Jeffersonian | Napping at Red Lights

Bones finds a ‘Skull in the Sculpture’

November 6, 2008

The World Series is over and the election has been decided so now we can get back to our regularly scheduled programs on Fox. And the return of Bones is marked with a case that proved pretty emotional for Angela in “The Skull in the Sculpture.”

Is it art or a murder weapon?

When artist Jeffrey Thorne turns up dead in one of his own sculptures – a crushed car – suspicions turn to his assistant Roxy (Nichole Hiltz) who inherits one million dollars.

But the kicker is that Roxy is Angela’s lover from college. What was interesting is everyone’s reaction to Angela’s former lesbian affair.

Hodgins already knew about the relationship. But he didn’t seem to feel threatened even though Angela had just told him that she was going to start dating again. I wonder if he realized that Roxy was a possibility.

Brennan was her typical scientific self, offering statistics on female orientation preferences. Cam raised an eyebrow, but continued without comment.

But the most interesting reaction was Booth’s. Angela was expecting him to go all conservative on her and I was waiting for him to get excited about girl on girl action. But he surprised us both by being okay with the relationship and revealing a touching anecdote about his favorite aunt. And then he turns around and defends Angela’s honor when a suspect gets disrespectful with his come on.

Likewise, Sweets was quite insightful in this episode too. Usually I think he just drones on, but he actually said something that made a lot of sense tonight. He revealed that while Angela might seem like a free spirit open to all relationships that actually her “openness” is an excuse not to give herself completely to a relationship.

My only complaint with the episode was the return of Daisy Wick (Carla Gallo). Apparently she came up in the rotation again. What does that mean? Are we out of fun Zack fill ins? Are we doomed to repeat the same six grad students for the rest of the season?

While there are a couple students I’d like to see return – can anyone say Scott Starret (Michael Badalucco) – the annoying Daisy Wick did not top my list. I guessing her reappearance was more about her relationship with Sweets than service to Brennan. I do hope that means we aren’t going to be exposed to her every week.

Overall another good episode. I’m glad to have Bones back in my weekly rotation.

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Bones Investigates Office Life in ‘Crank in the Shaft’

October 2, 2008

When a decomposed leg falls into an elevator from the shaft above on, Booth and Bones must navigate their way through the cubicle farm to find the killer in “Crank in the Shaft.”

BONES: Brennan (Emily Deschanel, L) and Cam (Tamara Taylor, R) investigate the remains found in an elevator shaft in the BONES episode

This week Bones takes the investigation to the office. But how prepared are an FBI agent and an anthropologist/writer to tackle the jungle known as office politics?

It seems that murder is just the tip of the iceberg for this office crew. In their search for the office manager’s murderer, Booth and Bones uncover drugs, vengeance, sex, blackmail and the office version of the black market.

I just hope when I die, it won’t be as a result of office equipment!

But Booth is dealing with a bit of his own office politics – his quest for a dead man’s chair – that involves fraud (Cam writes him a “doctor’s note”) and bribery (cupcakes for the lady in Human Resources). But who knew that Brennan held the secret to his success?

And the Jeffersonian isn’t without its own work drama. The tension between Hodgins and Angela continues at least until Angela visits Sweets for some advice and fries. Hey, in my book, good French fries heal all.

It’s interesting that Sweets advice to Hodgins a few weeks ago was that he was dealing with it with anger and that was okay. Hodgins was baffled and kept asking for more answers. While tonight, Sweets tells Angela that she needs to analysis the situation more and wants to meet with her weekly. Angela is pleased with their conversation, but fails to take his advice.

Angela and Hodgins are so different. I always wondered how they became an item. But they were good together, so writers please hurry up and make them a couple again!

And the highlight of the night was Mr. Cheerful. Fisher is, as Brennan put it, the depressed intern that is quite clever.

The fill in of the week dramatized everything even the task to take 1,263 bone fragments, “each one screaming of pain, violence and hopelessness” and reassemble them to find the cause of death.

But the staff’s reaction to Fisher was classic, especially Cam. By the end of the show she was telling him to take Prozac. When he said that he already did, she told him to double it because he was bringing her down!

Overall a nice fun episode (well expect for the whole murder thing). I like the humor of this ensemble. What did you think of the episode?

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Zack is Back on Bones in ‘Perfect Pieces’

September 25, 2008

Since last season’s Bones finale, Zack has been missing from the series, presumably cooling his heels in a mental hospital after killing a man and aiding Gormogon.

BONES: Zack (Eric Millegan, R) returns to help Brennan (Emily Deschanel, C) and Booth (David Boreanaz, L) find the murderer of a writer found in a pond in the BONES episode

But tonight in “The Perfect Pieces in the Purple Pond” we learn that Zak has not been very far from the hearts of his former coworkers.

Apparently, Hodgins visits his “best friend” regularly bringing him puzzles to challenge him. When Zack solves the one Hodgins brought him this time he names himself “King of the Loony Bin.” Hodgins then talks about the current case with Zack, leaving him the file to review

Angela visits too. It’s unclear whether Brennen and Cam stop by too, but they both have Zack on the brain.

Brennan tells Wendell Bray (Michael Terry), the latest Zack fill in and Brennan’s brightest scholarship student to not be distracted by the standard standards set by Zach. Unfortunately, that’s not what distracts him.

Meanwhile, Cam tries to get Hodgins to move into Zack’s space because she thinks it would be easiest on Zack. But Hodgins can’t. He wishes that Zack was back.

But Booth tells him that Zack isn’t coming back. Just then Zack walks into the lab with the key to solving the case.

When asked out he got out, Zack replies that Sweets helped him. It seems that on one of Sweets’ counseling sessions with Zack, Zack stole the strip from his access card and put it on his “loony bin library card.” He then later used that card to escape.

But back to the case. A body cut in exactly 12 pieces and missing its head is found. The body belongs to Jared Addison, an author that lives with his mother (Lisa Kaminir), collects action figures, suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and has excessively small feet as a result of some disease I can’t spell.

Jared was having an affair with a woman (Debra Christofferson) 28 years his senior and was trying to overcome his OCD in order to get back in the good graces of his publisher (Matt Doherty) when he died.

Wendell proves to be a pretty astute assistant coming up with a couple key pieces of information, but not before he misinterprets Brennen’s questions about relationships with older women.

In the end, it turns out the location of Jared’s missing head is key to finding his killer and Zack discovers that location.

While Booth and Bones go to retrieve the head and arrest the killer, Zack stops in at the diner with the rest of the crew.

But then he must return to the mental institute. Booth drops Zack off with Sweets so it can look like Sweets checked him out. But Sweets is clearly uncomfortable with being alone without security with Zack.

Booth makes Zack promise not to kill Sweets, but it’s what Zack tells Sweets after Booth leaves that really eases his mind.

Zach’s comment “I was wrong, not delusional” from the counseling session at the beginning of the show makes a lot more sense now.

What did you think of Zack’s return? Should the team seek his help in the future even if he’s in the mental hospital? Should they continue to try to find a replacement for Zack?

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Is Bones the Same without Zack?

September 18, 2008

When Zack was revealed as Gormogon’s accomplice in the Season 3 finale of Bones, I was in shock. I can only imagine what his co-workers and friends felt.

The team with Zach before they discover he's Gormogon's apprentice.

And imagine is exactly what I’ve had to do in Season 4. Until last night’s “Finger in the Nest” episode, I was wondering if the staff at the Jeffersonian had completely forgotten about Zack. His name hadn’t even been mentioned in the first two episodes and his situation was only alluded to briefly in Brennan’s speech in the U.K. premiere.

Is this how squints react when one of their own betrays them? I’ve been expecting anger at the very least and a bit of nostalgia for the Zack they once knew. At the very least I thought Sweets would be prodding them each to get in touch with their feelings.

I’m not sure that I want to see him have counseling sessions with each staff member (although after last night’s session with Hodgins, it might be quite funny), but maybe at least allude to the fact that he’d chatted with them over the summer.

Instead we’ve had a parade of grad students trying to fill Zack’s shoes. And none have quite been able to do it.

First, we had Eugene Byrd return as Dr. Clark Edison, who filled in last season when Zack was in Iraq. But being inundated with the personal details of his coworkers’ lives was too much for this guy who just wanted to focus on his job.

Next up was the Brennan-obsessed Daisy Wick (Carla Gallo) who annoyed the entire staff with her non-stop talking and her desire to kiss up to Bones. Only Sweets is fond of Daisy admiration and we are led to believe that they went out for a date after she was fired.

This week we met Scott Starret (Michael Badalucco), Brennan’s oldest grad student. Scott’s immense life experience made him an asset to the case and my favorite fill-in. But his former life as a car salesman leaves Hodgins with a grudge.

Next week it looks like Bones gets to play Mrs. Robinson with her latest intern Wendell Bray (Michael Terry)

While the parade of grad students has changed up the dynamic in the office a little and added a bit of humor, I’m hoping that it doesn’t continue all season.

Whether they are talking about it or not, there’s something missing from the staff at the Jeffersonian. It doesn’t help that Hodgins and Angela have broken up (in one of the weirdest dumpings).

But if the crew doesn’t find its inner team soon, I think we are going to start to see it in their work (and possibly on Sweets’ couch).

In fact, will there be a case the team can’t solve without Zack?

Maybe. Tune in next week to get your Zack fix as Hodgins turns to his former lab partner for help with a case. Not sure if he really needs Zack’s help or if he just needs to feel that connection with Zack again.

But you have to wonder how if you can trust information you get from a convicted killer? How is Zack feeling towards the team? Is he willing to help or is he angry with them?

Even if he isn’t back to stay, I’m still looking forward to next week’s episode and the return of Zack to the fold even if temporary.

What do you think? Will the team ever be the same without Zack? Will the show ever be the same?

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