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Numb3rs

Chinese Box

Season 4, Episode 10, Aired 12/14/07

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Episode Summary

Don and the team are left with little recourse when a former FBI subcontractor takes a team member hostage.

8.8

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Cast & Crew

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Diane Farr

Megan Reeves
Dylan Bruno

Colby Granger
Alimi Ballard

David Sinclair

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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Boring episode!

10

"Perfect"

By gopink, Jun 22, 2011 Report Abuse

It was so boring to watch this episode because it is focus on David Sinclair. I am not fan of him. I am huge fan of Don and Charlie Eppes. I watched it again and it is getting worse to watch it because it is nothing exciting and boring conversation between Sinclair and Shooter in the Elevator. Charlie is so cute and so funny when Alan said saved by the bell. I love it when they said it before getting in. Dylan's brother are special guest of this episode. In real life, Dylan and Chris are brothers. Boring Episode. Oh, by the way, Liz left the Don's team because their relationship didn't worked out. I am not sure if I like Liz or not. I likes Liz 50 percent,not 100%..moreless

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0 9
Weird..

6.5

"Fair"

By Fruntxas, Jun 18, 2011 Report Abuse

Assuming i've watched so many series i think this is one of those episodes that come out of the blue. Using this piece of "crap" for a series that will be on hold due to Xmas and New Year is just stupid. It would be better to come on a press conference and say " Hey we want to cancel the show. Can you guys (the audience of course) please stop watching it?"
Other than than... It's good to see that Veronica Mars' dad is coming up on that with pretty nice performance. I think it was the best part of the episode. About the guy playing Sinclair' role nothing unusual. Just wished this episode never happenedmoreless

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1 6
boring...

6.0

"Fair"

By Fwirrel, Dec 19, 2007 Report Abuse

A random guy walks in to the FBI building and shoots one person before he goes into the elevator, pointing a gun at a woman. The black FBI agent (his name has escaped me at the moment) traded himself for the woman and went into the elevator with him. After a lot of talking by the agent in the elevator, the man decides to give up. The other FBI agents were most likely going to end it violently. Anyways, this episode was really boring and slow. I liked the guest character; he was interesting and paranoid. Overall, not a good story, some character development, and pretty boring.moreless

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1 4
This wasn't one of my favorite shows, forcing me to write a review about it.

9.0

"Superb"

By MickFeedOnMe, Dec 18, 2007 Report Abuse

It's obvious that Numb3ers being uncontested in the 10 p.m. slot that the writers might have gotten a little lazy about the show. I usually watch strictly CBS shows on Friday night finding each and everyone of them enjoyable. This show was enjoyable in it's own right. The loose end stories were neatly tied up which was nice. The characters least expected to contribute finally did and the characters one thought one understood turns out to be the least understood. I am hoping that the writing was due to the impending writers strike (at the time) for the show is usually much better. I scored it high, however, for overall, the show is good.moreless

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1 1
Nothing Exciting.

8.3

"Great"

By noelle1322, Dec 17, 2007 Report Abuse

It was an okay episode, but nothing exciting. The whole episode was basicly in an elevator. Now that I think about it I dont even remember what happened completely. It starts with the paranoid guy shooting this other guy. Then he goes for David, and they end up in an elevator with theyre guns raised at each other. Later they realize paranoid man is really being watched and its not all in his head. Charlie had a chinese box idea, but they didnt really use it. They try lots of things to get the two out, but in the end David convinces him he has something to live for and they leave the elevator.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- This episode is the first time we learn of Colby and David's emergency code word "Mexico." Edit
- In the scene where David is talking while sitting on the floor on the corner of the elevator, one can see that there's a missing wall on the elevator, through which the scene is being shot. A few seconds earlier, it's possible to see this wall from another angle, when the set was arranged differently. Edit
- The usually articulate Charlie mixes his metaphors, blending John Searle's "Chinese Room" argument against computer intelligence into Alan Turing's famous "Turing Test" - and coming up with a stunted analogy that is only vaguely related to anything in the episode. The "Chinese Room" thought experiment is one of John Searle's most famous arguments for why a computer can never have a "mind." The man in the room is an analogy for a computer, blindly processing Chinese symbols he doesn't understand, while anyone outside the room is convinced he must be a native Chinese speaker, based on his responses to their questions - in Chinese. Charlie mixes this up with the "Turing Test" - which is similar, but not really the same thing. In the Turing Test, someone is connected remotely to both a computer and a real person by teletype and must determine which is which. Edit
Notes
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- Music featured in this episode was "The Underdog" by Spoon (opening scene).
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- International Airdates: Australia: April 23, 2008 on Ten The Netherlands: May 12, 2008 on Veronica Germany: June 1, 2008 on SAT 1 Czech Republic: August 10, 2009 on TV Nova Finland: March 18, 2011 on Sub Edit
- Chris Bruno (Tim King) is brother to Numb3rs star Dylan Bruno (Colby Granger). Edit
Quotes
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- Alan: What? So we'll just wait? Charlie: (calmly) Until they need me. Alan: What are they gonna need you for? Charlie: There's always something! Edit
- Don: You gotta give up on this one, buddy. Charlie: I didn't get where I am by giving up on being right. Edit
- Charlie: (Watching the elevators) If we were to stand here for several hours... Alan: Saved by the bell! Edit
Allusions
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