Greer
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | John Greer |
| Occupation: | Administrator of Samaritan formerly: MI6 Officer Director of Decima Technologies |
| Relationships: | Unknown |
| Fandom: | Person of Interest |
| Other: | Greer is played by John Nolan |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
John Greer is a Person of Interest character and the primary antagonist of Seasons 4 and 5.
Canon Overview
John Greer is the alias of a shadowy antagonist first introduced in Season 2 of Person of Interest, and is the Director of Decima Technologies. Under his leadership, the organization sought to gain access first to the source code of The Machine, and then later to a second artificial intelligence known as Samaritan by any means necessary.
It was revealed in Season 4 that Greer was a former MI6 Officer during the Cold War, and erased all evidence of his existence after his commanding officer was revealed to have been a double agent working for the KGB. Disillusioned by this betrayal, he asserts that one day political differences will have no meaning and an organzation like MI6 will have no reason to exist.
Greer makes his first appearance when he coerces Reese's former partner, Kara Stanton, into working for Decima Technologies in exchange for the name of the person who betrayed her. This eventually results in Stanton uploading a computer virus into the servers of the United States Department of Defense, which specifically targets The Machine's ability to accurately report threats. This inability to fully perceive threats enables Greer to move more openly, and later acquire a second artificial intelligence, Samaritan.
After Samaritan becomes active, Greer becomes its Administrator, interacting with senior figures of the United States Government and operating out of the headquarters of the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, Maryland. Greer works to eliminate the members of Team Machine throughout Seasons 4 and 5, as well as to cement the role of Samaritan as an omnipotent AI.
In the penultimate episode of the series, the show's protagonists infiltrate Fort Meade with the goal of uploading a virus to destroy Samaritan, much like Kara Stanton did to weaken The Machine. Greer lures Harold Finch into the server room, and attempts to sacrifice himself by having the oxygen sucked from the room with the goal of killing Finch and ensuring Samaritan's survival. However, Finch manages to survive long enough to be rescued by John Reese, and the virus is uploaded despite Greer's death.
Fandom Overview
Greer has virtually no shipping or relationship presence except as an antagonist in various fanfics. He is present in numerous fanvids and manips.