BONES Recap: ‘The Pinocchio in the Planter’
April 29, 2011 by Sarah Curtis
Hey BONES fans, how did you like this episode?
Maybe Booth is right, that some things are better left unsaid. But if that is completely true, we wouldn’t have much to talk about. So instead, let’s discuss! Starting with…
THE CASE:
The Scene of the Crime: A “tweenage” (imdb’s word…not mine!) boy is caught peeping through the window of a community center’s womens’ locker room, and when he’s caught, he falls backward into a large, long flower bed, or “planter,” as the episode title suggests. And therein lies the Pinocchio.
The Victim: Ross Dixon, an ad man who in the past year decided to become brutally honest, therefore alienating all of his friends, family and co-workers. Sometimes BONES victims invoke sympathy, but I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for Ross. However, I did find the story of his motivation for getting honest interesting. When his ad agency represents a toy that a child choked on, Ross feels guilt over it and joins Honesty Policy, a group dedicated to the absolute truth.
Potential Suspects & Motives: With Ross’s new found love of telling it like it is, he certainly created many enemies. His advertising firm lost several clients because of his blunt nature, his wife left him, and his son can’t stand him. When Brennan and the J-team discover that Ross also had several broken bones in his facial structure, they realize that he had experienced many altercations. He had angry words with his son on the night he died, he was bashed in the face by a former co-worker, he was having an affair with a married woman, and he was rude toward a clown with a record. But the truth really comes out when Booth and Brennan uncover a lie.
The Lab Results: When Hodgins finds a hookworm in the planter soil, he’s able to determine time of death within a minute or so. If that sounds too easy, it gets even better — Ross’s smart key, a small device that holds his personal information, was found right by his body, making it easy to identify him. When the body is transported back to the lab, Brennan quickly determines cause of death as an intense blow, and it’s up to the team to figure out what (and who) caused it.
The Interrogation Room: Booth questions Ms. Francuzzi and finds out about Ross’s abrasive true nature and that he joined Honesty Policy. When he and Brennan and Sweets go to a session, they meet up with a clown, but when HE’s brought in for questioning, Sweets is the one to handle that interrogation. The clown is rude and crude, but completely honest, which is new for Sweets. As Booth tells Brennan later, the truth tellers aren’t exactly helping the case — no one tells secrets to blabbermouths.
The episode progresses and Booth talks to Ross’s son, Jonah, who tells him that he went to visit his dad on the night of his death, but saw a beat-up red convertible in the driveway and didn’t go it. The car is identified and belongs to Dorothy, whose lawyer is in the Honesty Policy group. Dorothy admits to having an affair, but says she wasn’t the one to attack Ross — after all, she had effects of a recent car accident.
The Verdict: Brennan agrees that if it’s true, Dorothy is not the attacker, but she wants to see the x-rays to verify. She examines them and proves they are not Dorothy’s x-rays, and this leads B&B to uncover the “honest” lawyer’s fraudulent schemes — the same scheme Ross was about to announce.
THE SQUINTS:
The non-case portion of the ep begins with Sweets and Angela at the diner. Sweets senses that something is on Angela’s mind, but she insists she just wants to spend time with him. When Angela gets another call from Hodgins and ignores it, Sweets is surprised. Angela confesses that Hodgins has been annoying her, always wanting to tie her shoes and be up in her business.
Meanwhile, despite the fact (or perhaps because!) that he did not see the Honesty Policy group in action, Wendell decides honesty is his best policy for getting what he wants — more hours at the Jeffersonian to make more money. After Brennan tells him Cam is looking for more help, he tries to convince her he’s the man for the job because he needs the money. Cam tells him it’s not about the money — that all of the interns are equally skilled and deserving. But Wendell doesn’t back down and pressures Cam with the “truth” until she gives in and promises him the summer job. Since that works, Wendell decides to use the truth on Hodgins as well, causing a series of one-upmanship moves that hinders the case more than helps it.
It does, however, still allow Hodgins to keep his “King of the Lab” crown intact, though I’d argue that Brennan proved she is still above them all. Speaking of Brennan, what were your thoughts on Cam’s comment to Brennan that she is the only one allowed to be brutally honest at the lab because she knows she can’t stop her? Seemed kind of backhanded to me.
Hodgins uses the truth policy to start a convo with Angela — telling her he doesn’t like one of her paintings. When he admits he’s just trying to get Angela to open up, she isn’t sure he can handle the truth. He is surprised, and then she tells the truth: he’s too underfoot and too cheerful. She needs him to be more worried, and he confesses he is worried. She assures him that they will face anything together, which is what he was saying all along? Maybe.
Why has there been such a focus lately on whether or not Cam is in charge at the lab? Were you satisfied with the resolution between Hodgins and Angela, or were you more along the lines of agreeing with Hodgins when he said “We already talked about this,” as in…we’ve already seen this play out this season. Why spend more time on it?
BOOTH AND BRENNAN:
For an episode dedicated to expressing genuine and affectionate honesty toward others, it saddened me that we didn’t get a little more of that from Booth and Brennan (especially considering where we are in this season). I did like that Brennan insisted that Booth tell her of a time in which he lied to spare her feelings (or, as he states to spare HIS feelings — quite possibly the bigger admission!), but I would have preferred to see it more as a B&B moment where they both shared. They both have opportunities to be honest with one another. Sure, we were due for an end scene in which Brennan pressures Booth to reveal something, but at this point, I don’t want that, as much as I don’t want another scene where Booth is pressuring Brennan to reveal or admit something. I want more Brennan AND Booth moments, where they are both sharing, both revealing, both accepting and both smiling at the end. What I’m saying is that while some things might be better off never mentioned again (starts with H, ends with “annah”), there are still PLENTY of things that do need to be said.
Having said that, I really liked how they both worked the case together, and seeing them in the interrogation room together felt right. Also, for the first time ever, I think, I laughed at the blatant Toyota usage. Booth’s “I like my job” line was funny!
But enough from me! What are your thoughts? Did you like the ensemble nature of the episode? Were you satisfied by the growth experienced by several of the characters, or were there missed opportunities for more?
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“It’s become one of those pachiderms in the room.” —> THIS has become one of my all time favorite Brennan quotes. Next to the one about poking someone in the eyes to prove they aren’t scary, “elephants are not violet, that’s wrong” and the all time favorite “STOP OF I’LL KICK YOU IN THE TESTICLES.”
Having said that, I *was* hoping for a B&B sharing moment at the end. Not just Brennan pressing Booth, like you said. When Booth told her about it, I was ALSO hoping for Brennan to give him something in return.
Nice episode though, I liked it!
“Some things you don’t talk about” –> total cop out from writers unwilling to address the issues or unable to write meaningful dialogue. I would rather have had an honest conversation between BB in this episode than the lame, fanfiction-y candlelight burning of pieces of paper in the elevator episode. That seemed more of a “some things you don’t talk about” situation whereas this episode was a wasted opportunity for a real conversation.
I thought they were going to add an honest conversation between Angela and Brennan instead of retreading the baby plot.
…And Wendell becomes the last and final intern to undergo a complete personality change because the writers are bored or don’t want to develop characters in depth.
How can Booth confess anything meaningful to Bones when viewers don’t know what he’s realized or confessed to himself?
I’d like to know how he answered his own question about the rejections from the women. It was a good question, if it’s directed internally instead of in anger at another person. And since they established he’s not angry anymore, the next step would be to see what Booth has learned about his own behavior this season. For me, that’s the missing step, whether he takes that step through a conversation with Bones, or (god forbid) Sweets, or alone (though that would be harder to convey on screen).
@JJ, I saw the “some things you don’t talk about” as a cop out too, especially after the elevator episode, which I thought was more uncharacteristically touchy feel-ly than anything that could have happened during this episode. But regarding the interns, I think Arastoo is still intact. But the personality change for Wendell made me go from indifference to dislike. His “truth” method wasn’t applicable for what he wanted- more presence at the Jeffersonian. Couldn’t he have argued based on his own merit? Or would that have killed the running joke? Would it kill the writers to write some witty jokes that are in character?
And we have the weird robot version of Bones back. I’ve seen comments about why on earth Booth would wait around and train Bones to be human, and I have to admit, current Bones frequently makes me cringe. If turning the focus away from BB means more of last week’s Brennan, I’d actually rather watch backdoor pilots all the time.
I loved a lot of things of this ep but I agree with Sarah we need more of them sharing not one trying to make the other one talk and then nothing.
I honestly expected B&B take advantage of the moment and say things they haven’t said.
I also think is time to move forward the episodes are being too similar between them: a case, funny lab moments, cute B&B scene on a bar. I think we need a change and realistic or not the change is B&B getting together or something because sometimes it seems we are going nowhere here
Do not appreciate what they did with Wendall. They need to stop messing with the interns.
I think people were expecting too much because they put too much meaning into the blizzard episode, but I don’t think the issues that came up in the debate article were resolved or even addressed in that episode. So I didn’t expect anything big here. But I also hoped that this is when Booth shares some what he’s been lying to himself about.
I’m not convinced by the theory that all of Booth’s growth and learning goes on underneath, in a subtle way that complaining fans can’t see. I wish. Subtlety in signalling the episode’s message went out with the Doctor in the Photo, The Sin in the Sisterhood, The Killer in the Crosshairs. The messages and morals have been Anvil Heavy-handed this season, so it makes no sense that the show is pussyfooting it regarding what Booth’s character growth has been.
The interns- like the Finder characters, I’m seriously questioning the show’s ability or willingness to write characters rather than walking talking quirks.
Horrible episode on the whole. Completely wasted opportunity to have B&B get real. Color me confused as to how expressing gratitude to his FRIEND for being there when his heart was broken by the woman he loved equates to admitting to a lie. I’m not confused about why Brennan just accepted this dodge, though. Brennan has been taken over by a pod person who accepts whatever the hell Booth tells her as long as he’s nice about it.
PiTP turned me from a hopeful if apprehensive viewer into Negative Nelly. I don’t see how they can fix this mess.
the obivious is going to happened it will be all BONES fault.
“And we have the weird robot version of Bones back. I’ve seen comments about why on earth Booth would wait around and train Bones to be human,”
And that is what loving, caring Big Brothers do ( or at least should do). Booth and Bones love each other and he has become the brother that that Bones never really had so to see them in bed together, after all these years would be almost like incest.
What?! I don’t get some of the complaints of these posters, First of all, in my opinion this wasn’t a “horrible episode”-the case was good, I was actually surprised that the lawyer was the murderer and the honest confessions between the Jeffersonian team were pretty humorous. Also, I don’t feel there’s that much of a change to Wendell’s character-he’s just a little more aggressive-which makes sense since he “grew up on the streets” and is not as privileged as the other interns. I also don’t know why so many fans are calling Brennan a “robot”-she’s always spouted off information and at times came across as “abrasive”-you don’t always get a glimpse of her true self, but you know it’s there from past episodes when she showed a more emotional side. But she can’t always be so emotional-she has to compartmentalize in order to do her job professionally-if she felt an emotional connection to each and every victim it would be exhausting. (When she was so connected to her victims last season for example, she became so overwhelmed and confused she opted to go to Maluku in order to gain objectivity about her job and her feelings for Booth). I just think that know matter what is done, so many fans just won’t be satisfied! Things can’t go back to the way they were in earlier seasons-they can only move forward. Maybe some of the changes aren’t welcomed, but I think it’s better to take some chances and risks and do what is unexpected with the characters instead of keeping everything the same-which would definitely end up stale and boring!
While I didn’t think the show was horrible (in fact, I actually liked it more than the other filler eps this season), I was disappointed in the ending. Complete cop-out by both Booth for bringing up something that wasn’t even really a lie by omission, cop-out by Brennan for letting him get away with it, and complete BS with toasting to things left unsaid. TNT ran The Boy in the Time Capsule last night, where Booth snickers at the Brainy Smurf Brennan got from Andy Pflueger, and Brennan nags Booth all episode to share a humiliating story of his own. Every time Booth shares something, Brennan immediately shoots down why that particular story isn’t humiliating. She doesn’t let him off the hook all episode. Where’s THAT Brennan?
I am hoping against all hope that the cop-out on both their parts was deliberate by the writers and the dynamic between the two will be turned around & the the chemistry and sexual tension between David & Emily will come back, but the cynical part of me worries that the ending was some message from the writers establishing a new canon for B&B where the writers now have an out to not write a meaningful heart-to-heart conversation between the two.
@Bridget–“She doesn’t let him off the hook ….Where’s THAT Brennan? ”
Exactly. This part of Brennan didn’t NEED to be changed. She’s a challenging woman not a doormat. She also allows Booth to be incredibly mean-spirited with her without comment. Brennan is fine with Wendall calling her abrasive, but needily asks Booth if HE thinks she’s abrasive. This is not evolution it’s devolution.
Change is good when it’s GOOD. The changes we’ve seen over this season? Not so good. Awful in fact.
Gosh, I don’t know where to start. I’ve watched this episode 3 times and it hasn’t gotten any better. It was boring.
The case was lame. But I thought is was going to fulfill a greater good for the characters. To me it fell flat. Moments were missed. This episode had such potential and it failed to deliver (in my opinion).
Angela & Hodgins… not impressed.
Wendell… Actually this is the first episode I’ve liked with him since he and Angela got together.
Sweets… not bad this time.
Pirus ad… I didn’t mind it this time because it fit Brennan’s personality. But it was still OOC for Brennan to be driving. I miss Booth insisting on driving and Brennan saying, “I’m an excellent driver.”
The final B&B Scene… WTH???
First the good part… When Booth said he knew where Bren’s question was going, Bren touched his hand and mentioned the case was done so she wanted to know what he lied about. But…. Booth didn’t confess to a lie. It wasn’t even an omission. Now I do get the importance of what he said. He was able to mention Hannah’s name without being angry. That’s a step in the right direction. But it wasn’t the pachyderm in the room. The good part was that Booth realizes that Bren was there for him the same way he was there for her after the 100th. B&B have never been good at telling each other how they feel for each other. I saw caring in their eyes, but I have yet to see ES or any of the chemistry they once had. And that is scary to me. Then Brennan says, “Some things are better left unsaid.” And Booth says, “To things we don’t say.” Really? Hasn’t that been their problem all along? I really liked the end of the last 2 episodes. B&B looked like they were flirting with each other, but last night’s episode was back to the same old partner thing. It was a huge disappointment to me. I thought the point of Hannah was supposed to lead to something for B&B, but even with the blizzard episode, I’m starting to wonder if that will really happen. Last week, I was hopeful, this week, I’m skeptical that Iwill enjoy the finale.
There were some good lines & parts though…
Wendell: Are you going to talk to her?
Hodgins: Of course not. She’s pregnant. The hormones are running the institution.
I love Booth and Sweets’ reaction to the video with the lady hitting the victim in the nose with the trophy.
I loved Angela’s term, “shoe ceremony.”
Booth: See that. Like your group says, It’s always good to tell the truth.”
Brennan: In her case, maybe not. (Love the look Booth gave her.)
Cam: There’s also a new policy in the lab.
Brennan: What’s that?
Cam: You’re the only one who’s allowed to be radically honest and that’s only because I can’t stop you.
@Sunny “This part of Brennan didn’t NEED to be changed….This is not evolution it’s devolution.”
I agree. And if ‘impervious’ means confident, strong-willed, and challenging, and ‘strong’ means completely oblivious to the ways of the world without Booth talking down to her to explain what the functions of human beings are, I’ll take an impervious Brennan any day. That was the Brennan who dazzled Booth to begin with.
Hey Sarah,
Thanks again for the review of the episodes! It amazes me how you can do that each week…….
To answer your question “Why are they accenting Cam being in charge of the lab?’ is because I think they are going to kill her off at the end of the season. Between last year’s with Cam saying ‘we know who is really in charge’ to the premiere’s ‘Brennan is the glue that holds it altogether’, I see this as a big set up for Brennan to take over the lab. HH has given the motive of the veteran’s brain damage and someone wanted that hushed in the premiere. If Broadsky has this brain trauma, they won’t want to have it just shut up but BURIED big time! Cam is the only one who is qualified in the lab to do this type of research so she would be the only target. They have also shown her life going great this year by falling in love and how mature Michelle is and that she will be okay on her own.
Sweets’ presence in the car/B&B scenes is getting way out of hand. He is the most useless regular character on the series and should only be brought into episodes where he is actually useful!
That end scene was horrible as far as truthfulness. I think the worst mistake and hidden truth on the series is Hank kicking Booth’s father out of the house. You talk about a BIG TRUTH held by Brennan that should have been mentioned is this one. I hate that they made Hank a wuss for not being able to tell Seeley the truth. I think it’s worse that Brennan is keeping this from Booth.
I knew nothing was going to happen and won’t until the last two episodes. HH/SN had no clue on what to do til seeing the reaction of ‘Blizzard’ on how to end the season so all we are getting is repeated or inconsequential episodes that don’t mean crap.
I agree with the other posters who feel that the line ” “some things you don’t talk about” is a cop out. I just realized maybe, the dialogue about them being “unexplainable” or “inexplicable” was a cop out too.
I was really hoping that after blackout in the blizzard I was hoping the writers would have B&B follow through on that conversation in the succeeding episodes. I wasn’t really expecting anything cheesy. Just little hints of moving forward. But then we see these lines about them being inexplicable and things being better left unsaid. It’s like the paper burning ceremony was suddenly forgotten or ignored. With three episodes left, they might resort to a quick fix if they plan to get B&B together this season. But if they’re getting season 7, then i guess B&B are buddies for now.
CUT sweets scene to half and let angelea and bones talk/next week I hoped she gets to talk to caroline/they are running out of show/the ratings were ok/but fans the SOUTH HAD PLENTY OF TORNADOES that tore homes apart. but I STILL FEEL it really want be hannah that keeps them apart/it will be her social skills problem.
It was a disappointing B&B episode for me. I put too much stock in the title and really did expect the two characters to share some deep feelings or thoughts. I thought it was very honest when Booth stated he ‘lied’ to spare his own feelingsm but without any elaboration, it fell totally flat. And this could have been a great opportunity/episode for Booth to talk about how the whole situation with Hannah was one big lie that Booth kept telling himself. (How else could he possibly have proposed to Hannah?!?!).
I do not like the dynamic between Booth and Brennan. She is very awkward, strange and off. Booth is down-right rude to her. She really needs to deck him.
I hold out hope that the final two episodes will be worthwhile for these characters that the writers seems to have abandoned.
And just one more things: I hope the sniper takes out Sweets. I absolutely can not stand his character. He is completely manipulative of Booth and Brennan. And those two are the blind leading the blind. The last thing they both need is any manipulation.
I thought this was an okay episode. For season 6 it was decently good. A little annoyed by the Wendell thing, but it wasnt as bad as the other interns. I think he might be my fave. Booth and Bones were okay, I liked seeing them in the interrogation room together, but the end was a bit of a cop out. Also, the whole “truth” thing was a little overdone. The writers are losing their subtlety.
But really, not a bad episode. I liked the case. Not great, but not bad.
Does anyone know if there is going to be a season 7? I really hope so, I don’t want Bones to end on a bad note.
Charizzle- I know TPTB are still in talks about season 7-which is not new for Bones to be renewed very late in the season. In previous seasons they didn’t get their renewal date until May 15th. Now with Emily’s pregnancy, I’m sure this is affecting whether they will come back later next year or somehow try to film several more episodes this season in order to come back in the fall. However, according to Hart Hanson, since they haven’t been given a renewal date yet, there are no scripts ready in order to film more episodes before Emily goes on maternity leave. I realize many fans were unhappy with this season, but the numbers are still high which I assume will motivate Fox to renew. I really would like a very strong season 7-even though it would be difficult-it’s worth waiting until January 2012 for an airdate despite the fact this will result in a shortened season of about 16 episodes!
Season 6 so far averaged 10.03 million viewers only behind Season 4 which is the show’s most successful season so far …
Why not see honesty just like they see love on th show? Worth it. Worth the bad that it brings because of all the good that it provides too??? That the good may outweigh the bad.
The all show is about Brennan accepting to stop protecting herself, to get hurt in order to live a full life, with the good and the bad. So why insist so much on lying in order to protect people’s feelings especially since honesty can be a really good thing???
The key is to be factual and not judgmental and that because someone disagree with you or don’t like something about you, that it doesn’t necessarily mean they judge/mock you or hate/reject you, and if it does mean these (which will happen), well, c’est la vie, that is why be strong is important but people won’t get strong by protecting them all the time.
When you think about it, a lie is some sort of imperviousness that we force upon someone to keep them from the potential damage of the truth, but also form the potential good that could come out of it.
Because of that, I find the show is kinda contradictory in regard to lying and Brennan’s need to lose her imperviousness to pain so that she can live.