If-Then-Else

All I could think about at the end of the episode was that it would definitely be the highest rated one ever. I was right. Everything about it was totally amazing, despite the turn of events, it was the one episode I will remember every detail of forever! Absolutely fantastic! The plausible scenarios were a total delight and the flashbacks gave a new perspective to Harold's relationship with the Machine and the effect he had on its development. The directing was also one of a kind, the slow motion captivating and so totally memorable, especially at the final scene. Even if they repeated the same lines for about 8 times, not only wasn't it boring, but it also increased our interest and agony! Also, love seeing a new side of Shaw and the train situation was also amazing to watch! I have high hopes for the next episode, hope we don't get disappointed!

Outstanding episode. Others have summarized it pretty well. Very thoughtful and creative, great flashbacks and details. The final scene was heartbreaking and beautifully done, as were all special effects. We now have way more insight into how The Machine works. Root and Shaw were very sweet - Shaw always tries to pretend she doesn't care but you can just see it's not as simple as that. Or, as little Genrika said in Episode 3.05 "It's not that you don't have feelings. It's just like the volume is turned way down, like the sound of an old tape. The voices are there, you just have to listen." My favorite POI episode.

I just wanted to add something - to the reviewer who said the show was ruined because "We are not into unnatural relationships. Two girls kissing is gross." ---- Are you serious? 'Bad code', as Root would say.

Kudos to Nolan, et al., the writers and actors for this episode, If-Then-Else, which competes right up there with any episode of The Americans, Homeland and other cablers whose greatness everyone knows about **because we hear it all the time**. We do not hear much about PoI from the talking heads and it is certainly no media darling, perhaps because it is a CBS show, or because Jim Cavaziel's Reece's expressionless monotone, or maybe because many critics wrote it off early in the first season. I am glad we stayed with it, as over the years this show has become not just a strong ensemble piece, but one of the most tightly crafted dramas airing on television. And those characterizations that annoyed critics the first season (Reece's grumble-like monotone, the idea of an all-knowing government spying on us) either turned into an important part of the ensemble's interplay, or was revealed as a prescient warning -- "holy crap! the Government actually IS spying on us!"

This uniquely structured episode rewards us longtime viewers with character-driven humor, with pathos and even a sly wink that comes right up the 4th Wall barrier, without truly breaking it. At the same time, If-Then-Else was filmed beautifully with the kinds of additional touches that one does not expect from cost-conscious network shows.

Just, really good job to all involved in this roller coaster of an episode and thank you for respecting the intelligence, loyalty and discrimination of your audience.

After i watched the episode i directly checked the writers and the creators. i did not know till then that this show's creator is of one of Nolan brothers. the younger brother .. the writer of Memonto... just brilliant... i watch so many maybe too many TV shows in these days but i have to admit this episode was one of the best i have ever watched. well they mixed up who is carrying the bag but that is OK i guess. the chess game lesson was great.. and we saw how Harrold thought moral values to the Machine... well written well played. big surprise at the end...i wish i can learn at least whose idea was this story... and i have to say it was brilliant. i enjoy the show. Thank you guys... i gave 10 pout of 10.

What could have so easily been a gimmick episode is turned into a masterwork of television. The writers really have a knack for this kind of thing, but it's still amazing how they've managed to keep it up. I won't spoil the twist for anyone who hasn't watched yet, but it is incredible to behold. The format the series began with has been expanded and inverted so many times, and each time to great effect, that one begins to wonder, "How can it possibly be topped?" Well, it's been done again and again, increasingly so with each new season. The first two seasons were great, bordering on stellar, and it was the third season where I could confidently claim that 'Person of Interest' was one of the greatest series of all time. We're only about halfway thru Season 4 with this episode, but if the quality of these first eleven episodes can be maintained, then they will have topped even last season's high standard. 'If-Then-Else' is pretty much* a perfect episode. Its expansion of the beginning plot device gives a lot of room for drama, humour and action, all things the series excels at in general. We also get a flashback, excellent as ever, to provide an ethical perspective which serves as the reason behind this episode's contortion of the usual format. And of course, driving all of these things are the characters. Where would we be without our beloved and intrepid team of protagonists? Still fighting a (mostly) behind-the- scenes war with some of the greatest television villains I've ever witnessed. It all converges into a majestic 44 minutes, a highlight of the season, series and television medium.

*: In the interest of being objective, I will bring up two small items I took issue with. I. In the opening scene, Finch and Root are discussing the current situation aloud amongst a pretty quiet crowd. It's immersion-breaking for me to see these characters talk about how careful they must be, only to speak so loudly about things which are meant to be hidden. II. Similarly, Fusco is the only (human) member of the team that is still unaware of The Machine, designated with a white box. Carter's was changed to a yellow box when she deduced that Finch must be getting his number from some kind of supercomputer. Yet The Machine and Samaritan are directly referenced in open conversation with Fusco, and his white box remains. Again, just some immersion-breaking that I think needs to be addressed in future episodes. But those two little things are literally all my critical eye can come up with as flaws for this episode. Everything else is brilliance.