Percolated Recap: Numb3rs: Scratch (Eppesode 611)

Recapper's Really, Really, Repetitive Reminder: Have you sent your letter to CBS? Sure, we may have learned this week that Numb3rs is in contention for renewal next season, but that's not a reason to let up! We need to change that in contention to a definitive yes! Also did you go on IMDb and look, or even add to, the Numb3rs page, to have its star meter rating go up? Finally, have you signed the petition?

For the instacap of this eppesode, I resorted to a bit of a stunt -- an almost entierly onomatopoeic instacap. For this percolated recap, I'm going to explain the odd noises.

Geez, that sentence sounded a lot less odd in my head, but I'll let it stand in all its oddity.
Convenience Store: We begin with a disaffected faux-goth girl (is there any other kind) trying to be all entitled while trying to shoplift. She gets all snarky with the store clerk when he tries to piont out her EPIC FAIL in shoplifting, by trying to point out the concept of video surveillance on the television. Instead of realizing she's walking right into a trap, she proves how completely faux she is at anything as she uses the term "interwebz" and not ironically. Oh, sweetheart, that is so LOLcats.
Once faux-goth girl leaves, the next set of customers prove the subliminal power of muzak. How is this done? They rob the store of all the Change Your Life lottery tickets, all the while bumbling almost every aspect of the crime. First of all, they don't really keep a good eye on the clerk. Secondly, one of the robbers accidentally drops the clip from his gun. Thirdly, the clerk manages to get out a shotgun and fire at the robbers and although he doesn't hit any of them, at first, one of them is convinced he is shot.
Why? The clerk hits a ketchup bottle and the contents are all over one of the robbers' shirts.

Finally, the clerk does hit one of the robbers, and the rest take off, probably pissing themselves.

Now, what does this have to do with the subliminal power of muzak? The song playing in the Background, is the muzak version of this song.

Yup, what the robbers obvious want is their money for nothing. Don't expect the chicks though.

Hum.

La Maison d'Eppes: Alan's found his old bucket list, which was written on the back of a Donovan poster.
For reference things included on that list are:

• Growing a ponytail
• See Easter Island
• Take a cooking class at Cordon Bleu in Paris
• Date Barbara Eden
• Learn the banjo

Please note that in his youth, Alan was dreaming of Jeannie, wanting to play dueling banjos, cooking with Julia Child and sporting a Steven Seagal hairstyle, but none of these things disturb Charlie the most. Nope, it's the complete lack of things like owning a Craftsman, playing golf, and having kids giving shout outs, world peace and ponies to recapper on the list that Charlie finds the oddest.

Oh, this is just another case of Charlie's ego getting in the way of logic. This list was written when Alan was a really young man, and I don't think things like "Having children who are brilliant, all the while trying to fight a subconscious battle over who really owns the house" are going to make it on most young men's lists. Although, in Charlie's mind, he can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want him around, or put him on a bucket list.
IHOF: Squee. SQUEEE! SQUEE!! SQUEE!!! SQUEE!!!! SQUEE!!!!!
Sorry, I should be recapping what happens, but every time I watch this scene, I turn into a pile of mushy fangirly goo. This makes typing rather difficult.

Needless to say, there's a lot in in this scene that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about my OTP. There's kissing, there's a rational, non-fear inducing explanation for Robin's prolonged absence (trial in Portland was TOO DAMN LONG). There's even a very not subtle (a phrase which here means Acme anvil worthy) hing about no clothes and baths and things that might occur sans clothes and apres baths (or during baths, or both, whatever).

In fact, I'm perfectly content with life, the universe, and everything, only to have that scourge of this OTP rear its ugly head, or shall I say, ring tone. Don, please meet me in the very irate letter below.
Robin is way more understanding about the phone call than I ever could be, but she is awesome, and I'm a dork, so I guess comparisons aren't apt here.

All I could say about this at the time of the original airing was GRR!!!ARG!!!

Convenience Store: Liz fills Don in on the on the lottery-stealing thieves and introduces us to one of the two former West Wingers in this eppesode: Ron Butterfield. I don't care what the character's name really is, he'll always be Ron Butterfield to me. Apparently, after leaving President Bartlet's employ, he now works for the California Lottery as a security advisor.
He's also developed an aversion to blood, and no, I have no intention of ever separating the character portrayed here from Ron Butterfield.

The reason the Fedcakes have the case is because there have been 8 other robberies in several jurisdictions, all after the Change Your Life lottery tickets. Someone needs a gambling intervention.

What's weird is that the dead robber, won 150000 the previous year: duh dun duh dun. (Which means he got to take home like 12 dollars, right?) This could easily be a comment on lottery-winning, inflation, or both, if the winner is now resorting to robbing convenience stores.

Title Flash.

IHOF: We get an overview of the case thus far: the dead guy was behind on the rent, and attended a support group for other lottery winners, or, as writers call it, convenient suspects.

Also, Butterfield's brought some important statistics and charts on the 3 billion a year business that is the lottery, and how someone might be able to cash in a stolen lottery ticket. In fact, it's such big business that there are lottery cops. I sense a spin-off L0TT3RY C0P5.
And the lottery cop is Nicole Sullivan from MADtv. Just out of curiousity but how the hell am I supposed to take her seriously? I mean, pie charts are serious. My anger about inconvenient phone calls is serious.
Thus, there is only one thing to do: endear her to Charlie by geeking out over odd, and statistics, and dropping hints about having a crappy morning due to missed flights. She reminds me a lot of Mildred Finch. Don't remember Millie? Well, just because she seems to have dropped of the face of the Numb3rs universe doesn't mean I've forgotten her. (Although, that really doesn't say much, considering I remember little things like when the show used a Bob Dylan song, Liz has a hamster, and that Don and Robin were broken up for 525 days, before my 'ship was relaunched, so me remembering Millie, probably isn't that impressive.) Millie often did silly and ridiculous things, yet was always rather useful.

It takes Nancy Hackett (AKA Nicole Sullivan) a moment or two to realize that Charlie wasn't just randomly riding up and down in the elevator (but I wouldn't put it past him) and that he's following here. Well, to be more accurate, they're heading to the same place.

Just like Millie, Nancy is useful in providing information about the next robbery hot zone.
There's some really cool mathematical way that revealed the next hot zone location, but I'd rather use the Charlie-vision analogy for the mathematically challenged like me.

It's like a piano. Knowing the order of the keys allows one to be able to guess at the next key, or the whole melody. So, essentially, musical theory was used. I would've stuck with my piano lessons if I knew musical theory would've allowed me to get closer to the adorkable professor.

The problem is that within the hot zone, there are 67 different lottery retailers, and only so many Fedcakes to spread around. Plus, without Colby in this eppesode (and I'm going to assume, unlike Don, Colby was clever enough not to pick up the damn phone and is off somewhere with someone extraordinarily hot), the Fedcakes have even fewer resources and potential super!Colby moments.

Nikki and David decide to let the geeks geek-out and take off in search of information on the lottery-winning victim. To do this, they have to go to a very specific pool.

Convenient Suspect Pool: It's a meeting at Scott Wilson's house of lottery winners. Wilson doesn't endear himself to me as he quotes not-so-great David Mamet movies and discusses how lottery winners "earned" their money. The quotes there are intentional, with all possible connotations.
I find it weird that the Nikki's brought Nancy with her, instead of David. I would much rather imagine Nancy and Charlie comparing ratios and odds (not like that) while watching David and Nikki scoff at at the "woe is me, I have millions of dollars, boo-freaking hoo" lottery winners.

Showing exactly how much numbers means to her, Nancy recites Scott Wilson's winning number, 2, 7, 19, 23, 41 and 13. While the factoid that he won with all prime numbers is interesting, I would've preferred a little more foreshadowing. How about numbers that suggest mystery, and doom like 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42? 23 is still a prime number and 42 is the meaning of life, so I like my suggestions better.

We also meet Scott's disaffected and annoying son, Zack, who thinks stupid people should be stopped from buying lottery tickets. By "stupid people" he means, "his father who has given him everything." Hey, Zack, I have a suggestion.
Scott justifies his son's behaviour by blaming it on his wife's death because no decent father is going to admit to two strangers that he raised an ungrateful asshole.

He also recongizes the dead robber -- a man who blew through his lottery winnings, something Scott tries to counsel against. He gives the name of the dead robber's financial advisor to Nikki and Nancy and instantaneously I'm suspicious. People who take on clients that stupid, must have an angle.

Some random location: Liz is sent to talk to my suspect, but I have to revise my suspicions because it's another West Winger, Mallory! Suddenly I'm all WTFWW reunion?
All Mallory can give us is that the dead robber was a sucker, and couldn't think his way out of an open door. All right, she doesn't say it quite like that, but with her tone of voice, that's what she meant. So, if the Fedcakes get a subpeona, they can have all the financial records, and I can move on to another, more entertaining scene.

Cal Sci: Alan and Charlie are sharing warm fuzzy family memories of the time Charlie used math to destroy the family fun of scratching off lottery tickets. Charlie then goes on to explain the astronomical odds of every winning the lottery, despite the fact people can claim they're doing it to help support things like schools, and charities. So my plans to try and make more money by recapping totally makes more sense or, you know, not. Well, no one ever said the Eppes household was normal.
IHOF: Nikki and David have struck out with the convenient suspect pool and I'm mixing my metaphors. Of course, this means all they can do is discuss what they would do if they won the lottery. David says he'd have a nice car to drive to work. Nikki responds that she'd buy him a nicer car and make him drive her to work.
I find it interesting that neither of them say they would leave their jobs. They're truly dedicated Fedcakes.

A call about the van used in the robberies stops the conversation.

Parking Lot: I find the reaction to what's in the van, and the contents, not quite equitable.
There are 10 thousand lottery tickets. If there'd been a corpse, several corpses, or the holy grail, perhaps the look of surprise would be warranted, but really, they were looking for lottery tickets and the van was used to help steal the tickets. What else did they expect?

IHOF: Not all of the stolen tickets are in the van. 7 tickets that won less than 600 are missing, and this is important because one doesn't have to go anywhere special to cash such a ticket.

Nancy's rather impressed at the effort it took to scratch off 10000 tickets, as there could be some serious repetitive injuries as a result. She jokes that Liz might have difficulty shooting a weapon with carpal-tunnel, but that David could "shoot through the pain."

SQUEE! Of course, this means that elsewhere, Don and Robin are having a scene. (Not like that, and not in the negative connotation either.)

There's some interest from above about the lottery case, and sometimes, Robin thinks they hassles of the lottery aren't worth it but other times, she can use the minuscule chance of winning to hint about where Don should take her on a vacation: a villa in Italy.
It also gives Robin the chance to quiz Don about the motorcycle, and it's so obvious Don thinks he's about to get in a little bit of trouble -- the same type most men would get into when buying a vehicle which is such a solitary method of travel, for the most part.

Yet, this is not the case. In an interesting turn of events (a phrase which here means, events which totally turn Don on) Robin reveals that she rode motorcycles in college, and might still have her leather pants.

La Maison d'Eppes: Charlie's appalled to find Alan testing his luck at the lottery. "Fortune brings in some boats that are not steer'd." Alan informs his youngest.

Um, who quotes Cymbeline to prove a point? That's like saying using one of these as a valid argument. Alan, Hamlet proves a point. Macbeth proves a point. Cymbeline is sort of the play Shakespeare wrote on a bad day and probably wished was forgotten entirely by history.

Alan turns to other tactics, like arguing he'll use the lottery money for his bucket list. His argument is destroyed by two things.
The second thing is Alan's new addition to the list: grandchildren. Um, money can't help with that unless you really want to make my mind go places it doesn't want to go. Ever. As for the grandchildren request, Charlie's heard it so often, it doesn't faze him anymore. Hee.

Alan's attempt to check things off his bucket list does provide an ah-ha for the case. The robbers weren't after the tickets, but the serial numbers. Unfortunately, those numbers happen to be on the tickets.

IHOF: Nancy's all uh-oh, but is reassured by the computer programme that randomizes the serial number and prize relationship, and that it would be almost impossible for someone to crack the code. Poor Nancy, has just said two things that always make Charlie scoff.

And with 10000 tickets, that's enough data to crack the code. This also leads us to this week's NPAL™. "You're right, that, I guess that's why you're the famous math professor and I'm the state employee. For stroking Charlie's ego in both a self-depreciating, and painfully awkward way, Nancy earns an NPAL™.

Charlie tries to make Nancy feel better, but it's almost as awkward. It's as much "well, it's easier to explain it to you than it is to a pack of beagles" as it is reassurance. At least they now know, like so many other criminals on this show, that one of the robbers has to know a great deal about math to break the random-not-random lottery code.

Just as Nancy and Charlie head out to tell the Fedcakes about the newest theory, there's a call about someone trying to cash in one of the missing tickets. This may not fit in with the mathletes theories, but it does give me a chance to chastise someone.
Venice Convenience Store: Artemis and Athena are finally sent somewhere together. Seriously, if these two were in any fewer scenes together, I'd start a totally false rumour that the actresses hated each other. I can't do that though, because I follow Cheryl Heuton on Twitter, and such an implication would give her the right to verbally lambaste me for the rest of my natural existance. In other words, not the best way to get my desired shout out.

The arrival of our female Fedcakes results in bike versus women chase across the various bridges in, what I think, is Venice. Not that I know Californian geography that well, but one thing I do know, it's a setting that's been used before on this show. Although, instead of Super!David, we get a new Fedcake super hero.
When the kid gets thrown off the bike by a decorative plant that leaps into his path, (OW!) we find out that it's Zack, the annoying, overly-privileged kid who think that with money, comes assholery. Artemis and Athena deal with him appropriately.
Zack has all the other missing lottery tickets and tells the partners that his dad, who gives financial seminars to lottery winners, is broke.

IHOF: In a turn of events that I find remarkably cool, and not just because it involves Robin, we get some good ideas that don't involve Don's gut, David's talking, or Charlie's math. Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate all of the above, but I think it's sort of awesome that TPTB, at this point in the series, think it's all right to have a major development, or plan to suss out the bad guy, not come from an ah-ha from the usual people.
Nikki and Robin rationally discuss the likelihood that Zack has any idea about the pile of shit he's found himself is. The answer is no, thus they plot to use Zack to get his dad to talk. There's enough of a connection to make the intuitive leap that Scott is involved. The first, is his son's possession of the lottery tickets when probabaly the last time that kid possessed anything, it would've wound up with Zack be arrested for possession. Secondly, the dead robber knew Scott, both of whom were broke. Finally, Scott has to be 100 times more involved since he blew through 100 times more money than the dead guy. I think Charlie would be impressed by my correlation there but not my logic.

Convenient Suspect Pool: The pool's emptied quite a bit since the last time we were here, as the only person David and Liz find is Scott Wilson. Can I just add that any lottery winner who wears headphones, while jumping up and down on a trampoline and forgets to lock his door, doesn't exactly scream criminal mastermind to me.
After informing Scott of his son's arrest, the pair of Fedcakes take him downtown.

IHOF: Nancy and Charlie explain that with 10000 tickets, the robbers can now crack the algorithm used to "randomize" the serial numbers.
Now the robbers know the serial number of the jackpot ticket, which means 5 million dollars -- or -- if their spending sprees are any clues -- the next two years worth of funding before they have to resort to more crime.

Butterfield scoffs at the idea the idea of some big master plan, which gives me a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that Butterfield isn't the noble agent I remember him to be. On the other hand, he does have a point since the robbers wouldn't know where to find the ticket, unless they had inside help. It's at this point that I figured out what was really going on in this eppesode.

*Le sigh.*

Liz has some other important information about the lottery support group. That information is that they were a crappy support group. We're now up to 4 members who went broke. Worst support group ever.

So, now would be the perfect time for Robin not to suggest Scott and Zack be put into the same room together. She would never suggest such a thing because that would be total manipulation, they might say something that would be admissible by spontaneous utterance, or would make their lawyer look like an idiot.
The spontaneous utterance isn't really that spontaneous. In order to save his son, Scott confesses to everything save the Lindbergh kidnapping and stealing the cookie from the cookie jar. The son, by the way, giggles at the predicament of being arrested by the Fedcakes, right up until the moment he realizes he could go to jail and get a cellmate named Big Mick, or something that rhymes with that.

The problem is that even though Scott confesses to the robberies, he isn't the mastermind. He was just told where to commit the crimes that are going to take him away from his beloved son. On the other hand, considering the stellar job he's done thus far, perhaps that's not a bad idea.
Oh, yes, he has no idea where the other two bandits are but at least he know where they're going to hit next.

Convenience Store 3: Robbers 0, Fedcakes 2.
IHOF: Neither of the other two robbers know anything, but Butterfield does. Someone with supersekrit access to the lottery corporations computers accessed the information as to the locations of the robberies, someone with clearance. Uh-Oh.

Cal Sci: In case the set up wasn't more obvious, let me make it clear, the current suspect, is Charlie's new BFF. Sadly, just as Charlie and Nancy come to the realization that there's an insider involved in the thefts, Nancy is taken into custody.
In disbelief, David offers Charlie a way out -- provide an equation (which translates to, something of logic, in my world) -- and the Fedcakes will release Nancy, other than that, and the next time Charlie sees his new BFF, will be at her arraignment.

IHOF: Artemas and Athena are reviewing the evidence with Butterfield -- all of which looks pretty damning for Nancy. Obviously, since we're not near the end of the eppesode, this scene is meant to whack us in the side of the head with the dead stinky trout of foreshadowing saying that she can't possibly be guilty. (Why dead, stinky, and a trout? Would you miss a dead, stinky trout hitting you in the side of the head? I thought not.)

La Maison d'Eppes: Alan is subtly reminding Don that Robin is in town, and yet, Don is not with her giving Alan grandchildren. Okay, so that isn't exactly what Alan says, but I can translate subtext pretty well.

Alan cannot believe her son can't show how enthusiastic he is to have Robin back in town, inspiring what is officially, Alan's best line in the history of this show. Forget all the wise things Alan has said. Forget all the teasing and and gentle nudging of his sons. This is his all time classic line.
Not only does it amuse Don that his father used the name Beyonce in a sentence, but also it gives me pretty thin excuse to link to such awesomeness as this, or this. Of course, if Alan had attempted to give us a little bit of the dance, the hilarity might've killed me.

This goes into a brief discussion about men's ponytails being out of style (one thing scratched, no pun intended, off Alan's bucket list), Charlie's intuition, and Alan not wanting to spend 14 hours on a plane to visit Easter Island.

The plane comment triggers something in Don's mind, and he quickly leaves, the the purpose of a man who has just solved a mystery.

Speaking of mysteries, I found one of my own in this scene. No, it's not the psychological need Alan has to feed someone, anyone, even if it is fish (although that would be a good piece of meta).

No, it is the shocking, the unbelievable, the amazing mystery of Don's drink. First of all, it's not beer. That alone is a mystery, but then something almost X-Files-worthy occurs.
IHOF: We get a neat aerial shot of the International House of Fedcakes, but considering the rumours this week about an American version of Torchwood, I offer up a different suggestion.
In interrogation, Don and David confront Butterfield about the times and dates Nancy allegedly collected information for the robberies. There's one slight flaw. Remember that throw-away line at the beginning when Nancy's going on about missing her flight? Yeah, well, the last time she supposedly accessed the lottery corperation's database was from a landline when she was 31000 feet in the air. That's one hell of a phone cord.
I'm feeling a bit like I did when I was little and watched Murder, She Wrote don't judge me. I'd spend the entire episode looking for that one, awkwardly tossed in seemingly-random line and then scream at the TV that the speaker of the line did it, ruining the mystery for my brother that you can totally judge me on. This time, it's the small clue that exonerates Charlie's new BFF.

Considering about the only thing Butterfield did to hide his connection to the robbers (as his number is all over the dead one's phone records, and well, just about everything else he's ever done in his life, apparently), was use Nancy's password, it didn't take the Fedcakes too long to pull down his house of cards, or lottery tickets.

Now the only thing Butterfield can do to make his situation a little bit better is turn over his partner -- the mathematical one. Hmmmmm.

Convenience Store 4: Who knew working in and around the government kept you honest? I mean, seriously, Mallory was the daughter of Bartlet's Chief of Staff. Butterfield was the head agent in charge of the President's security. Now, they're scamming the California Lottery Corporation. Although, I'd like to say that I would like some credit for providing the Fedcakes with the small piece of information about where our criminals met.

Can I just say that a good portion of this scene is filmed in what I believe would be called surrealistic, or the camera is on drugs mode.
Just as Mallory exits the store, winning ticket in hand, her surrealistic version of the universe, settles back into reality.
Pwned.

Sure, Mallory tries to play it cool, and stuffs the winning ticket into her shirt. Now the reason for sending out the two female agents to pick her up make sense. I think David or Don's sense of propriety would win over having to go in after it.

The justification for the crime includes having to deal with people who invest in getting their own lightsaber. Sorry, but I find that weak. I mean who wouldn't want to have their own lightsaber? That's not just me, right?

Oh, and for the record, it's Nikki who retrieves the ticket.

IHOF: The winning ticket is bagged for evidence, as Nikki, Liz, and David discuss who is going to benefit from the 5 million dollar windfall. As David needs to give some cool exposition and/or story in every eppesode, he provides us with the tale of the woman in Oregon, who bought a lottery ticket with a stolen credit card. Seizing authority got to keep the cash.

Now, while it's rather hehehehehe to have Artemas and Athena bicker over who is really the "seizing authority" I don't like to think my Fedcakes are really like that. Plus, it puts David in a really untenable position.
Plus, the seizing authority is the FBI, which was pretty obvious from the get-go. So, as David takes the ticket down to evidence, Liz and Nikki follow him -- proving that money can destroy plenty of things, even the trust of the Fedcakes. Wow, the last couple of times we had this level of distrust, Don was in therapy and, most importantly Colby was a spy (not theoriginalspy).

SQUEE!

Outside the IHOF, Don and Robin have a serious talk about their relationship. Sure, Don gives a great quippy answer about what Robin was coming back to after being in Portland for forever (forever as judged by my fandom time), "Me," but Robin's worried that long-distance and the lack of true commitment from having to deal with the everyday realities of a relationship, is as good as they're going to get.

I am not, in the least, amused by this. Discussion about the future is fine, great even. Discussion with such a negative tone, makes me worry. I don't like worrying about my OTP.

As Robin's not sure about how to how they're doing as a couple, Don tries to reassure Robin (and, vicariously, me) by responding "we're doing it."
Ahhhh. I'm not so worried anymore.

My fangirliness ramps up to 11. Well, let me rephrase that; my fangirliness was at 11, now it's got to be around 15.

La Maison d'Eppes: Alan, Nancy, and Charlie are discussing random lottery trivia, like the Bulgarian lottery picking the same numbers twice in a row. Intrestingly enough, the article I found on the incident says the odd of that occurring are 1 in 4 million, whereas Nancy says the odds are 1 in 5.2 million either of which are higher odds than my shout out. Uh-oh. This is a conundrum. Do I believe Numb3rs and its math, or the BBC? There has to be one deciding factor that will sway my belief.
Charlie scoffs at all the improbable math, so Alan hands his son a lottery ticket, jsut for the heck of it. For all of Charlie's abilities to figure out the odds when playing the lottery, he's crap at figuring out the odds of when he's the one getting played.

Nancy jokes, as Charlie scratches off the ticket, that he must be feeling "numerically violated." He's actually feeling rather chuffed, because he's won 10000 dollars, or at least, he would have, if his father wasn't playing a joke on him to get him to shut the hell up about people who play the lottery.

Plus, there's not a damned thing Charlie can do about it. It's not like Charlie can take Alan "out with differential geography," or "protractors... at 20 paces."
So, Charlie now has to accept that he's been pwned, by his own father. Even Nancy, his new BFF, sides with Alan. The eppesode ends with Charlie being taught a lesson about mocking those who play the lottery, or mocking his father, either one is valuable.

Looking forward to the next eppesode, Don learns a lesson of his own. That lesson? What happens when one can't bother to use a bloody answering machine!

Instacap: Numb3rs: Arm in Arms (Eppesode 612)

As Spy is currently recovering from beating her head against a wall for the better part of this eppesode, her tweeting has been copied and pasted for posterity.

Don, it's official. I'm revoking your phone privileges FOREVER. No love, Spy. #Numb3rs

Did Charlie just suggest outside the normal flow of time? Is time wibbly-wobbly and timey-wimey for you too? #Numb3rs

OMFG DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?

I am now going to pound my head into my wall and weep for several hours. Feel free to ignore me. #Numb3rs

I can, and will make a correlation between my current trauma and Don answering his phone. #Numb3rs

*bang, bang, bang, bang, bang* This isn't helping. #Numb3rs

Oh OttoBahn, believe me, I understand feeling traumatized. #Numb3rs

Liz, thank you for understanding your place in my universe. #Numb3rs

I know there's a plot . I'm sure it's a great plot but being traumatized, I can't really pay attention. #Numb3rs

I think David and I are both in need of serious hugs. #Numb3rs

Pigeonman: August 21 Amita: July 17th. My suggestion: October 12.

Better Alan pick the honeymoon than Buckley. #Numb3rs

I can now stop with the banging my head against a wall. I am slightly appeased. #Numb3rs

Why does Global TV in Canada not show the previews! #Numb3rs

Instacap: Numb3rs: Scratch (Eppesode 611)

An almost entirely onomatopoeic instacap:

Hum.

Eek.

SQUEE!!!!

GRR!!!ARG!!!

duh dun duh dun.

WTFWW?

SQUEE!!!!

Hee!

Ah-ha.

Ow.

Le sigh.

Uh-oh.

*gigglesnort*

Hmmmm.

Pwned.

hehehehehee

SQUEE!!!

Ahhhhhh.

Pwnedx2.

Percolated Recap: Numb3rs: Old Soldiers (Eppesode 610)

Recapper's Really Repetitive Reminder: Have you sent your letter to CBS? Also did you go on IMDb and look, or even add to, the Numb3rs page, to have its star meter rating go up? (According to inside sources, CBS actually pays attention to that.) Finally, have you signed the petition?

Before we begin, I would just like to say, (and this is not meant to be derogatory towards the actor, just the character because hating the Fonz should be illegal) I hate Roger Bloom. I really, really, loathe the man. He struts about like he's full of integrity, unless it suits his purpose. He is intolerant of everyone's failings except his own, and makes Colby behave like an idiot. If that wasn't bad enough, now he commits the ultimate crime in the Numb3rs-verse right after giving Charlie a buzz cut. He's an asshat to Alan. Yes, Alan is the bigger person in this situation, but you know what? I'm not.

Thus, the next time I see Roger Bloom (Because, there will be a next time, even if I have to send in 10937823 letters to CBS myself --which, could get costly, but is worth it), I expect that eppesode to also feature Edgerton, doing what he does best. Well, what he does best after oozing sexual chemistry at Nikki, anyone walking by, and random pieces of office furniture. If you get my meaning.
Fedcake Federal Reserve Raid / IHOF: Ah, the easiest way to know an eppesode will begin with a bang, is the sight of Fedcakes in Kevlar. Hell, Colby's even in uniform. Charmita's watching via vid feed at the IHOF. We even get a reference back to what is still my favourite eppesode of season 1. I think some higher power is trying to get on my good side, by reminding me about everything else that is awesome about this show, before inflicting me with Bloom.
Oh, and speaking of the Charm School Boys, the current robbers have learned from the epic failure of that less than merry band of thieves, and have tried to set up a red herring pattern. But, fear not, Charlie and his great mathematical divinations, have seen through that cunning plan and sent the Fedcakes to watch the Federal Reserve truck.

This whole development is enough to make David start chewing gum out of nervousness. Who knew comforting behaviours were infectious? Of course, this could be another example of David trying to model himself after Don, which we saw earlier in the season.

Judging by the overwhelming evidence of how often Charlie has been right in the past, I agree with the professor. The hail of gunfire might also be a huge clue, but really, it's my faith in Charlie.

After a lot of prop bullets, and dry ice disguised as tear gas were expended in the name of art, the Fedcakes win, not only because of Charlie and his math, but also, they had two secret weapons.

The second is Don, who was undercover as one of the drivers. Nikki jokes that his uniform makes him look like an Eagle Scout. For me, it's not the uniform, but the gas mask that reminds me of something else.
I know, I know, I shouldn't get my verses mixed up, but I can't control myself whenever a gas mask is shown.

IHOF: The Fedcakes are counting the money, but not in the way I think one should count it.
The machine keeps having trouble with old bills, but all these bills have something in common: and it's not, even though they're all from 1969, that they saw Woodstock. Nope, when Charlie (after calculating the odds that 4 bills from '69 would make it to 2009) checks the serial numbers, the FBI computer pops out a former character on Prison Break.
Unlike Amita, I knew the story of the original DB Cooper, but just in case everyone needs a review of the hijacking-parachuting invisible ransoming Cooper, here it is. My research skills, let me show you them. Oh, poor Amita, used as a vessel for the 3 audience members who didn't know the history. On the other hand, it does give Rosencrantz and Guildenstern a chance to give some exposition, so that's cool.

Title Flash.

The exposition continues, and we're given a more detailed account of the DB Cooper crime. David, fulfilling Larry's role of conspiracy theorist, doesn't tote the party line that Cooper died in his ill-advised parachute jump into a rainstorm over a forest of trees, and Charlie quickly agrees with him, but for mathematical reasons. He calls the original calculation "mathematical fondue," and this leaves me with one question: since when did fondue go out of style?

The one things they can rule out is the robbers' involvement with the DB Cooper money. Despite getting arrested, and probably going to prison where they'll meet Big Sal, they think the whole Cooper connection is cool, unlike fondue.

So let me get this straight, by Numb3rs' standards, DB Cooper is cool but fondue, which has its heyday around the same time DB Cooper was jumping out of an airplane, isn't cool. Now I'm just confused.

As Nikki reports to Don that the money's been exposed to hot, dry air, and drywall -- which, correct me if I'm wrong -- could be just about anywhere in California, Colby's got even more exciting news. He's found out who investigated the case, way back in 71: Roger Bloom. I'm sure Bloom's got a scapegoat for that too.
The phones in the IHOF go nuts, as someone leaked the DB Cooper connection to the blogs. Well, at least I can be all self-righteous and say that it wasn't my blog that leaked it. First of all, I'm not part of the fictional world where Fedcakes run around in Kevlar, inspiring fanfic. Secondly, I would've noticed if I'd finally gotten my shout out.

Nikki and Colby take off before the press deluge of the IHOF, but in what has to be the cutest team moment of the year, thus far, Nikki shoves Colby back into his chair to get a head start. I admit, I giggled, just like Nikki. Yes, Nikki giggled at that too. I guess her inner five year old, like mine, isn't quite so inner.

Bloom's: It's 6:30 the next morning, and Roger Bloom is in his bathrobe pondering how only Fedcakes arrive that early. I'm glad he only pondered on Fedcakes and not other people that randomly show up at 6:30 in the morning, for other reasons. No, I'm not apologizing for saying that. I had that unfortunate thought the third time I watched this eppesode, and I had to share my pain.
At first, Bloom's reluctant to help, because he's always Mr. Pouty McPoutypants, until Colby points out that the shiny new security consulting firm would get a lot (a phrase which here means shitload) of publicity if Bloom was involved with the solving of the DB Cooper case.

Thus Bloom has to take the time to explain the Numb3rs stamp on the DB Cooper legend. The hijacker actually got away with about a million, and the FBI found a corpse in a tree, not far from where it was calculated DB Cooper would land. See, sometime math, even if it is fondue math, produces results, even if it is a little cheesy. I'm sorry, that pun couldn't stay unwritten any longer.

The corpse in the tree (which so sounds like the title of an episode of Bones, doesn't it?) was one Eddie Sawyer, thief, Vietnam paratrooper, and suspected accomplice of DB Cooper. How does Bloom know Sawyer wasn't DB Cooper? It's unlikely Sawyer would stab himself, and then jump out of a plane.

Cal Sci: David's looking for a favour from Amita (not like that). He has a date to the symphony and needs help buying a suit. Apparently, he thinks all hist suits make him look too much like a Fedcake. I'd like to argue that point.
Listing all the people at the office, David implies that Liz is the only one he could've asked for advice, and he's probably right. Besides, imagine Colby's reaction when he finds out David's going on a date with someone else? (And now, I shall leave the rest of that speculation to talented fiction writers.)

Amita agrees to help, and not tell the little sister of the Fedcakes, Nikki.

Fedcake Federal Reserve Raid: Don learns there NO POSSIBLE WAY TO HIDE THAT MONEY, which, of course , means there's a way to hide that money somehow, and the only person who could've done it, is Wesley Till, the armoured car driver. The problem is, Wesley's been given a week off, due to the whole shooting and tear gas thing. Rather reasonable, I say.
Don doesn't think so, as his team was also in the vicinity of tear gas, and they're still working. I choose to leave that point alone.

Math Garage: Bloom is helping Charlie justify pulling out all of Don's old toys, and calculate the place DB Cooper went smuck into a grove of trees. Even the fondue math is right, and Cooper should be a pile of goo, the world's ugliest tree decoration, or a cannibal's fondue.
When Alan first arrives, Bloom ignores him, which is better than what he does shortly. All Charlie and Bloom can focus on is the idea that since no one saw Cooper jump, perhaps he didn't jump when they said he jumped because, let's think about that -- no one saw it.

This sets Alan back to his nostalgic getting arrested at sit-ins hippie days, when planes were hijacked all the time, and, how Cooper wound up as an anti-establishment folk hero, simply because he wasn't caught by the one thing so many people hated at the time -- the feds.

Cue the diatribe against what Alan wasn't talking about -- the disrespect for the people who died serving their country and following orders in Vietnam. Um, Bloom, I don't think Alan was talking about that. Alan even made a point about dividing up the "country" from the "establishment." Now, I know there's a slippery slope here as there is an unfortunate history for those who served in Vietnam, but no matter what Alan's opinions at the time, he's certainly not implying that here. I'm just saying that Bloom getting all snippy is a little out of order here.
Besides we were talking about folk heroes who steal money. There's a serious historical precedent here for people who go against the government and become outlaws. Robin Hood has had many a legend and laughable movie made in his name. Hell, Jayne Cobb even gets his own song!

Thank heavens for Charlie and his phobia of conflict, as he breaks up the argument before I crawl through the screen and squash Bloom like the annoying bug he is. Since no one saw Cooper jump, there was plenty of terrain only minutes later what would've been far less likely to result with a man impaled on a tree.

Since everything and everyone has to revolve around Bloom, he snarks about Alan's hero surviving and stomps out. Good, perhaps he'll take his ball and go home and GET THE HELL OUT OF THE SHOW!
Till's: Nikki and David get the job of interviewing the armoured car driver, which gives David another chance to shine at exposition. DB was actually a mistake in a newspaper that just got repeated. The thief actually called himself Dan Cooper, which also happened to be the name of a French comic book hero. Well, if there's one thing David should know, it's the comic world.
OR DOES HE???

As much as this pains me to say, my BFFedcake is equivocating. After extensive research 20 minutes Googling, David's not telling us the whole story. Sure Dan Cooper may have been published in France, and was written by a Belgian, but the character is actually French-Canadian. Thus, by David's simplifying of the story, and by the logic Bloom applies in this eppesode about how everything must relate back to him, no matter how tenuous the connection, I can only come up with one horrifying conclusion.

This was clearly an insult against me. Yes, I am Canadian, with the accent to prove it, and that the part of the story David left out. (Sure, he also left out the part about the Belgian author, but, by Bloom's Victimology, the other details do not matter.) Therefore, by leaving out that small, almost irrelevant detail, and Bloom's twisted logic, I'm allowed to be miffed throughout the rest of this eppesode.

Oh wait, other important things are happening -- like Wesley Till getting all corpsified on the floor, David finding where the Cooper money was hidden, and someone pointing a gun at David's head.
Fortunately, Nikki has excellent timing, and the gun-wielding man, who claims he's Ray Till, the dead driver's uncle. I don't believe him. I think he's a Cylon. My theory is proven valid by the events of this eppesode.

Nikki and David have the yucky job of informing Till (a phrase which here means, showing Till the bloody corpse of his nephew) about the death of poor Wesley. Till is typically stoic (a word which here means a CYLON).

IHOF: Till muses about how amazingly awesomesauce his nephew was. Wesley didn't care about money, didn't own a television, healed the sick, walked on water, and always ate the red smarties last. He was that kind of man. As for Till, He's surprised to have outlived his nephew, because he's got cancer.
Finally, because we need to know everything about this seemingly unimportant cylon man, he was a soldier in Vietnam. We know this because of a tattoo -- a reminder of one drunken night with his unit.

Out in the bullpen, David theorizes that Wesley was taking in the DB Cooper money, bit by bit, and exchanging it for the money that was supposed to be destroy. You see, his boss said they only counted his personal cash -- they didn't check the serial numbers. It was the only way to still make money off of cash that everyone (and their uncle, the cylon) has been looking for.
While this could work, it dosn't explain why there's still over 700 thousand missing. We have plenty of time to ignore that little detail, because Nikki might have something even bigger: Uncle Ray, the former paratrooper, is a good candidate for DB Cooper. It's the most rational explanation we've had thus far about how the hijacker could've survived the jump. It's hard to kill a cylon.

Nikki bets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern two burritos from the vending machine, that her theory is correct. You know, if I made that bet, I'd lose on purpose to avoid some nasty food poisoning.

In the midst of this investigation, Amita arrives, ready to go through some potential date-suit options with David. I think she missed the subtext from earlier which was if she picks it out, he will wear it.

Cal Sci: Charlie's having difficulty believing that Cooper survived, or would even try the whole stunt, considering the likelihood he would get all deadified. We get a Charlie-vision comparing Cooper a mouse who practically tap dances in front of an owl saying "eat me" because the risk wasn't worth the reward.

That is, as Don points out, unless Cooper just liked risky things. Or, of course, is a cylon.

For some reason the talk of adrenaline junkies is used as a segue for Charlie to relate the asshatishness of Bloom in regards to Alan. Now, personally, I don't think one needs a segue to relate when someone is that big of an asshole towards one's father, but the awkwardness of this lead in was nothing in comparison to the shock I felt about what happened next.

Don sided with Bloom.

All right, so since Alan wasn't talking about Bloom being a baby-killer, nor was he degrading any soldier's sacrifice during the war, and only talked about the government, Bloom still gets to go off on an unprovoked tangent? Don, you're clearly being used to try and show both sides of the argument, and it would be valid, if that had been the original topic of the discussion. Nope, instead, Bloom made it what Bloom always makes things about, whatever the hell it is he wants and screw the logic, thus voiding any wrong doing on Alan's part.

While I could rant about Bloom and his dumb-assery for the better part of a season 7, let me just sum up by saying that men like this should not be allowed to carry guns, ever.
IHOF: Well, now Vietnam is really in it, as Wesley Till kept sending money to a flower shop in an area nicknamed "Little Saigon." Thinking of Saigon, could we have a Miss Saigon moment where a helicopter swoops down, and takes Bloom away?

Also, the corpse that was found in the tree, shortly after the initial hijacking, was a member of Till senior's unit -- a unit accused of war crimes against a small, defenseless village.

Most important, it looks like Nikki's going to win the bet. She could totally turn it around on the boys by making them eat it, which would be far more dangerous than other eating games I've seen on other shows I love -- like "Mystery Crisper," for instance.

Public Library: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern commit the epic fail of stealthy surveillance.
David's surprised that anyone in the era of the wireless series of tubes, would ever use microfilm. Of course, he also thinks the mountains (where Till has been living) have internet service.

"I'm going to take you camping, if only for entertainment value," Colby snarks at his partner.

Now, that is what Colby said. That is not what some parts of the fandom heard. I believe it was more, "I'm going to take you camping, if only for the plot bunnies."

As Till leaves, and David heads off to get the car, Colby does something I didn't think was possible in a Bloom eppesode, earns the NPAL™. Believe me, not awarding it Bloom, hurts.

So, what does Colby do to cause me a great deal of mental pain? When asking the librarian (who thinks very highly of Till) for all the microfilms of old papers the suspect was looking at, the librarian innocently asks, "Do you have a library card?"

"Uh, I've been meaning to get one," Colby responds. Colby's you've been there for how long and you don't have a library card? You do realize that there is a serious correlation between hotness and reading for most women right? Colby Granger, you've just become a great disappointment.
I'll stop now before I start asking questions about what kind of role model he is now.

Flower Shop: On the way in, Bloom advises Nikki to be all deferential and polite, as it's rude to insult a shop owner in their own shop, in Vietnamese culture. Funny, I thought that was a universal standard.

That lasts for naught point two seconds, as Bloom digs into the owner, Tina, about receiving money from persons unknown. She snarks back that she had checked everything out, and even had a letter from the bank to avoid IRS issues. She gives the letter to Nikki, because Bloom is an ass.

It took me a moment, to realize where I recognized the actress from, and she's one of those actresses that's been in so much, it's hard to pinpoint. Well, hard for most people, for me, I'm going to refer to her as the character that not only introduced the actress to me, but also has a very interesting connection to my BFFedcake. That character: Brin, from Dark Angel.
Outisde, Nikki is impressed at Brin's ability to stonewall, and unimpressed at Bloom's ability to behave like a well-mannered human being.
He tries to make up for it by suggesting they go get some delicious Vietnamese food. I wish Edgerton would suddenly show up.

Epic Fail Stakeout: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern watch Till go into a bar. Unfortunately, that's not the start of a joke unless killing someone in said bar tickles your sense of humour.

IHOF: Till's victim was Wesley's killer. No one seems too torn up about that, but the Fedcakes are curious as to how Till solved the case before they did. Again, cylon.

Till's claiming the killer shot first, but again, no one really cares, particularly Bloom, as all he wants to talk about is the war. Till was the one who reported his unit for the massacre, and the results of which ruined his career. Funny, for all the vitriol Bloom spit at Alan earlier, Bloom doesn't do much for making the majority of the people in Vietnam sound heroic. He's far more derisive than Alan could ever have been. That's just Bloom though, change opinions mid-stream, to be able to sound more self-righteous.

Finally, someone who doesn't give a crap about Bloom's bullshit, Till will have none of it. They can either hold him or let him go, and the Fedcakes really don't have that much, since the bartender backs up the story that killer shot first. The problem is, that everyone wants to solve a classic case like this, so Bloom has an idea.
Let Till go. Whatever, I like Till better anyway.

With the Fedcakes dispersing, Don tries to have a talk with Bloom about the earlier argument with Alan. I've recorded the *headdesk* worthy justification here.

"I follow the rules all the time except for when I don't want to. Everybody else is doing whatever the hell they wantlike stealing 10 million. It might seem like ancient history to some people, to me, yesterday unless I'm in interview with a suspect."

Don does not respond as I hoped.
Instead, we get the story of when Don was 15 and made fun of someone in the neighbourhood, Alan got all appropriately parental, and taught Don not to disrespect others. Now, if only Alan could do that for Bloom.

The next morning, Amita is showing David her fashion choices, all of which happen to be in the boot of her car.
Since Beatles' classic isn't exactly David's style, he's wondering more about a pinstripe, or tweed. Amita's wondering why he came to her for advice in the first place, and Colby's wondering WTF is going on.
Crime scene: The real mastermind of the heist has returned to the bar where his partner was shot, to drink to his memory. That, or be really, really convenient for the Fedcakes to find.

Rosencrantz and Guildentern warn the Big Baddie (BB for short) that Till is out there, and he might just come after BB. Although, if anything does happen to Till, like getting dead, or a piano falling on his head, the Fedcakes will be there to arrest BB.
Happy Christmas music plays as the partners stroll out of the bar. Oh appropriately used irony, I love you.

Restaurant: Alan's still fuming over Bloom and I want to give him (Alan, not Bloom) a hug. Really, Alan, the king of Dipshitland doesn't deserve this level of thought. He's angry that Bloom wouldn't even listen to Alan's rational, and at the time, innocently random, thought.

And then it happens. It's like a disease with these characters. First Colby, and now, Amita, defends Bloom. Because I'm not the rational and kind person Alan is, I don't care what Amita has to say from this point on in the scene.
Amita at least acknoledges she's lost some daughter-in-law points. She's lost some snarky-recapper points too.

Charlie, who was wise to stay out of it, and know that Don is the odd person out in the family Eppes, starts fumbling through his pockets for a method of payment. Hmm, I wonder what geniuses carry in their pockets.
After that moment of humour, Amita goes back to being practical and semi-cool (full coolness will return when we're an eppesode out of her defending Bloom) and suggests Charlie pay with his Cal Sci ID -- as many nearby restaurants accept it. The concept of alternative cards causes Charlie to run out without paying, leaving Amita to do so. Considering the number of times throughout this series he's run out on her after having a brilliant idea, she's got to be used to it at this point.

IHOF: Poor Matt Li's been stuck examining the microfilms. That's like making a world class chef cook with a microwave.
He's hoping that Charlie will come up with an algorithm. At this point, that phrase has become such a euphemism, I giggle like an immature teen-aged girl. David tries to make him feel better by regaling him with the tale of the time David had to crawl through the sewers while his boss went to the beach. No wonder David wanted that promotion. Why? He remembers to appreciate Matt's suffering, only to then take off and leave the poor tech wallowing in microfilm.

Out in the bullpen, Nikki reminds us of the anonymous money transfers to Brin, while Charlie's practically jumping up and down like a 5 year old needing a bathroom because he has the solution. No, not to Matt's problem, but rather why DB Cooper would risk taking all that money when every bank in America was looking for it.

So, the solution is to look for places that like American money. Now, I may not be an economist, but that is pretty much everywhere, since almost every currency judges itself against the US dollar. As this isn't about everywhere else, and the time in question is 1971 -- this must be about Vietnam and the risk-reward ratio Charlie was on about earlier, is to save someone DB Cooper loved -- like a daughter. So now that we have almost all the answers, I'd like to throw another one into the mix.
Library: Bloom is picking up where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern left off in the epic fail at surveillance detail. Till quickly loses the former Fed and heads outside. At least one person in this eppesode hasn't caught the disease of feeling sorry for or needing to defend Bloom. Although, if Till caught it, he'd be waiting for him outside. Nope, instead, Till is driving away.
Flower Shop: Nikki's back to see Brin, this time, leaving Bloom and his winning personality (a phrase which here means shithead) elsewhere. It's a wise move, as Brin willingly answers that yes, she was born in Vietnam, but no, she doesn't know who her father is.

IHOF: The hours of slogging with technology older than him, has left Matt with a few clues, and probably one hell of case of eyestrain. The first important article is the report on the death of the guy in the tree -- and how he is survived by a son. The second important article is the death notice of the dead guy's wife -- and how the son is BB.

David makes a further connection. Wesley was killed to flush out Till, and this whole thing isn't about an age-old mystery or money. It's about revenge. Together, David and Matt have figured things out, so it's time to celebrate.
Flower Shop: Nikki goes outside to fill in Colby on the events leading to Brin's arrival in the US. A soldier gave her mother a tonne of cash and that can only mean that Brin has to be Till's kid. Before any other conclusions can be reached, shots ring out, and screams follow.

There's nothing that can be done. As Nikki and Colby make it to the back of the shop, BB is pulling away, with Brin as a hostage.

IHOF/Search Montage: As half of the Fedcakes are out looking for Brin and BB, Don's musing about a case where they couldn't find one girl in one house, never mind one woman in LA.
As for how BB and Till want this to play out, a few things are clear. It was Till who called out BB -- and Brin is the only leverage BB has. The problem is that they don't know the place for the showdown, unless Charlie can hurry up and figure out all the data points.

Or, on the other hand, Bloom can make himself actually useful and realize that it's the library. Why, oh why, did you have to make yourself useful. Seriously, couldn't David or Colby have come up with the idea?

Library: As BB blusters, Till keeps him occupied by telling him what really happened to BB's father, the hijacking, and the aftermath.

The story goes like this: Till was necessary as Sawyer didn't have the planning abilities for the job. Till went along with it as there were debts that needed to be paid. In truth, all Sawyer planned to do was kill Till, the second they were on the ground, so Till had to kill Sawyer in self-defense. Plus, Daddy-dearest was a bad bad man, selling army goods and raping innocent village girls, so guess what, Brin isn't Till's daughter, but BB's sister. All Till ever tried to do was make the evils done by Sawyer, right again. He even would've taken in BB as a boy, but now that Wesley's been murdered, BB must pay.
As Till and BB come face to face, the Fedcakes, and BB's partners, reveal themselves and a tragedy of literary proportions occurs.
As the arrests take place, Till does what he did in 71 -- check and make sure Brin is all right.

Outside, Bloom finally asks a question, and, I think, is willing to hear the answer. Till did everything he did because someone needed to take responsibility, a lesson Roger Bloom should take to heart.

Yet again, in the inexplicable Bloom love fest, Colby comments that with a 50 grand reward, and credit for solving the DB Cooper hijacking, Bloom will be buying dinner. This leaves me filled to the brim with fury and confusion.
Till also offers up an explanation as to where the rest of the money went; it was donated to Brin's hometown, to allow them to rebuild. It turns out Alan's original claim that DB Cooper was a folk hero isn't so far off from the truth. Suck on that, Bloom.

In a moment of magnamity, Bloom suggests that instead of taking in Till tonight, the man voluntarily come in and give his statement the next day. While I can't totally disagree with Bloom's actions, it's another case of Bloom doing whatever Bloom wants, without consulting anyone. Just because he finally got one checkmark in the morally right column, is beside the point. At least give the Fedcakes a hint you're letting an infamous fugitive take off to the mountains to die. It's not as if they haven't let things slide for the greater good in the past.
Bloom gets one other thing right by saying the Fedcakes have plausible deniability as "DB Cooper could never have survived that jump." It's plausible because very few people would know about the cylon thing.

Math Garage: Alan and Charmita are going through all the things from the 70s that will never ever go away, as plastic and polyester at permanent fixture now in history. Speaking of polyester, Amita finds herself a great piece of vengeance for David wasting all of her time.
As Amita exits, a cloud of doom descends on the garage, or, to put it another way, a forced reconciliation scene between Bloom and Alan. Bloom gets all philosophical about being a vet, while Charlie's solution of a watergun fight of vets versus hippies sounds much, much more appealing. Both older men dismiss the brothers Eppes as either a vet or a hippie.
Sure, now that everyone's made up Bloom can't leave it be, as his toast is extremely disturbing. "To scars, those we've already earned and those that are coming." So, instead of a nice and happy family moment all I can do is panic.