(S03E13) Here we go again. Another Deadwood cast member makes an appearance on Numb3rs. I'm not against it -- everyone from the HBO show is a great actor. I just think it's funny how they keep popping up on Numb3rs. It must be a running joke for the producers or something:

"OK, we've landed Calamity Jane and Dan Dority. What are the chances of getting Swearengen to play a rival math professor of Charlie's?"

Add Titus Welliver (a.k.a Silas Adams) to that list. He played a crotchety NSA agent that reluctantly helped out Don and his team. I think they handled that story poorly though. Charlie was helping out the NSA instead of the FBI and that clearly put a strain on the relationship between him and his brother. I wish they had kept that tension going for a few more episodes as opposed to resolving it so quickly. Charlie and Don not getting along would have been an interesting to dynamic to develop.

Speaking of getting along, looks like Liz Warner is back for good now since she's been transferred to Los Angeles. It would appear that her and Don are an item now. I'm not sure I get the point of it though. We know Don is terrified of commitment and the writers are attempting to make this seem like some sort of forbidden love. Liz is set on keeping the relationship quiet, but what's the point? Someone will find out and it will more than likely fall apart. I could be way off but I just don't see the point of developing a story when the outcome seems predictable.

Another thing I'm not too high on is Millie and her place in the lives of the Eppes family. I went from disliking her, to liking her, to back where I started. She's too friendly now, especially with Charlie. I thought they were going to be mortal enemies as she continually tried to put the kibosh on anything Charlie worked on that was FBI related. I liked the way that was going. Now she's just sort of there, helping him out. Once again, my favorite question: what's the point?

Overall, the episode was decent. Nothing too interesting about the case either. Without David (where is he?) or Larry around, the cast feels different. But there have been some good additions. Aya Sumika seems like she'll be playing Liz for a while anyway and hopefully Joshua Malina will be back for a third (or would it be fourth?) appearance. I look at it this way. Numb3rs has become a successful drama but for that success to last, things need to change and stay fresh. Hence, the new faces. Now if only we could get this show moved to any night besides Friday.