Root

Lore & Background

In the episode "/", Root's actions are directly guided by the Machine. She hijacks a prison bus in Champaign, Illinois, to release inmate Billy Parsons, giving him a fake ID to infiltrate a government building. She then travels to New York to locate a janitor, Cyrus Wells, who is the team's new number. Root and Cyrus go to his apartment to pack, but Vigilance hitmen, led by Collier, arrive. Reese and Shaw hold off Vigilance, but Root and Cyrus escape. Root later has Cyrus arrested for his protection, then uses a fake federal warrant to release him. Cyrus confesses that he and his college friends founded a firm, but a shooter killed his friends. Root later meets with Finch and shows him a note she retrieved in Illinois; they deduce Cyrus has access to a company named Maxwell Limited, which houses an advanced supercomputing chip that could activate Samaritan. Root confesses to Finch that she is responsible for the deaths of Cyrus's college friends, excusing her actions by stating that if Samaritan is activated, the whole team will die. At the end of the episode, Root declines Finch's offer to work together, leaving for an unspecified location.

In Their Own Story

Root hijacks a prison bus in Champaign, Illinois, releasing inmate Billy Parsons per the Machine's instruction. She gives him a fake ID to infiltrate a government building, then leaves him to be arrested. The Machine instructs her to go to New York and locate a janitor, Cyrus Wells, at a bank. Cyrus is willing to cooperate despite not knowing all the details. Root finds Finch on a park bench; he tells her Cyrus is their new number. Finch tells Root to step aside, but she refuses and warns him to focus on Samaritan. Root and Cyrus go to his apartment, where Vigilance hitmen arrive. Reese and Shaw hold them off, but Root and Cyrus escape. Root has Cyrus arrested for protection, then uses a fake federal warrant to release him. Cyrus confesses that he and his college friends founded a firm, but a shooter killed his friends. Greer locates Cyrus and Root in a park, interfering with signals so Root has no access to the Machine. Greer's men capture Cyrus. Root meets Finch and shows him the note; they deduce Cyrus has access to Maxwell Limited, which houses a chip that could activate Samaritan. Root confesses she is responsible for his friends' deaths. Greer's men take Cyrus to Maxwell Limited, where they gain access through his retinal scan. Reese and Fusco save Cyrus, but Decima flees with the chip. Root arrives after forcing a doctor to fix her right ear with a device. Cyrus thanks Root and leaves. Root declines Finch's offer to work together, leaving for Paraguay.

Reader's Guide

In the episode "/", Root is portrayed as a character who follows the Machine's instructions without question, even when those instructions involve morally ambiguous actions like hijacking a prison bus and releasing an inmate. She demonstrates a willingness to manipulate others, such as giving Billy Parsons a fake ID and later using a fake federal warrant to release Cyrus from custody. Root's relationship with Finch is tense; she refuses his request to step aside and instead warns him about Samaritan. Her confession about causing the deaths of Cyrus's college friends reveals a darker side to her character, but she justifies it as necessary to prevent Samaritan's activation. The episode ends with Root choosing to leave for Paraguay rather than join Finch's team, indicating her independent nature and her continued devotion to the Machine's agenda.

Did You Know?

• Root hijacks a prison bus in Champaign, Illinois, to release inmate Billy Parsons in the episode "/".
• Root confesses to Finch that she was responsible for the deaths of Cyrus Wells's college friends.
• Root forces a doctor to fix her left ear with a device after arriving at Maxwell Limited.
• Root declines Finch's offer to work together to stop Samaritan, leaving for an unspecified location at the end of the episode.
• The episode "/" is the 17th episode of the third season of *Person of Interest* and aired on March 18, 2014.