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Numb3rs

Hardball

Season 3, Episode 8, Aired Nov 10, 2006

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9.2

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The case of a dead minor league baseball player leaves Don and the team with more questions than answers. When Charlie discovers that someone has come up with a statistical analysis that can identify which of the players are on steriods, the case gets more leads...and a suspect.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Russ Hunt

Second Baseman
GUEST STAR
Lauren Stamile

Kelly Johnston
GUEST STAR
Andy Umberger

Frank Auster

Peter MacNicol

Dr. Larry Fleinhardt
Dylan Bruno

Colby Granger
Rob Morrow

Don Eppes
Diane Farr

Megan Reeves
David Krumholtz

Charlie Eppes
Alimi Ballard

David Sinclair

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Fan Episode Reviews (9)

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lots of great action

10

"Perfect"

By ferriswheel01, Mar 18, 2008

I really enjoyed watching this episode. I thought the whole thing have great action and there were quite a few parts that made me laugh. I also found that this episode gave me a great cardio work out as my heart kept beating faster and faster especially towards the end when Oswald got shot at and Charlie ran to him. Wow Charlie can run fast. I don't think the FBI run quite that fast. I started to notice that Megan always seemed to filmed from her neck up or she wore baggy clothing and held folders in front or her belly. I am guessing that her part in Numb3rs won't involve that much action now because she is pregnant.moreless
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8.1

"Great"

By cavanagh15, Oct 03, 2007

I thought this was the worst episode of the season. We see the second form of catching criminals in this epsiode - with lots of interviews until the final culprit is revealed. I didnt find the case very interesting and there was no devolopment in the relationsips between Charlie and Amita or Larry and Megan. The episode had its moments - but every episode does for the most part. Overall, I would say this was one of the worst episodes in Numb3rs in general. The kid that Charlie got attached to in this episode was cool, but he wont be around in future episodes so I dont think that the character devolopment of his character was as important as the show made it seem. Not my favorite episode...moreless
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An excellent episode with nerve wracking bits towards the end!!!!!!!

10

"Perfect"

By Numb3rsfan1, Aug 26, 2007

I just cannot believe that this episode could be nerve wracking!!!! Last week, I've watch the commercial of this episode and I thought that Oswald was shot dead:? But when I watch the entire episode, I was so wrong!!!!

Thank goodness that Charlie run to the scene where he was shot. Anyway, my mum watched too and she told me that her favourite scene has got to be the part where Colby and David was chasing Oswald and then after they split up, David uses a bamboo stick (please correct me if it's not) and then Owald came off his stakeboard!!!!

I'm giving this episode a 10 out of 10 (for the most outstanding episode so far)!!!!:):):):)moreless
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Wow to bad I didn't watch this when it came out becasue this episode was great.

9.5

"Superb"

By tvfanatic91, Apr 20, 2007

This was a great episode. I have never watched Numb3ers before this and I was extremely satisfied with it. It has a plot revolving around baseball but uses math to solve a crime where a player is found dead. They use indepth Sabermetrics which Oswald who they thought was a suspect but really just a great Sabermetracist could tell using math if the baseball player was on steroids. He also took the stats given by the one brother which were the other brother's minor league stats and Oswald said he would have had average stats and probably would have made the Pro's becasue he was an avid utility man. In the end they solved the case but I was more into the Baseball part though. But a good episode indeed.moreless
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A minor league baseball player dies from an overdose of steroids. The FBI finds out it is muder and tries to discover who is distributing leathal steroids. A suspect has devised a statistical analysis to determine steroid use in players.moreless

10

"Perfect"

By lritt, Nov 23, 2006

This was a my most favorite episode. Great and accurate math. An iteresting and plausible crime, and great characters.

The idea of a fantasy baseball player devising a statisical analysis to discover steroid use in players was very intersting. The fact that he developed it for his own use not realizing that this could expose many players who use a type of steroid that is undetectable. Oswald was a wonderful and quirky character that had a great rapport with Charlie. The two actors had some really funny scenes together. It turns out that the stat analysis was stolen by Oswalds friend who is found dead. The investigation leads them to the drug company who makes the steroid. That leads them to the killer who decides that this will ruin his chances to make money if steroid use can become easily detectd.

There were some great family moments between Don and Charlie and Alan.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (5)
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- Math used in this episode: Sabermetrics Shiryaev-Roberts Change-Point Analysis
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- Don kept on playing with a toy gun that his uncle gave him when he was little. Alan and his wife did not think this was very healthy so they got him into baseball, and that passion lasted several decades.
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- Opening Numb3rs: 32 HOME RUNS 97 RUNS BATTED IN .308 BATTING AVERAGE 1 LETHAL DOSE
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- When Don played for the Stockton Rangers, he batted .228 and had 36 RBIs. According to Oswald's statistical analysis, Don could have done well if he had stuck with baseball; he probably would have made it to the majors.
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- Colby and David discuss the movie Blade Runner, which was directed by Ridley Scott, who is also the executive producer of Numb3rs.
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QUOTES (11)
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- (talking about Oswald's work) Charlie: Your work will be recognized. You could even publish an article in the American journal of Statistics. Oswald: It's my boyhood dream come true.
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- Oswald: Look I'll tell you who has the motive to bury my work. It's obvious it's the drug company that makes the juice. Charlie: Oh yeah it's obvious! Thank you Professor Kittner. It only took us hours of values assessment to come up with that conclusion and you're saying it's obvious.
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- Oswald: Dude, honestly, all I see is a bunch of chalk. Are the numbers supposed to start glowing at some point? Larry: You know I have known certain expressions to take on sort of a shimmering quality. Oswald: Huh, I'm sure you have.
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- Charlie: To Donny Eppes, a born cop ... a most excellent one.
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- Don: Is it cheating if everyone does it? Alan: Yes.
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- (When asking his Dad about his decision to stop backpacking around Europe to get married and have a family.) Don: Do you ever regret it? Alan: No, but I do miss the things I gave up for it.
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- Charlie: Now, Oswald, are you seeing what I'm seeing? Oswald: Dude, honestly, all I see is a bunch of chalk. Are the numbers supposed to start glowing at some point?
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- Oswald: So I almost get shot and you guys respond by doing a lot of math. Charlie Eppes: That's how we roll at CalSci.
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- Professor Waldie: (regarding Kittner's sabermetrics analysis) This stuff is pretty wild. Very cool changepoint detection.
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- Don: All right, sabermetrics. Colby: Baseball math?
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- Megan: 20 minutes ago I was lying on my couch watching Blazing Sadles in my pajamas. This better be good. Charlie: It's better than good. Larry: The red cowgirl pj's? Megan: uh huh.
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NOTES (2)
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- International Episode Titles: Czech Republic: Baseball
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- International Air Dates: The Netherlands: May 2, 2007 on Veronica Australia: May 15, 2007 on Ten New Zealand: August 26, 2007 on TV3 Czech Republic: July 2, 2009 on TV Nova Finland: January 22, 2010 on Sub Slovakia: January 19, 2011 on JOJ
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ALLUSIONS (2)
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- Oswald: Good Will Hunting. All right, you got me. Good Will Hunting was a 1997 film featuring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Damon plays a janitor named Will Hunting who discovers an aptitude for advanced math.
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- Oswald Kittner: Are the numbers supposed to start glowing or something? In the film A Beautiful Mind(2001), when mathematician John Nash is analyzing various collections of data (numbers, text, etc.), the numbers and letters are shown to glow, revealing patterns to him.
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