Henceforth, you are to be my binary messenger …
Summary: A delusional cult leader is the prime suspect in a kidnapping involving Amita.
Original air date: May 15, 2009 (US)
Written by: Ken Sanzel
Directed by: Alex Zakrzewski
Opening numbers:
275.00: ?
00.60: ?
3.00: ?
0.28: ???????
Family Concepts: (character development)
- Charlie proposes to Amita
- NOTE: The computer IP address of 275.3.6.28 is not a valid IP address.
Episode Quotes:
- Nikki: We’re the devils?
Larry: For the purposes of this particular game theory. - Larry: I’ve always fancied myself more of a Mycroft than a Doctor Watson.
- Colby: I’m not one of those who needs to be running, jumping, and kicking in doors or anything …
David: Really? - Larry: Actually, there is no proven correlation between physical proximity and promise of result.
Nikki: What?
Liz: It’s not gonna go any faster with you looking over his shoulder.
Nikki: Will it go any slower? - Amita: My book will be called Two Days with the Computer Illiterate!
Episode Synopsis:
The episode begins at the same point where Greatest Hits ends: Amita is kidnapped and Charlie calls Don giving him a description and a partial license plate number for the car used to take Amita. Don alerts campus police and LAPD as well as the FBI to what has happened and heads to CalSci. While at the university with Charlie, Don is notified the Jeep Charlie reported has been spotted and LAPD, along with Colby and David are in pursuit. Charlie comes with Don and the pair arrive at the scene right after the Jeep crashes and explodes. Two bodies are in the car, both female.
Charlie is convinced Amita was in the Jeep when it exploded, Liz waits at the coroners office to get identification on the two bodies, it turns out neither of the women in the car are Amita. Colby and David are checking CalSci for any evidence when they meet Agent Edgerton. Ian shows them where someone waited and watched Amita’s office probably for several days before the kidnapping. This person also whittled several pieces of wood while watching her, leaving the shavings and the bits of wood at the scene. Edgerton then tells Don and the FBI team about Mason Duryea, a highly intelligent psychopath who has collected a group of women into what he calls a tribe.
Larry points out there are several places where the Jeep could have stopped and moved Amita to another car. While he explains his idea, Charlie leaves the room, unable to think of any ideas to help find her. Larry’s idea of angels and devils leads Liz and Nikki to a warehouse; they also meet Agent Edgerton who has tracked the car back to the warehouse from where it crashed.
Amita is brought to a salvage yard where she meets Mason Duryea. Duryea wants Amita to hack into the Farmer’s American Bank and empty out the accounts. Amita starts to work, but soon claims she needs the laptop from her office in order to make the job go faster. Duryea warns her about stalling but eventually has two women of his “tribe” go get the computer.
Back at the FBI building Charlie gets a call from his credit card company that several fraudulent charges have been made on his card. Charlie, understandably, can’t think enough to really understand what the company is saying about charges on his card and Alan takes over the call. When he comes back, Alan comments on the weird things people buy with stolen credit card numbers, mentioning the mantle clock, antique tea set, a snow globe and a snow board, that were charged to Charlie’s account. Charlie realizes, the charges were never made, it’s Amita sending him a message to watch her office. Colby and David are sent to watch CalSci and soon find Piper St John coming out of Amita’s office with the laptop. They follow her and arrest her, though the other woman in the car is shot and killed.
David is convinced Amita has more than one message for Charlie and tries to get the professor thinking. David shows Charlie the actual numbers of the fraud charges made, and Charlie realizes the numbers match the IP address of Amita’s private network. She hasn’t hacked into anything at the bank, but has done enough to make it look like she is hacking the bank’s systems. David tells Don they can try to trace Amita, but it might take hours. Larry has been looking at the bits of wood left at CalSCi and works out they are pieces of a puzzle. Don goes to Piper telling her she is the weak link in Duryea’s plan and that Amita has replaced her in the tribe. Piper doesn’t believe him, but does give the FBI the address of the salvage yard.
Don and the FBI team start to work their way through the yard, meanwhile Charlie is trying to help Amita covertly to make it look like she succeeds in hacking the bank systems and draining the accounts. Edgerton reports he cannot get a clean shot at Duryea as Amita and several home made mannequin bombs are in the way. Charlie realizes he can talk to Amita through the dummy web site and types to her to duck. As she moves out of the way, Edgerton is able to take his shot, wounding Duryea, and killing another of the women in the “tribe”. Soon after reuniting, Charlie asks Amita to marry him.