Obsessed with Bones

Bones Season 4 DVDs: The Extras

2009-07-15T12:36:00.002-04:00

TVShowsinDVD has the extras information for the Bones Season 4 DVDs.

What do you think? I for one want some commentary! But, according to Hart Hanson - they think no one likes that anymore. Pshaw!

Bones Season 4 DVDs: More Information

2009-07-13T05:10:00.002-04:00

The covers both the standard and blue-ray editions of the Bones Season 4 DVDs (Body Bag Edition) is now out.

Emily Deschanel: Fashion Face-Off

2009-07-12T15:45:00.002-04:00

It seems that Megan Fox is not the only one up against Emily Deschanel in a fashion face-off. All 3 have been seen wearing the same shirt. While Megan Fox pulled ahead on people.com, it seems that Emily Deschanel still beats out Charlize Theron in the magazine release.

Thanks Ninirific!

Guest Episode Review - #105 "A Boy in a Bush"

2009-07-12T06:14:00.004-04:00

Time for the next Bones Season 1 Episode review: A Boy in a Bush! If you want to start at the beginning here are my Season 1 Bones Reviews from last summer:

# 079 - "Pilot" - My Review
# 101 - "A Boy in the Tree" - My Review
# 102 - "The Man in the SUV" - My Review
# 103 - 'The Man on Death Row" My Review

Guest Reviews so far:

# 103 - 'The Man on Death Row" - Meryl
# 104 - "The Man in the Bear" - ForensicMama

This review was written by Bekka.

If you have committed to a review, please check the list and, if your time is coming up soon, please email me your review or an eta on when you might have it, thanks!

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
A Boy in a Bush

In addition to this being the first Bones episode I ever watched, this is my favourite episode of Season 1 and one of my Top 10 for the whole series. It has everything in it: the realistic science, the drama and intensity, the light-hearted comedy, and tons of character development. In my attempt to write a well-rounded review, I have noted some things that I didn’t like, but they are more like pet peeves:

* For some reason in Season 1 the writers felt the need to address in every episode why the current case has fallen to the FBI. Does it really matter?
* The Angelator has sound effects. Why is this necessary? Considering Angela is already squeamish with these things I don’t really think she would have programmed the Angelator to have sound.

As for the case in itself, I can’t decide if I like the way it played out or not. It was definitely not as unique and engaging as some cases (such as “The Man on Death Row”) but it wasn’t exactly the standard “red herring” plot either. Something I do like about the case (and some of other earlier ones) is how Brennan pieces together missing clues from random personal incidents, such as Booth crushing a pencil. Something that in retrospect is totally obvious – Charlie’s ribs were crushed instead of smashed – is completely overlooked by everyone (including Brennan, who is not infallible) until something happens that triggers a “Eureka!” moment. Coming to conclusions that way is much more realistic, I think, and I’m glad they throw that in once in a while.

Now onto the heart of the episode, which is the emotional aspect. Every episode balances the emotion with the science, the brain and the heart, but one always dominates and A Boy in A Bush is a heart episode. This entire episode is all about the humanity and empathy the characters have for the cases and for each other. The drama in this episode is just brilliant. This episode really plays up the character aspect of the show, and the actors all did a great job. What highlights this for me especially is Brennan and Sean in the interrogation room at the end: it is just so intense and sad. Also we really get to see a lot of Brennan’s true character, unfettered by the need for objectivity and detachment, but I’ll talk about that later.

Zack is showing a little more of his human side in this episode: he is obviously disturbed by working on the bones of a murdered child. Brennan helps him figure out a way to get past it and work towards solving the case. He wants it to be easier, he wants to be able to dismiss it, but as Brennan states, it never gets easier. But she helps him to pull back, to use rational thinking, focus on the details, and become the objective scientist we know and love. He then tried to pass on that wisdom to Booth later. But it just shows that he cares about his friends and wants to help them, like he was helped. Side note: Love the frilly purple shirt at the end! He is so dorky! Also I love his nonchalance at describing Hodgins’ house, as if everybody lives like that and it’s no big deal.

Speaking of Hodgins’ house: we learned something big about Hodgins in this episode. So far all we have seen is the goofy conspiracy nut, but in this episode we also learn he is sitting on quite a bit of money. With this development we also get some insight into his personality. He may be rich and sometimes obnoxious but he is a good guy and he doesn’t want to boss anyone around. He just wants bugs and slime, just to be Jack Hodgins who works in the lab. He doesn’t want anybody to treat him differently just because he has money that he inherited, and obviously he has strong emotions about this, which is evident when he snaps at Angela for poking into his life. He doesn’t like when Angela threatens that attempt at normalcy. Also, his threat to Zack and his plea to Booth and Angela to keep his secret demonstrate the passion he has for his work. And of course, Angela steps in to save the day for Hodgins at the end by backing up Booth, which shows how she is kind and helpful, even when Hodgins burned her. She understands how he feels and doesn’t question it. That’s why we like Angela.

Normally Angela is the spark and the spunk of the episode, and she brings in her wry humour to make the grotesque bearable. Maybe I’m just used to the newer Angela who learns to cope and make cheery comments on gore, but she just seemed too much of a Debbie Downer in this episode. Most noticeably: her cringing away from the Angelator sequence and then apologizing for it. Everyone was sad, but her reactions just seemed a bit too extreme to me. However, it did provide the possibility of Angela leaving the Jeffersonian, which gave more chances for Brennan to show what a good friend she is. I did like when we saw Angela’s empathy and her ability to read people. She is totally observant with Hodgins and his rubber band, and she even tries to talk to him about it. Also, her flirty attitude when trying to get information from him is so perfect. She knows she’s got sex appeal and she uses it to her advantage. But Hodgins is (supposedly) a ladies-man, so he knows what she’s doing and throws it right back at her without giving any information. Brilliant. :) I read somewhere that Hart Hanson etc. wrote in the Angela/Hodgins relationship for Season 2 based on what had budded in Season 1. I never saw it before, but now I realize this episode is full of little hints.

Finally, we reach Booth and Brennan. Booth is always the emotional one, so this is nothing new. In fact, in this episode he seems a little more detached. Everyone else seems so hung up on the youth of the victim, but Booth seems to be treating it like a regular case. Normally, he makes some comment like, “We all die a little on this one,” but not in this episode, which seems especially out of place considering that we now know he has a four-year-old son. But perhaps it is just relative to Brennan’s intensity and fervor: their roles seem reversed. I like how sweet and goofy Booth gets with the Cook kids; he is a family man at heart. (And he still gets information from them). Booth gets the most passionate about Bones in this episode. He is afraid he will lose her because she doesn’t follow the rules, and she won’t be allowed to work cases anymore. He is obviously flattered when she says she will respect him if nothing else. That scene, plus Booth flirting openly with Bones at the college talk and teasing her about her car, plus the obvious ogling her in her evening gown and stumbling over his words equals enough sexual tension to satisfy my desire for romance.

And now to Brennan. For someone who prides herself on emotional detachment and putting aside her feelings, she really didn’t set a good example in this episode. At first it is a regular case for her, but she is expressing her empathy as a good friend and mentor, comforting Zack and Angela on a difficult case. But when Margaret Sanders becomes suspect and the Cook kids are taken away, she gets fired up. This is one issue where she can’t let go. She is too emotionally invested in the foster care system and the children who suffer through it, and that motivates her throughout the case. The epitome of this fervor is her argument with Booth in his office. She knows that Margaret Sanders did the right thing by saving the baby; she knows using her feelings and her empathy from the Cook kids is what is driving her. So there she is using her heart, and Booth is using his brain against her, “I bet you can give me a dozen examples of societies that have killed their own young.” He’s Booth, and he knows that Ms. Sanders didn’t do it but he knows it’s possibility that he has to eliminate and he has to go through channels. She has to be reminded what side she is supposed to be on. So he uses logic and she doesn’t like that. “Do you have any idea how bad the foster care system is?” “Do you?”

This is not the typical Brennan that we see but it is true to her personality. Her scene in the interrogation room with Sean was moving; props to both actors. This scene is just so good, so powerful. Her connection with Sean and David… she knows exactly what has happened because she has felt the same things that they have. Also, her complete and utter faith in Booth to do the right thing and to help her; already she has a bond with him and a great trust in him. Their relationship is solid now.

There is so much more I love about the episode, but I’d have to go through line by line and not all of my joy can be written down. So I will leave you with some awesome quotes:

Booth: I have a question regarding the role of the FBI in your book. Who do you base brilliant and insightful Special Agent Andy Lisser on? Because, you know, I’m pretty sure it was me.

Brennan: (on suburbia) It’s fascinating.
Booth: Fascinating to who?
Brennan: To whom.

David Cook: How are you gonna figure it out?
Booth: Oh, I’m in the FBI. We always figure it out.

Booth: You’re actually one of them, aren’t you?
Angela: One of who?
Booth: A squint! I mean, you look normal and you act normal, but you’re actually one of them.

Angela: I’m a good time girl.
Brennan: We have good times.
Angela: Cracking jokes over murdered skeletons is not good times.

Booth: Kay, you can’t see the guy’s face… maybe you can grab a reflection.
Zack: Now that’s a workable idea.
Booth: I’d say thanks, you know, if you didn’t say it like it was some kind of miracle.

Hodgins: I recognize that look.
Brennan: What?
Hodgins: You’re writing another book. When you write you get this stunned look on your face like you just stuck a fork in a toaster.

Angela: I thought we were close. All of us. What else don’t I know? Is Zack from another planet?
Hodgins: Oh come on. That one’s obvious.

Hodgins: Zack has been informed that if he tells anyone who I am, I will kick him out on the street like a stray dog. Sadly, there is nothing I can threaten you two with.
Angela: Yeah, that’s a shame.

Goodman: You are the best of us, Ms. Montenegro. You discern humanity in the wreck of a human body. You give victims back their faces, their identities. You remind us all of why we’re here in the first place. Because we treasure human life.

Goodman: Oh for God’s sake!
Brennan: What happened?
Zack: Apparently all Angela needed was to hear her job description in a deep African American tone.

Zap2It TV Polls

2009-07-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Zap2It is filling the summer with various TV polls. The first set is out. Bones cast members appear in two polls:

Best Boss (Brennan)
Best Co-Worker (Hodgins)

Wouldn't Cam be a little peeved?

And, why is Booth not in this one?!

Stephen Fry on Top Gear

2009-07-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

I don't know how many of you have seen it, but the British TV Show Top Gear is a really great show, even if you care nothing about cars. A week or two ago, Stephen Fry posted a picture on his Twitter showing him getting "stigged up" to film his appearance as the weekly "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car." It has already now aired, and the video appears on Youtube. The only downside? No Bones mention!

Hart Hanson on the continuing saga of Emily's broken toe

2009-07-10T18:15:00.002-04:00

Hart Hanson continues to tweet about Emily Deschanel's misfortune:

Extreme Spoiler Chat: Bond in the Boot

2009-07-10T18:03:00.002-04:00

Sides are out for Bones Season 5 episode 2: Bond in the Boot. Here, you can comment about ANY spoilers related to this episode. It's FFA and spoiler-phobes stay away!

SpoilerTV
BonesSpoilers Blog

View all Spoiler Chat Posts

Hart Hanson on the first scene shot of Season 5

2009-07-09T10:07:00.001-04:00

Hart Hanson tweets about the first scene being shot for Bones Season 5. Spoiler warning.

Reminder: Guest Reviews

2009-07-09T05:44:00.003-04:00

Just a quick reminder about the guest reviews. I want to post one every couple of days. If your committed review is one of the next few in line, now's your time! Please email it to me, or let me know when you might have it done. If something changes and you can't do it, the sooner you let me know the better so that one of the other willing people might step in and do the review and keep the flow going. I've updated the list with which reviews I've received. If you still see 'commitment' next to yours, and you've already emailed it, please let me know.

Thanks!

Browsing Around: Hart Hanson & Stephen Nathan

2009-07-09T05:24:00.002-04:00

Browsing around twitpic after posting this a few minutes ago, found this picture:

TJ Thyne's on Facebook - Bones Season 5 begins

2009-07-09T05:22:00.002-04:00

TJ Thyne on Facebook a few hours ago:

Tj Thyne
is working on Jack Hodgins scenes for shoot day 1 in the AM tomorrow. Shuffle Complete...Bones Season 5 begins...Had a blast in NY! THanks for all that came out to play while I was there!

Edit: at 6 am local time he posted on twitter that he was heading to the set. Early work!

Booth's Socks

2009-07-09T05:18:00.001-04:00

Bones producers talk serious about Booth's socks.

Source

TVGuide (Sorta) Scoops

2009-07-08T19:50:00.001-04:00

TVGuide talks to Hart Hanson and a former recurring guest star about 'possibilities.' Nothing is set, but spoiler warning nonetheless.

Eric Millegan: Poker Playing and More

2009-07-07T15:03:00.001-04:00

X17 has a video of Eric Millegan at a poker tournament. It's not an official interview, but the guy asks him a lot of questions!

Here's hoping good things come for Eric out of that audition!

Guest Episode Review - #104 "The Man in the Bear"

2009-07-06T08:20:00.005-04:00

Time for the next Bones Season 1 Episode review: The Man in the Bear! If you want to start at the beginning here are my Season 1 Bones Reviews from last summer:

# 079 - "Pilot" - My Review
# 101 - "A Boy in the Tree" - My Review
# 102 - "The Man in the SUV" - My Review
# 103 - 'The Man on Death Row" My Review

Guest Reviews so far:

# 103 - 'The Man on Death Row" - Meryl

This review is written by Sarah, aka ForensicMama of the Bones Spoilers blog.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The Man in the Bear

Imagine my shock (and delight) when I saw that we were being invited to do reviews and imagine how happy I was to see that nobody (and I was surprised at this!) had chosen The Man in the Bear yet! This is the fourth episode of Season One and in my opinion, the first winner of the series. If anyone was watching for the heck of it, then I’m sure that they were hooked with this episode. Even Hart Hanson was quoted as saying that with this episode, they realized that they really had something. And I’ll show you exactly why that’s true!

The episode opens with these two lovely folks.

Meet Eat-Your-Heart-Out-Metaphorically Denise and Likes-to-Eat-Bears-Literally Sherman. One is digging through dead bear carcass and the other is trying (unsuccessfully) to get her to stop. Good thing she didn’t listen to her gut (our ours!). She kept digging away and was lucky to discover this little gem.

Let’s start with the background music. The music in these earlier episodes conveys more of a serious tone. The music in the more recent episodes make one take note of the light hearted banter and joking. In these earlier days there were much darker jokes and humor. By the fourth episode Booth and Brennan were developing the relationship of today, chock full of light flirting, sarcasm, and bickering.

Booth: An autopsy revealed more bones in the bear’s stomach and intestines.
Brennan: An autopsy on an animal is called a necropsy.
Booth: Yeah, you know, it’s pretty crucial we get that straight right off the back.

Brennan is quick to ask sarcastically what Booth needs her for. Booth explains how the case was bumped to him and he hands Brennan the flash drive. I love how these two play off one another. Nowadays it’s probably second hand to them, but even in these earlier episodes, they’re a fantastic acting duo.

In this scene we get the first dose of high-octane flirtation for this episode. Brennan says that they bumped it to him because he works with her. They exchange some words, but beneath the exchange is a heat that will soon make the interactions between these two one of the hottest things on TV. They smile and Brennan examines the photos. This whole bit where Brennan talks about kerf marks reminds me of one of Kathy Reichs’ earlier novels. A certain somebody was doing his reading!

Brennan gives her diagnosis. And my favorite part? Booth reiterates, “Somebody was dismembered and fed to a bear.” Brennan replies, “That’s one possibility.” Booth makes a face. It seems that even four years later, this kind of gruesomeness still reaches the soft heart (and stomach) of our favorite FBI Agent. And Brennan? She’s still unaffected. She’s become quite versed at putting her heart in a box when it comes to corpses and dead people.

Their little chat ends with Booth saying to Brennan (after she objects to going to Washington State) that, “Just because you say it in that definitive tone doesn’t mean it means anything.” Then we get that gorgeous charming smile of his which is probably insured for a million dollars by some Hollywood insurer. He’s adorable, even with that stupid Season One hairdo and wardrobe. We’ll forgive him and blame it on the Wardrobe Department. By the end of this scene, viewers can’t help but to want to root for them in every facet possible. Brennan is difficult, Booth is charming. And if they weren’t so much fun to watch we wouldn’t have any issues turning off the television!

Note the next scene: Full of Brennan-like naivety and Bones-like humor. Brennan doesn’t waste time complaining to her superior, Dr. Goodman. She says that Booth has the authority! Booth has a gun! He’s the one people like!

Brennan: And secondly?
Goodman: Secondly, it’s time to live a little, Temperance. Connect with other people.
Brennan’s face is priceless.
Brennan: Are you suggesting that I take this opportunity to have sex with Booth on a field trip?
Goodman: Good God, where is Dr. Freud when you need him?

Too bad Sweets was still a fresh-faced college kid in 2005. He would’ve wet his pants with that exchange.

In exactly four minutes and sixteen seconds, we’ve gotten doses of gore, humor and romance. We’re already hooked. We’re intrigued with the whodunit and the will-they-won’t-they elements of this show. No wonder Hart Hanson knew he had something good on his hands with this episode!

Then we’re on the road. Our first official Bones Road Trip. Booth and Brennan are talking and Booth says he gets only fifty dollars a day. Brennan doesn’t get a limit. It seems that this is how our Hero will always be treated. He saves the day and he gets to stay in crappy motels and eat lukewarm motel food. They bicker back and forth. We grin throughout it all. Can these guys get any funnier? And to think that David and Emily do this back-and-forth a lot to warm up for their parts. But at Episode Four, these two are still getting used to being around one another and luckily for viewers, it really doesn’t show that much.

Booth: You know, you’re really a smart a--, you know that?
Brennan: Objectively I’d say I’m very smart, although it has nothing to do with my a--.

Booth tells Brennan she can take him out to dinner and put him on her tab. She says that’s not very ethical, but Booth dangles a gun (metaphorically) in front of her face. This is the Brennan of Season One. The Brennan who likes to shoot things, people, targets and other objects. Of course she took the bait! “We’ll start with breakfast.”

These two were fun to watch from the start. The opening of the very next scene starts with Booth saying, “Small town America. Gotta love it.” Brennan is quick to say, “This is not a small town. Chontala, Guatemala, 150 people. That’s a small town.” She takes things way too seriously. She’s literal to the bone and funny as ever to watch. I’m sure there were some people who were turned off by her literal nature, but the way that these two characters contrast one another leads to endless amusing and interesting situations.

Interesting situations as in this big revelation of Booth’s past:

Brennan: What took you to Guatemala? Ecotourism?
You could tell that Brennan was trying to get to Booth through sarcasm, but Booth doesn’t flinch.
Booth: I went down to shoot somebody through the heart from 1500 feet.

Have you ever noticed that there’s a bit of a formula for Bones episodes? The formula is the same as ever in Episode Four. We’re given a sneak-peek at the killer and two of the potential suspects immediately in Denise, Sherman, and Dr. Rigby as Brennan examines the hand. Brennan reveals that she sees saw marks and once again, there’s one of my favorite quotes from Sherman, “That’s not good. People gettin’ sawed up and ate by bears.”

Brennan goes to ship off her box of body parts and she and Charlie the Overnight Guy flirt lightly. Where some women might think, ‘He’s below me intellectually,’ Brennan holds no romantic illusions concerning romance and relationships. If anything, Charlie the Overnight Guy is nothing but a set of perfectly developed hips. But what do we really get out of this scene? The fact that Temperance Brennan isn’t just a walking talking brain. She is also beautiful and sought after by the male populace. This, in turn, adds to the famous Booth/Brennan romantic tension we’ve all come to know and love.

Then we get the first peek at our Squints of the episode: Zack and Angela. Poor Zack is so hard on himself because he can’t figure out the kerf marks by photograph alone, but Angela promptly reminds him after suggesting he upload the info to her mainframe that Brennan couldn’t figure it out either when she was a lowly grad student. But as she walks away she calls him Z-Man. I can’t remember another time she calls him Z-Man. But you gotta love Angela for nicknaming people (Z-Man, G-Man, Bren…). She’s really such a spunky character and a nice contrast to the brainy scientist-types, which is one of the reasons why Hart Hanson created her. But it seems that she’s become less witty as the seasons have worn on. Or maybe she’s just more of a round character than in Season One. Not just a pretty face to crack jokes. I haven’t decided yet. What do you think?

Booth goes gum-shoeing. He talks to the Sheriff who does a great job, along with the setting, to make us feel like we really are in Small Town America. The Sheriff nods at the towns people, tipping his hat. People greet him, “Sheriff” as he and Booth stroll down the street. Then the Sheriff mentions that Ann Noyes, a hiker, has been missing for two weeks. He brushes it off as getting lost in the woods. “Her parents said she was an experienced hiker. Psh.”

The officer and Booth talk some more and he mentions how poachers sell bear gall bladders on the black market which is possibly another reference to a Kathy Reichs novel.

Brennan walks into the small office and introduces herself saying, “I’m with him [Booth].” The officer says, “Suddenly I wish I was FBI.” Is Brennan just a piece of meat? Or do these small town guys so seldom see women that they have to hit on her at the very first opportunity? Booth laughs it off. In later seasons, he might have told the guy to respect his partner in a very threatening tone.

Booth: Now that you’ve met Bones, you’re all about the inter-agency cooperation, huh?
Sheriff: Bones? That’s not any way to talk to a lady.
Brennan: Thank you.

Apparently by the fourth episode, Brennan wasn’t quite used to the pet-name, but at least she didn’t tell Booth, “Don’t call me Bones!” –A phrase that after Season One has only been uttered once (by my memory… correct me if I’m wrong) in a very amusing conversation between yet-to-be-conceived Sweets and Brennan.

But Brennan can’t get away quite yet! The lovelorn Sheriff is quick to ask if Brennan has dinner plans. Brennan actually looks like she’s going to consider it, but Booth ushers her away (protectively?) and says, “We’re working.” Hearts go a-thud all over the fandom. And this isn’t the last time Booth would usher Brennan away from a potential love interest.

Back at the lab: Enter Toni. Hot Courier Chick. Hodgins swoops in and flirts with the Delivery Goddess.

Zack: You bogarted my package.
Hodgins: You panicked and froze, my man, thus the package came into play. Also, incorrect use of the verb bogarted.

Somebody give Zack a cookie.

Moments later, Brennan is wrist-deep in bear scat in the woods. Booth and Sherman hang back. And then there’s another notable quote:

Sherman: She ain’t the squeamish type, is she?
Booth: I’m gonna go out on a limb here, Sherman, and guess you don’t get a lot of eligible, good-looking women coming through town.

Booth gets down to business with that statement.

One very good thing about Season One is the amount of time that’s spent working toward solving the case. Later seasons have devoted less time to case, but we’ve been traded with something else that we really shouldn’t sniff at: character development and plenty of it.

Zack earns his cookie when he beams Brennan images of tooth marks on the bone. “We don’t just have a killer on our hands, we have a cannibal,” Brennan concludes. What’s more interesting than a cannibal? Nothing goes more against nature than cannibalism. And Hart Hanson doesn’t waste time turning disgusting into humorous. Why is it that someone is always eating fast food meat of some sort when Brennan talks about cannibalism? The poor Sheriff is wharfing down on what looks like a cheeseburger during this whole discussion. He goes out on a limb and asks her if she’d eat humans.

Brennan: I’ve never been offered human flesh before.
Booth: But if you had?
Brennan: That’s an interesting question. I’d have to measure my own social inculcation against objective scientific inquiry.

Brennan is objective and scientific to the end. Viewers are laughing and the Sheriff is getting indigestion all in one fell swoop. During this particular discussion between the three, Brennan makes a good observation. Whoever is eating these uncooked people is going to get sick. The plot thickens.

Back at the lab, the squints are doing their lab thing while Hodgins is pacing and waiting for his delivery AKA Hot Courier Chick. Angela throws in a classic line, “It’s like a zombie movie” and “Somebody gnawed on this arm like some kind of man-corn?” Gotta love Angela. I really miss some of those one-liners of hers.

Hodgins throws in the first of many (two, actually, in the whole series) Peruvian Soccer Team comments then our Zackaroni is called upstairs. He looks like a little kid in a candy store—or a boy in a Victoria’s Secret shop—as he throws off his gloves and sprints upstairs. Hodgins then asks Angela, “If we were a Peruvian Soccer Team crashed in the Andes, who would you rather eat? Me or Zack?” Angela sighs and nods at him. He asks “What?” Sometimes I still wonder what that was all about. Maybe I’m dense. Maybe Angela would rather gnaw on Hodgins. But who can blame her? Back downstairs, Zack finally gets to hit on the Hot Courier Chick. And apparently she could ‘just eat him up’. Zack is simply adorable. And the look the Courier Chick gives him could spark forest fires.

In Aurora, we get our first hint, as viewers, that Dr. Rigby is the bad guy when Brennan chats him up and asks him about Prion Disease. Rigby hints that Charlie and small town gossip were the cause of the cannibal rumors. But we all know that he’s sweating it, hoping his brain won’t melt from Prion Disease. He’s good… but not so good that he won’t get a bedpan to the face later on!

In D.C., Hodgins and Zack are so funny. Hodgins is jealous and angry about Zack ‘zooming’ the courier. They discover ‘a flap of skin with a tattoo’ in the excrement. Angela uses her artistic genius to reconstruct the tattoo from three teeny pieces of flesh. I love it whenever Angela gets to use her artistic skills to help solve a crime. Sometimes I feel that she, Hodgins, and Cam are both underused. But after all there are only sixty minutes in an hour and a lot to squeeze into that hour. The Haida Sun tattoo belongs to Adam Langer who used to come up and visit Sherman. They go over to Sherman’s, Brennan does her Anthropology thing, then Booth takes off after Sherman when he bolts with a crappy flashlight that quickly goes out. Brennan takes the strange colored meat in the freezer along with a saw to compare to what they found.

Booth and Brennan bicker away in the car. Man, they’re funny when they bicker in the car! (I once read that Emily and David do this so well that when they’re short on time in an episode, Hart Hanson lets them do an impromptu car scene.) Brennan actually listens to Angela’s suggestion and they find ‘fun and a drink’ in Aurora’s (probably only) bar. The guys of the town cut in and out, taking turns dancing with her and trying to discuss the investigation. Brennan thinks they’re all pumping her for case information, but it doesn’t go over Booth’s head that they’re all just trying to bed her. Could I just ask for one thing? That these two dance one more time. This one scene has been played and replayed over and over and I can’t count how many fanfiction writers have written such a scene between the pair. It also amps up the heat between these two in the series. Once again, it’s one of those things that makes you realize how great the chemistry between these two are. On the case again, Brennan is assuring the audience that she stinks at colloquialisms when she says that Booth dropping the button is ‘an old snake chewer trick’. Classic Bones! One good thing about this series is that there haven’t been any major changes in these characters throughout the last four seasons. Changes have been, for the most part, subtle. From the beginning, Booth was sarcastic and a little funny and Brennan was serious and naïve.

As they approach Sherman, who is sitting alone in the woods waiting for them, Brennan learns from Hodgins and Zack that the meat is from a bear. Sherman was the poacher. Sherman makes a deal. He’ll help them find the particular stand of trees they needed to find in exchange for freedom. But instead of just finding a body, they find a ‘Satanic Stonehenge Circle’ and the bodies of Adam Langer and Ann Noyes. One body is missing his arm and the other is missing her heart. Dr. Goodman uses his superpowers to figure it out and says that there will be two more victims.

We’re back at the Morgue and isn’t it amazing how Dr. Rigby knows exactly how long Ann Noyes has been dead? He’s either very smart or the killer. I’ll give you a hint. It’s the latter. I really like Sherman’s character. He seems to talk in code sometimes. I wonder if Brennan understands him half the time. There are a lot of strong actors in this episode. There have been some episodes where certain characters just rub me wrong because they either don’t seem very realistic or they’re terrible actors, but every actor in this episode seems strong to me, which is why it’s one of my favorites of Season One.

Zack beams new images to Brennan and she realizes that the indentations on the sternum were made by a sternum spreader. The pieces fall together for both Booth and Brennan and they go to find Dr. Rigby. Brennan tells Booth as they walk into the morgue that it’s moments like these that she needs a gun. Booth sighs and gives her a gun, then tells her not to go shooting everything. Can we have some more Gun-Toting Brennan?

Brennan: What part of his body should I hit?
Booth: The part that isn’t me.

That’s my girl!

They walk into the morgue and the bodies are gone. Booth asks rhetorically what Dr. Rigby is going to do, take him into the woods for a late-night snack? Brennan says that if she were him, she’d destroy the evidence. Sure enough, Nutty McNutterson is burning the bodies in the incinerator. He tries to explain, but Booth says, “Look, you’re nuts, k? We don’t need to hear the rambling psycho-speech on why you did it.” The good doctor is smart when he tries to appeal to Brennan’s rational side when he starts to say that she’s an anthropologist and ancient civilizations, blah, blah, blah… Then comes the bed-pan to the face! A bed pan is the worst way for a bad guy to go out. It’s the most amusing, but probably the most emasculating for his part.

The next scene is pretty important. It’s also funny. The guys are waiting for Toni and Angela joins them to watch.

Hodgins: What are you doing here?
Angela: Are you kidding me? It’s like watching The Clash of the Horny Titans.

Hot Courier Chick arrives with a package for someone. She asks who is going to sign for it. Zack clarifies that the act of signing is an analog for choosing. Isn’t Zack a sweet-talker? Hot Courier Toni checks out her prospective love interests and chooses… Angela? Angela seems to be impressed and thanks Hot Courier Chick. Is this the first glimpse of bisexual Angela? I think so. And it really is true to her character. If anybody would be open to that, it would be Angela.

Hodgins: That is so hot.
Zack: Why? Why is that hot? It’d be hotter if she’d chosen me.
Hodgins: Oh, this is definitely hotter.

Bones is famous for its last scenes. Nowadays they’re usually romantic or angsty. But in this final scene, Booth and Brennan are eating breakfast. Booth is eating steak and eggs and Brennan is having cereal and juice. Booth looks disgusted after Brennan mentions that the doctor might have licked his fingers after surgery so he says, “I should just become a vegetarian.” Brennan’s reply is so her, “Or, as an alternative, just don’t eat people.” Booth seems to regain his appetite then Brennan starts talking about Charlie and says, “His hips and thighs are perfectly developed for strength and maneuverability.” That gets to Booth at last. Talking about eating people can’t wreck his appetite, but that particular image did it! He pushes away his plate, no longer hungry, and Brennan offers him a bite of her cornflakes. What are friends for? Answer: Talking about (in no particular order) cannibalism and the hips and thighs of Overnight Guys over breakfast!

I recently asked Hart Hanson about The Man in the Bear on Twitter about that interview where he said that he knew he had something with this episode. He said, “Yes, that’s true. It was the first ep to persuade the network that a forensic show could be funny. Plus there was DANCING!” I really can’t argue with that kind of logic! Season One of Bones was definitely going through growing pains, there’s no doubt about that, but this episode was wonderfully written, directed, and acted out. It was a classic from the start and carved the path for the Bones which we have become so enamored with that exists today!

Images courtesy of Bones Fans Online.

Vote for Emily Deschanel - Fashion Face-Off

2009-07-04T07:51:00.005-04:00

People.com frequently has 'Fashion Face-off' polls, and Emily Deschanel is currently in one. She's losing pretty heavily to Megan Fox at the moment. Go help her out! (You can also vote on The Hollywood Gossip in it's own poll on the same match-up.)

Thanks Sarah! (forensicmama)

Vampire Rules - Angel Mention

2009-07-03T08:13:00.003-04:00

USA Today has compared the vampire 'rules', between True Blood, Twilight, and Angel. He is definitely more 'old school.' What do you think of the differences between the portrayals? Should entertainment be able to so often change the way vamps work? Do the changes keep it interesting?

Emily Deschanel broke her toe

2009-07-03T08:11:00.001-04:00

Emily Deschanel has apparently broken her toe. No, it's not a set injury (actors return next week for Season 5) but actually happened while stepping out of the bath. Much teasing ensues.

US Bones Season 4 DVD Release

2009-07-03T07:29:00.004-04:00

Meant to post this yesterday...sorry!

The US Date for the Bones Season 4 DVD release is set: October 6, 2009.

Seems like there might not be any commentaries...

BOO! As AuntTerriP says, that's one of the best parts! If you could pick commentary pairings, who would you want to see? I personally loved the Emily/David commentary (who didn't?!) but also Hart/Barry. Any other cast-mates you'd love to hear dish about an episode?

Guest Episode Review - #103 "The Man on Death Row"

2009-07-02T09:56:00.006-04:00

Time to start filling some Bones hiatus time with reviews of Season 1 episodes. Thank you for everyone who has sent a review already, and the commitments already on board. Looks like all spots are filled!

If you want to start at the beginning: My Season 1 Reviews from last summer:

# 079 - "Pilot" - My Review
# 101 - "A Boy in the Tree" - My Review
# 102 - "The Man in the SUV" - My Review
# 103 - 'The Man on Death Row" My Review

We begin the guest reviews with "The Man on Death Row," by Meryl. I hope these reviews provoke some fun discussion. We still have almost 80 days until Bones returns - might as well have some fun! :)

Meryl's personal blog, Diaries of Me, can be found here.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The Man on Death Row
Review

This episode sees our introduction to the serial killer Howard Epps in the first of a three episode arc set across the first two seasons. A case from Booth’s past is reopened as the lawyer representing the convicted man (Epps) who is on death row with his execution date nearing is not convinced of his guilt.

I think that this is probably one of my favourite Bones episodes as I remember the first time I watched it being totally gripped by the story line, I do however have a few gripes about this episode so let’s get those out of the way first.

I really found the pace of this episode to be somewhat slow. I can’t put my finger on it exactly it just feels a little off and now I think about it I’m wondering whether it’s to do with the clock that flashes up at the bottom of the screen sporadically to denote how much time there is left before the execution. I’m sure this was not the intention as adding a fixed time scale to an episode like this is a way to create tension, however it had the opposite effect on me. The other thing that really grates on me in this episode is the character of the lawyer, Amy Morton. I know that we are meant to see her as young and idealistic (it’s even brought up by characters within the show) but it just feels to clichéd to me. Yes, she is young, idealistic, head strong and wouldn’t you know we see her get her comeuppance at the end when she realises the unpleasant truth. Her character just feels a bit lazy to me on behalf of the writers. However, these are only teensy problems in an otherwise great episode.

I think one of the strengths of this episode is that the very fine balance between comedy and drama is perfect here. I think the opening scene between Booth and Brennan where Brennan is applying for a gun is one of my favourite B/B scenes. “Special agent Seeley Booth. Do you want me to spell it for you?” The dynamics are good, it’s witty and you really feel warmth for the characters. You wouldn’t think an opening scene like that would lead into a serious episode like this one. Yet it does, and in my opinion the transition nears seamless.

Of course they use the common red herring – a decoy suspect. April Wright’s godfather David Ross who met and engaged in sexual intercourse with her on the night she was murdered and whose identity is discovered my Booth and Brennan’s renewed investigations. I think the true trick of this case is believing that David Ross could of murdered April because it makes Epps’ final unmasking, as a highly manipulative and scheming individual, that much more shocking. When they discover the second body in the marsh along with the murder weapon it takes a second to figure out that all paths do actually lead back to Epps and Booth’s original case and arrest of him had been more than justified.

Case aside, I also really like the interaction between the characters. I think you can see Booth and Brennan’s burgeoning mutual respect and admiration of each other. Particularly when Brennan makes it known that she is only helping on the case because of Booth’s involvement. “Your personal favour would be for Amy, but mine would be for you.” We also see a little bit of jealousy from Brennan with regards to Booth’s relationships with Amy and his girlfriend as straight away she assumes Booth is having sex with her. To begin with I thought she was jealous of his relationship because she has feelings for him but after the scene where they are digging in the marsh and she again asks Booth about his relationship I question her motives. The way she phrased the question as “what would you be doing if you weren’t working?” makes me believe that she may actually be jealous of the fact that Booth has a life outside work and close personal relationships whilst she would of been spending another weekend in the lab by herself. But that is just my speculation! Which I guess could be disproved if you look at the fact she got offended when Amy asked about the ‘sex vibe’ between Booth and Brennan and then admitted that Booth said Brennan had a mania for the truth. I also liked the squints interaction in this episode I think you really see them coming into their own and becoming a team. You begin to see the interpersonal relationships between them all – the way Zak looks at Brennan as his mentor, Hodgin’s and Zak’s friendship, Angela as the ‘normal’ one - and it starts to feel really cohesive.

Extreme Spoiler Chat: Harbingers in the Fountain

2009-06-30T20:03:00.003-04:00

Spoilers have arrived! It's our first 'Spoiler Chat' post of Season 5: Harbingers in the Fountain.

Here, you can comment about ANY spoilers related to this episode. It's FFA and spoiler-phobes stay away!

Since it's the start of the Season, and there are new readers who don't know where to find sides, I will post links THIS TIME. I do not plan to make a habit of posting sides though, as we're not a spoiler-heavy blog around here. But just this once...

SpoilerTV (He's looking for support for posting Bones sides, so if you read them, give it to him!)
Bones Spoilers LiveJournal
BonesSpoilers Blog

View all Spoiler Chat Posts

David Boreanaz sighting

2009-06-30T09:44:00.001-04:00

The Insider has a daily challenge to guess who's in the picture - check out David Boreanaz signing an autograph for a cop in LA.

Vote for Bones - TV's Best Crime Solvers

2009-06-30T09:42:00.002-04:00

TV.com has a poll up for TV's Best Crime Solvers. Vote Bones - currently winning with 57% vs Mulder and Scully.

Thanks, Emilie!

Hart Hanson on Show Production

2009-06-29T12:30:00.001-04:00

Today is prep day at Bones - and the actors return to work next week!