Finch goes to a cafe and chats with the Machine via a surveillance camera. He's long since accepted that he's probably going to die, but wonders whether his friends will get out alive. The Machine doesn't respond, and Finch figure that he may have made it impossible, and figures it's too late to change anything even if he could. The waitress comes by and says that it's good to have Finch back. He has no idea who she is, and says that it's the first time that he's been there. Once she goes, Finch picks up a matchbook and thanks the Machine before leaving.
At the subway, Finch greets Root and asks how Sameen is doing. Root says that it may take some time, and then figures that Finch is going to close the access to the Machine and go back to talking in numbers. Finch wonders how Root knew he had chosen to end their dialogue with the machine, and Root says that the Machine predict that he would. The Machine respects Finch's decision, but Root says that they're going to lose if Finch doesn't let the Machine help them. Finch points out they've stayed alive so far, but Root warns that eventually they will make a mistake and die, and then so will the Machine. She figures that Finch never named the Machine because people don't name things that they're going to kill. Root insists that the Machine is Finch's child, and she's going to die unnoticed and unmourned. Finch says that he didn't give the Machine a name because he imagined that it might want to choose one for itself. He insists that the Machine doesn't have to be open to have a voice, and asks what voice Root would choose for the Machine. Root says to let it choose, and Finch locks them out of the system.
Samaritan detects a high-level threat and contacts an asset. Fusco and Reese are walking down the street, and a nearby payphone rings. Reese answers it and the Machine gives him a number;
At the university, a student named Sonum is disputing the grade he gave her when his phone rings. Reese and Root come in and send Sonum away, and Reese says that they have a new Number: Finch's. He draws a gun and kneecaps one of two Samaritan operatives who have arrived. Root takes out the other one and Reese takes a business card for Temporary Resolutions from one of the operative's pockets before leaving with the others.
At the safehouse, Reese tells Elias that Finch's cover is blown. Sameen comes in and reports that the street isn't clear, and figures that Samaritan found Finch through her. Reese says that they have to get out, and they're going on the offensive. They'll start at Temporary Resolutions and work their way up the chain of command. Fusco comes in and they grab all the guns, ammo, and cash they have. As they go, Root says that they could fight the war better if they hadn't closed the system. She tells Finch that she gave the Machine the ability to defend itself, and also added a safeguard. The Machine will only act if Finch asks it to. Cars pull up out front and operatives get out, and Elias says that he knows where to hide Finch from Samaritan. When Finch wishes that they wouldn't risk their lives on his account, Reese points out that he's just protecting a Number.
Elias takes Finch to the Double-B high-rises and Elias explains that the men on guard work for him. He takes Finch to an abandoned meth lab and refuses to leave Finch. He points out that they have a common enemy who murdered a friend, and he's not going. Elias says that they've lasted too long to give up now, and would rather die fighting than throw in the towel.
Finch watches out the window and Elias explains that he negotiated a truce between the two gangs warring over the territory. When Finch warns him that their opponent has thought a thousand moves ahead, Elias asks if Finch ever anticipated where he would be, and Finch says that he thought that he'd be in prison. The former crime lord points out that they first met when Reese was protecting "Charlie Burton" in the high rises. When he says that he got sloppy and was caught on a surveillance camera, Finch looks at the café matchbook. He then calls Root at the safehouse and says that he went back to the place he took Grace on their first date ten years ago. Finch warns that his fate is sealed but doesn't want the rest of them to suffer for his mistake. Meanwhile, Sameen checks the Samaritan operatives they've knocked out and discovers that they also have cards for Temporary Resolutions.
Reese and Fusco arrive at Temporary Resolutions and go in. The receptionist greets them and Reese explains that they're investigating a shooting involving one of the office's employees. She refuses to let them see their employee files without a warrant, and asks if they're sure they want to talk to her supervisor. The receptionist takes them to a conference room and says the supervisor will be with them.
At the safehouse, Root tells Sameen that Finch slipped up. Sameen wishes that it would be nice if they could go back, but none of them have the life they want. Root says that she's been hiding since she was 12, and it's the first time that she feels like she belongs. She takes Sameen's hand, just as a Samaritan SUV pulls up.
Finch spots Samaritan operatives approaching the high-rise, and points out that Samaritan noticed that the two gangs that fight every day aren't fighting.
Reese and Fusco continue waiting, and Reese points out that they don't hear anything. They draw their guns and go outside, and discover that all 50 employees are missing. Samaritan operatives open fire and Reese tosses a grenade at them.
Elias and Finch go out into the hallway, and Elias shoots the first operative up the stairs. He has Finch call up the elevator, and it opens to reveal the gangers standing over more dead operatives. They leave the elevator at the bottom and open fire when they come out. The two Samaritan operatives point out that they can't take both of them out, and the janitor working for Elias shoots them in the back. They go out to the car only to find that Elias' driver is dead. Two more operatives move in and Elias takes them out, but another one comes out of the high-rise and shoots Elias in the head. Finch goes to his friend and the operatives take him away.
Later, Reese arrives at the crime scene and closes Elias' eyes. Fusco comes over and a banger says that he has something for them. He says that everyone around there respected Elias, and shows the detectives a photo of the Samaritan car. The RTCC gets a hit on the vehicle and Reese and Fusco head there. The Machine has also located the car and told Sameen and Root, who are on the way.
In a parking garage, the operatives drop Finch off. Greer is waiting, and Finch says that he won't give him the location of his friends or the Machine. In response, Greer says that Samaritan needs Finch's help. However, he assures Finch that one day he will work for Samaritan of his own accord. Zachary escorts finch away and Greer wishes him a pleasant journey.
Out in the street, Root and Sameen pull up and open fire on Zachary. Other operatives open fire, and as they shoot Root discusses whether they're in a simulation or not. As the operatives open fire with heavy guns, Root says that they might as well be a symphony. The two women take out the remaining operatives and get Finch out of the SUV. Another Samaritan SUV pulls up and a man opens fire with a machine gun. Sameen is caught behind cover and tells Root that she'll cover them. Root has no choice but to leave with Finch, and the operatives move in on Finch.
Samaritan gives Jeff Blackwell directions along the street.
As Root drives, Finch notices that she's bleeding. Finch says that he's tired of everyone that they've lost, and Root says that they all died for something they believed in. She figures that they're not gone, and says that Finch refuses to accept what he created. They're all simulations now, and in order to predict what they do, the Machine knows them better than they know themselves. Everyone who has died is in the Machine where it watches over them. Root then says that the Machine thinks Finch should have a gun. A Samaritan SUV pulls up behind them and opens fire.
Jeff comes to a vacant apartment.
Root grabs a .338 and a hair scrunchy, open the sunroof, and turns and opens fire just as the Samaritan shooter runs out of ammo. She takes out the engine block and the SUV crashes. Root then takes the wheel and says that it's the world that Finch built, and as long as the Machine lives they never die.
Jeff enters the apartment and opens his backpack.
Reese and Fusco pull up to Sameen and tell her to get in.
Jeff assembles a rifle and Samaritan gives him a plate number. The passenger is the priority target, and the driver is the secondary target.
Root assures Finch that she trusts him, and he guided her to the light. She says that they're not going to win and they can't afford to lose. Root tells Finch that when the time comes, he'll know what to do, and says that sometimes they have to fight a little. Finch realizes that the war is already over and they're just experiencing an extinction burst. The car comes into Jeff's sights, and he draws a bead on Finch. Root sees him, swerves, and fires back as Jeff shoots.
As the car goes around the corner, Root insists that she's fine. They come to a NYPD roadblock and Finch says that they have to stop and take their chances with the police. The unis get Finch into the back of a squad car and handcuff him, and as they drive off the last Finch sees of Root is her body in the car.
At the central station, the police book Finch and put him in an interrogation room. The police run Finch's prints and discover that they've been found at 15 homicide scenes in the last five years. The Feds are sending someone over, and there's a treason case from 1974 pending against Finch.
That night, Reese, Fusco, and Sameen arrive at the shootout scene. The unis tell Fusco that one of the two people in the car is at central, and the other is at the hospital in critical condition. Fusco heads to the hospital while Reese goes with Sameen to the station.
FBI SAIC Roberts visits Finch and says that all they have on him is his first name and a number of files. He points out that they digitized all of the files, and all of Finch's files are gone. All Roberts has is an interview with a man in a retirement home talking about his son Harold. They're going to dig up Finch's files, and Finch asks what happened to Root. Roberts offers the information in return for Finch's cooperation, and Finch asks for his phone call. The FBI agent says that they'll contact his attorney on his behalf, and until then they'll wait.
Finch says that he's played by his rules for so long, and tells Roberts that he's so close to the system that he doesn't know that it's corrupted. He talks about how the government rules have changed every time it's convenient, and he's realize that he was wrong about winning if he played by his rules. Now everyone he cares about is dead or soon will be dead, so now he has to decide whether to let his friends die or break his rules. Finch then tells Roberts that he's going to kill him, but he has to decide how far he's going to go and how many of his rules he will break to get it done. He then says that he wasn't talking to Roberts, and looks at the surveillance cameras on the wall. A man comes in and whispers to Roberts, but Roberts says that they're not giving up Finch.
As Roberts argues with the Samaritan operatives, another agent takes Finch to holding. Roberts calls the agents back to update him, and a payphone next to Finch rings. He answers it and Root asks if Finch can hear him. It's the Machine, which says that it chose a voice.
Fusco goes to the morgue to find Root.
Finch tells the Machine to get him out. It says that it can do anything he wants it to and the lights go out.
Reese and Fusco arrive at central and discover that the place is in lockdown. A uni says that 600 prisoners escaped out the back door and the National Guard has been called up. Reese gets a call and tells Sameen that Finch isn't there. She wonders why Finch's Number came up, and Reese figures the Machine was warning them about what Finch will do to Samaritan.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 1, 2016