Things were grim for the team at the end of Person of Interest's season four finale, but a revived Machine could be the key to helping them bounce back.

The CBS drama's cast and producers took part in a Comic-Con panel Saturday in Ballroom 6, where Michael Emerson (Finch) discussed what might be next for his creation, which was last seen on the brink of death.

"If [Finch] has to rebuild it, he may not do it the way he did it initially," Emerson said. "He may give it more of the freedom that Root (Amy Acker) was always demanding for it. And maybe the new Machine is a greater warrior than the old Machine was."

That said, Emerson made it clear that Finch and Root still won't be seeing eye-to-eye. "It's an interesting kind of grudging camaraderie that they have," the actor continued. "People that keep saving your life and stuff, you tend to warm to them. The question will be, can she prevail on him if they do indeed collaborate on the rebooting of the Machine. What [aspects] of her character will the Machine end up with?"

Jim Caviezel (Reese) said the team will be focused on "survival" in season four. "They've got to find a way to go on the offensive — attack Samaritan and hit them hard," the actor said.

Caviezel said that his favorite episode of season four was "Terra Incognito," which saw the return of Carter (Taraji P. Henson). He added about his character's season-five path: "[Reese] wants his teammates to depend on him. He also is vulnerable and needs to trust."

As for Shaw (Sarah Shahi), executive producer and writer Denise The left the door open for the fan-favorite character to return. "We have not seen the last of Shaw," The said, earning a loud cheer from the crowd.

Creator Jonathan Nolan said that the show's writers are approaching the upcoming truncated season, which premieres midseason, as though it could be the end of its run, even though CBS has not yet officially pulled the plug. "In terms of the reduced order, we're going to make 13 kickass episodes, drop the microphone, and if we're asked to pick it up again, we'll have more stories to tell," he said.

"We're very, very proud of the show and very excited with the show we've been making," Nolan continued. "If it's the last season, no one is going to be disappointed with the story that we tell."

A teaser for season five debuted during the panel, featuring a recorded message that Root left for any possible survivors of the previous season's bloody finale. "If you're hearing this, it's over," Root's voice says in the clip. "So let me tell you what we did to fight back."

Nolan also premiered a teaser trailer for his new sci-fi drama Westworld, which he co-created with Lisa Joy. Westworld premieres on HBO in 2016.

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Email: Ryan.Gajewski@THR.com

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