BONES Episode 200 Recap: ‘The 200th in the 10th’
December 11, 2014 by Sarah Curtis
Hello BONES fans! Happy 200th episode to everyone involved!
The show used a slightly different approach in their David Boreanaz (excellently) directed “200th in the 10th” episode, so I will also be straying from my usual review formula of re-capping the events of the episode and instead will share more from the heart. If you haven’t seen the episode yet — watch it! I thought it was gorgeously done. The music and set were luscious, and the plot was creative and fun.
The episode began with Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz alive in the 1950s and arriving at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to immortalize their fame, and it transitioned to them entering the theater to view their new movie, “Bones.” As the curtains parted, the “movie” began, and for the next 40+ minutes, we were swept into a clever interpretation of the standard BONES format — each character appeared and (for the most part) maintained some characteristics from his/her modern day counterparts. And of course there was intrigue & innuendo, murder &motives, bones & beetles…and ultimately justice. And so much more!
What I didn’t love:
- The “Brennan in the duffel bag” stuff lasted a bit too long and kind of went off the rails. If that’s a Hitchcock reference, please forgive my ignorance. I liked the plane idea (and I loved B&B flying off into the sunset), but the duffel bag was more hijinks-esque than I prefer. To me, job #1 is getting her out of that bag! Maybe it had more to do with Emily Deschanel not wanting/able to do the stunts and such (which is, of course, fine).
- I didn’t see where the title, “The 200th in the 10th,” related to the plot at all (maybe it’s another Hitchcock thing?). It’s okay that it didn’t; I just hoped it would.
What I loved: There are so many, many things; I’ll try to be concise:
- I loved all of the B&B scenes — from the cars, to Brennan’s home, to the club, to the end scene on the beach where they kissed and the music swelled and the camera moved up to the moonlit sky. Ahhhh! I loved seeing how impressed and intrigued they were with one another. If I have to pick a favorite moment, I think I’d say the scene in the car where Booth tells her he knows why she was suspended — because all of the guys at the precinct are jealous of her. The look in his eyes and tone of his voice are nothing less than dazzled. More on this later.
- I liked that Max was still Brennan’s dad, but I also liked that Sarge (presumably) wasn’t Angela’s dad and that Sunnie Pelant (Christine) was in the episode but not as the daughter of B/B. It was nice to see recurring actors without spending time on those family dynamics.
- I loved all of the callbacks to so many episodes, from diatomaceous earth to beetles, to Angela’s friendship with Brennan (including pressuring Brennan to get with Booth), to the victim being killed by falling down stairs, to B&B sharing coffee. There are too many to mention here, but I just loved it.
- It was great to see so many core characteristics for B&B (love of science, confidence, curiosity for Brennan; military history, envy for “vigilante”-type justice, friendship with Caroline for Booth)
- I liked seeing many squints in minor roles, and I liked seeing others such as Aubrey, Aldo, Caroline, Max, etc. I thought Andrew Leeds as the man handing Brennan the phone was a funny troll from the writers, but I was also glad that he wasn’t associated with the crime. Executive producer/episode writer Stephen Nathan said one of his goals was just to let the cast have as fun of a time as possible, and I think that was evident. In my opinion, if anything felt off or too indulgent, it’s offset by the deserving nature of making it to 200 episodes. To me, the indulgence works best here (compared to the season 4 finale or episode 100 or season 7’s “The Suit on the Set”) because the entire episode is in the AU world and all of the inside jokes are really homages to enjoy. There’s no residual ambiguity or angst out there (4:47, I’m looking at you!) from this episode; I like that.
What I’m “selling all worldly possessions” in order to start/fund Kickstarter projects for:
- Hodgins. Please tell me someone else out there would help fund a show in which 1950’s Professor Hodgins (and assistant Clark Edison of course!) solves forensic anthropology crimes with Forensic Anthropology Detective Brennan (and her partner Booth and best friend Angela)? TJ Thyne made me laugh so many times; my favorite: “Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of time” regarding the time it takes for human tissue to naturally fall off of bones. HAHA! I now want to know how many times others in the cast broke character from laughing at him.
- The music; the score was just incredible. Fox (or whomever), please make it available to the public! We will buy it!
- Emily Deschanel in vintage 50s clothes, hair, makeup, etc. Everyone looked amazing, but Emily looked fantastic. Seriously, from a robe to a cop uniform — who can do that?!
- A B&B movie where they just follow one another through a house and/or randomly get trapped in closets. The opening credits and subsequent scenes were decadent and so perfectly directed by David Boreanaz. It is impressive to me that there was little to no dialogue in the first 6-7 minutes! The shot where Booth was on the balcony and Brennan was on the ground floor was so good. I need more. We need more. Start the hashtag with me now, #ElevenSeasonsAndAMovie!
All in all, I really loved it.
Now, if you’ll indulge some extended commentary, some additional thoughts on B&B. I’ve said before that sometimes it’s bittersweet to watch early episodes. (And when we’re talking 200 episodes, I guess “early” means anything 1-100!) I, like many viewers, have had a long journey with the show and these characters, and like all journeys, there are highs and lows. This 200th episode reminded me of all of the things I love and have loved about this show, but especially the beautiful relationship between Brennan and Booth.
Back in earlier seasons (1-5), when people would ask Hart Hanson when B&B would “get together,” he’d often say things like “they already are together — they’re just not having sex,” and he’d laugh, and then comment that all shows have engines that drive them, and that if a show is going to stop one of those engines, they had better have another, equally competent, engine ready to go. In my opinion, episodes 1-100 were driven by many engines (science/procedurals, truth vs. justice, family, etc.) but ultimately powered by two things: The push/pull interactions of two supremely smart, competent, confident people (B&B), and the subsequent unresolved sexual tension between them. It was (and still is) possible to appreciate one and not the other — they were just as intrigued with each other’s morals and minds as their bodies, right? After episode 100, the interaction piece was there, but the flirty UST was lessened to a degree (appropriately), and the reconciliation of their partnership/ “center”/relationship took a higher priority than sex. As that reconciliation took place (toward the end of season 6), the sex was all but assumed, and then it was Boom! Mama Bones!
Seasons 7, 8, 9 & 10 through today have different engines driving them—“there’s more than one kind of family” is a big one that BONES has used for its entire series. Yet there are a lot of comments out there on the internet about how “something” is missing from the series (and for each one, there’s a rebuttal that there ISN’T anything missing). I’ve enjoyed the past couple of seasons very much. I’m glad that B&B are together and happy; I like that after the season 6 finale, there haven’t been any break-ups (except for geography) in their relationship. I love that actually. I like seeing their mature, safe/secure relationship and how they have taken others under their wings personally and professionally.
However, as this episode went on, and B&B were clearly enamored with one another, I felt a little twinge of …something close to painful. Over the past few years, I’ve told myself things like “I must accept that it will never be like it was in season 2 (or whatever I’m comparing at the moment), and that’s okay because there has to be growth and evolution, etc.” And it’s all true, but in my opinion it doesn’t discount the true affection for earlier times. Like feeling nostalgia for a beloved grandparent’s house or other past experience, there can be simultaneous joy and sadness in a single moment. As B&B shared moments of incredible and mutual chemistry, fascination, and affection in this episode, it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket, but I also found myself thinking, “Wait, there is no reason we could not be having this in season 10!!!” It’s as if I’ve convinced myself over the past few seasons that (for whatever reasons) it just can’t/won’t be like that the majority of the time any longer. Yes, it does happen sometimes, and we do have pockets of amazing moments. I’m not saying that we don’t, but I don’t think it’s the majority, and somehow it’s not the starting point from which B&B are being written, maybe?
In my opinion, sometimes that initial engine of “two supremely smart, competent, confident people” got confused or tossed-out with its sub-engine of Unresolved Sexual Tension. When the sex issue was resolved, it should have only changed to the “they are together in the same way AND they are now having sex” smart, competent engine. Not that B&B always have to know everything or can never have issues. They have (and always have had) baggage, but in this episode, we saw them as equals. They teased, they joked, they were serious, they learned from one another, they both were…purely themselves — and so impressed with one another, simultaneously eager and comfortable in that knowledge and most importantly (Brennan especially) in their own skin. So it concerned me a bit that the promotional press from writers, etc. described B&B in this episode as “how they would be before they got together,” as if those characteristics are synonymous with the UST, when in my opinion, the UST was actually an offshoot of those core characteristics. I don’t need to see B&B having sex in season 10. I do want to see more of the chemistry, banter, give-and-take on cases, leaning in juuuuust a little too close to be proper, etc. that we saw in this episode. I need to see more of them as the self-aware, confident, competent, smart people who fell in love with one another, who were literally so drawn to one another’s ethics, professional skills, core motives, and pure hearts that although it didn’t make sense, they couldn’t stay away from one another. In a BONES-cliched phrase — they knew the truth of one another and were/are dazzled by that truth. Again, we do have glimpses of that, and judging an entire writers’ room’s opinion of B&B based on this one episode isn’t fair, and I’m not trying to do that. I’m just saying that I would love to see more of the types of B&B interactions and magic connections we saw in this episode interwoven into the current show landscape.
Long story short, I’ve loved many of the 199 episodes to this point, and I loved, loved, loved this 200th episode — temporary twinges of bittersweet nostalgia and all! Cheers to the cast, crew, writers, producers, directors, networks and fans!
Enough from me! What callbacks did you notice and like best? Which character’s “re-make” was your favorite? Were you surprised by the killer? What did you like or not like? As you may know, the show is scheduled for hiatus until the end of March, so be sure to make your comments on the 200th episode count below! See you in 2015!
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I agree with so much of what you’re saying about what you miss about B&B. And yes, it doesn’t have to be gone just because they’re together now. What I notice the most about the last few years is how much LESS they’re (literally) in the episodes compared to earlier years. That’s what I love the most about the older episodes — they’re in so many more scenes together, so there’s so much more opportunity for interaction. There are episodes now where 20-25 minutes may go by (yep, I’ve looked at the clock) without them together. I don’t understand it — unless somehow DB and ED have negotiated to be in fewer scenes, thus lighten the work load.
Absolutely a bittersweet component to tonight — to see both what we love…and what we’re missing.
Thanks for your reviews. I always enjoy them — this is my first time to comment!
Bravo, Bravo! I loved every minute of this spectacular production. The period feel was “spot on” and there was never a lull in the action. It was fun to see characters we have followed for so long in a different arena, yet the “connections” intact.
David’s directing, especially since he was in most every scene, is worthy of any accolades that come his way. The music was very “in tune” with the era of movies I grew up watching. The Latin band leader was very “Ricky Ricardo-ish”.
Emily and David, together with rest of the cast, writers and crew proved worthy of their tenure on the screen the past ten seasons and this episode proves that the chemistry that exists on set and translates on screen is true and valid. I would also love the idea of a movie length feature of Bones when the time comes to say “so long” to the series, which I personally hope is not too soon.
I think the title was 200th in the 10th because it is the overall 200th episode but the 10th episode in the 10th season ? just a thought
I thought your review was spot on. It was a wonderful love letter to the fans. O do agree that we need to see more of the special B&B moments. In the first 9 episodes this season we have only seen them kiss twice (not counting the 200th). It seems this season they are replacing the UST with more sexual innuendos into their love life. I can understand them not working together as much. We used to see them working together all the time because that was all they had.their work relationship. Now they are married and do not need to make up reasons to see each other. Also, and this has been covered on the show, they have to be more careful about what work they do together, They have a daughter to think of. No parent wants to think about leaving their children, but for these two with their childhood traumas it is intensified. They do not want Christine to lose both her parents at the same time.
Karen – thank you! I think this is first time I have actually seen this in a comment – (although I’m sure many have realized it) that there are actual plot/story reasons for them not to work together as much and by virtue of this not be in as many scenes.
I just believe that the show runners/writers/producers have a plan and an end game. I have no idea what that is – but I don’t believe that they are oblivious to what makes Bones work (DB/ED “B&B”) so there has to be a reason for the distance they are creating and viewers are feeling. Since I have evidence from nine previous seasons that tells me that scenes/episodes/seasons are deliberate – written or acted in a certain way to propel the characters or story in a certain direction, I am going to trust that this is what they are doing in the 10th.
I’m willing to be patient and to accumulate the pieces of the puzzle until I can see the whole picture. And the fact that everything isn’t always spelled out, that I have to think and sometimes wait, actually makes me love the show even more!
I appreciate this review and the comments expressed are so well thought out. Thanks for that and for those who commented. This was an excellent episode and truly a gift to the fans. Awesome acting, writing and directing. Loved it all.
Loved the episode and the review. I am pretty much in agreement with all of it (I thought the title was clever though). I also am fine with growth and necessary changes among characters in long term shows. It is after all how we got to be 10 seasons in and for that I am VERY grateful.
What offends me somewhat about TPTB when it comes to TV shows in particular is this idea that chemisty/affection/sexual tension are automatically missing in a long-term couple. WHY would we have to accept that?! I certainly wouldn’t accept it in real life, and I know of what I speak having been happily married for 13 wonderful years. No I don’t need to see everything happening behind closed doors, but I woudn’t mind seeing chemistry. It doesn’t only exist before couples get together and I agree with those who feel like it has been too hit and miss since they have gotten B&B together.
The other thing I feel is off is we have gone from “show, don’t tell” to “tell, don’t show”, and the latter is MUCH less effective. I don’t want to only hear that a couple are in love, I want to see it right out there and obvious to the world regardless of what other baggage they have or what else is going on.
Thanks for the forum to share our feelings about such a wonderful episode and also the bittersweet feelings of knowing there is an little something missing. If we get it back, it is to infinity and beyond for me with this show.
Excellent tongue in cheek episode,loved it all;a 2nd viewing without ads is essential to fully appreciate the acting,the colour, the music, the dialogue,the cars,the directing, the lovely call back to past and current Bone eps and most importantly the dynamic cast. The episode was visually stunning, a lot of detail and one in particular made me smile, Temperence Brennan’s home, the outside looked remarkably like B&B’s home. Old TV shows came to mind that I believe DB & ED would be great in, Bewitched, Addams Family, and hey how about The Ghost and Mrs Muir,ideas, just from watching this fabulous episode. CHEERS to everyone involved in creating such a majestic 200th Bones. 😍
I can’t say i absolutely loved this episode but I did enjoy it. How Could I not when it was Booth and Brennan centric, something I have missed horribly this season. they just aren’t on screen enough together and there is an intimacy missing and i don’t just mean sex. Glad we had this one to end on instead of one where they barely showed up together since there is a long hiatus.
@Courtney– completely agree. Just because you get together doesn’t mean the chemistry and affection have to go missing. For me, the engine that drove B&B wasn’t the UST but the strong trust and respect between them. The way they understood each other even though they had their differences. From S1-5 they were a different couple– not driven by sexual attraction but by emotional attraction.
The show has so much potential but they seem to be caught up in pedestrian meanings of love. Love is more than just resolution of UST. Focus on the friendship, the support between them. Show me that Booth really loves Brennan– not that he is annoyed with her in every other episode. I don’t know why they don’t show us the strength of their relationship instead of bringing in contrived conflicts. I don’t need to see sex. But I want to see affection, admiration and respect.
I agree with every single bit of your extended commentary…nothing much to add to what you already said.
In this episode you saw a couple who are intrigued with each other, respect each other, are a little bit dazzled, and are falling in love. Why, oh why, can’t we see that each week on Bones? Couples can continue to fall in love, and be dazzled, even after they are married (sometimes more so).
I agree with the Courtney’s comment as well. Bones has gone from “showing not telling” to “telling, not showing.” How, and why, did that happen? The Booth in last night’s show was clearly dazzled. No one had to tell us he was dazzled, it was evident in how he acted. How long has it been since we’ve seen Booth that way? Likewise, Brennan was clearly intrigued by this roguish, handsome, slightly cocky guy…when was the last time we saw her like that in the show?
Last night they argued and bickered but it was playful, and always with that underlying sense of attraction and respect. It was like being transported back to pre-S6 Bones. It’s not that there hasn’t been some of that in recent seasons, but those moments have been relatively few and far between.
Stephen Nathan has B&B down. I only hope he can impart some of that skill to the other writers on staff at Bones.
Courtney & bountypeaches I agree with both of you. I loved every bit of this episode. The wonderful script Stephan Nathan wrote had all the wonderment of B&B. Booth & Brennan’s attraction to each other and the chemistry Emily & ‘David have on screen worked OH so well. I hope we see more of that in the last part of season 10. David is a great Director, the episode was beautiful, he has a tasteful eye. Booth & Brennan each in their vintage cars driving down the Hollywood hills was breathtaking. It had all the elements of a 50’s epic movie. I loved every minute of it and plan on watching it over & over
I really enjoyed this episode because of the interaction between the characters. I have been missing that. I can understand why B&B might not be in the field together as much, as was commented above, but why not at the FBI or other places together?
I also think it would be easy to add a little bit of affection between them without detracting from other things. A little touch here or a glance there would show the connection that might exist between a happily married couple. It doesn’t have to be all bedroom scenes….just a pat on the shoulder or a touch of the hand. I can’t imagine it’s all that hard to work in to a script, but maybe it’s a director’s decision. DB definitely has that part down when he directs an episode. Maybe others can learn from him.
Anyway, thanks for the review. It was very well done.
Am I just completely missing something or is this not the booth episode? I am sure I’m just confused but after counting and adding and researching it seems to me that even including the pilot that “The 200th in the 10th” (love the name), is only 199? Can someone help or at least explain to me how it is number 200, please?
I waited until the last cows came home to see that kiss that I heard about – THEY SURE MOVED THE CAMERA AWAY QUICKLY, DIDN’T THEY? Would it kill them to let us see more than a flash of a kiss or a touch?!?! It looks like I am out voted, and that’s ok – I still think it could have been much better. Fortunately, the way this season has gone, I was not expecting to be blown away with their romance – but at least B&B showed up. I hope when they come back next year, they’ve figured out how to write (B&B) scripts with heart – it has been sadly lacking!
I loved this episode. FUN, FUN, FUN. Music, perfect. The opening w/credits, ingenious, especially honoring David and Emily on the Hollywood walk of fame. This was Billy G’s best performance on Bones. The surprise for me in this ep was Cam. David did a fantastic job once again. BRAVO BONES, BRAVO!!!
Hey confused! The S4 premiere was Yanks in the UK part 1&2. The show, and most people, count those as two episodes, which puts us at 200. IMDB (and maybe other places) count those as one episode with two parts, which means it shows up as episode 199 on their listings. Hope that helps!
DLG19 said “I waited until the last cows came home to see that kiss that I heard about – THEY SURE MOVED THE CAMERA AWAY QUICKLY, DIDN’T THEY? Would it kill them to let us see more than a flash of a kiss or a touch?!?!”
I agree with you on this, but I have finally moved past the argument stage in my relationship with Bones and I’m now in the acceptance phase…I just take what they give. Here are my keys to enjoying Bones:
– Expect nothing. Disregard everything they say in interviews (good or bad) because most of it doesn’t turn out to be true. Even if there is a grain of truth in it, the reality is usually vastly different than what it sounded like they were saying. (Example…what happened to the “Tunnel of Love” that Stephen Nathan referred to when talking about this episode?)
– accept that David and Emily are never again going to have a “passionate” kiss or sexy times…just not going to happen. There will be brief kisses and implied passion/sex, but we won’t see it
– get on Tumblr and look at the beautiful gifs folks make of the kisses…blown up and in slow motion. When shown that way, they look like what you wanted to see on screen but never will
– If you are into fan fiction, read some of that. It helps fill in the huge gaps left by the show…all those things we don’t get to see on screen. There are some really talented writers out there who tell fantastic Bones stories…it’s made me enjoy the show much more than I would have otherwise.
Here is yet another episode that was totally hyped up (as should be for 100 episodes) but was only OK.. I was happy to see Emily and David for a change – glad it was not the usual Aubrey hour. I was dissapointed in the ROMANCE. I thought we would FINALLY get to see some long needed affection. However; we got one stinking kiss at the very end – if you blinked, you missed it!! The camera man made sure to aim at the moon as soon as their lips met – same old situation. I have been a fan from the beginning, and if they really wanted to give fans some appreciation, they should have given us an episode full of B&B affection!! WE HAVE BEEN SEVERELY CHEATED THIS SEASON!!
I love how they stuck Palant in there for a scene haha
Bravo Sarah 🙂 loved loved loved this episode and loved and agree with everything you had to say, 2 thumbs up. I hope the powers at be hear you, for I think you are the voice for many of us.