BONES Recap: ‘The Lance to the Heart’
October 2, 2014 by Sarah Curtis
Hello BONES Fans! How did you like “The Lance to the Heart”? I really enjoyed it. BONES boss Stephen Nathan referred to it as a part 2 to the premiere, as the team worked to catch Sweets’ killer, unravel the FBI conspiracy, and come to terms with their own emotions—and I have to agree. There is a lot to discuss, so let’s get started.
THE CASE:
The Victim: Dr. Lance Sweets, resident baby-duck and friend to B&B. The episode begins as they discuss Sweets’ death. Booth feels like the death is his responsibility; Brennan urges him to focus that emotion into solving the case. Christine joins them and announces she is ready to go to the park with Uncle Sweets and Daisy. Cue the tears #1.
The Suspects: Within the FBI conspiracy, there are many possible suspects/henchmen, but Booth and Agent Aubrey identify a blood trail from former Navy Seal Kenneth Emory. Sweets shot him as part of their struggle, and the team must now connect him with the conspiracy.
The Case Progression:
At the lab, the team (including Clark and Daisy) examine Sweets’ skeleton. When Angela says she wishes they’d never uncovered the conspiracy, Hodgins declares that since they have, they must crush its central nervous system. Brennan insists the conspiracy is a non-sentient being, but Hodgins disagrees — it grows like any organism grows. Angela catches the metaphor and decides to map the DNA of the conspiracy.
When Booth and Aubrey track down Emory’s body, Cam, Brennan, Clark and Daisy examine his remains and find that beyond the bullet hole wound from Sweets, an artery was sliced—the ultimate cause of death. They surmise that the killer used that point of entry to hide the murder and make sure Emory didn’t survive.
Booth continues to go rogue. He threatens/intimidates Sanderson, and when Caroline tells him “it’s how the world works” when he hits a block in the case, Brennan later finds Booth stocking up on weaponry. They argue about Booth’s methods and motivations, completely taking my breath away in a perfect, jaw-dropping exchange that leads to Booth confessing he just wants it all to be done. Cue the tears #2.
Booth tasks Aubrey with analyzing every possible connection between Sanderson and the FBI, and Angela and Hodgins are able to pull etchings from some of Sweets’ notes regarding Howard Cooper and Hugo Sanderson. They turn up connections between Glen Durant, Hadley, Sanderson, Emory, and Norsky among others. Angela also tracks down evidence of several conferences where Durant and Cooper were attendees.
Brennan finds Daisy examining Sweets’ skeleton, and when she offers to give Daisy privacy, the younger woman begs Brennan to stay and help identify important skeletal markers as a sort of oral history of Sweets. It’s a beautiful moment as they do what they do best and identify various moments in Sweets’ life like soccer, a fall from a treehouse, being a good pianist, etc. Cue the (big time) tears #3.
Booth brings Durant back in for questioning, and when Durant recognizes a picture of Norsky, Booth promises him they will protect him. But when Booth pays another visit to Norsky, the older gentleman is very lucid and evasive. Booth realizes he’s either part of the conspiracy or a new blackmail victim. He reminds Norsky that as an FBI agent, he took an oath to protect the country, and Norsky replies by insisting that is what he’s always done. Interesting!
At the lab, Brennan and Clark examine Howard Cooper’s bone marrow and discover extraneous cells not linked to his leukemia. They figure the killer accidentally injected some of his DNA into Cooper. Meanwhile, Aubrey, Angela, and Hodgins try to identify a missing link in the conspiracy DNA. Aubrey remembers Desmond Wilson, one of Hoover’s top aides. He retired a few months before the blackmail files were supposed to be destroyed and also died the same year as Howard Cooper. When Hodgins and Aubrey visit Wilson’s previous home, they find a long piece of wire. The J-Team analyzes it realizes Hoover’s files were not destroyed.
Caroline tells Booth that Wilson’s house was owned by a property management group with ties to Sanderson, but it’s not enough to bring him in for questioning. Booth is annoyed and later works with Aubrey to try to find a connection between Sanderson and Wilson. They catch a break when Brennan notices that a picture of Wilson also includes Glen Durant as a child; he’s Wilson’s stepson. They just need to get some of his DNA to know whether or not he’s a match for Cooper’s killer.
B&B visit Durant in a park where, like a comic villain, he proudly declares his innocence while also basically laying out his entire manifesto against democracy as a true patriot/disciple of J. Edgar Hoover. It was a little over the top but still satisfying when Booth punched him in the face and came away with enough blood to run a DNA report, getting what they need to pin Cooper’s death on Durant. But when they bring him in for questioning, his lawyer insists he won’t answer anything, leading Booth to indicate he has blackmailed her as well. Brennan points out the evidence they have from Howard Cooper’s bone marrow, and Booth doesn’t back down either. Durant seems nervous, but Booth knows they need to find the original Hoover files to make sure Durant isn’t able to blackmail himself out of prison.
The Verdict: Booth pulls Brennan and Aubrey to look at Sweets’ notes, to examine the case from Sweets’ point of view. They realize that Durant, Norsky and Wilson all treated their version of patriotism as a religion, so it’s likely the files are located somewhere they considered to be holy. Booth wonders if they are in Hoover’s office, and when Aubrey points out that it doesn’t exist any longer, B&B share a knowing smile — the Jeffersonian has an exhibit on Hoover, and sure enough, all of the “office props” are real, actual documents.
With the case closed, it’s now time for the team to let Sweets’ remains be released. They join Daisy and give Sweets a proper sendoff. Cue the tears #4.
THE SQUINTS:
Carla Gallo was excellent as Daisy. I have a longstanding dislike for Daisy, but I am fully onboard for a more mature, grounded character.
I loved the idea of Angela mapping out the conspiracy’s DNA, and how Hodgins participated. I had to laugh when, as they were analyzing Sweets’ notes and Daisy started crying, Angela asked her what was wrong. Ummm, Angela…hello! It was cute that Sweets wanted to name their baby Seeley. (It will be interesting to see if that actually happens. I feel like Booth himself may veto that one!)
I liked that Clark worked on this case, and I loved the moments between him and Daisy. I thought that Cam’s character kind of got shortchanged. The few things she “did,” we learned about because other characters said she did them. Likewise, planning Sweets’ funeral was nice, but it seemed clear that she was doing it because she had nothing else to do. A nice gesture, but the character needs more to do.
I’m warming up to Agent Aubrey. He seems like a good guy, but he sure does have a LOT of quirks, usually a sign of unsure writing/characterization. One of the issues the show had with the Sweets character was finding relevant ways to fit him in to the storyline. Like I said last week, the show doesn’t need a new “baby duck” or a Sweets-lite (or at the very least, it’s TOO SOON for one), and if Aubrey is going to be around, it needs to be for legitimate plot purposes and fewer convenient coincidences (i.e. he just “happened” to also be at Quantico with Emory and “just happens” to be an expert on FBI history). I did enjoy the scenes between Booth, Aubrey and Caroline; it’s also clear that Aubrey is very impressed and intrigued by Booth — join the club, James!
BOOTH & BRENNAN:
The knockdown-drag out scene between Booth and Brennan in their home is definitely one of my all-time favorite B&B scenes. They are both alpha, and we don’t get to see that enough. Not that I want them screaming at one another all of the time, but like the “be a cop” scene in the pilot episode, it’s powerful when neither of them back down. It’s also very powerful when they are there for one another after those moments, which we saw here.
We can see the angst building up in Booth — he just wants it all to be done, and he’s willing to do what it takes to make that happen, even if it means vigilante justice. It is definitely in character for Booth, just like it makes sense for Brennan to get in his face and remind him of his true character and values — of why SHE is in a relationship with him. I just loved it. I also loved the call back when, at Founding Fathers, Booth told Aubrey that “she’s always sure when she speaks.” NICE!
I thought the end scene was nice; “Lime in da Coconut” was fitting in its (somewhat) predictability. Brennan’s soliloquy was maybe a little over the top (and sort of self-centered?) but definitely heartfelt. I liked how she compared life to a delicate equation.
I will say that as Sweets’ ashes floated away on the sound of their singing, it felt like dark, angry Booth was also dissipating. I like angsty!Booth juuuuust a little too much to be healthy, and while I don’t know what is coming up next, it just seems like we won’t see much more of that. Cue the remaining tears!
What did you like or not like about Episode 2? Are you convinced the team has gotten to the bottom of the conspiracy (or that other FBI members, such as Stark etc., are still involved as “true followers of Hoover”? Did you like the team’s tribute to Sweets? The comments are open — speak your mind!
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I still need a “Cliffs Notes” on all this, a line going back to the McNamara family.
Loved the episode, thought it was a nice sendoff for Sweets. Very appropriate that he was there, again, to help solve the case. I also loved the fight scene, D&E really needed that kind of scene to sink their teeth into and they didn’t disappoint.
And agreed on the comment from Angela to Daisy. I said the same thing…WTF, Ang?
And finally…Booth’s never said he doesn’t like his name. Why wouldn’t he be honored to have the baby named after him? I’m confused. Would it be too much for him, do you think?
Anyway…anther excellent recap. 🙂
It was a powerfull episode. The fight scene was very emotional, very realistic. Booth changed his mind very quickly when he felt like she might leave, he knows he can’t function well without her. It would have been nice if Booth had hugged Brennan while saying he wanted it all to be over. Also, Booth should have hugged Christine or sat her on his lap when he had to tell her the bad news. My tears would have lasted longer. I think I need to speek to the writer’s, director’s or Stephen Nathan. Ha Ha fat chance.
I thought Daisy was so touching she broke my heart. I’ve always liked Daisy oh sometimes I could have put a sock in her mouth but she made me laugh. She was unethical and so was Sweet’s they both would irritate me for many reason but I loved them. The tears will flow when Daisy gives birth.
Not sure about the new guy he seems like a miniture Sweets. I’ll have to wait & see. My big question is, has the conspirary been solved or will more suspects be revealed.
I love this show. I got to say David is looking good.
I got the same reaction about Angela asking Daisy what was wrong. Seriously, what’s wrong with Angela?
The scene between Brennan and Booth at their house was so intense. For a second I really thought Brennan was leaving. It reminded me of my favorite scene from The Secrets In The Proposal where they were having late lunch at the Royal Diner. Booth told Brennan “We’ll get past this, Bones” and Brennan replied, with a frustration and a thud from the spoon suddenly dropped “I don’t even know what this is, Booth.” It kind of makes me guilty that I like Booth and Brennan’s argument seems a little too much but I really think those make David and Emily’s prowess shine a little more.
I also agree with the order of tears cues from above except that my #4 cue was when Cam told Brennan she was planning Sweets’ funeral. I just literally cried in the bus in my way home.
Sweets is probably my 3rd favorite character in the show and I will never watch Bones the same way again with him gone. It’s just great that his character’s end had more substance than that of Zack’s.
I liked the episode but the case conclusion was weak. You have this big conspiracy going through the years to present day with in theory a lot of people involved or being extorted and suddenly “yeah, here are all this punch cards, case closed…next!”. That is what I find weak.. also specially Hodgins being such a conspiracy buff.
*sighs* I REALLY wanted to like this ep, I truly did but so many of the characters actions and how they were written or not written really spoiled this ep for me.
1) Is nobody finding it strange that not one of the squints has even had a direct conversation with Booth, on a personal level asking him how is dealing after getting out of jail?….it’s like Booth and them aren’t even in the same world anymore, there is no connection. Stephen Nathan says they are family, well they certainly aren’t showing it. Unless he means estranged family.
2) The B&B fight just didn’t work for me….. we aren’t talking about a husband and wife fight here….we are talking about a man whose is suffering with PTSD and somebody else shouting screaming, threatening him to take his family away from him then chucking keys at him… last time I checked that was NOT how you deal with someone suffering from PTSD…Brennan was lucky that her actions didn’t make Booth even worse… I am really appalled at this.
3) I can’t warm to Aubrey… he is just a serious of quirks…. he looks like Sweets and acts like Vincent and has the personality of a snarky child making inappropriate comments when a beloved team member just got brutally murdered……I don’t see the point of him at all…..Booth can do crime scenes, investigate, do the interrogations, the field work had done for YEARS, he certainly doesn’t need Aubrey’s help….all I can see is that Aubrey will actually dilute and weaken Booth’s role and position within the team…..mark my words by mid-season suddenly Booth won’t be able to do his job without Aubrey, Aubrey will slowly take over Booths scenes, because that is Stephen Nathans favorite thing to do to marginalise Booth in the work place to make way for characters, he did it when Sweets went from shrink to agent and Booth’s screen time and importance to the case got cut drastically, so much so people thought David was leaving Bones.
4) I really wished that Booth had said something at the end to say goodbye to Sweets, with the exception of Daisy, Booth knew Sweets better than anyone ,was closer to him than anyone and it seems to me that this got ignored just so Brennan could make a long winded speech that really was more about her than actually who Sweets is and was
5) Striping Sweets to bones was that really necessary?
6) Putting the new guys name in the opening credits and replacing JFD position in the opening credits really was cold, couldn’t they had waited for a least one ep, and had a transition ep without Aubrey so we could adjust to Sweets not being apart of the team anymore ….. It’s too fast too soon…..and so damn cold
@abbey, you took the words out of my mouth. this ep was just off, I didn’t enjoy it a bit, it all felt wrong, the defleshing of Sweets when he had a blood vessel severed as COD was beyond ghoulish. What is with Booth and the squints, they dont even talk to him when he was in the 2 scenes we’ve seen him in with them in the last year. They are all family EXCEPT Booth, Brennan apparently doesnt need him for anything anymore either.
Yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a bad decision excellent post! .
You know, I’m okay that nobody had a personal conversation with Booth. I didn’t notice it because the episode was so fast-paced & then, when I thought back, I realized that the characters had actually TRIED on several occasions & Booth insisted that they just get to work. So it’s not like the writers just forgot. Overall, I actually enjoyed this episode a lot, but the next 2 paragraphs are about exceptions to that rule.
I didn’t like the fight, partly for the reasons that Abbey said, but Booth is hardly blameless. He was talking about just straight-up murdering a guy. I realize that he felt like he couldn’t trust the system, but come on, to jump RIGHT to murder? It’s not like that’s the only trick that an FBI agent would know, what about surveillance or interrogation?
Finally, I am HUGELY irritated by Brennan’s speech. “Love cannot be explained by science!” YES! YES IT CAN! The explanation she’s been using is scientifically accurate, what the writers had her do here was say some vague “humans are special & removed from nature” sentimental babble to make the audience feel good. But we DON’T NEED THAT, because the scientific explanation for an emotion does not somehow erase the subjective experience OF that emotion. Knowing about the existence of pain receptors doesn’t mean you can’t still get hurt. This has been an ongoing trend with the show & is probably the biggest thing threatening to lose my interest.
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