page_title: Person of Interest (TV series)
section_title: Main
hierarchical_section_title: Person of Interest (TV series) / Cast and characters / Main
caption_attribution_description: English: Taraji P. Henson at the Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles, March 5th, 2010.
context_page_description: Person of Interest is an American science fiction crime drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2011, to June 21, 2016. Its five seasons comprise 103 episodes. The series was created by Jonathan Nolan; executive producers were Nolan, J. J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Greg Plageman, Denise Thé, and Chris Fisher.
  The series centers on a mysterious reclusive billionaire computer programmer, Harold Finch, who has developed a computer program for the federal government known as "The Machine" that is capable of collating all sources of information, to predict terrorist acts and to identify people planning them. The Machine also identifies perpetrators and victims of other premeditated deadly crimes; however, because the government considers these "irrelevant", Finch programs the Machine to delete this information each night. Anticipating abuse of his creation, Finch included a backdoor into the Machine. Tormented by the "irrelevant" deaths that might have been prevented, he eventually decides to use his backdoor to act covertly.
context_section_description: Jim Caviezel as John Reese: a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier and later a CIA SAD/SOG operative in the Special Activities Division. Reese is presumed dead following a mission in Ordos, China. Little is known about Reese's background, and his name is one of several aliases that he uses. He lost his lover Jessica Arndt, prior to meeting Finch. It appears to have marked him deeply. Reese demonstrates skill in the use of a wide range of weapons, in hand-to-hand combat, and in counter-surveillance tactics. He knows very little about Finch, who often rebuffs him when he attempts to learn more about him. The Machine identifies Reese as its "primary asset." In the series finale, Reese sacrifices himself to destroy the Samaritan AI.
  Michael Emerson as Harold Finch: a reclusive, security conscious, and intensely private billionaire software engineer. His real name is unknown and he has many aliases (most commonly Harold Wren), using various species of birds as the last name. Finch has developed a machine that can isolate the Social Security numbers of people with either premeditated homicidal intent or who will be homicide victims, based on its analysis of surveillance data. He recruits Reese to help him deal with the people that the Machine identifies, following a traumatic event in his own life that led to the death of his business partner and close friend Nathan Ingram. For the first three seasons, Finch lives and works in an abandoned library and, beginning with season four, in an abandoned subway stop. Finch shows the results of severe physical injuries, including a rigid posture, and a limp. Finch cares for Bear, a Belgian Malinois dog with military training. The Machine identifies Finch as its "admin."
  Taraji P. Henson as Detective Jocelyn "Joss" Carter (seasons 1–3; guest season 4): an NYPD homicide detective. Carter is a former U.S. Army interrogation officer who passed the bar exam in 2004, but gave up practicing the law to return to police work. Carter first crosses paths with Reese following his encounter with a group of young men on the New York City Subway, but knew him principally as a mysterious man in a suit. Carter is initially determined to apprehend Reese, but eventually forms an alliance with him and Finch. In the third season, she becomes aware of the Machine's existence before being killed by corrupt cop Patrick Simmons.
  Kevin Chapman as Detective Lionel Fusco: a corrupt cop whom Reese blackmails into being a source inside the NYPD. Finch later arranges for Fusco to be transferred to Carter's precinct so that he works alongside her. Over time, Fusco becomes increasingly loyal to Finch and Reese, as he stops being a corrupt cop, although he continues to keep a secret regarding the death of a cop involved with HR. Fusco and Carter become aware of their mutual membership in Finch's team at the end of the first season. In the fourth season, Fusco becomes Reese's partner under Reese's new identity of Detective John Riley. Fusco remains unaware of the Machine's existence for most of the series but is eventually told near the end when the secret causes a rift between Fusco and Reese. Eventually, like Reese and Shaw, Fusco is identified by the Machine as a "primary asset".
  Amy Acker as Root (seasons 3–5; guest season 1; recurring season 2): a genius hacker obsessed with the Machine. Root has a keen interest in both Finch and the Machine. Her real name is Samantha "Sam" Groves. Initially introduced as a guest star in the first season, Acker's Root begins as a morally ambiguous hacker not afraid to kill, but she becomes a crucial ally for the team, with The Machine adopting her as its "analog interface" and using her as its agent for missions of unknown purposes, as well as an intermediary between itself and individuals with whom it wishes to communicate. Among her numerous false identities, she uses the name of Augusta King, the first programmer in the world. In the 100th episode, Root is killed by Samaritan operative Jeffrey Blackwell.
  Sarah Shahi as Sameen Shaw (seasons 3–5; recurring season 2): an ISA assa
caption: Taraji P. Henson (Carter)
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