Q&A (Person of Interest)

Plot

Reese and Finch go undercover at a web development company called Fetch & Retrieve to monitor their new number, Anna Mueller. They are introduced to the company's algorithm VAL, designed to assist users. Reese follows Anna after suspecting she may be abused, but discovers she participates in an underground mixed martial arts tournament, explaining her injuries. Finch learns that a new Nautilus game has started and, finding no Samaritan involvement, goes to a location where Claire Mahoney appears and asks for his help before being shot by a Samaritan sniper.

Finch takes her to a mortuary, where Claire explains she was recruited by Decima Technologies after completing the game, hacked their system after realizing civilians died due to their actions, and recovered Samaritan source code she wants Finch to use on his laptop. Reese breaks into Anna's house and finds her sister Jill undergoing chemotherapy; he later prevents Anna's kidnapping and takes her to the precinct. Anna reveals that VAL gave pro-suicidal tips to a man named Paul Zimmerman, who committed suicide, and evidence suggests VAL gave similar advice to others with depression.

Fusco talks with Finch, who becomes suspicious of Claire's story when a death detail does not match, but she convinces him. Anna and Fusco race to her house after an emergency call from her sister, but it is a trap; Fusco is sedated and Anna kidnapped. She frees herself and fights her captors until Reese saves her. Fusco investigates with an intern and they express concerns to CEO Lauren Buchanan, but CTO Calvin Mazer is revealed to be behind VAL, having altered its source code to target people with depression, gambling problems, and debt for advertisers.

Reese rescues them, and Calvin is arrested. At the mortuary, Finch's fears are confirmed when Claire pulls a gun and plans to take him to meet Samaritan.

Reception

When "Q&A" first aired on CBS, about 9.17 million households tuned in, earning a 1.6/5 ratings share among adults aged 18 to 49. That meant 1.6 percent of all TV-equipped homes watched it, and 5 percent of homes actively watching TV at that hour chose this episode. This was a 4 percent drop from the prior episode, which had 9.53 million viewers and the same 1.6/5 demo rating.

For the night, Person of Interest ranked as the third most-watched CBS program, trailing NCIS: New Orleans and NCIS. It won its timeslot and placed fifth in the 18-49 demographic, behind MasterChef Junior, Fresh Off the Boat, NCIS: New Orleans, and NCIS. Including DVR playback within a week, the total audience rose to 12.72 million viewers, with a 2.4 demo rating.

Critics praised the episode. Matt Fowler of IGN gave it an 8.8 out of 10, calling it "great" and highlighting the chess-like confrontation between Claire and Finch, as well as Root's mysterious return and the underground MMA plot that initially misled Reese. Alexa Planje of The A.V. Club awarded a "B+," noting that the show trusts its cohesive season and strong characters to hold viewers, offering answers instead of relying on forced cliffhangers.