Numb3rs 2x15 - "The Running Man"
Feb. 6th, 2006 03:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
castalieSo they aired the Superbowl last night. I don't know if they do that every year and I just found out or if it was brand new, though I believe it's the latter, but that's what they did, air the final of the Superbowl. Me, I decided to watch. Why? Because I wanted to see the pretty girls dance and shake their - er, pom poms. And man, American football is funny! So, like, the guys strike a pose... then there's this other guy who starts to run for his life before he throws the ball and! That's the players' cue to throw each other against the opposite team and fall on the ground. Time elapsed between the guy started running and the others fell down? Around twelve seconds. And then they do it all over again. It's a miracle they can actually win more than, say, three points? *hides from outraged American football fans*
Okay so I wasn't exactly in the game, I'll admit lol They would have aired baseball, I'd have been happy but American football? Is, yeah okay, fun. For a quarter or two maybe. And also, I could have - maybe - gotten into it if it weren't for the commercials. Dude! It's insane!
I still had a favourite team between the two though. I mean, if you try to watch a game, you have to root for someone, it's the rule or something. So I chose my team after a pretty thorough and really scientific research. Seattle? Is like Cascade, and if Jim and Blair were into the Superbowl - and from what I hear I swear it almost sounds like a prerequisite to being American, so maybe they are - well that's the team they maybe would have cheered on, therefore that was the team I chose. Also? Blue is my favourite colour. So there.
Anyway, that's not why I'm writing this entry for. I'm writing this entry to express my LOVE for the latest episode of Numb3rs. Okay me? I love Numb3rs. No, seriously, I do. I don't advertise it so maybe you hadn't noticed but there you go. On a scale from one to ten, the love I have for this show on a good day is, say, eleven? Yes. But "The Running Man"? Oh "The Running Man" amounts a nineteen! This is why I love that show! This is Numb3rs for me.
And see, maybe I shouldn't start with the ending because that's kinda supposed to be the climax and you don't start with the climax but omg! Don... playing the piano! Don playing his mother's composition. Don concentrating so hard on the sheet music and.playing.the.piano. That has to be one of the most beautiful scene ever made! God, I'm still all teary over it. It was so beautiful! And so powerful too. I just - I have so much LOVE for that little scene that it should be illegal.
Actually, my love for the whole episode should be declared illegal. But see, I haven't been exactly blown away by the last three episodes - the previous one even less than the others - so going back to that kind of Numb3rs episode? Made my heart sing ;-)
The Larry-Charlie friendship - or Larry/Charlie love if you're inclined that way - pretty much shone throughout the episode, didn't it? I mean, when Charlie doubted himself and his accomplishment, Larry was there to reassure and comfort him, and when Larry felt so betrayed by not!Ron Allen, it was Charlie who did the reassuring and comforting. I also loved how Larry didn't laugh at Charlie's doubts and insecurity. He just comforted him and encouraged him and I loved that.
And of course the whole "I'd go beyond the boundaries of the observable universe to defend you, and you know that" was such a perfect line. It said everything that had to be said about those two, didn't it? The Larry-Charlie relationship is a thing of beauty. I adore them together. I love how Larry always seems to know the words to make Charlie feel better, how he knows when to be pushy or reassuring, sarcastic or understanding. I guess they do speak the same language and they understand each other that much. But I'm always struck by the thought of how wonderful a mentor Larry still is to Charlie - and what a wonderful friend he became, of course *loves*
The FBI brainstorming scenes were enjoyable as well. I was quite happy because we got more than one. I don't think I'll ever get tired of those scenes where they're all together and Charlie does his Thing. I'm also always amused when Megan re-directs Charlie to the point before he digresses too much. It's always done in a sweet and amusing fashion.
But of course what I loved best was Charlie and the whole introspection thing and the oh so wonderful backstory we got. I've wanted to learn more about Margaret - and ha! Now it's been officially officialised, then - for the longest time and I certainly got my wish *happy sigh*
I thought it was pretty cool that they addressed Charlie's insecurities about his own abilities. And it's also interesting because I'm seeing Charlie and I see this amazingly brilliant and smart guy, the genius that blows me away with the way he thinks and he's feeling a little blue because now he's thirty and he "won't come ahead of schedule again" and yeah, I guess it does hurt to look at it that way. He still has his genius status but his child prodigy one was left behind and he can't have that one anymore. And I love Larry telling Charlie he hasn't seen his best years yet.
Now Margaret's backstory. Margaret's backstory! How is it possible to love a character so much when I've never even seen her - apart from two pics, all right. I mean, Margaret isn't Mary Alice from Desperate Housewives or any other characters in any other series who are dead but almost physically present in the sense that they're the narrators of the stories and stuff like that. We get attached to them because we hear them and they're part of the cast. But here... it's completely different. We've never seen Margaret, never heard her... she's not here and yet her presence is quite powerful and man, but I love that woman something fierce! I'm quite impressed with Numb3rs for making me fall in love with a character that isn't physically present and never has been.
But seriously, how awesome was that woman? She fell in love with Alan and lied about her love for music because her love for him counted more. She tried to teach her love for music and the piano to her sons. She didn't exactly succeed but she was cunning and made a deal with her genius kid and in such a way that he found his own way to the music world. Which btw, I loved that idea. I always found pretty interesting how math and music came in pair and I really enjoyed how Charlie put that into practice, which in fact, wasn't that surprising considering the relationship between the two. It's also a beautiful legacy his mother gave him.
I also loved that she wasn't just a good musician but an excellent one, as in she was skilled enough to write whole compositions and have them published. That's pretty incredible. I also like the parallel between Charlie and his mother - how talented they both are, each on their respective fields.
We also learnt something else about the Alan/Margaret couple as such and I adored the idea of them agreeing on supporting one another at different times in their education; Alan supporting her through her last year at law school and her supporting him through graduate school. That is so awesome!
That was a wonderful backstory. And it brought us the last scene - which, see, I'm going to mention again, after all - and for that alone, it would have been worth it. First, the Alan-Charlie discussion was moving and beautiful. Alan's admission of feeling betrayed that Margaret hid that part of her life from him and Charlie's reassurance and speech about how she'd never hid it per se. I quite enjoyed the image of Charlie talking about how it's "human nature to want to find some place solely for yourself, whether outside in the world or deep inside your head", the way he says it in front of his board filled with equations... the way Alan looks at him. And then... oh god, and then we hear those first tentative notes on the piano and we see Don playing and then the music starts for real and we see Charlie and Alan in the garage listening and Alan closes his yes and, look - I've watched the ending scenefive a couple times and it makes me tear up each and every single time. It's, I don't know... there's no words for how much I LOVE that scene *happy sigh*
Now on the randomity:
Charlie in a hoodie! I love me some blackhoodie!Charlie. With sleeves that are long enough to fall on his hands. Did I mention I truly enjoyed the way TPTB dress Charlie? Cause I do!
Megan's "I’m so hoping you have one of your cute little analogies for this" and Charlie's "As a matter of fact I do" exchange was quite sweet. I particularly liked their smiles. I love how comfortable they are with each other.
Speaking of Megan, I love the way she sits. I know, it might be an odd thing to say it's no less true. I love how she sits. It looks, I don't know, always so confident. There's just something here that I love.
An outraged Larry is quite wonderful to see: "MY LIGO lab?"
Ha! Actually my love for that episode? Would be something like Love4242. Next - new - episode airs on March, 3rd? Well, okay, then.
PS: I've given Charlie to my dad for the day because he had two appointments and no laptop to use to show his videos - don't know what happened to said laptop, btw - and of course I wasn't going to go "NO CHARLIE IS MINE AND I WON'T LEND HIM TO ANYONE omg" but man... I'm worried! My baby is out there and I'm not with him! I hope nothing bad will happen to him *chews lower lip*
Okay so I wasn't exactly in the game, I'll admit lol They would have aired baseball, I'd have been happy but American football? Is, yeah okay, fun. For a quarter or two maybe. And also, I could have - maybe - gotten into it if it weren't for the commercials. Dude! It's insane!
I still had a favourite team between the two though. I mean, if you try to watch a game, you have to root for someone, it's the rule or something. So I chose my team after a pretty thorough and really scientific research. Seattle? Is like Cascade, and if Jim and Blair were into the Superbowl - and from what I hear I swear it almost sounds like a prerequisite to being American, so maybe they are - well that's the team they maybe would have cheered on, therefore that was the team I chose. Also? Blue is my favourite colour. So there.
Anyway, that's not why I'm writing this entry for. I'm writing this entry to express my LOVE for the latest episode of Numb3rs. Okay me? I love Numb3rs. No, seriously, I do. I don't advertise it so maybe you hadn't noticed but there you go. On a scale from one to ten, the love I have for this show on a good day is, say, eleven? Yes. But "The Running Man"? Oh "The Running Man" amounts a nineteen! This is why I love that show! This is Numb3rs for me.
And see, maybe I shouldn't start with the ending because that's kinda supposed to be the climax and you don't start with the climax but omg! Don... playing the piano! Don playing his mother's composition. Don concentrating so hard on the sheet music and.playing.the.piano. That has to be one of the most beautiful scene ever made! God, I'm still all teary over it. It was so beautiful! And so powerful too. I just - I have so much LOVE for that little scene that it should be illegal.
Actually, my love for the whole episode should be declared illegal. But see, I haven't been exactly blown away by the last three episodes - the previous one even less than the others - so going back to that kind of Numb3rs episode? Made my heart sing ;-)
The Larry-Charlie friendship - or Larry/Charlie love if you're inclined that way - pretty much shone throughout the episode, didn't it? I mean, when Charlie doubted himself and his accomplishment, Larry was there to reassure and comfort him, and when Larry felt so betrayed by not!Ron Allen, it was Charlie who did the reassuring and comforting. I also loved how Larry didn't laugh at Charlie's doubts and insecurity. He just comforted him and encouraged him and I loved that.
And of course the whole "I'd go beyond the boundaries of the observable universe to defend you, and you know that" was such a perfect line. It said everything that had to be said about those two, didn't it? The Larry-Charlie relationship is a thing of beauty. I adore them together. I love how Larry always seems to know the words to make Charlie feel better, how he knows when to be pushy or reassuring, sarcastic or understanding. I guess they do speak the same language and they understand each other that much. But I'm always struck by the thought of how wonderful a mentor Larry still is to Charlie - and what a wonderful friend he became, of course *loves*
The FBI brainstorming scenes were enjoyable as well. I was quite happy because we got more than one. I don't think I'll ever get tired of those scenes where they're all together and Charlie does his Thing. I'm also always amused when Megan re-directs Charlie to the point before he digresses too much. It's always done in a sweet and amusing fashion.
But of course what I loved best was Charlie and the whole introspection thing and the oh so wonderful backstory we got. I've wanted to learn more about Margaret - and ha! Now it's been officially officialised, then - for the longest time and I certainly got my wish *happy sigh*
I thought it was pretty cool that they addressed Charlie's insecurities about his own abilities. And it's also interesting because I'm seeing Charlie and I see this amazingly brilliant and smart guy, the genius that blows me away with the way he thinks and he's feeling a little blue because now he's thirty and he "won't come ahead of schedule again" and yeah, I guess it does hurt to look at it that way. He still has his genius status but his child prodigy one was left behind and he can't have that one anymore. And I love Larry telling Charlie he hasn't seen his best years yet.
Now Margaret's backstory. Margaret's backstory! How is it possible to love a character so much when I've never even seen her - apart from two pics, all right. I mean, Margaret isn't Mary Alice from Desperate Housewives or any other characters in any other series who are dead but almost physically present in the sense that they're the narrators of the stories and stuff like that. We get attached to them because we hear them and they're part of the cast. But here... it's completely different. We've never seen Margaret, never heard her... she's not here and yet her presence is quite powerful and man, but I love that woman something fierce! I'm quite impressed with Numb3rs for making me fall in love with a character that isn't physically present and never has been.
But seriously, how awesome was that woman? She fell in love with Alan and lied about her love for music because her love for him counted more. She tried to teach her love for music and the piano to her sons. She didn't exactly succeed but she was cunning and made a deal with her genius kid and in such a way that he found his own way to the music world. Which btw, I loved that idea. I always found pretty interesting how math and music came in pair and I really enjoyed how Charlie put that into practice, which in fact, wasn't that surprising considering the relationship between the two. It's also a beautiful legacy his mother gave him.
I also loved that she wasn't just a good musician but an excellent one, as in she was skilled enough to write whole compositions and have them published. That's pretty incredible. I also like the parallel between Charlie and his mother - how talented they both are, each on their respective fields.
We also learnt something else about the Alan/Margaret couple as such and I adored the idea of them agreeing on supporting one another at different times in their education; Alan supporting her through her last year at law school and her supporting him through graduate school. That is so awesome!
That was a wonderful backstory. And it brought us the last scene - which, see, I'm going to mention again, after all - and for that alone, it would have been worth it. First, the Alan-Charlie discussion was moving and beautiful. Alan's admission of feeling betrayed that Margaret hid that part of her life from him and Charlie's reassurance and speech about how she'd never hid it per se. I quite enjoyed the image of Charlie talking about how it's "human nature to want to find some place solely for yourself, whether outside in the world or deep inside your head", the way he says it in front of his board filled with equations... the way Alan looks at him. And then... oh god, and then we hear those first tentative notes on the piano and we see Don playing and then the music starts for real and we see Charlie and Alan in the garage listening and Alan closes his yes and, look - I've watched the ending scene
Now on the randomity:
Ha! Actually my love for that episode? Would be something like Love4242. Next - new - episode airs on March, 3rd? Well, okay, then.
PS: I've given Charlie to my dad for the day because he had two appointments and no laptop to use to show his videos - don't know what happened to said laptop, btw - and of course I wasn't going to go "NO CHARLIE IS MINE AND I WON'T LEND HIM TO ANYONE omg" but man... I'm worried! My baby is out there and I'm not with him! I hope nothing bad will happen to him *chews lower lip*
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 02:40 pm (UTC)Awesome recap as per usual!
But poor Charlie! Out without you! I was going to ask what happened to Plume, but it looks like you don't know. I'm sure Charlie will be back safe and sound soon.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 10:33 am (UTC)Thanks, that episode was so incredible that I could have written a whole essay on it, I swear lol
Plume went on vacation, I guess lol Charlie came to me safe and sound, btw *is relieved*
no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 02:42 pm (UTC)I told you! Told you, told you, told you!! Oh, god, so good. Margaret, and woobie!Charlie, and Megan, and woobie!Alan, and Don playing. the. piano. *dies*
I adored this ep. It resides securely in the top 5. I'd have to rewatch my other favorites, like *cough* Uncertainty Principal and Sniper Zero and Toxin to confirm the exact order, though. *g*
*does happy dance*
no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 10:35 am (UTC)And you did tell me omg! You were SOOOO right!
I'm with you, this has to be a Top 5 episode, it was that good!
This is *my* perpetual state now
Date: 2006-02-06 03:02 pm (UTC)Re: This is *my* perpetual state now
Date: 2006-02-06 07:54 pm (UTC)Re: This is *my* perpetual state now
Date: 2006-02-08 10:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 03:03 pm (UTC)Give me REAL football any day, or rugby or something. Srsly.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 10:37 am (UTC)Give me REAL football any day, or rugby or something.
You're not really American, admit it! lol
no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 05:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 10:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-06 11:30 pm (UTC)WHAT?!
My head hurts now. I didn't know this and just when they seem to have been getting a hang of this (I loved running man, it was up to the s1 quality), there's a hiatus? I hate the networks (I include WB for Supernatural and what's-thier-face for Prison Break).
You know how we do things in my country? A show comes on once a week, with the exeption of maybe one week out of the semester (for something fancy like the oscars). Every week until the season is done!! It's not that hard people, and it brings much less pain to me. *grumbles*
no subject
Date: 2006-02-08 10:40 am (UTC)Every week until the season is done!!
Tell me about it. This is something I always say, how we might have to wait several months to finally get American shows on our tv, but once they're here not a single hiatus comes to disturb us and that's heaven! The show airs every week until the last episode - and they always keeps the same timeslot, too!