BONES: ‘The Body in the Bag’
January 21, 2011 by Sarah Curtis
BONES pals, it has been too long since we’ve talked! I hope you are all having a great 2011 so far. This episode started out with a bang. Or a boom. Or a…gurgle?
Well, it really started out with a confession. Basically, there’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it!
THE CASE:
Here’s a confession from me: I LOVED this case. It was interesting, and I did not suspect the murderer until just before Brennan figured it out. I literally typed out, “Heck, yeah BONES! (the show and the person)” when that happened. It’s been awhile since I’ve had such an “aha” moment like that. Awesome! The case begins with a young man sneaking into the bedroom/bathroom of his socialite girlfriend, Paisley. He hears the shower running, and when he strips to join her, he is surprised to see a severely decomposing corpse. But we aren’t surprised, because we’re BONES fans!
Brennan, Cam and the team work under the assumption that the victim in the shower is Paisley. But when the skeletal markers indicate that the victim is Asian, Paisley is now a missing suspect. She doesn’t have many friends, but she is admired, so Sweets examines her Facebook and Twitter accounts, finding out that she has one main friend, Nicole Twist. But there was a recent betrayal in that friendship, when Paisley had the audacity to buy Nicole a Chanel purse with silver hardware instead of gold hardware. Worse than that, when Nicole went to Chanel to make an exchange, she was arrested — the purse was counterfeit.
And in that moment, the theme of “fake goods” or counterfeit material began to worm its way into the entire episode.
A small piece of paper on the victim’s back lead Booth and Brennan to a Chinese apothecary. The young man knew exactly who it belonged to: his fiancée, Jenny Wang. He is devastated by her murder and insists that it’s the fault of people like Paisley. He tells B&B to go to a local restaurant to see Mama Liu. Booth plays it right when they arrive and tells her that Paisley sent them. Immediately, they are led to the back of the restaurant where the “real” goods are. And by real, I mean counterfeit purses and other goods. Just as Booth begins to question her, the metro police busts in. The lead on the case, Inspector Anderson, tells Booth and Brennan about a major counterfeit investigation.
It’s a great bust, but it doesn’t exactly get them closer to solving Jenny’s murder, especially when Mama Liu is visibly upset over the news of Jenny’s death. She also places blames Paisley. But where is the spoiled socialite? Booth is able to track her down because of a device she had implanted into her pet chinchilla. It’s true. She is as awful as you can imagine, having no empathy for Jenny or anyone at all, including her boyfriend whom she knew was watching her have sex with other guys.
Her boyfriend set up a teddy-bear camera to film her exploits, and when Booth and Sweets watch the tape they see Jenny also having sex in Paisley’s bed. But with whom? Was it her own fiancée? No. Paisley’s boyfriend? Again, no. The team is frustrated until Angela figures she can pull reflective images and put together a reconstruction. She does and Brennan recognizes the image of Inspector Anderson. Booth questions him, and he confesses…to feeling as if he’d lose everything if he hadn’t gotten rid of Jenny. Booth makes it very clear that he’s lost everything anyway. Again, we see a counterfeit Agent (Anderson) compared to the real deal (Seeley Booth).
THE SQUINTS:
Clark: Fantastic! I think he’s my new favorite female squintern! Haha, but seriously, I loved that he worked the case, but also seemed genuinely happy for Hodgins and Angela and Cam. And I love that his money’s still on Dr. B. and Booth. So is mine.
Cam: Isn’t it so fascinating though that NO ONE else (exception: Sweets…we’ll get to that) has really said anything to Brennan or Booth about them? I’m still holding out for Cam to make her opinion known in that area. In this episode, I really loved the way she tried to convince Clark that being closed up was a good thing.
Sweets: Hey, like some of you mentioned on Twitter, we actually got to hear him sing “Lime in da Coconut!” That’s been a dream since the end of season three, right? Why do you think Booth uses Sweets as some sort of brotherly confessional? Thankfully, Sweets has been up to the challenge. And good for him for pretty much telling Booth like it is in the Hannah and Brennan department. I had to laugh when Booth told him that “Treadmills are for mice.”
Angela: Ah, very sweet! And once again, I loved that she was integral in solving the case, using her graphic skills to pull images of the murderer. What do you think of her desire to raise the baby Hodgins outside of the Hodgins mansion? Side note: is the baby officially a boy, or is that non-confirmed? I wondered if I missed that somewhere. Also, hooray for Angela/Brennan conversations!
Hodgins: Though I thought it was a bit creepy that he purchased Paisley’s apartment, it was also very special in a Hodgins and Angela kind of way, right? I liked that Hodgins was also weirded out by Clark’s new open approach. And wasn’t it fun to see that paranoia glint in his eye when Clark revealed he was in the NSA? Yes! But most of all, to me, Hodgins had the line of the night when he said this, “Stop backseat combing before I tweeze your eyes out.”
BOOTH & BRENNAN:
I just want to tell you that as long as I write these reviews, I will always, always have a Booth and Brennan section. I’ll also say this: Seeley Booth is very loyal to the woman he loves. He always has been– no matter who the woman in question is. That doesn’t seem like it should sound or feel right, but in the context of Booth…it is right. Keeping a secret from Hannah eats at him, and that’s a good thing.
However, I also feel that Brennan is right in feeling that he shouldn’t have told Hannah about it. I mainly feel this because I also felt it. That’s right — Brennan and I felt the same way about that. I don’t know if that makes it right or wrong, all I know is that we shared in those feelings.
But I also know that Hannah is right when she says that he had to; they’re a couple. Hannah’s in tough spot, and I think they kept her honorable in the whole deal, and I also thought Katheryn Winnick pretty much held her own in this episode. I’ll be honest though, I really do not need a Brennan/Hannah friendship. I don’t need animosity, but not drinking buddies either.
As for Booth AND Brennan, the subject of this section? I’d say they are talking around one another these days, which is sort of like looking at the center of something from the inside out, you know?
I’m anxious for your thoughts, my rational and intuitive friends! What do you think about the underlying theme of “fake” or “counterfeit” throughout the episode? Were you a little bummed that Inspector Anderson won’t be around again?
Will Brennan attempt to move on? Will Hannah be able to trust Booth enough to believe him and not dig deeper?
Let’s discuss!
Edited to add:
Hey guys, Marisa here. Just wanted to get your take on whether Booth did the right thing by telling Hannah about Brennan’s feelings for him. Vote in the poll below and make sure to continue commenting on Sarah’s fantastic recap!
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except for the Angela and Hodgins moments, this was a very bad episode – very bad!
where is Booth? I don’t recognize this guy any more, I haven’t since the beginning of this dreadful season, but yesterday’s Booth? I felt like Hodgins when he said to Clark: who ate the real Clark? Just insert Booth instead of Clark.
How badly was the aftermath of Brennan’s revelation to Booth treated? In my book, it couldn’t have been handled any worse. Booth’s whole “I’d rather be shot than deal with this” attitude was horrible…his zero concern for Brennan and what it meant for her to actually tell him how she feels (she didn’t say I love you by the way, why did everyone pretend she did?). Sweets also brushed it off, as if it were totally natural for Brennan to tell Booth how she felt – as if it wasn’t the huge deal it was.
I am very, very disappointed…I’m actually considering to leave Bones be. This is turning into a completely different show – with different caharacters – from the show I fell for 🙁
I couldn’t agree with you more, he had to be honest with Hannah and tell her the truth, except he didn’t, he didn’t spill the beans about his feelings for Brennan, which is nauseating.
Booth saying to Sweets “Hey, maybe you could just give me something to make me stop feeling guilty,” make me sick, it’s like saying he decided to talk to Hannah out of guilty, not out of respect/love.
And what about “I told you, that was all in the past. Okay, whatever I felt, I don’t feel it anymore, except for you.” That would be the summary of 5 years of B&B relationship?
Can I just say “gah!”
I agree with you Sarah Booth need be him , be Honest about the woman is in his life but i don’t liked it the way he told Hannah. Sound to me like a child telling to mom something bad happen in school. And i feel like Booth is betraying the pact he did with Brennan about ” what happen between us is ours “. About Brennan i think she’s still too way rational about all of this but till when? Hope see her confronting Booth about it. Loved Angela ! She still my favorite squint and Clark too. Sweets i hope he do more to help Booth and Brennan cuz i think is kind his obligation. But one thing i’m irreducible i think thi Brennan/Hannha BFF is so wrong and is not working at all. That final scene wa terrible like the hospital one. Please Hart hanson Stop w/ that.I just hope the things start better on the next ep and i want see H leave soon and soon i mean on ep 13.
The only part of Booth that seemed IC was that he felt guilty about keeping the situation from Hannah. The way he asked Sweets about it, the way he told Hannah about it, it all seemed wrong. As others have said, he should have come clean w/his gf about his whole relationship w/Bones – including his declaration before they left the states. Giving her only part of the story is still keeping things from Hannah. I agree also, that Brennan and Hannah as close friends is unbelievable… along w/Brennan acting as if nothing had ever happened. Yes it’d been a few weeks since, and she’s had time to get over it… but it didn’t seem realistic. There’s no spark at all between Booth & Brennan in this ep – no signs of a friendship, just a business-like partnership and that made the whole ep (between them) seem off. This ep did nothing for me in the B & B department. Loved Clark, H & A, but I can forget the rest.
I think Booth was very much in character, he is loyal to the woman he is with, but also to Brennan. This is why he was hesitant to tell Hannah, but also felt guilty for not telling her and went to Sweets for advice. When he did tell Hannah, he did acknowledge that he “had” feelings for Brennan but has moved on (which is what he believes to be true, even though we know it’s not), he also defended Brennan to Hannah, he told her to go easy on her and try to be understanding he also said he thought Brennan was moving on from her feelings. I thought he acted very admirably considering the situation. That is at least what I got from the conversation, but I respect that several of you have seen it differently.
Sarah, I agree with you on the case, I loved it! I also agree with you on the “fake goods” theme, and think it carries even further, B&H are the counterfeit relationship and in the end B&B will be the real one, IMO.
Loved Hodgins and Angela, Cam, Clark, and Sweets. The only problem I had with the episode was the end scene. I am glad they are not cat fighting, but I don’t need those two to be drinking buddies. Also, Brennan confiding to Hannah that she thinks she needs to move on and Hannah supporting her, it was just too weird and forced and just unnecessary, Brennan has a BFF it is Angela. Plus, no matter how mature they are or how much they like each other, they shouldn’t be able to be out drinking together and be that comfortable discussing Brennan needing to move on from her feelings for Hannah’s boyfriend, and I missed seeing B&B having the ending conversation, that is the one scene I wanted, those two discussing the fact that Booth told Hannah and how it affected their relationship, not Brennan and Hannah.
I DONT LIKED the way booth did at all/to me if they dont find the man we saw in season5 they not much hope for bones/another thing I dont liked is k.w. named dont even have guest star by it anymore.MAYBE if you had chosen to give hannah a bettter introduction fans wouldnt feel that way about her.
Loved your article; biggest example of fake — the Booth/Hannah relationship itself which will never be able to compare to the real one — Booth/Brennan. Cannot wait until Booth finaly realizes it himself. Although I understand that people in a committed relationship should have no secrets, Booth’s telling Hannah about Brennan is such a sad point in the B&B relatioship. Saying to Hannah, ” …you know how Brennan is…” crushed my heart a bit, and I felt that it was such a betrayal of Brennan. Even though he has moved on, he should not betray their friendship by disclosing intimate moments shared during the course of their partnershp/ surrogate relationship.
The only good thing about this episode is that we are one episode closer to the end of the Booth/Hannah arc. Can’t wait for it to end!!!
Quickly, great review. Also, yeah, I could have done without Hannah and Brennan being drinking buddies at the end. I was like what is this? Is Hannah now going to replace Booth and Hannah’s going to develop a thing for Brennan and fall madly in love with her? 😛 I am so kidding. It was just a silly thought I had.
All right I am out. I have to get ready and finish packing.
BOOTH?! BOOTH?! BOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTHHH????!!!
BOOTH, where ARE you?!
Where is the real Seeley?
The one we all know and love?
Right now, all I can see is the “conterfeit” Hannah Booth.
People seem to think hes grown cold and callous, but thats Hannah’s doing. He OBVIOUSLY still loves Bones, even when trying to convice the Afghan Barbie that his feelings are no more, he let it slip slip that “shes now like everyone else…” HA! in your ugly face, hannah! Hell keep you around for awhile, but soon hell realize your just a cheap knock-off (with silver hardware) of the real thing- Bones.
And the ending- REALLY?! We ALL know bones is MUCH prettier than blonde bimbo, did they REALY have to make the hot guy interested in her, too? and, exuse me, hannah, Bren can handle creeps perfectly fine on her own, your not that good. Bren can kick his @$$, what are you gonna do? call for seeley?
well, hell probably already be there, since hes always been there to save brennan, no matter what<3
cant wait till next time, more Booth action.
i cant wait for this stupid plotline to end.
but i REALLY hope hannah isnt like "what you and temperance have is special, i dont want to get in the way…"
i want booth to crush her.
hard.
tell her that brens the real thing, shell never compare. sorry. bye.
😀
<3
**shes NOT like everyone else
another comment is how many times does hannah have to tell him she has no interest in being stepmom/this tells me he rather be in a relationship with hannah then be a full-timed dad to parker and fans know this and also the fact that parker had to do without a dad why he went to afghanstan and what did he do he hookup with her/mine way of thinking is if hannah was meant to be the lady he was in a relationships with before afghanstan why didnt they just said this fans wouldnt understand why he said 30 40 50 yrs to brennan/but after all I THINK they big mistake is the rubing in brennan face that she was going to move in with him and just about everything about hannah is a disliked.
Sarah, I’m glad I’m not the only one who could do without the Brennan/Hannah friendship. I realized last night that is what bothers me the most about the whole situation. I am fine with Booth being with Hannah. I’m trusting that is necessary for the story HH wants to tell. But the Brennan/Hannah friendship feels really weird to me–almost like maybe they are both trying too hard? I don’t know… I can’t figure it out.
I was hoping this episode will REALLY deal with what happened in the previous episode, but it really fell short of my expectations. a few things felt really off for me. Like, Booth talking to Sweets at the gym. Really? At such a public place? This is from a guy who didn’t feel comfortable talking about his personal relationship to Sweets at all. It’s great that he’s comfortable enough to get Sweets’ advice now, but the manner he did it in was just… too light & casual for me. It left me thinking, what was that all about?? And all through the episode, every time Sweets asked him about the situation… it was like normal casual conversation about the weather or something. Was it really not that big of a deal? (Are we the viewers the only one who think something momentous happened that night?) Is Booth just lying to himself by thinking/acting it’s not a big deal? If he is, then I’m disappointed that he’s not owning up to himself – that’s not the Booth I know from the previous seasons.
And then when he was having that drinks with Hannah, when he wholeheartedly agreed to her “it’s better to be shot at”. Really? We know Booth is not afraid of being shot at, but he’s never been one to belittle other people’s feelings, either -he used to care more for other people. I think Hannah is right in saying that they’re a couple & hence they should share everything, but I also feel it’s a betrayal of “what’s ours is ours”. Again, if this is Booth trying to do what he thinks is right in a committed, loving relationship and ignoring whatever discomfort he has about telling Hannah, I just can’t accept that. Even if the alternative is that he doesn’t really care anymore.
I still don’t like how the producers/writers/whatever are forcing this Hannah/Brennan friendship down our throats. They don’t look comfortable with each other, their interactions are not natural, and really, do we need Angela reminding us that Hannah & Brennan are “friends” every so often? Enough already!
I’m shocked that no one has mentioned the missing cocky belt buckle yet. In my opinion, that’s huge. I’ll be rewatching the episode tonight with my hubby and will be taking a close look at his ties to see if they have changed too. They made a point of showing his belt buckle in the scene in the interrogation room with Mama Liu. I’m almost positive we’re supposed to know it’s missing and that there’s a reason. Such as that Booth is trying (too hard, maybe?) to strip Brennan completely from his life in every way but professionally. That’s about all the hope I could muster from an episode that didn’t have much hope, but I really do think it’s significant…or it will be.
I was a little frustrated with the way the love triangle stuff was handled. I thought it felt a little rushed, and a bit unnatural. I mean, of course Hannah is going to tell Brennan to move on. But advice like that would have been more meaningful if it had come from Angela and not the “other woman.” Considering how complicated the case was, I’m guessing they simply didn’t have time to make the conversations any more in-depth. Oh, and I took what Booth said to Hannah about having “had” feelings for Brennan to mean that he did tell her about his history with Brennan (and not just what Brennan told him in The Doctor in the Photo), I just don’t think they had time to show it in any detail.
As far as the case, I liked it for the most part. I didn’t figure out who it was until right before Brennan did either. Clark’s emotional 180 was funny but kind of got old after awhile. The whole NSA part was funny though. And I didn’t think to extend the whole counterfeit/fake theme to the B/B/H relationship – good catch.
Oh, and as far as the sex of the baby, in the scene at the end, I’m pretty sure Hodgins referred to the baby as a “he” and Angela as a “she.” I don’t think there’s been confirmation either way.
Once again I got my hopes up.. for nothing.
If I was told that my boyfriend of a few months was once in love with his partner whom he works with every day and who still has feelings for him.. I would freak.
I am so disappointed. I was so hoping there d be a scene where maybe Angela would spill the beans to Hannah about how intense Booths love for Brennan really is or was (?)
HH is making such a point to show how Booth loves Hannah.. so OK, we are to accept that.. Booth really loves Hannah.. so where does that leave Booth and Brennan.. how can they ever get together like they could have before the whole Hannah triangle.. when he has just really loved Hannah…
HH, you are wrecking my favorite show!
For some reason, this episode was harder for me to watch than the Doctor in the Photo. I’m not sure why. I think maybe because I do NOT like the Hannah and Brennan friendship at all. It just seems weird to me. Also, I was really disappointed that we didn’t see Brennan talking to Booth about him telling Hannah about her feelings. Aside from the Hodgens and Angela moments, I really didn’t like this episode very much. Sorry to be a downer. I still love Bones, but I’m definitely looking forward to some happier Booth and Brennan episodes and hopefully sooner rather than later. This season has been kind of a struggle for me. I’m sure it will all be worth it in the end, but I’m feeling very impatient right now!! Lol.
Yeah, the constant reference to the baby as a “he” was weird to me, too. It’s funny, I wanted Ellie and Awesome to have a boy but they’re having a girl, and the opposite’s true for Angela and Hodgins. But anyway, they were ESPECIALLY adorable in this episode. It made up for the lack of interaction in the B&B department…
THAT’S my main problem with the Hannah storyline. Booth and Hannah are interacting all the time, as are Brennan and Hannah, but Booth and Brennan shared maybe three or four very short scenes in this whole episode. And even when they were in a scene together, they barely talked. And that’s what feels really forced about this whole storyline to me. The “real” Booth would absolutely tell Hannah about his history with Brennan. But he also would have told Brennan about it, instead of forcing her to hear about it from Hannah.
I’m honestly fine if the writers don’t want Booth and Brennan to be in a romantic relationship at this point, but I desperately want to see the dynamic that they had in S1-S5 again.
Where have all the writers gone? The older Bones episodes are on daily and the contrast in the B&B relationship and the witty lines and good flow of the show is missing, missing, missing. It seems patched together and composed of quick little exchange of info just to get us to the next episode. The Hannah character is so lame and the only thing that seemed remotely believable was the fact that Hannah would avoid Brennan at the beginning of the episode. The immediate and trite resolution seemed very high school and not very believable at all. If these were the truly strong women the writers seem to think they have created, the exchange would have been either more “deniably” cryptic, or right to the point – stay the hell away from my man. Grown women know its not over till its over and I resent that we are supposed to think Brennan and Hannah are supposed to suddenly become best buds, given the Brennan character’s difficulty in bonding in the first place. I notice that Hannah frequently has been given the “power” role (like being the one to ditch the guy at the bar- and wild and crazy strong women drinking heavily might have gone along with him actually) and that is weird too. On the subject of fakes, is the bar scene with Br and H supposed to be the fake of when B&B are usually there? I know that Hannah saying to Booth there should be no secrets between couples is supposed to be significant to us as viewers because of how many major secrets we know he is keeping from her, but hit us over the head with it? Really. It just seems that the writers are going to have to give us some really stupid episodes to get themselves out of this mess and get the program back to any semblance of the witty, well acted show it used to be. Clark was peculiar, Angela vascillated from ditzy to supernerd without the good lines she usually gets. I was so looking forward to the series starting up again and felt this episode was very unsatisfying. The case was better quality than they have been, finally, but on a whole it seemed pieced together and they cant seem to make up their minds how to present these characters anymore. The fact that I saw that the writers are conflicted over when or if to ditch Hannah (to link up B&B or not) does not jibe with the oftstated fact that the trajectory of the show has always been known and B&B do love each other deeply and will eventually “get there”. There had to have been other more fitting ways to explore the B&B relationship without dragging in an implausible relationship for Booth. Repartee back! Sexual tension! Subtlety! Booth has to be the one to choose Brennan over Hannah because otherwise Brennan will always be second – when she supposedly was “the standard”. This whole episode was a counterfeit Bones in my mind.
Thanks Teresa, I just realized why I am so annoyed.. I slowly don’t feel like its gonna be worth it in the end anymore.
Booth has turned into such a jerk.. lets face it. He loves another woman. So much, that Brennans confession doesn’t even bother him enough to take some time and maybe have another talk to her.. no he chats about it with Sweets in the gym..
I mean for crying out load.. it is Brennan we are talking about here.. Brennan in tears.. admitting she made a mistake .. That should be a huge deal!
I am so annoyed. I liked this show so much.. my life is busy.. hectic at times and Bones used to be a nice 1 hour time out.. I’d be in a good mood after.. I’d feel the urge to give my boyfriend a kiss.. because I am so lucky to have in real life what Booth and Bones might have had.. now I am so frustrated that I have to vent here for the 2nd time.
Sorry guys, but I am getting over it.
I did notice the belt buckle business too. That is what I mean about slipping in a quick DO YOU GET IT? SEE NO COCKY BELT BUCKLE? GET IT? GET IT? by the writers to allow them to make a comment about it in another episode. I do agree Booth is trying to re-create himself and his life as far from Brennan as he can, and I suppose they will force him back with the sniper arc – I understand it, but I resent the forced way it is being handled (the writing, not the premise). Hopefully this Hannah business will all be past soon…. like in a dream…
Maybe Booth is starting to overcome his white knight syndrome which I find is a good thing. I’m not saying he should stop caring about other, but he should care a bit less and stop to always protect them, which is condescending and belittling, protecting other is thinking that they are weak, I think it’s time he puts himself first a little, and let other take care of themselves and of him, especially Brennan. She is supposed to be a strong independent rational woman, she can take care of herself, he doesn’t have to always protect her, she can do it. Maybe Brennan will start being her old self again, and realize she was relying on him to much. That she went from an extreme to the other, and maybe she will find a better balance between relying on other and relying on herself and being there for others and putting herself first, and maybe Booth will do the same. It’s time Booth take less care of other, and start to be taking care of too. I don’t want Booth to be a hero, he is just a man, a better man than the average but still not a hero, it’s his right to be just that. He is still valuable being just a good man without being a hero, he doesn’t have to always be strong and do no wrong, to be loved.
Entertainment Weekly dropped Bones from its recaps, which is pretty telling since it used to be the only one that examined the effectiveness of both the mysteries and the regular characters. The other minor sites’ reviews are really fawning, and even this review is more diplomatic than incisive. Too bad because I was using online reviews to keep track and I lost a reliable source.
Whatever ratings success the show sees with the post Idols slot, I guess it’s worth it for the showrunners and stars. Who cares about the quality of viewers, right?
“And i feel like Booth is betraying the pact he did with Brennan about ” what happen between us is ours “”
Maybe there’s no “us” anymore, and maybe it will help Brennan move on to realize that after he told Hannah.
I want Brennan to be strong again, and Booth to be the one vulnerable for once. I’m also glad he got rid of his cocky belt buckle. Why thinking that this cocky belt buckle is him? Isn’t this belt the syndrome of his issues? Which would mean that right now he is fine, at ease. He got it to deal with pressure, like dealing with Brennan. Always taking care of other and trying to be a hero is eating at Booth, his syndrome is the aftermath of his childhood, healing would be to think he is valuable and worthy of love even if not a hero, not perfect, and even if weak sometimes as any human being.
and even if he needs too to be taken care of.
You wanna know what really sucks? Even after all of this, all of the pain Booth (intentionally or not) has put Brennan through, who’s shoulder is Booth going to cry on during the sniper arc…Brennan’s! Either because Hannah isn’t there or Booth doesn’t want to share that part of himself with her, Booth is going to turn to Brennan. It is awful what they have done to Brennan’s character, she was right, opening your heart isn’t worth the pain that inevitably comes along with it.
Completely agree with Tiffany. Brennan, Booth is not worth it. Move on.
It just gets worse each week. The constant spinning of the story by HH & Co.
is getting old. Complete disconnect with many fans. Idol will carry them this season and that is all they care about.
The character of Brennan as the Misfit is overdone. She was once a role model for a women in television. Are they trying to show that because she is so successful in her career, her personal life is a disaster. However, Hannah is just wonderful at both.
The threesome suggestion at the end. Is this a should out to KW’s movie role or is it supposed to represent Booth’s relationship with them going forward.
Brennan/Hannah being in the relationship, and Hannah being there for Booth physically and Brennan emotionally (his rock). Oh Hart, you are so brilliant with your psychology. No wonder you love use Sweets so much.
I did not like this episode all that well.
Part of that is my own fault – I think I was too wrapped up in Booth-Brennan-Hannah that I had a hard time seeing everything else – but that also tells me that the case was not compelling enough to attract me.
I am not troubled at all that Booth told Hannah about Brennan – and he indicated that he told her about himself, as well. However, I am disappointed that he didn’t “run” it by Brennan, first. Brennan is his friend and is rational and compartmentalized enough to understand that this is necessary in Booth and Hannah’s relationship. She would have “ok’d” it, it seems to me.
I am not going to get mired down by that detail, though. I don’t see it as a betrayal, just a misstep in Booth’s approach.
I definitely can see the counterfeit/fake theme. In fact, that has been a theme in multiple other episodes this season. I didn’t see it as much this episode, but perhaps it is BECAUSE it has been such a recurring theme. Also, I found that in past episodes I could feel the duplicitous nature of Booth’s feelings (as well as Brennan’s), the words and body language are usually pretty strong (and yet subtle – the beauty of superb acting); but in this episode, I found that lacking, and that is one of the big reasons I found this episode only so-so. It did not bring me further along in the journey, rather I feel at a stand-still.
Admittedly, I am weary of the Hannah piece. I think some of this has to do with scheduling – too many breaks so it feels as though it has been longer than it actually has.
Also, this episode lacked in Booth-Brennan interactions. Perhaps this is by design, but though many have felt this dynamic has been lacking this season, I have NOT felt that way until this episode. So, I *hope* it is by design.
Ugh, I disliked this episode with the exception of Angela and Hodgins (which, how cute were they looking at the baby on the ultrasound, oh, made me happy!!) and when the guts sprayed all over Booth, Bones and Cam… serves Booth right for not listening to Hodgins!! And, now that you mention the counterfiet undertone, it does put an interesting twist on things!!
But still, I am so unhappy with this episode, not only did it feel totally FLAT but really don’t need a Hannah/Brennan friendship. It just makes me cringe.
I also agree with you Sarah, I felt betrayed by Booth telling Hannah. What happend to his loyalty to Brennan?? I mean, even in the first and second season before he loved her, he was always so careful of her well being, knowing that she didn’t process everything in the way others do. Where is it, now?? Where??
I also agree with Kali and Omelette73, couldn’t have said it better myself!! Your insights are so right on in this regard. I don’t like that Booth could push, what, 3 years of loving Brennan aside in such a callous manner. The writers are really making me dislike him and I never thought that could happen. I keep hoping for that moment that will turn this awful season around but the further we get into it, the more I don’t think it will happen. The more I think how do you get them back after this??
I am looking forward to next weeks episode only to see the Gravedigger be killed (at least that is what the previews elluded to)! But other than that, I really am not happy 🙁
I caught the beginning of the 100th episode a couple weeks ago and I wish we could go back to that. To Booth loving her and giving her those little glances and Brennan trying to not admit she loves him to but totally knowing she did (I hope that makes sense!).
I was pretty nauseated by the ending scene too. I mean, good grief. They’re trying way too hard to shove this “friendship” down our throats. Is anyone buying it? Is there anyone out there at all who thinks ‘Awww, lookie how cute those besties are!’ Gag.
For me, the biggest issue I have with all of this is just the absolute lack of chemistry. HH &Co were worried that getting B&B together would kill the ‘spark’ of the show, but they’ve killed it much, MUCH more effectively this way. The episodes aren’t fun like they used to be. It feels like a chore to follow it week to week now. The chemistry between Booth and Brennan is so gone, it’s like they don’t even share 5 years of history together anymore.
I find myself going to back to watch ‘The End in the Beginning’ again and again, just so I can see them be together, even if it’s in Booth’s coma-dream alternate-reality world. At least they’re together.
@Meg: Angela started out the clip by referring to the baby as a girl, and then midway through Hodgins started referring to it as a boy. I don’t think we know for sure yet though.
And I’m totally with you on Ellie and Awesome’s baby. I was expected boy for them, but I guess not!
I totally noticed the missing Cocky beltbuckle, I mean, how could you not. Now, I want to go back and look at the other episodes for it there or missing too. I agree, I think Booth is trying to take Brennan out of his life, which is wrong on so many levels. I mean, how do you go from partners to love to nothing in the span of what 7 months?? It just sucks in my opinion and I don’t like it.
Also, I forgot to mention that I really wanted to see a confrontation of Brennan and Booth about him spilling the beans to Hannah. The old Brennan never would have stood for that. She would have been betrayed and would have let him know. But she just says “he should have done that” and moves on? Really? Not only are the writers changing Booth to a person I don’t like, they are making Brennan opposite of what she was. Yes, she was always hyper rational and still is, but she was fierce! I mean, she was a chick you didn’t mess with. Now, she lets Booth off the hook and Hannah fight her battle with the perv at the bar? I found that to be a epic Fail!
Finally! A review I agree with 🙂 I enjoyed the show.
Sweets trying to butt into the B/B/H situation was classic, Clark kept making me laugh, and Angela/Hodgins were sweet.
I didn’t mind Booth/Hannah’s conversation…I think they each put up a strong front (even they admitted they don’t like dealing with that stuff)…but I think it’s affecting both of them more than they wanted to show right now.
I also get Bren being shocked that Booth told Hannah, and I still wonder if she’ll confront him about it later. Really, he should have come clean with Hannah earlier…(about his prior feelings, anyway).
I was impressed that Bren and Hannah seemed to get past it…I’m really curious to see how this all plays out…
Very disappointing episode. There was no conversation between Booth and Brennan at all, and Booth telling Hannah about his conversation with Brennan was plain and simple a betrayal of their friendship. The ‘we’re a couple’ excuse doesn’t fly.
Personally, I think the writers are forgetting their core audience. Without Booth and Brennan and the dynamics of their relationship, Bones is just another CSI. It’s their relationship that defines the show. It’s their relationship that keeps viewers tuned in.
You see it all the time with singers. They make some great music, a lot of fans buy their albums and then one day, the artist decides to record a different style or genre and the record flops. Faith Hill is a perfect example. She had a lot of success with mainstream country music and then decided to go ‘artistic’ with her music and no one bought her records. I’m not sure if she still even releases new albums anymore. She forgot her core audience.
And the writers of Bones seem to be making the same mistake. Bringing in Hannah has completely changed Booth’s relationship with the surrounding cast, not the least of which includes Brennan.
And I’ll say it again – the relationship between Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth define this show. Without that relationship, this is just another forensics murder show.
I did not like this episode actually I haven’t really liked any of the episodes except the 1st. this season, I am a fan of the old Bones with the looks, bickering and jokes about body parts and body fluids, I am ok with Booth having a girlfriend but he doesn’t have to be downright rude to Bones all the time, and Brennen is talking like a robot this year which I really haven’t liked. I say bring back Mark (the deep sea welder) Brennen seemed to like him a lot, haha and Booth, didn’t that would make my day that episode was one of my favorites, remember Booth said she “didn’t very good taste in men”. All I can say is thank heavens for TNT and my season DVDs. those I watch all the time. The only person in my opinion that will get B&B back together is Booths Grandpa, I’m done I have vented, this is my first ever post.
Amen MJ !!!!!
The problem with this whole storyline is that the Booth/Hannah relationship is so inorganic. Last we saw Booth, he was heartbroken, and then all of a sudden we see him with Hannah and everything is good and he’s over it, without seeing him work through those feelings. Because we haven’t seen any evidence that he really is over Brennan, it seems fake and callous. They needed to have more development of their early relationship for me to get on board with he and Hannah as a couple.
Additionally, they could be doing more to show that this is actually a struggle for Booth to deal with, or show him seriously thinking about the impact of Brennan’s confession beyond how it affects his “honesty” with Hannah. Because when eventually she’s out and he and Brennan are back on, it is going to feel cheapened because it has seemed so easy for him to just switch back and forth between the two women.
As far as Brennan goes, she has every right to be angry at Booth for telling Hannah. She doesn’t open herself up, and he didn’t respect that part of it and how difficult it must have been for her. Period. I know Booth is a good guy, and honest and blah blah, but you would think that he would show more loyalty to Brennan. I hope we get to see Brennan confront Booth about it. Now that would make for good television.
Thanks for a lovely review, Sarah!
I find it really hard to be positive. In fact I am experiencing the opposite at the moment: there is no “center” left and it all feels oddly disconnected, what with Booth and Brennan freaking out in their respective corners, and the squints going on about their business.
There is one thing I wanted to add to what the other people have said here. I am really sad that the writers went there and made Brennan take her confession in DiTP back by saying to Hannah that she shouldn’t have told Booth about it. She doesn’t deserve that – for once in her lifetime, she opens up about her feelings, however indirectly, and then she has to take it all back. “Objectively speaking”, she’s right: she should not have told him because he was already with another woman. Still, the writers felt the need to teach her a lesson here and the lesson is that it is (always) a mistake to open up about your feelings and that she should never do that with Booth because he will tell other people about it.
Also, how many times are the writers going to make Booth choose Hannah over Brenna? I get it – in DiTP he told Brennan that he is with ‘someone’ and that he loves Hannah. In this episode, he chooses Hannah again by revealing his history with Brennan. Sheesh – get over yourself, Booth! Also, it’s boring and repetitive.
Overall, I am so not impressed with this show right now.
Hey Sarah!
I overall loved the episode! But basically, it was every scene WITHOUT B&B. Because there are no more “real” BB scenes. Which is depressing. They don’t really talk anymore. Sigh.
The Booth issue: I understand that he had to tell Hannah, because they are a couple, but still. I am so clearly biased, but what happened to “what goes on between us is ours?” Is that out the window now? It just upsets me, you know?And did you see Brennan’s face when Hannah told her that Booth told her about that? Also, Booth FORGOT to mention that HE told Brennan that he basically loved her FIRST. That was unfair. (Also, Booth is being delusional).
Also, I basically agree to everybody else’s comments. I watched the season 5 premiere yesterday and just keep saying to myself “I miss that.” I want B&B to go back to the way they were.
One more thing: The Hannah and Brennan drinking scene was NOT neccessary. She has a best friend: She can hang-out with Angela.
That’s all. Thank you! 🙂
OK I’ll start with a positive. I liked the case. I totally didn’t get “whodunnit” til the face started taking shape when they pulled parts from the reflective surfaces.
As for the rest! I wish the aliens that kidnapped the real Booth would just bring him back. I get that he’s trying to get past his feelings for Brennan and move on in an adult way, so that they can still have some semblance of a normal friendship. BUT…. he seems to be pissing all over what they had between them before in his efforts to prove to Hannah she’s the one he wants.
Some personal distance is to be expected since he’s doing that and Brennan is trying to let him be happy and just get on with the situation she’s in, but telling Hannah what Brennan said does seem like a violation of the “what’s ours is just for us”. This is way more personal than a bloody egg! Brennan had every right to look surprised and betrayed by hearing Booth told Hannah, whatever his reasoning behind it.
I also didn’t get how Hannah went from avoiding Brennan cos she was annoyed/uncomfy with the whole situation, to drinking buddies and laughing and joking about the man in the bar. Yes they briefly touched on it and Brennan said she needed to move on, but it just seemed wrong.
Anyway, back to the positives. Loved H&A, loved Clark, loved the backseat coming comment and the glint in Hodgin’s eye when the NSA was mentioned. Was good to see the paranoid conspiracy theorist has’t been completely killed off.
Can’t wait for the GD/sniper arc next week. Mean snipery Booth = HOT!!!!
it’s just become a totally flat show. Someone already said it, but the chemistry is GONE between pretty much all the characters, especially B&B… which for many of us is why we watched at all. I honestly could care less at this point if they get together, or if the show gets cancelled. I think Booth’s character has been ruined.
Again, wouldn’t have minded him having a girlfriend if it was done differently. The actress is terrible to watch, she sounds like a cheerleader. She doesn’t seem like Booth’s perfect match. At all. She isn’t an interesting character by any stretch of the imagination. And they are shoving her “great” qualities down our throats. Booth’s love for her, everyone liking her, the “friendship’ between two strong women. I MUCH more enjoy Brennan’s friendship with Cam actually. I know Angela’s already a fixture, so Cam is my example of a Brennan friendship that was unlikely at first & developed into something really great to watch.
So yeah, Booth can leave and take Hannah and leave Parker and have his dream life – he’s not who anyone thought he was and i just WISH it was addressed. Instead HH says he basically thinks the fans are oversensitive & Crazy seeing what they see.
Well guess what? WE ALL SEE THIS. Well….. a really good chunk of us anyway.
I feel so done. What a frustrating hour this show has become.
To keep me watching, get Brennan an AMAZING and REAL boyfriend. And put her in a very dangerous situation, but show how awesome she is at taking care of herself – but also some Booth worry wouldn’t hurt. If just to prove he gives a d*** if she lives or dies anymore.
I started seeing Bones 4 years ago. I was taking a seminar on literature and popular mediums, which included a unit on female representations. Bones and Veronica Mars were mentioned as part of the trend in TV of female badasses whose characterizations were not determined by the standard romantic plots, yet who were not rendered sexless either.
Where is that Bones? She’s become this robotic social retard (yeah, I don’t buy the ‘she retreats into science’ excuse- and I tend to overanalyze everything- because the actual scenes of Brenna’s awkwardness don’t match this explanation). And at the same time, she’s following the trajectory of a romantic comedy heroine wherein character growth = mistake over losing a good man and correcting this mistake.
Is this what it takes to pick up the American Idol crowd?
PS- This, on behalf of an anthropology major- If Bones is a cultural anthropologist as well as a forensic anthropologist, c.anthropology is so closely related to modern psychology that her “I hate pyschology” stance makes absolutely no sense. Both she and Sweets belong to disciplines that look to explain individuals withing their historical and social context. And they do similar real life work on profiling (unless they stay in academia). There is no way that Bones finished her degree being so obtuse.
—Yet another example of making Bones unrealistically robotic for the sake of a cheap laugh.
Hannah isn’t 3-dimensional enough to generate a believable storyline with anyone (see the 2 minute resolution to her meeting Parker). I disagree the actress held her own (unless the reviewer was just being charitable).
I can’t believe the writers are patting themselves on the back for avoiding a cat-fight because 1) seriously, when was the last time this cliche happened on TV aside from campy reality shows? 2) really mature and generous women would quietly avoid each other.
I’ve said it before, but they made a huge mistake by making Hannah a Mary Sue instead of a character everyone loves to hate. It would have been a way to deal with the unavoidable animosity toward any girlfriend of Booth’s. Also, it would have been so interesting to see “honorable” Booth deal with mistakes he made when he was too emotional to be thinking clearly.
Right now, according to this review and HH and SN, Booth is behaving perfectly and is faultless in the BB rift.
Booth is the perfect FBI knight in shining armor. Bones was a fool for refusing him and now she must suffer. I don’t care if this is fair or makes sense. It’s still a petty, calculating depiction of love.
Incidentally, Booth is never in the wrong in this show. Even his faults or problems actually end up revealing his strengths and perfections- like in the episode his brother came to town. Brennan was made to look like a shallow stupid fool for questioning Booth. (Like the way they are depicting Hannah, even her one minor problem of being a gypsy is not really a flaw, just another aspect of the ultra cool reporter character.) So Booth was once again doing the right thing by telling Hannah.
Except, depending on your interpretation, he’s still lying to Hannah about the extent of his attachment to Bones (in which case he’s not really that honorable) or he’s lying to himself (in which case, he lack self-awareness, a reluctance to examine his own flaws, so his being honorable is surface level honorable behavior). Or, he is truly over Bones- then let him be happy with Hannah. But then he has to acknowledge Bones was right and that feelings are ephemeral.
Brennan didn’t go to Maluku and Booth never went to Afghanistan. They were both part of a government experiment where they were given lobotomies. While in the experiment Booth was also given a stepford girlfriend. What we are now watching is the actual experiment. Sh!!! Don’t let anyone know though. The government is monitoring them to see if any of the rest of the cast or audience notices. So far the cast and a small handful of viewers are clueless. Only the intelligent and discerning part of the audience has actually figured it out. The rest of the audience and the cast are all buying into this conspiracy.
OK, so the post Idols ratings was high, but the show also lost 2 mil viewers *during* the show.
Everything happens eventually, first a dream, yadayadayada. Basically, the journey itself is no longer worth it. The producers thinking that stretching out the tension helps the story is coming from the same lazy, unimaginative place as their fear of the Moonlighting Curse.
Organic storytelling, shmorganic. It’s not Mad Men or Deadwood. Bones used to be a fun procedural.
I AGREED about the belt buckle /dont know what that ones means/also know they woke up to the fact that booth and hannah are not a match made in heaven/but they had 5 weeks for the writers to come up with HANNAH LEFT TOWN.
TPTB have totally squeezed the life out of this show thinking they were prolonging it!! Isn’t that ironic………..the couple dynamic is gone…..no longer need to program the dvr!
Castle is where it’s at!!
The whole thing just felt dead. Flat. No character in the characters. Behavior that’s inconsistent with the history of the characters and with real life. The only possible reason for Booth to have told Hannah was to create a rift between Hannah and Brennan in order to push Brennan even further out of his life; but if that was the intention, it wasn’t treated that way in the rest of the episode. This was a terrible, disloyal betrayal by Booth. Brennan bared her soul to him — to him alone — and that should never have been shared with anyone else. If someone tells you something personal in confidence, you really don’t have to tell you’re partner. Really. And the idea that Brennan would simply accept this betrayal without a word to Booth defies explanation. Also, can they stop portraying Hannah as some kind of saint? People do not act like this. Booth and Brennan do not act like this. Something needs to be happening between them — bad, good, painful, exciting, whatever — but something. Please.
Note to HH: Once you pop a balloon, you can’t put the air back in it. TPTB imploded the show and thats it. They want to pretend this plot line works but it is so flat and empty. I don’t want to watch it any more because it ruins my enjoyment of the reruns. If Booth wants to move on so be it. Byt to make Bones a zombie who takes this crap from him is so out of character. Bones kick his ass, go back to the lab, write a new book and let Booth beg you to help him solve a case. Tell him no and move on. Thas my scenerio before the show is cancelled.
Disappointing show! I am so sick of Booth and Hannah that I think that after the next episode I will quit watching this train wreck. There is absolutely no chemistry between any of the characters. Booth and Hannah are flat and boring; they have made Brennan into a robot…and other cast members have been short changed with the addition of the blond Barbie. The Hannah Brennan friendship is so not working. This used to be my favorite show but it has lost its charm!
HH was right! I loved Hannah for the first time in this episode – during the two seconds that it took her to say “Get lost, creep!” 😉 Of course, it’s not like Bones couldn’t have sent the guy packing on her own …
BTW, did anyone else think it was awfully wrong of Hannah to leave as soon as the guy made his move? You don’t do that!!! Yes, of course you don’t want to be in the way, but you also don’t leave your friend with a stranger without first making sure that she’s gonna be okay. Real friends don’t ditch each other like that …
The way the writers dealt with the situation after Hannah found out about Brennan’s confession, that must be the most unrealistic moment I’ve ever seen on a non-sci-fi TV show. I don’t even know where to start. How do you discuss with your friend that you need to move on from your feelings for that same friend’s boyfriend?! And are we supposed to believe that Hannah is so secure in her relationship with Booth that her only concern is what she’s going to tell Brennan when they have lunch because “she’s my friend”?!
And then the whole “I don’t want to mess up your friendship with Seeley, or my friendship with you.” I must have missed something somewhere because this makes no sense. What woman in this situation would worry about messing up her boyfriend’s friendship with the woman who just admitted having more-than-friendly feelings for him?! Only a saint. Oh wait, yes, that’s what they’d have us believe about Hannah. I forgot, we were supposed to love her.
I don’t hate Hannah. I think I could even like her if she wasn’t Booth’s girlfriend. But the infamous sunglasses scene as well as all her scenes in the latest episode just made me go WTF?! As many said earlier, she’s just really annoying. She isn’t even making the love triangle interesting; she’s just a small nuisance which somehow ended up ruining five years of a great show.
I would be sad if B&B never happened, but at the same time, I’m not sure at this point there’s still any way to bring them together in a believable manner. Booth offered Brennan 50 years, and two minutes later told her he had to move on. BTW, I heard /read many times that Brennan told him to move on, but that’s not true: HE said he had to move on, and she only replied “I know.” Anyway, this has only proven to Brennan that love doesn’t last. I can’t imagine how she could trust him now. What, is he going to say that he was deluding himself when he told everyone how much he loved Hannah, and that he never stopped loving Brennan?! And she’s gonna believe it, just like that? I think not.
Sorry about my rant … 🙂 I’m tired and disappointed, and got carried away with my stream of consciousness. Let’s hope the future of Bones isn’t as bleak as it seems right now.
Lola, you are so right – Castle IS where it’s at. I hope that show keeps its writers and TPTB team because it definitely has ‘magic’ – which has been missing from Bones for the past 2 years IMO, but ESPECIALLY this year.
just wanted to voice my opinion and say the friendship with Bones and Hannah I feel is fake and I am not feeling them to be friends, I feel both of them are trying to get along with each other because of their feeling they have for Booth and I am still not feeling the relationship he is having with Hannah
I’m still reading comments but HAD to write after reading just a few.
I too am baffled by Booth and what seems like a complete lack of compassion for Bones. This relationship has been growing every season and all of a sudden he can’t even admit to a morsel of a feeling of love for her? It just doesn’t ring true. Whether or not he is always loyal to the woman he is with, he has also been written as an honest person – so either the writers are actually telling us that Booth doesn’t care for Brennan anymore (NO WAY) or they are writing his character very badly because he should be showing some emotional conflict.
Also, Kari wrote about how they have dealt with the aftermath of Bones’ confession to Booth… I agree, they have dealt with it poorly. Sweets didn’t think it was a HUGE DEAL???! I understand him not being surprised by her feelings but the fact that she opened up to Booth was monumental for her character – he should have fallen off the treadmill – instead he keeps running along like Booth told him what he’d eaten for breakfast. INSANITY!
I loved Clark and all his scenes. I loved how he (that AT LEAST SOMEONE for goodness sake) spoke about Bones and Booth and “what is the deal with this other woman” and “my money is on Booth and Dr. B” THANK YOU CLARK! There should at least be some more of that written in to the show since they have completely taken away the emotion Booth was always showing to Bones.
As much as I want Hannah to go, I do like her and liked the way they handled her scenes with Bones. ED played those scenes so well, Bones genuinely likes Hannah. She has been superb this season with all the emotion she has shown.
I am very anxious to get back to the Booth and Bones chemistry/flirtation/affection etc… I don’t hate Hannah but how long are we going to have to endure her relationship with Booth? I just miss the way things were.
Character development and continuity = poor writing. That is what this season has turned into. Where are the characters that made this show.
It is difficult to understand Booth and Brennan and Brennan’s best friend, Angela has moved into Baby Mode and I guess that is all she is there for now.
The “team” is over.
the bigger mistakes was clicking of the glasses liked the man never had any feelings for brennan at all/ very disappointed in the way booth did/sorry I WANT THEM TO FIND brennan a really good man and I WOULDNT LOOK IN BOOTH DIRECTION.
I would like the show to acknowledge Booth’s part in the mess.
Personally, I think Booth has an overly romanticized view of love and it would do him some good to acknowledge that Bones’ hesitations have as much merit as his faith.
If Bones takes him back as a partner/friend/more without calling him out on the past few months, I won’t even bother checking for updates on the show.
I’ve waited a few days to think things over. The writer of this episode must be from another planet, it was the worst episode ever. Come on people, how about just a little continuity check here! Or maybe they could try to have someone writing an episode that knows the characters in play and cares that they grow and make sense after 5 seasons together!
Did Bones actually expect Angela to read Chinese? After 5 seasons of Angela and Brennan being best friends, she forgets that Angela is from Baltimore and does not know Chinese?
Hannah and Brennan drinking shots like college sorority sisters, is Brennan like 35, whose lame idea was it to have her act so immaturely?
Emily played Brennan with a flat line voice, what what was that about? I can easily believe that David and Emily are bored with the characters, I am.
Do Booth and Brennan even know each other? They were strangers in this episode.
Hart Hanson better be careful here because Castle is filling in nicely for the missing Bones fun.
Was this the first episode without the Cocky belt buckle? Maybe I just didn’t notice before, but I certainly noticed this week and I hate it. I hate that he’s dropping the things that made him so “Booth-y” to Brennan. I semi-understand ending the after-case drinks, since he has a serious girlfriend now, but what’s the point in dropping the belt buckle? It just seems like another way he’s trying to convince HIMSELF that he’s over Brennan, by removing reminders.
I will say I thought he did the right thing in telling Hannah. It didn’t feel awesome, but they’re in a committed relationship and that’s a big deal. I was proud of him in the same way I was proud of him for sticking with Hannah after Brennan’s confession–proud that he did what was technically, probably right but wishing oh-so-hard he wouldn’t.
I flat-out hate the Brennan/Hannah “friendship.” It’s completely ridiculous. Brennan doesn’t attach to ANYONE that quickly, let alone the woman sleeping with Booth. I’ll stick it out with Bones, but the writers are really making a mess of our favorite characters. The episode just felt so wrong and off and…hinky. Very disappointing after a long wait.
Great recap, Sarah!
First of all, Clark was AWESOME! He stole every scene he was in. Secondly the body and the aftermath in this ep actually made me gag! lol! I have laughed, and cried about the show what never gagged! I guess there is a first time for everything!
This was not my favorite episode to be sure, but I do not agree that this was a bad episode.
I saw a quite a few glimmers of hope.
I agree with Sarah about the real and counterfit as seen through out the episode. I would even go so far to say that the realtionship between Booth and Hannah could be seen as counterfit and of course the relationship between Brennan and Booth is the real thing. Sweets sees this, of course and was not afraid to point it out to Booth right in the beginning of this episode. Not in so many words, but he can see the reality of what is Booth and Hannah. Did anyone not take in Booth’s real reaction when Sweets asked him about him still having feelings for Bones? He was VERY quick to deny and was not believable in the denial. Does Booth love Hannah? In a way, yes. She is a rebound relationship for him, and she is helping him get through a painful time as those kinds of relationships often do. The thing to remember is they don’t hold up in the long run. Bones’ confession in the previous episode is going to have to bring him back to reality sooner or later. We can already see it has him thinking. Even though he spilled the goods on Bones, as far as we can tell he didn’t spill everything. Mainly HIS feelings for Bones. Quite a big omission for our honorable Seeley. 🙂
I agree that Hannah and Brennan as drinking buddies is bit much and I can certainly do with out it! I think this episode was a turning point, not a huge one; but progress is being made! We just have to hang in for the ride!
I have a lot of reservations about Booth doing the “right thing” and was being “honorable.”
For me, it’s not so much because of what Hannah or Brennan deserve, but it’s because he hasn’t come clean about anything else (gambling, family issues, etc.). So I don’t buy the argument that he was being honorable and honest with just this thing. It’s self-serving “honor” to ease his guilt or whatever.
(Someone in the comments made a very good observation about superficial honorable behavior.)
PS- For all the talk about Booth being so committed to a committed relationship, he hasn’t been as committed in his friendships. OK, lets say the friendship with Bones is complicated, but the Lab people (his self professed “people” and “family”) have been getting the shaft all season long, including the beginning of this episode.
So romantic commitment trumps friendship? That’s really not how a guy’s guy operates. If anything, this storyline makes Booth seem like he lacks self-awareness and is emasculating him. I’d be ok if it were part of the plan, but it seems from spoilers that’s not the case.
First off, I loved the case in this episode! It was different and I love that about this show. I can’t wait until the the sniper arc. I was also very pleased with Clark’s new found openness, it helped keep some happiness throughout the episode.
I am so happy for Angela and Hodgins! I agree that it is pretty odd that he bought Paisley’s place instead of a new one but the gesture itself was very nice. I can not wait until the baby is here!
Oh, Booth and Brennan, where is the love? I don’t enjoy the Hannah/Brennan friendship all that much, I just want Booth that realize his true feelings and let Hannah of easily before it gets anymore serious! Also, I noticed Booth isn’t wearing his COCKY belt buckle!! What is up with that?? Is it because it was a gift from Brennan and a reminder of their love? I was very surprised by that! I don’t know if anyone else realized that…?
First off, I loved the case in this episode! It was different and I love that about this show. I can’t wait until the the sniper arc. I was also very pleased with Clark’s new found openness, it helped keep some happiness throughout the episode.
I am so happy for Angela and Hodgins! I agree that it is pretty odd that he bought Paisley’s place instead of a new one but the gesture itself was very nice. I can not wait until the baby is here!
Oh, Booth and Brennan, where is the love? I don’t enjoy the Hannah/Brennan friendship all that much, I just want Booth that realize his true feelings and let Hannah of easily before it gets anymore serious! Also, I noticed Booth isn’t wearing his COCKY belt buckle!! What is up with that?? Is it because it was a gift from Brennan and a reminder of their love? I was very surprised by that! I don’t know if anyone else realized that…?
PS. All of these comments on how they have given up on the show and couldn’t care less if it gets cancelled, I’m ashamed. I have faith in the writers for Bones, they have prevailed many, many times in the past and I believe they will again. David Boreanaz said in a recent interview that Brennan’s confession will be affecting Booth within the next 2 months. I am upset at the way he is handling things but Booth was really hurt and we haven’t really seen Booth in this situation before to judge him on his actions.
Overall, I am a very loyal fan and I have faith and in the B&B situation.
OK, I caught up on Hulu.
I’m ashamed I even waited around this long, but it’s hard to pull the plug when Bones has been going downhill gradually. Now that it’s no longer paired with Fringe, I think it’ll be easy to break the habit. I really still have find memories of Brennan bringing the sexy geek cool and Booth’s cocky smirk grew on me, so I’ll check up on spoilers.
The underlying theme of “fake” or “counterfeit” throughout the episode did speak to me…especially the obvious one that Ms. Curtis failed to mention ~ the real love of Booth’s life vs. the temporary, self-delusional fake version. I’m with Clark. My money is on Dr. Brennan & Agent Booth.
Bones oh Bones where are you? The Bones of Season 6 is not the lovable Bones of the past 5 Seasons. HH & SN have really screwed it up. For the life of me I can’t figure out why. Bones is an exceptional crime drama with the gory corpses and a lab with vivid forensic science but what set it apart from all the other forensic crime shows wast the great cast of characters and how they related to each other. Brennan & Booth along with the squints made a perfect team at work and as friends. Now Booth never goes to the lab, his only contact with the squints is over the phone or his computer screen. He doesn’t even go into Brennan’s office. The great interaction of the team is gone, the center seperated so the team didn’t hold. The chemistry between Brennan & Booth was fantastic to watch. It was always so much fun to listen & watch Brennan & Booth’s conversations driving in the car or where ever, especially when they made such wonderful eye contact. The rich flavor of the witty dialogue as the bantered back and forth about everthing. Booths great reactions to Brennan’s view of things. (David can do a double take look better then anyone.) He was always sweet & tender with her. And where has Booths fun side and that wonderful smile gone. With Booths help Brennan’s world was becoming larger than just science and they were becoming closer & closer until the 100th episode. Didn’t expect that, but it looked like it could be fixed. The way they looked at each other saying goodbuy at the airport looking into each others eyes with regret and love promising to meet at the reflection pool in one year. They were only apart for 7 months, I felt sure they were going to get together when the returned. What a succker I am. Instead Booth loves Hannah. He has become an aloof self centered boor, only relating to his live in girlfriend Hannah. He’ll tell you she is so amazing, when he says it over & over & over again I almost puck. Brennan has been reduced to the ecentric weird genius of the family. The team is now Booth & Sweets, oh my SN is so happy how well they are working together. Of course Brennan & Hannah are now best buds and yes SN is so happy how they are so adult about everything. There aren’t very many adult women who would become best friends with their lovers EX love. Especially when the EX love just expressed her love for him a couple weeks ago. After on 7 months Booth has moved on from Brennan and is in love with amazing Hannah and Brennan after only a couple weeks is moving on possibly with the man across the bar that amazing Hannah has pointed out to her. What a bunch of hog wash. In the Bullet in the Brain episode Booth might be telling someone that Hannah is so amazing that he’ll shoot himself in the foot trying to take out the sniper. Or better yet he’ll shoot Hannah in the foot. HH & SN need to correct their mistake & bring back the exceptional show of Bones.
Sorry this is so long I just had to let it rip. I still have more gripes but I’ll give it a rest for now.
I think Booth IS being himself when he tells Hannah about what Brennan said to him. He has integrity, and as much as he doesn’t want to tell Hannah, he has to be honest with the woman he “loves”. However…this episode made me think we can relax about the way Booth is not Boothy this season. I think he’s hiding a lot, and he isn’t allowing himself to think about Brennan or any of their history. He made a commitment to Hannah, and it’s very Boothy to honor your commitments. I think Booth will continue to act like a robot, saying he loves Hannah, until either he or Brennan breaks and his true feelings come out.
Have you noticed that all the awkwardness and sweetness of Booth and Brennan’s relationship from last season is gone now? They were both hiding it all, to protect themselves. Now that Brennan was honest about her feelings for Booth, he can’t keep up the charade much longer. I think Hannah will realize what’s really going on and gracefully let him go. No way this story ends without Brennan and Booth together, and I think it seems like that time is coming soon! (Are you listening Hart??)
Oh, and also…I miss the cocky belt buckle and “this here’s my PARTNER, Dr. Temperance Brennan”. Come back soon!
How is telling a partial truth doing the right thing by Hannah?
Being honorable means being honest, and being selectively truthful is a greater betrayal. It’s a sly kind of deception. I’m not even talking about the romance part, but Booth still hasn’t told her about the gambling or family problems.
So I’m at a loss at the “he had to tell Hannah” defense. Yes, he should tell her, she deserves to know. The whole truth – if he’s really the upstanding moral man the show tells us.
Err, whatever. Let us know if the show wakes up and detaches itself from Booth’s most honorable gluteus maximus.
Well, this thing says to speak my mind, and so I will. Honestly, this was not my favorite episode. After ending 2010 on that amazing note with the Doctor in the Photo, I felt like this episode was really skirting around the issue.
But I’m not completely giving up on this season – there have been redeeming qualities about it – the cool new technology and ideas, really innovative places for finding dead bodies, and just a fresh angle on a lot of things. Plus, I’m one of the people who have faith in the writers and the outcome – these are their babies, their characters, and they wouldn’t do something that is completely out of character for them. So far, whatever points I didn’t like about something the characters did, HH & SN have provided me with a satisfactory explanation (like the sunglasses thing between Brennan and Hannah, I actually thought that was a good explanation) So I’m trusting them not to let me down here. Instead of accusing them of being bad writers, I’m trying to see what they’re thinking here, because they are the ones who know Booth and Bones the best.
Honestly, my main problem with the episode (and I think everyone’s main problem with the episode) – WHERE IS THE BONES AND BOOTH INTERACTION?!?!? I really miss their talks. This episode they had one conversation only between them, and they were talking solely about the case. No mention of everything else that happened. Even after the 100th ep, they talked about what went on. They didn’t completely avoid the issue, like they did this time.
But I have a sort of theory about why that’s happening. I think it’s because Booth is embarrassed and guilty – not just about not telling Hannah, but about denying feelings we all know exist, and about making Bones cry. (That was the worst part of DitP for me – that he didn’t even reach over to hug her to say sorry or something – even after 100th ep they sort of hug-walked away) Booth’s still struggling with everything, because he’s way more intuitive than Brennan. He knows that there’s still something there, no matter how much he denies it. I think that’s why he’s been so distant with Bones – so he won’t be tempted to hurt himself again – because he was really hurt at the rejection. He understood, but was hurt. It’s natural to want to avoid that hurt, and that, plus the fact that he is a honorable man, is why he rejected her in the car. In a way, I’m really glad they didn’t just fall back into each other’s arms, I don’t want Booth to cheat on Hannah. He’s not that kind of guy.
And it seems to me that he feels guilty because of that – I don’t necessarily think he’s a creep for not telling Hannah about Bones from the beginning. No guy tells his new girlfriend all about his five-year-long crush on some other woman who then spurned his advances, especially not when you go away to war to forget said woman. But with Bones’ confession, it brought those feelings back from the past into the present, and Booth, a very honest man, felt guilty about it. I see that clearly. But even after talking to Hannah, he’s obviously still got something on his mind around Bones. I wish they’d addressed that a little more, but maybe they’re going to save it for the sniper arc. Maybe Bones’ life being in danger will jolt Booth to his senses.
I agree with a lot of people that Booth isn’t his usual self. But then, he’s a little harder to follow than Brennan – he doesn’t show that he’s affected by confusing emotions as much, so he could be having them, and we wouldn’t be any wiser. And a lot happened to him in a very short time. First that 100th ep stuff, followed by Bones going away and basically pausing their partnership, it made him feel very hurt and confused. People don’t like being hurt and confused, they’ll do anything to avoid it. So Booth’s avoiding Bones a little, I think, so he can avoid the past pain. I feel like after the 100th episode every time Booth looked at Bones he looked a little pained, like someone looking at a feast on a table that he knows he isn’t allowed to eat. On the other hand, there’s Hannah. New, direct, bold, a lot like Brennan, but a completely new start. No connection to cases. No awkwardness involved. Simple boyfriend life. Care for her, she’ll care for you. Great sex, good company, everything’s good as long as Bones remains just a partner.
But then the confession happens, and not only does Booth see Brennan cry, he is the cause of the crying, and yet is unable to do anything about it. He does the honorable thing, but he still feels guilty – for causing Bones the pain he himself felt. And for deceiving Hannah. So he comes clean to Hannah, and then she and Bones resolve everything. BUT WHAT ABOUT BOOTH AND BONES?!?! Even after telling Hannah, Booth’s awkward around her. I think he feels the “What’s ours is ours” thing too – that he betrayed Bones’ trust by telling Hannah, and that’s also a reason why he feels guilty. They have to address this soon. Even Bones should pick up on this vibe soon enough. Goodness knows everyone else has. But I like the fact that Bones is trying to move on – I feel like that, combined with the sniper-danger storyline, might spur Booth on a little faster.
I’m really looking forward to that bit, but before I explain why, let me just say I like Hannah. And I hate the fact that I do. It would be much easier for me to just label her as the “Nasty Booth-Stealing Girlfriend” but obviously that’s not all she is. Trust HH & SN to make this even more complicated and heartcrushing for us. (And props to Katheryn Winnick for playing this role even after all the hate she gets) I like Hannah. More importantly, so does Brennan. I liked that little scene at the end. I thought it was cute. I feel like they’re becoming a little too close too fast maybe – how come Angela and Brennan rarely talk outside of work? – but I can understand how the two would like each other. But that comment that Bones makes at the end – that she’ll have drinks with Hannah and then Hannah will have drinks with Booth when she gets home – that made me sad. It’s like they’re using Hannah as a replacement/barrier without even realizing it. I hope Booth finishes working things out and they face each other and talk properly soon… The way I’m thinking though, all this is going to make the end result that much more satisfying when it finally happens.
That said, I loved Hodgela this episode. Now that was cuteness. And any scene where I get to see TJ Thyne’s arms is perfectly fine by me. And Angela and Brennan finally had a best-friend moment – even if they did skirt around the issue again. And Clark – what the hell happened?!?! Where did my serious, “none-of-my-business” Clark Edison go??? I feel like he got infused with Daisy’s spirit. I don’t know how to feel about this – I liked Clark the way he was, but I still like this new version… I guess we’ll have to wait and see…
Another thing I didn’t like about this episode was the stereotypical Chinese in it. Just looking to imitate the American, or just trying to strike a bargain. Or trying to “stay with the culture and not make American friends.” I feel like that wasn’t entirely accurate at all. And I felt the same way about the boneless episode as well. But I don’t think it was intentional, just the way it came off to me, usually Bones is pretty politically accurate…
Anyway, again, I’m really excited for the sniper to come on this week. I’m pretty sure it’s going to lead to some talk between Booth and Bones, because his sniper past is a huge reason why he works so hard at his job. Plus the Gravedigger is when Bones started feeling all stressed out and missing pure forensic anthropology without crime. Plus, they’ve both been buried alive. No Hannah to hide behind anymore!! Something big has to happen…
(P.S. – Sorry for the long comment, I tend to get carried away when discussing Booth and Bones)
If Booth being weird and unwilling to tell the whole truth about BB’s history to Hannah is a sign of his lingering conflict about Bones, you also have to acknowledge he isn’t being 100% honorable to Hannah, isn’t the ultimate symbol of integrity. You can’t have it both ways.
I refuse to accept that a 40 year old man is so immature and completely unaware of his own conflicts that “he -thinks- he’s being honest with Hannah” is an excuse.
Fringe is doing an AMAZING job showing us both sides to romantic drama. No punishing or blaming one side, acknowledging the the flaws and problems in both sides, showing us how much both sides are hurting without being melodramatic…. And the romance isn’t even as central to the show as BB is to Bones. Isn’t BB the priority in Bones? What is going on in the writers’ room at Bones?!
By the way, Booth being an a$$ to Brennan reminds me of Derek being mean to Meredith while he was supposedly working on his marriage in Season 2. At least then, the viewers saw Derek being conflicted and Meredith CALLED HIM OUT on it. If Meredith Grey has Dr. Temperance Brennan beat on standing up for oneself, something is seriously wrong.
I enjoyed the case. And yes, I noticed the missing Cocky belt buckle. Was very very very aware of it. Mostly, for me I was good throughout this episode. I think I was worried Booth was going to tell Hannah way more than he did. I miss the Booth and Brennan scenes that aren’t directly work related. But I understand why they are missing. I do have to say Booth translating Brennan’s confession to her saying she said she loves him was um, well…let me put it this way, I was going, “Uh, Booth she never said anything of the sort.” Admitting feelings does not translate to I love you Seeley Booth. Anyway, unlike the great many of you who had major problems with this episode I did not. It seems I saw right through Seeley Booth. He’s trying too hard. Oh and nice way to completely gloss over the depth of your relationship with Bones. To me this is a positive. It goes with the whole Booth didn’t tell Hannah a thing not really.
I still have a problem with Hannah replacing Booth at the end. Usually, this year with the Bones and Hannah scenes I am good but this one well, like I said in my previous comment what is Hannah, Booth now? Should I be expecting a trailer that has Hannah confessing how much in love she is with Brennan? I mean really now.
I think he HAD to tell Hannah. She is friends with Brennan and she would have found out. I don’t think Booth wanted to tell her. That was the feelings of guilt. In my opinion he was more worried about Brennan than Hannah. He told Hannah in the most quick and painless way possible and then asked her not to tell Brennan. When Hannah’s say “I have to” he says “Ok, but go easy on her”. Still worried about Brennan.
Sure Hannah behaved well considering but she really needs to worry about where his allegiance is. She is NOT his first priority.
I know this is an old thread going back to January but I wanted to reply to a point about Angela. We learn in other episodes that she uses software she has written and patented to enhance the software others have written. Writing graphic software requires a high level of mathematical and programming knowledge. Bone has in fact been misrepresenting the issue so that we think of her purely as an artist. That allows Brennan to make comments that everyone in the lab is a genius except Angela. Angela is no Zack but she has to be smart to do what she does.
This is the episode where I truly lost my love and faith in Booth. The conversation between him and Hannah seemed so unemotional and indifferent not so much in his words but in his expressions. I guess this is a testament to the writers and actors because they had really sold me on this special connection. I was heartbroken for Brennan I wanted her to move on and at the time I was thinking the helicopter pilot in The doctor in the photo.