BONES 206: The Long Haul

Hey there, and Happy BONES Day!

The BONES 200th episode was such a huge milestone and production that it’s no wonder the 206th episode may come and go with a bit less fanfare. But, as fans, we know that the 206th is special—after all, there are 206 bones in the human body! With that in mind, we wanted to do a little something special to mark the occasion.

We found a list of all 206 bones (thank you Wikipedia!) and were surprised to learn that all of the bones can be grouped into five categories: vertebral column, chest, head, arm, and leg. From there, we assigned each category a show representation:

• Vertebral Column (What’s the backbone of the show?)
• Chest (What are the defining emotions or heart of the show?)
• Head (What is unique in terms of the show’s smarts and respect of intelligence?)
• Arm (What’s the show’s outward focus; how does BONES affect culture?)
• Leg (What has carried the show over the long haul?)

Between Sunday April 26th and today, we’ve covered one entry per day. We have our thoughts, and we also have input from some of the cast and crew of the show. We’ve covered the backbone , the heart , the head , and the arm/outward focus of the show, and now it’s time to talk about what has carried the show over the past 10 seasons!

Legs: What has carried the show over the long haul?

Sarah: Hart Hanson always referred to it as the steam engine, but I think the ‘legs’ is a good metaphor too—what has carried this show over the long haul is the relationship between Booth and Brennan and the strong work David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel have done respectively. There have been great push/pull moments and deeply nuanced performances. When people say there is still life in the show, it’s possible they mean there are endless ways for people to be murdered and have their cases solved, or that it’s always possible for new characters to be added and developed…but for me, what keeps me tuning in is the way Brennan and Booth’s relationship has evolved from day one. It’s a beautiful love story, and I have my seatbelt on (unlike Booth-ha!) for the rest!

Marisa: What has kept the spark in the show for me has been the family unit they’ve showcased. Booth and Brennan’s relationship has flourished (both as friends/partners and romantically), and they’ve established themselves professionally and personally, with an incredible team of people. It might seem like a no-brainer, but so many shows don’t utilize their supporting cast; BONES always has. And not only has BONES made its supporting players into fleshed-out characters, but it’s also done the same thing for its recurring cast of rotating squinterns. It’s thanks to a mix of the actors, writers, and casting department, but it’s made for a fantastic — and consistently watchable — combination, and has allowed these very real characters to explore any number of situations over 200-plus episodes.

And BONES creator Hart Hanson talks about the shifts the show has gone through:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/A_0q9AZ3AOY[/youtube]

Now that you’ve heard from us, what do you say? What do you think has carrier this show all of the way to 206 episodes — and beyond! Thanks for participating in this series; hope you’ve enjoyed it! Speak up below!

BONES airs Thursdays at 8 PM on Fox.

Related:

BONES 206: The Show Reaches Out
BONES 206: The Heart of the Show
BONES 206: The Backbone of the Show
BONES: Hart Hanson on Why Episode 206 Will Just Be a ‘Good, Solid’ Hour

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