I just feel like…this is going somewhere…
BONES: Season Five
The Parts in the Sum of the Whole
…and that’s why we’re watching, right? Because at one point, whether it was season one: episode one or not…we felt like this was going somewhere. Not just B&B love, but the whole show. So I think that’s why some of us weren’t happy with the 100th ep. I say ‘us’ because while I was happy with this episode, BONES fans are BONES fans, and we’re kind of in this together…going somewhere.
The episode strays from the formula, so I’m just going to do a running diary of the whole thing. I don’t want to miss a MINUTE!
The episode begins with B&B riding up an escalator (from the parking garage or something?), Sweets-manuscripts in hand. Booth tells us they are going to have to break it to Sweets gently.
Brennan does not really agree, because after all Sweets should be grateful for the truth. Interesting set up to the episode…a reminder that Brennan wants the truth.
Booth tells her that people can be grateful, but the first reaction is usually panic. Brennan says that if there was an error in one of her books; she’d want to know and Booth counters that Sweets might not see it that way, and then Booth wants to know what she considers to be the flaw in Sweets’ book. Brennan states that Sweets is wrong in that the Cleo Eller case was the first time they worked together. Booth is kind of weird in that moment and is like “Oh yeah, we worked that other case before that.”
Brennan gets this look on her face (which I now only recognize in hindsight) of horror that he doesn’t seem to remember every detail. She has that look on her face sometimes when he doesn’t get a particularly squinty issue, but now we know that in this instance, it’s WAY more personal.
She wants to know what Booth thinks they need to talk to Sweets about, and Booth tells her the whole “we’re in love thing”. Brennan shrugs. She doesn’t care about that. Booth is…slightly confused, I think.
But what cracks me up is that in the next scene, obviously one of them told Sweets he made a mistake, which he does not buy, and so Booth gives him a hint… “It’s not what you think.” Cocky! So funny to me that Booth is all confident about that when he had no idea like 10 minutes before. Yes! I loved that little look into B&B pre-Sweets session. I can totally see that happening, where they make a plan for how they will deal with what Sweets might have up his sleeve. But anyways…Booth (in his gray suit! Woot!) is cocky.
Sweets takes the bait, and confidently asserts that B&B disagree with the idea of them being in love and that the sublimation of that fact lends itself to basically…the chemistry B&B have as working partners.
Booth is like, “I just told you it’s not what you think, and you immediately say what you think…”
Brennan intercedes and then concedes that Sweets is making an interpretation about their love life, and that she and Booth recognize his right to interpret. How generous of her!
Sweets is still like, whatever.
But Brennan follows up with, “That is your right as a psychologist to get everything wrong.” Haha!
Sweets=not amused.
Brennan tells him that she circled some typos (awesome), but that other than that, AND the fact that the Cleo Eller murder was not their first case, Sweets is ready to publish. She says this as she and Booth are standing to leave. Ah, way to break it to him gently, guys!
But then again…this is not news to us. We all knew they’d worked together in the past. Booth tells the Homeland Security officer at the airport, “Bones here identifies bodies for us.” I mean, I guess it’s possible they hadn’t WORKED together, but I don’t think any of us thought that. When she says, “DON’T call me Bones,” well, immediately there is some history there.
Sweets should have done some research. In all of the times he observed them, he never once just asked them to confirm that was their first case? I understand that for the sake of this episode, that is how the writers wanted to play it out, but…Sweets isn’t a victim here or anything like that. That’s what I’m saying. Anyways, he then asks B&B to tell him about their real first case to see if his conclusions are still valid.
And they do…
Booth makes me laugh that he tells Sweets he was at a gamblers anonymous meeting. Riiiiiight.
Oh gosh…well, you know how I love Booth’s season one hair, so already, at 2:19 into this episode, I was in love! Yes!
Present Day Brennan (PDBren) voiceovers that Booth had a gambling problem before he met her. Once again…another instance in this episode where Brennan wants to make sure the truth is spoken.
Present Day Booth (PDBooth) is cocky again and says that since he mostly won, it wasn’t really a problem. Here is a little funny sidenote. David Boreanaz is kind of cocky, I think, although I don’t know him personally or anything like that, but still…there is a vibe. Anyways, I realized that he doesn’t like admitting any weaknesses in Booth even. Whenever anyone would ask him a question, he always was very quick to defend Booth. I liked that about him, and it just made me laugh. So this whole episode, where Booth is pretty cocky…it made me think of that and it made me smile.
Like this…
Mmmmmm….long hair, brown eyes, cocky smile, white shirt open at the collar, St. Christopher’s Medal, baby!
But PDBren is once again telling Sweets and us that Booth’s issue was preventing him from fully concentrating on work.
I also don’t know what it is, but there was something very ‘Philly’ about the Booth in this episode. No complaints from me! Also, I love how comforting Original Booth (OB) is toward Gemma’s mother in the beginning of this episode. He hugs her, which I think is very, very sweet. Gemma’s body was being released to her for burial, signaling that the police had given up hope of a solved case.
PDBooth tells Sweets that it was a split jurisdiction case; she was last seen in DC, but her body was found in a NY landfill and that the NY coroner was in town, and Booth decided to meet with her.
Enter…
YES! AH! I thought that was so creative, getting Cam into the episode as part of BOOTH’s past and have it be work related. My general feel was that they weren’t doing the Friends with Benefits thing at this point, but there smiles indicate that at any time, it could happen. I like their friendship, so this just felt so cool of the writers to do it this way. Interesting that Cam tells Booth that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome. Booth isn’t buying it, so Cam suggests he seek out a different point of view.
Booth scoffs, “Partner up.” As if!
Cam tells him there is a forensic anthropologist from the Jeffersonian, and she heard she (Brennan) helped solve a stone age murder. Booth is not convinced.
He tells her,
“Forensics don’t solve crimes; cops do.”
Awesome.
Even more awesome is that Cam calls him on it, telling him he’ll basically get the same results. AND she says that he looks like he’s been up all night. Booth says he’s fine and Cam says, “Which means you won.”
Booth appears troubled and when Cam walks away, he jogs after her and stops the elevator.
“What’s that scientist’s name?”
And PDBrennan (and Cam) say. “Temperance Brennan”.
First of all, at that moment, the creative way that Brennan’s voice was the voice over, and with Cam’s smile (which…I love that smile re: Booth. I am happy Booth has Cam in his life as a friend, and you know what, if Booth were my friend…just saying.). Anyways…at that moment, I turned to my sister who was watching with me (on our dad’s laptop, sitting on our parents’ bed eating chocolate bars from a ziplock bag after being at our Gram’s calling hours. It was awesome). ANYWAYS…I turned to her and said. “This is good.”
She was like “Yeah” but she didn’t understand fully that I NEEDED this episode to be good. Haha.
So yes…I was feeling good. And then, PDBrennan got one of her cute little confident smirks that I adore, and was like, “Which is me.”
I don’t know what she was so proud about, but I loved that! (Fashion side note. I don’t like her dress.)
But I LOVED Original Brennan’s clothes. I thought she first of all looked so pretty.
And I just loved how she looked very pre-pilot episode Brennan. Eco-warrior Super-Anthropologist. I kind of miss that Brennan sometimes. Not that I don’t think she looks nice now, I just would prefer to see a more sciency & butt kicking Brennan (vs. a ‘follows Booth around’ Brennan. Ouch! Not that she does just that, but there is a sort of loss of her original character, I think).
I so loved that we got to see the very first moment Booth ever laid eyes on Brennan. I mean, I think as fans, we want to know that he thinks she is beautiful, and there have been moments in the past where he thinks she is pretty and he told Max that she was beautiful, but I always had this impression that he kind of thought she was pretty, but her beauty is knowing the TRUTH about her and because he loves her and really respects her, then she is beautiful to him. Either way is fine, but I just love that at first, he’s hooked.
And I liked that he asked a question in her lecture about the fact that removing skin and muscle tissue would give away the evidence, and I like that Brennan says no, it reveals evidence.
Ah, deep breath in. Yes!
Those students in the class do not even KNOW what they just saw.
But I was like… ACK! And, also…Oh my gosh, David Boreanaz’ directing. These sweeping shots he does sometimes are just amazing. I remember the same was true with Bones that Foam, from the beginning bungee jumping to the end scene with the traffic jam. Awesome…
THEN…all those pesky clueless students leave the room, and Booth asks her if getting down to the bone ruins it, and Brennan disagrees. Booth realizes that that’s her thing. Brennan says yes, and she’s the best in the world.
Booth smiles, and then it shoots to PDBrennan and PDBooth who share a quick laugh at their own past expense.
At this point in the episode, I was kind of hating the present day stuff. I don’t normally like flashback in TV shows (and THANK GOODNESS this was not a clip show…you know, the idea that B&B tell Sweets about their first case and it just flashes back to scenes we already have), and so I was like, “Okay, get on with it.” Not hating it, but just not really liking it as much as the past stuff. It’s probably because of Booth’s hair, although to be fair…I liked Brennan’s past hair too.
She looked SO pretty. No wonder Booth was feeling like he got hit by fate!
I like that he asks her if she believes in it. It’s kind of a cheesy line, which is funny and very classic, I guess, but what is even more awesome is that Brennan rejects it as ludicrous. She is so true to herself. And I think Booth was even more stunned. YES! Hooked.
PDBrennan and PDBooth both confess they feel the same way about fate, and then we have the opening creds. And that this point, I’m over 2,000 words already. Yes.
Then the show begins again with this great news:
Yes! I LOVED the lab work in this episode. Oh, when Hodgins came on screen, faux fro and all, I laughed. That he and Zack were antagonistic to one another at first totally made my day. Hodgins dissing Zack for not having any doctorates was great and made me think of Dr. Goodman! I also loved Hodgins’ wrist rubber band for rage and Zack’s mention of Naomi from paleontology.
Meanwhile, isn’t it still just like a breath of fresh air to see old school bren?
I love those earrings!!!
I love that the next scene is Brennan visiting Angela and dissing HER street sidewalk art. I loved Angela’s disgust at the skeleton.
That felt so right. But Angela is still not convinced that drawing faces of dead people is what she wants to do. Brennan encourages her in her own way and also says Angela will be paid. Angela is happy about one of those things.
And then…
Thoughts from you? On first watch, I was surprised, especially when Cam mentions that she and Brennan have ALREADY met before. Brennan offers no recognition (only a lesson in the social mores of elevator entering and exiting). I guess Brennan is not interested in remembering people, as she also will not remember Cam in the season two premiere, much to Booth’s dismay. Haha.
I loved Booth sitting in the bullpen and him propping his feet against his desk. Brennan comes to tell him all about the victim (he’d previously denied giving her any information in order to test her skills!)
Brennan brings the FACTs and Booth is muy impressed.
In the interesting column is Booth telling Brennan she shouldn’t (basically) compromise the remains. He tells her she is holding forensic evidence and needs to be wearing the white gloves. Hahaha!
Booth then shows Brennan a video of Gemma Arrington playing the piano and singing and apologizes for not telling her about the identity. Brennan says that while her time and expertise are extremely valuable, she understands his need to test her ability. And obviously, she adds, she passed with a lot of color.
When Booth doesn’t understand, Brennan very kindly explains that that means she did very well.
Booth begins to see exactly what he’s dealing with.
He tells her that she means she passed with flying colors.
And Brennan says, “I know.”
Haha!
Now he’s REALLY seeing what he’s dealing with.
This all leads to one of my favorite parts of this episode, and I think one of my new all time favorite Brennan moments. She asserts that Booth’s test means that he probably has something more in mind, and he tells her he wants to catch the bastard who killed Gemma.
And Brennan replies with, “How do you know he was a bastard? How do you even know it was a man?”
Hahahaha! Her literal use of the word bastard to Booth’s colloquialism just was so perfect. I died laughing at that part.
Booth goes on to show her a photo of Judge Hasty. He assumes she knows who he is, but Brennan says she doesn’t follow current events passed the Industrial Revolution. ???!!!? Hahahaha.
Booth decides to let that one go and basically tells her that his gut is saying that the judge killed Gemma. Booth wants Brennan to help him. Brennan says she won’t. Booth wants to know why not, and Brennan tells him she’ll help him find the truth, and if the TRUTH is that Judge Hasty killed her, then she will help Booth catch him. First the truth, then the catching (that’s a third reference to Brennan’s desire for the truth).
Booth laughs and scoots closer, adding the charm smile. He just needs enough crap to prove his point to a jury. Brennan infers that “It seems to me that someone like you could benefit hugely from an association with someone like me.”
And Booth gets a taste of his own cocky medicine.
He laughs and then realizes that Brennan is serious. He tells her he was just joking, you know…having some fun.
Brennan realizes what he means and processes it and then says, “It is fun.”
PDBrennan and PDBooth are back in Sweets’ office, where he asks them to confirm if this all happened a year before the Cleo Eller case. Booth says almost to the day, and Brennan says it’s 13 months minus a week. Ah! But who’s counting right? Well, apparently she is!
Sweets is surprised that they didn’t fight, especially when Booth called evidence crap and Brennan called Booth stupid. Brennan tells Sweets that she and Booth were feeling each other up, like a honeymoon period.
“Out.” Booth corrects, “We were feeling each other out.”
Brennan is nonplussed by the correction and asks Sweets if he wants to hear the rest of the story. And Sweets at this point, as BONES pal Lauren pointed out, now looks as if he just found out Santa is not real.
But too bad for him because there is more past awesomeness to discover.
Brennan is approached by Hodgins who found a sliver/splinter of maple wood on Gemma’s clothing. Hodgins and Zack bicker (come on, what other word IS there for it????) and Brennan encourages them to work together on an experiment. Yes. Yes, Yes, YES! I so loved that Brennan is the one to recommend scientific inquiry. Hodgins doesn’t think it’s a good idea, and Zack gives us the Zack noise. YESSS!
Oh, hey, fun fact that I didn’t know about until I watched David Boreanaz on Jay Leno, but…
That’s DB’s dad. He was in town, so they put him in as an extra. Good times.
Booth and Brennan turn the corner and Booth is telling her that he has pulled in Gemma’s baseball playing (and therefore perhaps maple baseball bat wielding) boyfriend, but he knows he didn’t commit the murder. Brennan wants to know how he knows that, and Booth tells her it’s because it was Hasty.
Brennan tells him that feeling doesn’t count.
“Feeling isn’t knowing. When you know something, you can argue fact, not merely make insupportable claims in a passionate tone.”
Booth counters, “You said that in a passionate tone. Without facts. You see, when it comes down to it, it’s all about what you feel.”
Brennan is slightly disgusted but moves on, wondering why he’s interrogating the boyfriend if he’s already convinced. Booth says, “Ah, because I want to convince you.”
And he kind of steps closer to her, and is very charming.
Brennan reacts to his charm and says he is being kind and she asks if she can come in and watch him broil the suspect. Booth says he COULD broil him, but he thinks she means grill.
The ‘interrogation’ scene is nice, as it shows Brennan getting a feel for how Booth works, and the character of Gemma’s boyfriend is well played.
And then…
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Yes! I loved that entire scene, when Brennan hit Zack with the bat and then she and Hodgins determined that the bat is not the weapon. I also loved Zack in that suit. I really loved this episode. At this point, I probably turned to my sister again and was like, “This is good.” Aren’t we all so glad it was good? I was nervous.
Zack then shows Brennan that parts of the inner ear are missing from Gemma’s remains. The Brennan/Zack interactions in this episode are bittersweet and reminded me of the very end scene of Pain in the Heart when Brennan feels she didn’t give Zack anything and Booth reminds her that she gave him something pretty great. But in this episode, the teacher/student relationship is very special and sweet.
Booth then begins to outline the basics of the case and takes Brennan to a hotel ballroom (once again, gorgeous directing by David Boreanaz…that sweeping down shot to them standing in the lobby was great!). He tells her that Gemma was singing for a group of hoity toits. Brennan says she doesn’t know what that means, and Booth reveals his distaste for influential people by explaining they are movers and shakers, etc.
Brennan is slightly amused by his judgments.
There was a reception at the hotel at 9 PM, and Gemma was seen before it, but after… poof. And a year later, her remains were found in a NYC landfill. Booth then asks what they are looking for, and Brennan explains they are looking for whatever caused the blows to Gemma that probably happened right before her death and that they are looking for something maple.
Booth then confesses that, “I gotta tell you, I really am enjoying working with you, Bones.” So Sweet! Also, if you kind of look closely as they are walking down the steps, we see Booth is wearing plain black socks. Deliberate? Oh, I am sure.
Brennan corrects him, “Bones is not my name.”
Booth is sweet and kind of eager. “It’s just a nickname.” Sweet and eager=flirty, actually.
Brennan ‘gets’ it, haha. But then says, “I could call you shoes.”
Haha…I loved that part. I thought that was one of the greatest things.
Booth is like “Shoes, why shoes?”
And Brennan tells him it’s because they are so very shiny. Hahaha, and then…my absolute favorite part. Seriously, after I watched the ep, I thought this information was the juiciest spoiler in the land! No one really scooped it, so I thought maybe I was wrong. Maybe I am wrong, but to me, Booth becoming a ‘freespirit rogue rebel’ because of Brennan…Love. Love, Love, Love, Love.
I loved that he told her the shoes were part of the uniform and that the FBI has a way of doing things. I loved Brennan telling him that anthropologically, para-militaristic organizations tend to constrain individuality.
Booth agrees, and Brennan adds that in any group, no matter how restrictive, the free thinkers, the mavericks, the rebels with leadership quality find ways to declare their distinctiveness.
Booth is a free thinking rogue rebel!!!! Woot! Bring it on staid ties and socks and belt buckles. Seeley J. Booth is on the move!
In the next scene, Brennan asks him if he’s seeing anyone. Booth thinks that is kind of abrupt, but admits that he is, casually. He asks her if she is, and she says there is a physicist asking her out, and she is thinking about saying yes (the physicist who couldn’t tie his shoes? Yes!)
Booth admits that he’d ask her out if he could. Brennan wonders why he can’t. Booth tells her that the FBI discourages fraternization with other agents or consultants. Brennan says, “That’s too bad.”
Booth is glad she thinks so. That moment is sweet but somewhat forgotten as B&B discover a set of maple stairs. They hypothesize using Booth’s guess and Brennan’s math that Gemma was trying to escape and fell down the stairs. This leads them to the exit that leads to an alley. A better hypothesis forms, that the killer dragged Gemma’s body to the car and drove away.
I love the body language between them in this whole episode, but particularly this part.
And they are both looking very beautiful.
Enter Caroline Julian (in Booth’s office!!!! Haha, I loved that). What I was not totally sure about was Brennan somewhat meeting Caroline, but as far as consistencies go, I thought this episode was pretty good as far as matching up with the other 99, so I’ll just not worry about it. Angela’s notepad pre-Angelator was funny.
What I do love is Angela and Booth standing at Caroline’s desk while Brennan sits behind. I can totally see Booth telling her, “Just don’t say anything unless she speaks to you,” as Brennan tells Booth what to tell Caroline, but once Ms. Julian acknowledges her presence, Brennan reaches out to meet her immediately. Booth tells her not to bother, haha.
I so love when Ms. Julian is talking about Hasty and Brennan adds her own clarification, “a hoity toit.” And Booth groans. Hahahahaha! Yes. I love how Caroline calls Booth out and tells him she’s not committing career suicide because he’s cute and he wants a window. Yes!
Booth rushes Angela and Brennan out of there, and Angela whispers to Brennan that Booth IS very cute. Brennan admits that she does respond to the breadth of his shoulders and strong jawline. Yes, Brennan. So do we.
Brennan and Booth then go to question Judge Hasty, inviting him to the hotel for discussion. He’s not interested in their theories and tells Booth he’s looking like an idiot. Brennan disagrees, and Hasty gets into her face.
Bad move, pal.
Brennan punches him in the face and then wonders if that was bad. Booth confesses that he’s been wanting to do that for years and that Brennan is so hot.
He likes that she’s a free spirit rogue rebel, haha.
In the next scene, Caroline Julian rocks our world again as she tells Booth that he needs to cut all ties with Brennan and hope that the judge sues her and not the FBI. Booth says he can’t do that. Caroline is sympathetic. She has let a pretty face lead her down the path of unrighteousness, Booth’s face for example, haha
Booth says it’s not like that (a precursor to “We’re just partners), and Caroline is like, “Yeah right” (a precursor to, “I want you to kiss Seeley Booth…on the lips…)haha. She then tells Booth he has to fire Brennan and advises him to get her drunk first.
The next scene features Brennan and Zack going over some facts. Brennan worries that perhaps by boiling the flesh, they destroyed some particulates Hodgins may have been able to use. Zack is not pleased, but Brennan tells him they are not used to such fresh kills (AH hahahahahaha), and they must adapt. She’s awesome. Angela pops in and wants to help.
She tells them that she thinks maybe Gemma’s head was hit with a door with a bolt or something. Brennan wonders if perhaps it was a car trunk door, and asks Zack for the force that would create. Angela is shocked (but we are not) when Zack does the math in his head.
In the next scene, Booth is attempting to get Brennan drunk, while meanwhile, she continues to talk about the case. Haha.
Booth tells her to stop talking about the case for just one minute and…
He is declaring his individuality; he is going rogue.
I love that Booth then moves to the barstool closest to hers and compliments her on holding her liquor very well. I am sure he is bummed that she’s not quite drunk enough to be fired yet, but I think eventually, he’ll like that she can take him drink for drink.
She admits that this is nothing compared to the Bang she drank in her anthro research and they toast to bang.
I think I gasped out loud at the way he was openly staring at her like this.
Him telling her she was fired made me laugh, but I so loved how Brennan was hurt immediately. She has probably never been fired from anything, just like she never got a B (and never will!).
She wants to know if it’s because she drank Bang…THAT was for research. Booth laughs and tells her it’s because she punched a federal judge, twice. Brennan counters that he thought it was hot. And he agrees.
I love the way they drink another shot, and by this time, Booth is leaning very close to her. Check out that white dress shirt, too. Yes!
But I really love Brennan’s little finger roll to get him to come even closer
Then she moves closer to him and just has to break his heart with those blue eyes right?
She rationalizes that if they don’t work together any more, they could have sex. Booth says he’ll call a cab.
Wasn’t there something electric about even the very BEGINNING of this scene? I mean, how many of us have dreamed of B&B in the rain, right? Maybe just me…who knows, but I thought from start to finish, this entire scene was just plain gorgeous. Cheers again, David Boreanaz. But aesthetics aside…there is also some amazing fantabulisticulousness!
Booth tells her he has something to confess, and Brennan asks if it’s that he’s a direct descendant of John Wilkes Booth? If so, she already knew that. (haha, remember my lamewad non-spoiler in my proof in the pudding post about how I liked that something from that was brought up? This was it).
Booth wants to know how she knew that, and she says ‘from your bone structure’. Of course! Haha. I love the moment right after that, when Booth kind of asks her to keep it under her hat. He is kind of laughing nervously, and Brennan is also laughing. Very sweet.
But then Booth gets serious, and he confesses that he has a gambling problem but that he’s dealing with it.
I love the initial look on Brennan’s face.
She has compassion for him! And she respects him. She finds his vulnerabilities irresistible. This is the same Brennan from the basement of the Jeffersonian in Night at the Bones Museum.
Her tone of voice is the exact same, her facial expression is the exact same. Gosh, Emily Deschanel is amazing. We have talked before that Brennan is fascinated by Booth’s vulnerabilities, and that she craves him as something to be known, basically. Now, 99 eps into this, we all kind of thought that he was pretty secretive, and to be fair to her, he was, pretty much. But the idea that she had a TASTE of his inner conflict and then spends the next 6 or so years trying to pursue those is just something I totally buy into for her character.
Plus, I don’t think anyone has ever looked at her in her LIFE like Booth was looking at her in that moment. Brennan thrives on honesty and the truth, and he was nothing if not completely stripped bare for her to see.
I mean, we are all like on the edge of our seats for any moments like that with Booth, so I can totally see how she is just drawn right into his whole…deal.
Not that he’s not completely drawn to her as well…
By this point, I think I was just about not breathing…
I love that Booth feels like it’s ‘going somewhere’, and when Brennan asks him what makes him think that, he doesn’t really answer, but just says he thinks he might kiss her. But I kind of think that Brennan is the one who kissed him. I mean, it’s mostly mutual, but…she kind of leans in more. Thoughts? That Booth is kind of shy in this moment feels very honest to me. He is very charming, we know that, but it’s almost like with her…the charm isn’t needed. I can see him using his charm when he needed to with women in the past, but with her…it’s just pure honesty.
The idea that they got along at first and were totally crushing on one another never crossed my mind as a possibility for a plot point for this episode, but I totally, totally buy it.
This is the kind of kiss (not to get ahead of ourselves) but that 30, 40, 50 years are made of, right?
Her closed eyes, his little boost of confidence…I loved it.
That B&B have been working together this whole time after having that little tiny taste of one another just blows me away. It kind of puts a different slant on it. But…as you know, we’re only about 30 minutes into this thing (and over 5,000 words). Let’s keep going!
We move back to present day, and Sweets is even more stunned. What makes me laugh is Brennan’s confession that there was tongue contact. I don’t know if that is a call back to Santa on the Slush (when Sweets asked, “was there tongue?”). Maybe Brennan thinks that is what he wants to know, haha.
Sweets feels like his book is crap. Brennan and Booth encourage him that that is why they are there, to make sure he doesn’t look foolish for publishing it.
Sweets then asked them how long the affair lasted, and I admit that when B&B kind of gave themselves teeny little smiles, I had a small to mid-heart attack. You see, I was feeling nervous that Brennan had lied to us in Soccer Mom in a MiniVan when she tells Sam that she is good in bed, but Booth has no direct knowledge of that fact. If B&B had slept together in the past, I would have been really mad. Really mad. And hurt. And even if it was jokingly, like they had tequilasex and didn’t remember in the morning, I was still going to be mad. I mean, we’ve invested a long time into these characters, and not JUST for the UST, but still… I feel we were already kind of cheated in EitB (but I won’t go into that), so the idea that there would be TWO sex occurrences between them made me nervous. Very nervous. So I was glad to see that answered.
But first
Ah, seriously…so amazing.
I love her ponytail. I love Brennan’s whole thing here. She’s so pretty but not like blatantly trying to sex him up. I love Booth’s whole deal, of course.
I love that when she pushes him away and kind of laughs and runs toward the cab, he doesn’t quite open his eyes and just says, “Wow.”
Brennan’s “We are not spending the night together” made me give a nice cheer, and Booth’s “Of course we aren’t. Why?”made me laugh. I love how he agreed with her immediately, and then wanted to know why.
Brennan’s answer, “tequila” proves that our girl is smart! Yay!
I LOVE Booth running after the cab and being very eager and sweet. He’s not about to let her get away. I don’t think he’s ever experienced anything like her before.
“So you’re afraid that when I look at you in the morning, I’ll have regrets?”
I loved Brennan’s answer
“That would never happen” proves that Brennan is so Brennan! I love her confident laugh and the way the cab pulls away, and I love the way she turns back and waves at him. I don’t think she has experienced anything like him before either. Question…what happened between the time she tells him they could have sex to this moment to make her change her mind? Did she go from biological urges to something else in that span of a rainy kiss? Is it the kiss? Is it his confession? Is it the idea that he’s being really honest with her, and she somehow, despite her lack of intuition normally, gets that it really IS going somewhere? What do you think?
Either way, Booth is stunned, hooked, etc, etc. And so was I. I loved voiceover Brennan saying that she went home and went to bed, and Booth…
“So did I”
To me, I think we see that Booth was sort of fooling himself at the beginning of this episode and thought his gambling ‘issue’ was not that big of a deal. But the idea of Brennan, of being the right man for her, or…I don’t know what, being worthy of her…it just cuts him to the quick. Booth IS a good man; I believe that. I’m not saying that it’s all because of Brennan. But I do love the thought that he’s more serious about getting his life together because of her. Thoughts from you? David Boreanaz was asked what scene he really liked from a directing standpoint in this episode, and he said that scene, the very end, where he’s kind of walking away in the rain, etc…he really liked how that turned out how he wanted. I just think it’s so special that he has his hands on this episode.
Haha, the next scene, the next morning at the lab…
Brennan is kind of like a diva, which makes me laugh! What also makes me smile is that it is sort of (unless I am reading too much into it, and hello…that’s never stopped me before) a toss back to the end of Intern in the Incinerator where Brennan asks Booth if she is going to have a headache in the morning, and Booth kind of grins. Ah, he’s already given her a headache the next morning! Cool. This sort of flash-back which we can then reconcile with events we already know is the stuff I love. The flash forward of EitB which we are supposed to somehow feel our way through is the speculation that gives me ulcers. Just in case you were wondering why I’m such a hypocrite, haha.
But anyways, I love that her little squint squad is following her around at this point. The team is formed!
It’s like a parade of Brennan baby ducks. They are so hooked, and there’s nothing she can do about it now. What are your thoughts about Hodgins kind of sidling up to Angela and asking if he’s mentioned how excited he is about working with her? It’s kind of a cute nod to the future. On the other hand, I think we really sort of saw our own beginning of the two of them in season one and two, so…I’m torn on that.
I love Zack and Angela going on about the work they did and Brennan confessing, “We got fired.” First of all, it’s funny that now it’s a “WE”, when I’m pretty sure none of them punched anyone in the face (although Hodgins probably would have if he could have, haha).
They are all shocked. Angela thinks it’s because she slept with Booth. Brennan denies that. Why would Angela say that?
“Tequila vapors” Hodgins shrugs.
But Brennan has heard enough. She tells Zack to take the findings to Booth and hires Angela on to work for her with ancient remains and tells them all they should get on with their normal jobs.
Hodgins tells Angela, “You ever feel like you saw something great that almost happened and then it didn’t.” Hmmm…
But enough speculation on what great things will or will not happen, as Booth is back and cuter than ever!
Um, I just want to thank TPTB for giving us a Booth/Zack scene. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Zack telling Booth it was immensely stupid of him to fire them is just money.
Booth rises up.
Did a squint just call him stupid? Ah. Zack doesn’t really back down as much as just walk away. I love that he and Cam pass each other in the doorway. Cam is horrified that Booth FIRED the Jeffersonian Institution. I love the scene with Caroline, Cam and Booth in Caroline’s office, especially when she asks if he fired the J-team already. Booth is like ‘of course’, and when she says, “well, hire them back,’ he’s like ‘okay’. In his mind, he’s like “crap”. I kind of like this look at ‘not the boss’ Booth. I don’t want that all the time, but here it was fun. What does make me smile is that in the future, Booth will call on Caroline to help Brennan in New Orleans.
I smiled when Booth comes into Brennan’s office and is like “You’re back, baby!” Good times.
But…here we go…
Bickering.
At this point, I know I turned to my sister and said, “Oh no, something bad is going to happen.” I had been so shocked that they had gotten along so well that I had forgotten that when we meet them again in the pilot, there is a lot of bad blood, and I instinctively knew that it had to be something more than just him firing her. Something bad was going to happen, and even though I know that eventually, they will learn to grow to respect and care for one another, I was on edge.
“What’s the matter? Get your coat, chop chop!” Haha, that made me laugh.
And so did Brennan’s annoyance at the FBI techs. I didn’t mind her cockiness about the best and the brightest being at the Jeffersonian. I think we should allow her a little pride restoration. I like that he asks her if something is wrong and she admits that it’s because he got her drunk to fire her and then have sex with her.
Booth disagrees. He got HIMSELF drunk and then very gracefully accepted her ‘takeback’ on having sex with him. I enjoyed that little edgy bickering.
And Booth tries to joke and says, “What’s going on, Bones?’
And she is like “Do not call me Bones.” Yes!
And…that is when everything changed. The innocence in their meeting has taken a hit.
“Okay, excuse me, but you really need to learn how to speak to human beings.”
“I speak six languages…two of which you’ve never even heard of.”
“You know what? You’re a cold fish.”
“You’re a superstitious moron.”
“Get a soul”
“Get a brain”
Um…what you heard at about 12:05 AM EST time on March 16th was the sound of my heart breaking. Oh, ouch. Ouch, ouch. I kind of thought the worst was over (silly me!). But I did smile when the FBI tech says “Agent Booth?” and they both answer, and then he is kind of like “I’M Agent Booth.”
The tech has a piece of inner ear, which presumably belongs to Gemma. But Brennan doesn’t like to presume. She demands that it be delivered to the Jeffersonian for testing and storms off. Booth is plenty mad, and somewhat on impulse arrests Judge Hasty (while meanwhile trying to search after Brennan).
This is sort of an indulgent moment, but I totally loved the shot of Booth handing Sweets a glass of water.
On the conference call with DB, I think I was the only one who complimented him on his directing, which seemed so crazy to me. I just loved his entire work on this episode. I mentioned that I liked this shot, and he laughed, in a really, really nice way. Indulgent moment over.
Sweets, I feel, then tries to compensate for his error. I think he kind of lashes out at them. “It’s like you missed your moment and then punished each other for it.” Um, wrong, dude. Then he’s like “You know who ends up paying the price? Me.” Well, sorry about your luck, Sweets…but you are only a victim of your own lack of research. Haha. Not that I don’t feel slightly sorry for him, but for him to put the blame on B&B and then try to justify his own thoughts… watch it!
B&B begin to describe how they got Hasty convicted, and how they both sort of solved the case.
I liked that scene.
But Sweets is not totally convinced, and asks them what happened between the two of them, and with this…
I was back to dread! Oh, but nothing…nothing could have prepared me for what happened.
Brennan slapping Booth in the face is…
I do not have words. I just do not know how to describe how much that hurt inside. I am crying again now, just re-watching and seeing the force of it, the hurt, the malice, the intent, the shock, all of it. Oh, Booth!
He is so stunned to say the least.
I was so stunned. Weren’t you stunned?
Brennan slapping him on the face and THEN calling him a bully…I mean…if she had taken out a knife, reached into his chest and literally pulled out his beating heart, I don’t know if she could have hurt him more. She goes on to say that he uses his badge and his gun to intimidate people.
Booth has heard enough and steps closer, accusing her of using her brain to make people feel stupid.
Brennan then calling him a stupid man and saying she hated him is like…unbelievable.
Booth retaliating by saying, “Oh, you hate me. What, are you 10 years old? I’m not your dad!” just completely took my breath away in shock.
Brennan’s declaration that she would never work with him again, followed by his “Who asked you” just left me open and bleeding. We have seen them over the years as they came to know one another’s issues and pasts and family lives, etc, etc, but for them to have…within the first week of knowing one another…just pinpointed right to the heart of each other’s…pain…I don’t even know what to say. Please tell me I’m not the only who just could not breathe. That Booth will struggle with the idea that he’s not smart enough for her for YEARS just so makes sense (along with the idea that she doesn’t want to work with him).
The opposite of love isn’t hate; the opposite of love is apathy. To that end, I guess this rage is fueled by love, but still…it broke my heart. Brennan storming out and Booth rubbing his red cheek just made me so sad. That this is within 24 hours of their rainy kiss just left me stunned.
I love Sweets’ reaction, though, because it was mine. “You struck him?”
Very interesting is Brennan’s reaction:
I think she gets the error in her ways. Even more interesting is that Booth immediately defends and excuses her. “Oh, I shouldn’t have grabbed her.” Oh, Booth. She shouldn’t have slapped you. No one should ever have slapped you. Ever.
I would have liked to have seen Brennan apologize, but I’m not complaining. Sweets however, tells them they are totally messed up. Boo! He is/was convinced that if they had kissed, the dam would break. So he wants to know if the dam broke.
Brennan doesn’t get it, and Booth explains that Sweets thinks they still slept together.
Now…incredibly interesting response from Brennan.
“We’re not in love with each other.”
SO not the same thing as sleeping together, as she would normally attest. But I think that we all know, including her, that now (and maybe then), Booth and Brennan sleeping together would account for love.
I was so intrigued by Booth’s little falter of expression there, at her words.
But, that’s not anything we haven’t seen before, right? There have been moments (like the ‘you wouldn’t even have coffee with me?’ scene) where we kind of get an insight into Booth’s feelings for her. I kind of thought the camera would pan to Sweets for him to pinpoint Booth’s reaction, but it didn’t. So, I thought maybe that ‘moment’ was going to just slide into the other moments we’ve had.
Sweets wants to know why if they aren’t in love, neither one has been in a serious relationship since they met, and they both shrug it off. Sweets isn’t finished and tells them that one of them has to make a move, and he calls out Booth, telling him he’s the gambler.
Booth gets this look on his face like maybe…
Meanwhile (and I didn’t recognize this the first time around), but Brennan then begins to panic. Ah…
But Booth shrugs it off and turns to his partner, asking if she wants food.
She shrugs. Sure, she could eat. They leave quickly, leaving behind Sweets with his manuscript, and all those typos. Haha.
So, I’m thinking…okay, HH is totally going to be nice to us and give us a nice diner scene, or something special, right?
Of course, the “Nothing happens unless first a dream” quote is funny to me. Okay, okay, HH, i get the message. I’ll stop complaining about EitB. For now……………haha
Brennan then confesses to Booth that Sweets wrote in his book that the abandonment she felt from being left by her parents makes her act and feel as if all meaningful relationships are doomed. And Booth adds that yeah, Sweets wrote that he has white knight syndrome because of his physically abusive alcoholic father.
On this part, I am at little confused. On the one hand, I’m not saying that those two things aren’t the only things that have shaped B&B, but…I do agree with them that they aren’t everything. However, if this is supposed to tell us that Sweets was wrong and neither of those things were true…well, I don’t believe that. Just because SOME things have changed (that they kissed twice) doesn’t mean that everything we have seen up to this point has not been valid. I still think B&B deal with both of those issues. Perhaps that’s not the singular pair of issues that prevents them from being together romantically, but those are still issues. I guess for me, the idea that Booth then takes the OTHER thing Sweets said and acts on it…that makes me think that Booth (and Brennan) know that Sweets wasn’t completely wrong.
And then…it was like Booth inhaled all of the breath between all of us. Something was about to happen.
I love this profile shot of the both of them; it’s just so classic. Booth admits he’s the gambler. Brennan is somewhat stunned, but at least she mostly doesn’t pretend not to know what he is talking about. Booth tells her he wants to give them a shot.
Brennan repeats his words, that the FBI wouldn’t let them work together…
I love that Booth straight away is like “Don’t do that; that is no reason.
I love that he’s like…no, no. we have more than that, and we BOTH know it. We KNOW it. If he had said that, I would have been so proud of him. That he KISSED her to PROVE it…oh, so amazing. Go Booth! Yes! I was so proud of him.
After I watched this episode, I was up late…I couldn’t sleep and I was talking with friends and family, and then went to bed around 5 AM. When I woke up a few hours, there was just this feeling like…something is different. And I realized it was because Booth had kissed her.
I loved him grabbing her and pulling her close, and her hand landing on his arm. It’s almost painful, the desire between them…so sad. Totally different from the first kiss in this episode where they are both smiling the whole time.
I think Brennan has some conflict there. I think she wants to give in to his kiss, but in the end…
She steps back. I love Booth demanding to know why.
Brennan gives what I think is a somewhat rehearsed speech. The little panic moment in Sweets’ office makes me realize that she has just been wanting to keep up the status quo between them to avoid Booth pain (which also makes her words from the end scene of EitB interesting…it’s a burden).
“You thought you were protecting me, but you’re the one who needs protecting.”
To me, that just shows that Brennan has been aware of Booth’s feelings for her. Booth doesn’t see it…what does he need protecting from?
“From me” Brennan answers, and begins to cry. “I don’t have your kind of open heart.”
“Just give it a chance,” Booth begs. “That’s all I’m asking.”
Brennan tells him that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is insanity. Booth counters that they can have whatever outcome they want. This next part…oh my gosh.
I have never seen Booth as honest as he was when he said “thirty or forty or fifty years”.
I asked DB in the conference call if he thought Booth was going to be upset because now Jared AND Sweets were engaged before him, and wasn’t getting married one of Booth’s goals in life? DB countered that he didn’t think getting married was a main goal for Booth…but…I don’t know you guys. Thirty. Forty. Fifty years. Maybe I shouldn’t have said marriage, I guess, but we all can see that Booth wants to be a one-woman man. I was so proud of him for admitting it. He says it’s always the guy who says ‘I knew’.
Brennan is in pain, stunned.
Booth… “I knew.”
I loved that. I mean, I think we all kind of knew that he knew, but there were times when I just wasn’t sure. So for HH to deliver that to us, to make us see that Booth is who we thought he was, it was just so excellent.
But the real question is…is Brennan who we thought she was?
She rejects him.
Based on lack of concrete evidence.
I accept her reaction, even though it totally broke my heart, because I think it’s breaking her heart too. PalSmurfs and I were talking about this idea, and remember how earlier in the series, she asked Booth if she was cold hearted about something? And he tells her that the very fact that she recognizes that proves she isn’t? That’s what’s happening here, but she doesn’t see it. The fact that she feels she KNOWS she doesn’t have what it takes to love Booth like he deserves proves to me that she does (or will). This isn’t her saying “We’re just partners” or “there’s a line” or “I don’t want you”…nothing like that. That gives me hope.
As for Booth…I think he gave big time, and I don’t begrudge him accepting her words. To say that he should have tried harder is crazy to me. I mean, he first of all said he wanted to give it a shot, and then he KISSED her, and then he told her she’s the one, and he told her that he was fine with a ‘non-normal’ outcome…meaning, in my opinion, that he was saying. “I don’t want what the world says is normal. I just want you.” He says. “I knew” and he says, “I know.”
And she cries and says she can’t change, and that she doesn’t know how.
It was hard for me to write and post my thoughts for the last few aired eps of season five, after I had seen this episode, particularly the end scene of Dentist in the Ditch. After all, Brennan openly there says she believes Booth about love. So…what’s happening, right? I tried to be honest in those reviews and not say anything about this, but I have struggled with that thought a bit. I don’t have an answer either, except to say that both of those moments, while seemingly paradoxical on the surface, both feel very ‘real’ to me, as if they are in character for Brennan. So…for now, I’m okay with both of those moments, and don’t feel as if they are ‘flipflopping’ or wrong on Brennan’s part.
It’s also not wrong for Booth to salvage a little pride and say okay. As the gambler, he ‘knows when to hold em and knows when to fold em’, you know? He was SO desperately honest with her. How can we begrudge him anything in that moment? I refuse to. I plainly refuse to do that.
I also don’t want to take anything away from Brennan’s response. I think that her admitting a weakness…something she hates and almost always refuses to do…is so beautiful. She is stunning in her grief, and so honest. I don’t want to begrudge her those feelings either.
Her “Please don’t look so sad” does kind of bother me (as I think Booth has every right to be sad!), but I understand that she is just trying to survive this moment. Booth is like “okay,” knowing that he kind of has to pull it together for her.
Booth’s “You’re right; you’re right” intrigues both me and pal Sleepless. What does Booth mean by that? That she doesn’t have the ability to care for him? That he shouldn’t feel sad? I DON’T KNOW! I don’t know what he’s thinking, but the tears in his eyes make me so sad.
Brennan asking if they can still work together, oh…she is desperate not to lose him!
The way Booth stares at her
It made me think he was going to say no.
I think it makes Brennan think he is going to say no.
Oh my gosh, this amazingness. Just a tiny interruption just to ask…aren’t we so lucky to have found this show? To me, this feels like a payoff…this acknowledgement of feelings for one another. Yes, it’s not like wedding cake topper happiness, or even close, but just the raw honesty here…I don’t know…I just so respect this character work, and the acting by David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel.
The familiarly haunting strains of guitar float over us and Booth looks away
He thinks about it, I think. Wondering if he can…what it will mean. He says yeah. And he wipes away a tear. And breaks my heart again in the process.
And Brennan knows. She knows what he’s sacrificing.
And then Booth…in what I think is one of the best moments of his life, tells her he has to move on. I love that. So honest, and so true. Booth, as we have discussed several times, has put others in front of himself, to his own detriment at times. When Rebecca wants Parker, he doesn’t really fight it. When Jared needs help, he steps in. And we have even seen him in the past accepting dismissals from Brennan. I, and I think he, chalks those up to his responsibility, and his unworthiness. I so know how he feels about that. I have joked in the past that I’m such a Booth in some ways, haha, but I totally get that idea of feeling guilty when something good happens to you. I don’t know if it’s an oldest child thing or what, but I think (not to project my issues onto Booth), but I think he has somewhat accepted this idea that he doesn’t deserve what he wants.
So for him, at this point, to admit…to say that he has to find someone who is going to love him for thirty, forty…fifty years.
I loved that. I was so proud of him. He took a risk, the risk we’ve been wanting him to take, and…it looks like it didn’t pay off. How can we now be mad at him? Out of anyone in the world, he’s the one she WOULD believe, but it’s not his responsibility to make her see. And for once, he doesn’t take responsibility for what’s not his.
But…take a look at Brennan’s face in that above picture. She’s not without pain here. In fact, once he says he has to move on, she doesn’t look him in the eyes again.
She just says “I know.” That is what makes me cry the most, I think. She has kind of just been staving off the inevitable.
Just as Booth has ‘known’, she has ‘known’. For a long time now, she’s just been desperately hoping that he never admitted that he needs that, so she didn’t have to admit that she didn’t have what it takes.
Him following after her reminds me of the pilot when he kind of jogs after her at the end, when she is walking away from the gravesite, and he kind of hustles after her and catches up to her.
Her leaning against him after they both kind of smiled sheepishly toward one another and begin walking away made me practically break out into hives.
I was like…um…no. The more I watch it, the more I see the WAY more clear headed view that people have, haha. You are more evolved than me! But at the time…I was feeling so stunned, like my OWN heart had been ripped out of my chest, that the idea that they were just going to go on as before, maybe go to the diner and get some pie for him and a salad for her…I just could not wrap my mind around that. Not then.
I needed everything in the world to stop moving. I wasn’t ready to move on just yet. I didn’t see how they were ready to move on just yet (and I still sort of don’t). But what I’m guessing ( and please, no spoilers), is that what we have here is a crack in the center (sorry for the cliché), but that we’ll begin to see aftershocks and little slivers of cracks over the next few weeks or so. I’m curious to know if anyone else will ever learn of this moment, or if this is another “What goes on between us is ours” moment. That will be interesting.
Brennan will have to deal with this. It’s not the same as him being fake dead, or him being in a coma, I guess. This is him being himself, the same him, with her every single day like ‘normal’ and it not being the same. I’m curious to know which one will be the first to say they can’t have it be like it was. We’ll see I guess. But, though ED and DB have double billing, the show IS called BONES and so Brennan’s character development is what is really going to drive the rest of this series. She has been presented with Booth’s feelings on the matter and now must deal with them. Not that I don’t love Booth, but basically, his feelings for her have somewhat become a plot point in her character development. His family issues and past and all of that are there for us to see as parts of BRENNAN’S relationship with him. It’s really all about her character. So in that way, it comes as no surprise that Booth would be the one to confess his feelings and now Brennan must react and work through that.
I am sorry for the delay in this post. I thought I’d have it done by Friday, but honestly it took me the whole weekend to do, and I didn’t want to rush it. A small point of admin…as far as this blog and the rest of the season…here is what I am thinking. I already do post my reviews after each ep on GMMR, and what I liked about this project was that I kind of looked back and re-watched the episodes and commented on them in hindsight, but also wasn’t just regurgitating my previous reviews (for the most part). So I kind of want to let some time settle between when I watch the rest of this season and when I update this blog. I was thinking that once we find out when season six starts, then right before that, I’ll start up again, and we’ll have a little pre-season six countdown with the rest of this season’s recaps. At that point, it will be like this most recent hiatus, and we’ll all be wanting to talk BONES again, I think. Does that make sense? I have enjoyed all 100 “Days” with you all, and really appreciate everyone who took the time to stop by and comment. I don’t care about the numbers, necessarily, but I really do just love the idea that I’m not the only person in the world who identifies with this show.
As I was writing this up, I just made caps of what I liked, but as I got to the end, I realized I had 99. Well, that just seems right, doesn’t it?
So…the 100th pic of this post is your Booth of the Day, the first Booth I ever saw. The first David Boreanaz I ever saw. It might not be that meaningful to you, but there is something very soothing about this Booth for me. Gray sweater, crisp white collar, dark coat, empathetic expression toward Brennan…I felt like this was going somewhere. I knew!
Peace, Love & Bones
~S
April 12, 2010 at 1:40 am
Wow. This episode just left me speechless, it was so spectacular. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since I watched it.
Thank you so, so much for all of the time and effort you’ve put into this project and giving us a place to all share in our Bones love. I know I couldn’t have undertaken such a monumental task, but you did (and very, very well, I might add). I will definitely be back for the pre-season six countdown. 🙂
April 12, 2010 at 9:28 am
I found this episode really frustrating, for the same reason I’ve found this season really frustrating. It’s pretty obvious (if only because Hart Hanson keeps giving interviews about it) that what’s going on between the two of them springs less from the characters they’ve established over five years but because they want to keep Booth and Brennan apart for strategic reasons – so we have Sweets.
And John Francis Daley is a likable actor who’s doing a good job with the role, and it’s not at all his fault that his character has been handed the role of putting random obstacles in the way of their relationship, but if you look at Sweets as someone acting out of character rather than narrative necessity? Is more emotionally crippled than Brennan is. Plays with his friends’ lives like they were paper dolls. Should not be practicing on patients.
Leaving aside the not telling Brennan Booth was alive thing, and the whole book – no, brain scan – whoops, book! mess, You’re the gambler? Make it work for you? Um, no. That’s roughly the same as telling an alcoholic he should loosen up with a few shots first.
He’s not the gambler any more. That was kind of the point. He’s built trust with this woman over five years because he’s not the gambler any more. But now he’s got to make a move on her because Sweets is pissed off that his book has problems and he’s impatient with them for not resolving their relationship they way he wants them to.
Still amazed by the way David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel manage to find real moments between their characters in all of this. They really do work awfully well together.
April 12, 2010 at 11:24 am
What a wonderful review! Thank you.
This episode was a clear 10 in my book. Except DB’s dad at the copy machine – David said it took 42 takes – but he’s clearly not copying anything. But it’s great to see him in the 100th episode anyway.
I love the give and take (from the first episode to this one) between Booth and Brennan. I love seeing the amount of care, the reliance and the respect the two have for each other on the job as partners. And if they never get any closer than they were in this episode, they have had a partnership that I would love to have, professionally and personally.
April 12, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I honestly don’t know what to think about this episode. And, I believe I am in the mahor minority when I say that I really didn’t like it all that much. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there were parts that I loved (ZACK!), but overall it is just not sitting well with me. The flash back felt…wrong somehow. I don’t know but I definitely did not get the proper vibes from Booth and Brennan and I feel that what happened completely undermines and cheapens the later events of the entire season. The characters seemed incredibly different than they did in the pilot, and not just because they hadn’t had a fight yet. I think that is what has been annoying me this entire season; the character development has just become such a far cry from where it was originally headed and now they are just flinging around different traits that suit the episode and don’t fit the character. The end scene is the only part of the entire episode that felt real to me as if it was actually consistant with what the characters are fundamentally. And I have to say, I hate this new episodic way of doing things. It looks like next week is going to be another goofy, wasted episode that totally ignores the nnew development. Gah! I wanted that season 1 feel back and it just wasn’t there for me. I did love the Squint’s scenes because they are all awesome and David’s directing was absolutely gorgeous. I really, really want this show to be good again, like deep down, hardcore good and not just this superficial good that we’ve been getting. The end scene was brilliant though (because it freaking stayed true to the characters and made sense!).
April 12, 2010 at 4:20 pm
I have to say that I HATED the “I have to move on” crap. Though I’ll admit that I’m coming around to it just as long as they continue to pursue the way Brennan will process it. That will make or break it for me.
But I agreed with most of your explanations of the ending scene. However, I don’t think that Booth is saying he’ll move on because he has to do what’s best for him. I think he says that because it is partly a defense mechanism and partly because that’s what he thinks SHE wants him to do (for now). Out of curiosity, how many of us think he really will move on? Could he even have what Sweets called a “serious relationship” in the near future? Something that could last? Wouldn’t any relationship just be rebound at this point? (Cue Michael and Jim’s definition of rebound from The Office…) Anyway, I just don’t think he can “turn off” his love that quickly after this many years.
Also, about your reference to Dentist in the Ditch–I wonder if this is just all part of her necessary growth: that she recognizes that love can exist in others (Jared and Padme) before she’ll understand that it can happen for her, too. It’s a big step for her to admit that it can be important, but it’s another huge LEAP for her to apply it to herself.
April 12, 2010 at 5:54 pm
First – amazing job with this blog, and esp. this episode! thank you so much!
I thought this was an incredible episode. It really felt real to me – the flashbacks and then the looks they were giving each oter throughout in Sweets’ office – you could see how far they’d come. I thought it was a great set up for the forward movement that was the end scene. I’ve rewatched that scene a lot the last 3 days, and it is heart wrenching every time. Acting, directing – it is perfect!
Something big had to happen for the two of them to change what had become a settled pattern of behavior with each other, and set us up for something other than warm smiles and longing glances. Although I’m very sad that she said no at the end, it would be too pat for ger to have said yes so quickly.
Side note – in this episode, as in all te others as i’ve rewatched them – there is so much to see with the details that they are embedded in the scenes/dialogues. Brilliant writing, often.
I think your idea of coming back to this blog after rewtch the episodes is a very good one – let it all meld and soak in – watch it again for the special nuggets you miss the first time.
I’ll be back (Seels)baby!
April 12, 2010 at 7:37 pm
I didn’t think anyone else saw that episode as I did.. great job!
April 12, 2010 at 7:55 pm
You did a wonderful job on the recap, I’m glad someone else noticed the homage to the end scene in the pilot with them walking away together. But instead of Bones pushing him playfully away, she leans into him instead. The part about the past shows this season dealing with her wanting to know what love is about and believing it a possibilty in life is great in theory for her–it’s research and coming to conclusions. But when it’s thrown at her in practice–she froze. As Booth said once, “For someone who hates psychology…she sure has alot of it.” Fear, total fear at losing him. This reaction was perfectly in character for Brennan. She has never had a relationship that hasn’t ended badly. There is no way she would ever be able to handle having Booth leave her. As Cam said in the season premiere, “If you’re not sure and you change your mind, she will close her heart forever” (something like that). At this point in her character development, she would rather have Booth in her life forever as a friend, then risk losing him as her love. I think the remander of the series, (with them probably getting together the last few episodes of the series), is her now thinking thru his proposal of a relationship. As much as she thinks mulling things over is a waste of time, that’s what she’ll be doing.
April 12, 2010 at 8:07 pm
I absolutely loved this! I agree with you, I think my heart was ripped out of my chest at the end of this episode. I remember thinking about after their huge fallout that he went to Guatemala and recovered victims of genocide, a very Bones thing to do when things get tough. Everything is now making more sense though.
It kills me a little bit that Brennan can’t see how far she’s come with Booth. Everything is already so different in her relationship she wouldn’t be “doing the same thing over” and getting the same result. We get to see the physical things that Booth has changed with her around (the tie, the sock, the belt buckle) and even his want to be a better man. Brennan’s changes are less obvious but for her to admit to Gordon Gordon that “there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for him”. There’s already something different!
Thanks so much for posting this! I absolutely love it! I’ve waited to look at people’s postings until today 🙂 let the grieving period pass lol. I understand more now 🙂
Thanks again!
April 12, 2010 at 8:21 pm
When I first watched the episode I cried and I laughed and it was an amzing episode. Then ten minutes later, after the credits had rolled and I was preparing for bed, I realized I didn’t know what I was supposed to feel. I think your review is very accurate and amazing I just still don’t know what to think about the episode. Honestly if it ending any other way I would be upset because it would be out-of-character and just ruin the series. I mean we all knew from the begining of season one that no matter how much we wanted them to Bones and Booth would probably never date (or they would at least take a very long time to get there). So I think I agree with your opinion on the actual episode, it did have amazing acting and filming and just everything. I’m just not sure I’m happy or sad with the episode. I’ll just have to wait and see where it goes from here to determine if my tears were worth it. And now for something compeletly different I would be honored if you continued to review every episode from here on out (I think your reviews are honest and accurate. Filled with the perfect blend of conjecture, opinion, and emotion). If you can’t, or won’t that up to you but just know if you ever review another episode I will be the first one to read it.
Sincerly,
Katherine P.
April 12, 2010 at 8:49 pm
I loved this episode but was sad and happy bones could not say yes because then the series might be over. also i don’t know what to think about booth going out and saying he does love her. Before this episode was coming out i was really wondering what happened in the begining! I loved how you incorporated the episode and what you thought, you did a great job!!
April 12, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Wow.
I’ve never been good at expressing my thoughts through words, but you just basically spoke all of them in this post.
I saw this link on facebook, so I thought I’d check it out, GOLD MINE! lol! Now I’m going to go start reading from the beginning!(:
But seriously, your blogging was beautiful &+ I’m happy to know there are other crazily-in-love BONES fans like me.(: I knew this blog was perfect when you signed your post “peace,love, & bones” . That’s the phrase that’s written every piece of scrap paper I own, my hand at the moment, my school planner, almost all my facebook posts,&+ practically everything in my possession!! haha(:
can’t wait to read your other posts! &+ did I mention you’re an amazing blogger? Gah, I’m in LOVE with you right now! Finally I found a BONES blog worth reading(;
Amazing.
Just plain, amazing.
<3,
marissa
April 12, 2010 at 9:26 pm
I was so disappointed they didn’t get together at the end! I really wanted them to!
April 12, 2010 at 9:28 pm
You asked what happened between Brennan wanting to have sex and then not wanting to have sex. I think it’s both the kiss and his confession that caused her to realize that it could possibly be going somewhere. In the past she mostly just had relationships with men that were more like flings, don’t you think? She’s never really had a serious serious relationship. She mostly loves the physical aspect and not the emotional connection. So the kiss and confession that Booth gives her makes her take a step back; especially since she has been left by people in the past so she has a difficult time with trust and love, duh. So even though she feels compassion towards Booth, it scares her.
This also leads back to the end of this episode where she is not willing to “see if it works.” The ONLY thing stopping her is fear. Or so I’d like to think
Btw, I loved reading your blog. It made me realize that there are others out there that watch Bones and truly love and respect it. After I watched this episode I went back to my own life as normal (like you said it was difficult cause it seemed like time should have stopped after that ending) but I wanted to turn to everyone and anyone and ask them if they had seen the new episode. I couldn’t understand how people were laughing and talking as if nothing had happened!! I mean this is a major turning point in this whole show…I’m just glad that I am not the only one whose heart broke along with Booth’s.
jj—There is no way that Booth will move on. Firstly because I just don’t want to believe that he will and secondly because they’d have to bring in a whole new character…it’s too late in the game for that nonsense! It’s B&B forever or nothing at all. I say Booth should have a double or nothing bet going on, who’s with me?
I think annie made a good point when she said that B&B needed to be knocked out of their pattern. I just hope that Booth doesn’t take this too much to heart and lose all hope. And Brennan had better stop living in fear and just find a way to love him before he gives up on her!
-can’t wait for the next ep
April 12, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Thank you so much! I had no idea that you wrote this blog until it was posted on the bones facebook page.
I am such a big fan of this show and i have loved every moment of booth and bones since the beginning, but i couldn’t shake this episode! it really tore my heart right out of my chest and i felt lost, dissapointed, confused and hopeless. This review was absolutely brilliant and made me very very hopeful and happy and I completely identify with what your feeling.
I think you are absolutely right. on all counts. especially when you said that brennan doesnt feel like she can love him. i dont think she really understands how she can open herself up to another person like that. i think shes afraid. but i know she loves booth. even if she doesnt know it yet. she does. 🙂
o and i completely agree! david did an AMAZING job directing!
By the way you are an excellent writer! I’m glad there’s someone out there who loves this show as much as I do. It’s the best one that tv has ever had. ever. lol.
Booth + Bones=<3
-Ali
April 12, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Let me just say that I absolutely LOVE you!
I can totally relate to everything you say and feel about the show & it is great to know that there are others out there that identify with the show. I’ve been a big DB fan from the very beginning back in the Buffy and Angel days & its so nice to see him in a different light. I’ve also come to love ED as well. She is just inspiring and amazing. Both of them are incredibly talented! I absolutely love this show, so much that its become my LIFE & obsession basically. I, like you, feel all the emotion that goes along with it. I’m in college to be a forensic anthropologist & though I knew I wanted to do this before I began watching Bones, the show just restores my faith in the decision. This is the first time i’ve read your blog, but I guarantee it will not be the last. I wish I could hang out with yah and talk bones! Thanks for the great review; it was comforting and regenerates my faith in B&B. I literally cannot wait to see what happens next!
April 12, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Wow, this was so well done! Thank you for all the time and effort you put into this. My 2 favorite parts of this episode were the “there was tongue contact” and the look in Brennan’s face when she said that. I laugh out loud every time I see it. The second is when Brennan puts her head on Booth’s shoulder at the very end as they are walking away. The thing that makes me wonder about this epi is that when she says “I went home and went to bed,” and Booth says, “so did I.” Next scenes she has a different outfit on but he appears to be wearing the same thing?! Okay, I did not catch that until about the 4th time through it. I have rewatched it about a half dozen times. My favorite episode to date by far! Thank goodness for DVRs!
April 12, 2010 at 10:09 pm
At first I was split about this episode, but the more I think it about, I like it. It actually made me cry, which I don’t do very often. It was very heart crushing, but I have to have trust in HH to not let us all down.
April 13, 2010 at 12:03 am
Awesome review!!! 🙂
Thanks!!!
April 13, 2010 at 12:27 am
“what happened between the time she tells him they could have sex to this moment to make her change her mind?”
I made the same question while watching that scene, but I think I got my answer with this line: “We’re not in love with each other.” Fact is they do now and she felt it (the difference) back then, however she just didn’t know how to name it at the time, so she ran.
Great review btw!! Everything I had/have in my mind about the episode. 🙂
April 13, 2010 at 12:31 am
“what happened between the time she tells him they could have sex to this moment to make her change her mind?”
I made the same question while watching that scene, but I think I got my answer with these lines:
Sweets: Did the dam break?
Brennan: What-what does that mean?
Booth: Well,he-he still thinks
that we slept together.
Brennan: Well,we’re not in love with each other.
Fact is they do now and she felt it (the difference) back then, however she just didn’t know how to name it at the time, so she ran.
Great review btw!! Everything I had/have in my mind about the episode. 🙂
April 13, 2010 at 12:31 am
I loved this episode all the way through. I was let down by the end, but I think it’s without a question the way it had to go. I don’t think it would’ve been Bones at all if they just got together. I love your review, by the way. It’s the first one I read, but I’ll be catching up soon. I don’t completely agree with Booth’s moving on though. I don’t believe he can move on. I’m not saying that he won’t try, he might, but how can anyone move on from loving someone the way that he does, and keep seeing her every single day. I just don’t think that he can. That said, I have to say that in that final scene, Emily D was absolutely incredible! She portrayed every emotion to perfection. Very impressed with David’s directing as well. I think that if he ever gives up acting he would be a hell of a director. Writing was brilliant as well, especially the “oh so bones” parts.
April 13, 2010 at 2:08 am
First off I’d like to say thank you for the review of all 100 episodes. I am a Bonesaholic and have watched evry episode at least 4 times and many a whole lot more than that! I love the insights you give and at times I find myself nodding my head and at others saying “what the? No way!”
I loved the 100th. My heart soared and then my heart was crushed, in my view a perfect 43 minutes of TV. Yes I’d love B&B together but no I don’t think they are ready and I think HH and SN are right to not put them together yet. That doesn’t mean there aren’t moments when I’d like to pelt them with rotten tomatoes! I believe B&B will be together one day and that is why I could endure the last few minutes of episode 100. Brennan isn’t ready yet and I would wonder if Booth is if it was Sweets comment that pushed him to take the plunge. Yes, they love each other – there is no question about that. But are they ready to commit for 30/40/50 years? Fairly sure Booth could but not Brennan and then we’d have to watch them split up and break his heart.
I watched the 100th then the pilot and thought the continuity was there. Sure at first there’s a lot of attraction and Brennan wants to pursue a sexual relationship with Booth and then it seems to suddenly change. That change though is due to Booth’s action in getting her drunk in order to fire her. In the light of day she has rethought what happened and feels like he betrayed what they had. (my guess)
I also watched the 100th and EitB trying to find any more clues as to whether any of the EitB was present day – I am guessing most of you are aware of the conspiracy theory that some of those scenes are present day. I couldn’t see any! I love EitB too though and I know many Bones fans disliked than episode too.
The last scene was brilliant, the scene being set in front of that quote “Nothing happens unless first a dream” was perfect. Booth is confirmed as the man we know and love. He has a big heart and he has pretty much always loved Brennan, and lets face it she isn’t an easy woman to love as she can be so damn frustrating. And Brennan, well while we would all like her to fall into his arms and profess undying love, that isn’t her. She does love Booth. If she didn’t love him she would be like “let’s satisfy our sexual urges”. But she loves him so much that she can’t bear to hurt him and lose him. She’d rather be his friend forever than risk being his lover for a short time and then possibly lose him.
The question burning in all our hearts though is how are HH and SN going to deal with this without destroying B&B or their fan base – I have seen many fans who swear they will never watch again (everyone has that choice). How can Booth move on after loving Brennan for so long, how will Brennan handle seeing him date other women, lets hope everything is brought to a head soon. Can’t wait for the forth coming episodes, especially the season finale.
April 13, 2010 at 4:59 am
Thanks for the review, it was great. I didn’t like the end of the episode I think that they just did that to have an excuse to hook Booth with another women for the rest of the season, just to pass the time, and let me tell you: I will hate that!! maybe I will wait for the season final to wacth all the episodes together.
April 13, 2010 at 5:54 am
Thank you so much for this post. It’s an objective and in the same time very personal view of what happend.
At the end of the episode, I was with this strong bitter-sweet feeling… and truth be said, Im still are.
April 13, 2010 at 7:46 am
Wow. Loved the recap. The 100th episode just blew my mind. It was just so good. I loved everything about it, but I think what I enjoyed most about reading the post was that you didn’t hate the end. Most people I have talked to did, but I agree with you. I knew they weren’t going to get together(its not even the end of season 5 and we’ve got six coming)- and I thought the reactions fit perfectly! I especially loved Brennan’s reaction about how she didn’t want to hurt Booth!!! So sad!! Anyway, loved the post!
April 13, 2010 at 10:33 am
I loved and hated this episode… there were a lot of ties from the “first case” to other things in the last 99 episodes that were brilliantly placed. And the directing was fabulous.
I totally agree with everyone’s assessment of why Brennan said no to Booth, she is scared to lose him. Probably more scared of that than anything because as Cyndi Lauper said “he sees to the heart of you, and he is dazzled by it”. Booth sees Brennan’s for who she truely is, and if he were to leave her, not that he would, she would be crushed because he would be leaving the real her, the her no one has ever seen. But Booth is a keeper so he wouldn’t leave, but she doesn’t know that.
I think the next few episodes will be interesting and I can’t wait to watch!!
April 13, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Samantha, I completely agree. Brennan’s afraid to put herself in the position her parents put themselves in for one another. Especially given her daddy issues.
April 13, 2010 at 11:39 am
I been thinking about this and I kind of found a way to describe what Brennan must be thinking. We all love the show and we wouldn’t give it up. But, would you rather have “Bones” on for ever, with them just being partners and friends, or would you have them get together and then the show possibly ending? I don’t know if this makes sense to anyone, but I think that’s exactly what Brennan is thinking, she’s playing it safe, she would rather always have Booth, even if it is just as friends.
April 13, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I feel better about the 100th episode since reading what you wrote. It gave me a good perspective. However, I am a little mad that they didn’t have Booth ask her straight up what he really wanted to know. Does she love him?
April 13, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Oooo thank you for all the great effort you put on that project! It’s sooo well done !
I mean… you said EXACTLY what I was thinking of that Amazzinngg episode but that I cannot formulate with my own words.
YOU ARE JUST SO RIGHT !
I can wait to see the next episodes…
I wish everybody Good watching for next episode 🙂
P.S: Debbie, what you said make totally sense to me. I tought the same thing 😉
April 13, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I love your review as much as I loved the 100th episode – and that’s saying a lot. But I wanted to put in my opinion about the drunk firing situation. Yes, it was awesome and hilarious (especially the turn and wave – I cracked up), but the rejection was a little predictable. Or the fact that Bones rejected Booth was predictable. I do think she did it because of the kiss though.
I’m convinced that when they kissed, Bones felt something and was frightened – as she usually is concerning her feelings and/or Booth – and ran. Booth, being his usual self, was confused by her complete one-eighty and later chose to forget that anything between them had happened. Something we’ve seen him do more than a few times in the past.
I think we get a glance into one of Bones’ more contradictory tendencies. It’s actually a bit of a relief since we only ever see the contradictory rules by which Booth lives. She always talks about wanting the truth and how she’s eager to learn more, but when confronted with it, Temperance more often than not, runs from it (as we see at the end of this episode).
They still have a lot of growing up to do (evidenced by their unwillingness to leave what we now see as not actual issue, but a childish cover-up arguing behind). But I think the point of this episode was to one, show us how much they’ve grown into and changed one another and as well as acting as the vehicle the series needed to get B&B our of the horrible rut they/the directors have dug themselves into.
Each episode, for the last two seasons, has been about Booth and Brennan and how they react to each other and their obvious sexual tension/attraction rather than being about the cases with an undertone of sexual frustration. As much as I love them, we need to get back to the show.
Well… My point was, our main characters have a deeper connection. I mean, come on. Six years? Most marriages don’t even last that long anymore. Even so, they still have a lot of maturing up to do. hey have to let go of a lot of their other issues. I think that was also a point of the 100th episode.
But yeah… Fun kiss. Shame that Brennan has a built in fight or flight mechanism, huh?
Well, that turned out longer than I thought it would. *cough* Congrats on being featured on Facebook for your reviews!
April 13, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Wow. This review just changed my mind about the whole episode.
Before, I was pleased with the way it was done, but very disappointed of the outcome. I came into Bones late into the game as well. I came into it for the crimes and murder solving. But of course, I got hooked on Brennan and Booth. The way this show handles and develops their characters is what made me say goodbye to CSI. After watching every episode until the season four finale, keeping up with season five when it aired, and finally reaching the 100th, I felt cheated by the outcome of the episode. Before, I felt like this has to be it. But maybe that’s what the finale is for… (we won’t know until it happens, but I have a feeling that the flip-flopped season finale titles have SOMETHING to say about themselves, haha). But after reading this review I realize that I can’t really be mad at Booth or Brennan. To be honest, it was really Brennan I was angry at, not Booth. Well, more like disappointed in her. That she rejected him and had drawn the conclusion that she didn’t know how to change. Ultimately, I still believe that she obviously has that very ability. Maybe she didn’t when we first met her in season one, but through her relationships with Booth and Angela I think she’s captured that trait (As Goodman did once say, “You have a disturbingly steep learning curve”). She doesn’t give herself enough credit. She believes Booth is too good for her when in fact, they’re perfect for each other. I agree with the fact that if she KNOWS she is incapable of loving him the way he deserves, she sure as hell is capable. I think they both believe they are not good enough for the other, which makes them perfect… if that makes sense? Maybe not, haha. But I stand by the gist of my statement. They’re right for each other. I think perhaps it might be difficult for them at first, they might have to adjust, but they could end up very happy together.
But after reading this review, maybe in the heat of the moment not everything that could have been said could have been said. It was very honest and real. I really loved your evaluations of their body language because it said so much. I can’t wait to see what comes out of this episode and if this particular scene is ever talked about again (I’m hoping it will come up in the finale). I feel like if the next episode is too normal, it will seem too unreal. I’m crossing my fingers for a good B&B moment 🙂 just something sweet and simple. I already know the episode is going to be hilarious. Maybe a little pick-me-up for the heartbreaking 100th. It’s funny how 99th was so “You’re not going to see anything coming” because it played out just so normally. And if the 101th episode is done the same way, it’ll almost be like this episode was randomly thrown in. I just really hope there are repercussions, at least fun little ones.
Thank you so much for this review, it really did cheer me up about the 100th. I’ll be biting my finger nails for eight weeks until the finale airs 😉
p.s. The thing that really made this episode for me WAS the quote before Booth’s confession that he wants a relationship with her… “Nothing happens unless first a dream” I really really liked that. Thank you HH, I’m just hoping you’re not messing with us again ;D
p.p.s. sorry about my super long review of your review 😛
April 13, 2010 at 5:56 pm
I’d like to think that by the end of this (season or series), Bones will recognize that she doesn’t need to change. That they can be damaged together. Isn’t that what love’s about?
April 13, 2010 at 5:54 pm
I love your review as much as I loved the 100th episode – and that’s saying a lot. I wanted to put in my opinion about the drunk firing situation. Yes, it was awesome and hilarious (especially the turn and wave – I cracked up), but the rejection was a little predictable. Or the fact that Bones rejected Booth was predictable. I do think she did it because of the kiss though.
I’m convinced that when they kissed, Bones felt something and was frightened – as she usually is concerning her feelings and/or Booth – and ran. Booth, being his usual self, was confused by her complete one-eighty and later chose to forget that anything between them had happened. Something we’ve seen him do more than a few times in the past.
I think we get a glance into one of Bones’ more contradictory tendencies. It’s actually a bit of a relief since we only ever see the contradictory rules by which Booth lives. She always talks about wanting the truth and how she’s eager to learn more, but when confronted with it, Temperance more often than not, runs from it (as we see at the end of this episode).
They still have a lot of growing up to do (evidenced by their unwillingness to leave what we now see as not actual issue, but a childish cover-up arguing, behind). But I think the point of this episode was to one, show us how much they’ve grown into and changed one another and two, act as the vehicle the series needed to get B&B our of the horrible rut they/the directors have dug themselves into.
Each episode, for the last two seasons, has been about Booth and Brennan and how they react to each other and their obvious sexual tension/attraction rather than being about the cases with an undertone of sexual frustration. As much as I love them, we really need to get back to the show.
Well… I don’t want to get too far off course, but my point was, “our” main characters have a deeper connection that, despite their constant proximity to each other, needs further delving into. I mean, come on. Six years? Most marriages don’t even last that long anymore. Even so, they still have a lot of maturing to do. hey have to let go of a lot of their other issues. I think that was also a point of the 100th episode.
But yeah… Fun kiss. Shame that Brennan has a built in fight or flight mechanism, huh?
Well, that turned out longer than I thought it would. *cough* Congrats on being featured on Facebook for your reviews!
April 14, 2010 at 9:12 pm
I agree 100% that the last two seasons have been focused on B&B’s relationship instead of the cases. I feel like the show has changed from a crime drama to a romance (or lack of) drama. What ever happened to all that time in the lab searching for clues, or interviewing suspects? Now we have scene after scene of B&B with Sweets (or others) talking about feelings and relationships, and every conversation has some implication for their relationship. I miss the days when the cases were the highlight. Heck, I just miss the interesting cases. Not that I don’t love all this B&B time, because I definitely do, but I just miss seeing them at work on bizarre murders. I wish we could see their relationship as it applies to their crime-solving jobs like in the first few seasons instead of as the meat of the show.
April 16, 2010 at 3:08 am
True. And they even had Brennan tell the reporter that the sex and romance weren’t important in the book – that they were supposed to be used to fill the holes and be used to keep track of time. I think that may have been another reason Hanson decided to stick a fork in Bones and Booth. How else were the writers and directors supposed to acknowledge the issue it’d become. What a way to get everyone back on track though. Then again, all evidence points to the Bones crew being violent and abrupt. In every sense of the word.
April 14, 2010 at 1:54 am
Ok let me get this off my chest, i was soooo disappointed in the 100th episode. Well i guess it was good. I just want those two to hook up so bad it pissed me off when she rejected him. All this time he said no even though he knew he loved her but held it in. And when he tells her this she pushes him away. I was sad. Man this show frustrates me. I guess that is why I love it so much.
April 14, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Thanks for doing 100 great reviews, Seels! You’ve made me see some things in a new light with them and others you’ve commiserated with me.
Even after almost a week I’m not sure how I feel about the ending of this one…it pretty much broke my Bones heart into a million little pieces that I’m not sure will ever be mended. I was an angry and crying mess…and ranting to anyone who would listen about how it was so wrong! I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what happens before I make a final judgement. However the flashback was superb…I was really really worried about this one and they pretty much nailed it! The Brennan/Caroline thing only slightly bothered me because let’s face it…it would not have been the 100th episode without some Caroline badgering Booth!
Now if only I could decide what the heck I think about this whole thing.
April 14, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Awesome review! I thought this was a fantastic episode too and I agree with everything you wrote.
That’s a nice catch about the “sweeping shots.” DB did the same thing in the Angel episode he directed–there was even a moment in the commentary where it was said that he really likes using cranes when he directs.
As for the “why didn’t they sleep together in the flashback,” I think my take on it was that Brennan got scared. She likes this guy, and he’s suddenly telling her very personal information and saying that he can see this “going somewhere.” She’s not ready for that. So I think the fact that this guy is suddenly making her feel all these strong emotions she’s not used to, challenging the wall of rationality she put up around herself. That frightens her, and I think that’s the main reason she’s annoyed and angry with him the next day. (It wasn’t just the firing.)
The slap–I was totally in shock too. Oh my gawd, Brennan! (Do you think they ever apologized to each other for that fight?) And it’s interesting to me that Booth says that he basically brought it on himself–because isn’t that what some abuse victims tend to do? Justify the abuse? Sweets gives Booth a nod like, “Yeah, you would say that.” That moment seemed to me like a nod to Booth’s past.
To me, Brennan’s comment about Sweets saying she thought relationships were doomed was connected to her look of panic when Sweets tells Booth it’s time to gamble. She’s thinking, “Oh, no, Booth might actually say something!” And she wants to keep the status quo. So with that comment, I thought she was trying to remind Booth that she still thinks relationships are ephemeral, and he better not say anything. But lays it out there anyway.
Whoa. Sorry for the really long post!
April 14, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Wow. That was an amazing post. I am sad to say that this is the first time I have ever stumbled upon it… but now that gives me the idea to start from this episode (their first case), and return to the very beginning to read through everything you’ve said.
I love the way you think! I swear it’s exactly what I’m thinking when I’m watching the show. hahahaha.
I loved this episode. There are so many things I loved about this one… the way Booth looks at her each of those times, Hodgins and Zack’s bickering, the way Brennan is dressed in her ‘early days’, getting to see that Booth got his rebel idea from Brennan, etc.
I mean, I think they will come back around in a few episodes and start patching things up….. but for now it’s time for Brennan to fall apart at the seams (instead of just Booth) and we can see Booth happy with other people and Brennan will have to work through all of that. THEN I think Brennan will see the error of her ways, and will try to fix things. 🙂
Can’t wait for your future posts!!!
April 15, 2010 at 5:03 pm
I have to say that this is the best re-cap of the 100th I have read. Thank you so much for sharing your insights and views with all of us “Bones” fans! Looking forward to late summer when you start up again and we can count down to Season Six!
April 16, 2010 at 5:21 am
now THIS is what i have been waiting for! i read your review on gmmr as soon as it came up but this – blow by blow, honest, with PICTURES – is what i really needed to make sense of this…ep doesnt seem to do it justice…this masterpiece of television!! so thankyou thankyou thankyou for that.
i dont even know where to start with this comment. i do want to say that you were right, you have me completely convinced – Booth is not responsible for convincing Brennan, and condemning him for not trying harder would be a complete disgrace! thankyou for setting me straight on that.
i cannot wait for the next episode and the fallout from this last scene…wow it will have to change their dynamic wont it?! ah actually i feel like i need to rewatch all 100 episodes with all this new information in mind…wow…such an awesomely flawlessly brilliant thing.
anyway, i’m so glad you will continue this blog! and can hardly wait til you start re-capping them on here again!
=]
April 16, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Wow! Having just watched this episode last night (living in Ireland) and still being somewhat stunned, and yes, devastated, I was absolutely delighted to find this blog as it captures EXACTLY what I was feeling! I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment…
April 17, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I accidentally stumbled upon this blog and I was captivated from the first few lines. I have to say that I loved reading the commentary you shared on this episode. You pointed out somethings I hadn’t considered before.
Personally, I really liked this episode. I felt that it gave a different spin on Bones and Booth’s relationship. I’ve read a few reviews and viewers comments and one common factor that I’ve come across is the viewer frustrations over the fact that Booth and Bones haven’t gotten together yet. But you know that if they get together it’s going to change the show. Some of us (me specifically) aren’t ready for that change. It’s not that I don’t want them to get together, because I really do. I really really do. Almost as much as I wish Special Agent Seeley Booth was a real guy. But I’m not ready to give up this intense tension and chemistry that flavors the show. I felt that this episode helped to give viewers a taste of what could be but it also kept the chemistry still going strong. I was heartbroken over Bones’ refusal to give it a try but I knew that it couldn’t happen. Not yet anyway.
I really did like this episode and I truly enjoyed reading what you thought about it. Thanks for being so diligent and feeding a girl’s unhealthy obsession with a fictional world.
April 21, 2010 at 8:26 am
[…] 100th The parts in the sum of the whole "100 Days of Bones I was feeling so stunned, I like my own heart had been ripped out of my chest, that the idea was that they were just going to go on as before, go to the maybe get some money and walk for him and a salad for her …. … I think that is what has been annoying me this entire season, the character development has just become such a far cry from where it was originally headed and now they are just flinging around different traits that suit the episode and do not fit the character. … […]
April 22, 2010 at 5:13 pm
And Brennan tells him it’s because they are so very shiny. Hahaha, and then…my absolute favorite part. Seriously, after I watched the ep, I thought this information was the juiciest spoiler in the land! No one really scooped it, so I thought maybe I was wrong. Maybe I am wrong, but to me, Booth becoming a ‘freespirit rogue rebel’ because of Brennan…Love. Love, Love, Love, Love.
I loved that he told her the shoes were part of the uniform and that the FBI has a way of doing things. I loved Brennan telling him that anthropologically, para-militaristic organizations tend to constrain individuality.
Booth agrees, and Brennan adds that in any group, no matter how restrictive, the free thinkers, the mavericks, the rebels with leadership quality find ways to declare their distinctiveness.
(I AGREE. I turned to my boyfriend and was all excited, because we both figured that out at the same time. Hmm. Love. <33)
April 24, 2010 at 1:30 am
The big revelation in this episode made me feel as stupid as Sweets felt frustrated, I think. Booth and Brennan had some very sexy flirting and kissing going on before.
I smack my forehead…why didn’t I see this before? Of course they did! After all, Booth likes beautiful, smart women (Cam, Rebecca, Tessa) and Brennan is all about what a man’s bone structure says about him anthropologically…
Anyway, that part was great, but not as special to me as all of the little nuggets we were given in this episode. Hodgins being a total grumpy bear, Zack zinging him, Brennan carrying around FBI evidence in her bag and tossing it around in public…hahaha
The stroke of genius in this ep was Cam. Maybe because I’ve always loved her, but I thought the way the brought her in (and the stuff with Brennan, as you mentioned) was VERY clever. I, too, loved that she and Zack passed right by each other. It might seem like a little thing, but for me it’s the little things that add up to make something great.
I also love the fact that Brennan is the one that got Hodgins and Zack started on their infamous experiments together. (I was expecting Goodman to walk in any second, I definitely felt that was missing). And that Brennan is the reason Booth started to deviate from the norm in way of ties, then socks and boxers 🙂 – and that he didn’t go gambling that night in the rain. He’s a better man because of her. (And that puts some extra hurt in the events that transpired, I think.) To be honest, I never thought of it that way. I always say HIM as trying to help HER to be better. But really, I don’t think she is at all better. In fact, I think she’s regressed. But that’s another story…
I don’t really see Sweets as a bad researcher. I see him doing the best with what was given. And Booth and Brennan are NOT always cooperative with him. Sure, they probably neglected to mention their REAL first case to him to avoid the very conversation they ended up having. Sure, they humored Sweets by agreeing to help him with his book. But, hello? They were assigned to Sweets in the first place because FBI was considering severing their partnership. Booth arrested Brennan’s father. Yeah, Brennan was fine with it. Translation: you guys are screwed up. Sweets is right…
Sweets tells Booth to gamble. Make it work for him. I love this, because it’s not something Booth would have attempted without that push. He hadn’t in the past six years, after all.
I love it that he tears up. My heart breaks for him.
Brennan basically cops out. Whatever. It’s obvious she’s not ready (yet). Give her time, she will be. In the meantime, Booth shouldn’t put his life on hold for her. And FINALLY he realizes this.
I love it. Love it. Love it.
This is going to be an incredibly journey for Brennan, who will have to figure out her heart all on her own, without him holding her hand. And that’s how it should be.
I am all about this bigger picture, so I don’t mind Booth and Brennan trying to go their separate ways for a while. I really doubt HH is going to pull a “Who’s the Boss?” on us. After all, he’s already showed us he’s not, with the gift of EitB. So until then, whatever happens is gravy for me, slapped on a big fat mound of mashed potatoes (the kind that has a huge pat of butter melting on the side).
😀
April 27, 2010 at 9:07 pm
I have been a long-time lurker on the fox.com’s Bones discussion board but have never allowed myself to comment because that is a slippery slope for this Bones fan, but after discovering your blog a few weeks ago and going back to read each entry from the pilot to #100, I just couldn’t help myself!
I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your blog. It is so refreshing to read well-written, enthusiastic, funny, observant, thoughtful reviews that go beyond the whiny “why aren’t they together already?!” discourse. I can squeal and swoon with the best of them, and have re-watched many episodes and scenes more times than I care to admit, but this show is special, as we loyal fans know, and it is obvious that you understand and appreciate that. I can only hope that the creators of Bones take your blog and the comments of its readers into account when considering the direction of the show.
I must admit that I am nervous about where they will take the show next. Although the final scene of episode 100 was unbelievably painful to watch, I can go with it as long as they don’t string this along and jump the shark.
Yes, the forensics are fascinating. Yes, the supporting characters are well-developed and interesting. But the reason that people watch this show and are emotionally invested in this show is the intricate, amazing relationship they have created between Booth and Brennan. I can roll with the punches as long as the two of them continue to develop and move towards each other. A few dates (with or without chemistry) are fine, but putting either Booth or Brennan into a “real” relationship with other characters would be a catastrophic mistake that would alienate viewers. I repeat, catastrophic mistake. Alienated viewers.
After five seasons of very slow, very intentional, very deliberate character development, there needs to be a big pay-off. One that lasts more than a few episodes. The writers have done an amazing job thus far and I know they can continue to do so if they put Booth and Brennan together. My God, it’s taken 100 episodes to get them to the almost-relationship phase… can you imagine the landmines that await these two once they are actually together? I , for one, can’t wait to watch. DB and ED are, hands-down, two of the most talented actors working today. The subtleties of their facial expressions never, ever cease to amaze me.
I hope you continue to post for all upcoming episodes. Really, really wonderful stuff. Thank you for taking the time to do this project!
P.S. On a more fangirl note, I loooove the squee-moments and Booths-of-the-Day. I mean, yummy!
April 28, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I completely love everything you have to say about this whole series. The thing that sets “Bones” apart from other crime procedurals is their relationship. I think that something big is going to happen to Booth and Brennan and Brennan is not going to say no this time.
I love your analysis about the small nuances that most of us miss. Reading your entire blog has led me to re-watch all my old episodes. Seeing the 100th episode has put the series in a different light now. I can’t explain it, but the 100th episode made me appreciate the show that much more.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do your project. This “Bones” fan is definitely appreciative. Kudos on your thoughtful and insightful posts. From one analytical mind to another, way to go.
April 30, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Not that I like to point out inconsistencies but I was watching “The Con Man in the Meth Lab” and when Jared kisses Brennan he says “I bet Seely never took that risk” and Brennan says “Nope”… but if they had kissed during their first case, she shouldn’t have said “nope”… right??
Just a odd thing I noticed while watching it.
April 30, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Actually, Brennan didn’t lie. Jared kissed Bones, while SHE kissed Booth, so Jared’s statement stands.
May 1, 2010 at 3:00 pm
I loved the episode. Yes, it was heartbreaking at the end, but I know they’ll get together one day, watching them figure it out themselves is the fun part of the show, right?
And I’ve read some comments dissing Sweets, but I don’t think he’s done any wrong. He just encouraged them to do what they BOTH already know!
He was very open with it because, IMO, he discovered they’d already kissed and the ‘dam’ hadn’t broken. He might’ve thought there would be no harm in hurrying them up– but this time, the dam did break.
June 25, 2010 at 6:59 pm
I agree with lorelei.
It felt somewhat wrong to have this new establishment…on something that’s already happened. It threw me, it felt wrong, and it undermined my belief in Bones. (the series). Despite this, I still love it. I can’t wait to see where it’s headed now.
Spectacular acting as always. Not much else to say.
December 1, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Until I read this, I didn’t catch the foreshadowing of that early line about how people will be grateful later but first they panic and run into walls. That’s basically what happens to Brennan here: it’s good that Booth finally tells her out loud how he feels, but she panics and wants to escape the situation. Some day, I hope she’s grateful but the start of season 6 seems to have delayed that by quite a bit.
December 12, 2010 at 10:41 am
Will you please consider doing a blow by blow like this for the Doctor in the Photo? I am losing my mind trying to analyze each shot (especially the car scene) and I would really appreciate your insight!
May 22, 2011 at 11:13 pm
I’m a new fan to your blog and site “Bones Theory”, and just wanted to say that this is the best review I’ve ever read. For anything. Omigosh. I started to tear up reading your review because I really liked how you went into detail and gave your take for every line, every scene of the episode. Absolutely brilliant.
For me as well, I wanted to point out a couple of things that I’ve noticed recently about Bones (although maybe it’s just me):
1) In this episode specifically, Booth hangs his head twice – once when Caroline tells him to fire Brennan, and the other when Brennan rejects him and he backs off to sit on the ledge behind them. I don’t recall him doing that in any other episode, unless I’m not remembering correctly?
2) In the beginning of the series, Booth and Brennan start their counselling sessions with Sweets as sitting in two separate chairs. And then as the series progresses, at some point they start sitting on a couch together, sitting closer together. Psychological relevance in there somewhere, etc etc. Or maybe I’m reading into it too much?
July 24, 2011 at 9:23 pm
I just stumbled on your blog. You are a good writer. One thing, the escalator scene is supposed to be the DC Metro and actually may be the DC Metro because it looks like they shot on site in DC.
The other thing, my take on why Brennan brightens so much when she says “which is me” is because they are telling their “how-we-met” story. She is taking pleasure in the first moment that led to Booth to her. It didn’t occur to me until I rewatched that they are telling the story of how they met very much the way a couple of 30-40-50 years would tell it.
September 1, 2011 at 12:04 pm
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May 1, 2014 at 7:26 pm
So with the advantage of hindsight, the specific way they wrote the 100th and DitM tells me the issue here was as much about Booth as Brennan’s fears. Brennan’s fears were definitely an important hurdle they needed to get past but that could’ve been written in any other way. But Booth’s tendency to torpedo his relationships would only have become obvious with the way he handled his relationship with Hannah. We already saw his tendency to date women who wanted to be free of personal encumbrances like Tessa and Cam.
Booth’s issues are related to his father. Which is why specific reference is made to that in Blackout. An alcoholic father can never give you what you want emotionally; he makes you feel unloved and rejected. Its very common in people with white knight syndrome to seek to repair their ineffectual sense of self that developed in childhood by seeking love. But this sort of healing rarely works because there is an emotional hole that cannot contain whatever new love and admiration is given thus perpetually leaving them needy and frustrated. Booth keeps recreating this dynamic with his romantic relationships. So even when Booth is with a woman who loves him, a woman who doesn’t want to walk away, he torpedoes the relationship by knowingly asking for more than they can give, via an ultimatum. His ideals prevent him from moving relationships forward due to his inability to compromise. Just as the stadium seats, representing his perfect day, were unable to fit in the elevator, Booth’s ideals had trapped them in the partnership box. It was only by breaking off the rusted portion of Booth’s ideals that they were able to escape the elevator and finally move forward.
I am not saying what he was asking for was unreasonable but he asked it from women who were very vocal about their opposition HIS relationship ideals that consistently made it a futile gesture. His ideals work for most women but not the ones he goes for. The man reads people for a living so deep down he knows that. But he would allow himself to be pushed by an external source to create a situation in which the women are certain to reject his offer in a way that allows him to interpret it as a rejection of himself thus perpetuating the feeling of unworthiness. His problem was that he required absolute devotion to his ideal of what a relationship should look like and when the partner in question didn’t accept those requirements out of hand he immediately jumped to moving on.
The biggest problem was that when he presents these ultimatums it’s always like being hit with an emotional steamroller for the other party. Even if they were considering the other option they would automatically cling to the their default position. Obviously GGW had seen something in Brennan to counsel hope and patience but Booth’s approach would’ve never have yielded a positive result and only reinforced Brennan’s belief that she and her value system wouldn’t be enough for him. Booth knows pushing Brennan always causes her to retreat further and there was no way she would’ve responded to words like “gamble”, “I knew”, “fate” etc. Even Sully knew Brennan enough to tell her to think about his offer before coming to a decision.
To me the Hannah arc was about Booth learning he needed to wait for Brennan instead of rushing her and realizing how much he could’ve lost by being impatient. What always strikes me is how his attitude changed. In Mastadon, when Sweets asked him if he should give Daisy another chance, Booth tells him to move on. In Sisterhood, Cam asked him if she should give Paul another chance and Booth tells her not to give up if she thinks he is the one. HH in S7 says about Booth: “He asked three women in a row to marry him, they’ve all said “no.” He’s finally learned. And he is going to wait for Brennan to propose.” Clearly we saw him allow Brennan to set the pace after Blackout. Besides him making sure that Brennan knew he was still interested in pursuing something with her, he really let her control the pace so she could always feel comfortable in their relationship. He finally practiced hope and patience.
June 4, 2014 at 9:45 am
I do agree with all of that BP, but with one tiny caveat. Brennan would have never gotten to the place where she was willing to consider a relationship between them if not for him “gambling” in the 100th. If he had not tried there, they would have been stuck in limbo for who knows how long? When he then attempted to move on, she started feeling, “Wait, work partners with Booth isn’t enough” and by Doctor in the Photo, she had finally realized she could actually lose him and she didn’t want to. Which I think then pushed Booth towards the rushed Hannah proposal. Then they could both take their time and explore these feelings that are now in the open for both of them. But without the 100th ep ending as it did, I don’t know that Brennan would’ve ever admitted to anything, no matter how much time she was given. Sometimes there needs to be a catalyst to get a reaction going, and I think Booth’s gamble was necessary for what came after. 🙂
June 7, 2014 at 6:41 pm
That’s where we think differently bnb 🙂 First off I don’t think Brennan changed her mind because of the fear of losing Booth. I think she accepted that romantically Booth would move on and she wholeheartedly encouraged it because she didn’t believe herself capable of fulfilling Booth in that sense. She already knew she had lost him when she told Hannah, “he will give himself to you completely”. As she said in Couple in the cave, that whenever she imagined them together, while pleasurable, it was clearly a fantasy. When she told Booth that they couldn’t overcome their differences she wasn’t negating their romantic connection. She just knew they didn’t have any parity. She thought Hannah had more parity with Booth which is why she genuinely encouraged their relationship.
She was never threatened by Hannah because if she were, she would’ve tried to interrupt his time with her as much as possible. Similar to the way Booth interrupted Brennan’s time with Sully. For eg. she was invited to join them for dinner in CitC and MitM but she knew to allow them time alone which is quite revealing considering how socially oblivious she is. Even as late as 6×07, she offered to lie for Booth to leave the baby announcement despite how she feels about lies.
For me this story is not like Emma or Clueless where the girl only realizes she might lose the guy when another girl is around. Unlike those girls, Brennan had already consciously considered a romantic relationship with Booth, both in the coma dream and when she was away in Maluku. The main issue was that she thought she wasn’t a good fit for him emotionally or socially. The ultimatum itself convinced her of that more than anything. He is a gambler and she is a scientist. He was trying to win a jackpot but the scientist in her knows she is no jackpot. She told Booth in S5, he deserved to be with a good woman because she didn’t believe she was a good woman. In S6, Body in the Bounty, she says she would be more likely to scare the children off and that people should stick to their strengths and she knows people are not hers (heck she still had that fear in S8 when she told him he might leave her for a nice person because she isn’t a nice person).
Brennan didn’t really say “no” to Booth in the 100th, she said “I am not enough” or more directly “I don’t know how” and “I don’t have an open heart”. Unfortunately Booth was just not listening otherwise surely he would’ve reassured her. Basically she was trying to avoid what happened to him in Daredevil because she believed she couldn’t give him his dream life. She understood that, when he eventually realized that she wasn’t enough for him, it would be devastating to both of them. Like she said in S2 she believed, “[her] best isn’t good enough”. She was protecting him, putting his happiness before her own that night. I have to admit I really love Brennan for it because it is the very definition of what love means. Love isn’t about showing physical affection to someone, its being willing to put your happiness aside for the betterment of your partner.
To me, GGW knew Brennan didn’t need a big catalyst, she just needed evidence. That’s what she got with Hannah. While advising Hannah how to keep Booth happy and watching them together she realized she did know how to be that kind of partner to him. But had Booth been listening he could’ve given her proof. For eg. in the coma dream, he told her she wasn’t a cold fish because if she was she wouldn’t care. In the same way, he could’ve told her the very fact that she was worried about having an open heart meant that she actually did. Also look at the way he proved to her that even though they don’t make any sense they still work in Truth in the Myth. With more time she might have seen that herself. But that’s the kind of stuff that would’ve changed her mind. But I think Booth was still suffering from brain damage. It was like he forgot everything he ever knew about Brennan in those 5 minutes. She had just told him she didn’t believe in fate 20 min earlier yet that’s the argument he went with. I think he truly believed it was going to fail so he really didn’t think about how to approach it. In psychology its called self handicapping, if you think you are going to fail a test you don’t study for the exam in order to protect your self esteem.
February 25, 2016 at 4:36 pm
I don’t think Booth should have to put his life on hold up till the point where he claimed he knew she was the one for 50 years. After that he had an obligation to stand by it. Commitment isn’t only for the good times… its also standing by something despite it being futile.
Not saying no one should ever move on… just that if you are going to be the kind of person to say “love means giving up your life to stay with someone” as Booth did in 6×02, then you actually have to follow through. Especially when you are talking to a person who doesn’t believe these kinds of sentiments are meaningful and holds herself back from relationships because of people’s propensities to make such empty statements.
I lost a lot of respect for Booth because his declaration of love really turned out be empty. When it wasn’t convenient anymore he discarded the idea of being in love with Brennan. That’s not a committed person. He’s never really done anything to prove his love for Brennan. He’s never stood by it when it counted. If he loved Brennan more, his love for Brennan should’ve counted way more than Hannah.
The problem is Brennan never would’ve gotten close to him if she had known the relationship was dependent only on the fulfilment of romantic love. Honourable people have an obligation to make sure the commitments they make are sustainable. They don’t say what’s between us is ours and then betray it because its inconvenient.
Even proposing marriage to Hannah– if he really was trying to be a good guy, he would’ve accepted her the way she was instead of being resentful that he wasn’t getting what he wanted. Love isn’t self serving. You can’t blame another person for not willing to change for you when you can’t be bothered to change for them either.
February 26, 2016 at 8:20 am
“The problem is Brennan never would’ve gotten close to him if she had known the relationship was dependent only on the fulfilment of romantic love.”
That means Booth would’ve had this planned out from Day One, an elaborate scam on Brennan all these years! I don’t think that initially Booth meant for it to be that way. They had an attraction at first but neither of them expected to fall so hard for each other that they couldn’t see straight. Both Booth and Brennan suffered from “terminal relationship fear” and didn’t communicate with each other they way they should have. Brennan’s done things too, like leaving Booth after he woke up from the coma or running off to Maluku with no contact. They both would freak out at their feelings at times and back away from it. Brennan talked a good game with her aloofness around others and Booth talked a good game about family and love but when it came down to it, both of them were flat out scared. And for good reason, considering their upbringings. So they both had to figure it out.
I consider B&B to be different sides of the same coin. I can’t see more “blame” on one partner than the other. They both did dumb things due to fear, but they also both became brave enough to figure it out. Now, two kids later, they are still together! 🙂
March 1, 2016 at 2:38 am
If it was just about two people freaking out and backing away it would be fine. But making a declaration here means he had to be sure. He was warned changing his mind could hurt seriously damage Brennan.
Look I could give Booth benefit of doubt before the coma. But once he woke up, he had an obligation to not take the relationship further into unsustainable territory unless he was willing to commit to it, irrespective of Brennan’s position.
Booth only has a right to make Brennan feel guilty over “what’s between us is ours” if partnership always takes precedence over romantic relationships. With Brennan ditching Hacker as date, Booth knew he was creating that impression for her. But is that healthy for Brennan? It impinges her ability to develop other relationships. Without Booth also being willing to fulfil that kind of loyalty, even if it sabotaged his own relationships, it was selfish to ask that of her.
For years, Booth defined the terms of the partnership knowing Brennan didn’t have the experience to know differently. If he tells her there is line they can’t cross, then even if he didn’t mean to, the surrogate relationship developed on his terms more than hers. You can’t just change the goal posts on a dime. That’s cruel.
Brennan has done plenty of stupid things. But she knew she wasn’t ready for a romantic relationship because of her propensity to do stupid things. Sorry but I can’t see how her going on a dig after his surgery is relevant? We don’t know the details except that she made sure he was okay before going. Her going on digs was always part of their partnership. But even if she was running, she hadn’t made a declaration and then backtracked which is what I’m faulting him for.
August 8, 2020 at 4:29 pm
I am suuuuuper late to the Bones party. I’ve been Covid binge watching shows I never watched when they were broadcast. I am completely hooked, and I love your reviews. So thorough and insightful. Just wanted you to know that 10 years later, people are still reading and enjoying your blog!
I loved this episode, and I am planning on watching it and the pilot over again tonight!
August 9, 2020 at 10:14 am
Amber, a few of us are still chatting on a newer site http://www.bnb45.wordpress.com, we just got to season 7. We are doing about one episode a week. Come on over 🙂 Bones is the best!!
January 30, 2022 at 9:11 am
I hate how Sweets manipulated them for his own ends. Not a good psychologist. As for DB I think he could wear a black garbage bag and still look good (swoon). Thanks for your blog, only just found it.
January 30, 2022 at 9:14 am
Agree with you wholeheartedly about the ” grey suit”.