List of Numbers episodes (season 5)

Numbers Season 5

DVD box
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 23
Broadcast
Original channel CBS
Original run October 3, 2008 – May 15, 2009
Home video release
DVD release date October 20, 2009

Season five of Numbers, 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

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production
code
U.S. viewers
(million)
801"High Exposure"Alex ZakrzewskiNicolas Falacci & Cheryl HeutonOctober 3, 20085018.21[1]

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 while a new agent joins the team.


Mathematics used: Percolation Threshold and geometrical analysis
812"The Decoy Effect"Ralph HemeckerKen SanzelOctober 10, 20085028.01[2]

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
823"Blowback"Dennis SmithRobert PortOctober 17, 20085038.68[3]

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
834"Jack of All Trades"Stephen GyllenhaalAndrew DettmannOctober 24, 20085049.33[4]

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
845"Scan Man"Craig Ross, Jr.Don McGillOctober 31, 200850510.72[5]

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
856"Magic Show"John BehringSean CrouchNovember 7, 200850611.28[6]

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
867"Charlie Don't Surf"Emilio EstevezSteve HawkNovember 14, 20085079.29[7]

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
878"Thirty-Six Hours"Rod HolcombJulie HébertNovember 21, 200850811.30[8]

The team is sent to investigate and help with the recovery at a train crash; however, the train is carrying dangerous chemicals.

Note: 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
889"Conspiracy Theory"Dennis SmithRobert PortDecember 5, 20085099.88[9]

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, Rationality theorem
8910"Frienemies"Steve BoyumNicolas Falacci & Cheryl HeutonDecember 19, 20085109.18[10]

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


Mathematics used: Group Dynamics and Three Way Duel
9011"Arrow of Time"Ken SanzelKen SanzelJanuary 9, 200951110.14[11]

Buck Winters escapes from prison, consumed by getting revenge against Don, forcing Don to face his past and turn to his new-found religious beliefs.


Mathematics used: Hidden Markov model, Maxwell's Demon and the Viterbi algorithm
9112"Jacked"Stephen GyllenhaalDon McGillJanuary 16, 200951211.02[12]

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
9213"Trouble In Chinatown"Julie HébertPeter MacNicolJanuary 23, 200951310.96[13]

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
9314"Sneakerhead"Emilio EstevezAaron Rahsaan ThomasFebruary 6, 200951410.30[14]

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
9415"Guilt Trip"Gwyneth Horder-PaytonMary Leah SuttonFebruary 13, 20095159.10[15]

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
9516"Cover Me"Rob MorrowAndrew DettmannFebruary 27, 20095169.62[16]

Liz goes undercover in an operation to stop a new illegal drug from hitting the streets after Charlie predicts that the drug in question will be the next "big thing" to hit the drug market. During the operation, David is assigned to be Liz's handler but he grows concerned for her safety after she ignores his plan and begins trusting a fellow undercover agent who may or may not be an addict himself.


Mathematics used: Supply & Demand Theory
9617"First Law"Steve BoyumSean CrouchMarch 6, 200951710.12[17]

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


Mathematics used: Turing test
9718"12:01 AM"Ralph HelmeckerRobert PortMarch 13, 20095189.51[18]

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
9819"Animal Rites"Ron GarciaJulie HébertApril 10, 20095199.80[19]
The investigation into the death of a CalSci professor exposes possible links to animal rights extremists.
9920"The Fifth Man"Ken SanzelDon McGillApril 24, 20095208.82[20]
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.
10021"Disturbed"Dennis SmithNicolas Falacci & Cheryl HeutonMay 1, 20095219.70[21]
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.
10122"Greatest Hits"Stephen GyllenhaalAndrew DettmannMay 8, 20095229.57[22]
The team investigates a string of bank robberies and believe that ex-FBI Agent Roger Bloom (played by Henry Winkler) is responsible for them. The episode then ends with Amita being abducted at gunpoint as she and Charlie leave CalSci.
10223"Angels and Devils"Alex ZakrzewskiKen SanzelMay 15, 20095239.72[23]

With Amita having been kidnapped by the leader of a cult with female followers, the whole team including Ian Edgerton race against the clock to bring Amita home safely before it's too late.


Mathematics used: Angel problem and burr puzzle

References

  1. Gorman, Bill (October 7, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, September 29 – October 5". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  2. Gorman, Bill (October 14, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, October 6–12". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  3. Gorman, Bill (October 21, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, October 13–19". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  4. Seidman, Robert (October 29, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, October 20–26, 2008". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  5. Seidman, Robert (November 4, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, October 27 – November 2". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  6. Seidman, Robert (November 11, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, November 3–9". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  7. Seidman, Robert (November 25, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, November 10–16". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  8. Seidman, Robert (November 25, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, November 17–23". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  9. Seidman, Robert (December 9, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, December 1–7, 2008". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  10. Seidman, Robert (December 23, 2008). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, December 15–21, 2008". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  11. Seidman, Robert (January 13, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, January 5–11". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  12. Seidman, Robert (January 21, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, January 12–18". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  13. Seidman, Robert (January 27, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, January 19–25". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  14. Seidman, Robert (February 10, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, February 2–8". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  15. Seidman, Robert (February 18, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, February 9–15". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  16. Seidman, Robert (March 3, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows February 23 to March 1, 2009". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  17. Seidman, Robert (March 10, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows March 2–8, 2009". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  18. Seidman, Robert (March 17, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, March 9–15". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  19. Seidman, Robert (April 14, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, April 6–12". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  20. Seidman, Robert (April 28, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, April 20–26". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  21. Seidman, Robert (May 6, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, April 27 – May 3". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  22. Seidman, Robert (May 12, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, May 4–10". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  23. Seidman, Robert (May 19, 2009). "Top CBS Primetime Shows, May 11–17". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2010.

External links