BOOKED SOLID

John Reese: "You sharing anything personal is peculiar."

Though Finch does tend to share a lot of trivia... He just generally doesn't ad his point of view – or let enthusiasm be heard – on the matter afterwards.

John Reese: "Makes it easier when disappearing foreign diplomats from their penthouses."

There was that Danish diplomat in 2008, he'd been smuggling American state secrets – and cut fingers with usable fingerprints – out of the country thanks to "diplomatic immunity". That hadn't protected him from Kara's bullets, and John had gotten rid of the body in a funeral center. The police hadn't been able to identify the disappearing client of the hotel, and the investigation had gone cold. John had taken the opportunity of being back in New York, since he'd started working with Finch, to look into it... It had been a justified kill, a genuine mission for the CIA, and at the same time – the diplomat had been pushing, in a somewhat hypocritical way, for more transparency in between surveillance agencies. Of course, something had to be done about his smuggling... But the Agency probably didn't mind, too, that it would be a beneficial disappearance for the CIA itself. Anyway, past the fact that something can be both legitimate and personally advantaging, they were talking about the fact that having a number in a hotel was perhaps not quite the good news Harold seemed to think.

Derek Fawler: "Are you waiting for a written invitation?"

That guy is an asshole, even if the hotel is truly busy. Maybe John had just been waiting for a confirmation that they were finished and he could actually go. That's how you do it when you are new and don't know the boss' habits.

Zoe Morgan: "Like the suit."

...She's both mocking him and genuinely appreciative, he can tell, and he's not sure how he should react to that.

John Reese: "I feel like I'm back at boot camp, and we still haven't zeroed in on the threat to Mira yet."

Fowler is even as much of an asshole as the instructors, except they did it for a reason – getting the new soldiers used to the tightrope, to commanding officers who weren't always in the best mood and you still had to listen to because the situation meant something had to be done – but in a hotel that helps nothing. All Fowler is managing is to put everyone on edge.

Mira Dobrica: "You know nothing about me, what I've seen, what I've been through. I don't need help, especially from someone like you. Just stay away from me, got it?"

Which is ironic, because she knows nothing about him, and yet she makes assumptions. Of course she does – everyone does it. The chances that she'd find someone who's seen just as much as she has, who's gone through hell like she has – who's done worse than anything she might have done – are low. She can't know who he is. So John understands that she lashes out.

Harold Finch: "Charles Harris is a freelance journalist working with a number of respected publications. He's the kind of writer that has strong opinions about world leaders, making him persona non grata in a half dozen countries."

Oh yeah. Because it ended so well, last time they had to deal with journalists.

John Reese: "It makes sense that she lied to Immigration about her name and ethnicity, she was simply protecting herself."

And Harris put that into question. He came here, with promises and good intentions, and now she is in danger. Of course, Harris is right in what he tries to do – someone has to, with some truths which cannot remain a secret. But the consequences... The promises of security – perhaps, promises he wants to keep, but realistically can't – aren't enough, not this time. It may work against most of the journalist's enemies, but this time it's not enough, this time the adversary is too great. This time it will get them all – Harris, Mira, and whoever he talked to first – killed.

Mira Dobrica: "Sanja, a Serbian woman across the street. I watched it happen from her attic. Then the man, Harris, found Sanja last month, made a tape of her saying I could identify the colonel. She was found dead two weeks ago, probably from talking to the journalist. He said if I went public, it would ensure my safety, but I refused. Look how far this monster is willing to go. What choice do I have?"

The thing is, it won't stop them. Hiding might – hiding has, for the years since Mira left – but it's too late for that now. They know where she is, and more importantly, they know she exists. Even if she doesn't say anything, they will come for her – just in case.

John Reese: "They're next door."

It makes things easier for him to deal with – and more dangerous for her.

Turtleneck killer: "I don't know who you are, but I'm prepared to shoot you and twenty others like you to get what I came for."

And he's prepared to deal with twenty more of them if that's what it takes to save Mira. Some will be injured, and some will be cadavers by the time he's finished. Then Finch will cook up something against their boss, even if Mira doesn't dare testify.

Lionel Fusco: "I'm fine, by the way, considering I just took out two trained killers trying to get rid of a body."

Ah, Lionel's sarcasm. Maybe that's the true reason John keeps him around, in the end.

John Reese: "Mira, this is Lionel, and you can trust him."

John won't point out the look on the detective's face – but he hopes it means Lionel understands how much he's changed, that John acknowledges it too.

Hersh: "You're a hard man to find."

...And being found isn't good news. He recognizes the man – the detectives got them a picture, some time ago. This is the government closing in – the people who deal with the relevant numbers, with the Machine. Those Harold is hiding from. Those who went too far.

Hersh: "Because you're like me. We don't give orders, we execute them."

Yes, and no. He couldn't give orders – on a large scale, without being involved in the field – but it doesn't mean he can't do things on his own. Having Finch only makes things easier, because finding people in danger isn't quite as easy as it sounds when you don't want to be a mercenary – that, and without Harold he wouldn't have found the motivation to get back into it.

John Reese: "Any deeper, and I would have cut your celiac artery. You got about 20 minutes before you bleed to death. You can keep coming after me, or you can get to the hospital."

The man most certainly knows all that already... But a refresher, when you're bleeding your guts out, is always welcome. Puts things into perspective. Helps with keeping account of all details.

John Reese: "The penthouse suite. Another round?"

Finch knows everything, of course, and is fond of offering people opportunities. Zoe is there, she helped – again, if only by distracting a spotter – and they both like spending time together. This is their opportunity.