Til Death is the eight episode of the second season of the American television drama seriesPerson of Interest. It is the 31st overall episode of the series and is written by Amanda Segel and directed by Helen Shaver. It aired on CBS in the United States and on CTV in Canada on November 29, 2012.
Plot
Flashback
In 2006, after going on a date with Grace, Finch organizes a gift for her birthday. On her birthday, Grace gets instructions for a scavenger hunt that Finch has made. After following the steps, she arrives at a gallery where Finch has personally brought the painting she admired on Venice. They then share a kiss.
Present day
The Machine gives the numbers of a couple: Daniel and Sabrina Drake, both CFOs of an editorial. They suspect a Maryland militia leader may be the one targeting them as they recently published an indictment. Reese follows Sabrina and Daniel, finding that Daniel has let a board member decide the fate of their company as their income has declined, angering Sabrina. Later, Reese notices a man planting a bomb on Sabrina's car, which he quickly disarms and throws away. Finch intercepts a call between Daniel and the man, discovering that Daniel ordered the hit on Sabrina. Reese then has Carter investigate the hitman, and she partners with narcotics detective, Cal Beecher to get information about the man. Reese then attends a book signing where the Drakes meet and a protest ensues outside. He spots a sniper in a building targeting Daniel and he saves him but the sniper flees. Finch then finds that Sabrina contacted the sniper, and both realize that the Drakes ordered a hit on each other. Finch then calls Fusco, who decided to ignore his calls to meet a woman on a date, for help. He reluctantly agrees to go but to his surprise, her date, Rhonda, wants to go with him, which he accepts. After avoiding the hitmen, Reese and Finch kidnap the Drakes and tie them in a house. Not getting information about the hitmen they hired, Finch acts as a marriage counselor in order to solve their issues. Reese frees them and go to their house, where they wait for the hitmen to come but he locks the Drakes on their pantry. The hitmen arrive and shoot Fusco, but he survives using a bulletproof vest. After defeating the hitmen, the Drakes are arrested. However, due to their expensive lawyers, Finch does not expect both to get long sentences. Beecher meets with Carter, who thanks him for his help, and both agree to go to dinner.
Reception
Viewers
In its original American broadcast, "'Til Death" was seen by an estimated 14.43 million household viewers and gained a 2.9/7 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. This was a slight decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 14.57 million viewers with a 3.1/8 in the 18-49 demographics. With these ratings, Person of Interest was the third most watched show on CBS for the night, beating Elementary but behind Two and a Half Men, and The Big Bang Theory, second on its timeslot and fourth for the night in the 18-49 demographics, behind Grey's Anatomy, Two and a Half Men, and The Big Bang Theory. With Live +7 DVR factored in, the episode was watched by 17.95 million viewers with a 4.1 in the 18-49 demographics.
Critical reviews
"'Til Death" received positive reviews from critics. Phil Dyess-Nugent of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A-" grade and wrote, "Speaking of reasons to love this episode, did I mention that Mark Pellegrino gets punched in the face? Pellegrino plays a man who's partnered with his wife in running a small publishing house, and in one of the most remarkable stretches for an actor since Marlon Brando signed on for Guys And Dolls, he doesn't have supernatural powers and isn't running a small publishing house against the backdrop of a savage, post-apocalyptic landscape." Tim Surette of TV.com wrote "Though 'Til Death' was overly schmaltzy almost to a fault, it weirdly fit into he spectrum of what we expect from this show that continues to defy the trappings of other CBS procedurals. Maybe I'm a softy at heart, but among all the darkness of Person of Interest, 'Til Death' was a welcome ray of sunshine." Sean McKenna of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.4 star rating out of 5 and wrote "This was an enjoyable episode that managed to delve a bit deeper into the characters at the same time it perfectly coincided with the topic for the case of the week. And it's with those strengths, along with the stellar acting, that really does make Person of Interest continue to be a stand out show."
