It starredMichael Emersonas Harold Finch, a reclusive billionaire and computer genius who built an artificial intelligence, a.k.a.
Simple enough, right?Person of Interestcould’ve run on that premise forever.
“It was almost like we snuck in, in sheep’s clothing.”
A scene from the pilot episode of ‘Person of Interest.'.Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS via Getty Images
Finch locates and recruits Reese, who is experiencing homelessness, to help him handle the irrelevant numbers.
Looking back at the pilot, Nolan and Plageman recall the disastrous table read that started it all.
Foolishly, I agreed to read the stage directions.
Jim Caviezel and Enrico Colantoni on ‘Person of Interest’.John P. Filo/CBS via Getty Images
Greg Plageman:Total panic set in after the read-through.
There was talk of recasting.
It’s just way too long, no one’s going to sit for that."
Amy Acker and Jim Caviezel on ‘Person of Interest.'.John Paul Filo/CBS via Getty Images
I don’t think we cut a word of that in the pilot.
However, the case isn’t all that it seems.
While Charlie isn’t a perpetrator in this specific instance, he’s not just a victim either.
The ‘Relevance’ episode of ‘Person of Interest.'.CBS
Nolan:[Director Frederick E.O.
Toye] delivered a spectacular episode.
It has this beautiful gut-punch of an ending where our heroes lose.
Michael Emerson in ‘The Devil’s Share’ episode of ‘Person of Interest.'.Giovanni Rufino/CBS via Getty Images
And here we introduce Enrico, he’s this terrific actor, and here’s this amazing character.
And the connection was not happy.
They said, “Well, they can’t just lose.”
The ‘If-Then-Else’ episode of ‘Person of Interest.'.JoJo Whilden/Warner Bros.
And we said, “No, but we’re building this whole thing.
Eventually, they’ll get him, [but] it’ll take a while.”
It did to get a point where they didn’t want to air the episode.
Shaw (Sarah Shahi) and Root shared their first scene together ever in ‘Person of Interest’ season 2 episode 16’s ‘Relevance.'.CBS
And this is what saved us: We said, “Well, we’re not changing it.
We think it’s great.
And if you don’t want to air it, we don’t have another episode.
Amy Acker as Root and Sarah Shahi as Sameen Shaw.John Paul Filo/CBS
So you’re going to be down an episode for [November sweeps].”
And this is where we’re planting a flag that the show is going to have a serialized component.
Nolan:David Slack did a terrific job writing the script.
Sarah Shahi as Sameen Shaw, Amy Acker as Root, and Michael Emerson as Harold Finch.Giovanni Rufino/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
[This] was a funny one because this episode was originally pitched as episode 5.
I think we even started talking about it for the pitch packet when we wrote the pilot.
What is this stuff?"
Michael Emerson as Harold Finch, Jim Caviezel as John Reese, and Sarah Shahi as Sameen Shaw.Giovanni Rufino/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
In that case, we said, “You know what?
Actually, it’s early.”
It’s early to start to unpacking it and going meta with it."
The point afterward where people say, “Oh,it’s so prescient.
How did you know?”
It’s like, “We read theNew York Times!”
[Laughs] It was this crazy thing of a total open secret.
Yes, Edward Snowden dragged into light the specifics, but it was hidden in plain sight.
You were reading articles all the way back to 2000this was part of the pitch for the pilot.
That blew everyone’s mind, but that was a front-page article inNew York Timesin like 2005.
It turns out she ordered the hit on herself to draw Finch out and find the Machine.
The episode ends with Root kidnapping Finch.
Plageman:That’s definitely when the freak flag started to fly.
[Laughs] Our guys lost again, Root won that one.
We would just keep building it out and we would be able to go back.
And then we can come back to it and they’ll leave us alone."
Nolan:One hundred percent, that’s what we felt.
My wife, Lisa [Joy], suggested the amazing Amy Acker.
But that episode was kind of a celebration of we felt like the show had found its footing.
“Relevance” (Season 2, Episode 16)
Executive producerJ.
the secret Pentagon program responsible for acting on the Machine’s intel.
When Shaw’s partner starts questioning where their intel comes from, the government decides to eliminate them both.
Thankfully, Finch and Reese receive Shaw’s number and save her.
Can we do the show where they catch terrorists?
What’s this weird show with the creepy guys in the corner using irrelevant numbers?"
We’re at 38 episodes in at this point and starting to get restless with the format.
I knew I wanted to direct it as soon as [we conceived it].
And we’re like, “why do we spin-off?
A lot of which comes down to Shahi as this compelling [character].
You’re fascinated watching her.
She’s able to command and upsell, which worked very nicely.
And I got to direct, which was super fun.
He’s just like, “Greg, [I’m] trying to figure out this television thing.
Is it okay if I go up and give the director a note?”
I was like, “Dude, you might go fire the director right now.”
“), as illustrated in the surprisingly heart-wrenching scene from season 2’s penultimate episode.
(Every night, the Machine essentially kills itself before being reborn completely new.)
because they wanted to kind of anthropomorphize it like a giant huge robot with orange eyes or something.
We used to say, “It doesn’t look like anything.
It looks at everything.
(We’ll get to that.)
Plageman:Without a doubt, my favorite opening to an episode.
We absolutely loved it.
That opening montage still gives me goosebumps, no dialogue necessary.
Johnny Cash brought the hurt.
Great mug, great voice, the man still scares the s— out of me.
After the ruthless competing A.I.
She came into [the writers’ room] with this as a pitch.
This was our chance to just make text of that.
But it’s an amazing episode.
It’s Root and Shaw connecting for the first time.
[People ask], “where did these things come from?
Did you plan for it?”
We’re like, “Okay, we got to explore that a little bit.”
An amazing episode for so many different reasons.
Unfortunately, everything starts falling apart and Shaw eventually kills Reese.
Nolan:Another Denise The joint with Lucas O’Connor.
[Lisa] and I were shooting the first season ofWestworldat this point.
But these one are tough to do.
Nolan:The tension with that was always the classicX-Filestension, right?
Of when you have this will-they, won’t-they actually get together.
We were trying to piece this out and get it exactly right.
And she gets what she wants.
She just wants to be closer and closer to, in her mind, this almost divine intelligence.
And she gets her wish, but in the most tragic way possible.
Nolan:Wouldn’t change a damn thing [about the finale].
There’s an interesting story here in terms of when do you know your show is over?
And we were kind of the utility player at that point.
So why don’t we cancel the show?
Why don’t we go ahead and just make it the last season?”
He’s like, “Why not?”
“All right, let’s do it.”
But also just the level of ambitious.
Person of Interestis available to stream on HBO Max right now.
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