David's Numbers Blog

This week's Numbers episode, "Checkmate" — written by Robert Port and directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal — finds Charlie Eppes sent to FBI training... finally. This is a storyline I've been anxiously waiting to perform since the inception of the series. When a show like this is pitched to an actor, the actor's mind races through all the possible storylines for his character. This is a storyline that I thought would have been written earlier in our run, and I've been encouraging our writers to flesh out the idea for four seasons now. Finally Robert Port was good enough to make an "old" actor happy. (I'll be 30 in five weeks — eek!)

Charlie's curiosity gets the best of him and he requests to be sent to FBI training in the hopes that he may learn more about the intricacies of FBI work, and thus form a greater kinship with his brother and the other agents. Factored in (no pun intended) is the fact that Charlie has been shot at twice, pursued in a high-speed car chase, and has faced general danger scenarios at different points throughout his consultation with the FBI. So it's high time that he learn to defend himself. What Mr. Port wrote was an absolutely hilarious storyline, true to what would probably happen if a young mathematician had a gun put in his hand.

The three scenarios are High Pursuit Tactical Driving, Prisoner Take Down & Escort, and the Gun Range. When you are one of the youngest cast members on an action-packed show and you never get to see your fair share of the action, it's a great release when it finally happens. Needless to say, your boy was super-psyched! This was the most fun I've probably ever had on the show, and I hope that spirit comes across in the performance.

To start, we filmed the High Pursuit Driving. A stunt double would film the exterior shot in my place... but no need. The interior shot with me at the helm and the FBI instructor in the passenger seat was filmed as I haphazardly navigated the actual driving course. I didn't hit a single cone or cardboard cutout (except when the scene called for it). It was awesome, high-adrenaline and way too much fun. Watch a clip:



Next we shot the Prisoner Take Down. I decided to do my own stunt, which required that I be flipped over an FBI agent's knee and slammed onto a gym mat. I thought I was being brave, but in retrospect I was just being plain stupid. That dude slammed me hard! My head snapped back and I saw stars, as is evidenced by the actual shot of the moment used in the final cut. Please enjoy my glorious moment of unadulterated shock, embarrassment and pain.

The Gun Range was Charlie's comeback. After being humiliated in the other events, he triumphantly rises to the occasion by shooting the hell out of his target à la "Gomer Pyle" in Full Metal Jacket. Albeit exhilarating, guns are not my thing. I'm a pacifist... and hopefully so is Charlie. The whole experience was a blast. I hope it makes you laugh. Getting to do some comedy in the midst of crime-solving was a great opportunity. I hope they let me do it again.

Watch outtakes from the driving sequence (contains expletives):

Episode 7, entitled "Primacy," of our fourth season was written by Julie Hébert and directed by Chris Hartwill and focuses on the world of video gaming, namely online role-playing games. I was thrilled that we were finally doing something about nerd culture (we do it again in two weeks with a great episode about comic books) because the show from its inception was meant to speak to that very wide-ranging audience of geeks, dweebs, dorks, nerds and four-eyes. I mean, just take one look at me, then get to know me and you'll quickly recognize a true nerd.

I collected comics as a kid, and I am and have always been heavily into video games. From the Commodore system I had as a kid to the Nintendo 16bit system to the legendary Sega Genesis, to PS2, and now XBOX 360 (not to mention Game Boy and PSP), I've played them all.

In fact, embarrassing tidbit: I broke my hand playing video games. How? I was playing a game called NBA Ballers for PS2, and I had made it to the unbeatable Yao Ming level. Yao was very frustrating, and I spent weeks attempting to conquer him on the virtual court. In the moment I realized all my efforts were futile and that he was impossible to defeat, I screamed an expletive and simultaneously karate-chopped my apartment floor. It was a typical gamer rage moment, and I immediately knew I had broken my hand... I felt really stupid.

Numb3rs had just begun filming, and I'm lucky I didn't have to wear a cast, just a splint. But my hand is broken in the second and third episodes of Season 1. I spent the weeks following the injury lying to people about how I had broken my hand. I told them I punched a wall, or a door had slammed on it. One night, outside the Coronet pub in Los Angeles, I ran into an inebriated gamer who looked at my splint and asked me how I had broken my hand. I was inebriated as well, and very sick of making up stories. I told him that it happened when I got angry at a video game. I expected him to laugh at me, but instead he was curious, and quickly asked "What game?" I said, NBA Ballers. He responded knowingly: "The Yao Ming level?" he asked. I broke down and gave him a hug because I knew he understood my pain.

Needless to say, this episode was a lot of fun to make. A break from the norm for us. It guest-stars D.J. Qualls and James Urbaniak, both awesome actors, and centers in on Amita Ramanujan, played masterfully by the lovely Navi Rawat. Turns out Amita has been involved in an online RPG group for a while, and Charlie wonders why she's never mentioned it. It brings up a lot of natural relationship paranoia for Charlie, who begins to question who Amita really is. In the end, we learn that their bond is stronger than ever.

The video game Amita plays in the episode was completely designed, from top to bottom, by our ultra-talented video design group. They develop every on-screen video application for each episode, but they outdid themselves with their work on "Primacy." It's really cool. And Amita's avatar is one hot video-game chick.

But the coolest thing in this episode, for me at least, was getting to do the first real big stunt they've ever allowed me to do on the show. In our second season, Numb3rs was nominated for an Emmy for its stuntwork. The show consistently delivers high octane explosions, shoot 'em ups, fights, and car chases, and they all have one thing in common: I'm never in them. You can imagine my frustration, being a young, somewhat athletic, flexible man. But this episode finally allowed me the opportunity to run really fast, scream really loud, and save an FBI agent's life. And maybe the idea that feeble Charlie Eppes could save diesel Colby Granger from drowning in a rushing river — by using one arm to pull him to safety — is the slightest bit far-fetched. But it'll impress my girlfriend, and most importantly, it'll impress her parents. Mission accomplished. Thanks, Julie! You rock!

"Velocity" written by the series creators, husband and wife, Nicholas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and directed by Fred Koeller, is an episode that reveals the deadly truth about street racing. Recently, a young mother and her two young children were struck and killed by a racing motorist in L.A. The episode's Oct. 12 airing was timely, albeit horribly unfortunate. Nic and Cheryl have written our most conscienscious episodes. "Hardball" from Season 3, was an episode that exposed the dangers of steroid abuse amongst pro athletes. "Protest" starred legendary actor Robert Forster as an FBI agent who is desperate to conceal his corrupt past, until Don Eppes figures out that he was part of a much larger, true to life government conspiracy put into action in the late 60's to counteract the anti-war movement in the United States, a subject long considered to Taboo to cover. And in "Money For Nothing", Nic and Cheryl presented the plight of struggling African Nations in their attempts to deliver medical care to their citizens. I think it's highly admirable that these two writers tackle this heavy subject matter time and again within the context of a little show that solves crimes with math. Velocity features incredible stunts, and a brilliant guest appearance by actor Chris Bauer who plays engineer Ray Ray Galuski. A very different image of your typical science and engineering "nerd". I had an awesome time working with him, and there are plans to bring him back to the show in a future episode.

"Thirteen" written by Don McGill and directed by Ralph Hemecker, is a tentpole episode of our show. What I mean is, that when this show was concieved, it was inevitable that we would do an episode about Biblical Numerology, what with the popularity of The Da Vinci Code, and the emergence of Kabbalism as a religious philosophy. The episode explores a serial killer's desire to be considered a modern day biblical martyr, and the lengths he goes to, to make his presence known. My character has to decipher the numerological code the killer leaves behind in his messages, to discover the true motive behind his killings. The episode is dark, disturbing, downright frightening, and is a brilliant example of the series' strengths. The twisting plotline, the intense manhunt, the imperative use of intellect to solve the crime. A difficult night of sleep lies ahead for our fans who are used to our usual, somewhat lighter fare. This one will linger with you. The writer, Don McGill (who happens to be the creator of the popular CBS series NCIS) is known around the set as the guy who writes the gory, deranged episodes of our show. With "Thirteen", he has outdone himself. And if you can believe it, he couldn't be a nicer, gentler guy. It's always the nice quiet ones you have to watch out for. It's rare after having filmed almost 70 episodes of this show, to pinpoint an episode as one of my personal favorites. This one joins that exclusive club along with only a handful of episodes. I'm very much looking forward to reading the fan's reactions to this one.

This season, the series has clearly hit it's storytelling stride. Breaking out of formula, a greater freedom expressed in the writing. I think this season is our best so far, and I am thrilled that the show has grown so much. I have always believed in my heart of hearts, that this show has tremendous potential. The potential to surpass the cliches of other crime procedurals and set itself apart from the rest of the pack. So far this season, we are making great strides toward fulfilling that potential. So keep watching. This season will surprise and delight.

CBS' Numbers airs Fridays at 10 pm/ET.