John Reese (Person of Interest)

John Reese is a male television character who features in Person of Interest.

Biography

John Reese

John was an adopted child that had no contact with his birth family. (Episode: Truth Be Told) Reese was close to his adoptive father Conor who said that when John was 8 years old he tried to teach his son how to drive and he damaged some neighbors' property (Episode: Point of Origin). It is mentioned that Conor was an Army soldier and died shortly after returning from his fourth combat tour in Vietnam when John was a child. (Episode: Lethe. He went back into a situation described as being 'the gates of Hell' and gave his life to save four people. The death of his adoptive father in such a heroic way inspired John to save lives himself. (Episode: Return 0) Meanwhile, John's adoptive mother, Margaret, also died and his claim that he had no siblings would suggest that he did not have a chance to know his sister, Sophie. (Episode: Truth Be Told) John claimed to be the one who kept the school bullies in line during his academic career. (Episode: Point of Origin). At some point, he was forced to choose between jail or enlisting in the military because of a violent fight he was involved in as a young man. He opted for the military, and entered the Army shortly thereafter. (Episode: Liberty)

Reese left the Army in 2001, prior to a vacation in Mexico with his girlfriend of six months, Jessica Arndt. As the vacation is extended beyond the weekend, Reese surprises Jessica with the news. Moments later, the two witness a live television report about the attacks on the World Trade Center and Reese knows his service is far from over, prompting him to re-enlist. (Episode: Pilot)

Reese was initially observed living as a homeless man on a New York City subway train, where he engaged in a physical altercation with a group of young men who attempted to harass him. Following his arrest for this incident, he was interrogated by Detective Joss Carter, whom he managed to disarm and leave behind after the charges against him were mysteriously dropped. He was then approached by Harold Finch, who offered him a role in preventing violent crimes identified by a surveillance system. Reese traveled to a park to observe a target, Assistant District Attorney Diane Hansen, and utilized high-level surveillance techniques to monitor her movements and communications. He successfully infiltrated a police precinct to gather intelligence on a group of corrupt officers and engaged in a tactical firefight at a construction site to protect Hansen. During this confrontation, he utilized a sniper rifle to disable enemy vehicles and incapacitated several armed assailants using hand-to-hand combat and precise small-arms fire. He concluded his actions by confronting the corrupt police official, and delivering recorded evidence of criminal activity to the authorities before formally accepting a partnership with Finch. (Episode: Pilot)

At some point in 2005, Reese joined the CIA as a Paramilitary Operations Officer in the Special Activities Division (SAD) of CIA's National Clandestine Service (NCS). (Episode: The Devil's Share)

On February 12, 2006, Reese ran into his former girlfriend Jessica at the airport and he tells her that he has found a new, secretive job. She tells him that she is engaged to a man named Peter Arndt, though she would wait for him if he told her to. After a silence, she turns and leaves. Moments later, Reese whispers, "Wait for me. Please." (Episode: Mission Creep)

Stanton promptly murders them, knowing that they helped Nazir flee the country after a hefty bribe. Reese, visibly shocked, is told to dispose of the gun and bodies. Stanton reminds him that he doesn't have any old friends, including Jessica, whom Stanton has photos of from the airport. Afterward, she assigns him the cover name 'Reese'. (Episode: Foe)

In Prague, Reese and Stanton kill an American traitor selling drone blueprints to two Chinese nationals, and kill the nationals as well. When Kara cracks a joke, Reese ignores it and she tells him to lighten up. She warns him that he'll have to accept the fact that he's a killer and that he might as well learn to love his work (Episode: Prisoner's Dilemma)

Reese, Stanton, and their boss Mark Snow are operating illegally in New York City, holding a government employee captive after he tries to sell some software to the Chinese. When Reese is given permission to get some R&R, Stanton follows him to a bar and finds him meeting with Jessica's husband Peter. She gives him a lecture, telling him that they're no longer like other people, and Reese reluctantly leaves with her before Jessica can spot them. (Episode: Blue Code)

Reese and Stanton go to a bar in Paris and target a couple. They have orders to kill the couple and Reese wonders why, but Kara was not interested. As they watch the couple flirt, Kara suggests that Reese might play along with their own cover. Once the bar clears out, Kara shoots out the camera and Reese goes over to kill their targets. After killing the couple, the two go back to their apartment and clean out any traces of their presence. Kara tells Reese that they can take a break. However, when he says he's fine, Kara draws a gun on him and tells him to choose between being a boy scout or a killer. She reminds him that he chose this life. Reese then slams her into a wall and says that he loves his work, and they kiss. (Episode: Prisoner's Dilemma)

Reese and Stanton meet with CIA operative Beale, who was the person that selected Reese for his position. Beale compliments Reese on his test scores before giving them their assignment, which is to investigate Paul Duncan who may be stealing from a co-operative project between the CIA and the Pentagon called "Desert Rain" which supplied light arms to the Afghan National Police and Army. The operation was being conducted without congressional approval. He and Stanton question Duncan and search his accommodations. Reese shoots Duncan when he begins to demand they leave and Stanton uncovers the money under a false back in his briefcase. Stanton tells Reese that the real reason Beale chose him was that he had nothing to lose and nothing to go back to, with his adoptive family being dead and having walked away from Jessica without hesitation. John says he only walked away because he had to, and Stanton reinforces that they don't get to have normal lives. (Episode: Truth Be Told)

Reese and Stanton are later assigned to follow Daniel Casey, a former government programmer on the run after being nearly killed for learning too many secrets about the Machine. A man named Rick Dillinger follows Casey, but the two are confronted by Reese and Stanton. Men who are working for Greer open fire on them and Dillinger is able to escape with Casey, but Reese and Stanton still are able to capture one of the wounded shooters. Reese and Stanton torture their prisoner, who eventually manages to get up while still bound to his chair and jump out of a window to his death. Reese decides to look for Casey while Stanton goes after Casey's friend, Lester Strickland. Following Dillinger's departure and eventual death, Casey is walking down the street and finishes a call when Reese confronts him at gunpoint. Casey turns around and begs for his life when Reese gets a call from Stanton. Reese purposely misses shooting him and lies to Stanton that Casey is dead, later telling Casey that he is not a traitor and did not deserve to die. Harold Finch, Dillinger's employer and Casey's protector, watches from his car and is amazed at Reese, considering him as a new partner. (Episode: RAM)

Overview

Personality and attributes

In appearance, John Reese was a male Caucasian with a weary, weathered face, pale blue eyes, and short, dark hair that appeared unkempt and overgrown during his initial scenes. He possessed a tall, athletic, and leanly muscled build with broad shoulders, indicative of extensive military or intelligence training. At the start of his introduction, he wore tattered, dirty civilian clothing, including a dark, oversized coat and several layers of worn garments that reflected a period of homelessness. His facial hair was thick and untrimmed, forming a heavy beard that obscured his jawline. Following his recruitment, his appearance shifted significantly; he became clean-shaven and wore a clean, white dress shirt with the top button undone, paired with a dark, well-fitted suit jacket and matching trousers. He lacked a necktie, maintaining a professional yet functional aesthetic, and often wore a dark, heavy overcoat over his suit while operating in the field. (Episode: Pilot)

He was shown to be intense, focused, and level-headed in dangerous situations.

Reese had a dry, dark sense of humor toward the criminals he has to deal with.

When he chose a cause, he was shown to be incredibly loyal to it.

Reese’s demeanor was shown to calm to the point of being inscrutable.

He came to be unofficially employed by Finch as a kind of vigilante. Reese is Finch’s man on the ground to track down and stop the violent crimes that the Machine tells Finch about. Previously employed by the military and then the CIA, Reese was officially killed in action, but actually survived. As a man who’s not even technically alive, Reese is the perfect fit for Finch’s secretive operation.

Powers and abilities

Reese is highly trained in close-quarters battle and hand-to-hand combat. He was able to defeat a gang of punks on a subway with little to no effort. He mostly uses these skills in certain emergency situations, such as when a person of interest is about to be taken hostage. His skills are advanced enough that only a few people have been able to fight him for significant periods of time, let alone defeat him. His fighting style appears to be mix of Krav Maga and Wing Chun.

John Reese demonstrated the skills of an elite special operations operative, specializing in unconventional warfare and advanced surveillance. He exhibited high-level proficiency in hand-to-hand combat, utilizing a combination of joint locks, strikes, and environmental objects to incapacitate multiple armed opponents simultaneously while in confined spaces. He displayed expert marksmanship with a variety of weapons, including the ability to disable a moving vehicle from a long distance with a sniper rifle and engage multiple targets with a semi-automatic handgun with extreme precision. His technical skills were shown through his ability to intercept encrypted cellular communications and his proficiency in bypassing secure electronic locks and alarm systems for covert infiltration. He showed mastery of situational awareness and counter-surveillance, allowing him to track individuals through crowded urban environments without being detected. Additionally, he demonstrated investigative expertise in digital forensics and tactical planning, alongside a high tolerance for physical pain and the ability to maintain emotional detachment during high-stress interrogations. (Episode: Pilot)

Reese is skilled with any kind of firearm, including shotguns, rifles, submachine guns, sidearms, and even grenade launchers. He shows his skill regularly as he usually shoots hostiles in the shoulder or kneecap to incapacitate them without killing them. He's also skilled enough to use a sniper rifle to blow the front hood off of a car, forcing it to crash.

He was shown as being a former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and an officer in the CIA National Clandestine Service (NCS) Special Activities Division (SAD).

Notes

• John Reese was created by Jonathan Nolan and portrayed by actor Jim Caviezel where he featured in the setting of the Person of Interest universe.

Appearances

• Person of Interest:

External Links

• Person of Interest Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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