The plot for the season finale of Numb3rs, was based on Pakistani Americans and featured a bunch of desis. Plot predictably goes something like this:
2 Pakistani Americans are kidnapped and killed. Meera Simhan (Date Movie, Iron Man, Turbans) is the wife of one. Ravi Kapoor (Crossing Jordan), a Pakistani American scientist, is arrested by the FBI in connection with these murders, and surprise, a terrorist plot, because he emailed some sensitive research material to a University in Pakistan.
The bad guy, initially thought to be Pakistani, turns out to be a former IRA operative, in brownface, who has infiltrated a Pakistani American charity group. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, either this guy has some disorder or that is the worst job ever of trying to pass a white guy off as a desi”. Turns out there was a reason, he was a white guy dressed in brownface. Of course, all the inherent fear and stereotyping was on full display but I thought Numb3rs did a reasonable job of, for once, showing both sides of the argument, Charlie’s brother as the FBI agent indulging in stereotyping and Charlie out to prove they are wrong. In the end, even though his name has been cleared in the murders, the Pakistani American professor played by Ravi Kapoor is still detained by the FBI, for the documents he emailed to Pakistan. The show ends with Charlie, probably putting his own career on the line, by emailing the remaining research documents to Pakistan and getting arrested for it.
Did anyone else watch this episode? If so, please share your thoughts and opinions.

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