Spree (Numbers)

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"Spree"
Numbers episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 1
Directed byJohn Behring
Written byKen Sanzel
Featured music"Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz
Production code301
Original air dateSeptember 22, 2006 (2006-09-22)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Hot Shot"		Next →
"Two Daughters"

"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.

Contents

David Gallagher and Kim Dickens guest-starred as the couple. For Gallagher, the role of Buck Winters was a sharp contrast with his role in a previous series. Lou Diamond Phillips, reprising his role of FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton, made his third appearance on Numb3rs.

"Spree" first aired in the United States on September 22, 2006. Critics gave the episode positive reviews.

Plot summary

A recently married couple, Buck Winters (David Gallagher) and Crystal Hoyle (Kim Dickens), shoot the people inside a convenience store outside of Los Angeles, California and drive off in a stolen a convertible. Some time later, FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton (Lou Diamond Phillips) informs FBI Special Agents Don Eppes (Rob Morrow), Megan Reeves (Diane Farr), David Sinclair (Alimi Ballard), and Colby Granger (Dylan Bruno) that Crystal and Buck have been on a 17-day robbery spree from Texas to Los Angeles. Don and Ian take a map to CalSci and ask Dr. Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz), Don's brother and an FBI math consultant, for assistance. Charlie gets an idea that Ian missed a shooting in Wyoming. At the office, the team learns that Crystal was Buck's high school teacher and that they killed Buck's father before beginning their robbery spree. A call stating that Crystal and Buck were involved in a shootout in a Wyoming bar confirms Charlie's suspicion and fills in a gap in the timeline. A background check reveals that Crystal, along with her friend Lydia Campos (Georgia Hatzis), was arrested for drug possession in Los Angeles at age 15. Meanwhile, Buck and Crystal drive into a downtown car dealership belonging to Pierce Brenner (Jerry D. O'Donnell). Brenner recognizes Crystal, and she shoots him. After arriving on the scene, Megan realizes that Crystal and Buck's actions have been changing since Ian started following them.

Meanwhile, Alan Eppes (Judd Hirsch), Don and Charlie's father, contemplates moving into a condo, citing privacy issues and the need to invest the money from the sale of the house. [1] Also, Dr. Amita Ramanujan (Navi Rawat) tells Charlie that she is accepting the CalSci associate professor's position extended to her some time earlier, [2] enabling Charlie and Amita to start dating. While telling his friend and colleague Dr. Larry Fleinhardt (Peter MacNicol) about these changes and the idea about the Wyoming shooting, Charlie becomes inspired to use pursuit curves to model Crystal and Buck's as well as Ian's movements throughout the western United States. The team stakes out Campos' house and learns through a wiretap that Crystal is going to a meth house. Buck and Crystal grab some grenades and blow up the meth house.

Crystal calls Campos again, and Campos tries to talk Crystal out of leaving a bag of drugs and cash outside Campos' house. Unwilling to let Crystal kill Campos, David and Colby take Campos into custody. At the FBI office, Campos tells them that Brenner was connected to the meth dealers and that Billy Rivers, Crystal's boyfriend after her relationship with Brenner, was charged along with Crystal and Campos. Charlie assumes that Crystal and Buck are after something else, and the team realizes that Crystal wants to eliminate anyone and anything connected to her past "mistakes". This makes Rivers a target, and the team race to find him.

After narrowing down the number of places where Rivers could be, the team stakes out the house of Rivers' cousin. Ian cautions Megan about not letting Crystal's background influence Megan's perception of the case. Buck arrives, and Ian shoots Buck in the wrist. Buck is then taken to jail. Megan meets Larry at an all-night café for an early breakfast, and they discuss Megan's own decision to leave home at the age of 16. After Larry leaves, Crystal appears and carjacks Megan.

Production

Writing

"Spree" and the following episode "Two Daughters" were originally written as one episode. Numb3rs series writer Ken Sanzel based the original script on the concept of pursuit curves. [3] When Sanzel sent the script to the network, CBS executives requested that he divide the script into two parts. The second part became "Two Daughters". [3]

"Spree" had two differences in storytelling. Beginning with season three, creators Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci decided to serialize the show in terms of character's lives. [4] Since the series already delved into the personal lives and relationships of the characters, serialization was a natural progression in the development of the series. [5] Also, "Spree" marked the first time in which the story was told from the criminal's viewpoint. [3]

Casting

David Gallagher was cast as Buck Winters, and Kim Dickens was cast as Crystal Hoyle. Looking to show more acting depth than exhibited in his previous role in 7th Heaven , Gallagher auditioned for the role of Buck Winters. The casting director noted the difference in roles but awarded Gallagher with the role. Kim Dickens, formerly of Deadwood , auditioned and won the role of Crystal. Dickens enjoyed the role so much that she was disappointed in not being able to return. [6] Lou Diamond Phillips reprised his role of FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton. The episode marked Edgerton's third appearance on Numb3rs. [3]

Reception

When the episode premiered, 11.42 million people in the United States watched "Spree", beating Law & Order by about 490,000 viewers. [7] Critically, the episode was very well received. Although she called Gallagher "out-of-character", Cynthia Boris of DVD Verdict seemed to enjoy the episode. [8] Jeffrey Robinson, a DVD Talk reviewer, called "Spree" "[o]ne of the season's strongest episodes". [9] Grouping "Spree" and "Two Daughters" together, Donald Liebenson, an Amazon.com editor, called "Spree" "compelling". [10]

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">Don Eppes</span> Fictional character

Donald "Don" Eppes is a fictional character and one of the protagonists of the CBS crime drama Numb3rs. He is portrayed by Rob Morrow.

Colby Granger is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama Numb3rs, played by Dylan Bruno. First introduced during the second season, he has become a part of the team led by FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and is usually partnered with David Sinclair. This connection creates some tension when Colby is accused of being a spy for the Chinese which is confirmed in the season three finale episode, "The Janus List", with the news leaving the FBI team under Don's command shaken by the revelation.

<i>Numbers</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of Numbers, an American television series, premiered on September 22, 2006 with the episode "Spree" and had its season finale "The Janus List" on May 18, 2007. Charlie and Amita intensify their relationship, as do Larry and Megan. Amita has troubles adjusting in her new role as a CalSci professor, and Larry announces his leave of absence—he will be on the space station for six months, which greatly distresses Charlie. Dr. Mildred Finch, the newly appointed Chair of the CalSci Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy Division, initially troubles Charlie and his colleagues, as Alan dates her. Don dates Agent Liz Warner, questions his ethics and self-worth, and receives counseling. Charlie sees Don's therapist and the two understand one another more. Alan engages in some FBI consulting with his knowledge of engineering, and Larry returns from the space station, although disillusioned. The finale wraps up with a revelation that shakes the whole team.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"Killer Chat" is the 11th episode of the third season of the American television show Numbers. In the episode, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents investigate the murders of several child molesters while a pair of mathematicians prepare to say goodbye to a friend. Stories about child molesters and his own experiences as a parent inspired series writer Don McGill to write the episode.

"Nine Wives" is the 12th episode of the 3rd season of the American television show Numbers. Paralleling the Warren Jeffs and David Koresh cases, the episode features Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and mathematicians attempting to locate and arrest the leader of a polygamist cult in which members marry young girls. Julie Hébert, a series writer, incorporated slave quilts and Levy flight into her script. She also included two explosions in the script.

"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.

"Angels and Devils" is the 23rd episode and the fifth season finale of the American television show Numbers. In the episode, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents search for a mathematician who has been kidnapped by a cult leader. The episode ended with a character's priorities changed and a marriage proposal left unanswered. James Callis guest-starred as the cult leader, Mason Dureya.

"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.

"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".

References

  1. ↑ "Prime Suspect". Numb3rs. Season 1. Episode 5. February 18, 2005.
  2. ↑ "Undercurrents". Numb3rs. Season 2. Episode 23. May 12, 2006.
  3. 1 2 3 4 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.
  4. ↑ Goldman, Eric (September 21, 2006). "Numb3rs: Exclusive IGN Set Visit". IGN.com . Archived from the original on 2007-08-07. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  5. ↑ Goldman, Eric (September 21, 2006). "Numb3rs: Exclusive IGN Set Visit". IGN.com . Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  6. ↑ Porter, Rick (September 22, 2006). "Bodies Add Up on 'Numb3rs'". Zap2It.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
  7. ↑ Berman, Marc (September 25, 2006). "The Programming Insider". Mediaweek . Retrieved September 21, 2009.[ dead link ]
  8. ↑ Boris, Cynthia (September 26, 2007). "Case Number 12113 -- Numb3rs: The Third Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Jeffrey (September 29, 2007). "Numb3rs- The Third Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  10. ↑ Liebenson, Donald. "Numb3rs - The Third Season (2005)". Editorial Reviews. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
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