Person of Interest written by Jonathan Nolan - Daily Script

1 Person of Interest written by Jonathan NolanBad Robot Warner Bros. Television February 4 2011 VOICES. Millions of them, all at once. Hushed conversations;panicked calls to 911; pleas for help. Over SURVEILLANCEFOOTAGE. Hundreds of shots, rapid fire. Two stand out:-- LOW-RISE APARTMENTS: Four MASKED MEN burst into the groundfloor apartment. They force the men inside to the floor,then GUNSHOTS. The armed men leave, carrying two TRAFFIC CAMERA: A station wagon pulls to the side of adeserted stretch of highway. A MAN climbs out, pulls openthe trunk, and pulls out a WOMAN'S BODY. He drags the bodyto the passenger a few seconds, each shot is marked with a title --'NON-RELEVANT TO INVESTIGATION'. As we pick up a final shotof the Brooklyn Bridge, one voice emerges from the noise:REESE ( )You want the truth? At the end,we're all BROOKLYN BRIDGE - NIGHTA solitary FIGURE walks to the guardrail, then climbs uponto the handrail. One foot, then another. He's going tojump.

2 We're waiting for the cut. But the shot shot dissolves from low-res, and we're there, with thiscrazy asshole, teetering two hundred feet over the water. He's homeless, in a filthy coat, but it's taking the balanceof an athlete for him to stand up there. He pulls out apint bottle. Finishes it off. Drops it. Watches it hurtletowards the void below. REESE ( )No one cares. No one's keeping score. No one is coming to save Suddenly a finger of light appears a mile down the East River. He watches as it travels upwards, then explodes in color. Then another. Fireworks. It's the Fourth of July. The man shakes his head. Disbelief. One charming, brokenlaugh as he climbs back down from the rail and walks backtowards the city. This is NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT4 AM: end of the line. Surveillance cameras pick up a groupof well dressed TOUGH GUYS making their way out of a trendynight spot, bouncers deferential. They're arranged aroundANTON, 21, fuckup son of one of the city's Mafia lieutenants.

3 Anton lights a firecracker. Throws it at the feet of apassing COUPLE. BANG. The couple hurry on, freaked. Range Rover pulls up. Anton looks unhappy. ANTONNo one lets me have any fun anymore. I'm taking the train home. He walks. His entourage shrugs, then follows. INT. SUBWAY TRAIN - NIGHTA nton and his friends climb onto the train. Anton lights afirecracker. Drops it. BANG. A small group of GANGBANGERS take offense. One of them flashes a gun tucked into hispants. Anton looks unimpressed. ANTONThat come in a cereal box? You wannasee a real gun? The gangbangers back off, survival instinct kicking in. They get off at the next stop. ANTON (CONT'D)City's getting dangerous. Everyone'spacking now. That's why we're pickingup some new hardware next week. Anton tries to light another firecracker, hands clumsy frombooze. The handful of passengers move a tactical distanceaway. All but one. Slumped on a plastic bench: Reese. Anton shushes his friends. Finally gets the firecrackerlit.

4 Creeps over to Reese. Suppressing a giggle, he startsto slide the firecracker into the pocket of Reese's , Reese's hand moves. Lightning fast. Closes likea vise around Anton's hand and the firecracker. Reese openshis eyes. Stares up at Anton. The fuse is burning downbetween their fingers. This is going to the last second, Reese pinches out the fuse. Antonstumbles back, clutching at his singed paw, furious. ANTON (CONT'D)You're a dead me about it. Reese slides back in the chair. Pulls his hat low to and his crew, thrilled to have someone to fight, squareoff. Reese, weary, looks up at them. CUT BULLPEN, NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTCARTER, 30s, smart, pretty -- and tough as a box of nailsleft out in the rain. She's interviewing a WOMAN with anugly bruise on her eye. CARTERI work homicide, Mrs. Kovach. I'mthe one who has to investigate itwhen your husband finally beats youto death. Understand? And everytime you tell us it was an accident,you're strengthening the story he'sgoing to use to get out of it.

5 Thatyou were clumsy. lets it sink in. The woman stares back at her. Fora second she's ready to talk. Then it's gone. MRS. KOVACHS tairs. I fell down the stairs. Carter gives up. Another DETECTIVE laughs as the womanleaves. DETECTIVEDon't know why you bother, Carter. Can't save 'em all. Carter ignores him. A TRANSIT COP enters, looking for COPD etective Carter? We pulled in thatkid Anton you liked for the homelessguy beaten to death last year. Wecaught him working over another one. Figured maybe you could take it tothe DA. INT. HOLDING, NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTC arter follows the transit cop down to the floor. SpotsAnton and his pals cuffed to a bench, looking worse for thewear. Bruised and beaten. Anton blows her a 'll need a statement from the bum. Which hospital did they take him to? The transit cop shakes his head. Points. Over in the corner,holding an ice pack to his head -- Reese. Barely dinged up. Looking a lot better than Anton and his friends, in fact.

6 TRANSIT COPWe got video on it, uniform cop opens a laptop. Cues up the tape. Carterwatches it, absorbed. Looks back up at the homeless guy,intrigued. Turns back to the transit cop. CARTERA nton'll keep. I wanna talk to him. INT. INTERROGATION ROOM, NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTR eese holds the ice pack against his head. Carter walks in,holding a fresh one, trades Reese for the old one. CARTERYou coulda done me a favor. Letthose guys land a few more punches. REESEI'll bear that in mind next time. Carter cues the video on the laptop. Advances it to thepoint where Anton hauls Reese up to his feet. CARTERQ uestion for How'd you knowthis guy was the one with the gun?(off his look)Anton's dumb, but not dumb enough tocarry in public. But one of hiscrew is always carrying. Five guys. One gun. And you break that guy'sarm. Before he can reach his weapon. She rolls the tape. Anton and his crew all try to punchReese at once. Reese grabs one of the men seemingly atrandom, then SNAPS his arm with incredible power and speedas the man reaches for the gun in his waistband.

7 He dodgesa few more punches with remarkable agility. Carter stopsthe tape. Reese shrugs. , I guess. CARTERI'm Carter. You didn't give us know what's funny? Best partsof your life you don't need a name. You get to be dad, sweetheart, pal. Seems like the only time you need aname is when you're in trouble. AmI in trouble? tell me. You're the one livingon the street. Looking at this tapeI'd think you were in the service,right? (beat)Because I was. Army. Two tours inIraq. But you don't learn to fightlike that in the regular army. Whatwere you? Special Forces? Delta?REESEThey got classes down at the can be difficult making thattransition back. Some guys I knewgot a little lost. That disconnectbetween the things they'd been trainedto do and the things they wereexpected to do when they got home. Some of them needed a little helpwith the adjustment. Turn it into aproject. You need some help? REESEM aybe you could help me find thephone number for my stockbroker?

8 Iseem to have misplaced it. CARTEROf course, some guys fell apartbecause they'd done so many evilthings that they felt like they neededa little punishment. She cues the tape again. Lets it play. At a certain point,it's as if Reese gives up. Lets himself catch a couple ofpunches. The transit cops climb on and break it up. CARTER (CONT'D)Is that your pal? Reese doesn't answer. Maybe Carter's hit a nerve. Or maybeReese is just bored. Carter stands. INT. HOLDING, NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTC arter walks outside. Carefully bags the ice pack she tookfrom Reese. Catches the attention of the uniform cop. CARTERHold Anton till morning. Then cuthim loose. DA won't reopen for this. (MORE) (CONT'D)But don't let the homeless guy gotill I can run his prints. I got afeeling about this guy. INT. FORENSICS, NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTC arter waits as a TECH lifts prints off the ice pack, thenscans it into his computer and pings the national database. INT. OPERATIONS DIVISION, CIA HEADQUARTERS - NIGHTAn ANALYST picks up a phone as his terminal ALERTS him ofthe pending search.

9 Dials a number. Listens. Then, with abutton press, authorizes the search to proceed. INT. DARKENED ROOM - NIGHTAn alert flashes on a monitor. A hand reaches for a phone. INT. HOLDING, NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTThe transit cop looks up as a LAWYER in a five-figure suitwalks in. Anton looks up, hopeful. But the lawyer ignoreshim and points to Reese. INT. FORENSICS, NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTC arter scans the board of mugshots, always working. Thetech WHISTLES and calls her back over. TECHWow. Wow wow. This guy was heldfor questioning a dozen times in thelast ten years. No name given. Nocharges filed. No explanation. Fora homeless guy he gets around; he'sgot open warrants in four differentcountries. Most recent prints loggedright here: Businessman named Arndtbeaten to death in New Rochelle inMay. Who've you got down there,Carter? The angel of death? Carter looks at the printout. Even she's HOLDING, NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTC arter heads down the stairs. Clocks the empty holding cell.

10 Turns back to the desk sergeant, frantic. EXT. NINTH PRECINCT - NIGHTThe lawyer guides Reese down the steps of the station house. appreciate the help, counselor. Who's picking up the tab? The lawyer ignores him, leaving Reese at the corner, where atown car is double parked. Two PRIVATE SECURITY MEN arewaiting, making it clear that they want Reese to get in. PRIVATE SECURITYOur employer wants a word with you. Reese weighs his options. A block back, Carter pushes throughthe front doors of the station, hunting for him. Reeseshrugs. Climbs into the back of the car. EXT. STREETS, MANHATTAN - NIGHTThe car speeds through Manhattan. The city is slowly comingalive, like a toy being wound up, about to let spin. REESEI'm a little tired, fellas. Maybeanother time. You can just drop me-The security guys respond by locking the doors with a THUNK. EXT. TOP LEVEL, PARKING STRUCTURE - NIGHTThe car stops and Reese climbs out. A man is waiting forhim, staring out over the city.