When Person of Interest premiered in the fall of 2011 audiences had expected a typical procedural which dealt mainly with case-of-the-week episodic stories so viewers could follow with relative ease if they didnt watch every week. After all, CBS is home to many such procedurals like Blue Bloods and Elementary, but most notably the ever expanding CSI and NCIS franchises, both of which just got new spin-offs last week. Though Person of Interest started with several episodic stories, this has completely changed three years later. The difference between Person of Interest in its first and even second season compared to now is night and day. This is thanks to the vast improvements in several different areas, moving beyond the typical procedural to become a serialised drama with a well-crafted storyline that only continues to evolve with time. It's actually quite impressive how the show transitioned to a serialised format so smoothly; not many shows are able to do so successfully so it speaks volumes Person of Interest did it so well. For those who have not seen or caught up to this season yet, some SPOILERS will follow as Person of Interests many improvements are examined.
10. Connected Stories
One of the biggest differences between this and last season of Person of Interest is how many of the episodes shared plotlines which told one cohesive story. Season 2 rarely did this save for any big event episodes, but many A and B plots of Season 3 intertwined with each other by bringing in all the characters to resolve the conflict. This was a large improvement over Season 2 because very often Detectives Carter or Fusco wouldnt have much to do, being there purely for information or dealing with filler material involving the HR conspiracy. Integrating Carter and Fusco more fully into the episodes main stories gave them a better chance to shine and develop while also making the story much stronger, since viewers didnt have to go back and forth between plots. It was an incredibly worthwhile change to the shows format.
Richard Church has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in Television Writing and Producing. He is an aspiring writer for short stories, novels and screenplays. He is also an avid fan of comic books and graphic novels.
