<p>good question,l was thinking the same thing,since Sam stated that it couldn't visually ID Root,even though she was sitting only a few feet from her avatar... my explaination is that Root possesses a higher level of protection due to her importance to the Machine(it sees Shaw as expendable) ... Sam prob has access to all records(etc)to current/former Northern Lights agents(who prob believe they are still working for the same govt entity)and when Shaw's former colleague tried to erase her involvement in retrieving that virus it triggered something in Sam's programming... </p>

<p>Slightly disappointed with the lack of response from the regular participants of the Forum (I am not among them). I doubt that I will try it again. </p>

<p>People come and go irregularly, particularly when the show is on a hiatus (as now), and participate as they are interested. Taking it personally won't generate any discussion. </p>

<p>hey,l tried(asset 71.246.220.54)!!! </p>

<p>Is it okay to refer my question to LeverageGuru? I really would like to hear your opinion: Do you think it's a flaw in the logic of the plot that Shaw has to hide (once her identity is revealed to Samaritan), while Root and Reese openly confront the Samaritan agents at the church? </p>

<p>asset 71.246.220.54: LG is a terrific contributor,it would be great to view his/her opinion,but l've already given you my poss explaination... l watched epi 410 again a few days ago,Reese was careful to conceal his face w his weapon while standing on that church balcony,and really,how many churches that you know that have a multitude of cameras present throughout it's interior,which l might add was dimly lit... you have to admit,if any Team Machine member was a candidate to blow their cover it would be Shaw... </p>

<p>As I understand it, cover identities were originally constructed for members of Team Machine, most of which are "static". That is, Shaw's "identity" has been set (much like hard-coding) as a department store salesperson (at least by day), Finch's identity is set as a professor, and Reese as a detective. Although Reese has been involved in a number of interesting shooting incidents, he has managed to keep those related enough to his cover to remain believable as a detective, and likewise Finch has continued to function as a professor. </p><p>However, once Samaritan's human agent established a link between the person who pulled off the Marburg heist (recall that whole affair involved "relevant" numbers) and the somewhat random woman who was supposedly moonlighting as a "wheel-man", she became linked to something at a much higher level than an ordinary ring of bank robbers, and her identity as a salesperson became untenable.  </p><p>Root is different; her identity is fluid, and something the Machine changes every few days or weeks according to her "assignment", for example reporter, nanny, investigator, chef, etc. For her, the cover profile is not hard-coded but dynamic, and in a sense more challenging, as she is continually learning new identities. The Machine has probably assessed the relative capacities of its agents, most of whom could not sustain what is required of Root.  </p>

<p>It was illuminating to read the above. I am a little digitally challenged, and didn't know what to expect, but maybe now I will be less apprehensive about trying it again. Thank you. </p>

<p>I don't think that Samaritan has identified Reese yet, just Shaw. Lambert and Martine have seen him and associate him with the Machine, but may not know who he is, and Samaritan clearly doesn't. That's the difference between his situation and Shaw's; Samaritan has identified her, over-riding whatever Root has implanted in its system. </p><p>Greer has never exhibited much interest in Reese; it's always been in finding Finch, and he may see Reese as little more than a functionary, the way he does Lambert, not realizing the difference in Reese's relationship to Finch versus his own with Lambert. </p>