# Person of Interest (2011)

> A former CIA operative and a reclusive billionaire programmer use a secret government surveillance machine to prevent violent crimes in New York City.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1327

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 103
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, science fiction, action
- Created by: Jonathan Nolan
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Kevin Chapman, Taraji P. Henson, Sarah Shahi, Enrico Colantoni, Elizabeth Marvel, Wrenn Schmidt
- TMDB rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839578/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: cerebral, tense, morally serious, wry

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard Person of Interest as an acclaimed, underrated thriller whose strong ensemble and philosophical surveillance premise outweigh its procedural formula.

## Synopsis

Person of Interest (2011-2016) is a United States CBS crime thriller created by Jonathan Nolan. Jim Caviezel plays John Reese, a former CIA paramilitary operative presumed dead, who teams up with the reclusive billionaire programmer Harold Finch (Michael Emerson). Their engine is a shared mission: using a surveillance system that spots violent crimes before they happen, they track down the people involved and work outside the law to put the right criminals behind bars across New York City. Detective Lionel Fusco (Kevin Chapman) and Detective Joss Carter (Taraji P. Henson) provide the police side of the cases, while Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi) adds a lethal edge. Each episode is built around a self-contained case, but the series runs as a five-season serialized thriller with a larger mystery building across the seasons. The tone is cerebral and morally serious, with a steady undercurrent of paranoia about who is watching whom, and a sharp sense of humor between its leads. Its atmosphere of gleaming surveillance rooms and rain-soaked city streets recalls Burn Notice and Continuum for fans of vigilante justice and tech-driven crime drama. Set in contemporary New York City, the show is a restrained, thoughtful action series that rewards close attention.

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- [Lie to Me (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/7760)
- [Limitless (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55708)
- [Unforgettable (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36093)
- [Condor (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/62161)

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