Having watched the first two episodes I can say that it was a fascinating job of reorientation to "the same old thing" of working the numbers to save people and simultaneously adjusting to the fact that our heroes are the hunted.
Most interesting of all was the strong moral statement in the first episode from the most psychopathic character. Just as I've mentioned before, it is a pleasure to watch a show that affirms so many of the values I hold.
Finch: In the face of such a struggle what do one or two lives matter?
Root: Every life matters. You taught me that.
We often see the greater good for the greatest number being held up as an ideal but this show repeatedly points out that we can't ignore each person, no matter how easy it would make our lives.
The second episode ended by strongly affirming free will.
Finch is struggling with how to convince someone to make the right choice, wondering if The Machine would give him a plan for manipulation. Root points out that "she" (The Machine) would tell him just what he taught it ... that each person must make their own decisions. As happened in the last season, we were left longing for someone to make the right choice, knowing that force would not have served in the long run.
All that with Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel too. What a pleasure!
