List of Numbers characters
This article contains character information for the
Overview
Character | Actor | Seasons | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
Don Eppes | Rob Morrow | Main | |||||
Charlie Eppes | David Krumholtz | Main | |||||
Alan Eppes | Judd Hirsch | Main | |||||
David Sinclair
|
Alimi Ballard | Main | |||||
Terry Lake | Sabrina Lloyd | Main | |||||
Larry Fleinhardt | Peter MacNicol | Main | |||||
Amita Ramanujan | Navi Rawat | Recurring | Main | ||||
Megan Reeves | Diane Farr | Main | |||||
Colby Granger | Dylan Bruno | Recurring | Main | ||||
Liz Warner | Aya Sumika | Recurring | Main | ||||
Nikki Betancourt | Sophina Brown | Main |
Main characters
Character | Cast | Occupation |
---|---|---|
Don Eppes | Rob Morrow | FBI agent
|
Charlie Eppes | David Krumholtz | Mathematician |
FBI consultant | ||
NSA consultant
| ||
Alan Eppes | Judd Hirsch | Former city planner
|
David Sinclair
|
Alimi Ballard | FBI agent |
Terry Lake | Sabrina Lloyd | FBI forensic psychologist |
Larry Fleinhardt | Peter MacNicol | Physicist |
FBI consultant | ||
Amita Ramanujan | Navi Rawat | Mathematician |
Computer scientist | ||
FBI consultant | ||
Megan Reeves | Diane Farr | FBI behavioral profiler |
Colby Granger | Dylan Bruno | FBI agent |
Liz Warner | Aya Sumika | FBI agent |
Nikki Betancourt | Sophina Brown | FBI agent |
Don Eppes
Charlie Eppes
Alan Eppes
David Sinclair
Terry Lake
Terry Lake (portrayed by
Sabrina Lloyd did not return for the second season, and Terry did not appear in the last two episodes of the first season. CBS officially stated that her contract had an option to leave after the first season, and she chose to do so. Lloyd wanted to return to New York.[1] The role was not recast; instead, the new character of Megan Reeves replaced Terry, who was written out as having been reassigned to Washington.
Robert Bianco of USA Today considered Lloyd a standout in the supporting cast but criticized the characters making up Don's team as lacking in originality.[2]
Larry Fleinhardt
Amita Ramanujan
Megan Reeves
Colby Granger
Liz Warner
Nikki Betancourt
Other characters
Mildred Finch
Dr. Mildred ("Millie") Finch (portrayed by
Millie is dating Alan Eppes, whom she beat in chess. Being lighthearted, she has made a bet with Alan on who can go longer without using consumer products and has even helped him with his lawsuit by showing that his design specifications were not met.
She is a fan of James Bond films and took a three-month sabbatical from MIT to sail the South Pacific with a friend. CalSci recruit Oswald Kittner (Jay Baruchel) warmed to her, making his decision to become a student easier.
While she does not appear in the last three seasons, she is mentioned.
According to actress Kathy Najimy, Millie is a smart, independent woman who does whatever it takes to get the job done and does not like pursuits of goals contrary to her mission.[3]
Millie was developed as a recurring character to serve as a scientist interested in advancing women's position in science and as Alan's potential girlfriend.
Ian Edgerton
Ian Edgerton (portrayed by Lou Diamond Phillips) is a recurring character who has appeared in five out of six seasons. He is the FBI's best sniper, as well as being the fourth-best shot in the United States. He is also a top tracker and has the luxury of choosing his cases. Ian also works as a sniper instructor at Quantico when he is not working a case in the field.
According to Colby, Ian did a tour of duty in Afghanistan and was highly respected by other military men deployed there. Colby stated that although it was evident from the aftermath that Ian had been involved in an operation, "you never saw him." Ian is brilliant and loves his work. During their first encounters, Ian and Charlie clashed: Charlie did not believe in using guns to solve problems and disdained Ian's dispassion about killing. In contrast, Ian thought Charlie's mathematic approach was too academic for real cases, and his scientific viewpoint made his objections to Ian's attitude hypocritical. He even went so far in their early acquaintance as to call Charlie's math "voodoo." Despite their early rancor, however, the pair have come to mutual respect for their different expertise and even a kind of friendship. He backed Don up to their superiors regarding Don taking the Crystal Hoyle kill-shot, which took place in "Two Daughters" and Ian referenced in conversation with Don in "Pandora's Box".
It is heavily implied in "Two Daughters" and "Pandora's Box" that Ian used interrogation techniques, including physical force and borderline torture, to get information from a teenage accomplice of Crystal Hoyle. It is also implied that Don has seen or heard of Ian using such techniques before. Given that Ian's superiors were more concerned with discussing Don shooting Crystal Hoyle than Ian's borderline interrogation methods, it is likely that Ian will not be disciplined or will only be disciplined lightly over this incident.
With the kill shot through the cab windows of a pickup truck, executed in "Pandora's Box," Ian hopes to be moved up to the third-best shot in the U.S.
Edgerton did not appear in season four but returned in the premiere and finale for season five. At the end of the season five season finale, Ian goes on a date with Nikki Betancourt. During season six, Ian is accused of murdering one of his informants and taking money from a drug dealer that Ian had arrested years earlier. At the time, Don and the rest of the team struggle to believe Ian's innocence, especially after Ian takes Colby hostage. Eventually, they realize Ian's intentions and work to have him released from prison. Edgerton returned for the season six finale in a cameo appearance where he made an arrest and expressed disappointment that he was not invited to Charlie and Amita's wedding.
According to Lou Diamond Phillips in an interview with TV Guide, Ian was supposed to be a closed-ended role.[7] Members of the cast and crew wanted his character to return, so the writers expanded Ian's expertise.[7] Since then, Phillips remains a cast and crew favorite.[8]
Lt. Gary Walker
Lt. Walker (portrayed by Will Patton) is an officer of the Los Angeles Police Department, normally working on cases involving gang violence and organized crime. He is a hardened officer but has provided a great deal of help to Don's team whenever their paths cross. He appeared four times, beginning in Season 2 during the episode "The O.G.." In an interview with IGN.com's Travis Fickett, creator and executive producer Cheryl Heuton said that the cast and crew enjoy working with Patton.[8] Heuton also stated that they wanted Patton to return for season five.[8]
Oswald Kittner
Oswald Kittner (portrayed by
Oswald was originally supposed to be a one-time role.[9] For the episode "Hardball", series executive producers/co-creators Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton created Oswald to represent the geniuses who fail to receive a formal education.[10] For Oswald's educational background, the writers decided that he taught himself math.[11]
Heuton and Falacci developed the character of Oswald Kittner for another friend of series regular David Krumholtz. When the friend did not audition, Krumholtz suggested Baruchel for the role. After seeing Baruchel's performance, Heuton and Falacci modified the role to include some humorous lines and add Oswald's voice. Although Oswald was a skateboarder, Baruchel never rode a skateboard and spent some time learning from the stunt coordinator and a skateboarder. When Heuton and Falacci brought back Oswald for "Democracy," they added the characterization of Oswald as a Canadian possibly because, during the filming of "Hardball," they learned of Baruchel's tattoo of the Canadian maple leaf on his chest.[10]
Oswald made two appearances, in "Hardball," first airing in the United States on November 10, 2006, and in "
Fans enjoyed Oswald's appearance on the show[11] and continued requesting Oswald's return.[9] Falacci and Heuton, along with the cast and crew, were amazed by Baruchel's performance, and Falacci and Heuton decided that Oswald was to be a recurring character.[10] The writers wrote another episode featuring Oswald.[9]
In "Democracy," Charlie encounters Oswald and resumes to persuade Oswald to enroll at CalSci. Upon Dr. Millie Finch's (Kathy Najimy) suggestion, Charlie asks Oswald to help him investigate a series of numbers which Charlie's friend, a demographer named Rachel Lawson, left him before her murder. He and Charlie learn that Lawson and her fellow demographers and statisticians unwittingly constructed an algorithm which manipulated election results in precincts with very close elections. Charlie and Oswald's clues lead to a congressional investigation into the election and Lawson's work being published. Oswald then tells Charlie, Alan, and Don that he has decided to enroll at CalSci.[13]
Heuton and Falacci planned to bring Baruchel back for season four, contingent on Baruchel's filming schedule.[10]
Dr. Marshall Penfield
Dr. Marshall Penfield (portrayed by
Robin Brooks
Assistant United States Attorney Robin Brooks (portrayed by
Actor Rob Morrow asked the producers to explore Don Eppes's personal life, which included his romantic relationships.[14] Writers planned for Don to have a relationship with someone who was not a regular cast member.[15] Michelle Nolden, who had previously starred in Showtime's Street Time as the wife of Morrow's character,[14] was cast as Brooks. Writers and producers planned to bring back Nolden's Brooks for season three.[16] The 2007-2008 Writers’ Guild Association's strike postponed the return of Nolden's character within the storyline.[17] Heuton and Falacci intended to have Robin and Don's relationship continue through season five.[8]
Otto Bahnoff
Otto Bahnoff (portrayed by John Cariani), who prefers to be called "Ottobahn" like Autobahn, is a brilliant but nervous and excitable CalSci engineer who appears in the season six episodes "Dreamland," "Arm in Arms," and "Cause and Effect." Otto specializes in plasma physics and technology. He serves as a foil for Charlie with his apparent genius, ability to get completely lost in his work, and early uneasiness with criminal violence. As Larry takes over Charlie's FBI responsibilities for his leave to Cambridge, the enthusiastic Otto serves as assistant to Dr. Fleinhardt. He triumphed physicists replacing the mathematicians.
Russell Lazlo
Professor Russell Lazlo (portrayed by Tony Hale) is an eccentric CalSci geneticist who appears in the season six episodes "Hydra" and "Devil Girl." Charlie says he is like a "savant of genetics." He delights in helping Charlie despite his lack of mathematical knowledge and is happy to meet Amita, wondering if she had any sisters. Charlie and his group seem somewhat annoyed by him. Russell is in a riding club and helps Don with repairing his motorcycle and providing camaraderie.
Roger Bloom
Roger Bloom (portrayed by Henry Winkler) is an FBI agent who first appeared in the episode "Jack of all Trades." He reappears in the episode "Greatest Hits," where we are informed that he was forced to leave the agency due to the events in "Jack of all Trades." "Greatest Hits" has Bloom working with Charlie using his undocumented knowledge from past relevant cases to help solve the crime, helping him finish his FBI career on a positive note. The last episode Roger appears in is "Old Soldiers," which covers another FBI case he worked on - the case of D. B. Cooper.
References
- ^ Lorrie Lynch (December 11, 2005). "Who's News". USA Weekend. Retrieved August 28, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ Robert Bianco (January 20, 2005). "'Numb3rs' looks like a winn3r". USA Today. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ Angel Cohn (November 17, 2006). "Kathy Najimy's New TV Role Is Anything but by the Numbers". Today's News: Our Take. TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
- ^ Michael Ausiello (October 11, 2006). "Do you have any Numbers ..." Today's News: Our Take. TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
- ^ G.J. Donnelly (April 27, 2007). "Does Larry's Return Mean Kathy Najimy's Numbers Is Up?". Today's News: Our Take. TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
- ^ Kathy Najimy (actor), Judd Hirsch (actor), David Krumholtz (actor), David W. Zucker (executive producer), Cheryl Heuton (co-creator/co-executive producer), Nicolas Falacci (co-creator/co-executive producer), Navi Rawat (actor), Diane Farr (actor), Alimi Ballard (actor), Aya Sumika (actor), Dylan Bruno (actor), Rob Morrow (actor), Ron Garcia (photography director) (2007). Crunching Numb3rs: Season 3 (DVD (Numb3rs—Season Three)). CBS Studios, Inc.
- ^ a b Matt Webb Mitovich (November 25, 2005). "Numbers Is Up for Lou Diamond Phillips". TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Travis Fickett (April 3, 2008). "The Return of Numb3rs: Behind the Scenes". IGN.com. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ a b c O'Hare, Kate (March 9, 2007). "Baruchel Counts a Second 'Numb3rs'". Zap2It.com. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Cheryl Heuton (executive producer/co-writer), Nicolas Falacci (executive producer/co-writer), David Krumholtz (actor), and Jay Baruchel (actor) (2007). Hardball—Audio Commentary with Cheryl Heuton, Nicolas Falacci, David Krumholtz, and Jay Baruchel (DVD (Numb3rs—Season Three)). CBS Studios, Inc.
- ^ a b Ausiello, Michael (November 15, 2006). "I always watch Numbers, but ..." TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
- Numb3rs. Season 3. Episode 8. November 10, 2006.
- Numb3rs. Season 3. Episode 18. March 9, 2007.
- ^ a b David Hochman (April 21, 2006). "Numbers Romances Start to Add Up". Today's News: Our Take. TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
- ^ Michael Ausiello (February 1, 2006). "Any scoop on Numbers, ..." Today's News: Our Take. TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ Angel Cohn (June 16, 2006). "Will Numbers Add Up to an Emmy Nod?". Today's News: Our Take. TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ Bekah Wright (December 17, 2007). ""Brewing" Numbers Romance Struck Down by Strike". Today's News: Our Take. TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 2, 2009.