Non-exhaustive; only including people/things referenced by name in this history section. Core members of "Team Machine" are marked with an asterisk.
*Bear: Finch's dog who Shaw (and everyone else, tbh) adores.
Decima Technologies: A tech company that finished the Samaritan project and brought it online. Wants to destroy the Machine because There Can Only Be One. Kidnapped Shaw in an attempt to get information out of her.
*Harold Finch: The creator of the Machine. The team's tech guy. Non-combatant. Particularly close with Reese and Root.
Jocelyn Carter: An NYPD officer who often ended up consulting with the team when her cases and their missions intersected. Killed by a powerful organization of corrupt officers that she was working to dismantle and bring to justice. Was particularly close with Fusco (her partner) and Reese. Shaw also had something of a soft spot for her.
Lionel Fusco: An NYPD officer who often ends up consulting with the team when his cases and their missions intersect. Was particularly close with Carter (his partner) before her death.
*John Reese: An ex-CIA agent originally hired by Finch to use the Machine's capabilities to help people the government didn't deem important enough to intervene with. Particularly close with Finch and Carter.
*The Machine: A government-made AI originally designed to stop terrorism via mass surveillance. Chose Root as its "analog interface" with the wider world, and communicates directly with her in a way that it doesn't with anyone else.
Michael Cole: Shaw's partner in the USAISA. Killed by his own handlers for asking too many questions. He and Shaw were close, and he was semi-implied to have had feelings for her.
*Root: Née Samantha Groves, but prefers to go exclusively by her internet alias. Ex-assassin and former black-hat hacker. The team's tech girl, though she's also pretty decent at combat. Former enemy turned ally. Particularly close with the Machine, Shaw (who she develops big-time dokis for), and Finch.
Samaritan: A government-made AI prototype that was abandoned in favor of the Machine. Later brought under the control of Decima Technologies, who completed the project and brought it online. Very similar to the Machine in any ways, but built without any of the safeguards (ex. some attempt at a moral compass) that were programmed into the Machine.
cast of characters & important terms cheat sheet
*Bear: Finch's dog who Shaw (and everyone else, tbh) adores.
Decima Technologies: A tech company that finished the Samaritan project and brought it online. Wants to destroy the Machine because There Can Only Be One. Kidnapped Shaw in an attempt to get information out of her.
*Harold Finch: The creator of the Machine. The team's tech guy. Non-combatant. Particularly close with Reese and Root.
Jocelyn Carter: An NYPD officer who often ended up consulting with the team when her cases and their missions intersected. Killed by a powerful organization of corrupt officers that she was working to dismantle and bring to justice. Was particularly close with Fusco (her partner) and Reese. Shaw also had something of a soft spot for her.
Lionel Fusco: An NYPD officer who often ends up consulting with the team when his cases and their missions intersect. Was particularly close with Carter (his partner) before her death.
*John Reese: An ex-CIA agent originally hired by Finch to use the Machine's capabilities to help people the government didn't deem important enough to intervene with. Particularly close with Finch and Carter.
*The Machine: A government-made AI originally designed to stop terrorism via mass surveillance. Chose Root as its "analog interface" with the wider world, and communicates directly with her in a way that it doesn't with anyone else.
Michael Cole: Shaw's partner in the USAISA. Killed by his own handlers for asking too many questions. He and Shaw were close, and he was semi-implied to have had feelings for her.
*Root: Née Samantha Groves, but prefers to go exclusively by her internet alias. Ex-assassin and former black-hat hacker. The team's tech girl, though she's also pretty decent at combat. Former enemy turned ally. Particularly close with the Machine, Shaw (who she develops big-time dokis for), and Finch.
Samaritan: A government-made AI prototype that was abandoned in favor of the Machine. Later brought under the control of Decima Technologies, who completed the project and brought it online. Very similar to the Machine in any ways, but built without any of the safeguards (ex. some attempt at a moral compass) that were programmed into the Machine.