BONES Recap: ‘The Family in the Feud’
May 1, 2012 by Sarah Curtis
Hey, BONES fans! How did you like this episode, “The Family in the Feud”? Once again the theme of the case overlapped into the family drama. There is a lot to discuss, so let’s get to it.
THE CASE:
The Scene of the Crime: While truffle hunting, a man comes upon a skeleton perched against some tree branches. Booth and Brennan and Hodgins arrive to the scene, where Brennan determines the victim is male and near 80 years old. There is quite a bit of dried blood on his clothing and his overalls were caught in tree branches.
The Victim: Tug Babcock, oldest living member of the Babcock family, currently in a feud with the Mobley family. The feud between the families goes back to the 1890s, when Carlene Babcock married Stonewall Mobley. Legend has it that Carlene killed Stonewall and stole his land. When she ended up dead as well, the families have been fighting over the land ever since. As the case continues, the team realizes that Tug had stage four bone cancer and only a few weeks to live.
Potential Suspects and Motives: Booth talks to Tug’s family — his son Ephraim, his wife Claire (a lawyer) and their son, Junior. Claire makes it clear that she doesn’t like hunting, especially not for food. They tell Booth to question the Mobleys, and so Booth and Brennan make their way to the rival family’s land.
On that property, Norbert Mobley takes a gun to Booth (and is soundly beaten at his own game…well done Booth!), and once he’s restrained, Brennan asks for the full history of the feud. He is glad to hear Tug is dead but can’t take credit for the kill. When asked why he’s walking around his property with a rifle, he says it’s because people have been digging holes in his land at night.
When Hodgins discovers the land is embedded with a vein of copper, the pool of suspects grows larger. Dennis Timmons has an agreement with Tug that he can mine the land, once Tug is dead. Sweets questions him, and while he admits he was sneaking on the land and night and that his company is bankrupt, he insists he didn’t kill Tug. He says there is a young blonde woman sneaking around the land at night too.
Booth follows that lead and meets SueBob Mobley. He threatens to take her in for murder, but she confesses that the reason she was on the property is because she and Junior are in love. Meanwhile, the Jeffersonian team figures out that the bullet used to kill Tug was embedded with Stonewall Mobley’s bone fragments.
The Verdict: Booth questions Junior, who has Claire alongside as his legal counsel. Junior says that Tug wanted to end the feud and supported his love for SueBob. Claire is horrified, but Junior insists Tug even gave him money to buy a ring for SueBob. Sweets suggests to Booth that Claire is a good suspect, since she has the most to lose financially. She denies that she was in the woods, but Hodgins is able to analyze her clothing and once it’s clear she was, she confesses that she just wanted a little more time to make more money from the feuding families’ lawsuits.
THE SQUINTS:
Well, I won’t clog up this review with more Daisy-hate, except to say this — she often brings out the worst qualities in people. That it’s not just one person this happens with makes her the suspect there, I think. But truly, she egged Brennan and Cam on toward unnecessary competition (not that those two don’t compete on their own), passive-aggressively taunted Hodgins regarding his truffles and patronized Angela about her work on the case. I think Daisy also brings out the worst in Sweets, but then again, he was doing enough on his own on that front, pestering Booth about the Christine childcare situation with Brennan and Max. To Sweets’ credit, he did correctly identify the murderer.
What did you think about Cam’s insistence that she was victorious in the lab over Daisy? Also, last week there were mixed feelings about Hodgins and his zealousness regarding the lab equipment. Did you have the same reaction to him and the truffles this week? And what are your thoughts on the Brennan/Angela/Cam conversation at the lab where both women tried to convince Brennan to forgive Max? I was torn because I love Brennan, and I thought Angela and Cam were kind of flippant about it, but on the other hand, I believed Max too.
One of my favorite moments of the episode came courtesy of Caroline Julian, when she all but promised to kiss Booth if he solved the case. Um, Caroline, when he’s wearing that holster and solving crimes, we all want to kiss him.
BOOTH & BRENNAN:
After Christine is expelled from the daycare (because of how much Brennan cares for their daughter, Booth smiles sarcastically), Booth and Brennan are forced to consider alternate childcare for her. Brennan has worked her way through a couple of nanny agencies as well as some doctoral candidates, but none are good enough. Booth tells her he’s going to take care of it, and she balks at first but eventually tells him that she trusts him.
But she wavers when she finds out that Booth has enlisted Max to babysit Christine. This brings up fear and memories of the past for Brennan. Booth asks her to give Max a shot, and she agrees, but when she tries to call him several times, and she doesn’t answer, she calls a halt to the experiment and tells Max to leave.
The relationship between Max and Brennan has always been a fascinating one. We’ve seen that Brennan likes to be in control of it, allowing him into her life when she can handle it. That sounds cold, but we know she isn’t cold. She might be reserved, but she does love him and accepts his love, and it has worked for them, until now.
I liked Brennan’s honest emotions of fear and sadness at her reaction to Max — when he said he thought she hadn’t called him because she trusted him but that he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, I teared up and I loved that Brennan didn’t want it to be that way. I loved the way they reconciled at the end, and I think it’s important that Max is the one who showed up to apologize again.
I think Booth has had a long history of sort of pushing Brennan toward Max and family reconciliation (while resisting his own family sometimes, but that is another story!), so it didn’t surprise me that he did that in this episode too. What do you think? Did he overstep his bounds or did he do the right thing?
Enough from me; it’s time for you to weigh in. Were you surprised by the killer? Did you like the Booth/Brennan/Max/Christine storyline? The comments are open, so sound off!
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I’m surprised that you didn’t mention the make out scene at the crime scene, Sarah!! That was my favorite part. I was nervous that Brennan was going to make a mistake and insult Booth’s ability to pick a good nanny and learn another lesson…but I didn’t think she really made a mistake or insulted him at all. It almost felt like she just kissed him and told him, “I do trust you” like she just felt like it! Everything else was great too!
I’m not sure why you’d think Booth overstepped his bounds? What exactly are his ‘bounds’ within this relationship? By describing it as pushing Brennan toward Max, you make it seem like Booth is a bully when he’s nothing of the kind. I see it as him bringing Max into the family, not pushing Brennan toward Max.
I thought Brennan was borderline crazed in this. Why she should feel so saddened when Max tells her he won’t make the mistake again of thinking she trusts him when she has just demonstrated the fact that she didn’t is beyond me. She can’t have it both ways.
Brennan knows from her mother’s video that Max is the one who wanted to take the kids with them, Christine is the one who insisted they be left behind. yet Brennan honors her mother by naming her daughter after her and Max is left to be the villian that she can continue to dump her anger and frustration on.
Brennan either needs to quit working since apparently no one else in the world is capable of caring for Christine or she needs to make the decision to give up some control-like every other working mother in the world.
I didn’t think this episode reflected well on Brennan at all. She was every new mom stereotype all rolled into one.
First of all, Happy Birthday Sarah!
It seems that the Babcock and Mobley clans are almost extinct since there only appear to be five members total between the two families. Was nice to see old Larry (of Larry, Darrel and Darrel fame). The case wasn’t bad (hardly a ringing endorsement) and still haven’t quite figured out the “bones in the ammo” angle. Also didn’t quite understand the purpose of the whole Cam/Brennan “how old is the dead guy” bit since both turned out to be wrong.
As far as the Max/Brennan/Booth story… that blended quite well with the case. I admit to not being a sentimentalist, but when Max told Brennan he wouldn’t make the same mistake again (about him thinking she trusted him) I did get a little catch in my throat.
As far as Daisy, I am not one of the torch wielding mob. I don’t find her particularly irritating and usually just wait for her most highly inappropriate comment du jour. Hard to go wrong with putting Hodgins and Daisy together.
Wasn’t really expecting much from this episode and was pleasantly surprised. Good case and integration between the “A” and “B” stories.
Pretty good episode, but then I enjoy Brennan and Max. I think Brennan did over react a bit, but I did over react myself years ago when a friend took my daughter for hours when she was supposed o have her for an hour. My friends response was lo that she thought I trusted her. After several hours of not knowing where your child s, you do panic nd imagine all kinds of things. So yes, I think it was realistic that she reacted that way. Not rational, but realistic.
Meh. Let me just say again, MEH.
I am trying to get exicited about these new episodes, but, when they show me all the good scenes in the four promos each week- I will eventually catch on. This is the second week in a row that I watched this show, then scrolled through the DVR recordings, found it and promptly deleted it. I have no desire to rewatch this one.
I will not just post that unhappiness and run. I will explain what is lacking for me as a Bones fan. Perhaps it is better put as this: crimes vs personal problems in each episode is lacking depth. Or at least backstory or fleshing out of said personal issue. If it is going to be given a story line (here it is Brennan’s lack of trust for her father, yes lack of trust period), then lets get into the story. Again I found myself not caring at all about the crime-ody. It was meh from the get go. Other than the fact it brought Caroline back into the mix and her fantastic line about “laying alittle bit of heaven” on Booth, I could have done without the crime part of the show.
I don’t even want to dwell on this episode enough to figure out if it is Booth or Brennan I am unhappy with (because who could hate the baby-cutie). Perhaps another fan can help me explain why I am reallly not happy with either of them in this. Brennan over the top with being pissed at her Dad, or she is just plain in need of some help, because she has serious issues with anyone being able to watch her baby. I get being nervous about sitters/kids, but honestly this is wildly over done in this show. Then there is Booth- who won’t deal with his own flipping family issues, but has to straighten Bones out.
Oh well, two more episodes and then………..will it really matter. We will have a Summer long break, then a few episodes and then a baseball break, could it just be too much for us long time fans?
Ryan O’Neal was the huge plus for this episode. I think he looks wonderful and is such a great pick to play the role of her father.
I think the lack of comments on this site lately reflects the fact that many of us long time Bones fans don’t care very much anymore about the show. I remember when there were many, many comments after a new episode. The chemistry between Bones and Brennan has been lacking since last season and the years of leading up to B&B becoming a couple dissolved into a big nothing when Brennan announced she was pregnant. It was like skipping from Step 1 to Step 10 with nothing in between. The show has lost it’s allure for me. The creator of the show ruined it, IMO, with the years of a long, drawn out lead in to a romantic relationship only to culminate with the two of them acting like a long term couple with no spark left between them.
@REE There are many long time fans that still care about Bones. Also, how can you not see the spark between them? They make out a crime scene, not to mention how hot that kiss was.
Jillian, we ll see things differently. I did no see anything hot about that kiss. I also think their chemistry is off.
I just really enjoy Brennan and Max. I do not get all excited about B & B anymore. I know many shippers are thrilled. Total viewers, including DVR is down, so you cannot just blame the Monday time slot. This was once a must watch for me and I would rewatch several times. Now I dvr and watch the next day or later. I just watch for ED and TJ, but the writers are not doing them justice anymore. Just my opinion. I m glad that you and others at enjoying it.
I’m not sure what you people want from B&B or the writers when they say that there is no more chemistry or they are disappointed with the amount of romance? The writers are giving us everything we have ever wanted between them-romance and affection, good communication ect. They aren’t going to have the same chemistry when they first met and they just want to push each other against a wall. They live together and they have a baby. They have other things to think about then just wanting to rip each other’s clothes off. It’s clear that B&B love each other and want to be together. If people aren’t happy with that, than it’s their problem. Not the writers or the actors fault.
Bones is doing fine. Sure, the ratings have dropped a little because of the Monday night competition and maybe some regular fans who just watch for cases are bored…but it’s still doing great and I think their ratings definitely show how many loyal fans they still have.
Jillian, I do not care about kissing or sex scenes, you do. I just think their chemistry started to decrease in season 5. I do not just watch for happy family scenes, but many do. yes, ratings are fine and not what they once were. But I do think that most fans now are te shippers who mainly watch the show for B & B and care very little about the rest. Yes, shows and characters change. There ar shows like NCIS that have been on longer and hv increased viewers. I do not watch that for Tony nd Ziva. However, that show is consistent and follows through on arcs. It has comedy and drama. I think for me Bones focus s more on the comedy now. I enjoy Bones more in the earlier days itch more drama. Last night was pretty good bu I love the episodes like the deaf girl last season. That to me was great and not just B & B.
Sorry for the typo errors. Tough on phone
@E Yep. I pretty much only watch the show now for the character interaction (like Brennan and Angela and ect.) and the B&B stuff, but I think the finale is going to be really dramatic.
Yes. The ratings aren’t as good as they used to be and there are many factors of that…but they are still pretty decent and the last time I checked, the ratings for DVR were going up. But they are already renewed for a season 8, so the ratings don’t really matter. As much it kills me to think that Bones will eventually…I’m okay with season 8 being the last season.
I too, feel the lack of chemistry between Booth and Brennan. A few kisses and them saying, “I love you” doesn’t equate chemistry. The kisses seem awkward and the “I love you’s” don’t come across as meaningful. I am one viewer who definitely doesn’t want a sex scene as proof of chemistry. I just don’t see where they go from this point in the story to get back the chemistry that used to be evident. I haven’t seen it since season five.
These episodes are losing my interest. I watched last nights episode, but it didn’t hold my interest at all. It just seemed like a retelling of the grandfather episode they did with Angela and her father. It feels like stories are being repeated and recycled.
I agree that the show is not the same as in previus seasons, but people grow and change and these characters are doing that. How many of us have a newborn and spend all our time in bed having sex? And at 8 pm, how much more can we get than the occasional “sneaking up the stairs before the baby wakes up” or “snag a kiss at the crime scene,” without the network pulling the plug?
Let’s face facts; how many grusome bodies can the writers think up without repeating at least something from seasons past? In med school we’d all crowd around in awe if a cadaver came into the lab that hadn’t died of natural causes, so I think the writers have been great at coming up with outlandish bodies and situations for us to relish but eventually they need an infusion of new ideas to keep us from yawning.
That said, I think the show needs more crime and less personal life. In the past, the personal lives wove themselves in and out of the crime, yes, but the crimes are not as complex this season and seem to wrap up too neatly. Other than the Pelant storyline, the neat little bow at the end hasn’t given us much to think about or reflect upon except the relationships. I think the writers need to go back to earlier episodes to actually time how much time was spent on personal vs crime solving and get back to that formula for most shows (some shows, like the baby’s birth, necessarily mean more personal than crime solving, but as a general rule, the personal used to intersect in a more organic way and with less of an intrusion in previous seasons).
I’m all for a B&B family, but need more than that to keep the show interesting. Booth’s Pops needs to come visit; there are no events or holidays mixed in (disfunctional holidays are what Bones writers do best); the limited locations are stiffling (B&B home, Jeffersonian, Royal Diner, back to B&B house, same 200 foot stretch of woods – is more like a stage play with sets than a teleplay that is free of the tighlyt encompassing walls of a set) and need a revamp (I live near DC and the locations are surreal at best – as are the times getting to them [Oakgrove is 75 miles from DC, North Carolina is 400 miles, but no one ever gets out of the car to stretch their legs and always gets home for dinner, which can’t be done on interstate 95 even with a siren], and I can tell you from personal experience that I just drove 40 miles in DC traffic and it took me three hours to get where I was headed); and perhaps the writers need to watch “A Thousand Ways to Die” a bit to get wacky death ideas to keep us interested and need to invest in a globe and some different stock shots of the DC area.
Still love the show. Love the characters – Caroline is so unabashed, Hodgins so easily spouts off terminology that leaves me tongue-tied, Angela keeps everyone grounded and normal, even the walk-on agents like Genny and Charlie are funny – and the interactions between them make the show interesting.
Well I have to say Bones was great, I think when they have a full season everything won’t seem rushed. I know season 8 will be the season where everything will pick up. I think they’re learning from this season what works & what’s not working. Right now I like the fact that we are just getting a peak of family life for them. That work may be crazy but their home life is different, I like the fact that Bones whole point of view on things are changing & for the better, so they may be lacking somethings, but I think everything will come together, when we have a full season I think everyone will be happy.
I just want to evidence to show that they love each other and that they want to be together. They can also show that with chemistry, and how they kiss and say ILY. I agree that their interaction did feel a little awkward in previous episodes season ( I think because Emily was pregnant, so she felt very awkward) but I think their chemistry has definitely improved. Like in “The Do in the Don’t” when she asked his advice on what to wear and he says in a really deep voice that he know her body and they kiss and she says that he’s no help at all. That felt really natural and just flowed easily.
Also, they can show that with what the say and do for each other. Like Booth always used to act dumber to make Brennan feel smarter, but in the “The Do in the Don’t,” he did it again. She corrected him that a tanga is a Northern seaport in Tanzania or whatever and he said that he must have misunderstood the sales lady then. I always loved because it always showed how much he loved her. But I guess everyone will have their own opinions.
I don’t care about cases. I mean, it would be nice to bring some more serious cases like the deaf girl last season…but at the same time, I don’t really care.
I’m going to puke like Hodgins and Daisy if the next episode is about the Bones’ baby. Please no more Great grandad, uncles or other relatives visiting just to see the baby. I felt very unprofessional for FBI to let Booth and Brennan still working together on the case. And I don’t know how Booth can stand with Brennan because she’s really very annoying. And I don’t see any common ground between them nor the chemistry.
At Caroline’s age, she shouldn’t pushed her only trolley of documents to Booth’s office. And I just watched Bones for Hodgins but for two weeks, his is OOC.
To quote AJ …. MEH.
I love any episode with Caroline/Booth scenes and with Max. And sorry but I think Max was a natural choice for Booth because Booth and Max share the same over-protectiveness when it comes to families. + as Cam mentioned seasons back Max was such a loved school teach they named a lab or something after him (pretty sure she says it in the same episode where Max and Parker where getting along so well).
I really don’t think ‘pushing Brennan’ was on Booths agenda at all & I liked that he supported Bones enough to have a cop pick Max up even though he didn’t think it was necessary. I like that he and Max get on though Max called him Seeley at the end and before now he’s always called him Booth.
I think if Daisy wasn’t so prominent and painful it would’ve been one of my favorites of the season.
Why are all these people hating on Bones?
If you don’t like it, don’t watch it…
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