TV.com

Numb3rs

Scan Man

Season 5, Episode 5, Aired Oct 31, 2008

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

Episode Summary

EDIT

Free Trial / Subscription

VUDU

Buy

9.1

EPISODE RATING: Superb

127 votes

Your Rating: 10

"Perfect"
Your Rating: 9.5

"Superb"
Your Rating: 9

"Superb"
Your Rating: 8.5

"Great"
Your Rating: 8

"Great"
Your Rating: 7.5

"Good"
Your Rating: 7

"Good"
Your Rating: 6.5

"Fair"
Your Rating: 6

"Fair"
Your Rating: 5.5

"Mediocre"
Your Rating: 5

"Mediocre"
Your Rating: 4.5

"Poor"
Your Rating: 4

"Poor"
Your Rating: 3.5

"Bad"
Your Rating: 3

"Bad"
Your Rating: 2.5

"Terrible"
Your Rating: 2

"Terrible"
Your Rating: 1.5

"Abysmal"
Your Rating: 1

"Abysmal"

Rate Now!

There's a bad egg in a shipping business, and it's up to the team to find him. Also, when one of Don's agents is killed, Don begins to question his job as a leader.

WRITE A REVIEW

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

GUEST STAR
Ashton Holmes

Emerson Laidlaw
GUEST STAR
Stefan Kapicic

Lee Hagopian
GUEST STAR
Nick Mennell

Evan Ricci

Sophina Brown

Nikki Betancourt
Aya Sumika

Special Agent Liz Warner
Alimi Ballard

David Sinclair
Peter MacNicol

Dr. Larry Fleinhardt
David Krumholtz

Charlie Eppes
Navi Rawat

Amita Ramanujan

Watch Online

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

See All

Don's team moves in on a group of men attempting to rob a shipping business warehouse. During an ensuing shootout one of Don's agents is shot and killed which makes him seek out his former therapist. The investigation leads to an unlikely person.moreless

8.0

"Great"

By meathead704, Jun 12, 2011

There is a lot to like about this episode. The obvious thing is the action sequences. They are very well done and suspenseful. It was good to see Charlie be involved in the shootout at Emerson's apartment. Now he knows first hand what is brother and his team mebers have to face out in the field. Also, it shows, Charlie's ability to think straight even in a life or death situation such as the one he was in. Seeing how the team cracks the case is always great entertainment. Things seem to be adding up so far this season. Great.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
2 1

Flag
Share Hide
This is Numb3rs back on the good scripting track.

10

"Perfect"

By BillieBJones, Nov 02, 2008

I was impressed by this one. It outshines all of the previous 5th seasons episosdes. The story was not so much centered around one character, as usual. Instead, each character's part, mostly, had the same impact to the story, and it was so well written... in such a way that, when you were watching a David Sinclair scene it felt likee it was a David-centered episode, because the writing was so dense. But then there was a Liz scene after that, and it felt as dense as. And so on. Very good!
There was quite a lot of character development for many characters. We learn some stuff about David, Charlie has to put his FBI training to the test and actually shoot someone, Don has to deal with inner issues and feelings after one of his own men gets caught in the shooting, and also due to the whole Charlie security clearence recent happenings; surprisingly things ultimately get to a spiritual level (for Don, that's development!). Liz and Nikki form a nice partnership, and here's something new to cop shows (can't count CSI in, sorry) - we actually have two female agents working togheter as partners and for once kicking some ass, not to mention the fact that the two girls are the assigned ones to the infamous "let's pay the night club a visit" cop cliche; we have to admit two female partners is a very uncommon reality in cop shows (again, CSI does not count), as much as the girls being the ones to pay the strippers a visit. For some reason, this part usually involves male agents!! Emerson Laidlaw, the autistic boy, was a great character, and it was quite interesting to see Charlie using abilities he got from his years of teaching in order to get into the boy's mind (as much as his own memories of what it feels like to be a young social innept math genius...), rather than pure math itself.
Oddly we had no Colby Granger in "Scan Man"; not a scene. They don't even bother to mention his name in this episode. I love Granger, but, to be honest, "Scan Man" was so great that i barely had the chance to miss him. At least they saved Colby's character of being jeopardized again like they have been repeatedly doing in the previous episodes, when he was constantly being written into situations that made him look like some silly rookie cop.

Well, but anyway, congratulations Numb3rs cast and crew, it was a great and fun ride. I hope the next eps are as good as this one.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
5 1

Flag
Share Hide
Another great episode! Season 5 is great!

9.5

"Superb"

By K_A_B_30, Nov 01, 2008

This episode was really something special, quite thought prevoking and very interesting. The only thing I didn't like were the scenes from the strip club, while not long and drawn out I felt they were unnisary. I really liked how this crime played out, very complex and having meaning behind it, the acting was great. I loved how David understood the autistic man and the others appreciated him (emerson). Charlie was good, I enjoyed the bit of comflict between him and Larry & Amita, and its conclusion, Charlie is really growing mature. And when he helped David against the shooters in the end, priceless! I prefer Nikki much more when she works with Liz, she isn't so show-offy as she is with Colby and David. Don really has grown since season 3 where he would have stayed clammed up, I'm glad he talked to Bradford. A VERY interesting ending, with Bradford telling Don he couldn't find answers on a couch and than Don going to the synagog. It would be very interesting if he continued to go, finding his heritage and roots in a way, I hope they don't just forget about it. In conclusion, a great episode of Numb3rs which really makes you think afterwards. I'm again excited to see whats in store for us in the next episode!moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
2 0

Flag
Share Hide
One of the best episodes in a while, possibly this season. Absolutely genius.

10

"Perfect"

By aquabreeze87, Nov 01, 2008

Charlie's first full case back on the job, and it was a great one. We actually learn things about some of the more minor characters (Liz and Nikki have brothers! Sinclair believes Autism is a gift!) and Amita and Larry finally start feeling what we've all been noticing- they're not Charlie's main focus. The Autistic man behind it all is wonderfully acted, and when Charlie wields a gun in the final stealth scene and we finally get to see what the FBI training course taught him, the only way to describe it is "Cool!!!" Then the shocker at the end, where Don goes to Synagouge, was a brilliant way to help him find what else there is. All in all, a beautifully written episode. Numb3rs has hit its stride again.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
3 0

Flag
Share Hide
A very odd case indeed.

9.0

"Superb"

By CRaivios, Nov 01, 2008

I have a son with autism. I have trouble watching shows with this subject. I just watched a show on PBS that said that there are only 25 savants in the world today.

It was nice to see Charlie getting back into the swing of things. Liz and Nikki working together was fun.

The ending was very nice. We hope Don finds what he is looking for.

All in all, a good show.

------------------SPOILER ALERT----------------------

It was worrisome for fans to see there would be the death of an agent. Luckily, it was unidentified crew member, just like Star Trek.

The case itself was very strange. Bar coding for a shipping company were getting manipulated for some unknown reason. It was something worth killing for. A young man with autism is involved. The agents unravel the clues to stop a huge heist.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
4 0

Flag
Share Hide

WRITE A REVIEW

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (3)
ADD TRIVIA
- Math used in this episode:
  Brute Force Search
  Fractal Dimension Analysis
  Geographic Network Analysis
  Supply Chain Analysis
  EDIT SHARE
- David has an uncle who is autistic.
  EDIT SHARE
- Opening Numb3rs:
  3 MILLION PARCELS
  100 BILLION NEURONS
  26 EMPTY BOXES
  1 SCAN MAN
  EDIT SHARE
QUOTES (2)
ADD QUOTES
- Larry: Ever get the feeling we're just these celestial bodies orbiting Charlie? Alan: Having trouble with our resident genius are you?
  EDIT SHARE
- Evan: Maybe I'll see you around, then we'll see who the real bitch is? Nikki: I've busted gang bangers in Compton with little sisters that are ten times badder than you. You will see me around.
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (2)
ADD NOTES
- International Air Dates:
  The Netherlands: March 1, 2009 on Veronica
  Czech Republic: May 31, 2010 on TV Nova
  Finland: March 20, 2012 on Sub
  EDIT SHARE
- This episode was originally scheduled to air as the sixth of the season, but was moved up one week.
  EDIT SHARE
ALLUSIONS (4)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Evan:(referring to Emerson) Where's Rain Man? The autistic Emerson closely resembles the one played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1988 Barry Levinson film Rain Man.
  EDIT SHARE
- After Nikki gives one of the thieves the FBI's list of package tracking numbers, the camera cuts to a box that was sent by a Chris Hansen. Chris Hansen is a journalist best known for his work on Dateline NBC's To Catch A Predator, which sets up stings to capture sexual predators who find their victims over the internet.
  EDIT SHARE
- Emerson: Eight is enough to fill our lives with love. When fixated on things involving the number eight, Emerson recites the opening lyrics to the theme song for ABC's 1977–1981 show, Eight is Enough.
  EDIT SHARE
- Sinclair: Are about the same odds as me getting a date with Heidi Klum? Charlie: She won a Peabody Award. Heidi Klum is a German model, actress and TV presenter who in 2008 received a Peabody Award (awarded for excellence in radio and television broadcasting) for Project Runway. This is the first time a reality show has won the award.
  EDIT SHARE