Finch reveals the moral compromise he made when designing the Machine, explaining how he programmed it to discard 'irrelevant' crimes. He confesses the heavy psychological burden of knowing about impending murders that the government chooses to ignore.
FINCH: If anyone ever found out they did, the program would be shut down immediately. That's the devil's bargain: the public wanted to be protected. No one wanted anything like that to happen again. They just didn't want to know how they were protected. But there was a problem with the machine. I bu
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Finch attempts to recruit Reese by revealing the existence of a list that predicts future crimes involving ordinary citizens. Reese remains skeptical of Finch's mysterious origins and motives, leading to a tense confrontation before Reese disappears into the city.
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Harold Finch reveals the secret origin of 'The Machine' to John Reese, explaining how he built a mass surveillance system for the government that ignores 'irrelevant' crimes. Finch expresses his guilt over the lives he couldn't save, while Reese questions the morality and effectiveness of their new mission.
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Finch reveals to Reese that the woman he was trying to save has been dead for years, testing Reese's resolve. He offers Reese a new purpose and the chance to use his skills to prevent future crimes before they happen.
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