CBS has finally announced the premiere date for Person of Interest’s fifth season, but it comes with a bit of a twist. The Eye network will be airing two episodes a week for the shortened 13-episode season, which feels a lot like them just burning off episodes. [Update]: Indeed they are, as Variety has confirmed that this will also be the final season. J.J. Abrams told us at the TCA press tour in January that,

“My guess is it is the final season, but the only heartbreak there is how much / how good the story is, how much good story there was to come if it were to continue. But you know, Jonathan [Nolan] and Greg Plageman have done such an amazing job on this show, and I know what the episodes are that they’ve done wrapping it up.”

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Image via CBS

At the time, there hadn’t been an announcement of when the series would return, making fans nervous. Abrams commented,


“We don’t yet have a schedule, but I know that [fans] will see the light of day and see these episodes. I know the power of that story, [and] again, to have a show that goes on as many years as that has … it’s a miracle to get a show on the air, and to have it last that long is something we should be grateful for. But, I do love that show!”

Sarah Shahi recently landed the title role in CBS’s Nancy Drew pilot, which seemed to spell doom ill for POI's future. However, those last episodes will indeed see the light of day, you can set your calendars for Season 5's premiere Tuesday, May 3rd at 10 p.m., with subsequent episodes airing Mondays at 10 p.m. (starting May 9th) and continuing on Tuesdays, and so forth. The season finale has been set for Tuesday, June 21.

Check out more of our coverage of the fifth season of Person of Interest below, as well as the fates of over 150 scripted TV series with our TV Lifeline.


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Image via CBS
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Image via CBS