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Charlie and larry are perceived to be intellects yet the writers are only concerned with math algorithms ... personally i don't think krumholtz or macnicol could solve a simple geometry problem let alone complex calculus or astro physics problems ... and fluid mechanics is a totally separate field ... all the chalk scribblings on the blackboards are rubbish ... and a so called genius like charlie that knows what an anomaly is can't spell it ... i watch this show for the ugh value

This episode gripped me more than others I've seen because it seemed to get more personal. I really engaged with the family that was at the center of the storyline. The mother (played by guest star Rachel York) and the younger son were especially sympathetic. I also thought that the math came across as less academic in this episode. It hit on themes that are familiar to everyone. The show seems to be moving in a direction that reveals more of the human side of its regular characters. Don, in particular, really connected with the family, especially the mother. He seemed to want to catch the freeway attacker not just because it's his job but also to put the mother and her two sons at ease.

I enjoyed this one because it took a great deal of deduction to solve the problem. After going over all the usual efforts to come up with a perpetrator, they moved into the human element. The issue of randomness is explored in a good way with tenacity winning the day.