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One of my favorite anime series of all time is Serial Experiments Lain. If you are not familiar with it, think if Stanley Kubrick had directed The Matrix. One of the reasons I love this anime is because it had the audacity to connect the online world with the physical world in a way that could be corporeal, but then created a cyber-religion that merged the two. I’ve always been fascinated with religion on a social and psychological level, how having faith in the unknown is capable of both optimism in the darkest of times and unspeakable horror in service to something bigger. When the character of Root was created midway through the first season, then brought to life by the wonderful Amy Acker, I was excited that this show might actually touch on religious fervor, but I wasn’t prepared for the second episode of the fourth season, titled Nautilus.

This episode perfectly merged the number-of-the-episode with the overall mythos by matching Finch with a young college prodigy named Claire Mahoney. You see Claire has stopped going to class, has been seen stealing things and trespassing in random places for unknown reasons. Finch, still in doubt over his work with The Machine, isn’t really sure what he plans to do while Reese and Shaw have already started getting back to work. But Finch realizes pretty quickly that Claire is involved in a genius-level hunt across the city after hacking and stealing from a major tech company.

Claire’s search is for meaning. Tragedy had struck her recently and in her loss she felt the need to dedicate herself to a higher calling, something that leads her down a dark path that feels a bit like the Faustian deal. As it turns out, that big bad Samaritan is the one pushing Claire down this path for reasons only Root could explain. In fact, Root might have been the only one who could understand Claire, if only she weren’t busy hosting somebody in her trunk and making herself up for some air travel. So Finch has the unenviable position of trying to sway Claire to stop.

Before I talk more about this episode, let me explain why Person of Interest is a show about faith and religion. While Root is the poster child of fundamentalist behavior (unyielding trust and faith in an invisible concept, sees said entity as a savior of not just herself, but all others, not to mention willing to die, kill or be tortured in the name of The Machine), look at how Finch and Reese interact with it. Reese is obviously a born-again believer, a jaded man who had been betrayed by this government and his country, given a new purpose to save others and who lives to spread that hope in others, not being afraid to brandish a grenade launcher on occasion. Finch has always believed until his faith was rocked by doubt and uncertainty. I also find it interesting that while The Machine does have other names given by politicians, we know it as simply The Machine. Yet Christian beliefs call their god by generic title God. God’s main antagonist has a formal name Satan (or any other name given). The Machine’s rival is Samaritan, which in itself has a religious connotation.

Finch’s faith was rattled by his belief that The Machine would be capable of hurting others either implicitly or unintentionally if these individuals got in the way. Without The Machine to believe in, Finch is empty without purpose. In Claire he not only sees himself, but also Root, the only other person who could possibly understand fully what he feels. The scene between Finch and Root is very important not only because it created a deeper connection between these two that will help Finch find his place, but it also brings back the concept of free will. Root knows that The Machine can’t change people’s hearts and that those people are free to move over to Samaritan’s side, which is what Claire does. Is she wrong? I’d argue not. But this could be a move she might regret later or she could be Samaritan’s Root. Either way, when the fight moves to Samaritan’s side, this could be interesting to see what happens.

I also like the fact that Finch rededicates himself to his cause not because he believes in The Machine, but now because he couldn’t sit by and watch his friends fight for the cause he started. His faith is now in his friends and I can’t to see how they decide to fight back.

Random Things:

• Shaw is becoming my favorite character on the show. She ditches the mall counter for a more fulfilling life as a thief. The hardest part is not to look too good doing it. Aim for that B+.
• Finch is not an ops kind of guy. He does better when he is authentic to himself. The way he talks to Claire on the observation deck was wonderful and heart-felt. Too bad she already made up her mind by this point.
• Did Finch get the new lair on lease from the Ninja Turtles or Spider-Man’s parents?
• Fusco is taking too much enjoyment out of introducing Reese to the fine art of police paperwork.
• By the way Fusco, I didn’t know you were a Sinatra man.
• I’m glad the team lost this one. It’s nice to be reminded that just because this crew takes the case, it might not work out well.
• “I’ll let my calculator do the work”. Part of me wants to make a joke about how that might not be too far from the truth, but it’s too close to the truth and it’s not that funny.

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