Procedurals with Pedigree: Person of Interest

Currently airing its second season on CBS Thursdays at 9pm, Person of Interest has developed from a simple procedural with a slight sci-fi bent into a compelling drama with unique cases, exciting action, and complex adversaries. The basic premise of the show relies on today's camera surveillance-heavy world, as Harold Finch (a typically subdued Michael Emerson, who perfected his subtle acting style as Ben Linus on Lost) relies on a machine that hacks into every camera and computer to predict violent crimes. Finch, a computer genius, created this machine and sold it to the US Government so it can prevent acts of terror, however they have deemed the everyday crimes involving ordinary people that are also predicted irrelevant. As a fail-safe, Finch left a secret backdoor into the machine so he can receive the identification numbers for the people involved in these murders, but the catch is the machine does not specify whether the number refers to victim or the perpetrator.

To help him in his mission, Finch recruits a presumed-dead CIA Agent named John Reese (a stone-faced Jim Caviezel) to take care of the leg work, which often involves the use of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, to stop these violent criminals and save innocent lives. Their partnership reflects the classic pairing of "the brain" and "the muscle," as Finch and Reese coordinate their respective skills to remain in the shadows and atone for their individual pasts. As a show produced by J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek), there are of course regular flashbacks to fill in the historical context and open up new mysteries involving each character. While the show's creator, Jonathan Nolan (who co-wrote The Dark Knight along with his brother, director Christopher Nolan), imbues the series with action and detective styles that call to mind Batman himself. The dry banter between the two leads also offers some very welcome comedy to the typically tense proceedings.

The two rely on a couple of assets in the NYPD as well, by blackmailing former dirty cop Detective Fusco (Kevin Chapman), and eventually recruiting his boss, Detective Carter (Taraji P. Henson), as well. Carter actually begins the series hunting Reese, aka "the man in the suit," because of his ties to multiple crime scenes,  but the show really takes off when she finally realizes the good in their work and joins the team. Carter's initial arc is just one small example of the various serialized plots that occur within the procedural frame work of the show. These complex storylines, often involving new and formidable adversaries for both Reese and Finch, present intriguing mysteries for the audience to unravel and are primarily what make Person of Interest such an exceptional show, one that is truly worth watching.