A Few Notes on Search and Destroy

Rewatching 4.19 I realized this whole episode was basically a tribute to Shaw in the subtext (or at least seemed that way to me):

1. Reese trying to teach Finch how to shoot and defend himself as a result of what happened to Shaw.

2. Their number Sulaiman Khan, was the target of Samaritans flash crash at the stock market and thus the reason they were all in the basement of the stock exchange.

3. Shaw had last said (I think) the “maybe they should just kiss and makeup” line about The Machine and Samaritan (in 4.10). Reese say’s “better kiss and makeup” to Finch about Root. Which considering the circumstances of the last time may not bode well for any of the three.

4. Root eating pancakes in honor of Shaw and using the knockout gas and gasmask. Shaw used the same method to knockout her targets with Cole in Relevance (2.16 her intro ep).

5. Root shocking and then handcuffing herself to the briefcase. Both signature Root and both techniques she’s used on Shaw, albeit with a taser.

6. Root arriving in the SUV to offer Reese a ride, similar to Shaw arriving in the car to save Finch and Reese with the congressman in Death Benefit (3.20).

7. Root eating again. I’m thinking Amy or the writers/creators decided that with Shaw gone and her love of food with it, Root is being used again to highlight the absence as well as pay tribute to her memory.

8. Root leaving once the conversation turned around to the stock exchange. Whether a creative decision or Amy’s choice, that was a brilliant move and if I wasn’t on mobile I would link to that gif set by @morientis19

9. Reese and Root packing up the car with munitions. Shaw’s favorite (ie Reese’s) .37mm grenade launcher is in the car and the C-4 is the same color (silver and red) as the one Shaw used in the stock exchange that she had acquired from the guy in the bomb vest.

10. Reese’s sniper rifle that he’s using in the woods is the one Shaw also mostly used this season but notably, it was the rifle she used to back up Reese while he was breaking up the drug ring in Panopticon (4.01) when he was almost caught by Martine. So in a way Reese is also using a weapon Shaw favored, much like Root.

11. During the shoot out in the woods Root is using Shaw’s primary weapon. Also, she is only using the one gun instead of two. Again highlighting Shaw’s memory and her absence in the face of a major fire fight with Martine and Samaritan.

12. Root’s get Martine at all costs target fixation once she spots her. The subsequent hand to hand fight was very reminiscent of Shaw’s fighting style and is something we never had to witness from Root before. So it is unknown how much she could have learned from Shaw and how much she already knew. But the choreography certainly used some key Shaw sequences and was designed to make you think of Shaw and see how much Root is still suffering. She was stripped down to pure anger and rage. Which in a quick fight can give you the upper hand (but will loose you the fight in the end) and absolutely caught Martine by surprise. I don’t think Martine was expecting any CQC skills from Root because she has never seen them. To be fair, we never have either. Root’s missions are typically off screen, so we do not know the extent of her capabilities either. But we do know Root is scrappy, she had at least basic knowledge of hand to hand and she’s a fast learner.

13. The entire sequence with Root patching herself up by herself and Reese offering whiskey (is Shaw’s favorite whiskey or scotch? I can never remember).

14. The closing shot of Khan’s eyes looking up at his destroyer as a red “terminated” X flashed on the screen. Parallels Shaw staring down Martine defiantly as the elevator doors close.