PERSON OF INTEREST: Greg Plageman and Jonathan Nolan Tease Going ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ in ‘Control-Alt-Delete’

PERSON OF INTEREST started off 2015 with a bang as last week’s excellent episode, “If-Then-Else,” culminated in the team losing Shaw. And after that trauma, tonight’s intense hour, “Control-Alt-Delete,” showcases a different aspect of the series.

“Get prepared to go down the rabbit hole with the other side,” PERSON OF INTEREST executive producer Greg Plageman teased.

As the episode title hints, Control (Camryn Manheim) reappears in a big way, and viewers will see an entirely new side to the woman who has already caused an immense amount of damage to Team Machine.

“A lot of people didn’t know she drove a minivan,” Plageman noted. “Or that she is a mother, and she has a life. But in an odd way, we’re forcing the audience to reconcile their own dilemma [with what is going on] — [there’s a] conversation between Control and [a coworker] where she puts it to him with the number of people she’s had to take out [while doing this job], and if he’s not comfortable with that, move on. And I think it’s really interesting to present a character like that, a strong, female character who will go to those lengths, and still has a personal life, still has a life she goes back to at home, and can sleep at night is really compelling.”

Equally compelling is the show’s decision to push the boundary of how they tell their stories, and “Control-Alt-Delete” is nearly as format-breaking in its own way as “If-Then-Else” was. Plageman conceded “there was a lot of discussion” about whether they should deviate back-to-back, but ultimately, they opted to pull the trigger on doing what felt right.

“There was a bit of hand-wringing about that,” PERSON OF INTEREST executive producer Jonathan Nolan added. “But we’ve always felt our audience is really smart, and gets really bored when we don’t mix it up.”

And, yes, while Control plays a huge role in the episode, Team Machine’s quest to find Shaw isn’t ignored…and after this latest loss, they’re all a danger to anyone they deem a threat. But which person is the most dangerous in the immediate aftermath of Shaw’s disappearance/potential death?

“Root,” both producers quickly replied.

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PERSON OF INTEREST airs Tuesdays at 10 PM on CBS. And check back soon for more from Plageman and Nolan!

Related:

PERSON OF INTEREST: ‘Control-Alt-Delete’ Photos
PERSON OF INTEREST: The Cast and Showrunner on the Big ‘If-Then-Else’ Twist
PERSON OF INTEREST: ‘If-Then-Else’ Photos

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