The TV Chick

Person of Interest isn’t your average CBS procedural drama. It will presumably center around a case an episode but it has an air of mystery that will inevitably be the focal point of the season. The show centers around Mr. Finch (played by Michael Emerson — so happy he is back on TV in an equally creepy role), who has developed a computer program that can predict the identity of people who will be involved with violent crimes in the future. The only big flaw in the system is it can’t tell whether the person will be committing the crime or a witness to the crime or the victim of the crime. Because Mr. Finch has physical limitations and can’t stop the crimes himself, he hires John Reese (played by Jim Caviezel). Reese is a former CIA agent who has presumed dead, which ups the stakes even more.

The thing I liked the most about this pilot was how well Michael Emerson can play creepy. Mr. Finch may not be anything like Ben Linus but Emerson is just so great at playing a character with a shady, unknown background. Caviezel was also very good, but Emerson was the highlight for me. Taraji P. Henson is also great as Detective Carter, who tries to track Reese down. Because the show is based on such an interesting premise, I think it will break the procedural mold on a weekly basis. The Good Wife is able to do that, and while Person of Interest is certainly not as good as The Good Wife (yet), I found it very intriguing and entertaining. If you are a fan of procedurals, or really if you loved “Lost,” I recommend tuning into Person Of Interest.

The series premiere of Person of Interest is tonight at 9 PM on CBS.