Reese and Shaw pose as alumni at a high school reunion in order to keep eyes on the latest POI. Meanwhile, Finch and Fusco travel to Washington, D.C., to investigate the motivations behind Vigilance’s latest attack.
Origin of the Title[]
The episode title refers to "most likely to..." awards commonly found in high school yearbooks. Graduating seniors are awarded exaggerated distinctions such as "most likely to be crowned Miss America" or "most likely to make a million dollars." The title also refers to which of a group is most likely to perform an act, good or bad.
Main Plot Points[]
Reese and Shaw watch over their newest number Leona Wainwright. Leona enters a cab and when it takes too long to leave, the two realize something is wrong. As Reese rushes to Leona's rescue, he sees her threatened by the fake cabbie before the man blows himself, the cab and Leona up.
Using the killer's cell phone retrieved from the scene of the crime, Finch realizes they are dealing with Vigilance and warns that Vigilance are likely targeting the Machine. At the scene of the crime, Root warns Fusco that one of Leona's responsibilities dealt with security clearances but the Machine hasn't told her what for yet.
Control is visited by Senator Ross Garrison who is panicked over Leona's death and whether it means that they and the Northern Lights program have been exposed. Control doesn't know and orders Garrison to send his agents to search Leona's office. Due to the involvement of federal agencies, they will have to go through official channels and Garrison is panicked over the program being exposed and them along with it.
Finch is sent the number of Matthew Reed and he sends Shaw and Reese to Westchester, New York to look after Reed while he works with Fusco to investigate Leona Wainwright.
Reese learns from an alumni named Toke that people believe that Reed had a hand in Claire's death, particularly Doug Hemmill shortly before someone broadcast a picture of Claire's body in Reed's car. Shaw then escorts Reed back to his motel room and takes the room next door with Reed to keep an eye on him. The two get the police report on Claire's death from Fusco and learn that she died of an accidental overdose of hydrocodone but that Doug believes Reed was responsible.
The next day, after finding the information wiped from the Intranet for Leona's job, Finch decides to break into the FBI's evidence lockup and into the safe.
In the chem lab Doug is confronted at gunpoint by Reed who accuses him of making people believe Reed killed Claire when it was really Doug. Doug finally confesses that after Reed and Claire had a fight, she came to him, her best friend for comfort. Doug, being in love with Claire, slipped some hydrocodone in her drink to help her relax in hopes she would finally get with him but he accidentally gave her too much and she overdosed. Before Reed can murder Doug, he's interrupted by Reese and Shaw who attempt to talk him out of the murder.
As Shaw argues with Reed, they come under attack by four Vigilance operatives with Shaw being forced to use Reed's gun when hers runs out of ammunition leading Reed to admit that she was right that he could never commit murder.
With the help of a distraction from Fusco, Finch is able to sneak into the FBI's evidence lockup and break into Leona's safe where he finds a black budget report for Northern Lights. Peter Collier and two Vigilance operatives break in, taking Fusco captive.
Following Collier's orders, Vigilance disseminates the black budget report which concerns assets connected to the government's operations with the Machine and names several government officials including Senator Garrison. Garrison denies the allegations of a mass surveillance system existing and then orders Control to shut down the Northern Lights program to protect them. Reluctantly following Garrison's commands, Control orders Northern Lights terminated. After ending the program, Control shreds the file of the next Relevant Number: Peter Collier.
Finch chooses to stay in Washington, DC since Vigilance is operating there. As she speaks with Finch, Root is contacted by the Machine who re tasks the Relevant Numbers to her as Tertiary Operations since Primary Operations are compromised with the Northern Lights program shut down.
Episode Notes[]
The high school reunion happened on March 28-30, 2014.
One of the books Finch used to learn about safecracking is Wayne B. Yeager's book "Techniques of Safecracking".
The images Finch used for Reese's and Shaw's covers previously appeared in “Bury the Lede” and “Lady Killer” respectively.
Garrison's comment to Control, "And right now, you should be asking who's going to protect you." is reminiscent of the message "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" (or "Who watches the watchmen?") that appeared in binary code when the Machine rebooted in “Zero Day”.
Due to the Machine's inactivation of its "Primary Operations", it reassigns all relevant numbers to Root (Analog Interface).
In top left part of the picture during the retasking MPOV the color of a yet unknown Roger F. McCourt's info-box alternates between blue and red, then it changes to black with a (barely legible) error message under: “ERROR: DIRECTIVE CONFLICT”. McCourt appearance will be made as a POI in “Death Benefit”.
Production Notes[]
Bloopers and Continuity Errors[]
The second time Reese is slapped by a former classmate, you can clearly see that she doesn't slap him and the sound is delayed.
Following the slap, the camera zooms out to a security camera recording. Reese is slapped on his left cheek but the security camera shows him rubbing his right cheek.
In the police report of Claire's death, it says the 911 call was received at 22:30 and later states that the first units arrived at 10:45. Most police departments and emergency services world wide use military time instead of standard time (am/pm) and would never mix the two, as in this instance it would imply that they did not arrive until the following morning.
When Reese is fighting the domestic terroist in hand to hand combat there is a flash to his face that shows his fight double instead of the actor who plays him.
In one of the MPOV footage at the end of the episode cars are assigned a dashed square instead of the one with the solid vertical lines and central circle.
Music[]
"Low" by Cracker - when Doug "bumps" into Reed while Reese chats with Toke
"Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star - during the ballroom dance scene
The video feed at the bowling alley is hacked in a similar fashion to “Nothing to Hide”. The videos also appear similar because they were both created by Vigilance.
Reese and Shaw both smuggle things into their hotel on their high school reunion getaway. Among their items are grenades, pistol, an FN P90, suppressors, a mini camera, and a laptop.
Congressman Garrison is highlighted with a yellow box, meaning he knows about the existence of the Machine. Collier also expresses knowledge of its existence and may be depicted with a yellow box in future occasions, but he is not seen from the Machine's point of view in this episode.
This is the second time that Reese's cover identity is associated with being a dancer. Before, Zoe Morgan introduced Reese as "Savannah, the exotic dancer" in “The High Road”.
This is the third episode in this season in which the team is not able to save a POI (the others are “Nothing to Hide” and “Reasonable Doubt”).
Peter Collier states that the documents he found prove that the government has a secret surveillance system that watches you every hour of every day. This line is a part of the Person of Interest title sequence where Finch states "the government has a secret system, a Machine that spies on you every hour of every day."
Quotes[]
"If you keep an open mind, Miss Shaw, you might actually enjoy yourself." (Finch)
"Is that why you had us dress up, Harold, an evening at the theater?" (Shaw)
"Augusta King, Federal Bureau of Investigation." (Root, to Fusco)
"Lionel, you don't want to be uncooperative with a federal agent." (Root)
"The Feds are already involved, which means we need to go through official channels. If this comes back on us, prison will be the least of our worries." (Garrison, to Control)
"I got the car all packed. AC/DC or the Dixie Chicks?" (Fusco, to Finch)
"Some people are gun-shy." (Jack Tanner to Shaw as Betty)
"Finch, did you know I'm a great swing dancer?" (Reese, to Finch)
"You know, I prefer accommodations that don't charge by the hour." (Finch, to Fusco)
"They said you were fast." (Phil, to Reese)
"Nothing is ever easy with you, Finch." (Fusco)
"I may be the one person here who thinks you're innocent." (Shaw, to Reed)
"Isn't anyone at this reunion who they say they are?" (Shaw, to Reese)
"Vigilance isn't here for Matthew, they're here for us!" (Reese, to Shaw)
"Sorry to ruin your diabolical high school grudgefest, but chances are none of us are going to make it out of here alive." (Shaw, to Reed)
"I've killed lots of people, but my friends keep telling me it's wrong." (Shaw, to Reed)
"That is one scary chick." (Fusco, about Root)
"That proves something I've speculated. That the government has a secret surveillance system that spies on us every hour of every day." (Collier)
"The public is an ass-hair away from learning their government has been trawling through their personal lives. Terminate the program." "I would sooner have you terminated than leave this country unprotected." "The country will be protected, just not by your machine. And right now, you should be asking who's going to protect you." (Garrison and Control)
"Deactivate the program. We're no longer operational." (Control)