Arrow of Time (Numbers)

Last updated
"Arrow of Time"
Numbers episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 11
Directed byKen Sanzel
Written byKen Sanzel
Production code511
Original air dateJanuary 9, 2009 (2009-01-09)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Frienemies"		Next →
"Jacked"

"Arrow of Time" is the 11th episode of the fifth season of the American television show Numbers . In the episode, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents track an escaped prisoner who is seeking revenge against one of their own. Written by series writer/executive producer Ken Sanzel, the episode continued two storylines. The first storyline continued one that began with two episodes shown very early in season three. The other was originally launched in the season four season finale "When Worlds Collide".

Contents

"Arrow of Time" first aired in the United States on January 9, 2009.

Plot summary

While Dr. Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz), a CalSci math professor/FBI math consultant, rehearses a lecture on entropy and his brother, FBI Special Agent Don Eppes (Rob Morrow), is at temple, federal prisoner Buck Winters (David Gallagher) escapes from prison along with two other prisoners. As Winters and his fellow escapees are federal prisoners, the Los Angeles Police Department calls FBI Special Agents David Sinclair (Alimi Ballard) and Nikki Betancourt (Sophina Brown) to the scene of an abandoned car and hands the FBI agents a rope made from dental floss. David explains to Nikki that, two years prior, Buck's wife, Crystal Hoyle, kidnapped fellow FBI Special Agent Megan Reeves (Diane Farr). [1] Don allowed Buck to be tortured in order to learn Megan and Crystal's location. [2] At a briefing at the FBI office, Don acts as though he is not bothered by the news of Buck's escape. Don's girlfriend, Assistant United States Attorney Robin Brooks (Michelle Nolden), becomes worried about Don as the case should be personal to him. FBI Special Agent Liz Warner (Aya Sumika), who knew only about Megan's kidnapping and had learned about Don's actions from FBI Special Agent Colby Granger (Dylan Bruno), confronts Don about his actions. David and Liz take the rope to CalSci to be analyzed by Charlie and Drs. Amita Ramanujan (Navi Rawat) and Larry Fleinhardt (Peter MacNicol), Charlie's friends and fellow FBI consultants. When Charlie and Larry learn of Buck's escape, Charlie is surprised, as Don had not told Charlie about the escape. Larry is visibly upset as Megan was his girlfriend at the time of her kidnapping.

Charlie's calculations reveal that the prison break had been planned for months and that someone outside of the prison had to supply the dental floss. Colby and Nikki bring the girlfriend of one of the prisoners in for questioning. The girlfriend points to a friend of the prisoner's cellmate. David and Colby question the friend, who denies any knowledge of Buck or the floss. Meanwhile, Robin confides to Larry that she wishes that Buck would be found dead, and Larry tells Robin what he was thinking when Megan was kidnapped. Don and Charlie's father, Alan Eppes (Judd Hirsch), confronts Don about his recent behavior. Don confesses that he fears having to kill Buck in a confrontation. Charlie analyzes Buck's movements and realizes that Buck is after Don. At the FBI office, Charlie confronts Don, who is reviewing a tape of the Crystal Hoyle shooting. They discuss the ability to control a situation. Charlie tells Don that Don has to focus on the present since he cannot change the past. As Charlie leaves, Don receives a phone call from Buck.

David, Colby, Nikki, and Liz find one of the escaped prisoners dead at a hotel. While discussing the development, they learn that Don had called Buck. Later, David, Colby, Nikki, and Liz arrest the accomplice. As Don and David prepare to arrest Buck, David confronts Don about Don's recent actions. Don gives David two options: report Don or trust him. Unarmed, Don confronts Buck at Don's synagogue. Don learns that Buck, thinking that his arrest disappointed Crystal, wants Don to kill him. Don explains that he had to shoot Crystal and that the decision has haunted him for some time. The team, who has been positioned around the synagogue, arrests Buck without firing a shot. Robin, who has been outside during Buck's arrest, enters the synagogue and finds Don leafing through a copy of the Tanakh. Meanwhile, Alan, Charlie, Amita, and Larry discuss Don's predicament during a discussion about forming a think tank. Charlie realizes that he contradicted himself while at Don's office; Charlie felt that the situation was irreversible. Larry uses Maxwell's Demon as a metaphor for outside circumstances forcing a change in the situation.

Production

Writing

Earlier in the series, series creators Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton demonstrated that the Eppes family was Jewish in the episode "Provenance". [3] They and series regular Rob Morrow wanted to explore the topic of religion. [4] Falacci, Heuton, and other writers felt that discussions about mathematics tend to lead to existential discussions. [5] Morrow felt that a law enforcement officer finding purpose in his work through religion was a rarity on television. [6]

During season five, the writers finally felt that CBS would allow them to explore the topic of religion. [4] The writers thought that Don's spiritual journey would be a natural progression in the storyline. [5] Series executive producer Ken Sanzel decided to use the storyline started in "When Worlds Collide" [7] as the springboard into Don's spiritual search. [4] In the arc, Charlie lost his security clearance when he sent classified information overseas at the end of season four. [5] Season five began with the brothers dealing with the consequences of Charlie's actions. [8] Charlie requested for the FBI to reinstate his clearance. While investigating Charlie, FBI Security Officer Carl McGowan decided to investigate Don. In "Jack of All Trades", Don worked with FBI Special Agent Roger Bloom (Henry Winkler), an agent who stole $10 million (USD) from various banks in order to catch a petty thief who stole $2000 (USD) from Bloom's sister. Since Don had previously violated policy himself in several previous cases, Don's investigation into Bloom paralleled McGowan's investigation into Don. [5] When the assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI field office refused to accept McGowan's recommendations for disciplinary action against Don, [9] Don felt "lost". He then decided to explore Judaism. [4]

For "Arrow of Time", Sanzel continued the story arc about Don's spiritual journey. Sanzel wanted to show the audience that Don was considering religion as a source for some answers to his questions. He set the story against the escape of a prisoner, Buck Winters, portrayed by David Gallagher, who was interrogated by Don in "Two Daughters". [4] In "Two Daughters", FBI Special Agent Megan Reeves (Diane Farr), one of Don's teammates, was kidnapped by Winters' wife, Crystal Hoyle (Kim Dickens). To learn where Crystal took Megan, Don allowed FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton (Lou Diamond Phillips) to use violent interrogation tactics during Buck's interrogation. Megan was found alive, and Crystal was later killed. Don's actions during Buck's interrogation affected Don throughout season three. [10] In writing "Arrow of Time", Sanzel decided to use Don's decision to arrest Buck at the synagogue as a way of showing that Don was contemplating the effects of religion on his life. [4] According to Morrow in the "Crunching Numb3rs: Season Five" bonus feature, Don's spiritual journey gave Don a new outlook. [8]

Reception

Over 10.14 million people watched "Arrow of Time". [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Numbers</i> (TV series) American crime drama television series (2005–2010)

Numbers is an American crime drama television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 23, 2005, to March 12, 2010, for six seasons and 118 episodes. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his brother Charlie Eppes, a college mathematics professor and prodigy, who helps Don solve crimes for the FBI. Brothers Ridley and Tony Scott produced Numbers; its production companies are the Scott brothers' Scott Free Productions and CBS Television Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amita Ramanujan</span> Fictional character

Amita Ramanujan, Ph.D., is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Numb3rs, played by Navi Rawat. Over the course of the series, she has become a professor at CalSci and has since become romantically involved with her former thesis advisor, Dr. Charlie Eppes. She was first introduced in "Pilot". She also works as an FBI consultant with Charlie and Larry.

"Pilot" is the first episode of the American television show Numbers. Based on a real-life serial rape case, "Pilot" features two brothers, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and a mathematics professor at a Southern California university, using their individual skills to capture a serial rapist who has begun to kill his victims. "Pilot" also introduces the theme of mathematics being used to solve crimes.

"Guns and Roses" is the 20th episode of the second season of the American television series Numbers. Written by Robert Port and filmed around the Los Angeles Center Studios, the episode features a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent investigating the apparent suicide of a former girlfriend while beginning a new relationship. Port based his story on real-life instances. He also was inspired to include acoustic testing and genomic research in the script.

"Uncertainty Principle" is the second episode of the first season of the American television series Numbers. Based on a real bank robbery case, the episode features a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) math consultant's prediction being incomplete after FBI agents find themselves in an unexpected shootout with suspected bank robbers. Series writers Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci wanted to explore the emotional effects of the case on Dr. Charlie Eppes. For the mathematics used in the case, they included several mathematical and physics concepts, such as the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, P versus NP problem, and Minesweeper game.

"Provenance" is the third episode of the third season of the American television show Numbers. Inspired by real-life instances, the episode features a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation into a stolen painting which may have a tainted provenance. Gena Rowlands, who works as an advocate for Holocaust survivors, portrayed a Holocaust survivor who claimed that the painting was originally her family's painting. Within the series, the episode also depicts the Eppes family as Jewish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liz Warner</span> Fictional character

Liz Warner is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama Numb3rs, played by Aya Sumika. A former girlfriend of FBI Special Agent Don Eppes, she has since become a part of Don's team.

"Scorched" is the 11th episode of the second season of the American television series Numbers. Marking the first produced script for series writer Sean Crouch, the episode features Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and mathematicians investigating a series of arsons that may have been started by an ecoterrorist group. Bill Nye "The Science Guy", who is a fan of the show, guest stars as a colleague of scientists Dr. Charlie Eppes and Dr. Larry Fleinhardt.

"Spree" is the first episode of the third season of the American television show Numbers The episode features Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents pursuing a couple of spree killers. Series writer Ken Sanzel drew inspiration for the episode from pursuit curves. "Spree" also launches a more general trend toward the serialization of the series.

"Two Daughters" is the second episode of the third season of the American television show Numbers. The second half of a two-episode storyline, the episode features the aftermath of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent's abduction, which results in the search for not only the agent and her kidnapper but also for the true motive of the spree killings in the previous episode. As a character development, one FBI Special Agent's actions during the case created a story arc for that character for season three. Series writer Ken Sanzel used the trawler problem, a real-life application used to find traveling boats, as inspiration for the mathematics included in the episode.

"The Art of Reckoning" is the 21st episode of the third season of the American television show Numbers. In the episode, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents investigate the confessions of a mob hit man before his execution. Written by Julie Hébert, the episode also highlighted the return of series regular Peter MacNicol as his character, Dr. Larry Fleinhardt, returned from space.

"The Janus List" is the 24th episode and the season finale of the third season of the American television show Numbers. In the episode, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) team investigate a former triple agent's claims of someone poisoning him.

"Trust Metric" is the season premiere of the fourth season of the American television show Numbers. Written by series writer Ken Sanzel, "Trust Metric" is set five weeks after the events in "The Janus List". In "Trust Metric"'s story, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) team attempts to find a pair of double agents, one of them a former teammate, who have escaped from prison. The story continues the events that began in "The Janus List".

"When Worlds Collide" is the 18th episode and the season finale of the fourth season of the American television show Numbers. In the episode, two brothers, one a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent and the other a mathematician, disagree with each other on the issue of academic freedom after one of the mathematician's friends is arrested on terrorism charges. Series creators Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci, who wrote the episode, first mentioned the idea for the brothers' conflict during a season two commentary. When Heuton and Falacci wrote the episode for season four, their episode launched a story arc that was later resolved during season five.

"The Fifth Man" is the 20th episode of the fifth season of the American television show Numbers. In the episode, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and mathematicians attempt to find a group of home invaders while dealing with the injury of the agents' boss. For FBI Special Agent David Sinclair, the case is his first as team leader. The art department built a new office for Dr. Charlie Eppes, which reflected his own professional growth within academia. Brought in several times before to audition for various guest appearances, Debbon Ayer, Rob Morrow's real-life wife, guest-starred as the victim of a home invasion.

"Disturbed" is the 21st episode of the fifth season of the American television show Numbers. In the episode written by series creators/executive producers Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci, skeptical Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents track an undetected serial killer while their math consultant copes with his brother's recent injury. After FBI Special Agent Don Eppes's injury, FBI Special Agent David Sinclair, who was the newest member of the team at the beginning of the series, served as team leader. Falacci and Heuton also included Easter eggs from the "Pilot" and from some of the previous 99 episodes.

"Democracy" is the 18th episode of the third season of the American television show Numbers. Written by Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci, the episode highlights a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation into the murder of one of their math consultant's friends while an agent learns that she has been selected for a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) assignment. Heuton and Falacci also brought back fan favorite Oswald Kittner, portrayed by Jay Baruchel.

"Cause and Effect" is the 16th episode and the season finale of the sixth season and series finale of the American television series Numbers. In the episode, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and mathematicians attempt to find one agent's gun before it is used in a violent crime. When series creators/executive producers Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci learned that the number of episodes airing during the season was reduced, they felt that they needed to finish storylines in case the series was cancelled. To do so, they wrote an open-ended story to serve as either a season finale or a series finale.

"Thirty-Six Hours" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of the American television show Numbers. In the episode, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and mathematicians attempt to determine the cause of a fatal train accident while several agents attempt to rescue survivors. When it was originally scheduled to air as the fourth episode of the season, "Thirty-Six Hours" occurred in the middle of a story arc launched by the season four season finale. When the real-life Chatsworth train derailment occurred two weeks after filming the episode, the accident forced a revision of the script to include episodic events that occurred after the end of the story arc.

References

  1. ↑ "Spree". Numb3rs. Season 3. Episode 1. September 22, 2006.
  2. ↑ "Two Daughters". Numb3rs. Season 3. Episode 2. September 29, 2006.
  3. ↑ Pfefferman, Naomi (October 5, 2006). "Clues to family drama's Jewish roots finally add up on 'Numb3rs'". Jewish Journal.com. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hendrickson, Paula (April 30, 2009). "Spirituality adds depth to 'Numbers'". Variety.com. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 David Krumholtz (actor), Henry Winkler (actor), Stephen Gyllenhaal (director), Andrew Dettmann (writer) (2009). Jack of All Trades--Commentary by David Krumholtz, Henry Winkler, Stephen Gyllenhaal, and Andrew Dettmann (DVD (Numb3rs: Season 5)). CBS Studios, Inc.
  6. ↑ Cheryl Heuton (co-creator/executive producer), Nicolas Falacci (co-creator/executive producer), David Krumholtz (actor), Lewis Abel (co-executive producer), David W. Zucker (executive producer), Mark Saks (casting director), Sophina Brown (actor), Navi Rawat (actor), Rob Morrow (actor), Aya Sumika (actor), Alimi Ballard (actor), Dylan Bruno (actor), Judd Hirsch (actor), Lou Diamond Phillips (actor), Henry Winkler (actor), Robert Port (co-executive producer), and Katherine LeBlond (assistant set decorator/buyer) (2009). Crunching Numb3rs: Season Five (DVD (Numb3rs: Season 5)). CBS Studios, Inc.
  7. ↑ Fickett, Travis (April 3, 2008). "The Return of Numb3rs: Behind the Scenes". IGN.com. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Cheryl Heuton (co-creator/executive producer), Nicolas Falacci (co-creator/executive producer), David Krumholtz (actor), Lewis Abel (co-executive producer), David W. Zucker (executive producer), Mark Saks (casting director), Sophina Brown (actor), Navi Rawat (actor), Rob Morrow (actor), Aya Sumika (actor), Alimi Ballard (actor), Dylan Bruno (actor), Judd Hirsch (actor), Lou Diamond Phillips (actor), Henry Winkler (actor), Robert Port (co-executive producer), and Katherine LeBlond (assistant set decorator/buyer) (2009). Crunching Numb3rs: Season Five (DVD (Numb3rs: Season 5)). CBS Studios, Inc.
  9. ↑ "Jack of All Trades". Numb3rs. Season 5. Episode 4. October 24, 2008.
  10. ↑ David W. Zucker (executive producer), Lou Diamond Phillips (actor), and Ken Sanzel (writer) (2007). Two Daughters--Audio Commentary with Lou Diamond Phillips, Ken Sanzel, and David W. Zucker (DVD (Numb3rs: Season 3)). CBS Studios, Inc.
  11. ↑ CBS (Press Release) (January 13, 2009). ""The Mentalist" Delivers Its Largest Audience Ever". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.