PERSON OF INTEREST: Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel Share if They Want Their Characters to Survive

Sooner or later both of us will probably wind up dead. Actually dead, this time. I said I’d tell you the truth. Didn’t say you’d like it. – Harold Finch

When PERSON OF INTEREST’s Reese (Jim Caviezel) and Finch (Michael Emerson) set out on their unconventional partnership, the terms were clear: they would try and prevent untimely deaths, but it would very likely lead to one (or both) of them meeting their own end.

Certainly PERSON OF INTEREST has never been shy with death, as several of their allies have fallen in the years since the duo started on their mission. But, as of now, both men have managed to survive.

I visited the set of PERSON OF INTEREST last October, before the show’s fate was officially confirmed and either actor knew how the series would end, and asked whether they wanted their character to survive. Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST: Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel on Shaw’s Return

Shaw is officially back with Team Machine on PERSON OF INTEREST — after a virtual reality reunion in episode 4 — but whether she can be trusted is still a big question mark.

“Well, it would be like if someone in your family you thought was dead suddenly turns up again, only they’re not quite right,” Michael Emerson (Finch) says. “I know Mr. Finch feels that way. He’s always trying to keep a distance from things, and not let emotions cloud his judgment. He’s always the one saying, ‘Let’s slow down. Let’s check on this. Let’s think this through. There may be more to this than what we see. But as you might imagine, Root is gung-ho for a full reunion and partnership. We’ll see how that plays out.”

“Practical sense: I have the understanding of what Samaritan has done,” Jim Caviezel (Reese) adds. “I can care deeply about Shaw…this is nothing personal. But with Samaritan, she could be a Manchurian candidate. It has nothing to do with her. I’m very well aware of interrogation. I’m very well aware where they can make you — you can be sleeping and acting out something and you’re not aware what you’re doing. It might not be her choice, is what I’m saying. I’m trying to get them to understand I know what these people are well and capable of doing. And I’m going to protect you, for hell or high water. I know some people are eternal optimists. To Reese, that’s being blind. There’s good and there’s evil. And evil hides in many of the grey areas. In fact, if you asked Reese, he’d probably tell you it’s the guys in the middle who are the most evil.”

With Team Machine in danger in tonight’s milestone 100th episode, the team will have to rely on each other more than ever if they stand a chance to make it out in one piece. “Finch and Root have worked a lot of things out; more than I would have ever dreamt, three seasons ago,” Emerson acknowledges. “They’re doing pretty well. But Shaw is a sore and touchy subject with Root. It’s going to get between Root and everybody.”

PERSON OF INTEREST airs Tuesdays at 10 PM on CBS.

Related:

On the Set of PERSON OF INTEREST: Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson Preview ‘Reassortment’
PERSON OF INTEREST’s Jim Caviezel on Team Machine’s Most Dangerous Year Yet
PERSON OF INTEREST: Michael Emerson on Finch’s Machine Struggles in Season 5
PERSON OF INTEREST: Jim Caviezel Reflects on ‘Terra Incognita’
PERSON OF INTEREST: Greg Plageman and Michael Emerson on the ‘Satisfying,’ ‘Philosophical’ Season 5
PERSON OF INTEREST: Michael Emerson on the Show’s WGN America Run, Season 5’s ‘Events’
PERSON OF INTEREST: The Cast, Writers Pick Which Episodes Will Hook You
PERSON OF INTEREST: Sarah Shahi and Greg Plageman Preview Shaw’s Season 5 Return

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On the Set of PERSON OF INTEREST: Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson Preview ‘Reassortment’

“We work for it,” PERSON OF INTEREST’s Jim Caviezel (Reese) says, during a break on the production of tonight’s hour, “Reassortment.” (The second episode in tonight’s POI double-header. You can read more from the set visit here.)

Indeed, this hour — which was filmed back in October on location in a Brooklyn hospital — has a good number of moving pieces, as  Reese and Finch are locked down in a hospital as a virus spreads.

“This is one of those super contagious disease scenarios,” Michael Emerson (Finch) previews. “Samaritan has manufactured a superflu, which is more deadly and more contagious than anything previous. We’re trying to figure out why and what to do about it. And contain the outbreak, and find the remedy.”

Naturally, Reese and Finch aren’t alone in the hospital — there are a good number of people (and Bear) to worry about.

Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST: Michael Emerson on Finch’s Machine Struggles in Season 5

After nearly a year off our television screens, PERSON OF INTEREST is finally back.

Last season, Finch, Reese, and Root struggled to save the Machine as Samaritan operatives took them on. Team Machine was successful — but they had to compress the Machine into a briefcase and go on the run. Meanwhile, as Fusco attempted to take in Dominic and Elias, both men were killed in an ambush…which will leave Fusco with a lot of explaining to do.

I sat down with POI star Michael Emerson (Finch) as they were filming the eighth episode of the upcoming season to talk about how Team Machine is coping in season 5, rebuilding the Machine, and more.

Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST: Jim Caviezel Reflects on ‘Terra Incognita’

PERSON OF INTEREST fantastic fourth season (which is, finally, streaming on Netflix) dove deeper into the dueling artificial intelligences, but one of the finest hours was decidedly human: “Terra Incognita,” as a dying Reese (Jim Caviezel) hallucinated a do-over with Carter (Taraji P. Henson).

“This felt like a great way to put those characters back together again, and get the opportunity for them to have a last goodbye, from their perspective,” PERSON OF INTEREST creator Jonathan Nolan said at the time.

Caviezel pointed to the hour as a particularly important one for Reese. “Last year, during the scene in the car with Carter where he doesn’t realize he has all these protective things around him — he was devastated by the loss,” he shared late last year on the set of the show’s upcoming fifth season. “He was in love with her. But because he’s so good — like special operators can do, they can separate heart and mind. They can compartmentalized so much that when he lost Carter, he never realized that he loved her. And very deeply. That loss, he’ll never get that back. In human behavior, he starts to play a new kind tape in his head, that this is what really happened, when it didn’t happen that way. Now, it gives him a purpose [going forward].”

Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST: Greg Plageman and Michael Emerson on the ‘Satisfying,’ ‘Philosophical’ Season 5

It’s that time of year when nearly every fall show has launched…but, sadly, CBS is holding PERSON OF INTEREST’s (short) fifth season until, well, TBD.

But as fans anxiously anticipate the show’s return, the PERSON OF INTEREST writers and actors are hard at work crafting the upcoming season.

“We really have to raise the bar,” PERSON OF INTEREST co-showrunner Greg Plageman said. “We have to build this thing to a crescendo…I feel really strongly we’re there. This show is on a trajectory it needed to be on to give our audience a satisfying season conclusion that could be fitting as a series conclusion as well.”
Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST Season 5: Watch the New York Comic Con Sneak Peek

With PERSON OF INTEREST being held until midseason on CBS, the cast and producers shared a first look at season 5 during the show’s New York Comic Con panel.

In the video below, the Machine (which essentially shut down at the end of last season, and our team is now tasked with protecting its core) attempts to get back online, but there are, um, a few glitches.

Check it out!

Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST: Michael Emerson on the Show’s WGN America Run, Season 5’s ‘Events’

WGN America’s “Prime Crime” lineup is welcoming PERSON OF INTEREST to the mix on Tuesday, September 1st.

The network will air the first three episodes of the CBS drama — which just happens to be one of the best shows on television — from 7-10 PM ET/4-7 PM PT. The mini-marathon will continue over the next two weeks as WGN America airs POI and ELEMENTARY back-to-back for a total of 100 installments of the two shows. (There is also a Labor Day marathon planned, which will consist of six hours of each show.)

The move could be a big one for PERSON OF INTEREST — with the series not airing until midseason, this gives new fans the chance to catch up before the shortened fifth season launches on CBS.

I spoke with PERSON OF INTEREST star Michael Emerson (Harold Finch) about the series hitting syndication (and finally streaming on Netflix), the show’s evolution, and a tease of what’s to come in season 5…

Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST: The Cast, Writers Pick Which Episodes Will Hook You

PERSON OF INTEREST — arguably one of the best dramas on television right now — is finally coming to Netflix and syndication (on WGN America, at 7 PM) on September 1st. (Only the first three seasons of POI will be on Netflix streaming this week — season 4 will be available on September 22nd; )

To boil the show down to its simplest terms, PERSON OF INTEREST follows an ex-CIA agent (Jim Caviezel’s John Reese) and a brilliant billionaire (Michael Emerson’s Harold Finch) as they attempt to stop violent crimes before they occur — using social security numbers generated by an all-seeing Machine, which can pinpoint a likely occurrence. (Complicating matters? They don’t know whether the number they get is going to be the victim or the perpetrator.) Since they can’t do it alone, through the show’s four seasons, they’ve had help — in varying ways — from Taraji P. Henson’s Carter, Kevin Chapman’s Fusco, Amy Acker’s Root, and Sarah Shahi’s Shaw.

If you haven’t watched the show, you absolutely should make your way through the entire series. The drama’s evolution from focusing more purely on case of the week (while having little tidbits of mythology sprinkled in) to deep-diving into the Machine — including its war with another A.I. — has been fascinating and compelling journey. And since the show’s upcoming fifth season is returning midseason, you absolutely have time to catch up on the 90 hours that have aired so far.

But if you need a starting place, PERSON OF INTEREST executive producers Greg Plageman and Denise Thé, as well as stars Chapman and Acker, shared a few episodes you should check out…

Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST: Sarah Shahi and Greg Plageman Preview Shaw’s Season 5 Return

PERSON OF INTEREST has officially pinned down the return of Sarah Shahi’s Shaw.

“Sarah Shahi should be back by episode 5,” PERSON OF INTEREST co-showrunner Greg Plageman shared. “She’s a trooper man, she’s doing a lot. But she’s ready to go, she says I want to be back, and we’re very excited to have her.”

On the show, Shaw went MIA after she sacrificed herself to save Team Machine. Initially, she was presumed dead, but viewers have seen brief glimpses of Shaw — clearly not right — in the months since. (Shaw’s temporary exit was crafted to accommodate Shahi’s real-life pregnancy.)

And though PERSON OF INTEREST isn’t on CBS’ fall schedule, the airdate limbo could serve to bring back Shahi earlier than planned.

Read more

CBS Chairman Nina Tassler on THE GOOD WIFE, PERSON OF INTEREST, GOTHAM vs. SUPERGIRL, and More

After CBS Chairman Nina Tassler participated in her executive session at TCA, she took a few follow-up questions from reporters about THE GOOD WIFE, PERSON OF INTEREST, the potential for DC crossovers, and more..

Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST: Greg Plageman and Kevin Chapman Tease Fusco’s Future

For four seasons, Team Machine has fought the good fight on PERSON OF INTEREST, whether it’s trying to prevent crimes/save people, dealing with corrupt cops/public officials, or a competing (and very powerful) A.I.

But throughout it all, one member of Team Machine has been operating without knowing the truth of what’s going on: as of now, Fusco still doesn’t know what’s going on with the Machine. (Which has undoubtedly kept him safe on more than one occasion, but that’s not likely going to be something Fusco is thrilled about when all the lies come to light.)

So will season 5 be the year Fusco’s finally looped in? PERSON OF INTEREST co-showrunner Greg Plageman and star Kevin Chapman (Fusco) shared their thoughts about what the future might hold for Fusco… Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST Producers, Stars on Why a Shorter Season 5 Could Be a Good Thing

PERSON OF INTEREST is in an unusual situation as it gears up for its upcoming fifth season: not only is the series being held until midseason, but its episode order count has been reduced from the normal 22/23 installments per year to, reportedly, 13 episodes.

At the show’s Comic-Con panel, POI creator Jonathan Nolan acknowledged they don’t know if the upcoming season will be the end, but “we’re very proud of the show…[and] if it’s the last season, no one is going to be disappointed with the story we tell.”

Before the panel, PERSON OF INTEREST star Jim Caviezel (Reese) shared he’s just focused on making the best show possible.

“We are where we are because every damn episode is so damn good,” he explained in the video below. “We don’t think about out there. We stay right here in the moment, today.”

Check out what else Caviezel, Nolan, and Michael Emerson (Finch) had to say about the shorter season, as well as co-showrunner Greg Plageman’s take on why this could actually be a good thing…

Read more

PERSON OF INTEREST at Comic-Con: Live-Blog

PERSON OF INTEREST is back at Comic-Con. Follow along for live updates from its 2015 panel.

Read more

WGN America Touts New ‘Prime Crime’ Lineup with PERSON OF INTEREST, ELEMENTARY Stars

PERSON OF INTEREST and ELEMENTARY  are hitting syndication this fall (and POI will be streaming on Netflix, while ELEMENTARY will stream on Hulu). To celebrate the CBS dramas joining WGN America’s lineup, WGN put together this delightful promo of the shows’ stars (Michael Emerson, Jim Caviezel, Jonny Lee Miller, and Lucy Liu) comparing the two crime-solving teams…to a hilariously awkward extent.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/E_tIzCQvrmI[/youtube]

So amazing, right?

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