BONES: ‘The Maggots in the Meathead’
October 8, 2010 by Sarah Curtis
Yo, yo, yo, BONES pals! I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this JERSEY SHORE-inspired episode, but I have to admit that I liked this case. How about you?
Once again, the writers thread the personal lives of the characters alongside the criminal action. “Irony” is a theme this season… and it’s ironic that just as Brennan may have been ready to pursue a relationship with Booth beyond “just partners,” he’s with Hannah, and it’s ironic that Brennan is so intuitive about Hannah but misses that she’s been watching MTV and not an actual documentary.
Were you as surprised by the killer as I was? And how did you feel about the last scene? There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s break it down!
THE CASE:
A beachcomber with a metal detector finds a jackpot, or so he thinks. When he pulls up a gold cross necklace, it rises from the sand, attached to a human skeleton currently housing what looks like hundreds of maggots. Ew! Grossest body of season 6!
When Cam, Booth and Brennan investigate further, Cam finds a wallet and reveals that the body belongs to Richie ‘The V’ Genaro. Booth talks with Richie’s mom, an intense woman who insists that her son was a good boy led astray by “Lil Frankie” — whom we’ll meet later. As the team back at the lab tries to figure out what rounded object with pieces of yellow plastic and concrete could have been lodged in Richie’s skull (and how), Booth invites Brennan to the Jersey shore with him to question suspects. Brennan is excited to get a closer look at what she thinks of as a tribal culture, and her “Eureka, a gathering of guidos!” is one of my new all-time favorite Brennan-isms. I loved her “translating” the vernacular for Booth the entire episode, and I laughed when he called Lil Frankie “muscles marinara.”
As B&B dig deeper into the case, they come across many potential killers: Frankie; Peppy, one of Richie’s best friends; Marie, his one-time lover; and Terror (played by Antonio Sabato Jr.), the man who lost his job as a trainer when Richie ratted him out for peddling steroids. But Frankie is upset, Peppy is innocent, Marie claims she’s guilty only of loving Richie too much, and Terror’s alibi of taking his mother to see “Billy Elliot” holds up. It’s not until Brennan has a brainstorm that Richie’s body was frozen after he was killed that she and Booth figure out the real killer. What seems like a throw-away plot point during a funny club scene turns out to be important, as an ice vendor, annoyed with the guido-mentality, is the one who killed Richie. It wasn’t deliberate, as he was aiming for Peppy, who (in another bit of irony) was wearing the same t-shirt as Richie the night he died.
THE SQUINTS:
Angela: She spends a lot of the episode working and trying to deny she’s pregnant, and when that doesn’t work out, she pleads with everyone to pretend to be surprised when Hodgins makes his big announcement. I’m really hoping that we actually SEE that scene sometime.
Hodgins: He’s got more than a baby on his mind when he has to work with Fisher on solving the murder weapon and time of death. BONES pals, tell me you smiled as much as I did at the nod to season 2 when he differentiated between concrete and cement!
Cam: Was it me or did she look particularly pretty in this episode? I appreciated her genuine happiness for Angela’s pregnancy-induced cracker-eating ways and the way she encouraged Fisher.
Fisher: Speaking of which, he was just fantastic, wasn’t he? I’m interested to see if he’ll be back this season and whether he’ll be his old sad self or his new optimistic — albeit tired — self. And for my money, he had the best line of the night regarding Brennan: “She’s not being kind; she’s being factual. That’s what makes it awesome.”
Sweets: I loved him knowing all the text-lingo; that was pretty fun. Thoughts on his convo with Booth? My impression was that when the elevator door closed after Booth said he was “a good kid,” Sweets saw what we’re all seeing — that Booth is kind of edgy and not himself.
BOOTH & BRENNAN:
Speaking of Booth, I don’t know about you, but I believed him all those years when he said he wasn’t a prude. And I believed him when he said his relationship with Hannah was as serious as a heart attack. I don’t need to see more to believe it. You? It’s the ultimate trade-off: Naked Booth in exchange for someone else (not Brennan) in his bed. Or maybe the trade-off is that we get to see Brennan protect Booth from afar like he’s protected her over the years.
What are your thoughts on the Brennan and Hannah conversation? I liked Brennan knowing so much about what Booth loves about old-timey rotary phones. It was a genuine lead-in to her warning Hannah that Booth would “give himself” to her completely and it would be painful for him if she’s not as serious about the relationship as Booth is. Hannah’s reply was just as genuine, which was good to see. As far as Hannah is concerned, I’m still on the fence. What weirds me out the most is that she calls B&B “Seeley and Temperance.” Those ARE their names, but it just feels strange. What are your thoughts on all of that?
I’ve been a proponent for Brennan in the lab and Booth in the interrogation room for a long time, but admittedly, I miss Brennan sitting alongside Booth as he questions suspects. Though it feels almost like grasping at little snippets of moments, my favorite parts of this episode were when Booth stood up for Brennan against Terror (especially when Brennan was standing behind him and as if they’ve done it for years, accepted his jacket and his gun as he rolled up his sleeves) and, at the end, when Booth made a point to say goodbye to Brennan as she left his apartment. I want to believe that he understands that she was the one who knew he’d love the phone. But maybe I’m reading too much into it.
That’s where you come in! Were those moments as meaningful as I think? What OTHER moments did you love more? What did you make of the “girl time” at Booth’s apartment? There is so much from this episode to discuss, and I’m counting on you to do it!
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I LOVED this episode! This seasons just keeps getting better and better! The way Hannah said Seeley ewww and she said it wrong! Brennan knows him way better than she ever will!
Does anyone know if the MLB World Series will knock Bones off for the next few weeks?…please say no!
I agree with pretty much everything you said Sarah. Emily Deschanel did a terrific job tonight – the episode worked so well because of her. I still like Hannah and am firmly in the camp of believing that the “the other woman” doesn’t always have to be a bad guy. I agree that having Hannah around makes Booth and Brennan’s (now limited) time together more meaningful and poinant – the last scene was especially great. I have confidence that Hannah and Booth’s story will lead us to a satisfactory end and provide quality dramatic moments in the meantime.
Great summary!!!! I loved being reminded of how well Bones knows Booth- and this episode really gave me hope that they will both wise up soon and get together. Hannah (who I dreaded) is really just a plot device designed to get Bones to realize her feelings….so for now- yeah Hannah!
This was such a great episode! 😀
CJ – Unfortunately it’s true. It happens every fall.
I enjoyed this episode, for the first time this season I felt the chemistry between Bones and Booth, I feel like at the end Booth wanted her to stay… I couldn’t help but have Pocos “Keep on trying” playing in my head and cry the last scene. But maybe it’s because I had a bad day. I honestly wasn’t to threatened by Hannah I was open to the concept but seeing her use Brennan to get closer to booth is just rude in my opinion. anyhow that my two cents.
And P.S I’m new haha been watching your site for a couple months now but this is my first post – also started following you on twitter! 🙂 so Hello my not so new found Bones Friend
I was warned about the first scene and skipped it and was very content with the episode. I like the convo between Hannah/Brennan and am starting to warm up the Hannah but not get too involved because I know it will never work, I hope. I thought the whole JS thing was OTT but it was sort of interesting. The end scene spoke volumns and I liked how Booth was becoming more comfortable or warmer with Brennan. Now cut out those gross love scenes between Hannah and Booth. I get the picture and see it is only physical but ewwww.
Hannah and Booth are all about sex. There is obviously no talking or communication going on between these two. If you are serious enough to move in someone you should know them enough to be able to think of a gift on your own. There should be no reason to consult your significant other’s work partner to get ideas. It just goes to show that Booth has changed as a person and he is no longer thinking with his head! Hannah comes across as flat and dull. I don’t know if its the acting or if this is how she was told to portray her. She is unimportant other than how she’ll move the rest of the season’s story along. I don’t feel like she is a character that needs to be expanded upon. She’s not interesting as an individual character.
I think Booth does understand that Brennan was the one that suggested the phone. He knows that Hannah doesn’t know something as personal as that about him… but somehow he chose to ignore the fact (that Brennan is really the one that knows him) when Hannah gave him the gift. It seems Hannah doesn’t know anything about him, just superficial stuff. Plus, he’s still acting a bit weird to me, acting like everything is just perfect, all the time.
Has Hannah even met Parker yet? It seems so rushed…
I can’t help it now, everytime an episode ends I feel like crying. I feel so bad. I thought the episode was fun and I laughed a lot, but at the end, I wanted to cry.
By the way, I agree with all of the above: love Booth without a shirt, put stop it with the sex scenes. I really DON’T need to see that going on, knowing that it’s happening is more than enough.
The scene where Booth hands Bones his jacket and then the end bit were my favorites, for obvious reasons. And I tweeted about this, but… Do we HAVE to have the obligatory Booth and Hannah in bed scene every episode now? Is that supposed to make us pine for B/B more? Bah. Anyway, I was glad that Hannah told him Bones was the one to give her the idea for the phone. I think he realized it, yes, and that was part of why he went after her to say goodnight. *swoon* @ the looks they were giving each other at the end!
I actually covered my eyes during ‘that’ scene & believe me I love a naked Booth. It just felt wrong.
Was anyone else saddened by Brennan being the only one at the end to have no-one to go home to? And her sad little face, I had tears.
I also think David is playing it great at being off kilter. We are all feeling the weirdness so it can’t just be me.
Despite all this I can’t wait for the next episode!! 🙂
First off, I like Hannah, but I also had a secret hope that Brennan would come back with Agent Sully ’cause I liked him too. I guess I just trust the writers of Bones (I don’t on other shows i.e. Grey’s)
Now, Maybe I am projecting how I think Hannah should be thinking, but I feel like there was a moment in her conversation with Brennan where she knew Brennan was the in love with Booth and maybe that she wasn’t in love with him. You know it that sneaky little suspicion kinda way. In the real world, the girl always knows.
And at the end Booth totally knew. My reasoning being found in the emotions the writers wanted to portray. If it was simply about Brennan being alone, then she would have been walking out alone. The fact that Booth follows her, is saying something about what he is thinking. And please don’t argue that they were just filling time, because I worked in the graphics side of tv and the editors never had excess time, in fact they were usually a couple minutes over.
Thanks for another great review Sarah! Every week I watch the show and then immediately go here and see what you have to say about it 🙂 I am suprised that you didn’t mention, nor has anyone else, the moment after Hannah gave Booth the telephone. He says thank you and both Brennan and Hannah say “you’re welcome” at the same time. Brennan was so excited to see Booth’s reaction to his gift and at the moment seemed to forget that she was not the one giving it to him. When her and Hannah both responded the look on her face was so sad, like she was being slapped with reality again. That is why she was in such a hurry to get out of there. To me, that was the most telling Brennan moment of the episode.
this show was allright/but why dont they ever said anything about parker?
While I’m all for naked Booth I can live without the scene that got him there!
Having never seen Jersey Shore I can safely say it seems I’m not missing anything. Brennan was hilarious though “observing the tribe” and translating to Booth.
In the scene with Hannah and Brennan it kinda seemed that Hannah had a bit of an edge to her when she said she was lucky Booth had a partner who knows him so well, like she wasn’t too happy about that. Seemed like Brennan picked up on that and tried to play down their closeness. Loved that she told Hannah to be completely sure she wanted to be with him so he didn’t get hurt. It felt like she was saying “like I hurt him” in her head and then the look on her face when she knows all they are is friends because of that was awful Poor Brennan.
I was tearing up at the end scene too. Brennan was so thrilled that he loved her gift, then so gutted when he thanks Hannah. I wanted to slap Booth so badly in that moment! But then when he followed her to the door I think he knew where the gift came from but couldn’t say anything as not to upset Hannah.
Brennan is so in love with Booth. Her sad looks as she sees Hannah have all that she said no to but that she really does want are so heart crushing.
Can’t wait til she finally confesses that to Angela.
This episode was AWESOME! I laughed out loud so many times. I really enjoyed the sweet moments too! Especially the B and B scene at the end. It was nice to see some of the old dynamic between them return. I thought some of Hannah’s statements during the girl time at Booth’s were very revealing! Does she love Booth? Maybe, but I don’t think it’s for the long haul.
Great episode!! Sooooo funny but so lovely sad at the end because of the all unspoken words in a very last sceen…
U r all giving great insites in the story that I just can’t see sometimes and I thank u all for that…
Just wondered did anyone else catch the way Booth ”got” that Angela is pregnant? She can’t drink wine anymore? Isn’t that the same way Bren told HIM about their baby in ”a dream”? Right there my eye teard up and it’s still that way…
Love how the writers make changes in the caraters,in a weard way I have a feeling they know what they r doing… at least I hope so and I’m definitely along for the ride!
TTFN 🙂
Although I absolutely HATE seeing any scenes with Booth & Hannah – I was way encouraged last night. I loved the episode (seems like old times) w/o Hannah. Sweets’ comment after cautioning Booth “Oh boy” encouraged me… Hannah’s 4 suitcases and one box (she’ll be gone before her toothbrush dries) was REALLY encouraging (In & Out Burger)… but THE most encouraging thing was the end when Booth made a point of looking Bones in the eye to say see you tomorrow and the looks they exchanged… they’re not done and that makes me a happy camper!
I must say, this episode was brilliant with both the case, and the personal moments. I did love that one moment at the end when all of the women are in Booth’s apartment, just before he realizes Angela’s pregnant. They all share this look, and it seemed really nice to me. It kind of gave the impression that even though they’re all very different and unique people, they all share the same feelings of jubilation about her pregnancy. For the same reason I loved the scene where Cam connected the dots. Tamara Taylor doesn’t receive enough credit for her work. And yes, she was looking very pretty 🙂
The phone scene, the one we all loved. That one little moment where he said thank you for the gift and both Hannah & Brennan replied at the same time seemed so sad to me. The look in her eyes when she realizes she’s not the one he’s focussing on was near heartbreaking (metaphorically speaking, of course), and when he kissed Hannah I felt so terrible for her. Yes, I know it’s all fiction and what not, but it does these things 🙂 All in all though, a fabulous episode, can’t wait for next week 🙂
Loved the episode. One of the best parts of the episode was when Lil Frankie was crying out for Richie, made me think of La Bamba after Ritchie died. (One of my favorite movies, BTW)
I can really tell that Brennan is struggling with this, I feel like she was being over enthusiastic when Booth was on the phone with Hannah. I mean, really, that was a little much. But when Brennan was talking to Hannah, I think she was looking out for Booth, but mentally kicking herself because she sees how happy Booth is (though I still think he is trying to convince himself). I think she may have come to the conclusion that it could have been her, if she had just opened herself up to the idea.
The scene at the end broke my heart all over again, almost to the point of tears. After seeing Booth’s reaction to Angela’s pregnancy, the your gonna be a great mom reminded me of season 4’s Critic in the Cabernet. He was geniunely happy for her, and I think maybe, for a second a flash of jealously may have passed Brennan’s mind. That could have been them. Brennan leaving was hard to watch, she’s not used to having to leave him. She understands her place and doesn’t want to intrude on Booth & Hannah’s time. When Booth went after her, he knew that she was the one who suggested the gift. I think in that moment, he felt what he have felt the past three weeks. I just wonder how he’ll react.
One more thing, as much as I love a naked Booth, can we get naked Booth in the shower, preferrably without Hannah…kthx!
I agree with so many of the previous posts – that Booth really still loves Brennan but is trying to convince himself and everyone else that he is in love with Hannah and not pining; Hannah knows Brennan is “the One” but she is going to ride along; I think Parker will provide the deal breaker or Hannah’s career will – she is all about that – and traveling light means she will be out the door. Angela’s references to herself being like that (does no one remember the boyfriend out West?) and the fact that Cam (who slept with Booth and knows B&B truly love each other) and Brennan (who is figuring out how deeply she is attached to him) sitting in the same room making nice was an interesting dynamic. Booth knew exactly where that phone came from and the deeper knowledge behind it (of his grandfather and all that comes with that). I am feeling better about the direction of the show and am back to enjoying the unexpected lines and the incredible amount of emotion these actors can convey in their facial expressions – I am hoping the other characters are not diluted. Those of us that have followed Bones from the beginning “got” the references sprinkled through this episode. I like that too – it was kind of a “thank you” to the fans, I think – I feel so much better about the prospect of B&B actually connecting again. Just as Sully realized Bones and Booth had a thing for each other, Hannah knows too and she may be the one to let Booth off the hook and leave for a faraway job opportunity, not wanting to stay in one place as a settled wife and mom, Parker and exes of various flavors all so much “baggage”. Which is not the same as them not truly feeling the love or being evil, its just they can see that Bones will always be meant for Booth and vice versa. Yay.
The other thing that just came to mind is that Bones gets to see, through Hannah, what she would have had, and the reason Booth tells her so much about this relationship is that he is trying to show her how he would have behaved toward her, if she had accepted him – and the whole Hannah thing is a play within a play. Hannah is merely a stand in – at some point it will get too close to commitment and someone is going to have to flinch and make a stand to keep the charade from continuing. Oooh. I like this scenario too. The writers have so many options to get us to a dramatic Bones and Booth union!
Ok, really don’t like Hannah and I don’t like that they are showing so much of her and him IN BED TOGETHER!! ARG!. I totally agree with you that we don’t need to see more of them together. It is really just ruining my vibe of the show. I mean, I really feel like they are forcing her on us as viewers and I don’t care for it. And I really feel like they are killing the chemistry between B&B, it just seems different and I don’t like it. I don’t get the same warmth that I got when watching this show. I don’t know, maybe I just really don’t like Hannah! Is she going to be around much longer?? And what is her accent? The first time she said Seely, I thought she said Silly. Wow, I am really hating on her right now!
That said, I did like this episode, Brennen was so funny thinking she was watching a documentary!! And I loved when Booth got all protective of her when Terror pushed her. That was awesome!!
I loved Sweets’ face after the elevator door closed, I mean, he totally knows that Booth is forcing this relationship a little. At least it feels that way. And for me, I felt like Sweets’ was telling Booth, it is easy to fall in love away from Brennan, now that you are back with her everyday, it could be strenous on your relationship with Hannah., but maybe I am projecting, or wishing!!
I nearly cried at the end when Brennen was leaving and Booth came over and it was just the two of them in the hallway… oh, broke my heart!
I really hope they get on with you know, getting B&B closer and getting rid of Hannah!
Thoroughly enjoyed your review. The opening scene was gratuitous. I don’t think that B&H have any chemistry and that’s not because I want Booth w/Bones. I find Hannah to be dull. She definitely picked up on Brennan’s feelings for Booth. As far as Booth, he’s on edge because he is trying to convince himself that he’s happy with Hannah. It is so forced, that it is painful to watch. Emily Deschanel knocked it out of the park last night. She was a comedic genius and then equally on the mark as a woman who is deeply in love but can’t act on her feelings.
I thought this was a brilliant episode. I didn’t even mind the opening scene, though I wouldn’t like a reenactment every week. I know that Hannah isn’t going to be around forever and I do enjoy her character. I think the way the writers have made her a likable person is genius. And it’s clear that the other characters, including Brennan, are taken with her. It creates an interesting dynamic and I don’t think anyone should feel threatened by that dynamic.
As for the squints this week, brilliant. The Angela/Cam scene was priceless. Tamara is a brilliant actress and her reaction to realizing Angela is pregnant was fabulous. That whole scene was super cute and I giggled my way through it. I can’t wait until Hodgins realizes that Angela has gone and told everyone when it was her idea to keep it a secret in the first place!
Fischer was great! I loved his new, optimistic personality. I know he’s been really busy in Hollywood these days, but I hope we get to see more of him. His character is so quirky and he livens up some of the lab scenes.
Loved the scene between Brennan and Hannah. There were so many quiet and subtle nuances that were acted beautifully by both women. Brennan’s obvious joy at relating Booth’s interest in rotary phones and Hannah’s reaction to how well Bones knows her partner was fascinating to watch. And when Brennan warns Hannah about hurting Booth, I wanted to stand up and applaud for the emotional step forward she’s taken.
The scene where Booth steps in front of Bones and hands her his gun, while she stands calmly behind him and accepts it without a word, I laughed so hard! That scene was so telling of the relationship and camaraderie they’ve formed over the years!
And last, but not least, the final scene. I loved every moment of it. From the women enjoying each others company. To Booth’s look of bewilderment to discover them all hanging around in his apartment. To his look of genuine delight when he catches on to Angela’s pregnancy. And the emotions that flitted across Brennan’s face when she realized Hannah was living the life Brennan should have realized sooner that she wanted. And Booth following her to the door when she leaves, the look that passed between them was heartbreaking and lead me to really applaud the writers and director.
In all, I think the first three episodes have gotten progressively better and I’m excited for the direction we’re headed in this season. Can’t wait for next week. Bummed that the World Series is going to start bumping my Bones!!!
I love this series but I’m a little surprised you didn’t mention something that I think will end up being key later on. How about Hannah’s reaction to Brennan’s advice about the phone and that little statement about being as serious about booth as he is her. If you were paying attention, you could see the wheels turning in Hannah’s head going “hmmm, maybe there is more here”. Hannah is being portrayed as a strong character and intuitive… she’s not aware of the full nature of their relationship, but she’s starting to become aware. Eventually, I think it will be Hannah that walks away- not with any ill will mind you, but I think she’s just going to realize that maybe there isn’t a place there for her after all.
The final scene with Booth and Brennan saying good bye tells a lot there as well… Brennan is realizing how she feels and I think on some level (although minut) Booth is beginning to see that she may be having second thoughts.
The only thing that irked me about Hannah last week was her saying how she kicked Christina Amanpours ass (seriously, GTFO!) But this week, ugh, there’s a really whiney little girl in there.
Highlight of the episode had to be Brennan’s posturing, ridiculously hilarious!
My heart actually broke at the end, I remembered that wine thing from the s4 final, I think Booth did to, but that look he gave he at the end actually nearly killed me. The way he kind of subtly waves the bow, how he seems like he wants to say something else but goes for a repeat of what he just said, that he doesn’t turn away, even when Brennan opens the door with her back completely towards him, he’s still staring at her, waiting, so significant, so sad.
I loved this episode also. I must say, so far, I am with Sweets about Booth. Booth said he had to find someone to love him for 20 years or 30 years and I think he rushed into the relationship with Hannah. He loves the idea of being loved and he thinks Hannah may be the one to replace Brennan. The scene in the end tells me that, maybe, it has now dawned on Booth that Hannah is not the one. The phone idea was from Brennan. Brennan knows Booth and loves him and Booth knows that. He may start acting odd towards Hannah and she will get that it is time to leave. Hannah is nice but she is a career reporter use to action and if she thinks that she is just getting between Booth and Brennan then she will just leave. She told us she is a nomad and nomads never stay in one place long. Of course Booth will probably take it badly and blame himself; but, that is why we love Booth. He cares for people around him.
I love Bones – I have watched every episode from season 1-5 since early Spring 2010. I’ve noticed all the character changes and things that have changed with production, but still I love this show.
I liked this show because I “DON’T” watch Jersey Shore, so I have no exact expectations as to the behaviors of guidos and guidettes (my closest reference is reading the Janet Evanovich “Stephanie Plummer” series of books). With that being said, I was slow on the uptake as to who the murderer was, and I am not ashamed to admit that.
Booth is pretending harder then he needs to. He may love/lust for Hannah, but his heart is still with Brennan. I think he may be saying look at me now, I’m in love just a little too loudly. You know the sayings – “Thou protesteth too much,” and “The hit dog hollers the loudest.”
I am waiting for the fall out – while I think Hannah is cute, I just am not feeling this Booth is so deeply in love with her. I think he is hiding his feelings for Brennan in his relationship with Hannah. (I may be deluded, but I am not giving up hope!!!)
The Booth and Brennan scenes are the ones I like most. I am happy with the direction of the show, I like slowly watching this whole thing unfold.
MUST SEE TV FOR ME = Bones, Cougar Town, Modern Family, and 30 Rock.
Gata, I love the Janet Evanovich books, they are hilarious!
I think you are right, their relationship is physical, at the end of the day, there has to be more than just sex to sustain a relationship.
I think that Hannah is there to push Booth & Brennan in the right direction, towards each other. Like others have mentioned, Hannah is not stupid, and you’d have to be a fool to not see that there is something deeper than just friendship between Booth & Brennan.
Rats! I was just about finished typing my comment, had to go do something, and when I got back the whole thing was gone. I don’t think I have it in me to reproduce the whole thing, but I’ll do the best I can.
*I agree with whoever said the episodes keep getting better. This episode was somehow funny and incredibly heartbreaking all at the same time.
*In reference to Sarah’s question about why Hannah calls B&B “Seeley” and “Temperance” – I am inclined to think that perhaps it is the writers way of showing that even though everyone likes Hannah, at the end of the day, she’s not part of the “team.” I get the distinct impression that Booth doesn’t like his first name (remember the “Seeley” and “Camille” – “don’t call me that” – discussion from season 2?), hence the reason that no one other than his brother (and maybe a few other random people) seems to call him that. And I’m not sure I’ve heard anyone other than Hacker (and maybe a random boyfriend or two) call Brennan, Temperance. Even her family calls her “Tempe” most of the time, not Temperance. Bottom line? Hannah is newcomer, and her use of their first names shows that.
*The funny: Brennan’s use of the Jersey Short lingo was hysterical. I also enjoyed the scene where Cam figured out that Angela was pregnant (because non-pregnant people would never eat crackers!).
*The interesting: What was up with all the shout-outs to previous episodes? I counted four: the concrete vs. cement conversation (from “The Killer in the Concrete”), Booth’s reference to mac’n’cheese (this one might be a stretch, but Brennan makes Booth his favorite meal, mac’n’cheese, in The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House), the wine comment that makes Booth realize Angela is pregnant (a reference to the end of “The End in the Beginning”), and the “you’re going to be a great mom” line (from the end of “The Critic in the Cabernet”). And is it just me, or were DB’s facial expressions and body language in last night’s episode exactly the same as the original episodes? Wierd.
*The compelling: The return of protective Booth! It does my little heart good to see the way he put himself between Brennan and Terror to protect her (“did you just shove my partner!?”).
I also think the final scene showed that the walls around Booth’s heart might be cracking just bit. I suspect he’s starting to realize that things might not be as over between them as he thought – both in terms of his feelings for her and hers for him.
The most compelling scene by far, though, was the scene between Brennan and Hannah in Brennan’s office. That scene illustrated just how well Brennan knows Booth and that fact was not lost on Hannah. And the story Brennan told reveals just how much she knows about a subject Booth hates to talk about – his childhood. Hannah’s pretty intuitive and I’m guessing she’s realized that Brennan has feelings for Booth (I’m not sure what, if anything, she realizes yet about Booth’s feelings for Brennan, though).
But perhaps the best part of that scene was the end where Brennan asked Hannah to be sure of her commitment to Booth before she moved in with him. Her comments about how Booth gives himself completely to the woman he loves (as he did with Brennan) and how much it would hurt him if that woman broke his heart (as Brennan did to him, no matter the reason) proves that she understands exactly how much what went on between her and Booth, affected him. It might be heartbreaking, but nonetheless, that’s phenomenal character growth.
All in all, I very much enjoyed this episode and am very excited to see where the story goes next.
Hear, hear, Sarah!
PS: Can I just ask one thing: does anyone else get the distinct feeling that “louder stateside” sex is crappy sex? Seriously, that was the kind of TMI-I-reaaaally-don’t-need-to-see type of scene. Booth, Booth, Booth… I thought you were immune to the Y-chromosome disease of stupidity but no such luck!
It took Booth five seasons to realize and accept his feelings for Brennan. Does anyone else think it is unfair that they are trying to compress all the pain that Booth felt in those five seasons onto Brennan in, like, half a season (hopefully we won’t have to endure Hannah longer than that).
I think that up until the end of season 4, Booth and Brennan were in the same place regarding their feelings for one another. Neither had really admitted anything to themselves or anyone else, and they were happy in their (what we now call) stalemate. We saw Booth’s struggle, pain, and quiet determination in season 5, and now it is Brennan’s turn. I don’t think they are compressing anything.
Even though we’re only 3 episodes into season 6, ED has already blown me away. I stand amazed. DB’s been great too 🙂 TMitM is already one of my favorites for character interactions – Hodgins and Fisher, Cam and Angela, and (yes!) Brennan and Hannah. The ending was bittersweet but it didn’t leave me depressed. Quite the opposite in fact. I see signs of that wonderful B/B friendship and bond re-emerging!
I think it was a great episode. I too felt like enough is enough, ok we get it they are together, however I am assuming perhaps the sex scenes are going to help with the ratings so that helps me get through. Brennan was hilarious this episode, charging the guy on the dance floor and that face she was making, I was just exploding with laughter. I did love the he instantly still protects her, and that their chemistry seems to be returning. Props to Brennan for being able to be so normal with him while it is apparent how hard this is for her. I wonder about Booth and his feelings for Hannah, so far I see a lot of the physical relationship but none of the emotional one he has with brennan, so it was nice to see that pointed out with the gift. And how great that they are all hanging out at his apartment, and that kind of freaks him out a little. I was sad for her at the end, much like I was sad for her when she said her life is turning out like she expected it to. I am anxious to see how this goes, I love that they are putting so much personal stuff in each episode. I felt like last season they did that and then it would be two or three episodes before we heard it mentioned again, I didn’t like that. I am excited for more, just hope not too much time goes by before we see it again, darn baseball, but i guess that it is better to preempt it than try to go against it for ratings.
For all the complaints about Booth/Non-Brennan sex:
It’s supposed to show you that when Hannah and Booth are together one on one, it’s mostly just sex! That’s their relationship, random meals and lots of sex.
So…it’s a good thing, B/B shippers.
Before seeing the episode, I was quite convinced it was either going to be fun or just a flop. Turns out it was fun. I know laughing at Little Frankie yelling “RICCHIIIEEEEE!!” was stupid, but I laughed anyway. It’s hard to explain, but the overly dramatic and simple-mindedness of the Jersey-shore kids was rather amusing to watch!
I was so glad when Booth defended Brennan when Terror shoved her. It’s a breath of fresh air to see the tough Booth back for a little while. It creeps me out a bit that Hannah is using everybody’s first name. I know she’s a friendly, casual kind of person, but something about it is just weirding me out.
I loved Fisher’s line too!! The reason I think he’s yawning all the time is because he might be taking anti-depressants….it makes you yawn a lot. So that rather ironic since the only reason he’s taking them in the first place is because he’s been sleeping too much. Haha!!
So… this episode wasn’t as hard to watch as the last one. There was more laughter and Booth and Brennan have chemistry again (the looks at the end? omg! it was something like out of the older seasons!) – thank God for that!! I loved to see him protecting her once more.
And yes, the end was again heart-breaking. ED is amazing when it comes to close-ups. All the emotion she can show in her eyes… it’s still sad to see Brennan like that.
My two cents about Brennan, Booth and Hannah: Booth and Hannah met under extraordinary circumstances. They were in a war zone, adrenaline was high almost 24/7. There, everything was fine between them: it was only physical and I don’t think either one of them really expected to see the other one again after they were back in the USA. Now it shows that the thing they have going on probably will always stay on a physical level. They hardly know each other. And I think Booth started to realize it at the end of this episode. He knows that Hannah could have never thought of something so personal as a gift.
I’m really excited to see the next episodes. I don’t think Booth will make the first step toward Brennan. He’s blind right now. He doesn’t see that Brennan has finally become aware of her feelings for him. So I guess now, she’ll have to be the gambler. But I can’t see her doing that, either, because she wouldn’t want to destroy his relationship with Hannah. Does that mean that Hannah has to be the first one to realize the situation and leave? I really don’t know, maybe one of you has suggestions??
Anyway, this episode has made me a lot more optimistic for a B&B happy end than the other episodes of season six. And as much as it pains me to see Booth with Hannah and Brennan alone and heartbroken, as long as there are still those special moments and looks between B&B, it’ll be fine.
Can’t wait for the next episode!!
Bones is losing viewers at a startling rate. Not necessarily in the all-important 18-49 demo, I give you, but thousands of viewers at a time.
This was a great episode — it was very nice to have the focus back on the case. I love the relationships but there is only so much train wreck that I can handle. 🙂
I liked the Hannah scenes actually. I feel like every episode they are building to something… I get a very strong “foreshadowing’ feel from the following scenes: Episode 1: Cam’s problem with veterans and brain damage. Episode 2: Hannah agreeing with Booth about being trouble and that she intends to cause as much of it as possible. Episode 3: Hannah having lunch at the white house and talking about ‘finally getting some answers.’ I can’t wait to see how the trouble pans out.
I also liked how she called B&B Seeley and Temperance. I thought it gave her an intimate feel. Booth lets her call him Seeley, which only family does. We’ve only heard a few people call Brennan Temperance — usually in emotionally intimate situations. I am just glad she didn’t try and call Brennan ‘Bones’!
And the end was sweet. We’ve been seeing Booth trying to pull away and it has felt, to me, like he has been being very short and a bit rough with Brennan. This case the working together seemed a lot more natural, and as working together becomes more natural the friendship reblossoms and becomes more natural.
We see Booth being both physically protective and emotionally protective. He may not know exactly why (or maybe he does) but he picks up the loneliness vibes and does what he can to reassure her that she is not alone. Just like he was there for her when Sully left, dropped his case with the Grave Digger, reamed out her father for leaving againa nd again. He just can’t not be ther for her, even though he is trying very hard to move on. Very, very sweet.
I’ve finally realized this morning exactly how to sum up my feelings about this season: it’s heartbreakingly amazing — I’m just not used to Bones breaking my heart every week.
That’s not intended to be a backhanded criticism. I’ve always loved the show, to a near obsessional degree. (Some would debate the ‘near’ qualifier.) But one of the reasons I loved it was that it was what it was — a romantic comedy (HH has described it as such) that had real heart to it. Most romantic comedies do nothing for me, because the attempts at humor are too over the top and there’s nothing that really touches me. Bones has almost always gotten the balance right.
And that all changed in the 100th ep. There’s still humor, but it’s more understated and even bittersweet. And the show’s not only touching my heart, but pulling it out and stomping on it. It’s not that I mind that — I’m a fan of Whedon, after all, where accepting a mix of humor and having your heart stomped on is a requirement — I just wasn’t expecting it of Bones.
The humor in this episode worked better for me than I’d anticipated. That’s not a slap at HH & Co: I don’t watch reality shows and if I did, I think JS would be the last one I’d try (based on what I know of it) and I was pleasantly surprised by how well much of the humor worked given that. I confess that I’d sort of expected to be annoyed by clueless Brennan (I do think a weakness of the show is when they have her say, ‘I don’t know what that means’ about something she would have understood perfectly in S1) and instead was charmed by what felt like innocence rather than cluelessness.
I don’t love Hannah, and am still rather puzzled by why they want us to, actually. (I do know fans who are actually sort of starting to root for her and Booth and that seems like not such a good thing for HH, really.) But I like her, and am glad they’re writing her the way they are. I do wonder, though, that no one (expect perhaps Angela) sees the inherent contradiction in a self-proclaimed nomad declaring she’s serious about a relationship.
I confess to not knowing what’s really going on in B/B at this point. We know things are going on in both of them (that was finally made clear about Booth in the last seconds of Thursday night’s ep) in terms of their relationship. But I don’t think they’re nearly as far along as some fans think (‘she’s in love! he knows he’s still in love with her!) mostly because we know that we still have many weeks of the Hannah arc to play out, plus, I’m not at all convinced that we’ll see them together this year. I’ll be okay with that as long as we continue to see them moving closer (both to one another and to becoming a couple.)
As with all three eps we’ve seen so far, there were so many moments I loved in this, (protective Booth!) that are mixed with those that break my heart (the look of joy on Brennan’s face at Booth’s pleasure in the phone, contrasted with the look as she’s leaving) that saying ‘I loved this ep’ really doesn’t begin to express my response to it.
Great review, as always, seels!
Don’t have much to add in way of insights after reading everyone’s above, but will say – still don’t love Hannah – she’s OK (why would I love someone who is, albeit unintentionally, in between the people I do care about?), and although watching ED’s acting these 3 episodes is fabulously moving, Bones is so much more melancholy and heartwrenching these days. I don’t know how much more of it can be sustainable to a dramedy – or maybe I just need to see B&B happy soon!!
The last scene gave me hope that Booth is finally letting the ice around his heart chip away a little – a sign I’m very thankful to see. Hopefully that progresses somewhat quickly, as someone noted above, the Sully arc was handled well without being dragged out…
I have several complaints about season 6!!! (OK, more than several)
Does any one else think that they are going out of their way to make Bones look dowdy? In past shows she looked hot and wore cute/sophisticated clothes. So far, they have Hannah in sexy dresses and Bones wearing striped shirts. (She is still gorgeous, but doesn’t get to look as great as she naturally is).
I have been watching reruns because I am so irritated at how dense they are making Bones appear, and realized how in the first several seasons, she is not the clueless and cold person that appears in Season 6. She actually worries about being cold and clueless. Remember when she said that there was nothing she would do for Booth? When she comforted a mother whose son had been murdered? When she gets Cam to adopt her daughter?
The other thing that bothers me is what they are doing to Booth. At the season finale last year, he made Bones promise to meet him at the reflection pool. Then when they meet again, 7 months later, he pulls out a picture of his new girlfriend. Isn’t that a bit boorish– and unBoothlike? The Booth we all know and love wouldn’t be so insensitive. He was always conscious of other people’s feelings, and I don’t buy that he was trying to deliberately hurt Bones.
I think the writers should have a word with themselves and straighten out this mess right quick. Here’s one way. Ditzy Daisy might visit Sweets and chirpily mention that she found a letter to Booth that Dr. B had given her to mail when they were in Indonesia, but, being so caught up in the excitement of the dig, Daisy stuck it in a backpack and plain forgot, but, Daisy squeals, “better late then never!” The letter, which Sweet passes along to Booth, might contain Bone’s declaration that she wanted to try that 30-year relationship with him, with the admission that she realized that she had hurt him, and that if he had changed his mind, she would understand if he didn’t write back. Which would explain why she was determined to be happy for him when he brought back Hannah to the scene— and makes his actions more understandable. Okay, it is contrived, but no more so than what we have been seeing with Hannah. (who seems whiny and rude on many levels– but then, she doesn’ t “do polite.” Lastly, the writers keep making the point that Bones is bad with people, but Cam is downright catty to Brennan, asking how did it go with Hannah, what was she like, taking her to task for having personal feelings, and oh, by the way, I thought you two would be a couple.
I just watched the episode again with none of the usual distractions, and I especially tried to cue in to the scene with Hannah and Brennan.
I got the overwhelming feeling that the tag end of it was a different version of the Cam-Booth scene from the opening episode of season 5. Anyone else hear the same things? “Be sure about your feelings/I want you to be sure about this.” and “if you crack that shell/go there with him and change your mind, she’ll die of loneliness/it will be very painful for him.”
Brennan is broken–shell cracked–but in a good way. I think Booth will end up with the same cracks and some of the same pain–and perhaps out of that pain, they’ll find “parity”…or maybe even “love” (depending on who you ask!).
Good episode. I noticed the first name thing, but it didn’t bother me. Covered this, I think, in the episode where they talked about nicknames as an indicator of affection. Everyone at the Jeffersonian refers to Brennan as “Dr. Brennan” when they’re speaking of her in the third person. Angela is the only one to really call her something else (“Sweetie”). Booth isn’t just a last name–it’s his main identifier (“we’re Booth’s people”). She’s not using terms of affection (and neither is Booth, who hasn’t given her a nickname yet that we’ve heard), which is fine for someone who may not have built up that kind of playful affection.
To note, however, Booth nicknamed Dr. Brennan “Bones” almost immediately. Maybe he’s simply not playfully affectionate with Hannah. 🙂
Another reason that I liked this episode is because soon we will have the gravedigger back and the storyline about a serial sniper. My least favorite storylines on any show are serial killers, and rapist. They make me cringe; it could be because that type of behavior is so psychologically devious to it scares me.
Not sure if anyone else brought this up. But they have always made it a point that Brennan doesn’t have a TV. Now she is sitting around watching the Jersey Shore? I immediately thought of her sitting around by herself, feeling very lonely and sad, at her apartment every night. There have always been plenty of real documentaries to watch if she was into that, but this is the first time she is watching television. It seems she is depressed and trying to escape reality.
booth and hannah and them showing them in bed hurts/the ratings started going down/when this aired.