BONES: Executive Producer Stephen Nathan Talks Season 6, Relationships and Fan Reaction

90 Responses to “BONES: Executive Producer Stephen Nathan Talks Season 6, Relationships and Fan Reaction”

1. skylark66 on August 5th, 2010 8:01 pm
   

   Sorry Marissa, still feel like I am getting jerked around and they are laughing at my pain, anything to get people talking even if it is negative.
2. Lola on August 5th, 2010 8:17 pm
   

   Not looking forward to S6. B&B may be working together – but back in S2 emotionally – they’ve gone the SO route many times. A real set back in my eyes.

   I doubt I’ll be checking in until Christmas? January maybe? see if things have improved!
3. XLoves Fan on August 5th, 2010 8:32 pm
   

   You are alienating SN , you are not surprising, we do not like these type of surprises. I am pretty much done, send Brennan back to Maluku so she can die of loneliness. BB missed their moment SN
4. Emily on August 5th, 2010 8:54 pm
   

   Interesting interview, Marisa. I may be in the minority, but I’m looking forward to S6. Then again, I don’t watch Bones for B/B only. I enjoy everything about it. Good to know that the rest of the main cast will shine, this season. And, I’m actually happy with the way they are dealing with Hannah. I was hoping they would wait and see to see how she works out and that’s what they are doing 🙂 Looks like they are getting back to the balance that has been lost for the past few seasons. This makes me very excited!

   I have to say that Stephen is right that he’s not really alienating fans. There are many different fans of this show. Us, here on the internet, make up a small percentage of the viewing audience. We are against millions of viewers who aren’t on the internet. So, who is he alienating? That small percentage of us B/B shippers or what?

   Thanks Marisa!
5. Sarina on August 5th, 2010 8:59 pm
   

   Really guys? Are you going to give up? Then, you are not fans! I find your desition very stupid, because they are a love story, and LOVE STORIES have a happy ending. And Do not Blame the writers, they are doing THEIR Job, and I agree with this, they are writing an amazing journey about two people who fell in love and there are ups and downs, but a little stone on the road doesn’t mean they can’t keep walking. So please – Stop Saying BULLSHIT and be respectful.

   Thank you Very much.

   HART AND STEPHEN KEEP ON WRITING AND PRODUCING THIS AMAZING JOURNEY

   BOOTH AND BRENNAN FOREVER <3
6. Kristina on August 5th, 2010 9:05 pm
   

   Wow the things you guys are saying (XLoves Fan & Lola) sound so freakin retarded to me. You guys are horrible fans.. No offense but you kind of people make me mad. Why bother commenting?

   Anyways I love this show and cannot wait until season six. I know that it’s gonna be good. So freakin excited.
7. EL on August 5th, 2010 9:09 pm
   

   Yes, Booth and Brennan forever — apart.
8. Lorna Youngs on August 5th, 2010 9:13 pm
   

   Does Cam’s advice to Booth mean nothing? “If you crack that shell, and then change your mind, she’ll die of loneliness before she’ll ever trust anyone ever again.” So, on a DARE he candidly discusses their relationship for the first time in six years for all of 90 seconds and she waffles in fear. His immediate reaction is that he’s got to move on. If, having been apart for a year, she returns having realized she loves Booth and he’s returned with Hannahafghanna, Brennan would be returning to Maluku as soon as they finish rescuing Cam. This is just more tease…like 6 years hasn’t been enough. Like it isn’t bad enough we have to watch our surrogate booth and brennan being all mushy and Brennan/Booth being alienated from each other. Hart can write it, but I don’t believe it and I won’t be watching it.
9. Sarina on August 5th, 2010 9:24 pm
   

   @Sarina – Please refer to GMMR’s Comment Policy. I’m going to start policing the hate. GMMR is not the place for personal attacks of any kind. I tried to be fair, but it’s not working.
10. rynogeny on August 5th, 2010 9:25 pm
    

    “I don’t think we’re alienating the fans.” — I think he left out an important qualifier there. I think “I don’t think we’re alienating ALL the fans” would be closer to the truth, but realistically? He couldn’t say that in a Q&A — how could he?

    It seems like to me they think primarily in terms of fans who are cheerleaders — going to watch the show and love it, no matter what — and angry fans who are passionate and raising a stink, but not going to stop watching the show. And both are legitimate groups of fans. But there’s a third group I feel like I’m seeing more and more of who are saying things like, “You know, I don’t know if I’m going to watch or not. I’ve pretty much lost interest in the show and no longer really care whether Booth and Brennan ever get together or not. I’m not angry, just a little sad that something I used to love is gone.”

    I understand why they can’t acknowledge that group of fans exist, but I’m seeing variations of that comment in a lot of different places.

    I get that the fans who post online, whether they’re cheerleaders, angry, or bored, are a small percentage of the audience (and even if they’re not, no one has any way of knowing what the percentages are) and I really hope for everyone associated with the show that the numbers of those who’ve lost interest are small enough not to make a difference, ratings-wise.

    (Full disclaimer: I empathize with all three groups of fans, and am still hoping, weakly, that I’ll find something to engage me when the season begins. )

    I also get that it’s their story, and they need to tell it in a way that makes sense to them. But if even a handful of viewers feel manipulated (“they spent a season letting us think we were seeing real growth in B/B, only to reset things to S2 where they’re both with other people — but then gave us Angela and Hodgins’ wedding to pacify us, so we won’t notice we’re not seeing anything new about B/B”) now, is that likely to change? Do they honestly believe that people who’ve invested five years in Booth and Brennan’s relationship are going to say, ‘Oh, wow! Season six! A repeat of S2, with both of them doing other people, but it’s the best season ever!”

    The show’s not solely about B/B’s relationship, and not everyone watches for that. I get that, too. (See how smart I am?) But it feels to me like they shifted the focus to B/B, took them to a crisis point, then backed away and said, ‘nope, going to retell the old stories, instead.’ And if the show isn’t about them, and their relationship, Fox should market it differently. (And, oh, they shouldn’t have gone where they went in S5, because that pretty much said, ‘hey! This is the Booth and Brennan show!’)

    I know they think the B/B storyline can be dragged out forever and that if/when they get them together, people will be wildly excited. But I think they might be wrong on that, based on the number of people I’m seeing who say the UST is gone. Quite frankly, I think B/B missed their moment and the show might be more interesting to me if I thought either of these love interests with other people were going to pan out. That would be growth. That would be change. That would be different. But when Hart spouts his, ‘everything happens eventually’ speech, all it says to me is, ‘yeah, when there’s no other stories to tell, when there’s nothing left of interest about them because they’ve done it all and seen it all with other lovers, we’ll put them together, and expect our audience to cheer. In the meantime, we’re just going to recycle old ideas to keep them apart.”

    More than anything else on earth, I’m hoping they prove me wrong, that there’s something in those first few eps to interest me. I just can’t imagine what it could be — I’ve felt that way since the finale, and every single thing I’ve heard about S6 since then has confirmed my worst fears. (Sorry, but the Jersey Shore stuff bores me brainless anyway, so using that to distract me from the B/B reset is guaranteed not to work.)

    Will I turn off the TV in disgust? No, not based on other shows I’ve wandered away from. Rather, when it’s time for the show, I’ll realize I don’t want to stop what I’m doing to watch — something which would never have happened in previous years — and think, ‘Maybe I’ll catch it later’ — and then won’t, because the interest just isn’t there. And yes, that makes me very sad.
11. Emily on August 5th, 2010 9:37 pm
    

    @rynogeny, I understand where you’re coming from, but they have 9 million viewers and the demos, although down, is still enough that FOX is pleased with their performance. They don’t care. It all boils down to money and ratings. It’s the hard truth.

    I’m a B/B shipper, but I’m not all crazy about it and wanting them together right now, etc. I’m very open to them having SOs, either. I’ve even prepared myself for the possibility they may never get together. I’ve been burned too many times on previous ships, that I am cautious, now. Besides, I watch the show for more reasons, as well. I’m okay with the supposed direction of S6. I’ve spent this many years getting invested in these characters, why no ride it out to the end, you know? *shrug*

    I agree about how much they focused on B/B in S4-S5. I wish they hadn’t done that. It really hurt the show, imo. It was so disconnected and there were a lot of ooc moments and not enough supporting cast or any amazing cases. I think HH realized he made a mistake and now he’s taking the B/B ness down a notch. I hate to admit it, but it’s needed. The UST that seems to be gone may spark up, again with the new dynamics. It’s all wait and see, now.
12. rynogeny on August 5th, 2010 10:10 pm
    

    @Emily — however insane it might sound, I want them to succeed even if I wander away from the show. I mean that sincerely. They all seem to be decent human beings who, at most, made a mistake with S4-S5 and I hope the numbers stay strong enough to for them to get all the seasons they want.

    The thing is, I’ve been accused of being a toddler having tantrums, screaming, “I want what I want, right NOW’ — or a hater, or whatever. When the reality is, I can’t force an interest that’s not there. I’ll probably leave the DVR set to record the eps, in case I do decide to watch. And I’m really hoping I do, that I hear something, or see something that makes me want to watch.

    The really ironic thing is that it’s not so much that I’m a B/B shipper (did you see my comment about almost wishing they’d drop the idea of them getting together and honestly explore those new relationships, instead of just using them as obstacles? I meant that) so much as that I hate resets in shows. I hate feeling like nothing new is really happening with the characters. And yeah, I get that SN and HH think they’re showing us something new, because we’ve never seen Booth in a relationship after being rejected by Brennan before. And we’ve never seen Angela and Hodgins married before. And the reason I’m going to watch (or try to watch) the first eps is to see if they can convince me they’re telling new stories, that there’s somewhere interesting to take B/B even when one or both are with other people. I just can’t see how this isn’t going to feel like a repeat of S2, which I’ve seen. Only a sadder, less hopeful one.

    As for the UST — yeah, I get that they’re hoping it comes back. I just don’t see how sexual tension that was resolved by two people saying, ‘nope, not going to be a couple’ is resurrected by either or both of those people having sex with other people. But I guess we’ll see. I’ve been trying to figure out whether another show has ever successfully killed the UST and then brought it back. Can’t think of any, but I’m still pondering it.
13. Marisa on August 5th, 2010 11:24 pm
    

    @rynogeny- I absolutely, totally respect what you’re saying. And yes, that third group is absolutely becoming more and more vocal. It will be interesting to see whether they stay or go, especially in light of increased competition at the Thursday at 8. I can’t blame any fans for whatever opinion they have. And considering what amazing television will be on Thursdays at 8, I can’t blame them if they change the channel either. It’s gonna be a nightmare trying to watch all those shows for me, personally.

    However, I have seen a lot of people saying this will be a redo of season 2. We don’t know that. From what I’ve heard, I don’t have that impression that’s what season 6 will be. Especially since the fact that Booth WANTED a relationship with Brennan is out there. That can’t be taken back.

    Just my thoughts…
14. Vlada on August 6th, 2010 12:07 am
    

    Marisa, I sympathize — Stephen and Hart may be the most cagey interview I’ve ever conducted!
15. Leesa on August 6th, 2010 12:25 am
    

    Gosh I could be in the minority here but… I am excited for season 6. I like the idea of Booth moving on and Brennan maybe being jealous and/or realising she made a mistake. I don’t see it as rehashing S2. But as the saying goes ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.
    So count me in, I’ll still be watching. 🙂
16. rynogeny on August 6th, 2010 12:31 am
    

    @Marisa

    Thanks for your comments. I think it’s probably clear that what it comes down to for me is that I’m really dismayed by where things have gone and am finding it very difficult to imagine a scenario where whatever they do really engages me — even while rather desperately hoping they surprise me.

    I think the comments about a reset to S2 has as much to do with the ‘feeling’ they seem to be aiming for as the particulars of other love interests. To me, at least, (and I don’t think I’m alone in this), B/B felt very emotionally intimate in S5 — almost like an old married couple, as one fan put it. And then they separated, apparently with no contact at all, and, if that was important to Brennan — that not only were they not going to see one another, but not even speak or email — we never saw an indication of that. And when Emily and David were discussing that no contact, it was all very casual, with laughter — ‘no, no contact. Just a satellite phone for emergencies.’

    That kind of ‘sure, be careful, see you in a year’ attitude would make perfect sense to me for partners who were simply friends. But even given Brennan’s difficulties with emotions and relationships, what we saw from her in S5 — the emotional intimacy wasn’t all one sided — doesn’t quite fit with that casual response to not having any contact at all.

    And the only way I can make sense of it is by thinking that the point of the time jump, and maybe even Hannah, is to take them back a few steps on the intimacy scale. I’m not hearing anything which suggests they’re thinking of getting B/B together any time soon, so I think they had to do exactly that — find a way to take some big steps back from the intimacy of last season. And that’s what I think people are afraid of with the ‘reset to S2’ comments. They don’t think they show is going literally to ignore S5 or what happened in the 100th, but that the feeling between B/B will be much more that of partners and friends — friends who care about one another, but are not on their way to a romantic relationship. And when you throw in a love interest, at least for Booth, it’s hard not to think S2. More so if you factor in what TV Guide quoted Emily as saying.

    I have a pretty good imagination, and normally I’m good at looking at teasers and spoilers and thinking, ‘you know, that could be really awesome.’ And so far, the only two things that have sort of caught my attention are some of the comments about how they call come home to help Cam, and the murder in episode 4. I have less than any interest in seeing B/B’s reunion because I can’t imagine a scenario given what we’ve been told where there’s anything to see. I’m sure they’ll be glad to see each other, but…

    For that matter, whereas their relationship has normally been the most interesting part of the show for me, now it’s the part I’m least looking forward to, because I don’t expect there to be anything there, really. At least nothing new. And if I’ve lost interest in them, are the other elements of the show enough to keep my attention? I don’t know.

    I’d cross my fingers that they do surprise me, but it makes it so hard to type!
17. distracted on August 6th, 2010 12:45 am
    

    I continue to be disappointed by the news, and I keep saying I’m not going to be as invested in this show, but here I am, reading an interview about the show and commenting. So, I guess no matter how disappointing the news may be, I’ll keep watching. And while I know that B&B will be together, eventually, I want it to happen asap.
18. Marisa on August 6th, 2010 12:55 am
    

    @Vlada- Right? Stephen keeps bringing up that the LOST guys were worse. I don’t know about that! And when you get them together, they use each other to try and distract you. They play some voodoo mind games.
19. Marisa on August 6th, 2010 1:20 am
    

    @rynogeny- Totally understand your feelings. There is no denying that when season five started, I never thought it would lead to where season six will start off. I certainly anticipated a completely different track.

    *IF* Brennan ends up getting another love interest, there will be no denying the s2 parallels. I would hope the show wouldn’t do that. If Brennan is meant to have an epiphany during her time away, her having a love interest would be counter-productive. But we’ll see.

    I will say I’m excited about the B/B reunion scene because I’m anticipating so many layers. While there has to be excitement on both of their parts, I’d also imagine Booth might be feeling a bit of guilt for actually attempting to make good on his word to try and move on. Brennan would be confused since based on what Emily has been saying, it’s possible she HAS realized she made a mistake.

    Could it all fall apart after? Totally possible. But I’m guessing that first scene will be fantastic.
20. ForensicMama on August 6th, 2010 4:24 am
    

    I’m glad you asked about Cam’s boyfriend! I’m glad they’re hoping to have him back! 🙂
21. LostBoneyBoot on August 6th, 2010 4:41 am
    

    @rynogeny perfectly sums up my thoughts, so there is no need for me to write a long comment here. I went through the “angry Bones fan” stage months and months ago, and am now just over it all… but keeping one eye on the show to see if it rights itself and warrants me getting back into it again. Regurgitated storylines are not at all interesting to me, and as @Marissa said, there is far too much other GREAT tv available at the moment to bother with mediocrity. IMHO.

    Great interview Marissa. I really love your work!! I truly hope Stephen and Hart take seriously the risk of alienating too big a proportion of the fanbase.
22. Emma on August 6th, 2010 6:01 am
    

    I cannot believe that there is anyone that hates season five. It’s absolutely baffling to me because I thought it was one of the most delightful, happy seasons of television I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I could have possibly loved it more. Also I keep seeing people (not on this blog, just in general) saying ‘Booth and Brennan have reverted back to season 2’ followed by ‘why can’t we go back to season 2 when the show was good?’ As well as people going “I’ve completely lost interest in the show” yet here you are on this blog, so. It seems a bit confusing to me. Anyway, unlike some, I trust the writers, I trust this cast, I love these characters, and whatever path they take us down will be an enjoyable one. I can’t wait for season six!
23. MinnKim on August 6th, 2010 8:24 am
    

    My problem with what I’m hearing about season 6 is that there is nothing exciting to look forward to. Reused show concepts, SO, and cliched storylines. Hart and Stephen haven’t given me anything that makes me want to turn in and watch. SO we’ve seen in past seasons and the sniper I saw played out on live t.v. when there was the shooter on the east coast a few years ago. Original ideas are not what this show has anymore. Season 6 is a reset to S2. Bones doesn’t do new inovative t.v. They copy other shows and recycle their own storylines. The Booth and Brennan relationship has sailed. The characters have changed so much to be unrecognizable from the pilot.

    Stephen said even they don’t know where they’re taking the show. As a fan that should tell you something. When the powers that be have no clear idea what they are doing, a show is in trouble. I am part of the group that cared about the Booth and Brennan relationship, not so much anymore. While there relationship was a slow progression it was refressing to watch. I no longer believe their relationship is credible. They have lost something that was unique. Will I watch the show? Not as religiously as before. I won’t not plan things on Thursdays because of the show being on. There seems to be no reason given why it is important for me to contiue to turn in every week. This make me very sad.
24. rynogeny on August 6th, 2010 9:07 am
    

    @Marisa

    Thanks for your comments about their reunion. I can almost feel interest stirring that it might be beautiful — I’m just so afraid at what comes later, because there’s just nothing out of what I’ve heard that makes think it could combine into something interesting.

    The ironic thing about what TVGuide reported Emily as having said about love interests for Brennan (see how carefully I worded that? LOL) is that I didn’t realize I still *had* hope until I saw that. I’m normally pretty guarded in my response to spoilers. If they come packaged with a name attached (as in someone associated with the show, by name, specifically said “X”) I tend to assume they have some credibility. The ones that are just put out there I realize may have credibility — but also suspect that a lot of times they come from sides. And by definition, sides never tell the whole story. Grain of salt time. But when TVGuide tied the comment to Emily, it made it harder for me to ignore, even though I realize she wasn’t saying they’re definitely going that way. But if they’re even just considering it, it makes it harder for me to imagine their relationship this season as being something I want to watch.

    David — and I think Emily as well — has said their relationship deepens this year. If that’s so, it might somehow save the show for me. But that’s where my imagination fails me: how can they be closer than they were last season, and not only not be a couple but one or both be involved with other people? My imagination — and I have a pretty powerful one — short circuits.
25. Rose on August 6th, 2010 9:13 am
    

    Thank you rynogeny. Everything you have said is what I have been feeling as well. As to why people who are feeling apathy still read information about the show, I know for myself I am trying to find something that makes me want to tune-in to season 6. I might catch an episode or two if I think the storyline is interesting, but I am not going to plan my Thursday evening around it like I used to which makes me sad.
26. rynogeny on August 6th, 2010 9:34 am
    

    @Emma,

    I understand the confusion about why people who are saying they’ve lost interest are commenting on blogs and forums. But as silly as it sounds to some, they’re grieving the show — something they loved and feel is lost — and for many, trying to work out if it’s possible to keep friendships they’ve made in the fandom when the show’s no longer working for them. And for others, it’s a way of saying, ‘please give me hope.’

    As to the conflict between people fearing a reset to S2 and those who’ve said they want S2 back — I think it’s two different things. I’ve heard many, many people comment over the years that they thought the crimes were better done in the early seasons, that we had more sympathetic victims whereas now the focus seems to be on making the most gruesome corpses possible. I sort of get that, in that S1-S2 had more cases that engaged me emotionally, but that doesn’t mean none of the recent ones have done the same thing. But the people who are afraid they’re now resetting to S2 aren’t talking about that so much as fear that they’re going to try and reset B/B to that level of relationship — just friends who are attracted to one another while one or both are having relationships with other people. I think Stephen actually used the word ‘reset’ a while back in conjunction with the point of the time jump, and that didn’t help matters in that respect — though I think it’s possible he meant something other than how the comment was taken. I can only hope that, at least.

    And for the record? I loved S5. I think it’s my favorite season. I loved seeing Booth in love and vulnerable, loved seeing the growth in Brennan, loved the 100th…loved everything right up until the last two minutes of the finale. My disappointment is partially my fault and partially Hart’s, in his choice of a title for the finale: I read a lot of romances and am very familiar with their structure. There’s usually something in the last part of the book called the ‘black moment’ where everything about the hero and heroine looks hopeless, like it can’t possibly work out. It’s the low point of the story emotionally. And then the story begins to climb again, showing how it might not be the end after all, until the positive resolution. And the conversation at the end of the 100th felt like a black moment to me, with the post-100th eps being a continuation of and consequences for that.

    But Hart had named the finale ‘The Beginning in the End’ and thinking about what he says the significance of the S4 finale title was…I really believed, right up until I was watching their farewell that we were going to see something to indicate Brennan was changing her mind. I didn’t think it would be a big thing, didn’t think we’d get the declaration of love, but just …something. And instead, what I got was the spoiler that hit five minutes later revealing — to the best I can tell — that whatever it is that began at the end of the finale has to do with a reversal of their relationship rather than a progression.

    My fault, I know. I read too much into things like the name of the episode and romance story structure. And as I said to Marisa a moment ago, maybe there is a way forward from this where, despite other lovers and whatnot, we see growth in them as a couple, even though I can’t imagine it. (I don’t actually need for them to be a couple “right this moment” — or even this season — as long as there’s steady growth in their relationship. I just really can’t figure out how we’ll see that kind of growth in them at the same time one or both are in relationships with other people.)
27. Ann on August 6th, 2010 9:40 am
    

    I loved bones up until the 100th episode. After that it just felt like they had missed their moment. I just can’t see how they come back from that. I mean I don’t want to spend all season with one of them pining over the other. I just don’t know how they are going to recapture the magic.
28. Lola on August 6th, 2010 10:03 am
    

    Thanks rynogeny for outlining how many fans are feeling at least I’m there……but I don’t want to watch Booth with someone else because I feel it will detract from any glimmer of hope I have that eventually B&B will get together. Because the H/A story was ruined for me because of the stuff that they went through prior to the hurry up get married episode. Seemed tptb are hoping if they have one couple happy then hopefully fans won’t notice they’ve torn B&B apart. I can get crime stuff on a many shows. I watch for the B&B/love mixed with the crime. Without it, I’m not interested. B&B angst/mixed with crime – too much of a downer.
    I’m trying to convince myself the show ended in the finale…..all went their separate ways peacefully. end of story.

    Nice Marissa that you can find hope in their reunion – I can’t with the SO. Ruins everything for me.

    I know Marissa that Booth put it out there – he WANTED a relationship for about 90 seconds. TPTB seem to forget a lot in the continuity dept. on the show. Eventually, they may address it again. But not til Booth is tired of his blonde. We waited 5yrs for 90 seconds……sad.

    Did you get any inkling you can share about how long the Booth SO will be around??
29. Mochi on August 6th, 2010 10:33 am
    

    Anthropologically speaking when a homogeneous group of women long for their favorite characters to finally get their groove on, and the writers don’t comply, they look to other shows for their romantic fix. This is corroborated by the FBI who have profiled these stalkers and have seen them escalate into show killers…

    I personally like a lot of UST that is intermixed with a really interesting case. Comedic interludes are good but I love drama drama drama. Shippers, the spark of interest, the show crush you felt might have faded, because you aren’t getting what you need, so Hart and Nathan you have to woo these fans back with some solid flirting so they don’t go to the Castle spoiler page hoping someone will understand them.

    Personally fan fiction does that for me and the show is my prompt.
30. EL on August 6th, 2010 12:21 pm
    

    I think rynogeny has said it for most of us. Pull a rubber band out too far and it doesn’t snap back, it just snaps. Hart moved the B&B relationship out in the last few episodes of season 4 with the finale (which I liked) still being strike one in the believability sweepstakes. Then we had all season 5 to watch Booth suffer and Brennan act insufferably, culminating with that toxic scene on the bench where he realizes he’s being forced back into the military and there’s nothing he can do about it. Strike 2.

    Now we come to season 6 with Hart and Stephen grinning like thieves and dancing about and telling viewers they don’t really know what they want and a committed relationship between B&B isn’t good for them to see. Hodgela is sweet but minor. No one really cares and trying to use them as a substitute for a B&B relationship isn’t going to work. ‘Throw the kitchen sink at them’? Is that punishment for being together? If Hart and company can’t get their act together this season and bring B&B together cleanly and without all the assorted continuing SO crap, I’m afraid strike 3 will be the end of Bones.
31. new on August 6th, 2010 12:35 pm
    

    Im watching bones since 2 weeks and i want to ask you what means “SO” ?
32. Alesandra on August 6th, 2010 12:43 pm
    

    Marisa, I like you. You seem like a really good person. I appreciate all your efforts for the fans. So, please don’t take this as having any reflection of my opinion of you, at all.

    Bones has hit that place were it is fish or cut bait for some fans. There are definitely “cheerleader” fans that are trying with all their worth to keep a bit of positivity in the ranks (bless them). But, I think many fans are hanging around more for their relationships with other Bones fans that they have made over the years, than what is actually on the screen.

    I definitely have gone through the stages of grief with Bones. I was in denial or the “cheerleader” stage, thinking no just be positive-“they know what they are doing.” Then, I moved into anger and finally I’ve moved in to resignation, thinking why have I sent this time on something that makes me frustrated and upset. I’ve removed it as priority and replaced it with a show or two that give payoff to fans for their committment (Vampire Diares and Community).

    Now the question has been asked, why do we comment then…well, because it is hiatus and there coverage of the new seasons of shows. So, as some fans move into the moving on stage, they are trying to express their feelings so they can move on thinking they have really had a chance to tell the “fandom” what they are feeling, why they are feeling it and why they are moving on. It is a form of release for all that missing payoff that we didn’t get from the show.

    Now, I respect everyone’s right to love what they love, but I just think that all fans, even fans that are starting to drift away from Bones have a right to take a moment to post their personal “moritorim” on their Bones journey. Good luck to all, I’m sure I’ll see many of you around the web. Oh, did I mention that Community is made of win and The Vampire Diaries is consistently the most perfectly paced story on television…. if you feel your time is near an end for Bones, you should check them out. They won’t disappoint.
33. Kathleen on August 6th, 2010 1:19 pm
    

    I think people take this entirely too seriously. Life is not about television. So the show you like isn’t going the way you want? It is not the end of the world. You aren’t the one writing the show– it’s not your decision to make. Hart Hanson and Stephen Nathan are not here to please everyone. It’s not even anywhere close to possible. People need to relax and possibly maybe get a life outside of watching television and talking about it online. I’m not saying this to be rude, but it’s really not that big of a deal. There’s no point in regretting all this time you’ve put into the show– you enjoyed it while you could. If you don’t enjoy it anymore then don’t watch it! Don’t be annoyed that you don’t like it anymore, just be glad that you liked it while it was good. Smile people! You’re gonna be fine! With or without Bones!
34. Teresa on August 6th, 2010 1:28 pm
    

    It was nice to see that I’m not the only one out there who feels like this is absolutely the last straw for a lot of people. Like Ryn, I agree that there are three groups out there and but I don’t think that the true shippers are going to be there until the end. There just comes a point that you have to say, Yes, I desperately want to see this couple end up together but am I willing to put myself through all the heartache of seeing them with others, the anger of getting jerked around for however long TPTB believe is necessary, the boredom of regurgitated story lines, the inconsistent character development. Especially when, in our hearts, we know that when we finally do get what we want it will be basically meaningless, an empty gesture of appeasement because everything that we believed about this couple’s feelings for each other, their committment, everything that made them special has been systematically destroyed by these storylines. IMO, a lot of the shippers are poised on the edge of having to make this choice and, in all honesty, with what I’ve heard of season 6 so far, I simply don’t see them just hanging in there and “believing”.

    I understand that SN is trying to reassure us and that HH keeps saying everything will happen eventually but a lot of people simply don’t believe it anymore and how exactly are we supposed to when we have one of the shows stars saying one thing and immediately being contradicted by HH? How do they expect us to feel anything but manipulated not only by the misleading hints but by being brought to the brink of B&B being together in season 5 then having them with others?

    I’ve often thought how very fascinating, how innovative, how interesting it would be to watch these two, who have such diametrically opposing views on pretty much everything, find their footing in a mature, committed relationship. Seriously, what other show out there has that? I’m not beginning to think that this is exactly what HH thinks he’s showing us and if it is, I’m completely baffled by that because that’s certainly not what I’m seeing. I’m beginning to feel like I’m back in highschool, that there is nothing mature or committed about this relationship, and it’s very inconsistency points to that continuing to be the case.

    For me, personally, the SO was simply the last straw. I understand that Brennan turned Booth down but heres the thing, how can he, who has been so very vocal about his views on love and committment, who was fully committed to Brennan for all of 2 minutes after that stunningly romantic proposition, so easily turn to someone else without it changing how we view his character on a very fundamental level? In the earlier seasons, an SO would have been hated but most of the fans would have shrugged it off but the burning question that we were all asking in the first few seasons was will they sleep together and it’s just no that way anymore. Now, the question is will they be able to build a life together and, sadly, with every ridiculously contrived roadblock that gets thrown in their path, the resounding NO! in my head gets louder. And with every new spoiler I read for season 6, the question is fast becoming Do they even want to?

    Do I sound angry? Well, I am. I loved this show and I hate that it’s come to the point that I know I’ve lost it and that’s where I feel that TPTB are making a huge mistake in blithely assuming that this anger is a good thing. I have no doubt that the number of fans who actually spend their time in Bones’ chat rooms or writing fanfics are miniscule in comparision to the entire viewing audience and I can imagine that most of TPTB think of these people as the stereotypical, bored housewife with nothing better to do so why be concerned about thier opinions?

    I have found these people to be, for the most part, intelligent, educated individuals, many of whom are professionals and most of whom have full, fulfilling lives outside the Bones fandom. And when these people, the true believers, the ones who watch the show religiously, the ones who preorder the season DVD’s eagerly looking forward to the commentary, that extra little insight into the characters, not only vow not to watch the upcoming season but walk away from the fanfiction, the friends they’ve made in the chat rooms, completely eradicate everything Bones from thier lives, it isn’t simply because they’re angry. It’s because something about that show has changed on such a basic level that they just can’t reconcile what’s happening now with the show that they’ve watched and loved for so long. Is that an extreme reaction? Maybe or maybe it’s just the precursor of what is to come.
35. EL on August 6th, 2010 1:29 pm
    

    I’d just like to give just one example of why I think Bones is falling by the wayside. Booth took six years to tell Brennan he loved her and then he never used those words. But he did tell her basically that he was hers for the rest of his life. Six years.

    Six months later, he’s not only told a new woman that he loves her but that ‘the past is the past’ as far as Brennan is concerned and he’s moved on. Six months. He’s also stated that he has never been unfaithful to any woman he was with. So are we now to accept that not only has he moved on romantically and sexually but any flirting with Brennan must be construed as ‘lusting in his heart’? So with two women on his plate, basically he can’t be faithful to one. This destroys the image of Booth that the writers have been so at pains to construct over five seasons. It makes him fickle and faithless while Brennan has for a very long time come off as clueless. I agree that the character has full cause to move on from Brennan but this is a tv show not real life and we know that EVENTUALLY (I’m really, really sick of that word) he’ll move back. Six years + six months = bad writing. Why should we care?
36. Amber on August 6th, 2010 5:27 pm
    

    Alesandra and Kathleen…Wow, you guys are so on point and hit the mark! I came in here to say a mixture of both posts, but I’ll just second and third both of your comments! Alesandra Community and Vampire Diaries are definitely amazing shows!

    I’m still watching the show, but I am no longer a B/B shipper. I was a B/B shipper up until the middle of S4. Something just didn’t click anymore and I was just all bleh about them. Now, I don’t even want them together. I think they should just drop the whole idea because they have shown that they can’t even begin to write them in a relationship. I give it to the B/B shippers that are still excited about them getting together(whenever that may be), but I think they have completely missed their moment. If they DO get together, it’s going to be so anti-climatic. And, that makes me feel for all of you.

    I have to say, I’m excited for S6 because as someone mentioned above, it seems they are going back to what worked for the show in the earlier seasons. The balance, the drama, the serious cases, all of the characters shining, the serial killer arc, with a little bit of humor. The last two seasons have been so boring. All that I mentioned has been missing since the end of S3. I feel like they lost their focus during those two seasons. Glad, they are bringing it back!
37. Rach on August 6th, 2010 6:40 pm
    

    I’m absolutely sure I won’t be there to see the ending of this show, if something really good doesn’t happen this season.
    Depending on how this season goes I won’t even buy S05 DVD. What for?
    Like someone said, I can see intriguing cases on so many shows. It’s BB that keeps me watching Bones. Of course if they don’t show any decent case from now on it would get hard to follow the show.
    I was really mad when season 5 finished and the spoilers for season 6 started showing. Hannah was hard to swallow, but a possible BF for Brennan was a blow in the stomach (still hoping it’s not true).
    Now I’m just sad.
    Hope is the last one to die. That’s why I’m still here.

    I’m gonna go watch Chuck. That show makes me happy.
    Just sad. Bones used to be my top show by far.
    Now even Smallville makes me happier. Go figure.
38. EL on August 6th, 2010 7:45 pm
    

    I don’t know, Marisa, if you ever pass on an overview of the comments to Hart or Stephen but it doesn’t look good to me. They seem to operate in such a bubble, I wonder if they are totally out of touch with the sentiments ‘on the ground’ as it were.
39. Sadderbutwiser on August 6th, 2010 7:50 pm
    

    Afraid I join the bunch that has had enough. I feel jerked around and betrayed by the writers who seem more interested in RATINGS than creating great stories. The characters don’t make sense anymore. Booth has become a shell to create sexual tension. Gone is the loyal hero.

    Brennan, was interesting as the woman who found her heart and the pain of using it. That too has been tossed. It all falls apart from there.

    Once my favorite show, I’ve gone elsewhere. On the Closer, writers evolve characters and relationships in a way that makes sense, is entertaining, not forced and highly rated.

    Too bad, Booth and Brennan had such potential.
40. DripPan on August 6th, 2010 8:59 pm
    

    “What we’re saying is all of our stories, all of our characters are evolving and the end product of that evolution is unknown in many cases by us as well as it is by the fans. So sometimes we’re a little bit difficult or cryptic, but sometimes it’s because we actually aren’t sure what the best choice for these characters is going to be, and you have to let that reveal itself. So it’s a big apology to the fans who are overly mad. We don’t intend to piss them off. It’s a byproduct of our own ignorance.”

    This part of SN remarks really struck me as odd but also explains alot of the mess we saw during S4/5 with the poor story arcs/inconsistancies. It sounds like they are playing everything by ear.

    I’m sorry but they need to learn the “6 P Rule”: Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

    Drippy
41. Marisa on August 6th, 2010 10:29 pm
    

    @EL: No, I don’t pass on overviews to any actors/writers/producers, etc. It’s not my place. But I did also talk with Hart about the fan negativity and that will be posted in the next couple weeks. (unfortunately have so many backlogged interviews for all shows, so I can’t say exactly when it will be posted).

    And re: what Booth is supposedly doing in season 6 with the new girlfriend…I don’t know if it’s true. That info is from sides, correct? Or is someone on record saying that Booth has said he loves Hannah, that he’s over Brennan, etc?
42. joybrennan on August 7th, 2010 1:44 am
    

    So many people have said why they are sad and upset, I can just say, ditto that. No, it’s not because we have nothing else to do. In fact, for me, it’s the opposite. During the school calender year, I can watch about three shows a week – including weekends. I choose those shows for maximun interest and enjoyment. Thus when something I’ve enjoyed so much suddenly nose-dives into being ridiculous, yeah, I’m upset. I joined a fandom because I was upset, and wanted to talk to other people who have loved this show.

    My question about all this: why do showrunner’s seem to break their own creativity to go with “formula” tv? I know at one point Bones fans were said to be the most loyal because we followed the show all over the schedule. Fans didn’t do that because it was like every other show on tv. Some, I’m sure, followed DB around, but others liked the smart cases, and the amazing, unique characters…. Now, they’re like…stock characters on a soap-opera. Booth’s move at the 100th was so out of character and SO clearly about a change in agenda for the writers. When did Booth became a quitter or expect Brennan to understand and process anything emotional in two minutes. And Brennan? She gives a speech about not being able to change when TWO episodes back she gave a speech about just how much her thinking has changed!

    Now, Emily and David are amazing together. Had it been a scene-study class, they would have aced it. However, it was a scene with 99 episodes of character interactions, understandings, intimacies and revelations behind it – NONE of which were present in that scene.

    At the end of season four, I accepted the whole brain-tumor thing, Every story gets one major coincidence to move the plot along. However, at the end of this season, Brennan goes to study a sudden find in the middle of nowhere, while the army decides it needs 40 year old Booth in Afghanistan? Come on! SN’s comment that life is unpredictable is true. Art, drama, writing, even if it’s “just entertainment” isn’t about imitating life, it’s about shining light on some part of our human experience. Bones really had that spark going on…and then, because it got popular, they decided to turn off the light.

    So, yes, I’m sad. and no, I won’t be watching the season opener. Maybe I’ll check in at Thanksgiving and see if they were able to salvage anything that made the show special and to get out of daytime story plots of jealousies and sybil-like personality changes. The simple story of two complicated characters learning to let more and more of each other in, was being done so well. I don’t know why they left it to write melodrama.
43. ben on August 7th, 2010 7:56 am
    

    I have decided that the sides are faked/BOOTH wouldnt changed that much . HART HANSON, IS TIRED of the people on TWITTER telling him how to run his show/ they had us thinking CATHERINE WAS going be more then she was.BUT no matter I WILL WATCH TO SEE/ AND MOST EVERYBODY ELSE WILL TOO.
44. ben on August 7th, 2010 8:27 am
    

    DAVID AND EMILY both said that they hadnt read the script for show3/ but its a tv show people and they want to be around thru s8/ but when its all said and done its going be what he told CAM /he is with BONES all the way.
45. EL on August 7th, 2010 10:09 am
    

    Dear Marisa: From ‘The Couple in the Cave’ (Booth to Sweets): ‘You want to know what I’m feeling? When I left Afghanistan I was miserable thinking I might never see Hannah again. And you know why that is, Dr. Phil? … Because I’m crazy about her. Because my life is way better when we’re together which is why I’m happy. The past is the past. I’m happy.’

    So as I said, 6 years? 6 months? = fan negativity!
46. Donna Gregory on August 7th, 2010 11:12 am
    

    I can tell you Castle’s season premiere date is September 20. I have no clue when Bones premieres. I think that’s telling from someone who’s watched Bones since the pilot episode.

    I believe the Booth/Bones relationship is on the precipice of making or breaking the entire series. The thing about character and actor chemistry is that you have to release it at just the right moment. The right moment is so very close for the B/B relationship that even if it’s delayed by 5 Season 6 episodes, it will be too late. ESPECIALLY with the addition of a third party curve ball.

    I can’t help but think about the Mac/Harm relationship on JAG. These characters became close and were torn apart for so many seasons that by the time they did get together (the series finale), no one cared anymore. The crown jewel of that show became the anchor around its neck that eventually caused it to drown. Bones is at this point. It’s sad when producers don’t realize this.

    My take is that eventually people grow weary of nothing but relationship angst without any positive payoff. The last few episodes of Bones S5 were painful to watch, seeing Booth & Brennan uneasy and at odds with each other personally and professionally. When entertainment becomes painful, people check out. I plan on watching the S6 premiere, but I’m uncertain if I’ll watch beyond that. I’ll just have to measure the entertainment factor vs. the forced awkwardness of a Booth/Bones extraction.

    Additionally, I felt SN was a bit flippant in his attitude towards the fans in this interview. His talk about changing relationships is lovely, but he forgot relationships also include professional ones, such as the relationship between Bones and its viewers. He needs to heed his own warning and realize that when you make your partner mad enough times, your partner eventually leaves. This interview, plus the direction of the show, has put me off even more and hasn’t given me much incentive to watch beyond the premiere.
47. joybrennan on August 7th, 2010 11:17 am
    

    @ Ben – I would LOVE if the sides were faked. If they are, I think most people will be thrilled. Frankly, I would love if the ENTIRE LAYOUT being discussed by TPTB for season six were fake. My best opening for season six: Sweets wakes up from a horrible nightmare. He looks over at his manuscript, grabs it, rips it shreds, and says, “OK, there is NO WAY they’re reading this! NO WAY.” Next scene, B&B are in Sweets office, and have NO idea why they’re there. Sweets leans forward and says, “You know, before I finish up my book, we’ve never discussed your first case…Your very first case.”
    Hey, being we’ve already entered the world of soap-opera – it worked for Dallas. 🙂 Sigh, I know…ain’t gonna happen. Maybe, at least, the sides will be fake. I’ll find out around Thanksgiving.
48. Marisa on August 7th, 2010 11:25 am
    

    @EL: Just be aware those are sides. Not only is it not 100% for real/could change, but there are a dozen ways the actors could choose/be told to play out that scene. Words tell a part of the story, but it is nowhere near complete. Even if Booth says those words, his face could be telling an entirely different story.

    (now if comes Sept. it’s exactly how it seems and Booth genuinely means it, that’s an entirely different story. And THEN I understand the panic/outrage/frustration, etc.)
49. Emily on August 7th, 2010 11:37 am
    

    EL, nowhere in that piece did he say he “loves” Hannah. The same way Booth never said he “loves” Brennan. HH can go back and say “Booth never said he loves Brennan. He never said the words”. It’s all semantics and how we each interpret what is said.

    As for the sides being fake…I don’t think they are. They did it last seaon premiere and the only part that was fake was the BB kiss on the mouth. The rest was basically what we saw on screen.

    @Donna what do you mean the relationship between Bones and it’s viewers? They have 9 million viewers. Are you talking about hardcore BB shipper “viewers”? As much as we like to think us hardcore BB shippers are the majority, we aren’t, sadly. That’s just the way it works. Sure, the past two seasons were focused on BB, but that doesn’t make everyone who watches it, a BB shipper.
50. rynogeny on August 7th, 2010 11:56 am
    

    @EL:

    Just adding my .02 to what Marisa and Emily said — despite my obvious near-despair over where things look to be headed, the conversation between Booth and Sweets in the sides didn’t even register for me. Part of that is because he doesn’t use the word love, part of it is because I’m pinning way too much hope on something DB said weeks ago about Booth trying to move on and failing, part of it is because sides can change…and a lot of it is because it’s Sweets he says it to.

    My anti-Sweets bias is showing (psych/counseling background here, and while they write Gordon pretty well as a mental health professional (proving they can do so), Sweets is pretty much a farce, saying whatever the writer wants him to say, with no concern for anything close to accurate characterization) but if you notice, Booth responds honestly to Sweets about 50% of the time. He frequently says whatever he thinks Sweets needs to hear so he’ll shut up. Watch the beginning of Death of the Queen Bee, when he tells him that he’s already moved on, has a date, and literally hangs up on him. (If he did have a date, they went to great pains not to give us any details on it, leading me to think it’s another example of him flat-out lying to Sweets to get him to go away.) And that’s pretty much how I take that conversation in the sides.

    (None of which means that the whole Hannah arc may well not be the end of the show for me. It just means that I’m not pinning much on that conversation between Booth and Sweets.)
51. Fed Up on August 7th, 2010 11:58 am
    

    I just have no incentive to watch this show anymore. None at all. My thoughts are echo-ed many times above. Spoilers or official interviews. None of them make me want to watch Booth with another woman. I don’t care what the end outcome is, whether she turns out to be an evil mastermind, or not. I don’t want to see it. It has killed the BB interest for me.

    I am supposed now to be thrilled about Hodgela, when I lost interest in them seasons ago when they were torn apart unnecessarily?

    Nothing in the last season made me think Angela deserved Hodgins. Nothing.

    And now they’re the ‘iron-clad’ couple. Well, wow! How marvellous.

    I understand what someone said about grieving, which seems a bit of a dramatic word to use, but that’s how I feel. I keep reading spoilers and interviews for something, anything that might give me a bit of interest back. I’m not finding it.
52. Fed Up on August 7th, 2010 12:05 pm
    

    p.s. Forgot to add. All of this reminds me so much of the third season of Alias – when they introduced mouth breather Lauren as the obstacle to Vaughn and Sydney. AKA the season that killed my love for Alias. Killed it dead.
53. ben on August 7th, 2010 1:55 pm
    

    SORRY, hadnt read the sides/ where do you find them? IF BOOTH SAID that why is he going around saying he is just trying to make her jealous.
54. Nicholas on August 7th, 2010 2:59 pm
    

    @ben…just because DB says he’s trying to make her(Brennan) jealous, doesn’t mean he actually is. Sure, DB is probably the only one who is straight forward when it comes to telling the truth, BUT he likes to throw false bones to the BB shippers, at the same time. Also, he’s more about the BB partnership/friendship than he is about BB romantically and is perfectly fine with BB staying just partners. Just sayin’. Keep that in mind.
55. barbara on August 7th, 2010 3:51 pm
    

    you are right he always said he didnt want them togather as a couple.
56. Nicholas on August 7th, 2010 5:53 pm
    

    Yep. I’m not trying to bring anything down on David, but I think too many shippers are clinging on to his words when he says S6 will bring “BB closer”. He’s not talking closer, romantically. He’s talking closer in the partnership/friendship sense. David is all about the give and take but not actually going there. Ultimately, it’s not his story to tell but he and Emily do have some say in their characters and where they go. Emily seems to be more of a shipper, but she’s perfectly fine with the way the show is, too.
57. joybrennan on August 7th, 2010 6:21 pm
    

    You know, the internet does only represent a small percentage of viewers, but, I’m not so sure we’re that different from the “average” viewer. Weren’t some of the highest ratings for Bones this year when the storyarch seemed to be bringing the characters together? Our concern and attachment certainly may be overly intense, yes. However, I know a number of people who wouldn’t dream of going online to check up on a tv show comment about the B&B thing dragging on and being kind of stupid now. They aren’t invested in the show or anything, but when something starts to play as “stupid” they just change the channel. It’s only the die-hard fans going, “but wait, wait, it’s gonna get better.” We desperately read sides the way Linus sits in his pumpkin patch…while everyone else goes trick or treating. So, yeah, the great pumpkin didn’t show, again, and yeah, we are mad.
58. Sadderbutwiser on August 7th, 2010 9:07 pm
    

    There is more to this than the discussion of shippers. Booth and Brennan anchor the show. Now that their characters have become unbelievable, the others lose their punch. Like an excellent sauce. you must have the right balance. Geeky Zack, Carefree Angela, Conspiracy Hodgins, Dedicated Booth, Practical Brennan all countered and supported each other. Their interactions came to life. No longer. It is hard to tell who believes what any longer.

    Most episodes are shot at least 6 weeks before viewing. That way there is time to edit, create promos, demo to possible advertisers, etc. Since we are in August, the first couple episodes are likely ‘in the can’. It would be nice if the writers stopped, took a breath and considered the fans, but unlikely.

    Then there is the romance factor, played up from the ads run by the network to interviews. What has already been said about building up fans is accurate. Fans lose interest, move on, and worse, lose faith that the writers they put their trust in for entertainment care about the characters or them. Fans choked down one ‘do over’ with the fake bed scene. Only one is allowed (ask the creators of Dallas after Pam woke up to find Bobby in the shower). Either you have to find a way to move the story forward, end the series on a high note, or shift gears into a spin off.

    Finally, addressing the argument that with 9 million viewers, the show must be a success. Perhaps in the past, but today, post revenue sales matter. DVD’s, Netflix, Itunes, and so on all count. You have to create a product fans want to buy then watch over and over. This has become a giant question mark in the marketplace.

    Note – to the person who mentioned CASTLE – thank you for the tip. I’ve added it to my calendar.
59. ben on August 7th, 2010 9:12 pm
    

    BOOTH might of felt that way when he was in AFGHANSTAN but he want in D.C.
60. Yssel on August 8th, 2010 4:08 am
    

    First of all, thank you Marisa for this wonderful place that you and the others have built up. GMMR is becoming a very interesting virtual place to visit daily. I LOVE the live chats, the interviews, and also your smart and witty twitts. Great job! Thank you!!

    I feel bad to see that many disappointed fans are addressing the producers of the show very aggressively. I think they have the right to take their decisions and move the show wherever they like. Insulting them is somewhat immature of the fans, and it’s more an emotional outburst than a real message sent to them. The real message will be ratings. Fans, if you want to be heard by Hanson and Nathan, just simply don’t watch.
    If the count is substantial, they will get the message. If ratings are good through the months, it means that most viewers like what they are watching.

    Said that, I am one of those B&B shipper fans totally disappoinetd. By the spoilers and where this season 6 seems to be going. I agree completely with the posts above. I find this Hannah story line trite, re-cycled, diminishing Booth charachter who is losing his dreamy factor.
    For me those episodes are simply wasted, and I will not watch them. I loved the 100th episode, really loved it. Maybe because I was sure the first time Booth proposed Brennan would have said no (typical, Lizzie and Darcy anyone?) and that made their quest even more epic. But after that? Where was the fun and the entertainment? I thought the idea of the separation was great, but not at these conditions, not with only a hand shake, not with Booth coming back with a love interest.

    And the producers? They are all happy that angry fans mean interested fans. They wanted us to be invested in B&B, they brought us to believe, this attachment was exactly what they wanted, and now they are complaining that fans are offensive. Do they realize that last year they tricked us around with lies, and then claimed that the dumb fans did not get the difference in semantic?? Now they are replying to angry fans just calling them neurotic (hanson twitter).
    I am not sure Hanson and Nathan get that maybe, maybe, the fans they are calling neurotic were the same idiots following the show around crazy schedules, buying DVDs, and supporting it in the first years when the show was not this popular, and if it’s still on air, maybe, maybe, it’s because of those fans.
    Honestly, I don’t understand them. As I said above, I truely believe the producers should feel free to take the show wherever they want. But in the end, someone has to watch their show and buy DVDs. Snapping back at fans it’s puerile. I hope they made their calculations right.

    For Sadderbutwiser, Castle is actually on the same page as Bones. If not worse. It can be forgiven because they are only at two seasons, and not five. But for what they did at end of season 2 and what I heard of season 3, the writers there are even more unable than Hanson and Nathan to write romance.
61. carole on August 8th, 2010 5:23 am
    

    THE excused giving for BOOTH not to go back to AFGHANSTAN. is PARKER/HE suddenly remember he had a son/ HE should of been the reason he didnt go in the first place/ REBECCA tells him if he want to see PARKER then HANNAH CANT BE THERE.
62. jmhm on August 8th, 2010 6:45 am
    

    What @rynogeny said, only less hopeful (boy, that saved a bunch of typing).

    The producers have been very clear that they think what they produced in Season 5 was smart, satisfying television, and I’m sure a lot of people reacted to it just that way. I found it just about a complete departure from pretty much everything that attracted me to the show to begin with – the comfortable friendship between Booth and Brennan, Booth’s Jimmy Cagney cockiness, Brennan’s general kickassery (seriously, the woman who took down a gang lord needed to be saved from an overweight middle-aged doctor with a two inch scalpel?) and the distant memory of an occasional episode Sweets wasn’t improbably shoehorned into.

    Obviously, the producers have no obligation at all to make the show I want to watch. Unfortunately, they’ve convinced me that the show they do want to make isn’t really something I want to spend an hour a week on.

    So yeah, I could hope that they’re going to start going in a direction I find more compelling, and it would be lovely if they did, but as someone once said (speaking of neurosis), doing the same thing and expecting a different result is a sucker’s game.
63. Sadderbutwiser on August 8th, 2010 8:56 am
    

    Yssel – thanks for the thoughts. So much for Castle. Back to THE CLOSER.
64. Nicholas on August 8th, 2010 10:09 am
    

    Yssel, when it comes to ratings, if you don’t have a Nielsen box, you don’t matter. It might sound mean, but it’s true. All of us, here, can stop watching and it wouldn’t hurt the ratings one bit.

    As for the show jerking around us BB shippers? Well, it’s our fault we fall for their trickery, every year. What makes anyone think this season will be any different? I’ve become numb to it all and don’t expect anything to happen between BB. If I’m honest, I think they’ve missed their moment. They will continue to jerk us around until the last minute. Sure, HH says he’s not interested in seeing BB get together in the very last episode, but he didn’t say second to last episode. HH is very tricky with words. They are not interested, or capable in writing BB in a romantic relationship. It’s their job to “sell” the ship, get us invested and keep us hanging on without following through with any type of resolution. I feel HH and SN should be offended. I mean, they were called “morons” and various other names because they are not giving some shippers what they want? That’s a little too much. It’s not OUR show.

    I’m very interested to see how S5 DVDs will sell.
65. Kerry on August 8th, 2010 10:53 am
    

    Of course I will be watching Season 6. I cannot see myself giving up on this show because it is still, in my mind, a great show. Yes, there are a lot of changes that many fans are not very enthusiastic about, but at least it has got them talking. In the end we all know that SN, HH and all the other writers will do the right thing for the show (i.e. they’ll create good storylines) because (a) they already have had great storylines before (don’t forget that the show isn’t only about BB and the relationships between the Squints, they have murders too!), and (b) as much as we all love the show and are dedicated to it, the writers MADE it so of course they won’t “ruin” it. 🙂 Things such as the introduction of Hannah and whatnot are, yes, definite setbacks for BB’s relationship, but they mean that there is variety in the show. I’m intrested to see how everything unfolds again in the upcoming premiere (as always!) and I’m hoping that by the time the Season 6 Finale comes around, perhaps there won’t be so many annoyed fans.
    Bones forever, 🙂
66. cathy on August 8th, 2010 1:02 pm
    

    we will just have to choked down 1 sex scene thats all thats allowed/prodcers should not be call names.
67. Barbara Sawyer on August 9th, 2010 3:00 am
    

    TOTALLY LOVE “BONES” and have recorded ALL re-run episodes during the summer break. Can’t wait for Sept. 23rd! TOTALLY LOVE ENTIRE CAST!
    GREAT GREAT SHOW……..! Don’t ever let it die!!!!!!!!
68. cathy on August 9th, 2010 1:59 pm
    

    BOOTH new lady friend will probably be seen the whole amount of 3 minutes to a show/ if you have to you can put a pillow over your face/ I FOR ONE plan watching and I ALSO PLAN TO KEEP MY mouth shut WE ARE MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF NOTHING /you remember how BARNEY always made SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING ON THE ANDY GRIFFIN SHOW /THATS WHAT WE ARE DOING.
69. mary on August 9th, 2010 3:19 pm
    

    Both my husband and I didn’t start watching this show until earlier this year as reruns. We became so addicted that we bought all the episodes on dvd and are now caught up. I see where some people are coming from in that they have dragged things out for so long and got so close in this last season but then backed away. It was kind of annoying. I happen to be one of those people who think that if they finally got together it could still be good. First, they would have to hide their relationship because they are not allowed to “fraternize” with each other. That could lead to some pretty hilarious situations. Then they could have something happen to Booth’s ex Rebecca and Booth would end up with sole custody of Parker. Now he has to balance his job, new relationship with Bones AND the responsibility of having to care for Parker full time. I think it would make for some very interesting situations. B&B have enough inherent differences that even if they finally decide to embark on a relationship, it’ll never be boring. Who knows, maybe this Hannah person is the catalyst that Bones needs. He has always been at her beck and call. Now if she feels like she could lose him forever to someone else, who knows what might happen. Bottom line though, it’s a TV show. It makes me forget about my life for an hour. Isn’t that what it’s supposed to do?
70. Scott on August 9th, 2010 5:15 pm
    

    oh dear god is cam going to die , is that why everyone has to go back ?

    i like cam , she is a great character

    cant wait to season 6 , lookin forward to it , sounds epic

    GO HART HANSEN
71. Sadderbutwiser on August 9th, 2010 5:49 pm
    

    @ cathy “Emily Deschanel: Well, Booth and Brennan have a whole new dynamic now. We come back from far corners of the earth. Booth has fallen in love with a journalist in Afghanistan so that kind of changes the dynamic. I think the dynamic between the two characters changes because of this new person in their lives, in Booth’s life specifically. If you could look at last season as a season where Booth kind of pines after Brennan, this season may be the season where Brennan pines after Booth in her way.” – Hollywoodnews.com in an interview with Emily Deschanel.
72. MissDamology on August 9th, 2010 9:11 pm
    

    Chill out everybody.. this is going to be a great season. You want BB together now, alright, lets go there, imagine they are a couple now.. hmm, obviously they wouldn’t be allowed to work together anymore, so they’d have to hide it, even if you stretch that, you’d get one season max out of that.. what then? No more cases? Show is over.

    Yes, it might seem drastic that Booth gets a girlfriend and I did dislike it too how he told her so quickly that he has to move on, but there was also a lot of hurt feelings there, he put himself out there 100% and she knocked him back.

    It is a great show and I like the way they keep the dynamic between B&B going.

    I can’t wait to see Brennan jealous (aware of it or not).
73. Sheree on August 10th, 2010 9:55 am
    

    Wow! A lot of mixed emotion out there. I tend to agree with miss damology. I wasloving the end of season 5 where Brennan wanted to have Booths kid, I was jumping up and down for joy! But then realised if they get together then what next for the show. So I see why they need to cool it between the B/B.
    I love this show not just for them I Love all the characters and want to see Brennan get in touch more with her emotions learning from booth.
    Bring on season 6 I say. I will watch to the bitter end I cant help it I’m hooked.
    Plus David B is sooo hot!
74. Fed Up on August 10th, 2010 2:28 pm
    

    There is SO much ground they could cover with them ‘together’. It dismays me that people can’t see that.

    The saddest thing for me about this ‘significant other’ is that it completely taints any future B/B relationship for me. And, to be honest, also their past one… because did Booth really even love her, or is he just in love with the idea of being in love for 30, 40, 50 yrs?

    Giving up so completely on Brennan, who he *knows* can’t be rushed in 2 minutes flat and moving in with this journalist chick just makes me think far, far less of the supposedly upstanding and loyal Seeley Joseph Booth.

    And possibly seeing him in bed with this new woman? Excuse me while I vomit. Repeatedly.

    Tainted.
75. EL on August 10th, 2010 4:49 pm
    

    What I don’t understand is why all this has to be so secret. I know I read somewhere last season that House and Cuddy would be getting together in the season finale and so I decided to watch after having given the show a miss for awhile. If Hart just came out and said, ‘I know you’re upset, my dears, but good things are coming in this season. Just hold on.’ AND MEANT IT. Not only would he keep all of his present customers but others that would tune in. I won’t even mention the ‘if they get them together the show is over’ BS. Maybe in 1940 but guess what, it’s a whole new century and even committed couples can create a sexual buzz. B&B were pretty hot in the season 4 finale and they were supposed to be married. Life and t.v. don’t end at ‘ok, you have me’.
76. Tina on August 10th, 2010 9:07 pm
    

    @FedUp what can they possibly cover? This is NOT the B/B in a relationship show. This is a crimedy/procedural show. While I know some would think seeing them in a relationship would be “cute”, I’m sure a lot of people will find it boring. No offense, but I’m not trying to see this show become about seeing B/B in a relationship arguing over who left the toilet seat up and who used the last of the toothpaste. That’s not entertainment. B/B don’t even banter, anymore. Not to mention, the sparks are fading. I can’t see what they could cover and what would keep it entertaining. That’s what fanfic is for. Also, I think too many people are putting too much into that whole Booth speech from the 100th episode. The whole 20, 30, 50 yrs or whatever. Honestly, I didn’t even take it seriously, because I KNEW they weren’t going to get together and everything we saw before the 100th episode didn’t match up with his speech. Which is why I thought it was a HUGE mistake on HH’s part to retcon the entire show, in that way. I think he did it to sate us B/B shippers. Guess what? This shipper didn’t buy the speech or the whole 100th episode, because none of it made any sense. I act like it never happened. It didn’t really serve any purpose, anyway.

    I guess I just don’t understand why some are so hard up on wanting to see these two people in a romantic relationship and why their close partnership and friendship are not enough? Don’t get me wrong, I ship B/B but I really don’t care if they get together or not. They aren’t the only reason I watch.
77. Fed Up on August 11th, 2010 4:23 am
    

    @ Tina – just off the top of my head, very very quickly…

    – secret relationship – that’d be fun – stolen kisses at work etc.
    – Booth’s attitude to Brennan being typically blunt about their sex life
    – over-protectiveness in dangerous situations
    – differences in religion
    – moving in together / retaining independence
    – Exploring their family history together
    – attitudes towards having a family together
    – girl talk with Angela/Cam. That last one would be hilarious.

    And I’m a thirtysomething with kids, so I’m not thinking anything about them being ‘cute’, lol.

    The spark went in the 100th for me. It was there before that and for that reason I agree that the 100th episode last 2 minutes were a huge mistake, but I disagree as to the reason. They didn’t need to have Booth push Brennan so out of the blue.

    Before that point, they were basically already a couple who didn’t have sex and it was still fascinating. Getting them together could probably actually allow them to focus on the cases better, get some of that team camaraderie back in the show – that’s been sorely missing lately.

    They spent the whole of season 5 up to 100 getting to a point where it was simply unbelievable that Booth and Brennan should/would be apart. That’s why I’m so annoyed now about significant others. If they had never done that and played up the shipper aspect so strongly, I would have been fine with them remaining close friends who eye-sexed each other all the time.

    The fact that everything in S5 seemed to point to them finally getting together until a whiplash u-turn makes me cross. And doesn’t give me any hope that the storylines can continue in a realistic way.

    I’ve forgiven some pretty big character changes/re-writes/inconsistencies before, but this is a step too far and the only reason a SO is introduced now is to drag it out further. It’s not just the B/B development for me either, it’s the other characters too – Hodgins and Angela suddenly get married in one episode. What? I had seen nothing to make me think that Angela deserved Hodgins. It was rushed and out of the blue.

    The finale was such a downer, I could hardly watch it and my husband who is a casual viewer was severely unimpressed. (Parker, as a tool to get Booth to go back to the Army?)

    There are so many issues I have and like I say, I would have overlooked them in the past. But now, really I think the fans are just being played.

    The show does not work when the B/B chemistry is interrupted. At all. And when you throw in a boyfriend or girlfriend interest, you get a horrible episode (the only exception being Fire in the Ice). The show is powered by the Booth and Brennan chemistry.

    I can’t realistically see how B/B can get together this season, if that’s what people are hoping for. Because any break up with Hannah is going to affect Booth and he can’t then just rebound to Brennan.

    And even if you’re not hoping for that, a re-set to them just being friends who flirt, after all that has gone before, just does not work. I wish I had faith like some of you, I really wish I did.
78. Tina on August 11th, 2010 3:25 pm
    

    @Fed Up, thank you for your response. The thing is, the list you wrote up is exactly what they do now, as partners and best friends, save for secret relationship.

    “- Booth’s attitude to Brennan being typically blunt about their sex life
    – over-protectiveness in dangerous situations
    – differences in religion
    – moving in together / retaining independence
    – Exploring their family history together
    – attitudes towards having a family together
    – girl talk with Angela/Cam. That last one would be hilarious.”

    See? B/B do all of this at friendship level. Why do we all need to see them recycle all of this if they were a couple? It would be the same. Again, seeing them in a “secret relationship” sneaking around? Not entertainment to me. They are adults, not teenagers sneaking kisses in high school. That’s just not what the show is about. You are getting what you want, already lol The difference is that B/B are just friends/partners.

    The spark was lost, for me, before the 100th, sadly. Booth and Brennan had this natural chemistry in the earlier seasons. It was really awesome. Then, S4 rolled around and we all started to have B/B will they/won’t they stuffed down our throats and all of their “situations” and “moments” became forced and contrived…their chemistry became less organic and more artificial.

    I totally understand your frustration with them amping up the “shipperness” and not following through. This is why I thought it was a huge mistake. As a shipper, I was a little frustrated with how much they were being with the shippy-ness. I didn’t like it. I don’t need it smacked in my face lol

    OMG Don’t even get me started on how they used Parker in the finale!! I had so much rage!!

    “The show does not work when the B/B chemistry is interrupted. At all. And when you throw in a boyfriend or girlfriend interest, you get a horrible episode (the only exception being Fire in the Ice). The show is powered by the Booth and Brennan chemistry.”

    While I get what you’re saying, it’s not the same for everyone. The B/B chemistry can have a different meaning to everyone. The B/B chemistry or the “center holding” is still in place. B/B can have love interests, love other people, and don’t need to be together as a couple, to keep the center holding. They are still partners, close friends and they still solve crimes together. That’s the significant part of the show. It’s still there. So that’s not getting interrupted, at all. It’s only seen as an interruption in B/B getting together. Maybe, I’m not hardcore shipper enough lol

    As for B/B getting together, this season, I don’t see it going down. In fact, I don’t see it going down for awhile. As much as we don’t like it, the B/B will they/won’t they is being put back into the background. It’s been in the forefront for the past two seasons and I have to admit, it needs a rest.

    Again, thank you for responding with your thoughts. I see where you’re coming from, now 🙂
79. Fed Up on August 11th, 2010 5:32 pm
    

    @ Tina. I also appreciate your point of view. And I guess it comes down to different people’s perceptions. And whether you love what the show was originally or what it was promising to be. And I’m kind of torn, even now, I guess. I wish they hadn’t ramped up the shipper levels so high, in retrospect, because then I’d still have my favourite show from s1-3.

    I guess if you say they do that already and they’re not together, I say, well why can’t they do those things then, put them together, lol. 2 different views. The humor that would come from those situations – yes, even the sneaking around, stolen kisses idea (what’s ours is ours) would be a welcome relief from all the angst.

    I’m not getting what I want from the new series as far as I can tell, because it has reached the point where I don’t find it believable that they wouldn’t give it a go. Even Brennan. I only hung on after the 100th, because I wrongly believed that the series would end on an upswing of at least some hope. More than a bit of crappy hand-holding, anyway.

    I don’t think I’m the only one that feels this way. Am I? lol.

    I appreciate what you say about the center holding. And that the chemistry appeal isn’t the same for everyone. But, I do think that the episodes where, for whatever reason, Booth and Brennan haven’t had as much time together, are weaker. And that’s without all of this SO nonsense to contend with.

    I know I’m too invested in this show, I know I am. I got through S4 mostly only with reading message boards (many, many issues I needed to explain away, lol) and S5 because it actually seemed to be going somewhere.

    I think of my friends, who I lent the DVDs to because they heard me going on about it. They mainlined it S1-3 – they watched it SO fast. They were addicts. Then they got to S4. I got a late night text message ‘tell me it gets better. Please.’ after YITUK. Then, finally, they returned them with the words ‘we don’t think we like it anymore’.

    I think that’s how I feel too.

    Sorry to ramble on. I do love a good discussion. I hope I haven’t come across as horrible to you. That’s not my intention at all. I do see your POV too, promise! x
80. Sadderbutwiser on August 11th, 2010 7:10 pm
    

    @Fed Up – They lost me too. Shippers aside, the shark Booth jumped was a Great White. Think I’m wrong? Fans all over are complaining reports TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/JumpTheShark/Bones-Greys-House-1006805.aspx
81. Tina on August 11th, 2010 7:57 pm
    

    @Fed Up NO you didn’t come off terrible at all!! There’s definitely many different POVs from fans on this show. I love reading all sides of the coin. Thanks for seeing where I stand 🙂

    I’m so sorry to hear about the friends you’ve introduced Bones to. I had a few friends who were the same. They LOVED S1-S3 and then went it got to S4 and S5, they pretty much stopped watching. S4 I didn’t watch at all. I just watched Conman in the Meth lab and Doctor in the Den. Like you, I wish they didn’t put the shipperness into overdrive. I think it caused too many high expectations and took too much time away from the show as a whole. I mean, the good writing, supporting cast and cases suffered. *sighs* It feels like it’s been a long journey with this show lol

    @Sadderbutwiser I was hoping that was from this year’s season finales, but it was last years 🙁
82. Piper on August 11th, 2010 8:19 pm
    

    I, honestly, am soo addicted to Bones there’s a possibility it’s bad for my health. I can’t wait for S6. Sure they have jerked us around emotionally but I love it, it’s all part of the fun. There’s definitely more to Bones than just B&B as much as we hate to admit it. I get that the characters are what get us hooked but why watch such a powerful show if you are just in it for the romance. Go watch ‘The Hills’ if your just in it for the dramatic relationships!
83. rynogeny on August 12th, 2010 2:50 pm
    

    I’ve been away from this discussion for a few days (which I’m sure some are grateful for, LOL) but I wanted to make a few comments.

    First, the link above to the TVGuide post about shows jumping the shark is from 2009. Doesn’t mean the show didn’t jump the shark then, or that there aren’t people who were okay with the S4 finale but who think it jumped the shark with the S5 — but that particular discussion is a year old. For what it’s worth.

    Second, I’m not seeing anything, anywhere, to indicate B/B might get together this year, and I suspect, based on my interpretation of something Hart said, that it won’t happen until late S7, if they get a S7. And if it happens before then, perhaps because of a ratings slide (due either to people who simply aren’t interested in the SO storyline, or because people are watching something else) I’m not sure it will be worth watching.

    I think it could be. I think having them together could be a good thing for the show. I’m one of the handful (or at least so it seems at times) who enjoyed the married-couple-dynamic between them in the S4 finale and thinks it would be interesting to see that in the show’s real world. I also think it might actually make it easier for them to strike the balance of being a procedural with a strong relationship element rather than the B/B will they/won’t they show that it’s been the last two years. (Disclaimer — I liked the last two seasons, but understand why it doesn’t work for a lot of people.)

    At this point, I really don’t know what to expect from S6. While I’m seeing a few things that interest me, I simply don’t see how much of what they’re doing can work for me. But I also know that I don’t represent the entire audience (or even come close) so what doesn’t work for me might save the show for someone else.
84. Sam on August 12th, 2010 9:31 pm
    

    What is bothering me about all these “I’m not watching anymore” people is how they still think they have the right to judge the show after that. You can’t judge something you don’t know anything about. You can’t just say “Maybe I will watch an episode here and there” and then go around talking about how you liked/disliked it, how the quality has changed, etc. Either watch the show or don’t. Picking random episodes is stupid and will likely make you even more upset because you won’t be getting the full story. This goes for anything else. You don’t read three random pages of a book and judge it on that, you don’t come into a movie in the middle and only watch five minutes, etc. etc.

    And as for HH (and SN) interviews. They have the right to be cryptic or squirmy or whatever you want to call it. It is their show. And they can’t help it that no matter what they say, someone will take in the wrong way and start freaking out. It’s not their fault people overreact. Why are people so interested in spoilers anyway? People just end up complaining and saying they are not watching the show even though they have no idea how these ideas are going to play out. Hey, here’s an idea, why don’t you actually watch something for yourself before making up your mind about it?

    It’s not the show that bothers me, it’s the people. Sure, there have been a number of episodes I haven’t liked. But I have enough common sense to realize that that is bound to happen. Anyone who expects to love every episode and abandons a show as soon as there is one they don’t like is crazy. I can forgive a few bad episodes here and there because another one usually comes along to make up for it. And I am going to be watching S6 because I want to see how all these ideas will work, BEFORE I judge them.

    What I probably won’t be doing is frequenting Bones message boards like I used to. I already stopped going on NCIS boards because of the people and now it looks like I will do the same for Bones.
85. EL on August 14th, 2010 3:05 pm
    

    @rynogyny I agree totally. The married vibe in the season 4 finale was totally sexy. If they wait until the end of season 7, the ship will have already sailed. Pushing it to the end of season 6 is risky but could still work. Not closing the deal this season I think will finish the show. Just my opinion, but I’m not alone in it.
86. Hot Blooded Bones on August 15th, 2010 3:10 am
    

    I LOVED the married/coma dream epi!!! I’m so conflicted I want to see a SO for Booth but only so Brenn will finally wake up! Heck this man who she knows is a devoted father proud to be a father was willing to help her have his child but leave her to raise the child?? and she didn’t wonder at his reason for doing that?? what would make a man go so against something he values so greatly?? I want her to wake up and if some new squeeze for Booth does it then so be it. I think we will find out that Booth wa so hurt that not only did Brenn not have enough courage to TRY to be with him but then that she was willing to grasp at the first opportunity to get away from him and their life that THAT is fueling the feelings he has for Hannah not anything that is real and yes maybe he wants to stick it to her somewhat. I feel like some of you others who say that even tho they would like to they CANNOT step back from where the relationship had been in S5 they were intimate without being physical to the point of practically being a married couple and they can’t suddenly say “Oh our bad we shouldn’t have done that yet! we are going back now just forget what you saw……K?????” I personally would like to see them secretly trying to have a relationship I think it would be hillarious!! They could work together still and sneak around to have time together even to the point that when someone flirts around with one of them they pretend they are open to it so noone suspects boy THAT would get the sparks flying for sure!! I don’t understand writers and producers but they just seem to be their own worst enemies and I just would hate to see them completely flush down the toilet all the potential I saw in this show and with these two characters when I began watching. I realize also that I have different concerns and opinions about the upcoming epis that someone else….I’m jsut glad this place is here so we can put our thoughts out there THANKS!
87. Fed Up on August 19th, 2010 10:25 am
    

    I still haven’t found anything that makes me want to watch. I can’t see how this SO storyline won’t change my opinion of Booth and B/B forever. I just feel like I’m going to think a lot less of Booth. And therefore, a lot less of when B/B do finally get together. I can’t see how they can present this to me without me wanting to vomit.
88. MissSea on August 22nd, 2010 2:31 pm
    

    I have lots of thoughts about this — I don’t post frequently, but I saw this article, read most of the comments and felt compelled. Please don’t take personal offense: these comments are a bit raw and rather unrefined! 🙂

    For everyone who’s been disappointed by the relationship choices TPTB have made, this angst is NOTHING. “The X-Files” and Chris Carter made us slog through NINE seasons (and one good and one gawd-awful movie) of … well, some of it was brilliant but a lot of CRAP towards the end to see our fave agents actually “together”. Plus, we had the creator saying, definitively, “These two will never get together on the show as long as I’m at the helm.” So when that kiss happened at the end of the series, I shed tears, let me tell you. Actually, my jaw dropped to the floor. And I confess I watched absolutely none of season 8, so perhaps for some of you who feel the need to leave next season, “Bones” will stick around for your own joyous reunion. However, though Booth has alluded to the Mulder/Scully parallels, I feel compelled to point out one thing:

    Folks, this show is called “Bones”. Not “Booth and Bones” or “Bones and Friends”. It’s a character study DRESSED UP as a procedural. The creators made a definite choice about naming this show what they did. A mental line in the sand about what would fly and what wouldn’t. “House” is the same way. Who cares if Cameron and what’s his face hook up? Who cares if Cuddy and Mr. Grumpy finally bump uglies? What, I believe, the writers want the watchers to focus on is the incredible ride the misanthrope is on. And Ms. Brennan is no different — she goes from friendless and alone, to having an entire crew of people supporting her.

    Now, let’s break this down: she was abandoned at 15/16, right? And she’s got her Ph.D., so she’s in her mid- to late-thirties to allow time for her to rise in the ranks of anthropology, yes? That means she’s had 20+ years fending for herself. And her “relationships” have been so meaningless that she can compartmentalize them as “basic needs”. The 100th ep revealed she met Angela a year before the show started. So she’s MAYBE had support for six to seven years. That’s a long time to “undo” all the mental crimping and kinking Bones has been doing to herself.

    But, by going to Maluku, she’s taken an incredible risk. Leaving the nest, so to speak. For her, it’s incredible that she’s trusting enough of her support base that she believes they’ll be there for her when she comes back. I personally don’t think she’s running. Instead, I think this has shown she’s adapting … no, CHANGING to suit what’s going on in the world. I think she went to Maluku to show Booth, “Hey, look! I told you I couldn’t change, but I did! I trusted you enough to leave the Jeffersonian because I RELIED on you to be there for me when I came back.”

    Actually, for me, knowing Booth hooked up with someone in Afghanistan shows how afraid he is. Have we really seen Booth alone before? I mean, he was with that lawyer at first, then Rebecca. He hooked up with Cam and then the fish lady at the end of season 6. He tried to hook up with Bones when they were first working together. Yes, Sweets said he was the gambler — but a gambler throws all his chips into something and walks away when it doesn’t work out. He doesn’t keep anything in the personal till, so he can try to gamble again. That’s supposed to appeal to a woman like Bones? What I think will appeal more to her is his love and commitment to Parker. He comes back because of his son — something he refuses to walk away from.

    I’m excited about the next season because, IMHO, most of the crap coming out is just that … crap. I hate “Castle”, but only because I pine for “Firefly”. “Chuck” drives me batty. I’ve taken to abandoning the major network shows altogether. My refuge is USA and the various programs it’s managed to hook: “Burn Notice”, “Royal Pains”, “White Collar” — even “Covert Affairs” is growing on me. They’re all derivative of “Burn Notice”, but I don’t care!

    Well, my thoughts, as they are … thanks to those of you who read this far! 🙂
    MissSea

    P.S. Incidentally, HH and company should take a page out of “Burn Notice”‘s playbook. Michael and Fi are most definitely together, and I still tune in. I get why it would be more difficult on “Bones” (rules and all that …), but I feel compelled to point out that fact.
89. kelsey on August 25th, 2010 11:57 pm
    

    I was wondering how they were going to do it when the whole team split up after last season but I think it wasn’t a bad thing for them all to get out of the lab for a while. I am a little confused about the time jump though and how that’s going to work. Will the story be going on several months in the future or have they made up for the time difference without us noticing? I am definitely one who is with this show to the end, and I’m very excited for the sixth season. I don’t know why people get so angry about what is going on. You should all just trust the writers and producers etc. to do their job and not do something retarded that everyone is going to hate. I don’t think we will be disappointed.
90. Arianne on November 20th, 2010 9:12 am
    

    Will Bones and Booth finally fall in love in this season? Fans have been waiting for a long period of time for this.