CBS show Scorpion's main character drives 240Z

[BadDog]

When I saw a commercial for this show a few weeks ago, there was a half-second interior shot of a guy holding a familiar steering wheel... sure enough, now that its aired, in the show's pilot he's driving a 240Z.
So, all of us emotionally detached IT geniuses who drive Z's should be flattered, I guess?
35 minutes in, and the show's not terrible. I am glad there aren't the typical ridiculously implausible technologies I see on other shows all the time. Well, there is the "hack a network in 5 seconds" crap, but it's only an hour TV show and you have to move the plot along .
I'm not sure why the waitress is driving him to the airport at high speed in her Golf rather than his Z... oh wait, I guess she can't drive a stick.

[Captain Obvious]

I didn't see it, but a friend mentioned this the other day.

Is this show a real thing yet, or was that just a pilot?

[psdenno]

. I am glad there aren't the typical ridiculously implausible technologies I see on other shows all the time.

You mean like when they drove the Ferrari under the low flying jet and connected the lap top to the ethernet cable hanging from the wheel well? Sorry, but they lost me at that point. The idea for the show is based on a real guy. His technology helped catch the recent Boston Marathon bombers. He's had quite a career that began by hacking into NASA when he was a kid. His real story is a little better than the first episode of the show.
Dennis

[FastWoman]

Oh, man! That was a dumb, dumb show! Whooohoooooo..... Why is it that smart people are always portrayed this way? I've known quite a few extraordinarily smart people, and none of them resemble these bizarre TV characters.

Hollywood!

But it was fun seeing a ratty 240 in a TV show, and I did enjoy this one episode. Sometimes bad is good, but only when taken in moderation.

Oh... and it was absolutely necessary to dangle the ethernet cable at 200 mph from the landing gear of the plane to the waitress speeding down the runway in the Ferrari, because setting the plane on the ground would have been impossible with air traffic control systems down.

[SteveJ]

Just call it Rainman syndrome, Sarah. I kid my wife that there are dramatic shows about doctors, lawyers, cops, firemen, etc., but where are the dramatic shows about engineers?

[BadDog]

You mean like when they drove the Ferrari under the low flying jet and connected the lap top to the either net cable hanging fron the wheel well? Sorry, but they lost me at that point. The idea for the show is based on a real guy. His technology helped catch the recent Boston Marathon bombers. He's had quite a career that began by hacking into NASA when he was a kid. His real story is a little better than the first episode of the show.
Dennis

yeah well, I hadn't gotten to that point in the show when I originally posted When I saw that I was like "I don't care if its a Ferrari on a runway, the handling at 200 MPH would be squirrely as hell especially seeing there's a jetliner above and ahead of it" and "at 200 MPH that woman would be looking like gumby if she tried to stand up out of the targa roof, let alone hold onto a laptop with one hand".
When I was talking about ridiculous tech stuff in my original post, I was referring to things like instantly doing a 3D rendering of a building interior *with animation* as described by a person in real time, all by pounding away at a keyboard for a few seconds, or hacking a government firewall with more keyboard flurries, etc., etc.

[SteveJ]

My wife started to question the female lead's ability to stand up in a car going 200 mph. I just shook my head and replied, "It's television." At least the Z is realistic.

[BadDog]

My wife started to question the female lead's ability to stand up in a car going 200 mph. I just shook my head and replied, "It's television." At least the Z is realistic.

Yes, the Z was indeed realistic At the end of the show when he hands the homeland security agent their list of demands for becoming employees, one of the things was "cool cars" or something to that effect. If the show was realistic at all, that would mean his Z would get restored and tricked out (that's what you would want too, right? Right!??!?!? ) Sadly, I doubt that will happen. It's CBS, so he'll probably be driving a 2015 Camaro ala Hawaii 5-0 from now on, and we will never see that Z again :-(

[cbuczesk]

Dwight from The Office drove a 280Z early in the series IIRC. After that he was in a Camaro.

Chuck

[Zed Head]

Looks like Dwight's car was actually a 280ZX.

List of cars owned by Dunder Mifflin employees - Dunderpedia: The Office Wiki

IMCDb.org: 1981 Datsun 280ZX GL [S130] in "The Office, 2005-2013"

[jackboxxx]

They have a pic up on IMCDb now..here is the Z....

[rcb280z]

Oh cool, a Z I said. My wife just shook her head and said "you knew it was a Z just from the steering wheel shot"? Yep and its a 240 I told her. At least they didn't drive the Z 200 mph under the airliner.

[FastWoman]

At least they didn't drive the Z 200 mph under the airliner.

No sun roof! The waitress would have to hang out the window or climb on the roof.... Oh, snap! Roof surfing! The dim-witted writer(s) really missed out on a great opportunity there!

[BadDog]

Oh cool, a Z I said. My wife just shook her head and said "you knew it was a Z just from the steering wheel shot"? Yep and its a 240 I told her. At least they didn't drive the Z 200 mph under the airliner.

You should've said "you should have noticed it first, that's the view from the passenger seat!"

[BadDog]

Okay so I watched the second episode, of course no Z. But wait, what's that in next week's preview?!?!?! Its a Z car tearin' ass out of a beach parking lot, with the main guy at the wheel! Hey... isn't that a 280? Did they think we wouldn't notice? I'm just stoked to see an S30 on prime time TV, and now I have to record this show every week

[FastWoman]

Its a Z car tearin' ass out of a beach parking lot, with the main guy at the wheel! Hey... isn't that a 280? Did they think we wouldn't notice?

I think that's the cool-car upgrade he was demanding from DHS -- a '77 or '78 with electronic fuel injection, baby!

I'd love to see how he hacks his analog ECU to overcome a hot restart issue as he is racing against time to reach the next server to foil some terrorist plot! Maybe we EFI folks will finally learn what to do, besides popping the hood and waiting for the engine to cool back down.

[BadDog]

He's already got a heat sink and ductwork w/cooling fan hooked up directly to a hood vent ;-)

Now I have to watch every episode in case someone asks why he is driving a near 40 year-old car to see what his "genius" reasoning is

At least they didn't kill of Robert Patrick's character ala Stargate Atlantis

[rcb280z]

Ah-man, I missed the second episode! Only wanted to watch it for more Z sightings. Bummer!

[FastWoman]

He's already got a heat sink and ductwork w/cooling fan hooked up directly to a hood vent ;-)

Nah, that would be too obvious and wouldn't invoke special effects. I'm thinking this: With a calm, smug demeanor, he pops his hood and waits for the engine to cool. Then he starts up. By this time, the nukes have already gone off over New York City, but no problem... The EMP would not affect his analog ECU so far away. The streets are eerily clear, as people have flocked to the nearest televisions to follow the news. He starts speeding down the road, reaching a critical speed of exactly 88 mph. The flux capacitor engages, and he is teleported far enough back in time to drive to his favorite WiFi hotspot (the diner), and hack the arming system of the terrorist nukes, reprogramming them to detonate at their launch sites. NYC is safe, and the terrorists are dust. Score another one for the Department of Homeland Security!

[BadDog]

Nah, that would be too obvious and wouldn't invoke special effects. I'm thinking this: With a calm, smug demeanor, he pops his hood and waits for the engine to cool. Then he starts up. By this time, the nukes have already gone off over New York City, but no problem... The EMP would not affect his analog ECU so far away. The streets are eerily clear, as people have flocked to the nearest televisions to follow the news. He starts speeding down the road, reaching a critical speed of exactly 88 mph. The flux capacitor engages, and he is teleported far enough back in time to drive to his favorite WiFi hotspot (the diner), and hack the arming system of the terrorist nukes, reprogramming them to detonate at their launch sites. NYC is safe, and the terrorists are dust. Score another one for the Department of Homeland Security!

Perfect!