Person of Interest (2011–2016): Season 1, Episode 1 - Pilot - full transcript

When you find that one person
who connects you to the world,

you become someone different.

Someone better.

When that person is taken from you...

What do you become then?

Whatever he wanna do, you know?

What?

Where'd you get that,
in a cereal box?

You wanna see a real gun?

Forget you.

Every little punk
is carrying now, Anton.



That's why your father wanted us
to take the car home.

Relax.

We're picking up new hardware next week.
Restore a little order.

Besides, when we take the car,
we don't get to meet new friends.

Look at this guy.

You didn't bring enough
for the whole group.

I have to teach you about sharing.

I'll need a statement from the bum.

What hospital did they take him to?

He declined treatment.
We got video on it, though.

You know,

you could have done me a favor and let
those guys land a couple more punches.

Question for you.

Looking at that tape,



I'd say you spent some time
in the service.

But you don't learn
how to fight like that

in the regular army.

So what were you, special forces?

Delta?

I'm Carter.
You didn't give us a name.

It's funny.

Seems like the only time you need
a name now is when you're in trouble.

So am I in trouble?

I don't know, you tell me.

You're the one living on the street.

Making that transition back
can be tough.

Some guys I knew got a little lost,

needed a little help adjusting.

You need some help?

Of course,

some other guys I knew,

they'd done so many evil things,

they felt like they needed
the punishment.

That sound more like your story?

Excuse me for a second.

I'm here for my client.

Your guy's prints were found in half
a dozen crime scenes over the years.

Open warrants
in four different countries.

Who you got down there, Carter,

the angel of death?

I appreciate the help, counselor.

But who's picking up...

The tab?

Our employer
wants to have a word with you.

Do I owe you money?

Because I'm...

Running a little short at the moment.

You don't owe me anything, Mr. Reese.

That's the name you prefer, isn't it?

I know you've had several.

Don't worry,
I'm not gonna tell anybody about you.

You don't know anything about me.

I know exactly everything about you,
Mr. Reese.

I know about the work you used to do
for the government.

I know about the doubts you came to have
about that work.

I know that the government, along
with everybody else, thinks you're dead.

I know you've spent the last two months
trying to drink yourself to death.

I know you're contemplating
more efficient ways to do it.

So you see,
knowledge is not my problem.

Doing something
with that knowledge...

That's where you'd come in.

And you can call me Mr. Finch.

I think you and I
can help one another.

I don't think you need a psychiatrist
or a support group, or pills...

What do I need?

You need a purpose.

More specifically, you need a job.

Eight million people.

You know
what they all have in common?

None of them knows what happens next.

Someone is murdered
in New York City every 18 hours.

At the end of the day,
one of these people will be gone.

Bad things happen to people
every day.

You can't stop that.

What if you could?

Not the things that happen
in the heat of the moment.

But so many crimes are planned

days, weeks in advance.

What if you could stop those?

I've got a list.

A list of people who are about
to be involved in very bad situations.

Murders,

kidnappings.

The people that are on my list,

they have no idea that anything's
about to happen to them.

Most of them are just...

ordinary people

- like her.
- Thank you.

Her name is Diane Hansen,

and this week
she's at the top of my list.

I don't know exactly what's going
to happen or what her role in it is.

She might be the victim.
She could be the perpetrator.

All I know is that she's involved.

I want you to follow her,
figure out what's gonna to happen,

and stop it from happening.

So what do you think?

I think you're a bored rich guy.

I think that woman's probably
your ex-wife

or someone you rode
in an elevator with once.

And either way, I think I'm done.

Tonight police are looking for
a homeless man for further questioning.

The unidentified man
was originally believed

to be the victim of a violent assault
on the subway.

But now police consider the man
a person of interest

in a number of crimes nationwide.

What's wrong?

Jess, what's wrong?

You need to understand, Mr. Reese,
the information I have is incomplete,

but it's never wrong.

You need to know
what it would be like

to be forced to listen
to someone get murdered,

and not be able
to do anything about it.

... kilo, one, three, eight,
dot, seven, X-ray.

12 August, 2008.

1:37 A.M.

Too late.

This recording is three years old.

A woman murdered in this room
by her husband.

For the insurance.

You were too late for her.

Like you were too late
for your friend Jessica.

You were halfway around the world
when she was killed.

- What do you know about it?
- It's the truth.

You left the government
because they lied to you. I never will.

All you ever wanted to do
was protect people.

It's a wire-tap recording.

NSA or FISA.
Government.

- But you're not government.
- No, I'm not.

I guess you could call me...

a concerned third party.

You couldn't have saved this woman...

Or your friend.

But you could have
if you had have known in time.

That's the other thing I'm offering you,
a chance to be there in time.

It's not too late for her.

You could help me stop
what's about to happen.

The question is, will you?

Behind the Government Team presents

- What is this place?
- The decline of Western civilization.

The city closed half its libraries.

Budget cuts.

This building was sold to a bank
that I control,

which promptly declared bankruptcy.

So the property
is in a kind of limbo.

It doesn't exist.

Neither do you.

I did a little digging.

I recognize, Mr. Reese,
that there's a disparity

between how much I know about you
and how much you know about me.

I know you'll be trying to close
that gap as quickly as possible.

But I should tell you

I'm a really private person.

Drivers licenses...

Credit cards.

Six cover identities.

Funds to be replenished
through a proxy corporation.

Just like
when you were with the agency.

When I was with the agency...

I knew who was picking up the tab.

This is your list?

The list?

Yeah.

But you don't get names?

These are social security numbers.

And each of them map out
to a violent crime.

And all of these numbers represent...

Lost chances.

I could be a lot more help to you if
you tell me where you got these numbers.

It doesn't really matter.

You need to know
that the next number that's up, is hers.

Diane Hansen.

Grew up in Detroit.

Moved to the city after Law School.

Single.

She have any enemies?

One or two.
She's an assistant district attorney.

Best conviction record
in her department.

We have no idea
when this bad thing might happen?

Could be in a week.
Could be five minutes.

That's why we need to learn
as much as we can about her.

How do you intend to begin?

The slow way.
Cultivate a relationship...

to allow you to earn
the asset's trust.

And the fast way?

First, you break into their home
and go through all their stuff.

Email, financial records,

personal effects.

Then you hack into their cell phone.

As long as it's charged
and has signal,

you can use the GPS

to track them.

You can use the microphone
to listen into their conversations

whether they're talking
on the phone or not.

Hi mom.
I'm sorry I haven't called you back...

Third step...

You need picture.

A wireless camera, and you can
keep an eye on them from anywhere.

I know you're worried.
I know, I'm fine.

It is a tough job,
but I can look after myself.

You know that.

She's tough,
but she's scared about something.

Given Hansen's job,

we've got hundreds of people
who could be holding a grudge.

I cut the list to two.

The first is Wheeler,
her co-counselor.

They dated for a few months
last year.

She broke things off.

You got time to talk?

- Maybe I can buy you dinner.
- I'm busy, another time?

Is something wrong?
I've been noticing lately...

No, I'm fine, thank you.

And forty percent of murders involve
some kind of romantic relationship.

Wheeler's divorced.
One kid.

Partial custody, alimony.

Career stalled.

The second person I'm looking into
is Lawrence Pope.

The man Hansen
is currently prosecuting.

Pope's on trial for killing his friends
in a drug deal gone bad.

Stole half a million in cash.

Pope's gang may be targeting her
for reprisal.

When we got there,
the scene was colorful.

Five dead.

One of them had managed to crawl
ten feet to a phone to dial 911.

Detective Fusco,

when you interviewed Mr. Pope,
what did he tell you in his defense?

He said that if he'd have shot
the poor bastard,

he would have shot him in the head,

"same as I always do".

He wouldn't have left him there half-
dead, blubbering for his girlfriend.

No more questions, your honor.

Detective...

You went a little off script
in your testimony.

You never told me
about that conversation,

and it could clear Pope's name.

What's it matter?
We got the guy.

It matters because it's my job

to make absolutely sure
that the wrong people don't go to jail.

Do you remember?

Excuse me,
I thought we were on the same team.

Something's gone wrong with her case.

Hansen's on the move.
She's phoning county lockup,

arranging a meeting with Pope...

alone.

Isn't my lawyer supposed
to be here for this?

I can call him if you want,

but the reason I'm here is I don't think
you murdered those people.

I think somebody else was in the house
when that 911 call was made.

Somebody who told you what was said,
which means you weren't there.

Is it somebody
you're trying to protect?

You gonna help me?
Is that it?

The person who knows what happened that
night must be somebody you care about.

Is it your younger brother Michael?

Pope's got a brother.
It's in his case file.

Got it.

- Did he see the real killers?
- You should leave this alone, lady.

I can do the time.
These people are evil.

Killing when they want,
and they're protected from on high.

You keep asking questions, they'll kill
me and my brother, and probably you too.

Whoever these people are,
you can trust me.

We'll take care of you
and your brother.

If the killers are out there, I'm gonna
find them, whether you help me or not.

It's my job.
Now, why don't you...

Bitch.

You keep your damn mouth shut,
or I'll shut it for you!

I'm fine.

Okay.
She's okay.

You were right about Hansen. Whoever
framed Pope will be coming after her.

And only Pope's brother Michael
knows who they are.

Hi mom.
It's Jessica.

I'm just down in Mexico with Cindy,

and I'll be back tomorrow, okay?

Talk soon.

I look like a Cindy?

I didn't tell her about us yet.

It's been six months.

I wish this week-end
could go on forever.

It already has.

It's Tuesday.

Which means that you
have to go back to the base,

and I'm not gonna see you again
for two weeks, which I hate.

Then ask me to stay,

and I will.

I'll quit.

I'll quit.

Okay.
Then quit.

I already did.

What?

I didn't want to take the chance

that you wouldn't be here
when I got back.

But first, we need some more Tequila.

Sweetheart, what's wrong?

What's wrong?

It's New York.
I don't know.

Something's happened this morning.

- Is it a plane crash?
- I think it's two planes.

Thanks.

You went to see Pope last night?

I gave him one more chance to
turn in his accomplice, cut a deal.

He give you anything?

No. As usual.

I'm late.

She's trying to track down
Pope's brother Michael.

He can ID the real killers.

She's stonewalling Wheeler.

Does she think he's involved?

Remember, Pope said they were
protected from on high.

Wait a second.

Turns out there's a good reason
she doesn't trust Wheeler.

He might be working with the killers.
And they're after Michael Pope.

We better get to this kid
before someone else does.

Can I talk to you for a second?

- I've got a message from your brother.
- You don't know my brother.

But I know what you saw.
I'm not the only one looking for you.

You need to come with me.

Help me.

This man is trying to put me
in a taxi cab with him!

He's trying to take pictures of me.

What's going on?

How you doing?

Michael Pope's still on the subway.

When he comes up for air, you can use
the GPS on your phone to find him.

If Pope's right these guys, I'm gonna
need a hell of a lot than a phone.

About that, I don't like
firearms very much.

Neither do I, if someone has
to have them, I'd rather it was me.

Besides, my friend from the subway
has a line on some.

Lightly used.

Steep discount.

- Pop, what about this one?
- Are you planning on buying that one?

- I was showing it...
- Put it back on the table

before somebody else kicks your ass.

Have you guys seen the men's room?

Anton.

Good to see you again.

You know this guy?

That's some pretty serious equipment.

Have you guys taken a safety course?

Take you, for instance.

You're holding that thing sideways.

You can't aim it, and two, it'll eject
a shell casing right into your face.

See?

I'm gonna hold on to these while
you guys get some more practice.

Have a nice day.

Who the hell was that?

I got a signal from your phone.

Tell me you found Michael Pope.

He's the only one who knows
who's coming after Hansen.

Somebody else found him first.

Listen.

Mikey.

You were gonna tell him all us.

Weren't you?

Head uptown.

Are you hearing?

97th and Riverside.

Step on it.

We're gonna put a couple in his head.

Make it look like a gang thing.

You gotta do something.

Relax.

I'm on it.

Keep the change.

You're crazy.

We're both dead now.

Do you know who they are?

I do now.

Cops.
Come on.

What exactly have you gotten me into?

I don't know.
That's the whole point.

I hired you to help me
figure that out.

Here.

I think we're up against
a group of corrupt cops.

Stills is narcotics.

Him and his men get word of deals.
They steal the drugs, the cash,

and they kill all the witnesses.

And they get Fusco to frame up guys
like Lawrence Pope for the murders.

Exactly.

I think their next target is Hansen.

But I don't know for certain.

I don't know anything for certain,

because you won't tell me
where you're getting your information.

When the towers came down,

you were in a hotel in Mexico.

I was here.

I was working.

Didn't even know about
the attacks until that evening.

You see, Mr. Reese, until that day,

I had spent the better part of my life
making myself very rich.

Suddenly all that money
didn't seem to amount to much.

After the attacks, the government gave
itself the power to read every email,

listen to every cell phone,

but they needed something
that could sort through it all,

something that could pick the terrorists
out of the population before they act.

The public wanted to be protected.

They didn't want to know
how they were being protected.

So when they finally
got a system that worked,

they kept it secret.

So how do you know about it?

I built it.

But there was a problem
with this machine.

I had built it
to prevent the next 9/11.

But it was seeing
all sorts of crimes.

So I had to teach the machine

to divide the things it saw
into two lists:

Relevant and irrelevant.

Events that would cause massive
loss of life were relevant,

so those would be passed along
to the NSA or the FBI.

And the irrelevant information?

Every night at midnight,
the machine erases it.

It was only later
that I realized my mistake.

That irrelevant list,

was eating away at me.

So where's the machine now?

What, the drives?
Who knows?

Government facility somewhere.

But the machine?

The machine is everywhere.

Watching us with 10,000 eyes.

Listening with a million ears.

- What did I tell you about sending email?
- Three weeks, you could practically move in.

Never put anything in an email
you cannot own.

You gave a way
to communicate with it?

I was building the government
a tool of unimaginable power.

I thought maybe an off switch
would come in handy.

So I built myself
a back door into it.

To access the irrelevant list.

Just a social security number.

If anyone ever found out,
I'd lose access so...

Nine digits, that's all we get.

And we have no idea
why it picked Diane Hansen.

It wouldn't be steering us toward her
if it wasn't seeing something.

But I don't know
if I can protect Hansen.

I can't see the whole picture.

I offered you a job, Mr. Reese.

I never said it would be easy.

Carter.

You hear about your pal Anton?

He tried to buy some guns.

Wound up getting shot
with their own merchandise.

- Are they dead?
- Embarrassed enough.

They got taken out by one guy,
in a suit.

Reese?
I have bad news.

Lawrence Pope was stabbed
to death last night in his cell.

- What?
- They're trying to cover their tracks.

Hansen must be next.

You wanted to meet?

Remsen and Avenue D in Canarsie.
20 minutes.

Finch.
It's happening now.

Hello?

Are you here?

Are you gonna keep me waiting?
We don't have time for this.

What's your problem?
Pope is dead.

The problem is Wheeler.

You idiot, he knows.

He knows about Pope and
even some of the others.

I can take care of the files,
but you have to take care of Wheeler.

Tonight.

Look what I found.

We got ourselves a groupie.

Heavily armed, too.

- You know this guy?
- No.

You're not law enforcement.

Cartel finally grow some stones?
Send somebody to take care of us?

Who are you?

Concerned...
Third party?

Take care of him.
And...

get rid of Wheeler tonight.
Make it look clean.

Stills.

You screw this up,
I won't let it get to me.

I'll take care of you like for Pope.

I can look after myself.
You know that.

Nice spot.

It's oyster bay.

Glad you like it.

You're gonna be here a long, time.

I'm curious.

Was there a point where you
knew you'd become a bad guy?

Woke up one morning,
realized I was paid

to guard a bunch of jerks from Wall Street
who were robbing everybody.

They're stealing more than
my annual salary in a afternoon.

So I said, "what the hell?"

I don't believe you.

See, I've been watching you, Lionel.

Your heart's not really into it.

Now, Stills, he does it for money.
I think you do it because you're loyal.

What's the difference?

It's why I'm gonna let you live.

Yeah,

I'm considering sticking
around New York for a while.

If I do,
I'm gonna need someone on the inside,

and you might come in handy.

So I'm working for you now?

That's right.

But I've got two rules.

One,

you so much as hurt anybody,
and I'll kill you.

I don't particularly like
killing people, but I'm very good at it.

And two...

You have to be more careful.

For instance, if you're gonna put
someone in the backseat of your car,

you have to search them properly.

No, please.
What are you doing?

You have your vest on, officer?

Yeah.

- Where the hell have you...
- There's no time. We were wrong.

Hansen isn't the target.
She's the ringleader.

They're going after Wheeler.
Tonight.

Wheeler's up there.

He heads to the gym most nights.
I got Doyle upstairs staking him out.

The place is a dump.

There's no doorman,
no cameras, nobody.

We'll take him in the lobby.
Soon as it's done,

we take the shooter out.
Give him a block and then take him out.

Head shots this time, you understand?

Get our friend out of the trunk.

- Who is this guy?
- Some ex-con Wheeler put away.

Azarello, lights.

Doyle, talk to me.

He's coming out now.

- Come on, Henry, let's go.
- Wait.

Show me that basketball of yours.
Let's go.

- Damn, he's got his kid with him.
- What a waste.

Henry, watch out.

You're about to kill a man...

And his son.

Please.
Please don't do this.

Drop your weapon.

That isn't true actually.
If you keep working on it,

if you keep throwing the ball like that,
you'll be able to throw that fast.

- Really?
- Absolutely.

Let him go.

I can't do that.

I let him go my friends
and I go to jail.

Drag your friend outside

and take him to the hospital.

Right now.

I think I kill you
and your friend here.

Make it look like
you killed each other.

Then,

just because you pissed me off...

I'm gonna kill your family.

And all your friends.

I don't have any friends.

I don't have any family left either.

Went around the world
looking for bad guys.

But there were plenty of you
right here all along.

So now, essentially,

you're telling us you couldn't see what
was happening in the parking lot at all.

I'm done, your honor.

Ms. Hansen?

The state isn't paying you by the hour,
counselor.

Why don't we have the defendant
tell you in her own words?

Let's listen
to the 911 call she made.

And hey, take care of Wheeler.
Tonight.

Make it look clean.
And Stills?

You screw this up,
I won't let it get to me.

I'll take care of you
just like I took care of Pope.

I can look after myself.
You know that.

You ready to get to work, officer?

I'm no good to you.
I'm dead.

Just a matter of time
before the gangs get me.

Or I.A.

No one knows you're involved.

I took care of that.

Besides,
they'll be too busy looking for Stills.

The police will think
he's run for it.

The gangs and the mob will think
he's gone Witness Protection.

Is that where he is,
Witness Protection?

No, Lionel.

He's in the trunk.

Only problem is...

I had to shoot him with your gun.

And you'd have a hard time
explaining that one, so...

You'll be taking another trip.

And I'm not coming along this time.

Where am I going?

Oyster bay.

Where no one's gonna find him
for a long, long time.

I'll be in touch.

You have a decision to make.

The machine gave you another number.

The numbers never stop coming.

You should know that up front.

Why me?

I've been watching you
for a long time, John.

We have more in common
than you might think.

The world thinks we're both dead,
for starters.

You programmed the machine
to delete those irrelevant numbers.

Now you're trying to save them.

What changed your mind?

Let's just say you're not the only one
that's lost someone.

If you wanna leave, I'll give you
enough money to get as far as you need.

Disappear.

And if I stay?

Sooner or later both of us
will probably wind up dead.

Actually dead this time.

I said I'd tell you the truth.

Didn't say you'd like it.

Start talking, officer.

You think I'm gonna rat
on my friends?

Please. You can tell the D.A.
All about your crooked pals.

I wanna know about him.
The guy who came after you.

I don't know anything.
It was just some guy alone in a suit.

You're gonna tell me
everything that you don't know about him

and where I can find him.