Show: Person of Interest

That’s another thing I thinks separates this from the pack — it’s an evolutionary step. We haven’t seen these other shows [that killed LGBT characters], so I can’t speak to that, but it’s really just about characters getting their due and not feeling disposable, and not feeling like the audience’s investment in a character is being used against them, or that they’re being set up for it. This was always the end of Root’s story. That’s another thing I thinks separates this from the pack, and this is how Root feels about it — it’s an evolutionary step. We’re not trying to sucker-punch the audience.

— TV Line, Co-Showrunner Jonathan Nolan, regarding Bury Your Gays trope.
Jonathan Nolan
May 31, 2016

We’re aware of the objections now to that trope, and I think we circumvent that in many ways. This is a real relationship between [Root and Shaw]. Not only was it consummated but there are real feelings there in subsequent episodes. Not to mention, as Jonah said, we’re heading down the final stretch here. This is not the only loss that Team Machine is going to encounter.

— TV Line, Co-Showrunner Greg Plageman, regarding Bury Your Gays trope.
Greg Plageman
May 31, 2016