Ghosts (29 Sep. 2011)

The latest social security number the machine spews out is that of teenager Theresa Whitaker. The problem is that Theresa was supposedly killed two years earlier in what was deemed a murder... See full summary »

Director:

Richard J. Lewis

Writers:

Jonathan Nolan (creator), Greg Plageman,

Stars:

Jim Caviezel, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Caviezel	...	John Reese
Taraji P. Henson	...	Detective Joss Carter
Kevin Chapman	...	Detective Lionel Fusco
Michael Emerson	...	Harold Finch
Brett Cullen	...	Nathan Ingram
Ritchie Coster	...	Assassin
Molly Price	...	Elizabeth Whitaker
Valentina de Angelis	...	Theresa Whitaker
Danny Mastrogiorgio	...	Derek Whitaker
Remy Auberjonois	...	Jimmy Calhoun
Randall Newsome	...	Councilman
Al Sapienza	...	Detective Raymond Terney
Anthony Mangano	...	Detective Kane
Michael Medeiros	...	Solnick
Conor Romero	...	Deacon Page

Storyline

The latest social security number the machine spews out is that of teenager Theresa Whitaker. The problem is that Theresa was supposedly killed two years earlier in what was deemed a murder/suicide of her entire family on a boat, the killer being her father, Grant Whitaker. However, Theresa's body was never recovered, presumed drowned and swept away by the current. Reese quickly discovers that it wasn't a suicide, but rather a contract hit. They have to figure out who contracted the hit and why, and why they didn't kill then fifteen year old Theresa. They also have to figure out if the hit had any connection to Grant's now supposedly grieving brother Derek and/or Derek's ex-wife, Elizabeth. But first, they have to find Theresa, who probably has trust issues having been underground for two years. Because of her situation, Finch has a certain empathy for this case. Meanwhile, Finch recalls telling a disbelieving associate of the back door into the system. And Carter hits a stumbling ...

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 September 2011 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kilter Films, Bad Robot, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

44 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mr. Finch's first name is Herold. Horst Herold was the president of German federal law enforcement in the '70s where he invented the dragnet - the first system that used a database full of personal information to identify criminals or suspects from the masses.

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Goofs

When Reese is trying to intercept the bad guys car, their car on the map is going north, and Reese's taxi is going west. This means the bad guys should be coming from Reese's left. But when he stops them they're coming from his right. Which means that even though Reese got to the intersection first, their car has somehow passed him, u-turned and is now going south when he stops them.

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Quotes

Detective Lionel Fusco: Hey, you don't talk to people who just walk into the joint!
John Reese: Lionel... you worried about me? I'm touched!

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Soundtracks

"The Truth"
Performed by Handsome Boy Modeling School featuring J-Live & Roisin Murphy

User Reviews

Underused Big Brother fascinating concept, not intriguing enough and only decent episodic story but still entertaining, promising and Caviezel + Emerson = Winning combo

Sadly this episode didn't live up to my expectations. My major complain would be that it was less funny than the pilot when its humor is one of the elements that convinced me the most. John's attitude is still bold and Jim Caviezel's performance is excellent but I missed the gag with the young gangster for instance. There were a few funny scenes but it wasn't enough to balance the overall too serious vibe. The cat and mouse game between John and Mr. Finch was entertaining but the episodic plot was only decent and not original nor linked to the Machine arc. I also found the cop investigation subplot boring considering how much it has already been overused by far too many other shows. Moreover I find the whole surveillance camera concept slightly dated. Wouldn't it more modern to use social networks too ? Still the few minutes dedicated to Big Brother were interesting because we all know it's possible to track people using their cellphones. Moreover the numerous animations to illustrate Mr. Finch's explanations and the constant reminders that the Machine watches them made things more realistic. I'll never play Kinect again nor video chat. Technology is pure evil. Seriously an exciting thing about the show is that it tends to make you a little paranoiac and realizing it is quite funny. However with all the security issues and threats covered in the news it's hard to trust anyone these days. The Playstation Network was hacked, spams are everywhere and recently a website named Copwatch was launched in France to track the police ! For the moment it's hosted by a North American company so it will probably take them weeks to shut it down. It leads us to the Machine again because learning more about it was interesting but I want more. Terrorists could hack it to search and kill powerful individuals for instance. What about a Dr Hyde trying to destroy it ? Give us something fresh, intriguing and twisted to support the episodic format. To sum things up they better step up their game next time or I will definitely give up on Person of Interest. It would be sad because its concept could be fascinating if it was properly executed.