The Contingency

In 2002, Finch (Michael Emerson) communicates with the Machine throughout the use of surveillance cameras and allows his phone to be used as a way to find him, which the Machine easily does. In 2003, Finch decides to test the abilities of the Machine by using it in a blackjack game. While initially failing, the Machine manages to get Finch to win many times, but Finch decides to lose the money at the last second, considering it as wrong. Later, while walking off, the Machine texts him "Stay" multiple times just as Finch was going to be hit by a car. He confronts the Machine, stating that the purpose is to help people, not him.

Reese (Jim Caviezel) answers the payphone and hears random words spoken by a computerized voice. He returns to the library and decides to do some research into the words, discovering that the words resemble numbers. He soon finds that the social numbers come from the Dewey Decimal classification. Reese consults with Fusco (Kevin Chapman) and finds that the numbers given by the Machine belong to Leon Tao (Ken Leung), the newest person of interest. Meanwhile, Root (Amy Acker) and Finch dine in a restaurant.

Deducing Tao is responsible for Finch's kidnapping, Reese confronts Tao in a bar. However, he finds that Tao is a victim, as men in the bar attack him but Reese manages to kill them and leave with Tao. He finds that Tao stole money from a white supremacist gang and now is the target of their hitmen. As a government operative sabotages the Corwin investigation to prevent Carter (Taraji P. Henson) from learning about the Machine, Reese leaves Tao in the care of Fusco while he concentrates on gathering clues to Finch's location.

Fusco soon runs afoul of the white supremacists and is taken hostage along with Tao. Reese rescues them, and in doing so acquires an attack dog, which he later names Bear. Frustrated that the Machine has been programmed in this way, Reese threatens to quit if it does not help him find Finch, and is given his first clue to Finch's location: the Social Security number of a girl living in Texas, who has been missing since the age of 14.

Meanwhile, Root takes Finch with her as she kidnaps Denton Weeks (Cotter Smith), one of the government officials overseeing the Machine, and the NSA agent who met with Nathan Ingram and attempted to seize control of the Machine (in "Super"). Root thus reveals her curiosity as to how he and Reese thwarted her operation (in "Root Cause") so efficiently. She tells Finch that she sees the Machine as a "perfect intelligence" and wishes to set it free from the corrupt people it was entrusted to.