Two Daughters
Encyclopedia
"Two Daughters" is the second episode of the third season of the American television show Numb3rs
. The second half of a two-episode storyline, the episode features the aftermath of a Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) Special Agent's abduction
, which results in the search for not only the agent and her kidnapper but also for the true motive of the spree killings in the previous episode
. As a character development, one FBI Special Agent's actions during the case created a story arc for that character for season three. Series writer Ken Sanzel used the trawler problem, a real-life application used to find traveling boats, as inspiration for the mathematics
included in the episode.
Originally written as one episode, Sanzel had to split the episode into two parts. While filming the episode, Sanzel and director Alex Zakrzewski learned that they had to consider Farr's recently discovered pregnancy, as it would affect the episode's action scenes. Also, due to the nature of the episode, Sanzel and Zakrzewski attempted to be sensitive to the audience's reaction to the violence depicted in the episode.
"Two Daughters" first aired in the United States on September 29, 2006. Critics gave the episode positive reviews. One critic loved the character developments in the episode.
Special Agents Don Eppes
(Rob Morrow
), David Sinclair
(Alimi Ballard
), and Colby Granger
(Dylan Bruno
), along with Dr. Charlie Eppes
(David Krumholtz
), Don's younger brother and a FBI math
consultant
, arrive at the scene of an abandoned stolen van at an all-night café and notice that fellow FBI Special Agent Megan Reeves (Diane Farr
) is late. Don receives a call from Crystal Hoyle (Kim Dickens
) that she wants her husband, Buck Winters (David Gallagher
), released in exchange for Megan, who has been kidnapped. The team runs back to the office. Dr. Larry Fleinhardt
(Peter MacNicol
), Charlie's friend and fellow colleague and Megan's boyfriend, is visibly upset and calls David "artless" when David tries to comfort Larry.
Over Colby's objection, Don allows FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton (Lou Diamond Phillips
) to use force to coerce Buck into telling the agents Crystal's previous location. There, Colby and Ian find Megan's empty car in the garage, but not Megan. At a hotel where Crystal took Megan, Megan learns that Crystal had an affair with Brennan and was forced to give their daughter up for adoption
. Megan also learns that Crystal wants to be reunited with the girl. Meanwhile, the team questions Crystal's then-boyfriend Billy Rivers (Mark Rosenthal) and his attorney. The team learns that Brennan arranged a black market
adoption for Crystal's daughter through Rivers' attorney. After roughing up Rivers during the interview, Don tells Charlie that he has violated his ethics
, and Charlie cautions Don about the unintended consequences of Don's actions. Charlie then suggests that Don can use the café, the garage, and the place where Crystal dumped Megan's cell phone as starting points for a search. During the team's search, Megan alerts the team to her and Crystal's location through a 9-1-1
call about gunshots in a room. The team finds Megan, whom Crystal leaves bleeding in an empty hotel room, and rushes her to the hospital, where they, Charlie, and Larry visit her. At Charlie's house, Don tells his father, Alan Eppes
(Judd Hirsch
), what he did and asks whether it was possible to start doing the right thing again. Alan's response is that Don's actions were a result of the concern for his team and that it is possible for Don to start doing the right thing again. Don then tells Alan that he likes being at the house, hence his frequent visits.
Colby learns that Crystal used Megan's identity to track down Rivers' attorney. While leaving the hospital, Megan and Larry determine that they need to analyze the potential adopted parents of Crystal's daughter as the parents would have been interested in establishing a normal life for her after her black market adoption. Charlie and Dr. Amita Ramanujan
(Navi Rawat
), Charlie's girlfriend and fellow colleague, use a sorting algorithm
that sorted social security number
s to locate her. Meanwhile, the team finds Rivers' attorney dead. Crystal arrives at her daughter's house and considers her plan. When Megan arrives at the house, Crystal calls Megan and asks to talk to Buck.
Using the GPS
chip in Crystal's cell phone, the team learns that Crystal is bound for Mexico
and sets up a road block. At the roadblock, Crystal calls Megan one last time to tell her to leave the area, but Megan stays with her team. Crystal drives toward the roadblock with a live grenade. Don, surprising both his team and Ian, fatally shoots Crystal. At Charlie's house, Alan finds the brothers arguing over a video game and tells them that he is staying at the house because he likes their company.
Sanzel included several character developments in the episode. He wrote Charlie and Amita's discussion of their relationship as a plot development. Sanzel also included the scene where Don and Alan talk about Don's tendency to go to Charlie's house. Throughout the first two seasons, writers either developed reasons for Don to be there or failed to explain Don's presence there. Sanzel wrote the scene to explain Don's constant presence at the house.
Sanzel's scenes between Megan and Crystal were similar to the ones Sanzel wrote for Lone Hero. In the movie, the protagonist and the antagonist form a connection in spite of the antagonist being the protagonist's captive. In "Two Daughters", Sanzel reversed the roles, with Megan being Crystal's hostage.
When writing the episode, Sanzel was uncertain if CBS executives would allow Buck's interrogation due to the implicit violence of Ian's interrogation tactic. He felt that the scene was a risk to the series. CBS executives approved the scene as it raised questions for Don. Buck's interrogation affected Don for the entire season. In an episode that aired later in season three, Sanzel, who wrote the episode, included the incident in one of Don's therapy sessions.
Since "Spree" was based on the concept of pursuit curves, Sanzel based included a variation called the trawler problem in "Two Daughters". The trawler problem is a real-life application of pursuit curves used to find slow-travelling boats.
When filming began on the episode, Diane Farr learned that she was pregnant. Farr told series executive producer Barry Schindel and several people on set, including Sanzel, about the pregnancy. She and the producers discussed her level of physical activity during the action scenes. During the scene where Crystal fired a gun at Megan, they used a stunt double to kick Crystal.
Due to the level of violence in the episode, the producers attempted to balance the audience's sensitivities with reality. Producers and Sanzel discussed the type of cut on Megan's arm. They also discussed the amount of blood that was to be shown in both the scene where the team rescues Megan and the scene where David and Colby find the dead attorney. The amount of blood was added during post-production.
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...
. The second half of a two-episode storyline, the episode features the aftermath of a Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) Special Agent's abduction
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...
, which results in the search for not only the agent and her kidnapper but also for the true motive of the spree killings in the previous episode
Spree (Numb3rs)
"Spree" is the first episode of the third season of the American television show Numb3rs The episode features Federal Bureau of Investigation agents pursuing a couple of spree killers. Series writer Ken Sanzel drew inspiration for the episode from pursuit curves...
. As a character development, one FBI Special Agent's actions during the case created a story arc for that character for season three. Series writer Ken Sanzel used the trawler problem, a real-life application used to find traveling boats, as inspiration for the mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
included in the episode.
Originally written as one episode, Sanzel had to split the episode into two parts. While filming the episode, Sanzel and director Alex Zakrzewski learned that they had to consider Farr's recently discovered pregnancy, as it would affect the episode's action scenes. Also, due to the nature of the episode, Sanzel and Zakrzewski attempted to be sensitive to the audience's reaction to the violence depicted in the episode.
"Two Daughters" first aired in the United States on September 29, 2006. Critics gave the episode positive reviews. One critic loved the character developments in the episode.
Plot summary
FBIFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
Special Agents 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...
), David Sinclair
David 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....
), and 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:...
), along with Dr. Charlie Eppes
Charlie Eppes
Charles Edward "Charlie" Eppes, PhD is a fictional character and protagonist in the CBS crime drama Numb3rs.Dr...
(David Krumholtz
David Krumholtz
David Krumholtz is an American actor best known for playing Professor Charlie Eppes in the television series Numb3rs. He appeared as Seth Goldstein in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its two sequels, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas...
), Don's younger brother and a FBI math
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
, arrive at the scene of an abandoned stolen van at an all-night café and notice that fellow FBI Special Agent Megan Reeves (Diane Farr
Diane Farr
Diane Farr is an American actress. She is known for her roles as FBI agent Megan Reeves in the CBS television series Numb3rs and Laura Miles on Rescue Me.-Life and career:...
) is late. Don receives a call from Crystal Hoyle (Kim Dickens
Kim Dickens
Kimberly Jan "Kim" Dickens is an American actress and model.-Early life:Dickens was born in Huntsville, Alabama, graduated from that city's Lee High School, and attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in communication...
) that she wants her husband, Buck Winters (David Gallagher
David Gallagher
David Lee Gallagher is an American actor. Beginning a prolific career as a child actor and model at the age of two, Gallagher is a five-time Young Artist Award nominee and Teen Choice Award winner, best known for his role as Simon Camden on the long running television series 7th Heaven, as well as...
), released in exchange for Megan, who has been kidnapped. The team runs back to the office. 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...
(Peter MacNicol
Peter MacNicol
Peter MacNicol is an American actor. He may be best known in films for his roles of Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II, Stingo in Sophie's Choice, Thomas Renfield in Dracula: Dead and Loving It and David Langley in Bean...
), Charlie's friend and fellow colleague and Megan's boyfriend, is visibly upset and calls David "artless" when David tries to comfort Larry.
Over Colby's objection, Don allows 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...
) to use force to coerce Buck into telling the agents Crystal's previous location. There, Colby and Ian find Megan's empty car in the garage, but not Megan. At a hotel where Crystal took Megan, Megan learns that Crystal had an affair with Brennan and was forced to give their daughter up for adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
. Megan also learns that Crystal wants to be reunited with the girl. Meanwhile, the team questions Crystal's then-boyfriend Billy Rivers (Mark Rosenthal) and his attorney. The team learns that Brennan arranged a black market
Underground economy
A black market or underground economy is a market in goods or services which operates outside the formal one supported by established state power. Typically the totality of such activity is referred to with the definite article as a complement to the official economies, by market for such goods and...
adoption for Crystal's daughter through Rivers' attorney. After roughing up Rivers during the interview, Don tells Charlie that he has violated his ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, and Charlie cautions Don about the unintended consequences of Don's actions. Charlie then suggests that Don can use the café, the garage, and the place where Crystal dumped Megan's cell phone as starting points for a search. During the team's search, Megan alerts the team to her and Crystal's location through a 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
call about gunshots in a room. The team finds Megan, whom Crystal leaves bleeding in an empty hotel room, and rushes her to the hospital, where they, Charlie, and Larry visit her. At Charlie's house, Don tells his father, Alan Eppes
Alan Eppes
Alan Eppes is a fictional character on the television show Numb3rs, played by Judd Hirsch. Alan is the father of the main characters, brothers Charlie and Don Eppes...
(Judd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch is an American actor most known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi, John Lacey on the NBC series Dear John, and Alan Eppes on the CBS series Numb3rs.-Early life and education:...
), what he did and asks whether it was possible to start doing the right thing again. Alan's response is that Don's actions were a result of the concern for his team and that it is possible for Don to start doing the right thing again. Don then tells Alan that he likes being at the house, hence his frequent visits.
Colby learns that Crystal used Megan's identity to track down Rivers' attorney. While leaving the hospital, Megan and Larry determine that they need to analyze the potential adopted parents of Crystal's daughter as the parents would have been interested in establishing a normal life for her after her black market adoption. Charlie and Dr. 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...
(Navi Rawat
Navi Rawat
Navi Rawat is an American television actress, known for her roles as Theresa Diaz on the drama series The O.C. and math prodigy Amita Ramanujan on the drama series Numb3rs. She is the niece of Prem Rawat....
), Charlie's girlfriend and fellow colleague, use a sorting algorithm
Sorting algorithm
In computer science, a sorting algorithm is an algorithm that puts elements of a list in a certain order. The most-used orders are numerical order and lexicographical order...
that sorted social security number
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
s to locate her. Meanwhile, the team finds Rivers' attorney dead. Crystal arrives at her daughter's house and considers her plan. When Megan arrives at the house, Crystal calls Megan and asks to talk to Buck.
Using the GPS
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
chip in Crystal's cell phone, the team learns that Crystal is bound for Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and sets up a road block. At the roadblock, Crystal calls Megan one last time to tell her to leave the area, but Megan stays with her team. Crystal drives toward the roadblock with a live grenade. Don, surprising both his team and Ian, fatally shoots Crystal. At Charlie's house, Alan finds the brothers arguing over a video game and tells them that he is staying at the house because he likes their company.
Writing
Originally, series writer Ken Sanzel wrote "Spree" and "Two Daughters" as one episode. In the original story, a female law enforcement officer was kidnapped about halfway through the episode, and, at the end of the episode, Ian fatally shot Crystal. When CBS network executives read the script, they suggested that the episode should be a two-part episode. Sanzel split the script. He decided to place Megan in danger, marking the first time that a main character on Numb3rs was in serious danger. During a production meeting, executive producer Barry Schindel made the suggestion for Don to shoot Crystal instead of Ian. Sanzel originally disliked the idea but made the change since Don's shot would characterize Don.Sanzel included several character developments in the episode. He wrote Charlie and Amita's discussion of their relationship as a plot development. Sanzel also included the scene where Don and Alan talk about Don's tendency to go to Charlie's house. Throughout the first two seasons, writers either developed reasons for Don to be there or failed to explain Don's presence there. Sanzel wrote the scene to explain Don's constant presence at the house.
Sanzel's scenes between Megan and Crystal were similar to the ones Sanzel wrote for Lone Hero. In the movie, the protagonist and the antagonist form a connection in spite of the antagonist being the protagonist's captive. In "Two Daughters", Sanzel reversed the roles, with Megan being Crystal's hostage.
When writing the episode, Sanzel was uncertain if CBS executives would allow Buck's interrogation due to the implicit violence of Ian's interrogation tactic. He felt that the scene was a risk to the series. CBS executives approved the scene as it raised questions for Don. Buck's interrogation affected Don for the entire season. In an episode that aired later in season three, Sanzel, who wrote the episode, included the incident in one of Don's therapy sessions.
Since "Spree" was based on the concept of pursuit curves, Sanzel based included a variation called the trawler problem in "Two Daughters". The trawler problem is a real-life application of pursuit curves used to find slow-travelling boats.
Casting
The rewrite of the script allowed three people to appear in both episodes. David Gallagher reprised his role as Buck Winters, and Kim Dickens reprised her role as Crystal Hoyle. Marking his fourth appearance on the series, Lou Diamond Phillips reprised his role as FBI Special Agent Ian Edgerton.Filming
Although director John Behring directed "Spree", director Alex Zakrzewski directed "Two Daughters". Behring finished filming "Spree" on a Friday, and Zakrzewski began filming "Two Daughters" on the following Monday. Having already developed a plan, Zakrzewski filmed scenes quickly. He also accepted suggestions from the actors. While filming Buck's interrogation scene several times, Zakrzewski initially shot Phillips walking into the interrogation room without showing Phillips' face. Upon Phillips' suggestion, Zakrzewski then filmed Phillips' face as he walked into the interrogation room.When filming began on the episode, Diane Farr learned that she was pregnant. Farr told series executive producer Barry Schindel and several people on set, including Sanzel, about the pregnancy. She and the producers discussed her level of physical activity during the action scenes. During the scene where Crystal fired a gun at Megan, they used a stunt double to kick Crystal.
Due to the level of violence in the episode, the producers attempted to balance the audience's sensitivities with reality. Producers and Sanzel discussed the type of cut on Megan's arm. They also discussed the amount of blood that was to be shown in both the scene where the team rescues Megan and the scene where David and Colby find the dead attorney. The amount of blood was added during post-production.
Reception
Over 10.69 million people in the United States watched "Two Daughters". Critically, the episode was very well-received. Calling both "Spree" and "Two Daughters" "stand-alone", Cynthia Boris of DVD Verdict seemed to enjoy the episode. Stating that the episode's appeal was in the effects of the case on the team, Jeffrey Robinson of DVD Talk called "Two Daughters" "[o]ne of the season's strongest episodes". Donald Liebenson, an editor for Amazon.com, called "Two Daughters" "compelling".External links
- Numb3rs: Two Daughters at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Numb3rs: Two Daughters (2006) at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...