{ Numb3rs, 3x16, Contenders. }

[delga]

So, this is David's only showcase of the season which SUCKS because David should have more showcases. On the other hand, the reason why he doesn't normally is because he's a worker bee, and he keeps things close. It's one of those things that I love about him - he's so steady, he's so focused and honest.

I don't know whether I pointed this out the first time I saw this, but I know I thought it: there are obvious parallels here to The Mole (3x04) where Colby comes up against an old friend of his; having now seen the season finale, all three episodes tell us important things about David and Colby, not only as people, but as friends.

It's Claudia who openly confronts the idea that David is running from The Bronx and from his past which, as I'm sure I pointed out during The OG (2x12), is so much of a cliché, and I also dislike how his showcases tend to be wrapped up in who he is according to race rather than, say, gender, or place in workplace.* That said, David is a bit of an everyman because who's to say that escaping your past is an ethnic trait - Claudia herself cops to it, and there have been gross hints that Megan did the same. I think what this episode sets up, though, are David's high standards, for himself and for the people around him.

We've always seen that David's cautious, and a bit of a rule-rider. He's the "straight-talking G-man", he's less used to bending the rules to his purpose than Colby who has a freer rein on those things. The first thing David does when he's in the mix is go to Don and Charlie. He's open about these things. Admittedly, he could be learning from Colby's mistake re: Dwayne, but I think he wouldn't have seen any point in hiding his friendship with Ben Ellis. Now, The Janus List suggests an ulterior motive for Colby not being upfront about his connection with Dwayne, but without knowing what happens in the season finale, you can create a distinct impression of David and Colby as people, one that's followed them since Judgment Call (2x01): these are two men who are complete opposites and yet somehow, through that, through their partnership, they've struck up a friendship. Colby wants to back Dwayne's play as far as he can; David doesn't think that he can afford to. Colby plays it fast and loose; David is straight and steady. Colby comes from a history of camaraderie, brothers in arms; David abandoned that. The juxtaposition of the two characters is never clearer than in this trio of episodes.

I think what is most touching, though, is how Colby has David's back in this, where normally it's the other way around (see the end of , and David rallying to Colby in The Mole). In the scene where David and Colby find Ellis after he evades arrest the first time, David is obviously in an insecure position, but Colby steps up, not only taking pressure off David to act, but reminding him that he has backup, that he has emotional and physical support. Colby is there for David all through the episode, and I love that so much because it speaks volumes about how much Colby respects David, regardless of whatever else is going on (re: The Mole/Janus List). What Contenders establishes, though, is that David's trust is a precious, precious thing. When you have it, you own it and you have to work to keep it because once you break it, that's it. I mean, David was conflicted when confronting Ben, but he was willing to take his personal wrongs onto himself, to admit, yes, I was wrong, I judged you too early. But Contenders establishes that there is only so far David is willing to go. If you break his trust, you lose his trust, endstop. So his response to Colby's name in The Janus List is so spot on, it's horrible. This time around, David can't back Colby: the fidelity is gone.

David's loyalty is often repaid in kind: in One Hour Don admits that whilst he was initially worried about David, he now trusts him completely. In Contenders, Don has to pull David back a little, but he also offers a support network that he didn't proffer to Colby in The Mole. David is loyal to Don because he believes the former to deserve it, and he is given that loyalty in return. All this is the same for Colby right up until the moment when David - and I pick him out over Megan, over Don, because he's Colby's partner, and he's liable to take these things to heart - is played by Colby. I'm really interested to see how that plays out in season 4 because David doesn't seem to be the kind to forgive easily, unless it transpires that he was in the wrong. So if there's some sort of reveal re: Colby in the season premiere, which likely there will be, it's going to have to be significant, and even then, trust has to be rebuilt.

Oh man: DAVID AND CLAUDIA. I love them so much. Even though we rarely see Claudia, I still feel like she's such a complete, whole person, and that her relationship with David is real, and human.

Other things this episode: heh, okay, I'll admit it; the poker tournament was a boring b-track, but I did like the pranks. Not much Megan this episode for obvious reasons, but her spectacles made a reappearance which: hee. No Millie/Milly; no Liz. Don was pretty awesome this episode, not just because of his (justified) support of David (in that way, the two are fairly similar, because he is loyal to David on the unspoken condition that David is loyal back; the only difference there is that he's David's superior, whilst Colby is David's equal), but also because of that scene where he's facing off with Austin/Ostin, the fight co-ordinator. He was all boss!Don, and it was awesome to see him be so in control after a couple of episodes where he's been doubting himself.

* I've said before that the producers have a hard time constructing female characters; I'm actually fairly willing to extend that to every character that isn't white, male middle-class. I say this based on Amita's showcase (2x14, Harvest) as well as David-centric ones, not to mention any time the show is confronted with suspects who aren't W/MC/A. You can argue that with me; I'm open to being persuaded otherwise. I mean, I'm impressed by the casting range on the show, it's the roles that make me hesitant.

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As you can tell, I'm rewatching episodes so that I can screencap them. I don't know what it was about watching them the first time around, but I'm really enjoying the rewatch. I remember liking this episode the first time, too, especially because of The Mole but I guess it has a stronger impact post-finale. Anyway, it's a good feeling just to watch and appreciate the episodes for what they are, and I really hope David gets more episodes next season because he's such a wonderful character. He deserves to be more than the guy whose bzuh? face is the cue for one of Charlie's overblown math metaphors.