Person of Interest Recap

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One thing I really like about this show is that the stories dictate the structure of the writing. This week, they’re using a Usual Suspects approach and they use it quite effectively. Charlie’s identity was obvious all along they just covered their tracks so the clues don’t fall into place until the end.

Surveillance footage takes us to a bodega in Brighton Beach at 10:25:15. As we see a bald man gunned down, an American voice says the target has been located but an older Russian voice says he wants to be there to kill him himself. The gunman walks into frame wearing a Carlos the Jackal ski mask, shoots the bald guy a couple of more times, then lifts his mask to say something.

This seems unnecessary.

Footage shifts to a computer monitor and it’s some time later that morning. Fusco walks in as Carter pretends she knows how to profile a crime scene. He jokes about responding to bodega shootings, but Carter has no sense of humor and responds that if it looks like a stick up to him, he should go back to the Bronx because it was an execution. How quickly she forgets that just two episodes ago she couldn’t even identify a professional hit. Fusco gets on asking about the victim and Carter makes like she spotted the meaning of life but all she does is show Fusco the rather long clip of a witness walking up to the victim.

They continue expositing about how they don’t have an ID on him because he just vanished. They put out a BOLO (“Be On the Lookout” not the tie) and canvassed a six-block radius but no one can find him. Fusco misdirects us from a curiously missing witness to point out that Brighton Beach isn’t a neighborhood where you want a “snitch” tag.

Just pretend she knows what she’s talking about.

Beat cop with a canned Brooklyn “dese, dem, dose” accent comes in to tell Carter that reporters are there, but she’s suddenly big cop and tells him to send them to the PR guy, who shouldn’t travel to all the crime scenes, but whatever, she’s Carter. She introduces Fusco to Det. Shimanski who tries to sell them car insurance. Oh, wait. That’s his day job as the Geico pitch guy. Shimanski’s an Organized Crime detective, because he really does talk like that, and informs Fusco and Carter that the victim was a Cosa Nostra lieutenant named Benny D’Agostino.

Fusco, showing that even if he’s dirty he’s still a better cop than Carter, asks Shimanski pertinent questions, like why D’Agostino was in Brighton Beach since it’s Russian territory. Shimanski exposits that there’s a turf war between the Italians and the Russians. Six Russian big wigs were hit last month and this was retribution, since it was Benny’s boss who likely called those hits. The only info Shimanski has on Benny’s boss is his name, “Elias.” There goes my theory. But in my defense, that kid did have a Caviezelesque thousand-yard stare.

Could Geico save you 15% on auto insurance? Was Abe Lincoln honest?

Carter gets all “Mmm, hmm,” when she hears the name Elias and here’s where I realize my biggest problem with her. She’s trying to be a tough New York City cop, complete with the tough voice, but she’s acting against two actors who are straight-up Northeast Quadrant mooks who come by those accents naturally and she sounds fake. Because no matter how much she tries, she’s never going to sound more New York than one of the Brothers McMullen. Rosie Perez, on the other hand, would have kicked ass as Carter.

So Carter fills in Shimanski and Fusco that one of Elias’ guys took a shot at her last week and asks if the OC cops found the witness, even though she JUST told Fusco they didn’t. Shimanski doesn’t point this out, but does point out that the victim said something to the witness just before he died. Then they exposit about how if he ID’d the shooters it could be admissible but the bodega owner was on a convenient smoke break when it all happened so he probably called the shooters to tell them about the witness.

Carter obviouses that the cops need to find the witness before the Russians do and SQUEE! HE’S ENRICO COLANTONI! Love him. He classes up every project he works on, even if he usually plays nebbishes, weirdoes and working class Joes, and when it’s already a classed-up project he’s perfection. The surveillance footage segues to creepy, photo-lens footage of him in his apartment, and who could be watching him?

No less creepy when it’s a middle-aged man in broad daylight.

It’s Reese! As he takes pictures, Finch exposits that the number’s name is Charlie Burton and the Machine pinged him late last night (hit was in the morning which…huge clue) but Reese isn’t seeing the threat. Just a nervous nebbish looking out his window a lot. Finch continues to exposit that Charlie is a high school history teacher, never married, lives alone, and that’s not any kind of red flag. Reese jokes that maybe it’s a student since teaching’s such a dangerous job and Finch jokes back that espionage is a much safer choice. Aww, they’re buddies now. I’m sure this will last.

As Reese genuinely smiles at Finch’s joke his phone rings and his smile goes from happy to peeve in a tenth of a second when he sees it’s Fusco. Fusco, showing that he’s still the smartest cop on this show, wants Reese’s help tracking down their witness and describes Charlie, having the balls to imply he’s a nerd like Fusco’s Joe Cool. Reese says he already found him. Finch is listening in as Fusco tells Reese that whoever did the hit is looking for Burton. But a black Mercedes sedan and matching SUV pull up and a bunch of greasy-looking guys get out, so Reese figured that out. Finch suggests they let the police handle this, but it’s not called Fusco to the Rescue, so Reese heads in since the cops would only find a dead witness, anyway.

He walks down the alley not more than 20 feet in front of the greasy mob guys and hops the fence to Burton’s building as one of the mob guys positions himself at the alley entrance. Up in Burton’s apartment, he puts a kettle on and paces around his tiny kitchen before stepping into his living to see a tall, handsome well-dressed stranger waiting for him, but does not feel the healing power of the Caviezel. Instead, he grabs a steak knife and weakly tells Reese to leave. Reese drones like he’s T-1000 that Burton’s in danger because the Russians from the bodega are there. Burton asks how Reese knows about the hit, and if he’s with the Russians, but Reese obviouses that if he were he’d have killed Burton by now.

Look into my eyes…you are getting sleepy.

They bolt from the apartment as the Russians are running up the stairs and with perfect timing they just slip into the stairwell as the Russians reach his floor. The Russians are in his apartment but realize they missed him by a minute. One of the Russians wonders where “this piece of garbage” went, but that clue flew over my head because it cut straight to Finch asking Reese if he needs a distraction. Reese puts him off because he can handle one guy with a gun and disarms the lookout by beating him with his own gun WHILE he was still holding it. That’s just showing off.

Out on the street, Reese wants to get out of the neighborhood by cutting through a housing project because he’d totally blend in since I’m sure it’s awash in tall, handsome guys in expensive suits. Charlie, realizing this is a stupid idea, lets Reese know that even the Russians don’t go into the “Double B’s” because it’s overrun by Bulgarian drug dealers. Reese asks Finch for another route out, but his iPhone was crushed in the fight and they’ve lost communication. Reese asks for Charlie’s cell phone but he “doesn’t believe in them” because that’s not a clue about how he’s working analog to avoid being detected in a digital world or anything.

OH NOES!

Finch tries to reestablish the lost link and anxiously asks if Reese can hear him but his computer monitor lets him know that the signal was lost. OH NOES. His new BFF is out there all alone with only his wits and super ninja fighting skills to protect him. Reese doesn’t hesitate to break into a nearby car but takes a moment to exposit for the audience what we already know. Reese wants to get Burton to the police but Burton won’t testify.

This recap gives the Russians enough time to spot the car and they start shooting up the windshield. They’re not super fighting ninjas, though, so Reese scares them off by leaning out of the car door to shoot back, stabilizing his arm against the curb. It’s the little details that make this show. Reese kneecaps one of the extras as the Russians retreat. Special guest star with the unpronounceable last name, Enver Gjokaj, checks on his fallen guy as Reese tries to drag Charlie away, but Charlie’s been hit so they can’t go far. Reese, knowing he’s a killing machine with super ninja fighting skills, takes Charlie to the projects.

That’s some good shooting.

It’s 15:12:11 as Reese and Charlie enter the projects. Even the riff raff extras notice Reese’s Ferragamos and nice suit. Okay, maybe they were noticing the blood stains on Charlie’s shirt, but they probably noticed Reese, too. Reese just keeps dragging Charlie through the halls, taking time to stop at a storage closet where some drug dealers have set up shop…with the door wide open. Reese finds an abandoned and tore up apartment for them to hide.

Charlie’s beginning to mildly freak out about everything, but Reese has decided to use the healing powers of the Caviezel on Charlie’s gunshot wound. It does not work and Charlie’s all “damn.” Reese assesses the wound as being clean with no bone damage and really manhandles poor Enrico determining that they need to clean the wound. You think? Charlie agrees with me and points out that there isn’t a pharmacy in the projects but Reese is ignoring Charlie’s snottiness. He wants to know about the bodega shooters.

The healing power of the Caviezel does not work on bullet wounds.

Charlie blows this off but Reese says he’d like to know about the people shooting at him and Charlie relents. He says he was grading papers and worked through dinner so he went down to the store, which doesn’t jibe with the shooting taking place in mid-morning. Hmm. Why lie? Charlie hid when he saw them and didn’t see their faces because they were wearing Carlos the Jackal ski masks. The victim told Charlie he had a message for “Elias” but Charlie doesn’t know an Elias and emphasizes this a little too much.

Luckily, Reese is there to misdirect us to the message and Charlie says it had to do with Vinny finishing the job. Reese wonders why Charlie didn’t go to the police but Charlie misdirects us back to how rough the neighborhood is and no one goes to the cops. Reese promises to get Charlie to an officer he can trust. Charlie still insists on saying nothing smurfing about how he’d have to leave Brighton Beach and his students who need him. Reese pleads one more time, asking Charlie if he wants to die and then introducing himself as John. Charlie thanks “John” and I’m sure Reese made a friend and it won’t end badly.

15:28:15 at the station house and Fusco’s looking at the police report about the murder, letting us know the victim’s name is Benny D’Agostino. Fusco, Carter and Shimanski are meeting with his widow, Patty. They try to be sympathetic towards her loss, but Patty’s a tough mafia broad and she spits back at them that Elias will find the Russian bastards that killed Benny. Carter says that Elias is starting a war that can’t be won and that innocent people will die but Patty doesn’t give a shit.

Patty D’Agostino, mob wife

Shimanski wants to know where Elias is, but Patty tells him Elias is like this bogeyman that exists in the ether (like Keyser Söze?) and his crew is underground so the cops will never find them. Fusco, still smarter than Carter, asks why Brighton Beach, getting Patty to exposit about how it’s just the beginning, then Elias will reunite the five families, take over the city and make the cops his bitches.

Fish-eyed footage shows Finch at an ATM across from Charlie’s apartment building. Curious. He punches in what looks like a PIN but a DOS screen shows up. He’s rerouting the IP for the footage dump to his mini-Machine back at the library. As he gets in his car, Fusco and Carter drive up and walk over to Shimanski. There are evidence tags all over the sidewalk, and Shimanski recounts the shoot out between Reese and the Russians. When he gets to the “tall guy in a suit who shot one of the guys in the knee” Fusco twitches but Carter over-emotes her sigh so Shimanski asks if she knows who he is. She says he’s the guy she’s been stalking tracking and that he’s a pain in the ass. Like she’s a day with sunshine.

Not his best angle.

Fusco gets the subject off Reese and on to the actual crime that was committed asking if anyone was hit. Only the kneecapped Russian, who’ll be fine. Then Shimanski mentions the ATM camera that probably caught it. Carter, once again oblivious to how much she sucks, tells Shimanski it will take two weeks and a warrant to get that footage. He shows them a picture taken by a bystander of one of the greasy Russians to shut her up. His name is Peter Yogorov, son of Russian mob boss Ivan Yogorov. Carter calls over the beat cop from the top of the episode (curiouser) and tells him to pull anything they have on Ivan Yogorov.

Back at the library and Finch is looking at the ATM footage, hoping to see Reese because he misses that tall, handsome, well-dressed weirdo. He sees the Russians pull up at 15:01:37 and at 15:01:55 sees a tall, handsome, well-dressed man casually slip down an alley. At 15:06:24 Reese and Charlie leave the alley and Finch lets out a relieved sigh. His BFF is safe! But at 15:20:25 a silver SUV pulls up. Finch zooms in on the license plate then sees a cop, the beat cop from earlier, get in the car. Even more curiouser.

This all seems convenient.

16:10:19 at the library as Fusco answers his phone. Finch is calling and sounding like Riff Raff when he says they need to talk about their mutual friend. Fusco Fuscoes about who is this and who their mutual friend is so Finch points out that Fusco was supposed to take him to Oyster Bay. Fusco says “So you’re his guy?” Finch doesn’t want to rush a good thing so he responds “No, I think that’s your role.” Finch is hoping Fusco has information on Reese and Charlie and Fusco lets him know about the shoot out. Finch cryptically says the Russians may not be the only problem then asks Fusco to run the plate. Fusco doesn’t Fusco about it, and says sure if Finch will tell him why, but Finch just says it relates to Fusco’s case. Fusco asks how to get in touch with Finch, but you don’t get to be a reclusive billionaire by giving out your cell number so Finch says he’ll find Fusco.

Enver Gjokaj’s at the projects and looking to go in guns blazing because he thinks he’s still a Doll. Peter pulls him aside and calls him Laszlo, saying they need to talk to “Papa” first. Laszlo basically calls Peter a pussy and starts to march in but Peter basically calls Laszlo a dumbass and reminds him that he’ll just get killed by a bunch of Bulgarian tweakers then he tells his crew of extras to cover the exits.

Papa told me he thinks you’re a pussy, too.

Reese is watching the hallway through the peephole and trying to keep Charlie awake. Charlie tries to get Reese talking about himself but that’s not how the healing power of the Caviezel works so Reese asks how Charlie got into teaching. It’s a second career but we don’t hear about the first because Charlie’s misdirecting us to how he came to like the kids in his neighborhood, even though most of their parents are in the Russian mob, and wanted to offer them a way out of that life. We’ve now switched to the unsettling earnestness of the Colantoni. Reese is getting weirder, showing actual human emotions as he tells Charlie the kids are lucky to have him. Reese walks away because human emotions are icky on a killing machine and asks about the kids Charlie can’t help. Charlie says they’re probably the ones shooting at them. With the over-identification complete, Reese tells Charlie to stay put, he’s going to find them a pharmacy.

Fusco’s at a street cart in Brighton Beach ordering a hot dog at 16:51:54 when Finch hobbles up warning Fusco about his cholesterol. Fusco’s all “What are we, dating?” and damn Kevin Chapman’s a fireplug. Unless Michael Emerson isn’t as wee as I thought. They walk off and Finch just wants the information on the plate.

My regular type is tall, dark and creepy but you’ll do.

Fusco asks if Finch is the boss, but Finch just walks ahead of him, so he gives up that the plates are a dead end because they’re registered to a shell company. Then he asks who Finch is trying to track. Finch admits that other criminals are looking for Charlie and Fusco figures that the car belongs to Elias. Finch mentions that Fusco’s police report says the victim spoke to the witness before he died. Fusco wants to know how Finch got his police report, but maybe he’s not that much smarter than Carter since he’s been working with Reese and still thinks some things are confidential. They exposit about the second half of the episode then Finch asks Fusco to report the car stolen and email the report to him. Fusco asks Finch if he’s heard from Reese and Finch gets jealous, asking if he’s worried. Fusco’s all “Nah, just curious,” so Finch walks off, alone in his fear for Reese.

The day player drug dealers are talking about how this shit economy is affecting their business when Reese sallies into the room asking to borrow some drugs. One dealer pulls an X-acto knife so Reese says he’s not looking for a fight. He’s pretty and whispery and well-dressed so the dealers think they can take him. They think wrong as he lifts the guy with the X-acto knife with one arm and slams him on a counter. He turns his back giving the guy a chance to pull a piece of pipe before he kicks him in the kneecap. The other guy finally pulls a gun from under the newspaper. Reese tells him not to but he’s just a day player so he does, and Reese throws him into the wall via the gun barrel and takes the gun. He just loves showing off. With the day players writhing around, he takes a bucket and some coke baggies and walks off. He turns around to thank them because he may be a killing machine but he has manners.

Just because I’m a killing machine doesn’t mean I wasn’t taught good manners.

17:35:16 and Shimanski and Carter are expositing the plot along explaining how Peter and Laszlo are Ivan’s sons so the hit was probably Ivan himself avenging his brother who was killed by Elias’ crew a week earlier. Carter obviouses that she thought the Russians were untouchable in Brighton Beach but Shimanski can’t figure out why Elias wants it. Even though the evidence photos are on the board Carter conveniently tells Shimanski about the Marlene Elias murder and about how Elias is Don Moretti’s illegitimate son. Brighton Beach was the Don’s turf before he got locked up so their working theory is that Elias came back to claim his “birthright.”

I’m sorry. Am I boring you?

Reese pours some drugs directly onto Charlie’s gunshot wound. It takes effect pretty quickly so Charlie asks what it is. Cocaine. Okay. Then Reese squeezes some glue into the wound to seal it and Charlie wonders if he learned that in hero training. Reese sloughs it off but Charlie turns on the unsettling earnestness of the Colantoni and thanks Reese.

Human emotions start crossing Reese’s face again but he gets them under control, so Charlie holds Reese’s hand and says it again. Reese blinks a lot and decides to share his new gun with his new friend. Charlie doesn’t want it because the last time he handled one was with a foster father but misdirects that back to how he accidentally shot a bird and it was a bad memory. Reese, showing that he’s had limited normal human contact for a while, gives Charlie a quick gun safety lesson like he’s McGruff the crime dog and Charlie’s a grade schooler.

Touched by a Colantoni

Outside the projects and the drug dealers from earlier are joining the Russians. They’re pissed because Reese kicked their asses and stole their coke so they’re going to work with the Russians to find “the boys.” And since they stood out like well-dressed and bleeding sore thumbs, the Bulgarians were told they’re hiding out on the fourth floor. When head Bulgarian says one of them is bleeding, Laszlo gets that look that every younger brother gets when he was right and the older brother might be wrong. Peter refrains from slapping him on the back of his head.

It’s nearly three hours later at 20:22:55 and they still haven’t found Reese and Charlie. Did they get high first? Reese goes scavenging through the abandoned apartment and manages to find a rather stylish and perfectly fit jacket for Charlie to wear. He also conveniently finds a hammer and a phone and starts hacking away at the wall hoping to find a live line to call Finch. Which he does because he’s the star of the show. Charlie apologizes for getting Reese into this jam, but Reese says it’s his job. When Charlie says it’s a dangerous career choice, Reese fondly remembers the top of the episode where he and Finch were joking about it then in case we didn’t pick up on the over-identification yet, he tells Charlie he reminds him of Finch. But he doesn’t tell him it’s because he’s a nerdy loner.

Reese calls Finch who answers the phone practically before it rings. Reese is all “I was just talking about you…” but Finch wants to know where he is, because he hates not talking to Reese on the phone for hours on end like they’re in middle school. Reese gives his location and asks Finch to find a way out that no one else knows about. They jibber jabber about Charlie while Finch scans the blueprints and finds a service entrance in the northeast corridor. Reese tells Finch to have Fusco meet them at Pier 11 at 7:00am, they’ll be on the East River Ferry. Charlie gets an inscrutable look on his face and it never occurred to me to wonder why they were even showing Charlie at that point but the scene quickly misdirects us back to Finch who tells Reese to be careful.

OHMIGODOHMIGODOHMIGOD, YOU’RE ALIVE…Wait did I squeal that out loud?

Reese and Charlie are in the hallway when the Russians and the Bulgarians have finally stopped getting high and started looking for them, blocking their way to the service entrance. Reese starts randomly knocking on doors to find an empty apartment but while he’s trying to pick the lock on one, a kid, Will, sees them and recognizes “Mr. Burton.” He wonders why his teacher is there and Charlie says they got lost, but Will’s no dummy and when he hears the Bulgarians and the Russians he tells Charlie and Reese they can hide in his apartment.

Back at the library 20 minutes later and Finch has the stolen vehicle report from Fusco. By the way, Fusco’s email address is “lfusco@fast1mail.com” so he’s really good at this covert thing. Finch calls the vehicle recovery office and impersonates Fusco to get the tracking and mic in the SUV turned on remotely.

Over in Will’s apartment, Charlie’s having a nice, concerned conversation with the kid about why he’s still in the projects and checking to make sure Will is doing his homework. He’s reading The Count of Monte Cristo with a vaguely Caviezelly looking cover, and they discuss Edmond. Will thinks he’s cool and a survivor, but even though he got his revenge some bad stuff stuck with him. To make sure we make the connection, we’re looking at Reese while he says this. As Charlie and Will keep up the familiar banter, Reese smiles because Charlie’s such a good guy. No way this doesn’t turn out well for everyone.

Count of Monte Caviezel

Finch has trekked down to wherever the silver SUV is and sees the beat cop walk up. As Finch takes photos, he hears the men discuss how the Russians are in the projects and are on their way. Finch compares the clear shot he got of the beat cop with the blurry one he had from earlier and wonders if the cop is Elias. I’m sure he is, there are only two more commercial breaks.

5:08:07 and even though the Russians and the Bulgarians were on the floor at 20:22, it’s nine hours later and they still haven’t gotten to Will’s apartment. Probably went back downstairs to get high again. They finally get to Will’s apartment. Charlie lets him answer the door and it’s Peter Yogorov, asking to come in to make sure the kid’s alone. Will sasses that his father taught him not to let strangers in, especially punks. Peter waves around his machine gun and the kid says something about respect that I don’t quite figure out, but it’s enough to convince Peter to walk off.

Charlie’s looking the worse for wear since coke doesn’t usually last for twelve hours and he doesn’t think he can make the service entrance. Will conveniently knows of a shut down entrance just down the hall. Reese and Charlie head out, but Charlie takes a moment to bond with Will over how they’ll see each other in the morning. As Laszlo heads down one hallway Reese and Charlie go down another but before they can reach the stairwell more Russians and/or Bulgarians are in between them and they’re back in their abandoned apartment. Laszlo and a Bulgarian bust in and the Bulgarian makes the most of his mini-speech before Laszlo bum rushes him out. Camera pans behind the wall to where Reese and Charlie are hiding. The Bulgarian leaves, but Laszlo takes one last look before Reese sneaks up on him.

Don’t be jealous of my boogie.

Shimanski and Carter pay a visit to Ivan Yogorov at 5:28:32. They’re looking for Peter as he’s a suspect in the D’Agostino murder. Ivan’s all “What is this D’Agostino?” so Shimanski lets Ivan know they know about his brother’s murder by Elias. Ivan says they know a lot for people asking questions then says that Peter’s been working with him all day and is at a storage facility getting wine for an event. Carter says he’s not the best person to give his son an alibi. Have I mentioned how awful she is in the last few pages? Ivan suggests they get a warrant and Shimanski tries to get things back on track by appealing to his fatherly instincts. Ivan just turns into a brat and says “Elias started it,” but this isn’t The Bad Girls Club. Then he shoos them out of his office.

Reese is copping a feel off Laszlo, ostensibly to find his cell, but come on, he’s cute little Enver Gjokaj. Reese asks to borrow his phone but Laszlo just says “Screw you.” Rude. Reese lets him know it’s a bad idea to insult his hostage taker then gets really whispery when he tells him to keep his mouth shut or he’ll shut it permanently. No time to linger, though, as they leave the apartment while Reese calls Finch to have Carter pick up the bodega shooters at the projects. Finch agrees and then reiterates that Fusco’s to meet Reese and Charlie at the ferry. They hang up and Reese hands Charlie the cell phone and I didn’t notice this the first time, but as Reese pushes Laszlo into the stairwell Charlie turns the cell phone around so he can see, and more importantly touch, the touch screen. Extra curiouser.

Finch says I’m hotter.

The sun is rising at 5:55:43. Reese, Laszlo and Charlie are leaving the projects via the closed entrance and for some reason it takes them seven minutes to walk the hundred yards out of the projects. Seriously, they’re not usually this off with the timing. Finch is still listening in on the SUV and hears the beat cop saying he got a text to be at Pier 11 at 7:00am. Finch gets a frantic look but no time to follow up because we have to see Carter smugly congratulate Shimanski on a good collar even though she got the tip. Shimanski wonders if she knows who called and she says she has an idea. No she doesn’t.

As the ferry approaches, Fusco walks up to the benches nearby. He gets a call, and it’s Finch, hopping mad because he knew Reese couldn’t trust that Weeble but was willing to give him a chance because Reese trusts him and how do you say no to those big blue eyes? Maybe that last part was only in my head. Fusco’s confused so Finch tells him Elias’ people are on their way to the pier. Fusco gets angry because Finch thinks he’s the one who snitched, which fair assumption since he already pulled that stunt once, but this time he’s being straight. He starts defending himself but beat cop is there and knocks Fusco out.

Maybe no one will notice my Hermie the Elf flip if I cock my gun.

Reese is explaining how they’ll meet up with Fusco and that Charlie can trust him. Charlie gets all righteous saying he doesn’t want to see those cretins running around his town. Laszlo’s all “bitch, please,” but he’s also tied to a railing so he’s no threat. Reese, looking extra pretty in the morning light, just pats Charlie. This is going swell. I hope they stay friends. Meanwhile, Carter’s with Peter asking if he’s ready to talk because they have him on video shooting up the streets in Brighton Beach.

As Reese poses for his next cover of Vogue Uomo Charlie says it’s a beautiful morning and he didn’t think he’d see another. Carter’s laying out the theory they can’t prove that Peter, Laszlo and their father wanted to kill Elias to avenge their uncle’s murder. Since they couldn’t ID Elias, they killed D’Agostino instead. Now they’re after the witness because he saw Ivan’s face. She shows him a still of Charlie and Peter just starts spilling about how they heard Elias would be there but all they saw was Benny. They didn’t know about the other guy until the owner called them.

Papa always liked Laszlo better. What do you want to know?

Back on the boat and Laszlo starts asking Reese what is he, corrupt PD or a gun for hire? Then he goes all church lady and wonders what kind of guy takes money from a scumbag like Reese’s boss…here. What? Laszlo says Charlie won’t testify after all he’s done and that he’s tearing the town apart. Reese leaves Charlie at the railing to ask Laszlo what he’s talking about. Laszlo realizes that Reese is clueless about who Charlie is.

Before we can find out, Peter’s asking Carter if she thinks they’d really go to all this trouble over a witness. She starts realizing what’s the what, but she’s Carter it could take a while so we’re back on the ferry as Laszlo explains to Reese that he’s in a situation he doesn’t understand. Charlie finally outs himself as Elias when he tells Reese not to make him shoot Reese. Sadness. Charlie Elias tells Reese to drop his weapon and kick it back to him and Reese does what he’s told.

Charlie Elias exposits that he became a teacher to watch how the Russians operated and to learn their weaknesses. He taunts Laszlo some more then makes Reese tie himself up. They reiterate the entire episode before Charlie Elias admits that now that his anonymity’s blown it’s time to take his operation to the next level. He goes back to taunting Laszlo about how he’s taking back Brighton Beach and instead of killing Laszlo, he shoots out his kneecap unintentionally stealing Reese’s signature.

Stealing Reese’s kneecapping? Have you no shame, Charlie?

He gives a creepy speech to Reese about how he was going to kill him but that would seem ungrateful and really, it would be a waste to kill something so pretty someone so talented and offers him a job. Reese’s silence implies no, so Charlie Elias says as long as Reese stays out of his business they’re good. Reese asks what happens if he doesn’t, and Charlie Elias says they meet under unpleasant circumstances. Then the greatest song ever, Sinnerman by Nina Simone, starts banging away in the background.

As Elias meets up with beat cop Nina implores “O sinnerman, where you gonna run to?” They leave the pier as Finch comes up on Fusco spitting blood. Finch apologizes and hands Fusco his handkerchief then walks over to the gate as Reese slinks off the ferry because he may be pissed but he won’t miss a chance to walk that runway. The three men meet up at the entrance and Reese says “Nice to see you Lionel. Your suspect is tied to the railing.” Fusco always looks a gift horse in the mouth, though, and sasses Finch, who couldn’t care less about Fusco. Reese didn’t even look at him.

O, sinnerman. Where you gonna run to?

Finch is with Reese now trying to talk him down. He says they couldn’t know about Elias, the Machine just knew he was marked, not that he was a killer himself. Reese has an almost childlike anger, unable to see beyond the very obvious wrong of the situation. Finch tries a more nuanced approach admitting that they knew this could happen but there are more people to help, hoping that seeing the balance would calm Reese down but Reese will not be calmed. As Nina is singing “The Lord said go to that devil,” Reese wants to know how many numbers will come up because they saved Elias. Reese walks off, angry with himself and Finch, as Finch watches him leave.

Is this our first fight?

At 11:50:27 a gloved hand keys in a security code at Yogorov’s office then shoots him twice. A quick check to make sure he’s dead and we see it’s beat cop. Nina sings us out with a chant of “Power” and Charlie Elias is walking on a boardwalk as beat cop tells him it’s over. Charlie says it’s just beginning and as the camera pulls back we see Charlie, beat cop and three other men walk down the boardwalk Reservoir Dogs style.

So, that’s it. It was detailed yet surprisingly tight for so much information. Too much exposition and it probably should have been a two-parter, but they’re bringing the cops and the vigilantes together. And Enrico Colantoni as the big bad? AWESOME. I really didn’t see that coming but after laying out how many clues they dropped it’s amazing they managed to have the reveal be such a surprise, because it was there from the start.

Finally, if you’re drinking at home, kneecap count – 2 ½.

We have next week off so plenty of time to figure out where this show is going and for me to be completely wrong in my predictions. Any other thoughts?