This episode might have been the “perfect mark”, but it was not the perfect episode.  Most of it seems like a problem with casting.  The Number this week is a con-man pretending to be a hypnotherapist who cleans out the accounts of his wealthy clients.  However, a con-man needs to be charming in order to be successful, but this guy has no charisma or charm.  This makes the case a bit boring.  The regular cast and the HR plot saves the show from being unwatchable.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

First up, Finch touches base with an incarcerated Root.  She up to her old head games and hopefully Finch can see through her.  What is the Machine up to when it contacted Root and what does it want?  Root claims it means she’s the new favorite child, but what she is forgetting is Finch is the Machine’s father not child.

Finch goes undercover as a wealthy client to figure out if the Number is the victim or perpetrator.   It’s always amusing to see Finch put on a different persona and it makes it more intriguing to guess what his real personality is like.  Reese and Shaw are teamed up to follow the guy around.  Their banter is pretty standard, but what really shines is the Reese and Carter interaction.  Can you say fist bump?

The Number has a scam to steal big money from an antique dealer not knowing the money was HR’s.  He has to get out of town fast, but hold on he’s in love so that makes him likeable, right.  Not really.  On the plus side the con-man got conned by the love of his life.  That was sorta funny, though I think the writers were going for sad.

And now that brings us to the continuation of the HR storyline.  Carter’s in danger when she meets up with the head of HR, unbeknownst to her.  He wants Carter to trust him so he can find out how much she knows.  Carter’s life depends on his evaluation of her, but she goes with her instinct and tells him nothing.  Good call.

Rookie Lansky is undercover working for Carter reluctantly, but once HR asks him to kill a someone he gladly switches to Carter side.  Lansky does not live to see another day but gets a bit of redemption by saving Carter’s life.  However, Carter ends up killing a cop; an HR cop but a cop none the less.  Carter claims she is not the by the book cop she was when the show opened, but is she really going to be ok killing a cop? This show is primarily a procedural with seasonal arcs filtered in, but consequences to characters are long lasting.

Oh, one more thing, Carter gets the identity of the head of HR.  Game on!

Extra:

Best action scene goes to Reese as he hits Terney upside the head with a barstool.  Well maybe Carter shooting Terney was cool too.