So, a couple of months ago I was channel surfing (which I almost never do) and found an episode of the TV show Bones. It was just coming on and, as I had exactly one hour until Castle started, I decided to give it a whirl. The episode was from the first season and, at the end of that hour, I was hooked! Then I discovered that the show was in its sixth season! WOW...just think of all those episodes I could watch! A couple of days ago, I finally caught up. Yep...I have watched five and a half seasons of the show in rapid succession! It was great and now I am a bit sad that I am out of episodes until 2011. (I will also now have to watch them with commercials and wait a week between episodes! What ever will I do?!)
Never seen the show? Well, sit back and let me tell you about it. SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW!! It follows the partnership of forensic anthropologist extraordinaire Temperance Brennan (nicknamed Bones by Booth) and Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. They work together to solve murders. Both have some serious baggage in their background and that baggage rears its ugly head from time to time. Along with our super duo is a fabulous cast of characters that work with Bones and Booth. We have Angela who is an artist and helps with everything from facial reconstruction to recovery of data from CDs/DVDs/SD cards/etc. She is a free spirit who happens to be Bones' best friend even though they are an unlikely pair. Oh...her dad is also a member of ZZ Top! Next up we have Dr. Jack Hodgins. He is the "bug and slime" guy. He can track down almost anything from the dirt and other gunk near a body. It is worth mentioning that Hodgins is very, very wealthy and hates it when people find that fact out. We also have Dr. Camille Saroyan. She is the "boss" but is really more like one of the team. She joined the show in the second season. Her job is to deal with bodies that still have flesh. Dr. Lance Sweets is a young psychologist that came along in the second or third season to decide if Bones and Booth should continue their partnership. He has stayed for the fun and to study the interaction of Bones and Booth for a book. Then there is Dr. Zack Addy. Dr. Addy is no longer on the show but was a great assistant to Bones in the first couple of seasons. After the exit of Dr. Addy, a rotating group of interns took his place. They add more spice with their very different personalities. All of the "science" folks work at a fictional museum (think Smithsonian) called the Jeffersonian. They have a really cool lab and seem to be extremely well funded.
OK...I know what you are thinking. This is just CSI, Criminal Minds, NCIS, etc. in a little different setting. You are partially correct. They do solve crimes and they are a team. That is where it ends. This show layers the characters so nicely that you really believe the people to be real and working away at the Jeffersonian! I also like to imagine Special Agent Seely Booth is real but that is for an entirely different reason! (Oh...did I mention that Booth use to be a vampire named Angel? Well, he was in a past life.)
As so many of these shows go, there is sexual tension between our two lead characters. However, Bones is extremely literal and logical and doesn't believe in love or matters of the heart. Booth, on the other hand, is more of a "go with his gut and heart" kinda guy. He is very much a knight in shining armor type guy who has saved Bones on more than one occasion. (Don't you just love that? OK...I was talking to the women out there.) Their tension grows and they do have to face it on certain occasions with, usually, terrible results. BUT...it is great to watch those moments when they almost make the connection!
I have favorite episodes but, I have to say, that I really like most of them. The reason for that is all about the characters and that goes well beyond Bones and Booth. The relationships formed by the cast gives the Jeffersonian lab a family feel and I love watching that family grow and face life.
My thought was to post in some YouTube links of the show. Frankly, I can't decide what to post in that wraps up my thoughts on the show. So, I would suggest you pick up Season One if you aren't a fan and start watching! Warning...it can be addictive!
With a husband out of work, two wild boys, difficulties with my grandparents (and the other side of the family who have decided to be absolute losers) and the recent surgery at Vanderbilt for Richard, I really needed something. Thanks to the cast and crew of Bones for letting me step into the lab at the Jeffersonian for a few hours. You may well have saved my sanity. OK...what I had left! SPOILER - NOW...let's have Hannah get killed early in 2011 so Bones can have Booth!
