Customer Reviews

Numb3rs - The Complete Second Season

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Until a few months ago, I had never heard of this series. I live in England where it is not widely known. I first learned about it when I was flicking through the recommendations on Amazon.com (well done to Amazon by the way, great feature, they sometimes seem to know my tastes better than I know myself!) and after reading the online reviews I was compelled to order season one, though I'D NEVER EVEN SEEN AN EPISODE!

I absolutely love detective / action programs and am an avid fan of the likes of 'Bones' and '24' and never miss an episode of 'House MD' (which I've included in this review since as every House fan knows, they solve illnesses instead of crimes but the format is the same). So I firstly, decided to give 'numb3rs' a chance because the new approach of 'maths' (as we English call it) to solve crime seemed intriguing.

Secondly, I noticed that Ridley and Tony Scott had put their names to it, which to me gave it excellent credentials since I am a fan of both their work, especially Ridley Scott since I loved his work on 'Gladiator' and 'Kingdom of Heaven'.

My final reason for buying the boxset could be construed as a bit of a shallow one, that is I've had a bit of a soft spot for Rob Morrow since 'Northern Exposure', I also knew him to be a good actor, honestly.

Cutting a long story short, I got season one and after watching only two episodes I immediately pre-ordered season two, I enjoyed it that much.

So, to the series itself. The stories are excellently written and the more you watch, the more addictive it becomes. All the characters are well rounded (not just the key ones) and you actually care what happens to them which to me is the essential to a good drama. You see their interactions while solving the case, but also when its finished, the key characters seem equally as close to one another.

The main premise of the program is that there are two brothers (both equally lovely in their own particular way, purely from a female perspective). The older, Don Eppes (played excellently by the afore mentioned Mr Morrow) is an FBI agent who calls upon his younger brother Charlie (or to give his full title Professor Charles Edward Eppes) to help him solve his cases through maths. Charlie (played by the very attractive David Krumholtz) is a mathematical genius who uses equations and algorythms in order to for example, decide the next target for a robbery or the whereabouts of a suspect. Don't be put off by the idea of all those sums however, being something of a mathsphobe myself (my brain tends to shut down in self defense when comfronted by too many numbers) I still found it fascinating and all the complex stuff is explained using methaphors and symbolism making it really easy to follow.

Though ultimately, the plot focuses on the pursuit of the guilty, the series is also largely about family, in its many guises, be it the Eppes family itself, the close knit FBI team or Charlie and his colleagues at the university. Special mention should be given to Judd Hirsh as Don and Charlie's father, Alan Eppes, who helps bridge the gap between his two sons, who are in many ways different but also in may ways alike. Hirsch plays the part with warmth and is a perfect balance for his offspring, always trying to see things from both their perspectives and find common ground to heal the ever diminishing rift between them.

Season two, is as good as if not better than the first. There have been some changes, Sabrina Lloyd's character has been replaced by Megan Reeves (played by Diane Farr) and there has been an introduction of a new character, an FBI agent played by Dylan Bruno, but both fit in very well and help rather than hinder the show. The supporting cast is also brilliant. It is good to see that Lou Diamond Phillips, reprises his role as Agent Edgerton from the first series, in the episode entitled 'Toxin'. Here's hoping that we see more of this character in future series as Phillips is a great actor. Colin Hanks also makes a memorable appearance as Charlie's mathematical rival, Penfield in 'Convergence'. How Charlie spars with his 'nemesis' is really humourous as they try desperately to get one better than each other. Another particularly good episode is 'Rampage' which without giving too much away, looks at how Charlie's life is affected when he suffers a brush with death in a place that he normally considers safe, and how he must overcome the fear to help Don.

In conclusion, I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a show where you have to go through the process of solving a crime with the cast members, to take the journey with them as it were, to find the bad guys. If you like the idea of a different approach to crime fighting and want to watch an intelligent, interesting program filled with likeable characters and interesting plot twists, give it a go. ALL THE VARIABLES IN 'NUMB3RS ADD UP TO A TRULY REWARDING VIEWING EXPERIENCE!

"It's logic. It's rationality. It's using your mind to solve the biggest mysteries we know."


If you're interested in this box-set, you've probably already seen the show, so I'll just summarize briefly. In "Numb3rs," the character Charlie Eppes (played David Krumholtz) helps his FBI agent brother Don Eppes (Rob Morrow) to solve cases. He's a professor at a university and a mathematical genius. He's also assisted by his good friend and colleague, Larry Fleinhardt.

In this second season, some fun new things come into the mix. The characters of Megan and Colby join the mix. They make wonderful additions to the show. The opening intro has been changed to be more exciting and interesting, which hints at changes in the show. The cast is really getting into its groove and the writing is very strong. With guest-appearances by folks such as Bill Nye, this show definitely doesn't suffer from a sophomore slump.


This DVD set offers all episodes from the second season. All are closed-captioned and feature Dolby Digital sound.

This also comes with some special features, which are also closed-captioned. Unlike a lot of other DVD season sets, the special features are accessible on the first and second discs, rather than all on the last disc. You get behind-the-scenes with David Krumholtz and show co-creator Nicholas Falacci. There's also a blooper reel, a season retrospective and an inside look at the production of one of the episodes. There's also commentaries by cast and crew (including Bill Nye) for several episodes, generally one per disc.

I got the first season of NUMB3RS on DVD and I loved it.I love having them to watch over and over again.I love this show,but much as I loved the first season of NUMB3RS I love the second season even better with the new female agent Megan played by Diane Farr.I can't wait to get this on DVD

With its second season, this absorbing and original crime drama seems to have matured and blossomed, making it one of the more entertaining shows on network t.v. The premise of using numbers and mathematical equations to solve crimes is unique and the writers have made their integrations a little more down to earth and plausible this season. The writers were also able to incorporate personal sidebars to help us identify more with all of the characters and do so without losing focus of the episode's main plots.
Much of the credit for the superior quality of this show goes to its talented cast: Rob Morrow exudes a strong sense of duty as Don Eppes; he is dedicated to the point of having very little personal life; David Krumholtz is amazing as the brilliant Charlie Eppes, a world away at times from his older brother; Krumholtz is perfect in explaining his theories and algorithms, etc., he seems perfectly at home with some tricky dialogue and his personal demons seem to make him even more approachable; Navi Rawat (sp) is charming as Charlie's unrequited love, and she brings a lot of warmth to the show; Alimi Ballard is good as the stoic Dave Sinclair, who is supremely focused and dedicated as well; Judd Hirsch is perfect as the boy's wise father, recently widowed and trying to jumpstart his life; Peter MacNicol, underused in the first season, gets a little more exposure this season by getting more involved in the cases. Two new additions this season are also beneficial: Julie Farr as Megan, the forensic psychologist, brings a sense of strength, compassion and humor to her role; and husky Dylan Bruno brings a sense of commitment and dedication along with his impressive pecs.
This season also features some strong guest performances from Will Patton, Robert Forster, and Jobeth Williams.
You can count on one thing with NUMB3RS: It's absorbing and very entertaining.

I love this show, for reasons I didn't expect. It's more than a show about catching the bad guys, and how number theories can be used to hunt them down. It's mostly about the Eppes family, and how the two sons and father are coming together to deal with life, and each other, after the loss of their wife and mother. The father and two sons are very different people, but love each other dearly, in spite of the different ways they see, and function, in the world.

Now with season two, I've just fallen harder for the show. I love the consistency of the story-lines, and the very natural feeling the show has in dealing with the relationships while the criminal cases are played out. No one magically changes overnight, and issues are brought up, and dealt with, in a way that feels realistic. Squabbles between the family members aren't overplayed, or over blown, and neither are the scenes when they come together and 'make up' or just need to spend 'face time' together. There continues to be a very strong feeling of family, family ties and the love that keeps them seeking each other out for company.

The actors do a wonderful job of portraying their characters as three-dimensional, complicated people who are doing their best to understand the others in their lives.

David Krumholtz does an exceptional job portraying Charlie, and how he's grown during the two seasons. While he may have seemed coddled to others, safe and secure in his 'bubble' of being raised as 'special', it's clear that Charlie's very keenly felt the burden of his difference. His high school years (he graduated at age 13) were hell for him, and he's conscious of the fact that he doesn't fit in outside of his life as a professor, or Acadamenia. While he's now comfortable with his role as teacher, and working with his friends and peers, he's taken some very hard steps toward seeing and dealing with the dark side of life. In trying to connect with his FBI brother, who's still very protective of what Charlie is exposed to, he is still tremendously bothered and upset by what he sees, and sometimes, must do. But Charlie keeps stepping up to the plate when he realizes that his math can do more than describe the universe around him, it can, and does, help save lives. But he's also becoming torn between spending his 'best years' as a mathematician and making great breakthroughs in his field, or spending his time and energies helping his brother save people. This is playing out very well by Krumholtz and the writers of the show.

Rob Morrow is excellent as Don, the older brother. Because of Charlie's gift, and the amount of time, energy (and presumably money) that was spent to give Charlie the education and training he needed to fulfill his potential, Don was left to himself quite a bit growing up. More outgoing and athletic than Charlie, Don learned to be self-sufficient very early. He's protective of his younger brother, yet at the same time not inclined to coddle him as much as other's would. While he does make exceptions for the way Charlies' mind works, he also encourages Charlie to fight his own battles, and take on his own challenges, making it clear he has Charlie's back. Even when it means fighting with his father over what Charlie can, and can't, handle. Morrow does a wonderful job showing the complex relationship Don has with is father and brother. Because of what he does, what he sees, he can seem very detached at times. But it's clear that underneath all the darkness he has to deal with that the walls he's built up are to protect those he loves. He wants to connect with Charlie and his father as much as they want to connect with him, but he wants to protect them as well. Don is like that onion, with many layers and as they're removed we get to learn more about him, who he really is inside, just as his family does.

And I can't say enough about Judd Hirch, who plays their father. I'm thrilled to see his character is still just as vital a part of the story line in the second season as the first. He's just as complicated as his sons, and you get the feeling that his wisdom is well earned. But neither is he incapable of being wrong, nor admitting to it. His love for his two boys is clear, and your heart aches for him as he also takes his first steps out into dating once again, dealing with his wife's memory, and coming back out of retirement. I love it when the three of them work together on a case. You just can't beat the Eppes family when they're focused on a problem.

All around a great show, and one my whole family loves just as much as I do.

please, forgive my bad english.
first, there is a mistake in the data: the announced english subtitles are missing, so it is sometimes hard to follow, because I'm a foreigner (Germany).
This new kind of series is intelligent, with marvellous actors (great judd hirsch as the dad of the brothers, lou diamond phillips two times in a small part and various other brilliant actors) and always with interesting subjects (themes).
So, I give only 4 stars, because of the missing but announced subtitles.
If there were subtitles, no question, 5 stars!!!

Thanks, PARAMOUNT for this great show, but please give us subtitles for box no. 3. Thanks!

My students love NUMB3RS. They tell me they would have never watched this at home if they had not been introduced to it in my class. They are very interested in "non-school" applications of math and since they catch the "bad guy" every week, I consider this character education. You see, I teach in a secure juvenile detention facility.

It starts off kinda slow but the later half of this season heats up and gives a better season.

I'm a crime drama junkie. This is an awesome series. Besides crime solving , I love the dynamics of Eppes family, as well as liberal viewpoints shared by the producers and writers.

The Numb3rs series is quite well done. Being Hollywood it's a bit too violent overall but it is very interesting how they link the mathematics in many episodes. Ok, not perfectly so for purists but the show makes one think about different ways in which mathematics can be and is used in the series.

I showed a couple shows to my high school classes and overall they enjoyed it - some already were watching the series. The tough part is that the math can be a bit heavy, thus "Charlievision" is the best creation of the series. Whenever the main mathematician, Charlie, goes off on a real-world comparative model for the math he is explaining they use a different type of filming technique.

The character development is also pretty good. Main downfall is the overly Hollywoodish elements of too much violence and occasionally other risque plots making it less appropriate for younger audiences.

The main actors have gone to the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) conference where they were received like rock stars.