What I’m Watching: Person of Interest

Person of Interest: Season 2, Episode 4 “Triggerman” (B+)

The episodes of this show that deal with good people in villainous roles are often the most compelling, and this one certainly was. While it was obvious from the start that Riley wasn’t a hardcore mob man, the best part of the plotline was the disagreement between Finch and Reese about what Riley was. Finch classifying him as a killer and as bad code drew surprising compassion from Reese, who could relate all too well to the notion of having to do bad things to protect the people you love. Once Reese was honest with Riley about who he was, they made a great team, and it’s nice to see Reese have a solid ally in combat. Both Carter and Fusco are proving to be useful in their own ways, and it’s good to see the team working together smoothly. On the guest star front we had Jonathan Tucker, who was last seen as a politician on “Parenthood,” as Riley and Kevin Conway, who appeared as third partner Stern on “The Good Wife,” as George. Mob roles weren’t much of a stretch since the two starred together on NBC’s short-lived “The Black Donnellys” several years ago. It was terrific to see Elias again, and a real treat for him to sit down face-to-face with Finch. His price for helping to cancel the hit was truly superb, and to think that a villain like that just wants to be able to play chess with a worthy opponent makes him an excellent recurring character.