely ideas, terrific action, and strong character development. By all indications its upcoming condensed fifth season appears to be its last, disappointing considering the series' relevance to and parallels with today's explosive growth in all-knowing technologies but understandable in a greater television context. Person of Interest: The Complete Fourth Season offers excellent video and audio presentations, supported by a few extras. Recommended, but newcomers should definitely start at the beginning.