Person of Interest

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 you wanna do, you know? Unh.

What? Hmm?

What, where did you get that, in a cereal box?

Huh? You wanna see a real gun?

Forget you.

Every punk is carrying. That's why your father wanted us to take the car home.

Relax.

Picking up new hardware next week. Restore a little order.

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

Like this guy.

You bring enough for the whole group?

Time to teach you about sharing.

I'll need a statement from the bum. Which hospital did they take him to?

Declined treatment. We got video on it, though.

You know, you could've 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.

You know what'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.

Yeah, 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 had 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.

Wow. Wow, wow.

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, uh, 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 couple of 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.

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 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.

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 gonna happen or what her role in it is.

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

All I know is that she is involved.

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

...and stop it from happening.

So, what do you think?

I think you're a bored rich guy.

I think that woman's your ex-wife or someone you rode in an elevator with.

Either way, I think I'm done.

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.

Hey, sweetheart, what's wrong?

Jessica, 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.

Shut up!

Rick, no!

Kill 138.7, X-ray.

Twelve 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.

Just like you were too late for your friend Jessica.

You were halfway around the world when she was killed.

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

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

I think all you ever wanted to do is protect people.

That's a wiretap 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 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?

- 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 is 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.

Driver's 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? - Yup.

But you don't get names, do you?

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 more help if you'd tell me where you're getting these numbers.

It doesn't matter where. What you need to know is that the next number is hers.

Diane Hansen.

Grew up in Detroit.

Moved to the city after law school.

Single.

- Does she have any enemies? - One or two.

She's an assistant district attorney.

The best conviction record in her department.

We have no idea when this bad thing might happen, huh?

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.

E-mail, 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 use the microphone to listen to their conversations...

...whether they're talking or not.

Hi, Mom. I'm sorry I haven't called 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. 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.

First is Wheeler, her co-counselor.

They dated for a few months last year.

She broke things off.

You got time to talk? I could buy you dinner?

- Busy. Uh, another time? - Is something wrong?

- I've been noticing lately... - No, I'm fine. Thank you. Thanks.

Forty percent of murders involve some kind of romantic relationship.

Wheeler's divorced, one kid, partial custody, alimony, career stalled.

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 dollars in cash.

Pope's gang may be targeting her for reprisal.

When we got there, the scene was colorful.