Showing posts with label Jim Caviezel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Caviezel. Show all posts
January 1, 2014
2 Cool "Person of Interest" Fan-vids
These were two totally awesome fan-vids of POI that I discovered over at YouTube - yaknow, during those long 3-week waits between new episodes, where you desperately watch anything that gives you the same tingling excitement as watching an episode does. This show has SO MANY COOL MOMENTS, it's reaaaalllly difficult to include them all in one video ;) But I think these do a great job of collecting some of the best ones into little narratives of their own. Oh yeah, and they've also introduced me/made me a fan of both these FANTASTIC songs!
May 18, 2013
'Person of Interest' - The Relationship Between Reese and Finch
***WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SEASON FINALE, "GOD MODE". So if you didn't stop your entire life and watch it the day it aired and don't wish to know what transpired in it beforehand, please don't read any further :)
So, we've now gotten to journey through two thrilling seasons of 'Person of Interest' - that's 45 episodes of gleefully watching Reese and Finch - a duo so dynamic just seeing them sitting on a park bench together gives you a tingle of excitement - take on the baddies and save the part of the free world that would otherwise slip through the cracks. And man, what a ride it's been! As we wait (impatiently, excitedly, and with so many open questions and wild theories dancing around our heads) for POI Season 3 (~Wake me when September comes...~), let's take a brief look at how we entered and exited the relationship that is the core of Team Machine in each of the two seasons...
Sx01, Ex01 - The Initial Meeting:
I'm considering it the initial meeting because it's the first time we the audience see them make contact. Yes, Reese encountered Finch before (in the flashback where Reese learns of Jessica's death), but he didn't know it was Finch and they didn't talk or become introduced to each other. Finch might have known about Reese for a long time - I'm still a little hazy on the timeline and details of the whole laptop/virus-within-a-virus/Ordos/Harold-Finch-is-behind-it-all stuff - but again, he never spoke face-to-face with Reese then, so this scene in the pilot is their first important introduction.
I love the way Finch is all "I know exactly everything about you, Mr. Reese." It makes him quite the mysterious figure. Yet at the same time, he has a sensitivity toward Reese that makes us think there is so much more here to explore. And they did that throughout the season. I was floored when they revealed Finch was right there in the hospital (in the aforementioned flashback) with Reese's picture and number. Bleep! So many times after watching a new episode that divulged a secret reveal like that, I'd have to go back and rewatch a previous episode's scene to see how this new information incorporated into it. Sure enough there'd be glimpses of the fact that it was true the whole time! And either I just hadn't picked up on it, or I'd noticed something originally and happily wondered when it would be revealed.
Finch is guarded, he doesn't yet know if he should open up to Reese. So many awful things have happened to Finch since the instating of The Machine as the government's secret weapon against terrorism, he has to be sure before he tells Reese things, before he trusts him.
Reese himself is in a dark place. He doesn't want to trust anyone either - he doesn't care to trust anyone. There's no use in it, his life is over, why bother? Only, Finch can give him purpose again. Finch can save Reese's life. He does so in 'Number Crunch' where he comes and rescues Reese from the building after Reese is shot. But it's interesting to note that Finch in fact saved Reese from the very beginning. Who knows what might have happened had Finch not intervened at this point in Reese's life? No one else could do for Reese what he needs, what Finch can do for him. No one. At the same time, Reese is the only one who can supply Finch with what he needs to keep going. "The skills to intervene." Who else could Finch hire to help him rectify his mistake about the irrelevant numbers?
So we begin this ever-evolving relationship between these two very different, though ultimately super similar, characters at a time in which both are at a point where they could not reasonably continue without the other. That's really powerful, and it makes it just the right moment to start their journey with them. A journey to find redemption and to learn to trust again. And to feel joy again.
Sx01, Ex23 - Side by Side:
By the final episode of Season 1, "Firewall", Reese and Finch have grown much closer. That's just something that happens when you cheat death together, have nobody else to confide your vigilante actions to, and spend day after day shoulder to shoulder working for a common goal. They've become very dependent on each other's presence - something we then see upset in a major way with Root kidnapping Finch and causing him and Reese to be separated for the first time since the beginning. It was heartbreaking to see Reese so hollow when he's looking around the empty Library afterward. His friend is gone, and he may not get him back. How can he continue saving the numbers without his friend, benefactor, mentor, conscience, and "tech support"? (This makes me think of poor Finch also returning to the Library after the loss of his close friend and only confidant. In Finch's case though, he never got Nathan back...)
Because Finch is kidnapped by the end, this is the only scene in which Finch and Reese are together in the episode; for the remainder of it they are in different locations, only communicating over the phoneline.
Sx02, Ex02 - The Reunion:
It takes until the second episode of Season 2, "Bad Code", before Reese and Finch are reunited. Finch has changed; he's had to go through yet another traumatic experience, and he's had to look at his creation and what he's done to it through Root's psycho viewpoint. Reese too has changed; he's had to reason with the Machine, face the (permanent if he can't rescue him) void left by Finch's absence, and fill Finch's role as the one getting the numbers from the Machine. These are all things that bear on their dynamic as they go back to business as usual. Reese is careful to let Finch ease back to normalcy. Finch must consider that Reese won't prioritize Finch's safety below that of fulfilling the Machine's contingency plan. Finch may have been able to reprogram the Machine to not protect him, but he won't have the same success with Reese. Nope, if Finch is in danger then Reese won't stop trying to save him, and he'll give the unstoppable cannonball a run for its money in doing so.
Sx02, Ex22 - In Step:
As Season 2 closes out, our two heroes are ready for whatever the next stage will be in their mission as guardian angels to the numbers on the irrelevant list. Finch has fewer secrets than ever from Reese. Reese has had to forgive Finch for certain things, or more accurately, the decisions of Finch's that led to certain things. They are completely inseparable at this point. They are in perfect tandem. (Bear too, just look at him putting his paw forward in step with his masters.) They are two sides of the same coin. They walk alongside each other in the darkness created by the choices in their lives. As long as the Machine continues to call them with the numbers, they will continue to answer the phone.
I can't wait to see what awesome twists and turns await Finch and Reese in Season 3. If the storylines are anything like in the first two seasons, I'll be thrilled no end! Or course it'll be hard to top things like:
*The adorableness of the two self-inflicted bachelors caring for baby Leila in their secret hideout...
*The uh-oh moments involved in Finch leaving Reese out of the case that bore too much similarity to Jessica's death...
*The hilarious teasing that passes between them when there's a lull in the danger...
*The powerful bond that rears its wonderful head at moments when either one is in a life-threatening situation...
*The touchingness of Reese trying to make Finch feel better about his decision to protect Grace...
*The funny reaction from Reese when Finch tells him he set Reese up with a date with Maxine and has been texting her all day...
*The sweetness of seeing Finch's smile when Bear bowls Reese over upon Reese's return from Rikers prison...
*The cushion... (Yes, that's all that needs to be said)
*The tenseness of having to disarm a bombvest atop a roof at night when it's strapped to your other half...
But if the POI writers are up to the challenge of writing it, then I'm definitely up to the 'challenge' of watching it. Bring it on! Oh right, there're still weeks and weeks to have to wait...
------
I had the idea to make this post a bit ago, but then last night I found this amazing fanvid, and it's a perfect showcase of the friendship and bond and funny moments I tried to cover above. Watch and enjoy! (If your feels explode, don't say I didn't warn ya ;)
(Thanks to talitha78 for making this vid!!)
So, we've now gotten to journey through two thrilling seasons of 'Person of Interest' - that's 45 episodes of gleefully watching Reese and Finch - a duo so dynamic just seeing them sitting on a park bench together gives you a tingle of excitement - take on the baddies and save the part of the free world that would otherwise slip through the cracks. And man, what a ride it's been! As we wait (impatiently, excitedly, and with so many open questions and wild theories dancing around our heads) for POI Season 3 (~Wake me when September comes...~), let's take a brief look at how we entered and exited the relationship that is the core of Team Machine in each of the two seasons...
Sx01, Ex01 - The Initial Meeting:
I'm considering it the initial meeting because it's the first time we the audience see them make contact. Yes, Reese encountered Finch before (in the flashback where Reese learns of Jessica's death), but he didn't know it was Finch and they didn't talk or become introduced to each other. Finch might have known about Reese for a long time - I'm still a little hazy on the timeline and details of the whole laptop/virus-within-a-virus/Ordos/Harold-Finch-is-behind-it-all stuff - but again, he never spoke face-to-face with Reese then, so this scene in the pilot is their first important introduction.
I love the way Finch is all "I know exactly everything about you, Mr. Reese." It makes him quite the mysterious figure. Yet at the same time, he has a sensitivity toward Reese that makes us think there is so much more here to explore. And they did that throughout the season. I was floored when they revealed Finch was right there in the hospital (in the aforementioned flashback) with Reese's picture and number. Bleep! So many times after watching a new episode that divulged a secret reveal like that, I'd have to go back and rewatch a previous episode's scene to see how this new information incorporated into it. Sure enough there'd be glimpses of the fact that it was true the whole time! And either I just hadn't picked up on it, or I'd noticed something originally and happily wondered when it would be revealed.
Finch is guarded, he doesn't yet know if he should open up to Reese. So many awful things have happened to Finch since the instating of The Machine as the government's secret weapon against terrorism, he has to be sure before he tells Reese things, before he trusts him.
Reese himself is in a dark place. He doesn't want to trust anyone either - he doesn't care to trust anyone. There's no use in it, his life is over, why bother? Only, Finch can give him purpose again. Finch can save Reese's life. He does so in 'Number Crunch' where he comes and rescues Reese from the building after Reese is shot. But it's interesting to note that Finch in fact saved Reese from the very beginning. Who knows what might have happened had Finch not intervened at this point in Reese's life? No one else could do for Reese what he needs, what Finch can do for him. No one. At the same time, Reese is the only one who can supply Finch with what he needs to keep going. "The skills to intervene." Who else could Finch hire to help him rectify his mistake about the irrelevant numbers?
So we begin this ever-evolving relationship between these two very different, though ultimately super similar, characters at a time in which both are at a point where they could not reasonably continue without the other. That's really powerful, and it makes it just the right moment to start their journey with them. A journey to find redemption and to learn to trust again. And to feel joy again.
Sx01, Ex23 - Side by Side:
By the final episode of Season 1, "Firewall", Reese and Finch have grown much closer. That's just something that happens when you cheat death together, have nobody else to confide your vigilante actions to, and spend day after day shoulder to shoulder working for a common goal. They've become very dependent on each other's presence - something we then see upset in a major way with Root kidnapping Finch and causing him and Reese to be separated for the first time since the beginning. It was heartbreaking to see Reese so hollow when he's looking around the empty Library afterward. His friend is gone, and he may not get him back. How can he continue saving the numbers without his friend, benefactor, mentor, conscience, and "tech support"? (This makes me think of poor Finch also returning to the Library after the loss of his close friend and only confidant. In Finch's case though, he never got Nathan back...)
Because Finch is kidnapped by the end, this is the only scene in which Finch and Reese are together in the episode; for the remainder of it they are in different locations, only communicating over the phoneline.
Sx02, Ex02 - The Reunion:
It takes until the second episode of Season 2, "Bad Code", before Reese and Finch are reunited. Finch has changed; he's had to go through yet another traumatic experience, and he's had to look at his creation and what he's done to it through Root's psycho viewpoint. Reese too has changed; he's had to reason with the Machine, face the (permanent if he can't rescue him) void left by Finch's absence, and fill Finch's role as the one getting the numbers from the Machine. These are all things that bear on their dynamic as they go back to business as usual. Reese is careful to let Finch ease back to normalcy. Finch must consider that Reese won't prioritize Finch's safety below that of fulfilling the Machine's contingency plan. Finch may have been able to reprogram the Machine to not protect him, but he won't have the same success with Reese. Nope, if Finch is in danger then Reese won't stop trying to save him, and he'll give the unstoppable cannonball a run for its money in doing so.
Sx02, Ex22 - In Step:
As Season 2 closes out, our two heroes are ready for whatever the next stage will be in their mission as guardian angels to the numbers on the irrelevant list. Finch has fewer secrets than ever from Reese. Reese has had to forgive Finch for certain things, or more accurately, the decisions of Finch's that led to certain things. They are completely inseparable at this point. They are in perfect tandem. (Bear too, just look at him putting his paw forward in step with his masters.) They are two sides of the same coin. They walk alongside each other in the darkness created by the choices in their lives. As long as the Machine continues to call them with the numbers, they will continue to answer the phone.
I can't wait to see what awesome twists and turns await Finch and Reese in Season 3. If the storylines are anything like in the first two seasons, I'll be thrilled no end! Or course it'll be hard to top things like:
*The adorableness of the two self-inflicted bachelors caring for baby Leila in their secret hideout...
*The uh-oh moments involved in Finch leaving Reese out of the case that bore too much similarity to Jessica's death...
*The hilarious teasing that passes between them when there's a lull in the danger...
*The powerful bond that rears its wonderful head at moments when either one is in a life-threatening situation...
*The touchingness of Reese trying to make Finch feel better about his decision to protect Grace...
*The funny reaction from Reese when Finch tells him he set Reese up with a date with Maxine and has been texting her all day...
*The sweetness of seeing Finch's smile when Bear bowls Reese over upon Reese's return from Rikers prison...
*The cushion... (Yes, that's all that needs to be said)
*The tenseness of having to disarm a bombvest atop a roof at night when it's strapped to your other half...
But if the POI writers are up to the challenge of writing it, then I'm definitely up to the 'challenge' of watching it. Bring it on! Oh right, there're still weeks and weeks to have to wait...
------
I had the idea to make this post a bit ago, but then last night I found this amazing fanvid, and it's a perfect showcase of the friendship and bond and funny moments I tried to cover above. Watch and enjoy! (If your feels explode, don't say I didn't warn ya ;)
(Thanks to talitha78 for making this vid!!)
September 19, 2012
Fansite Spotlight: Pedia of Interest
"Person of Interest" is so totally one of those shows where little details count; where something mentioned in passing - episodes back - will come into play suddenly, making you leap with joy at how well-crafted the arc of those details was. A show like that deserves a repository where all that information can be collected and correlated (wait, that almost sounds like something the Machine does!). Enter Pedia of Interest, a wonderfully all-inclusive fansite, that is as comprehensive as you can get with a show that is still airing and so has a continual amount of data to be added. It's great watching it update with new info after an episode has aired.
Points of Interest:
It's packed with so many crunchy POI tidbits, I'm not even sure I've entirely gleaned it all. Be careful though, the site may contain spoilers for the upcoming Season Two. That oh-so-anticipated second season that is only eight days away!
Points of Interest:
- The Mysteries page. How cool is it to have a breakdown of what's been divulged, mythology-wise, in the series so far?
- A list of each person of interest (a.k.a. people whose number is known to have come up), even some that weren't the main number that week - that's being thorough, I love it!
- A list of which episodes had flashbacks, and which character's they were.
- The extensive amount of trivia throughout, like the aliases used by our main duo, and the titles of literature caught onscreen.
It's packed with so many crunchy POI tidbits, I'm not even sure I've entirely gleaned it all. Be careful though, the site may contain spoilers for the upcoming Season Two. That oh-so-anticipated second season that is only eight days away!
 |
| (Leila .gif from a POI fan on tumblr) |
August 26, 2012
Awaiting the Season 2 Premiere of 'Person of Interest'
I am SO STOKED for the season 2 premiere of 'Person of Interest'!!
So many questions from the first season to be answered, and so many possibilities for new mysteries and reveals! The promises given by the cast and crew, both at ComicCon and on Twitter, of all the awesome things in store for us this season, have me so totally excited! I am looking forward to POI more than any other TV show this season. Actually, I'm having a hard time remembering when the last time I was this excited for a TV show to return even was... "Way to go, guys!"
!!!SAVE FINCH!!!
I'm dying to have Harold's rescue take place, but I'm also glad it won't happen in the first episode of season 2 - for that means we get to see more of Reese coping with his absence. The absence of the man who not only gave him his renewed purpose in life but has also been a crucial part of all their prior missions together. So the greater amount of shots like this that that situation causes, the happier I'll be:
Check out these scans of the TV Guide ComicCon issue with nice appetizers and behind-the-scenes photos (courtesy of A Blog All About Michael Emerson)
The anticipation gets more and more acute as September 27th comes ever closer - only 4 weeks and 4 days to go now! Let the countdown begin...
-----
Here's some desktop wallpaper I made, while trying in vain not to think of how long 4 weeks and 4 days is gonna take!
1924 x 1080
So many questions from the first season to be answered, and so many possibilities for new mysteries and reveals! The promises given by the cast and crew, both at ComicCon and on Twitter, of all the awesome things in store for us this season, have me so totally excited! I am looking forward to POI more than any other TV show this season. Actually, I'm having a hard time remembering when the last time I was this excited for a TV show to return even was... "Way to go, guys!"
!!!SAVE FINCH!!!
I'm dying to have Harold's rescue take place, but I'm also glad it won't happen in the first episode of season 2 - for that means we get to see more of Reese coping with his absence. The absence of the man who not only gave him his renewed purpose in life but has also been a crucial part of all their prior missions together. So the greater amount of shots like this that that situation causes, the happier I'll be:
Check out these scans of the TV Guide ComicCon issue with nice appetizers and behind-the-scenes photos (courtesy of A Blog All About Michael Emerson)
'Behind the Scenes'
'Burning Questions'
'Under Surveillance'
The anticipation gets more and more acute as September 27th comes ever closer - only 4 weeks and 4 days to go now! Let the countdown begin...
-----
Here's some desktop wallpaper I made, while trying in vain not to think of how long 4 weeks and 4 days is gonna take!
April 13, 2012
LEGO "Finch's Library"
Check out this LEGO creation based on "Person of Interest". I love the attention to detail and the inclusion of Reese's Plan B :D Great job, Ben!
"I know, because I built it..."
"Go ahead... Make my day..."
"I know, because I built it..."
"Go ahead... Make my day..."
April 7, 2012
Wallpaper & Review: "Person of Interest"
1920 x 1080
There's a wonderful feeling of watching a pilot to a new show and thinking "Oh wow! This is going to be my new fave show!!" Well that's exactly what happened when I watched 'Person of Interest'. And not only did each next episode I saw confirm my first suspicions, but they somehow kept getting better and making me more and more of a fan!
There are definite differences between a show being one you just watch and appreciate and being one that becomes a favorite for ever and all time. First off, there's the amount of time you devote to it when you AREN'T in front of the TV watching an episode - you discuss it endlessly with other fans, you read the speculation/spoilers/discussion threads at the forums, you try and predict where the storylines are going to go next, you surf all its sites for promotional photos and screenshots, you cycle those photos as your desktop/mobile wallpaper, you follow its Twitter and leave comments about fave scenes, you count the days til when the next episode is going to air, you search out behind-the-scenes vids and interviews, you dream about it at night, you quote your fave one-liners every time one fits in the conversation (and even when they only sorta fit, lol!), you have the itch to do something creative off of it, you memorize all the episode titles and character names and actors who portray them, you look up the actors on IMDB to see if there's anything else you can watch them in while waiting for next week's episode, you realise that if you were still a kid you'd be playing adventures of the characters inbetween chores and schoolwork (or even during ;P)... And secondly, you want to recommend the show to everybody you know, including linking it into your blog or Facebook or whatever you use to list your top fave things.
Yep, when it comes to POI, I totally have all the symptoms!
This series is a slick-yet-comfortable, sci-fi-ish, could've-made-a-comic-book-or-anime, well-written and acted drama, starring the beautiful, oh-so-intense, masterful Jim Caviezel, the unique, riveting, so-glad-he-gets-to-play-good-this-time Michael Emerson, the awesome, talented, tough-without-it-being-forced Taraji P. Henson, and the fantastic, funny, adorably gruff Kevin Chapman. POI has so many things that I desire in a show and cause me to adore it to pieces:
1. Episodes that contain continuity beyond the obvious over-arching mythology. For example, I loved how in "Blue Code" they referenced an element brought up nine episodes previously in "The Fix".
2. Characters that you can really get behind and call 'Awesome!!'
3. Superb character interaction. The sort that makes you laugh out loud, or gasp, or bring a tear to your eye. The relationship between Finch and Reese is so dynamic and so perfect, it has so many levels to it and the writers can push it in any direction too - they will at times play it for laughs with Reese and Finch poking digs at each other, then put in some 'OMG, where's this going to lead?' interaction, like with Reese snooping out Finch's real past, and then at other times they'll have endearing moments that get the fangirl in me squeeing when one of them will be concerned over the other's safety/well-being. And it's not just their relationship that is kept dynamic, all four of the main stars' characters have interesting dynamics between them, that also keep growing and changing throughout.
4. Quotability. Oh how I love quotable quotes! You know the type :D "I recommend the eggs benedict", "I don't particularly like killing, but I'm very good at it", "THAT is what we do", "So you're saying being hired by a fourteen year old boy to take care of his brother's killers isn't working out as planned?", "I always pictured you in the backseat of my squad car - of course I thought it'd be in handcuffs", smugly: "It worked", "It's still a grenade!", and so many more!
5. Badass heroic action!! I mean, when Reese takes on a gang of bad guys like he was some sort of major superhero dude, or uses a gun so big you can't help but stare to take on a moving vehicle and rescue someone, it's electric! I have to admit that these scenes make me giddy and I find I watch them with more satisfaction sometimes than the scenes devoted to telling the story that week, lol. And I'm not a person who likes violence, not by a long shot!, I just LOVE seeing someone get to do good and save lives while not letting ANY sort of rules and regulations - or anything else that unintentionally impedes justice - get in his way or slow him down. So yeah, I'm kinda addicted to those "Woohoo, go, Reese! Save the day!" moments :D
6. Little nuances that mean so much - things that you might miss and need to watch the episodes over and over to really absorb and notice how it all fits together and bears on elements from both previous and subsequent episodes. POI does this without being all a scene is hinged on however, which is good, cos I hate when a show does do it like that and then if you don't pay close enough attention you're lost!
7. Classy, exciting, and varied settings. Basically anything that can be iconic and that sets scenes apart from other scenes. Finch's abandoned-library headquarters is really cool, and the show is always finding some cool-looking area to stage fights, chases, conversations...
I do hope POI gets a nice long run (though not so long it goes downhill. Three seasons might be just right). I'm quite happy that's it's been picked up for a second season, cos this will mark it as pretty much the first time I was insane about a new show and it didn't get axed in its infancy.
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