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The gripping, thought-provoking Person of Interest isn't exactly in need of new eyes, as it's a solid hit for CBS, going into its fourth season. As the most-watched of the big four networks, CBS' audience generally skews older; hence they're less prone to channel-hop and/or seek out post-show discussions on the internet. The CBS audience also love themselves a good "whodunnit?" mystery, which partially explains the staggering success of all the "CSI"s and "NCIS"s.So a good number of people watch the show. And will hopefully continue to do so no matter how many times it changes its night and time-slot. This piece here, about how awesome and unique Person of Interest is, is really meant to try and get more IGN readers to watch the series. You guys. This show is perfect for you! And we're fighting the good fight to try and gain a bit more traction on the site.

Person of Interest Season 3 Review

The Heroes We Need...And Deserve

Thought(ful) Police

Aside from being the last remaining network that's able to produce smash-hit "traditional" multi-cam sitcoms, CBS' bread and butter is also its barely-serialized "case of the week" shows. Not exactly IGN-friendly, as not only do we love our genre shows, but we love the long-arcing, deep-cutting stories (and payoffs) that come with serialization. Well, Person of Interest has all but circumvented its procedural roots and turned into a show that's both challenging and rewarding.Saving people is still at the heart of the series, which started out with Michael Emerson's Harold Finch and Jim Caviezel's John Reese using a backdoor program to obtain social security numbers from a secret semi-sentient surveillance computer to rescue citizens from dangers deemed "irrelevant" and too small for government intervention. It's since grown into a massive, labyrinthine tragi-commentary about our own personal freedoms and liberties, the abuse of power, and the rise of AI.Oh, and it's also a freakin' amazing superhero saga for those who might be interested in what a "real world," grounded, well-researched superhero tale would look like in the early 21st Century. So here's why you should check out Person of Interest if you haven't already done so...I wasn't joshin' ya about POI being a badass real-life superhero story. For those who loved the grittiness and grounded nature of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, this show was tailor made for your needs. Created by Jonathan Nolan (who co-wrote The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, along with the upcoming Interstellar), Person of Interest is basically The Dark Knight without the cape and cowl. There are no actual "super powers" on display other than what's attainable through training and technology. And with a heavy emphasis on the all-seeing/spying surveillance tech that Lucius Fox had so many moral objections to in that movie.Finch is the eloquent billionaire genius and Reese is the soft-spoken one-man army, and both are in need of purpose and redemption. Together, along with a team that grows as the seasons progress, they swoop in and rescue ordinary citizens who Finch's super-computer, "The Machine," determines to be in danger (or who may be the danger, in some cases).So if you enjoy twisty, turn-y action along the lines of The Joker's explosive escape from prison, or the way Batman had to non-lethally fight off the SWAT Team to keep them from accidentally killing hostages, then Person of Interest is a must-watch.Along with its impressively brutal and creative action sequences, Person of Interest has also morphed into one of TV's most engagingly subversive shows. Sure, Reese and Finch battle crooks and corruption in all shapes and forms, but they also tackle conspiracy. And so when one tries to imagine what a modern-era "supervillain" would be, it's hard to top the combo of terror and tyranny. Those who would seek to subjugate us. The trick though is...are they right in trying to doing so? Often times it comes down to the time-honored "for our own good" argument.Another feat that Person of Interest deftly pulls off on a regular basis - while in the midst of showcasing important issues like privacy, security, and the fragile balance between the two - is that it's able to present both sides of a debate. The characters have sound ideologies and convictions. They have reasons for being the way they are and doing the things they're doing. There's a lot of "grey" to sift through as it pertains to government, liberty, morality and in a post-9/11 America. Which makes for outstanding television.And the dangerous rise of actual, legitimate "AI" is another big hot topic for POI, which is something makes me even more excited for Jonathan Nolan and J.J. Abrams' (who also executive produces Person of Interest) upcoming TV remake of Westworld for HBO.

More reasons Person of Interest rules on Page 2...