Matsya Nyaya

Season	Episode
1	20
Air date	April 26, 2012
Running time	44:19
Production code	2J6220
Written by	Ray Utarnachitt
Directed by	Kevin Bray
Viewers	12.73M
POI; Tommy Clay
	Flashbacks; John Reese

Episode Overview

Summary

POI

Cast and Characters

Crew

Person of Interest — Season 1 (Flashbacks in parentheses) Season 2 →
101 “Pilot” (Reese)	109 “Get Carter” (Carter)	117 “Baby Blue”
102 “Ghosts” (Finch)	110 “Number Crunch”	118 “Identity Crisis”
103 “Mission Creep” (Reese)	111 “Super” (Finch)	119 “Flesh and Blood” (Elias)
104 “Cura Te Ipsum”	112 “Legacy”	120 “Matsya Nyaya” (Reese)
105 “Judgment”	113 “Root Cause”	121 “Many Happy Returns” (Reese)
106 “The Fix”	114 “Wolf and Cub”	122 “No Good Deed” (Finch/Ingram)
107 “Witness”	115 “Blue Code” (Reese)	123 “Firewall”
108 “Foe” (Reese)	116 “Risk”

“	After you've secured the package, you are to retire Agent Stanton.	”
— Mark Snow, to Reese

"Matsya Nyaya" is the 20th episode in season 1, and the 20th produced hour of Person of Interest. It originally aired on April 26, 2012.

Synopsis

The Machine's latest mark puts Reese undercover as part of an armored truck crew, a case that brings back memories of his last CIA mission and painful decisions he was forced to make.

Origin of the Title

The title of the episode "Matsya Nyaya" (IPA: /mət̪s̪jə/ /nja:jə/ Sanskrit: मत्स्य न्याय‬) is a reference to a concept in Hindu mythology as "Matsya Nyaya Pranali", whose literal translation is the "law of the fishes". In the West, it is known as "law of the jungle" or that the strong will eat the weaker to survive. With respect to Hinduism, it refers to the fact that "the big fish eats the little fish", which is the universal "law of nature".

Main Plot Points

Reese joins employees on an armored transport in expectations of a robbery.
The POI turns out to be the thief.
Kara is still alive, has killed Tyrell Evans and kidnapped Mark Snow.
The Laptop from Ordos, China is explained after it was hinted at in Blue Code..
Artie Lynch is killed by Fusco to protect Reese
Carter renews her alliance with Finch and Reese
HR is connected to the case

Flashbacks

In 2010, the circumstance surrounding Kara's "death" and Reese's retirement are revealed and the Ordos laptop is explained.
Alicia Corwin's relationship with Mark Snow is revealed

Episode Notes

The Machine opens the episode by identifying a clandestine operation in 2010 called "Operation Red Fort" and a CIA black site at Tetouan, Morocco.
Pronunciation of Matsya Nyaya:

Production Notes

Starting with this episode, a modified title sequence is used. When Finch's narration refers to "a partner," Carter is shown shortly after Reese. When he talks about them being "hunted by the authorities," a clip featuring Mark Snow is shown.
According to casting calls, Ordos was filmed in the Rockaway Beach area.

Bloopers and Continuity Errors

The infrared chemlights Stanton uses as a beacon to mark the pickup zone are colored blue. IR chemlights emit no visible color.

Music

"Lonely Soul" by Unkle - Ending song.

Trivia

When Reese and Stanton are in Ordos, they are marked as threats by the Machine
According to the Grayling Armored Services website, the events of the episode start on April 25, 2012.
Additional scenes from the flashbacks in Morocco and Ordos are included in “Prisoner's Dilemma”.

Quotes

"Agent Snow, have a seat. We have some catching up to do." (Kara Stanton)
"In the end, we are all alone." (Jessica)
"Wait for me." (Reese to Jessica - This is what she wanted him to say at the airport in an earlier episode, when he was unable to do so.)
“You there, Finch?” -Reese “Always.” -Finch
”It’s the rule of the fishes.” -Reese