List of Numb3rs episodes (season 5)

Numb3rs Season 5

DVD box
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 23
Broadcast
Original channel CBS
Original run October 3, 2008 (2008-10-03) – May 15, 2009 (2009-05-15)
Home video release
DVD release date October 20, 2009 (2009-10-20)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 4
Next →
Season 6

Season five of Numb3rs, an American television series, first aired on October 3, 2008 and ended on May 15, 2009. The season premiere was moved back one week as a result of the presidential debates.

Season five opens three weeks after the fourth season's finale, "When Worlds Collide", with the government dropping the charges against Charlie. Charlie gets his security clearance back after he and Don fight FBI Security Officer Carl McGowan. Don begins to explore Judaism. The team adds new agent Nikki Betancourt, arriving shortly after Megan Reeve's departure. Liz receives a promotion but turns it down. Buck Winters (from "Spree" and "Two Daughters") breaks out of prison and comes after Don. Alan suddenly finds himself coaching CalSci's basketball team. David becomes Don's primary relief supervisor. DARPA tries to recruit Charlie, but he turns down their offer. Toward the end of the season, Don is stabbed, and Charlie blames himself for it. The aftermath of Don's stabbing causes Charlie to focus more on his FBI consultation work. Amita is kidnapped, and the team race to find her. After she is rescued, Charlie proposes to Amita. Her response is unknown.

Episodes

# Title Directed by Written by U.S. viewers
(million)
Original air date Production
code
80 1 "High Exposure" Alex Zakrzewski Nicolas Falacci & Cheryl Heuton 8.21[1] October 3, 2008 (2008-10-03) 501

Don and his team hunt for killers of two rock climbers found in possession of a large diamond. Charlie decides he should get his FBI clearance reinstated and a new agent joins the team.


Mathematics used: Percolation Threshold and geometrical analysis 
81 2 "The Decoy Effect" Ralph Hemecker Ken Sanzel 8.01[2] October 10, 2008 (2008-10-10) 502

After a woman is murdered in what appears as an ATM robbery a series of kidnaps, rapes and murders turns into a hunt for the gang leader. New girl Nikki agrees to be the decoy, and Charlie's involvement leads to trouble for Don.


Mathematics used: Decoy effect, Hall effect and scheduling algorithm 
82 3 "Blowback" Dennis Smith Robert Port 8.68[3] October 17, 2008 (2008-10-17) 503

When eight people, including two LAPD police officers, are executed in a coffee shop, a detective (D. B. Woodside) gets the team on the case, and they uncover a trail of blackmail, romance and corruption. Also, McGowan's (Keith Carradine) investigation of Charlie and Don deepens.


Mathematics used: Aggregation modeling and Hidden Markov model 
83 4 "Jack of All Trades" Stephen Gyllenhaal Andrew Dettmann 9.33[4] October 24, 2008 (2008-10-24) 504

Don's team joins FBI Agent Bloom (Henry Winkler) in tracking an elusive con man. Meanwhile, decisions are announced on Charlie's FBI clearance and disciplinary action for Don.


Mathematics used: Belief propagation 
84 5 "Scan Man" Craig Ross, Jr. Don McGill 10.72[5] October 31, 2008 (2008-10-31) 505

The team hunts a crew stealing high-end goods from a shipping service and looks to an employee with savant-like abilities to lead them to those behind the scheme.


Mathematics used: Geographic network, supply chain analysis and fractals 
85 6 "Magic Show" John Behring Sean Crouch 11.28[6] November 7, 2008 (2008-11-07) 506

While on a date, David catches a disappearing act at a magic show but quickly becomes involved in the performance when the magician really vanishes.


Mathematics used: Design Recovery 
86 7 "Charlie Don't Surf" Emilio Estevez Steve Hawk 9.29[7] November 14, 2008 (2008-11-14) 507

One of Don and Charlie's friends dies in what is deemed an accident. Not convinced, the brothers investigate further.


Mathematics used: Deconvolution, neural network, hyperspectral imaging and site-prediction modeling 
87 8 "Thirty-Six Hours" Rod Holcomb Julie Hébert 11.30[8] November 21, 2008 (2008-11-21) 508

The team is sent to investigate and help with the recovery at a train crash; however, the train is carrying dangerous chemicals. During its original run, David Krumholtz gave a public service announcement stating that the episode was not in fact based on a similar train crash in the California area that occurred after taping, but before the episode aired.


Mathematics used: Infotaxis and swarm robotics 
88 9 "Conspiracy Theory" Dennis Smith Robert Port 9.88[9] December 5, 2008 (2008-12-05) 509

A bomb goes off during a high profile meeting and a documentary film maker has a conspiracy theory about it.


Mathematics used: Simpson's paradox 
89 10 "Frienemies" Steve Boyum Nicolas Falacci & Cheryl Heuton 9.18[10] December 19, 2008 (2008-12-19) 510

Charlie and his rival Marshall Penfield race against time to solve a case.


Mathematics used: Group Dynamics and Three Way Duel 
90 11 "Arrow of Time" Ken Sanzel Ken Sanzel 10.14[11] January 9, 2009 (2009-01-09) 511

A convicted criminal breaks out of jail, with thoughts of revenge. Don must face his past and turn to his new-found religious beliefs.


Mathematics used: Hidden Markov model, Maxwell's Demon and the Viterbi algorithm 
91 12 "Jacked" Stephen Gyllenhaal Don McGill 11.02[12] January 16, 2009 (2009-01-16) 512

When 18 tourists on a bus are taken hostage, the team has only four hours to stop the hijackers.


Mathematics used: Articulate and Inverse Game Theory 
92 13 "Trouble In Chinatown" Julie Hébert Peter MacNicol 10.96[13] January 23, 2009 (2009-01-23) 513

An undercover agent disappears, leading the FBI team deep into Chinatown's black market. The FBI gets help from the returning psychic Simon Kraft (John Glover).


Mathematics used: Digital Signal Processing and Lévy flight 
93 14 "Sneakerhead" Emilio Estevez Aaron Rahsaan Thomas 10.30[14] February 6, 2009 (2009-02-06) 514

When a pair of valuable sneakers is stolen from the vault of a foreign ambassador, the team delves into the world of sneaker collecting.


Mathematics used: Pinball 
94 15 "Guilt Trip" Gwyneth Horder-Payton Mary Leah Sutton 9.10[15] February 13, 2009 (2009-02-13) 515

When Robin's seemingly bulletproof case fails and a dangerous weapons smuggler is released, the team investigates the possibility of jury tampering.


Mathematics used: Probability, Mersenne twister, scientific jury selection and social networking potential 
95 16 "Cover Me" Rob Morrow Andrew Dettmann 9.62[16] February 27, 2009 (2009-02-27) 516

Liz works undercover to take a new illegal drug off the streets after Charlie predicts it is going to be the next big thing to hit the drug market. David is assigned to be her handler and he worries when she varies from his plan and puts her trust in a fellow undercover agent who may be an addict himself.


Mathematics used: Supply & Demand Theory 
96 17 "First Law" Steve Boyum Sean Crouch 10.12[17] March 6, 2009 (2009-03-06) 517

The FBI team investigates the death of visionary scientist Daniel Robertson; the prime suspect is Robertson's computer project, Baley. Charlie considers an enticing job offer.


Mathematics used: Turing test 
97 18 "12:01 AM" Ralph Helmecker Robert Port 9.51[18] March 13, 2009 (2009-03-13) 518

The FBI team rushes to track down evidence that could save a mob boss from the death penalty; new information comes in that could exonerate him, leaving the team with only hours to run down the new lead.


Mathematics used: Light Refraction and Voice Analysis 
98 19 "Animal Rites" Ron Garcia Julie Hébert 9.80[19] April 10, 2009 (2009-04-10) 519
The investigation into the death of a CalSci professor exposes possible links to animal rights extremists. 
99 20 "The Fifth Man" Ken Sanzel Don McGill 8.82[20] April 24, 2009 (2009-04-24) 520
Things go terribly wrong when Don gets injured during an investigation. Charlie and Alan have to put things into perspective, when the thought of possibly having to lose a part of their family comes to face them. 
100 21 "Disturbed" Dennis Smith Nicolas Falacci & Cheryl Heuton 9.70[21] May 1, 2009 (2009-05-01) 521
Charlie focuses his attention on tracking a previously undetected serial killer to help deal with his guilt over Don's almost-fatal stabbing. He receives help from a geeky amateur sleuth and a retired accountant, who each research serial murders as a hobby. The investigation reveals that the killer may be responsible for over two dozen unsolved deaths. 
101 22 "Greatest Hits" Stephen Gyllenhaal Andrew Dettmann 9.57[22] May 8, 2009 (2009-05-08) 522
The team investigates a string of bank robberies and believe that ex-FBI Agent Roger Bloom (played by Henry Winkler) is responsible for them. Amita is abducted at gunpoint in front of Charlie in the last scene. 
102 23 "Angels and Devils" Alex Zakrzewski Ken Sanzel 9.72[23] May 15, 2009 (2009-05-15) 523

When Amita is abducted by the leader of a cult with female followers, it will take Don, Charlie, the whole team, and even some outside help in the form of Ian Edgerton to get her home safely. At the end of the episode, Charlie proposes to Amita.


Mathematics used: Angel problem and burr puzzle 

References

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External links