Customer Reviews

Numb3rs - The Complete First Season

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"We all use math everyday" says Charlie Eppes, the lead character in the CBS mathematical drama NUMB3RS. Trying to convince an 8th grade math class about that became easier with this show on the air. I've enjoyed the show since day one. Crime drama that makes you think.

Teachers out there may not be aware that the show has a web site that offers lessons based on each episode. Upper level middle and high school students can be challenged by these activities created with help from Texas Instruments and The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. I am pleased to say some of the authors also participated in the Rutgers Leadership Program in Discrete Mathematics, a course I had the pleasure of taking way back in 1996. Check out the NUMB3RS website at
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/numb3rs/

Yes, this is a great TV show--and I don't say this lightly. I'm not much of a TV watcher generally speaking, but "Numb3rs" has really impressed me as a quality show from the get-go. My spouse and I always make it a point to be home Friday night to catch the latest episode, so we were both pretty excited that season one has been released on DVD. Since we don't have cable, and surrounding high-rise buildings hinder antenna reception (ah, yes, life in the big city), it has been especially nice to see the episodes again, only this time in clear and crisp digital.

So what makes this show so good? Lots of things, I suppose. I particularly like the combination of Charlie and Don as a crime-fighting team, their skills and personalities complimenting each other. With Charlie you get the latest incarnation of the classic figure of the detective who uses reason and logic to solve the crime (going all the way back to Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin in "The Purloined Letter" not to mention Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes), and with Don you of course get the cop with a badge and a gun who saves the day (a mainstay of American TV for decades). That said, both actors flesh these archetypes out really well into individual characters, and their brotherly interaction (with a dash of sibling rivalry) creates just the right dynamic.

The math angle is handled extremely well, too. My spouse the mathematician assures me that the higher math Charlie spouts is for real (even if it can't quite catch the bad guys quite so efficiently--cue temporary suspension of disbelief here), and yet for a humanities type like me who knows just enough math to unbalance the checkbook the show's writers and producers do a fine job of translating such mathematics into terms that make sense to the non-expert, often using visual asides to illustrate the principles involved in clever, creative ways. In general, too, the atmosphere and character of academia (with Charlie's physicist friend and all) is portrayed pretty accurately and authentically, which is extremely rare for TV shows...and movies, for that matter.

Finally, on the more basic level, there is just the good old-fashioned pure enjoyment of watching the good guys catch the bad guys.

To make a long story short (I know, too late), this is a fine TV show that is well worth having in one's collection of DVDs.

This 4 disk set of wonderful shows comes in packaging designed to be seriously damaged. The hard, clear plastic case is brittle, and easily damaged in shipping. The disk case slides out of the overcase on the bottom, almost guaranteeing the case will hit the floor every time it's removed from a shelf. The disks overlap inside the case, rubbing against each other. And the disk case is not designed to close (only fold), so the disks fall out almost automatically.

The Amazon vendor I purchased from was very helpful in replacing my damaged disks and case -- but the packaging is a disgrace. Obviously CBS/Paramount took the cheapest option available.

Would recommend you purchase in-person, to avoid some of the damage which can occur in shipping.

I don't watch a lot of TV, but I never miss this one. The scenarios are interesting and fun. I enjoy all of the characters, especially Professor Larry Fleinhardt. Unlike another reviewer whom I disagree with, his part is critical to filling out the story each week. Whoever thought of a show using mathematicians to work with the FBI should be applauded. In a time when mathematics is placed well behind sports in our schools it is great to have a show demonstrating to our children how important math is in our world and what practical applications there are in even the most unlikely places. I love the mathematical models and studies presented each week in a way that is understandable to those of us who are not mathematicians. It almost makes me wish that I were a mathematician. What a dreary sounding job, and yet, it really comes to life in this show.

I don't watch much television because I don't find it very compelling. I started watching numbers because I'm a high school math teacher and they have great tie-ins to the classroom. I kept watching it because the characters are engaging, the stories are fascinating and the math is great! I really like the family dynamics, I like the interplay between the characters who see the world so differently. I like that each show leaves you thinking.
I'm 48 and I love it but so do my 20,17 and 14 year olds. It also doesn't have gratuitous sex or violence. It seems like old fashioned story telling. I would compare it to Monk in terms of good family viewing.

My father is a math teacher at the local University, so we all sit down on friday night to enjoy a cop show (my favorite kind) and my father will point out all the improbabilities. He actually knows the consultant for this show, who works at CalTech. The Numb3rs people actually get the math right most of the time. This is one of my all time favorite shows

I have watched Numb3rs ever since it came out and it became my favorite show. I saw every episode of the first season and I thought the show turned out to be one of the biggest tv hits this century. I can't hardly wait to see the current seasons' finale. I know many people who praise the show for it's excellence and the enjoyment the viewers recieve. I apprieciate the skill and mastery with which the actors do their job. We are glad they do what they do and love the show for it.

Luckily I rented rather than bought this time around. I'd advise you to save your money on this one until CBS/Paramount masters the discs correctly instead of cheaping out.

There are numerous reports about user operation problems with the menu navigation on these discs. I can personally confirm this problem, having watched them over the weekend.

Certain episodes when selected, offer the option of director's commentary. When you make a selection (yes or no) you are often brought to the wrong episode (usually one you've just watched). It's a real pain, and exists on all of the discs with directors commentary. I've found that my 'best' dvd player had better luck, but still not 100%. The only way I was able to watch all of the episodes was by selecting the 'play all' option on the menu... then skipping through til I found the episode I wanted.

I've also heard there may be problems getting the closed captioning subtitles to work, although I cannot personally confirm this (having returned my rentals already). If that feature is a concern, you may want to do more research.

If you can get past the operational errors, the show itself is very well done. Very unique storys with interesting characters. I was unhappy to find Sabrina Lloyd's charater not return for season 2.

I really like the show, and was disappointed to see find the manufacturing/mastering errors show up. Personally, I wouldn't recommned making a purchase til the problem is fixed by the mfg.

- more of this kind of production.

These guys should get some kind of congressional medal or something.

The good guys are good guys - even though they're normal.
Math, science, logic and thinking are all GOOD THINGS - but not deified.
Even the geek is a good guy and his friends actually watch out for him.
No gratuitous immorality or bad language - isn't that amazing?
Sure, sometimes there's a bit of a leap and occasionally conclusions are drawn that aren't necessarily inevitable, but it's a good show.
It's even entertaining.

Maybe these guys could take over PBS?

Here's an idea. Someone should write a book that takes each episode and fully explains the math and the concepts involved. The audience is already interested.

I absolutely LOVE Numb3rs. The cast is awesome and they make you think long and hard about each case and lets you make your own scenario about who you think did what in each episode. Each episode has so many twists and turns that it keeps you on the edge of your seat. My husband and I have watched it form the start and will continue to do so as long as the writers come up with good ideas. Each actor is AWESOME, from the veteran actor, Judd Hirsch all the way down to the new agent, Diane Farr. It's good to see a show come along that makes the youth of our nation want to learn about numbers/math. I can't wait to see the season finale for the second season.