TV Show of the Week 23: Numb3rs

Mr E

Not a show that is widely shown here, so this might be a short thread.

Charlie Eppes is a maths genius - a lecturer at CalSci, and one of the best maths brains in the world. Don Eppes is his brother, working for the FBI. On a week by week basis, Charlie uses his maths knowledge to help solve FBI cases.

Is it as nerdy as it sounds? Well, it is and it isn't. Any complex maths are explained with the help of an analogy. To be completely honest, the maths probably takes up less than 5% of the show. They're a means to an end - catch kidnappers, stop drug deals, solve murders etc. Its just a clever mechanic that differentiates Numb3rs from other police procedurals. The show itself is very solid - good storylines, and action packed when the need arises.

The other thing that helps it stand out are the characters. With your CSI and Criminal Minds style of shows, its all work work work. 99% of what you see in those shows is all in the office and out on the field. Numb3rs is different in that you see the home life and peripheral activities of the characters. This is largely helped by a good cast of non-FBI characters - Alan Eppes (their father), Amita (Charlies girlfriend) and Larry (Charlies friend, mentor and colleague). In a show like the Unit, showing the home life usually feels forced, like they have to put it in there to fit with the premise of the show. In Numb3rs, its very natural and not forced at all. There is a genuine chemistry between all the characters, and that's a huge factor in the reason this show has lasted for 5 seasons now.

Any criticisms? Well there is my old bugbear of no story arcs. Every episode is standalone - you could skip 5 weeks of episodes, and pick up exactly where you left off. Most big changes happen in the first and last couple of episodes in a season. My other criticism is that after 5 years I think the formula is getting a bit stale .... Don't get me wrong - this is still a huge step above the mindless gloss of CSI and its a very entertaining show, but I think they need to shake things up to make it fresh again.

ixoy

Oh look - I've seen this show too!

What I like is pretty much what Mr. E has mentioned - the characters. They're far more rounded than on other procedural shows, so you can actually emotionally invest in them. I've a particular fondness for uber-geek Larry, who I will always have fond memories of for once describing the idea of someone's "one true love" using quantum entanglement as a metaphor...

The maths element does feel a bit tacked on. Regardless of the validity of his maths (weak at best) it sometimes seems they could get the exact same results just through regular police work, deductive reasoning and canvassing areas. The maths also makes a bit too much use of the ridiculously detailed databases these shows have (as they cross-references oodles of data according to Charlie's latest algorithm).

I must admit that though I've enjoyed the show, it's waned on me as most procedurals do, to the extent that I've not watched the fifth season. It's not that there's any noticeable drop in quality, but instead that the format needs some refreshing - again as you say Mr. E. I think it's a cut above most of the procedural shows but right now I far prefer the likes of "The Mentalist".