If-then-else
| "If-Then-Else" | |
|---|---|
| Person of Interest episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 11 |
| Directed by | Chris Fisher |
| Written by | Denise Thé |
| Featured music |
Ramin Djawadi "Fortune Days" by The Glitch Mob |
| Production code | 3J5411 |
| Original air date | January 6, 2015 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
|
|
"If-Then-Else" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the Person of Interest television series. It originally aired on January 6, 2015, on CBS. It is the seventy-ninth overall episode for the series.
"If-Then-Else" was written by Denise Thé and directed by Chris Fisher. The episode continues the series' long-running Samaritan storyline. It centers on the Machine evaluating a list of possible strategies to allow the team to succeed in a mission to recover New York City's stock market after Samaritan attacks the stock exchange and cripples the city's financial system.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was watched by 10.08 million viewers with a 1.7/5 ratings share in the 18 to 49 age demographic upon airing. The episode was highly acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, with reviewers praising the originality and execution of the premise, the thematic value, and the shocking ending, with many calling it one of the series' best episodes.
Following the events of "The Cold War", Samaritan cripples New York City's financial system after attacking the stock exchange. Amidst the turmoil of the plummeting stocks, Finch (Michael Emerson), "Root" (Amy Acker), Reese (Jim Caviezel) and Fusco (Kevin Chapman) head to the New York stock exchange to revitalize it, where Decima Technologies operatives ambush the team, prompting them to take cover inside an office. Meanwhile, Shaw (Sarah Shahi) is in a subway train spying on a man with access to the stock exchange's security codes. Matters are complicated when a suicidal man unveils a bomb vest he threatens to detonate. Root consults the Machine for help, and the Machine in turn evaluates the possible strategies to help them succeed.
The episode periodically flashes back to 2003, where Finch is in a park playing chess with the Machine, and using the games as analogies to various concepts he teaches it. Several games later, as the Machine is appearing triumphant on many occasions, Finch tells it that he doesn't enjoy chess since it was created during a time of cynicism and societal imbalance. Finch believes people should not be assigned "values" and sacrificed; those who treat life as game of chess deserve to lose.
...
Wikipedia