The Best Episodes of Person of Interest Season 1
Every episode of Person of Interest Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Person of Interest Season 1!
John Reese, former CIA paramilitary operative, is presumed dead and teams up with reclusive billionaire Finch to prevent violent crimes in New York City by initiating their own type of justice. With the special training that Reese has had in Covert Operations and Finch's genius software inventing mind, the two are a perfect match for the job that they have to complete. With the help of surveillance equipment, they work "outside the law" and get the right criminal behind bars.
Season 1 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Person of Interest" season 1 is "Pilot", rated 8.3/10 from 5921 user votes. It was directed by David Semel and written by Jonathan Nolan. "Pilot" aired on 9/22/2011 and is rated 0.4 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Ghosts".
8.3/10 5,921 votes#1 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/2011
When the social security number of a young prosecutor comes up, Reese and Finch work together to figure out if their person of interest is the victim or perpetrator.
Director: David Semel
Writer: Jonathan Nolan
7.9/10 4,395 votes#2 - Ghosts
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/29/2011
Reese and Finch question the machine's reliability when they are asked to investigate a teenager who was killed years earlier; Finch remembers the origin of the machine.
Director: Richard J. Lewis
Writer: Greg Plageman, Jonathan Nolan
8.0/10 4,086 votes#3 - Mission Creep
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/6/2011
Reese goes undercover to find the threat surrounding the next person on Finch's list: a young army veteran named Joey Durban.
Director: Steven DePaul
Writer: Patrick Harbinson
8.4/10 3,993 votes#4 - Cura Te Ipsum
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/2011
Reese and Finch get some help from Detective Fusco as they surveil their latest POI, Dr. Megan Tillman, while she’s on call and after hours to unravel the threat surrounding the promising young physician.
Director: Charles Beeson
Writer: Denise Thé
8.3/10 3,832 votes#5 - Judgement
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/2011
Reese and Finch have the added challenge of investigating a Person of Interest who wants nothing to do with their brand of vigilante justice.
Director: Colin Bucksey
Writer: David Slack
8.6/10 4,085 votes#6 - The Fix
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/2011
Reese becomes romantically involved with the newest Person of Interest: an attractive woman who isn't all that she seems.
Director: Dennis Smith
Writer: Michael Sopczynski, Nic Van Zeebroeck
8.8/10 4,295 votes#7 - Witness
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/3/2011
The Machine identifies a school teacher who witnessed a mob hit as their next POI and Reese and Finch rush to save his life.
Director: Fred Toye
Writer: Amanda Segel
8.1/10 3,741 votes#8 - Foe
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/17/2011
When Reese and Finch discover that their latest POI has connections to Cold War Soviet espionage circles, they quickly learn how covert ops were handled in a world before The Machine.
Director: Milan Cheylov
Writer: Sean Hennen
8.7/10 3,930 votes#9 - Get Carter
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 12/8/2011
Reese and Finch’s game of cat and mouse with Detective Carter becomes infinitely more complicated when The Machine declares that she is their newest POI.
Director: Alex Zakrzewski
Writer: Greg Plageman, Denise Thé
9.1/10 4,423 votes#10 - Number Crunch
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/15/2011
As Detective Carter deals with the fallout from her recent encounter with Reese and Finch, The Machine ups the ante for the duo by giving them four Social Security numbers instead of one.
Director: Jeffrey G. Hunt
Writer: Patrick Harbinson
8.7/10 3,804 votes#11 - Super
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 1/12/2012
Reese is confined to a wheelchair recovering from his gunshot wound, but Finch sets him up in an apartment where he’s to keep an eye on the Super, who is their latest POI. Also, Finch approaches Carter and gives her a POI to show her what they do.
Director: Stephen Williams
Writer: David Slack
8.2/10 3,442 votes#12 - Legacy
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/19/2012
When Carter finally comes face-to-face with Reese, he urges her to join forces to help with their latest POI, a scrappy young woman from the wrong side of the tracks who turned her life around and became a lawyer.
Director: Brad Anderson
Writer: Amanda Segel
8.8/10 3,930 votes#13 - Root Cause
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 2/2/2012
The Machine gives Reese and Finch the number of a down-and-out man who has been pushed too far, and they're forced to turn to former Person of Interest Zoe Morgan for help.
Director: Richard J. Lewis
Writer: Erik Mountain
8.1/10 3,392 votes#14 - Wolf and Cub
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 2/9/2012
The Machine identifies Darren, a teenager whose brother was just murdered, as the next POI. Meanwhile, Finch is growing concerned that the son of his former business partner is dangerously close to finding out about the Machine.
Director: Chris Fisher
Writer: Michael Sopczynski, Nic Van Zeebroeck
8.5/10 3,507 votes#15 - Blue Code
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/16/2012
Reese discovers there’s more to the story after he infiltrates a smuggling ring to get close to his latest POI.
Director: David Von Ancken
Writer: Denise Thé
8.3/10 3,356 votes#16 - Risk
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/23/2012
The Machine leads Reese and Finch to Wall Street when a sharp young trader at a major investment bank becomes embroiled in a multi-million dollar financial scam.
Director: Jeff T. Thomas
Writer: Sean Hennen
8.6/10 3,601 votes#17 - Baby Blue
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/8/2012
When The Machine spits out the number of a 6-month-old baby, Reese and Finch turn into overly protective parents – with an arsenal at their disposal. Meanwhile, when Elias resurfaces, Detective Carter begins to question her new allegiance with Reese and Finch
Director: Larry Teng
Writer: Patrick Harbinson
8.4/10 3,363 votes#18 - Identity Crisis
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 3/29/2012
The Machine's latest number presents a unique challenge for Reese and Finch since the person has virtually no digital footprint - and appears to be leading a double life.
Director: Charles Beeson
Writer: Amy Berg
9.0/10 3,806 votes#19 - Flesh and Blood
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 4/5/2012
When The Machine spits out five numbers, naming the Don of each of New York’s crime families, Reese and Finch suspect Elias is planning to eliminate his competition.
Director: Stephen Semel
Writer: Amanda Segel
8.8/10 3,597 votes#20 - Matsya Nyaya
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 4/26/2012
Reese goes undercover as an armored car company employee, and faces memories from his past with the CIA.
Director: Kevin Bray
Writer: Ray Utarnachitt
9.1/10 4,078 votes#21 - Many Happy Returns
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 5/3/2012
Finch gives Reese his birthday off so that his partner doesn't have to face a Number that is tied to Reese's past.
Director: Fred Toye
Writer: N/A
9.0/10 3,680 votes#22 - No Good Deed
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 5/10/2012
The newest POI’s curiosity could spell his doom when he finds himself embroiled in a dark government conspiracy – one that Finch is all too familiar with. Meanwhile, Reese uncovers something revealing about Finch’s past.
Director: Stephen Williams
Writer: David Slack
9.6/10 6,225 votes#23 - Firewall
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 5/17/2012
As the clock ticks down, Reese winds up trapped with his POI in the most heavily surveilled part of the city, forced to rely on the help of Finch, Carter and Fusco to fend off the FBI, corrupt cops and a slew of old foes.
Director: Richard J. Lewis
Writer: Greg Plageman, Jonathan Nolan