BONES Season Premiere: Harbingers in the Fountain
September 18, 2009 by Sarah Curtis
BONES is back, and so are we. Long time, no BONES blog, my people! I gotta admit, after last season’s finale, I did not spend the whole summer looking forward to the premiere. In fact, I kind of dreaded it. But I’m happy to say that I freaking loved this episode! I want to marry it and have little baby episodes with it.
Shame on me. Shame on me, because I lost the faith. The faith that everything happens for a reason, and eventually everything will happen.
Is everything tied up with a pretty little bow? No.
Was Booth laughing at that clown one of the scariest things I’ve seen? Yes.
But say it with me. Eventually. Shout it from the rooftop; whisper it to your children as they sleep at night. Eventually…eventually…eventually!
Was this the best Bones season premiere of all time? I’m going to say yes, and in our live chat during the episode, that was the consensus, too. But, let me know what you think about that, in the comments. But first…
THE CASE:
Cyndi Lauper guest stars as Avalon Harmonia, Angela’s psychic. She reveals to Brennan (and recaps to us) her story/Booth’s dream from the season four finale AND she tells us all that there are 12 bodies buried under a fountain. Brennan is suspicious, natch, possibly more so BECAUSE Avalon spoke of her relationship with Booth.
Meanwhile, Booth is getting re-certified for FBI duty by Sweets. Quick Question: Booth’s beard…yes or no?
Within a couple of scenes, it’s gone, but so are the striped socks, bright ties and cocky belt buckle. And as the case goes on, Booth and Brennan are forced to reevaluate one another, and their perceptions of how things should work between them. And just like their relationship, the case isn’t tied up neatly at the end, either. All in all, a good case, though (and not too gross of bodies! You just KNOW those are coming, though, right? Ugh).
THE SQUINTS:
- Hodgins: I thought his big hug to Brennan at the beginning of the ep was kind of weird, but I liked his enthusiasm throughout the episode. And if I could, I’d tell him that I call him King of the Lab, sometimes.
- Cam: Beautiful. True. Kind. Awesome.
- Angela: It was a good Angela we saw in this episode. She was smart and did her job well. She also did her unofficial job well, which is to push Booth and Brennan together as Brennan’s best girl friend.
- Sweets: Now…let’s not be mad at Sweets. He was just doing his job. AND let’s not forget this: Booth never saw Brennan’s face when she was in the hospital waiting room telling the rest of the team that he had a brain tumor. But Sweets did (and so did we). My rationale is that HIS rationale is to help Booth protect Brennan. Do I think Booth has ‘protected’ Brennan from his feelings in the past? Yes I do. And Sweets, as a professional, and a friend, has seen that. And I believe that he knows that Booth is maybe incapable of doing just that at the moment. So he steps in, lays it on the line, and tells Booth to be cautious. But he isn’t doing it to annoy us. He’s doing it to protect Brennan. And to protect Booth in the process.
BOOTH & BRENNAN:
Am I the only one who was disillusioned by the end of season four? I don’t want this to turn into a big gripe fest; I’m just trying to come to terms with the fact that maybe what I thought were missteps were really all part of Hart Hanson’s (show creator) overall vision. It remains to be seen, I suppose.
But there’s a crack in the center, a NEW ‘line’ that can’t be spelled out on a park bench and hidden away for years. I don’t even know what it IS, except that Booth is on a journey. I don’t think he’s going to find his answers in newspaper clippings or Tarot cards, but I do know this: when he propped up his feet and considered his striped socks, I cried. And when he said “I’ve got you, Baby”, I was like “…okay, yes. This is Booth.”
As for Brennan, I have VERY mixed feelings. I know she’s gone on trips before, but she really stayed by Booth’s side for DAYS when he was in a coma only to leave for WEEKS just because his doctors said he’d be fine? And she never once talked to him while she was gone? I guess I understand it for storyline purposes, but it seemed out of character for her. Maybe not out of character for season ONE Brennan, but that is not the Brennan we saw in the rest of this episode. Season one Brennan’s jaw would not have worked back and forth if she’d been told that Booth was dazzled by her. She would not have flinched when Booth said he loved her. Season one Brennan would have told him he wasn’t being rational. But THIS Brennan…she hugs him quickly, she wants Booth around, and she KNOWS what he meant when he said sometimes you have to settle for second best, and she didn’t like that one bit. But she’s also unsure; I get that too. Booth laughed at a clown, and then told her he loved her. So which Booth was that?
Ah, my Bones darlings, we must wait to find out. I don’t know which Booth he is. Maybe he doesn’t know either. But, the face he made, the way he twitched at the end when Avalon spoke her final message to them?
Deep down, Booth knows…eventually. Eventually. Eventually.
Talk to me! Tell me what you’ve been up to this summer. Tell me ALL the things you loved about this episode, and even the things you didn’t! Let me hear it!
But first…here’s your Booth of the week…
The “Booth Likes ‘em Squinty” Booth from The Passenger in the Oven, Season Four.
Seeleybaby spent the summer moving, being a maid of honor, and watching Warehouse 13. She’s VERY excited for Season Five of BONES, and what she loves most is when the readers and viewers let THEIR opinions be heard in the comments of her reviews.
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Filed under #1 featured, Bones, Posts by Sarah (Seels)
I dont think it was out of character at all for Brennan to take off for a few weeks. At the end of last season she finally was forced to confront the fact that she has feelings for Booth. And that scared the you-know-what out of her. To her that was simply irrational and its very much like her to run away and get absorbed in her work and pretend like everythings normal.
First of all. Another awesome review 🙂
and I totally agree with all you say as usual apart from the case.
I really didnt get it, I think because we never saw the end. Should have been carried on next episode I think cos’ it was interesting.
“I want to marry it and have little baby episodes with it.” LMAO
We don’t really know the reasons why Brennan left, but the most probably was that the whole sick Booth ordeal and the aftermath had been too much for her. I feel sad that even thought she might have been scared away, that she didn’t fought against it just to stay by his side like she should have been. Then again, this is just me hypotesising.
I loved the episode and concur on the fact that this was the best season premiere the show has ever had since the pilot. It was the right mix of funny, happy, sad and dramatic moments that made this a great come back to this show.
Cindy Lauper was a great add to the episode as well, not being a professional actress I give her high points for the great, mysterious and funny representation of a psychic character, and was also an inteligent way to bring more insight to Brennan and Booth’s current state of relationship and introduce more variables for us fans to work with.
All in all I agree with everything you wrote.
It’s back, baby!
Seeleybaby, I didn’t really read the recap (because I don’t watch Bones other than very casually on USA–rerun city), but I did see that you said it had been so long since you guys had any new Bones, and it made me laugh because it seems like just yesterday you were writing like three posts a week for it. I swear, girlfriend, you have gotta be the hardest working recapper around here. 🙂
I have been looking forward to this post all day! Thanks for re-capping. To be honest WHILE watching the episode I wasn’t loving it as much as I did at the end and then re-playing it in my head. It was very well done, and I didn’t appreciate it at the time. I guess the whole frustration at the end of last season’s finale was still lingering for me.
Wow – Booth told Brennan he loved her. And she was stunned. No more WHY he was feeling it – I loved that he voiced it. That’s a big deal for Booth. And I loved that the other characters were so real – sometimes they are over the top and it becomes a parody almost. Last night they were normal people, and were true to their characters’ quirkinesses (new word?) at the same time. Very well done. Love Cam. I know others don’t but I love her. Underrated and not given much to do, but I think she does really well with what she’s given.
This episode ushers in a whole new year and new phase in their relationship and I think it was written really well. We don’t want them jumping into bed without some seriousness behind it – where could the series go from there? But the build up feels right and eventually, we’ll get there.
Great write up – thanks for doing these recaps!
I didn’t love last season’s finale, but I love Bones so much that I had faith that it would all work out… and it definitely did! I adored the season premiere. I even rewatched it today just to pick up on some things I missed the first time around. The ep was a good mixture of heart, funny, and story. Oh, and I’m with you, Seeleybaby — that clown scene was highly disturbing. It certainly doesn’t help that clowns already make me heebie-jeebies.
I’m a little unhappy with Bones going away for so long without even talking to Booth. I absolutely get why she did, though. She and Booth have come so far in their friendship, but she was definitely wigged by everything that transpired in the season finale. So she regressed, and ran away to immerse herself in her work by digging up a bazillion dead bodies. As emotionally stunted as she is, with all her huge abandoment baggage, she’s starting to get it and that scares her because she can’t rationalize it away.
And poor Booth. He’s struggling so hard to remember who he really is, and he knows he loves Bones, but Sweets is telling him it’s not real, and oh, the drama! I’m loving it!
Quote of the night (rough paraphrase):
Booth: There’s something in my heart.
Brennan: There’s blood in your heart.
HA!
Ahhhh!!!! I loved the episode, and I was already looking for your review last night at midnight haha! As for your questions… hands-down the best premiere of the series, and a definite YES to Booth’s beard… at least for a little while ;-)!
Last night brought me back to the excitement I was feeling in season 3, and it felt so good! For the most part, everything felt “right” to me in the episode… The pace of Booth & Brennan’s realizations; the way that Angela is pushing just a little bit harder; the way that Brennan is so concerned about every little nuance of Booth’s character; and most of all, the way that Booth will NEVER stop trying to protect her from anything in the world that could possibly hurt her. To me, that’s what it’s about… I don’t think he doubts his feelings at all, but I do think that he doubts whether he is in the right place mentally to follow up on them right now. He would never do anything that could damage her in any way… and I thought it was so special that Cam and Sweets both came to Brennan’s defense immediately.
As for Brennan, as you know… I am a huge fan of her character. Although I am absolutely nothing like her, I think I understand her… and my heart hurt so much for her last night on several occasions. When Booth didn’t take her to breakfast, when Avalon confronted her about the fact that she feels like she’s unlovable, and when Booth qualified his love to an “atta-girl” kind of love. It was written all over her face, guys… she FELT that, and it didn’t feel good to her. However, what is feeling good to her is that she’s just beginning to process her feelings toward Booth, and although they’re confusing, she knows they’re good… at least I think so. The caterpillar doesn’t turn into a butterfly overnight… or without struggling.
Ah… eventually… and the road is going to be so beautiful along the way! Looking forward to this season like never before!
Oh, and I just realized that I didn’t address Brennan leaving. I wasn’t happy with that, either. I feel like it was out of character for her at this point in the series. At one time it wouldn’t have been, but now I feel like it was. Plus, the fact that they supposedly didn’t talk at all during that time? No way. I’m glad that they made it obvious that she was bothered by the fact that he wasn’t okay while she was gone, though.
I absolutely loved it. I apologize for all the hate from the finale. This made up for it and showed how wonderfully it all worked out if we just gave it a shot. I love love loved it!
“But I’m happy to say that I freaking loved this episode! I want to marry it and have little baby episodes with it.
Shame on me. Shame on me…”
Agreed. Shame on you. Aren’t you old enough to be past this kind of predictable cliche??
Here’s a review by a seasoned pro, Maureen Ryan…
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/09/rant-alert-oh-just-stop-already-with-the-will-they-or-wont-they.html
Knowing you’re a big Chuck fan, lemme guess. When Chuck returns with Sarah pushing Chuck away to make gaga eyes over another super spy type “Brandon Routh”, you’ll be in love with the plotline there too. Sorry, but when a show hypes something it relentlessly fails to deliver on, it does tend to taint the other good aspects of the program. Look for Bones to be on “the bubble” at the end of this season. Look for Chuck to be canned once and for all after its next & last season.
What this premiere did for me was scrape off some of the lingering bad feelings that I still had from the season finale. I’m fully back on board with the show but I’m not feeling as positive about it as I once was. Yet. They can still get me back fully in their corner by having a run of good episodes.
I’m starting to get a little tired of those saying that Booth and Bones should just hook-up because it wouldn’t kill the show. They usually then cite a list of shows that survived the “hook-up”. The list is majorly comprised of 30 min. comedies (for which the laughs are the draw, not the “hook-up”) and for those that are hour-long dramas while the show survived, the relationship did not (with few exceptions).
The point is that a “hook-up” wouldn’t work for these characters. While I think it is wrong for the characters (some might disagree), the main reason is that I’m not looking for them to the “hook-up”. I’m looking for the “happily ever after”. (Might have given up my Man Card with that last statement.)
Apologize for the ranting and rambling. One thought I had watching Bones I want to share.
Booth’s brain may not have recognized he was in love before the operation but why was he married to Bones in his dream if he wasn’t actually in love with her? There are plenty of females in his life. His brain had his pick of women (including one with which he has had a sexual relationship) but he chose Bones. Looking forward to next week’s episode. Good start to the season.
amazing episode. i love booth and brennan, i had forgotten about bones over the summer and now i found it again (thank you hulu). im so excited that they’re back (i was really crying in the episode before the finale)!!!!!!!! i dont care how many season it is until they get together, i love their quirky chemistry.
and i love how booth busted down the door. love love love :]
oh, and my stomach totally dropped when Booth told Brennan that he loved her. and then it continued, and i was thinking “of course…” but like i said, ill wait because i love moments like that.
Ok. Nice recap there, Seels. Will you buy said babies onesies like Angela? Sorry, that part just cracked me up.
(and um, Ms. Ryan? yeah, she’s hated Bones since day 1 and keeps foretelling our demise :P) How amazing is it that we KNOW we’ve got next yr in the bag already???? Hooray for 2 yr pick-ups and for Fox’s first win in the 18-49 scripted show demo in SEVENTEEEN YEARS! BooYah!
Hmm…well, for starters I was one of those odd few who actually loved and wholly embraced the finale and thought it was a heckuva piece of tongue-in-cheek writing, and I liked the little scenes last night that hearkened back to that one.
That being said, I’ve spent my entire summer waiting on pins and needles to see what HH would pull out of his hat this time; especially since he seemed a bit bummed that not many liked his finale- I think that shocked him, though he said most of this was written before the backlash started.
I loved the Ep! And if there was a stronger word than loved I’d use it.
Outside of Seeley’s “baby” 😉 scene- which, can I just say, was totally a bf/gf thing on both their parts and my heart melted like butter- I loved the opening hug progression. First, you have the refusal to hug Cam, then the reluctant pat when Hodgins assaults her(he’s so cute and I think is super lonely b/c he missed solving murders so much), enter the couch AH! she sits ON HIM(his midsection I believe, but I digress) and immediately wraps him in a bear hug which he enthusiastically returns b/c instead of going home and shaving(votes Stubbly Booth as hawt) goes to her: his Bones. I think that says a lot.
Other things I loved: The return of Caroline and her car and squeezing Booth into the back was icing on the cake. Booth’s crack a/b the brain scan pic before he knew what it was- hubby got a good belly laugh out of that one. The facial expressions on both DB and ED throughout- really, he was sooo checking her out when she refused the kiss and walked off. The “I love yous” b/c it’s out there now and she looked sad to me when he took his back a notch.
Sweets and the clown were Meh, moments for me, mostly b/c they were redundant. Telling him to tread carefully w/Brennan was handled better by Cam- who rocked this ep! And I don’t care if I thought clowns were God’s gift to man; one shoots me in the eye- they’re going DOWN! Though kudos to him for still getting the ILY out there even after he KNOWS he’s not quite himself.
I think this ep was HH’s billboard as to what to expect this season “go back to normal” “settle for 2nd” for a bit, then “eventually” well…HH hasn’t been this clear since Floppy set sail for the Bermuda Triangle(or W13) 🙂
GO BONES!
*toasts to another year of Bones and GMMR fun!*
Ah, thanks everyone for the comments! This has been a very kind ‘Welcome Back’ to BONES here on GMMR!
>>Jacki, I concur. You’re right; you’re totally right. It IS in character for Brennan in general, I just thought that in this first episode, they didn’t play her that way, as freaked out. Does that make sense? So it was more like…okay, if she’d freaked out, then why was she so gung ho as soon as she got back? But, you ARE right.
>>Megan (from England?) ! Thank you. 🙂
>>Monisse! Thank you for reviewing all the way from Portugal! We must connect soon. I agree with you (kind of like what Jacki said , too). And yes, C.L. was great. Very fun. And I liked that they used her acoustic song “Fearless” in the episode.
>>Haha, SB! I don’t think so…that would be you. Or probably GMMR herself who puts up with all of our craziness. Or maybe just my craziness 🙂
>>Bonnie! Thank you for your kind words. I am glad that you liked the episode. I agree with you that I think a lot of people were kind of tentative about it. And YES about the other characters. I was talking with my sister about that yesterday, how we love it when they are portrayed as people and not ridiculousness.
>>Hey Kelly, you were at the live chat, right? That was so fun! “The ep was a good mixture of heart, funny, and story” Couldn’t have said it better myself! (even though I tried, in about 1000 words, haha)
>>Ashley: Thanks for your comments. I had totally forgotten about that scene where Booth doesn’t have breakfast with her. That was very tense for me! 🙂
>>Emily: Haha! After the ep, I sent a twitter message to HH telling him I was sorry I’d doubted. I am not convinced he hasn’t scrambled SOME in the past to ‘fix’ audience unhappiness, but I guess after this episode, I have a bit more trust that he’s one of the biggest shippers for B+B ever.
>>Jenna: I’m a little confused by your comment. I don’t think anyone is ever too old to be excited about love (which is what I meant by quoting Booth’s Everything Happens Eventually season two stuff, not the will they ever burn up the sheets stuff). I won’t comment on the other stuff, since other people already have, but as far as Chuck goes, I don’t watch it religiously. Did you mean GMMR in general loves Chuck? Clarify your comment when you get a chance, so we can discuss further.
>>Adam: I am sure there are a lot of girls who read that you like the idea of “happily ever after” vs. a one time hook up for B&B and will be happy to reinstate your Man Card (although, IMO, you didn’t lose it!) VERY interesting insight about love and Booth and women in general. I hope that whole thing is explored further on the show this season. Keep on “ranting and rambling” as far as I’m concerned!
>>Izzy! I LOVED how Booth busted down the door, too. Ooh lala! Yes!
>>Heya, GUM: Thanks for the review of my review, haha. And nice Sully dig! I agree with what you said about HH sending us a message. I’m willing to ‘keep on tryin’ to trust. Let’s just hope this season is good. Yay!
Not a regular viewer but I tuned in out of curiousity to see how the show would handle the corner they had painted themselves in from last season. While it was not Bobby Ewing stepping out of the shower bad it was still pretty clumsy.
They had the psychic tell them they end up together well then there is no point in delaying, just put them together. Plus there are no guarantees in life so waiting until you are sure is BS because even if you are, something outside their control could come up and take it all away.
One could easily counter-argue and say if one wants for the perfect moment it will never come.
A show like Bones would make me a shipper – ie relationship concerned only fanatic – because I am not a procedural fan. That is something I do now want to become so bye bye Bones.
Jenna, I’m the Chuck recapper. Seeleybaby and I are two different people, although after seeing a couple of your posts around here, I think you may just be under the impression that GMMR is all written by one person.
No one who writes for the site is claiming to be a professional TV critic. I love Maureen Ryan–I actually live in Chicago and get to read her in the real paper, which is fun. But this isn’t that kind of site–we’re fans who get together to discuss our shows. And yes, when Chuck comes back on, I probably will love it again. If I have a problem with elements of the story, I feel free to say so, but I don’t think that not delivering on hype taints all good elements of a show. If anything, I think it’s important to realize that what’s hyped isn’t always what a show intends for you to take from it.
I think that you’re entitled to your opinion, just as all of us who write for GMMR are. But when you go beyond expressing your opinions about a show and start attacking the person writing the recap, that is both rude and inappropriate.
Thanks for the recap!! I’m glad you’re back. I really liked this episode. I really liked Booth being in love and knowing it. You can always tell that he cares more than he admits but in this one he was out there with it. I don’t think that I could add anything that isn’t already there. I”m going to watch this one again. I’m glad everything is going again. 🙂 YAY!!!
Yay!!! Bones is back and I couldn’t be happier!! This was a FANTASTIC opener!!!! I agree, it was the best of all time 🙂
So I have seen the episode at least 4 times since it aired and I am liking Avalon more now than I originally did. I wasn’t really all about her the first time I watched it but she grew on me!
As for your quick question, Booth’s beard = YES!!! Why did it have to go away so soon?? That was a crying shame, for sure!
I love Hodgins and I am digging his enthusiasm in this episode 🙂 Also, I enjoyed Ange, especially her interaction with Booth outside of the diner. Too bad Bones didn’t go in for a kiss as well! Good thing that everything happens eventually, right??
Cam was great- especially in the bar scene with Booth. I love that she just gives it to him and doesn’t hold back- he needs that! I would have much preferred that the Brennan/love issue had been handled by Cam alone (stay out of it Sweets!) because she was awesome!!
Sweets, Sweets, Sweets, Sweets, Sweets- what are we going to do with you?? I know that he isn’t trying to ruin my life, but sometimes I can’t help but wonder! And I do agree that his rationale is that he trying to help Booth protect Bones because he worries that Booth isn’t fully capable of doing that, but still- UGH!
Booth and Brennan’s reunion was great, although yes I am still annoyed (and somewhat in disbelief) that she would go away for 6 weeks and not talk to Booth even once! Anyway, I loved that Brennan’s immediate response was to wrap Booth in a giant bear hug, when she had just denied a hug to Cam and shown discomfort at being hugged by Hodgins. When Booth said “I got you baby,” cradled her to his chest, and kissed Brennan’s head I just about melted. I rewatched that part at least 6 times, at first to confirm that he said “baby” and then just because it was lovely! And then when he was just sitting in his chair; the way he said “It’s Bones’ blood” to Caroline (Welcome back Cherie!!) was just so intimate and touching.
It annoyed me that Bones didn’t have a bandage on her arm (come on people- get with it!!!); I was loving the return of Caroline and her car (specifically Booth squished in the backseat!); and I am okay with the case not ending the way they hoped (it happens).
Ahhhhh- this is going to be a great season and I am stoked!!
First of all, I just want to point out that I absolutely love your recaps. They remind me why I watch Bones and give us all a chance to talk about it.
But I have a thought, that requires some discussion. I noticed the missing bandage from Brennan’s arm after the stabbing and I raised an eyebrow. However, I also noticed the flashes of white light, much like those shown in the season 4 finale. And it got me thinking, HH is a very smart man, surely he wouldn’t forget something as big as a bandage after a scalpel attack. So I’m posing the question, what if we’re not seeing things completely in order? We all remember the changing clock in ‘The End in the Beginning’. Could this be something else?