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Critic Reviews
- Critic score
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It's actually more interesting than you might have thought. [21 Jan 2005]
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Yes, in essence, Numb3rs is just CSI with mathematics standing in for forensics. But that cleverly used math twist, combined with an excellent cast and a very un-CSI interest in the characters' family dynamics, provides enough separation to make Numb3rs worth watching on its own.
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The major stumbling block remains that it's odd to contemplate seeking algorithmic solutions to crimes or having a guy who got beat up a lot in high school answering 911 calls. So even with Charlie functioning as a kind of adjunct to the bureau, it's muddled how they'll consistently capitalize on his abilities. [17 Jan 2005]
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Math might not seem the sexiest way to enliven a story. But that's the sneaky smarts of this show, executive-produced by film directors Ridley Scott (Gladiator) and Tony Scott (Man on Fire), who know how to dust off old genres.
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"Numb3rs" isn't awful, but it's also not as smart, inventive or layered as its characters need to be and often seem. [21 Jan 2005]
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Jun 28, 2013Though Krumholtz captures Charlie's combination of genius and immaturity, Morrow's straight-arrow role sorely needs a few dabs of color.
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Watching Charlie stare into space and compute somehow isn't as persuasive as watching Gil Grissom or one of his "CSI" cohorts peer into a microscope. [23 Jan 2005]
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What a cast. What a waste. ... Numb3rs doesn't have the humor of CSI, the passion of Without a Trace or the nervy style of Cold Case. [23 Jan 2005]
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In trying to service all the characters, the drama is not as compelling as it should be. [2 Jan 2005]
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The glimmers of truthfulness in the family nucleus offset the chilly crime elements. ... The office environment is less compelling as the coterie of feds... perform their unpleasant tasks with little personality. [23 Jan 2005]
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At times, Morrow seems not in the same family with Krumholtz and Hirsch, and at others not even in the same TV series. He's in a world of his own. [21 Jan 2005]
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Mr. Morrow plays the lead character with no discernible flair or charisma, making even by-the-book Joe Friday seem like Willy Wonka or something. [23 Jan 2005]
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A sometimes clever twist on the overly familiar crime drama format ... is ultimately bogged down in the same old gory homicidal cliches and whodunit solutions. [23 Jan 2005]
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If you've somehow never seen any of the twelve dozen procedural crime shows that CBS does, it might feel a little new, but too often the scenes with Don and his colleagues feel obligatory, like everyone is doing their best to keep the plot moving until Charlie bursts in with the correct digits. [21 Jan 2005]
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It's not a bad show, merely ho-hum. Perhaps it will have greater appeal to people who liked math in school, but to me "NUMB3RS" just seems like a "CSI" clone with the quadratic formula tossed in for good effect. [23 Jan 2005]
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Why is Charlie here? He doesn’t get involved in the action, only generates equations that are truly unexciting.
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The premise is fascinating enough to keep viewers' attention, if only to see what numbers Charlie will spin next. But some kinks need to be worked out before "Numb3rs" will add up.
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The premise of "Numb3rs" is as gimmicky as its typographically tricky title. [23 Jan 2005]
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This is by no means a lousy show. The performances are solid and the brothers-working-together dynamic is intriguing. But the pilot lacked dramatic oomph, and it did a poor job of actually taking viewers inside the math and explaining how it works. Consequently, "Numb3rs" just doesn't add up. [22 Jan 2005]
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'Numb3rs' is strained... You can practically hear them groaning with effort as they milk the action potential out of a brainstorming nerd banging his chalk against a blackboard la 'A Beautiful Mind.'
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Kansas City StarJul 8, 2013Like other CBS crime dramas, this one is grim, dark and laden with production gimmicks. ... You would never know it came from two established filmmakers, Tony and Ridley Scott. [21 Jan 2005]
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Despite a way-above-average cast, the new CBS drama series "Numb3rs"... doesn't quite add up. [20 Jan 2005]
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No matter how often we're told how unbearably fascinating it all is, it isn't. It's more likely to trigger horrifying flashbacks to algebra class. [22 Jan 2005]
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It is astonishing to me that a television show that stars Rob Morrow, Sabrina Lloyd, David Krumholtz and Judd Hirsch, four of the most interesting and attractive and amusing actors television has ever beamed into a living room, would turn out to be a show that -- on the basis of its pilot, at least -- I would not ever care to watch again.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 12 out of 16
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Mixed: 3 out of 16
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Negative: 1 out of 16
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May 15, 2012
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Aug 16, 2023
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Mar 20, 2013