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Episode Recap: "Primacy"
Another fine episode, and one that actually builds in part on the last one... a rarity so far this season.
We begin with the investigation of a possible suicide but more probably murder: a middle-aged man, who turns out to be a U.S. attorney from the Midwest, has fallen from a building in a scruffy part of Los Angeles. He's also a team leader, in a real-life scavenger hunt that has grown out of a multi-user online battle game called Primacy. The prize for the winning team in the real-life game is $1 million, which seems motive enough; and certainly there is no lack of suspects, including members of the attorney's team, who have left markers at the murder scene from previous visits. Megan takes the lead on this case, but her secret weapon, she soon learns, is Amita, who has been playing Primacy for years. An obsessed gamer, who has been using fake identities to create his own "team" and who has killed his one actual coconspirator, has been intimidating and harrassing other teams to force them to quit. Having lured him into confrontations in the Primacy environment (which spurs the killer into a botched attempt to mess over Amita, Charlie and Colby), Amita agrees to be the bait to lure the murderer into a real-world encounter (even though Charlie, distracted by his book-promotion obligations, demands that she not be put into any more dangerous situations). They catch the obsessed former designer for the company that hosts Primacy, who hoped to use the prize money as the seed for his own more idealistic virtual environment, and was going to let no one stand in the way of his dream.
Fans of Amita and of Numbers' feminist spirit might be particularly impressed by this episode, since Megan and particularly Amita were the focus tonight. Even as Don seeks counsel from his father about his troubles with Liz, Larry attempts to move back into the academic life and the secular (if still spiritual) world. Julie Hébert's script strikes a nice balance between suspense and more warm-hearted interaction, whether it's Amita and Charlie not quite saying how they feel about moving in together, or the gentle teasing the agents and academics engage in with each other. Charlie's less than smooth response to his television interviewer's flirting (he manages to mention how cute Amita is, but not how accomplished) is somewhat made up for by the demonstration by the end of how Amita and he are starting to understand even what they don't say to each other.
I was unconvinced by the staging of Colby's being swept away, but even more unconvinced by the CGI water-flow doing the sweeping. I have to wonder about the name-checking of DJ Qualls' young and helpful geek character, Anthony Braxton. The rigorously intellectual (but still playful) jazz composer and reed-instrument player who made his living playing chess during the lean years might be amused — given that a murder suspect who recently returned to Philadelphia shares a name with both the late jazz composer and the still-active civil-rights activist and politician John Lewis, perhaps Braxton is well ahead in this game.
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Nov 10, 2007 12:58 AM
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I liked this episode. It showed how much Charlie has changed since season 1. There he was really the number-nerd who was skittish with expressing his feelings. But last night you really could see the protective boyfriend showing it's head. When he told everyone that Amita was not going out in the field anymore, he seemed ready to deck anyone who argued with him.
As for her missing his TV show, I'll bet dear old proud-papa made sure to record it.
Best line for me, "You're getting married?" to the deer-caught-in-headlights look on Charlie's face. 
Question for someone: I was kind of confused with Charlie and Amita at the end ... are they or aren't they shacking up, err, moving in together?
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Nov 10, 2007 10:48 AM
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I really enjoyed this episode. I found the video game storyline very entertaining, especially because my husband and most of his friends play the MMORPG World of Warcraft. I also got a kick out of seeing the grandmother suspect. You never know who is playing those video games, do you? Does anyone know what song was playing at the start of the episode?
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Nov 10, 2007 2:04 PM
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I like this show a lot. One thing I found funny, besides the g-ma being a suspect, was Alan and Larry's exchange at the end. They were talking about Alan possibly moving somewhere else if Amita moved in and Larry goes:"you could move in with me, but I don't have a home," or something very close to that. That was just funny to me, Larry's such an odd ball, I'm still scratching my head over the Megan/Larry pairing.
I like Charlie/Amita and am glad the show is finally exploring their relationship. But can somebody please tell David K.(Charlie) to shave and cut his hair a bit?? The scruffy look doesn't fit on him, IMO. At least tone it down a little. That's the one complaint I have. Otherwise it's a great show.
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Nov 10, 2007 2:44 PM
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I could not agree more with Waggy3015's entire post. I keep hoping each week that Charlie will have gotten a haircut... the shaggy look is not for him. And the end scene with Larry & Alan was priceless and just one reason out of many that this is my favorite show.
I love the pairing of Megan and Larry and I am hoping we get to see them rekindle their romance. I also especially enjoyed the scene at home with Don receiving advice on Liz from Alan. I don't think Liz and Don's romance will last, but it will be interesting to watch how Don handles the ending of the relationship.
I hope the strike does not continue. There are only 5 new episodes of this show (according to Ausiello's strike chart) and I will be so disappointed if that is all we get to see this season.
Also... I am still hoping to see Millie back this season.
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Nov 10, 2007 9:26 PM
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Great episode!!
While I also agree that Charlie is in desparate need of a shave and a haircut, I wish that they would stop having Don chew gum. It drives me crazy when they show him chewing like a cow.
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Nov 10, 2007 9:55 PM
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Avatar Amita......nuff said.
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Nov 10, 2007 10:40 PM
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I liked the episode. The part of Amita going to meet that "guy" was intense. I posted on the Numb3rs blogs that I wish that Charlie and Don had more of a fight. The pent up anger needs to come out. Anyway, I guess you can't make everyone happy. Some want Charlie's hair shorter. Others love it. My opinion, either way is ok, the scruffy beard thing makes Charlie look to dark almost like hiding his face and makes him look like a hobo instead of a professor.
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Nov 11, 2007 9:02 AM
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makes him look like a hobo instead of a professor.
I think that was the original intent in the first season. That was how they helped show he was one of those guys who was more interested in academics than his personal life.
That, however, seems to have changed and with the stubble look regaining it's 80's-George Michael popularity, I think now they see it as part of a trend. It's not purty, IMHO. I wouldn't mind his hair being longer if it looked like he took care of it, and maybe the stubble would look better if he did, but combined they look terrible.
I don't, however, blame D.K. There are allot of factors, hairstylist, director, producers, creator, etc. He may have liked the look when he auditioned for the role, but he has no say in if it stays or not.
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Nov 11, 2007 11:39 AM
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Question for someone: I was kind of confused with Charlie and Amita at the end ... are they or aren't they shacking up, err, moving in together?
I was left with the impression that they were, indeed, moving in together, but the logistics were still up in the air.
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Nov 11, 2007 1:28 PM
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I think a lot of the reason behind Charlie's shaggy look and bag lady wardrobe is to camouflage the fact that David Krumholtz is a little pudgy and wide-hipped. He's cute as all get out, but he wouldn't hold up to close heartthrob scrutiny.
My absolute favorite thing about this show, though, is that even while covering much of the same ground as other weekly crime dramas, it never loses that light touch. It's also why it's a perfect Friday night show.
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Nov 12, 2007 8:54 AM
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Not the best episode of not the best season.
Things I did not like:
The whole MMORG thing that Amita had been conveniently playing for years. The killer who watched Amita ride up on her bicycle but for some reason did not see 20 FBI agents raiding the house where he planned to attack her.
Things to like:
Fleinhardt finally getting out of the whole moping thing (that was getting old). No easy answer on whether Charlie will make his dad move out.
But the worst of the episode was the complete cop-out at the end. Some actual tension comes back between the brothers and instead of exploring it, it's resolved in 2 seconds.
That's part of what I miss about the previous seasons. Charlie and Don had ongoing conflict. Now everything gets wrapped up with a bow at the end of each episode. I would have liked to see Charlie take Don to task a bit more for allowing Amita to get in harm's way.
Still like the show... just hoping for more than run-of-the-mill CSI stuff.
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Nov 12, 2007 12:01 PM
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