I think I'm entirely too comfortable inside Numb3rs.
I mean I shouldn't feel at home among fictional characters, should I?
But I do. I don't care about the plots. I don't care about the math and the science, even though that's why I started watching the show. I don't even care that Diane Farr isn't part of the cast any more. In fact, I'm kind of glad she's gone. She was distracting. Whenever she was around I didn't feel quite as comfortable. I still felt at home but I couldn't relax. It was as if I had to keep checking that she was enjoying herself. She was a guest I felt I had to impress. Her leaving the show has taken a lot of the pressure off.
She had the same effect on me when she was on Rescue Me. She makes me feel like I have to be on my best behavior. Which is odd, because she comes across as pretty cool and easy going.
I think it's Judd Hirsch's presence that makes me feel this way, at home, comfortable, comforted.
My favorite scenes ought to be the ones in which Charlie and Larry work out whatever algorithm or theory's going to move Don's investigation along another step, and I enjoy those. But my favorite scenes are the ones in which everyone's gathered at the house, working out a problem, watching TV, sharing a meal, playing video games, being taken care of by each other.
My favorite moment in the series so far was when Judd Hirsch persuaded Larry to give up his experiment in homelessness and come live at the house. I felt like I'd been invited to move in too.
If there are any psychologists out there reading this, please don't write in to tell me what this all means.
At the moment I'm watching the episode Charlie Don't Surf online.
I love the Judd Hirsch character too -- and I think it is an achievement in writing or acting or both that for once in a TV series it is actually credible that this man could be the father to these two sons -- it took me years to feel that way about Marty Crane and he never achieved it as successfully as Hirsch.
Posted by: CathiefromCanada | Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 12:11 AM
I admit, the family stuff is my favorite part, possibly because I'm a geeky dataminer with an older brother in emergency services. They've definitely got that dynamic right, although I've never been asked to help solve an emergency medicine crisis.
Posted by: MikeT | Monday, June 01, 2009 at 05:56 PM