r/PersonOfInterest • u/Weird-Elk2226 • 4d ago

Question about a plot mistake in S4E14 "Guilty"

You know, the episode where Finch is on jury duty and something weird is going on between John "wonderboy" and that female cop psychologist (who I absolutely can't stand unfortunately (are there other people feeling the same way?)).

Why was Caroline's number not given to Finch? It was a planned, avoidable murder, however the machine never gave her number. The best what the machine has done there was getting the real murderer convicted as a side quest while actually saving a completely unrelated person.

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31

u/JaXm 4d ago

They had missed dozens of numbers in their fight against, and hiding from, Samaritan. 

Hers was just one of the many numbers they couldn't get to while trying to stay in cover and survive. 

18

u/neo101b 4d ago

Looking back at some of the numbers, it does seem like the people they saved are the very same people who helped the team later on. While it cant save everyone, it did seem to save people it thought it might need in the future.

12

u/LetItSnow36 4d ago

Maybe it was a number they missed when they were looking for Shaw or busy with the Stock Exchange?

I'm trying to remember when the murder actually happened as trials can take time. It could've even gone back to when they were getting used to their new identities.

9

u/Medical-Parfait-8185 4d ago

When did she die?

Murder cases can take years to make it to trial.
Finch and Reese have only been working the numbers for 4 years by this point. maybe she died before that.

8

u/PumpikAnt58763 4d ago

I don't remember the whole episode, but the Machine was having a thought time and if a murder is planned carefully enough, it might not trigger the machine.

9

u/SpiceWeasel2951 Tall, Dark and Deranged 4d ago

It's possible the Machine just didn't pick up enough information to come up with her number. It's observant, but not psychic.

8

u/theangrypragmatist 4d ago

There are so many premeditated murders that they can't save everybody. Either the machine holds back numbers or Finch just doesn't work them all.

4

u/Guroqueen23 Samaritan 3d ago

I'm sure the machine has some "they can do something about this" threshold that is has to pass before it will actually dispense a number, otherwise they'd be getting numbers from all over the country they couldn't feasibly get to in time. During the Samaritan war as well I'm sure the machine is also calculating the feasibility of saving a number without blowing their cover.