The reason Beckett was baffled by the elusive Finch and Reese was her limited use of "God's Eye" as an auxiliary tool for tracking individuals. In contrast, for Castle—armed with the world's only fully operational strong AI—Finch's "Machine" was still in its infancy.
If Finch's system ever evolved into the formidable "Samaritan," it might pose a challenge. But for now?
Not really.
Castle had little desire to intervene at this stage, preferring to let Finch, with his overflowing sense of justice, and Reese, the former special forces operative turned CIA agent and now vigilante, play their roles. After all, they weren't bad people.
But Beckett wasn't having it. "You think you can just let a couple of vigilantes run loose in my precinct? Did they ask for my permission? And you, Castle—are you serious right now? Are you planning to sleep in the study tonight? If you don't help me, you might have to!"
Faced with the prospect of losing his "nightly privileges," Castle immediately caved. After all, who would choose to spend the night poring over educational materials from Japanese "teachers" instead of enjoying the company of a long-legged beauty?
Humbled, Castle revealed what he knew. The mysterious vigilante, formerly a destitute vagrant, was named John Reese. (Seriously, why is every male character in American TV named John?) Reese had once been part of U.S. Special Forces and later joined the CIA. However, for reasons unknown, he left the agency and somehow ended up as one of America's "Three People You Should Never Mess With."
Reese's transformation into a sharply dressed enforcer came after he was recruited by Harold Finch, a billionaire programmer with a burning sense of justice (or just too much free time).
Finch, Castle explained, had developed an extraordinary data algorithm. He and a partner had created a program capable of analyzing vast amounts of data to predict high-risk individuals—potential victims or perpetrators. This predictive system, based on big data, had been offered to the U.S. government and was remarkably accurate.
However, the government, for undisclosed reasons, chose to lock down much of the system's functionality. Finch, viewing the program as his "child," was incensed. Feeling betrayed, he decided to operate independently. With his considerable wealth, Finch thought, "Who needs the government? I'll do it myself."
Enter Reese. After witnessing Reese's subway altercation with petty thugs, Finch approached him, convinced him to join his mission, and together they became New York's newest vigilante duo.
Beckett couldn't help but laugh. "Are you serious, Castle? This is the plot of a TV drama, not real life!"
To prove he wasn't making it up, Castle had JARVIS hack into Finch's private server. The data confirmed everything he'd said. Finch, frustrated with the government's handling of his creation, had indeed gone rogue, taking on the role of a benevolent "God" to save people flagged by his system. While his methods were crude, Finch's moral compass was largely intact.
What Finch didn't know was that his so-called covert operations were already on Beckett's radar, thanks to "God's Eye." Finch had underestimated the capabilities of the 12th Precinct's advanced tech. He assumed the NYPD's basic computer systems wouldn't even detect his activities.
Unbeknownst to Finch, his grand plans had been uncovered by Castle—a man equipped with technology that surpassed Finch's own and who was all too familiar with Finch's modus operandi.
After learning the full story, Beckett realized the situation was tricky. Harold Finch wasn't just anyone—he was a billionaire. With wealth, connections, and a legion of lawyers at his disposal, it was unlikely that Beckett could touch him legally. Besides, Finch's actions, while unconventional, weren't malicious. He was effectively conducting "acts of justice" with the help of a former CIA operative.
Even if the police confronted Finch, he could easily claim he was merely testing his program while doing some good along the way. Prosecutors would likely dismiss the case, especially given Finch's powerful legal team.
Still, Beckett couldn't let a rogue vigilante team operate unchecked in her jurisdiction. She decided to leave the matter in Castle's hands, issuing an ultimatum: "If you want to enjoy tonight, you'll take care of this. Make sure he moves his operations out of my precinct. If he shifts to Brooklyn or Harlem, fine. Just not here."
Castle, eager to avoid Beckett's "righteous wrath," agreed. For someone with access to JARVIS, handling Finch and Reese was child's play.
The next morning, as Beckett prepared for work, she reminded Castle of his promise. "Make sure you deal with this today, Castle. If that billionaire doesn't relocate his vigilante nonsense, you'll regret it."
Castle took her words seriously. In fact, he'd always been curious to see how JARVIS would fare against Finch's "Machine." From the moment he coded JARVIS, he had wondered if Finch's program could hold up against true AI. However, after developing JARVIS, Castle realized that Finch's system wasn't even in the same league. Finch's "Machine" was essentially a tool for predictive analysis—a glorified data-crunching algorithm. It barely qualified as weak AI, let alone strong AI like JARVIS.
Castle knew he could dismantle Finch's program effortlessly if he wanted to. Confident, he set out to resolve the matter.
First, Castle instructed JARVIS to infiltrate Finch's private server. Finch, often glued to his screen, was oblivious to the intrusion. With JARVIS handling the groundwork, Castle planned to have a friendly "chat" with Finch to set some boundaries.
As Castle prepared to confront the eccentric programmer, one thought lingered in his mind: This is going to be fun.
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