Nikki Betancourt
Encyclopedia
Nikki Betancourt is a fictitious character on the American television show Numb3rs
. Developed as a replacement for a regular who had left the series, she joined FBI Special Agent Don Eppes
' (Rob Morrow
)'s team at the beginning of season five. Generally tough, her impulsive behavior has somewhat mellowed over the course of the series.
, California
. She went to her high school prom with a During her first assignment with the Los Angeles Police Department
(LAPD), she arrested a drug dealer and was offered her choice of assignments, in which she chose the area where she made the arrest. She attended law school while working with the LAPD.
. She is impulsive, and in "Decoy Effect" is reprimanded by boss Don Eppes
. She has yet to get used to the technical jargon used by resident geniuses Charlie Eppes
, Larry Fleinhardt
, and Amita Ramanujan
. Nikki is described as ""a tough, street-smart ex-LAPD officer" and "full-blown adrenaline junkie..."". Nikki's way of conducting investigations sometimes clash with Don's way of running cases.
(Alimi Ballard
), Colby Granger
(Dylan Bruno
), and/or Liz Warner
(Aya Sumika
). During a case involving kidnapping
s/murder
s during her first month with the team, she earns Don's ire by deviating from the agreed plan. If captured by the kidnappers (which she was), she was to let Don negotiate with the kidnappers. Instead, she convinces the kidnappers to go to a different location. Before the kidnappers attempt to kill her, David and Colby, who has been tracking her, make the arrest. Afterward, Don assigns her to desk duty, answering the phone.
Later, she and Don are partners while investigating a series of home invasions. While David and Colby take the front of the house, she and Don take the guest house, where they rescue the home owners. Inspecting the premise, she is knocked unconscious by a man who then stabs Don. She is visibly upset by the incident, as she has never seen her supervisor attacked while with her. She realizes that she has been too cocky, and she discusses this with Charlie, who blames himself for Don's stabbing. Later, she joins the team in visiting Don, who is recovering from surgery for his wound.
At the end of season five, she agrees to a date with FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton (Lou Diamond Phillips
), whom she met during her first case with the team. They go on several dates until he breaks off contact while in the mountains. When Ian is arrested for the murder of an informant and takes Colby hostage in the prison where he is being held, she has difficulty believing Ian's guilt. As a result of her personal connection with Ian, David selects her to handle part of the negotiations. Later at the office, she tells Don about her difficulties, only to find that Don does not fully believe Ian's guilt either. Once Charlie finds another informant, she and Don arrest the real culprit, a guard who was ordered by a drug kingpin to kill the other informant. As they discuss Ian's release, Nikki tells Ian that she would go on another date with him if he contacts her.
Months later, CBS brought in actress Sophina Brown, who had previously been in the CBS series Shark. When Brown audtioned for Nikki, she quickly impressed Sanzel, a former police officer, with her portrayal. She initially was to appear in only the first three episodes of season five as a condition of her contract, but CBS quickly promoted her to a regular after seeing her performance on the show.
Critically, Nikki was not very well-received at first. Jeffrey Robinson, a reviewer for DVD Talk, was not impressed with her, stating that she was decent but did not really add to the series.
NUMB3RS
Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...
. Developed as a replacement for a regular who had left the series, she joined FBI Special Agent Don Eppes
Don Eppes
Don Eppes is the main fictional character in the television show Numb3rs. He is played by Rob Morrow.Don is an FBI Special Agent who runs the FBI Violent Crimes Squad in Los Angeles. Don recruits his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes, to help him and the Bureau solve some of their most...
' (Rob Morrow
Rob Morrow
Robert Alan "Rob" Morrow is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Don Eppes on Numb3rs and as Dr. Joel Fleischman on Northern Exposure, a role which garnered him three Golden Globes and two Emmy Award nominations for "Best Actor in a Dramatic Series."-Personal life:Morrow was born in...
)'s team at the beginning of season five. Generally tough, her impulsive behavior has somewhat mellowed over the course of the series.
Backstory
Raised with one brother, Nikki grew up in East Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She went to her high school prom with a During her first assignment with the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
(LAPD), she arrested a drug dealer and was offered her choice of assignments, in which she chose the area where she made the arrest. She attended law school while working with the LAPD.
Characterization
Nikki is a young FBI agent with four years experience in the LAPD and a law degreeLaw degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
. She is impulsive, and in "Decoy Effect" is reprimanded by boss Don Eppes
Don Eppes
Don Eppes is the main fictional character in the television show Numb3rs. He is played by Rob Morrow.Don is an FBI Special Agent who runs the FBI Violent Crimes Squad in Los Angeles. Don recruits his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes, to help him and the Bureau solve some of their most...
. She has yet to get used to the technical jargon used by resident geniuses Charlie Eppes
Charlie Eppes
Charles Edward "Charlie" Eppes, PhD is a fictional character and protagonist in the CBS crime drama Numb3rs.Dr...
, Larry Fleinhardt
Larry Fleinhardt
Larry Fleinhardt PhD is a fictional character in the television show Numb3rs, played by Peter MacNicol.Dr. Lawrence Fleinhardt is a professor of physics at CalSci and best friend and colleague of Charlie Eppes...
, and Amita Ramanujan
Amita Ramanujan
Amita Ramanujan is a fictional character from the TV series Numb3rs. Over the course of the series, she has become a professor at CalSci and has since become romantically involved with her former thesis advisor, Dr. Charlie Eppes . First introduced in "Pilot", the character of Amita has received...
. Nikki is described as ""a tough, street-smart ex-LAPD officer" and "full-blown adrenaline junkie..."". Nikki's way of conducting investigations sometimes clash with Don's way of running cases.
Evolution over the series
She joins FBI Special Agent Don Eppes' team at the start of season five and has been partnered with FBI Special Agents Don Eppes, David SinclairDavid Sinclair (Numb3rs)
David Sinclair is a fictitious FBI agent in the TV show Numb3rs. First introduced in the Pilot episode, he has become the usual partner of FBI Special Agent Colby Granger and has also become the primary relief supervisor for the Supervisor of the FBI Violent Crimes division, Don Eppes...
(Alimi Ballard
Alimi Ballard
Alimi Ballard is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as FBI agent David Sinclair on the CBS drama television series Numb3rs....
), Colby Granger
Colby Granger
Colby Granger is a fictitious FBI agent on the American television show Numb3rs. First introduced during the second season, he has become a part of the team led by FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and is usually partnered with David Sinclair...
(Dylan Bruno
Dylan Bruno
Dylan Bruno is an American actor and former model. He portrayed FBI agent Colby Granger in the CBS series Numb3rs.-Personal life:...
), and/or Liz Warner
Liz Warner
Liz Warner is a fictitious character on the American television show Numb3rs. A former girlfriend of FBI Special agent Don Eppes, she has since become a part of Don's team.-Evolution over the series:...
(Aya Sumika
Aya Sumika
Aya Sumika was born Aya Sumika Koenig on August 22, 1980 in Miami, Florida. She grew up in Seattle, Washington.She is an American actress best known for her semi-recurring role as FBI Agent Liz Warner in the television series Numb3rs.Her mother is Japanese-American and her father is of European...
). During a case involving kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
s/murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s during her first month with the team, she earns Don's ire by deviating from the agreed plan. If captured by the kidnappers (which she was), she was to let Don negotiate with the kidnappers. Instead, she convinces the kidnappers to go to a different location. Before the kidnappers attempt to kill her, David and Colby, who has been tracking her, make the arrest. Afterward, Don assigns her to desk duty, answering the phone.
Later, she and Don are partners while investigating a series of home invasions. While David and Colby take the front of the house, she and Don take the guest house, where they rescue the home owners. Inspecting the premise, she is knocked unconscious by a man who then stabs Don. She is visibly upset by the incident, as she has never seen her supervisor attacked while with her. She realizes that she has been too cocky, and she discusses this with Charlie, who blames himself for Don's stabbing. Later, she joins the team in visiting Don, who is recovering from surgery for his wound.
At the end of season five, she agrees to a date with FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton (Lou Diamond Phillips
Lou Diamond Phillips
Lou Diamond Phillips is an American film, television, and stage actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I...
), whom she met during her first case with the team. They go on several dates until he breaks off contact while in the mountains. When Ian is arrested for the murder of an informant and takes Colby hostage in the prison where he is being held, she has difficulty believing Ian's guilt. As a result of her personal connection with Ian, David selects her to handle part of the negotiations. Later at the office, she tells Don about her difficulties, only to find that Don does not fully believe Ian's guilt either. Once Charlie finds another informant, she and Don arrest the real culprit, a guard who was ordered by a drug kingpin to kill the other informant. As they discuss Ian's release, Nikki tells Ian that she would go on another date with him if he contacts her.
Trivia
Sophina Brown, who plays Nikki appeared in episode 2x11 Scorched as a minor character Bianca StylesDevelopment
When Farr announced to producers that she would not return for Numb3rs fifth season, writers and producers had an idea of the type of character to add to the team. Series executive producer Ken Sanzel had a specific character in mind. Originally named Nikki Donat, Nikki Betancourt was developed as Megan's replacement.Months later, CBS brought in actress Sophina Brown, who had previously been in the CBS series Shark. When Brown audtioned for Nikki, she quickly impressed Sanzel, a former police officer, with her portrayal. She initially was to appear in only the first three episodes of season five as a condition of her contract, but CBS quickly promoted her to a regular after seeing her performance on the show.
Critically, Nikki was not very well-received at first. Jeffrey Robinson, a reviewer for DVD Talk, was not impressed with her, stating that she was decent but did not really add to the series.