Numb3rs

Pilot

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired 1/23/05

Episode Summary

To help capture a serial rapist-turned-killer, FBI Special Agent Don Eppes recruits his genius brother Charlie, who uses a mathematical equation to identify the killer's point of origin by working back from the crime scene locations.

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Cast & Crew

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Judd Hirsch

Alan Eppes
David Krumholtz

Charlie Eppes
Peter MacNicol

Dr. Larry Fleinhardt

Fan Episode Reviews (8)

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Very good start to a very good series.

10

"Perfect"

By numb3rsgirl13, Jun 12, 2009 Report Abuse

The pilot episode of NUMB3RS is still the highest rated one on iTunes, as well it should be. It introduces Special Agent Don Eppes, and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie, and how they over come their differences as adults, and catch a serial rapist. This show also introduces the other member of the Eppes family, the boys father, Alan. You can definitely tell where Don and Charlie get their drive and their passion for what they do from. This was a very good start to the best TV show on TV, one that should be on for many many seasons to come.moreless

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good start

8.5

"Great"

By Fwirrel, Oct 10, 2008 Report Abuse

It's hard to judge this pilot because I saw the fourth season before I decided to go back and watch the first. Anyways, the pilot always has to introduce the premise of the show and the characters. I didn't like how they introduced Don, but I liked how they introduced Charlie. The father didn't have much of a role and was pretty pointless in this episode. Larry was fine. The case was interesting, but nothing special. Just a serial rapist. What makes this show different is that Charlie uses math to catch the killer. It was interesting seeing his thought process and how he was angry when he thought it was wrong. Overall, solid start to the show.moreless

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Brilliant!

10

"Perfect"

By sweetysmart0505, Jul 27, 2008 Report Abuse

I totally love this show. My favourite character is Charlie, for so many reasons. But the idea for this show is absolutely brilliant... using Math to solve FBI mysteries. Being a math person myself, I can understand the significance of what Charlie does for the FBI. Math is something that the world relies on, not onl uses. So this show, incorporation that knowlegde into it, has created a beautiful base on which to start a show. The characters are well done. Loved all relationships. I also must compliment the Numb3rs writing staff on Charlie's entrance. Perfect! I honestly done have the words to commend this show like I would like to, but I guess I can leave it at... this show is awesome!moreless

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8.8

"Great"

By cavanagh15, Jan 27, 2007 Report Abuse

I thought it was a good start for the series and I thought that the math connection was kind of cool to. Being able to trace back to the point of origin from where the crimes were committed was a really cool connection. I thought that the character devolopment could have been a little better, letting us get to know some of the characters a little bit better then we got to. All in all I thought it was a good pilot and I think the show will continue to blossum from its very good start. Very good. Need Wordsmoreless

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Like all pilot episodes it had strong spots and weak spots.

7.0

"Good"

By Ting13, Jan 12, 2007 Report Abuse

The weak points first... It was far too dramatic sometimes. Not with the episode plot but with the characters. Some of the actors, Sabrina Lloyd especially, should have been toned down in their performances. There were several scenes with the FBI gang at work which felt far too dramatic with the characters. "Nobody could do this better than you" speeches were just all over the place. We get it. Don is a good agent but his superiors don't always see it. They're trying to portray the lead characters as really great, but they should have been a bit more subtile. They should also have toned down the music in some scenes, it was over the top in a few scenes. Another weak point was the constantly occurring shots of Charlie looking at the sprinkler and then they added some cool effects. Cool the first time, old news by the third time.

As for the strong points... It's an interesting spin on the crime solving genre. It feels fresh and interesting. It's also nice to see an attempt to make math cool... The cast members who weren't overacting were really good, I especially liked David Krumholtz' performance. Judd Hirsch and Navi Rawat had their characters toned down, a huge relief when other actors were over the top, and Peter MacNicol was charmingly quirky without being annoying or out of place. And the episode seemed almost entirely free of Jerry Bruckheimer stuff, which was a breath of fresh air. I don't mind the CSI shows having Jerry Bruckheimer written all over them since they were kind of the pioneers, but far too many shows have copied them and it's getting tiresome. This episode was not yet another "copycat". Aside from the cool effects whenever Charlie saw a water sprinkler, the episode was more similar to early 90s crime shows than the 21st century ones. I found that refreshing.

All pilot episodes have lots of weak spots. It takes a while to define the characters, for the actors to settle in the roles, and for a show to find it's own style. This pilot episode had enough strong spots to keep me interested. I'll definitely be watching more episodes.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- The T-shirt Charlie is wearing in the final scene says, "I don't know Karate but I know Karazy." Edit
- The first victim is described as having "no wounds or ligature marks," although she has a brand on one cheek and rope burns on her wrists. Edit
- Charlie's middle name is Edward, and he does not have a driver's license. Edit
Notes
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- When the FBI is checking out all the names of the 50 men in the area, some of the names on the board are members of the crew. Edit
- The song to which Charlie is listening on his headphones while working on the first equation is "Inertia Creeps" by Massive Attack. Edit
- International Episode Titles: Czech Republic: Sériové vraždy (Serial Murders) Edit
Quotes
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- Amita: (to Charlie after he rides an aerodynamic kart with no propulsion) 21.07 seconds, 68.3 miles per hour. No one would ever guess you don't have a driver's license. Edit
- Alan: (to Charlie) There's one thing you and your brother have in common, on some things... you're both very thorough. Other stuff... you completely miss. Edit
- Charlie: The problem involves finding an origin point from evidence provided by scattered effects. Larry: Somehow I doubt we're talking about orbital paths and black holes. Edit
Allusions
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- Larry: Evariste Galois. Brilliant mathematician, not unlike yourself, tackling the hardest problems in his day. Évariste Galois (1811-1832) was a French mathematician. He made major discoveries in the analysis of polynomials and was the first mathematician to link group theory and field theory, which were until then disconnected mathematical areas. Edit
- Charlie (explaining the math to Walt Merrick and other agents): Let's do an elementary demonstration. This is part of a quote by Richard Feynman, a late physicist of CalTech, who said: "Let's try an elementary demonstration, and when I say elementary, by no means do I mean elemental" Edit
- Charlie: Say I couldn't see the sprinkler The sprinkler example was based on an article in Popular Science magazine written by Dr. Kim Rossmo. Edit