When you find that one person who connects you to the world, you become someone different, someone better. But when that person is taken from you, what do you become then?
”
— Reese
"Many Happy Returns" is the 21st episode in season 1, and the 21st produced hour of Person of Interest. It originally aired on May 3, 2012.
It's Reese's birthday, and Finch gifts him with a day off - especially when he realizes that the Machine's latest number is sure to revive painful memories.
Title Origin[]
Many happy returns is a birthday and anniversary greeting offering the hope that a happy day being marked will return many more times. As the title of this episode it's also an ironic reminder that Reese must live through the loss and death of his loved one again by helping Sarah Jennings to get away from her abusive husband.
Main Plot Points[]
The episode opens with the flashback of Reese, in February, 2011, returning wounded by Kara Stanton from Ordos, China, not caring about the wound, but heading to see Jessica as he promised.
Finch uses Reese's birthday as an excuse to exclude him from looking into the POI who is being abused by her husband.
The FBI's investigation on Reese leads Carter to the facts revolving around Jessica's death in New Rochelle in December, 2010.
Carter learns of Reese's history with Jessica and Peter Arndt and receives his personnel file. She chooses to shred it to protect Reese.
The ending suggests that Reese did not kill Peter Arndt, but that like Marshal Jennings, they are both in a Mexican prison. The warden says he has one or two other American prisoners.
Flashbacks[]
The circumstances surrounding Jessica Arndt's death are revealed.
The board game Reese and Mr. Han are playing is called Xiangqi, a Chinese version of chess.
The military personnel file Carter reviews reveals that John's middle initial is H.
To celebrate Person of Interest airing on Netflix starting September 1, 2015, IGN.com asked Jonathan Nolan and Greg Plageman to pick a few of their favorite episodes. "Many Happy Returns" was one of the episodes they picked. Plageman stated that he enjoyed how emotional and moving the episode was, and with its flashbacks, gave a lot of insight into one of Reese and Finch's first interactions, as well as flesh out some of Reese's motivation for his actions. He also loved the use of the Danger Mouse song at the end of the episode. Nolan said that he was still new to television in the beginning of Person of Interest, as he was more accustomed to movies, and "Many Happy Returns" was originally part of the pilot episode that was shot. As they continued writing Season 1, they were given the opportunity to reshoot some of the flashback scenes to help nudge the characters in a different direction, since they knew the characters more.[1]
In “Terra Incognita”, Reese discovers the picture of himself and Jessica Arndt recovered by Carter here amongst Carter's effects.
Production Notes[]
"Many Happy Returns" was originally titled "Best Served Cold",[citation needed] which is a common expression often connected to revenge.[2]
Bloopers and Continuity Errors[]
Though Reese's birthday is shown as May 1 on his dossier (the first day this episode supposedly takes place), Reese checks his phone for messages in his apartment, and the date is April 24.
The time 8:08am also conflicts with his early morning meeting with Finch, which took place at 8:09am, further proving the phone may have been an oversight by the crew. It is, however, more likely that this scene takes place the following day.
When Reese follows Marshal Jennings, who is taking Sarah out of the city, it appears that both go in the wrong direction. The GPS in Reese's car shows that the Marshall is going north to Poughkeepsie. When they arrive, they are at the Meadowbrook Motor Lodge, which is a real motel located in Jericho, NY, about a hundred miles south.
Before Reese attacks Jennings in the field office, he unbuttons his jacket. As he walks away, his jacket is buttoned.
In the flashback to 2011, Finch is shown to be in a wheelchair. While he did use a wheelchair after the ferry bombing, ("The Devil's Share", "RAM" and "Karma") he was able to capably walk/limp after the events of "RAM" in 2010. However, Finch could have had an operation that required him to temporarily use a wheelchair or he could have been using a cover identity.
Finch says he won't let Reese work the number because of his "sensitivities" when it comes to domestic violence (especially as related to Jessica) but Reese already worked a case with domestic violence in "Get Carter", where Kovach repeatedly attacked and at one point nearly killed his wife with a shotgun. No one mentioned Reese's "sensitivities" in that episode.
Music[]
"Revenge" by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse - end of episode.
Reese is reading "Stress Fractures in Titanium" when Finch tells him that there was no new number – a reference to the movie Heat.
"Many Happy Returns" is also the seventh episode of the 2009 remake of The Prisoner. The episode also takes place on the birthday of Number 6. Jim Caviezel played the role of Six in the miniseries.
Reese's monologue from the first scene of the pilot episode appears in the flashback when Reese confronts Peter in his house.
"When you find that one person who connects you to the world, you become someone different, someone better. But when that person is taken from you, what do you become then?" (Reese)
"Once we become predictable, we become vulnerable." (Finch)
"Leave the laptop, now Harold, and get out. " (Reese to Finch)
"Finch, you hired me to take care of these things. You don't like how I do it - hire someone else." (Reese to Finch)
"I can't let you take him, John. This can't end like New Rochelle." (Carter to Reese)
"There are things you can do, Detective, and things you can't, and that's where I come in." (Reese to Carter)
"My name is John, and I help people out of tough situations." (Reese)
"Knowing isn't always a blessing, Detective." (Finch to Carter)
