BONES: Mayhem on a Cross
April 18, 2009 by Sarah Curtis
My apologies to Seeleybaby and BONES fans for just posting this now. Still in L.A. and as luck would have it I have no internet connection in the hotel. Posting is almost impossible…not entirely impossibly (as you are reading this now), but it’s not easy. Thanks for your patience.
There is more than one kind of family.
That is my favorite underlying theme of the entire BONES series, and tonight was a special reminder of that. For those of you who don’t know exactly what I am talking about, I highly recommend that you rent seasons one, two, and even three, if you are new to the show, and watch them. It is a beautiful journey of, yes, misfits.
To be honest, I was all prepared to be disappointed by tonight’s episode. Knowing Gordon Gordon Wyatt was returning made me worry that I would hate the way it turned out (I’m looking at you, Hero in the Hold) but it was well done. I was the opposite of disappointed. And I feel like the actors really bring it each week. I feel like they respect the characters very much, and therefore respect us as viewers by being ‘caretakers’ of the characters we love so much. That combined with a spectacular case makes me a very happy Seels.
The Case:
A skeleton used as a prop during a Norwegian death metal concert is discovered to be actual human remains. And this week’s body was just how Brennan and I both like them, no flesh. Booth and Brennan had to wade through this dark world of high decibels and higher egos and figure out who wanted Mayhem (the ex-bassist turned skeleton prop) dead. There were several suspects, and for once the case didn’t take quite such an enormous backseat to the relationships. They coexisted, which is how I like it.
The Squints:
Not too much here, so I’m not going to list them one by one. They each did their jobs to help solve the case, which is good. I will talk about Sweets and Dr. Wyatt, however.
Sweets: It’s been no secret that all along, he’s just wanted to fit in. I have disagreed with many of his actions in the past, but his motive, to find where he fits in the world, and for family, those are noble indeed. Sweets has a good heart, and it makes me sad to think that he is an orphan. I don’t care how old you are, being an orphan would be hard. It would be hard knowing that there is no one in the world who’s job it is to take care of you. And Booth jokingly commented that they were the island of the misfits, but it’s true. The whole J-team, and Booth and Sweets included are a bunch of ragtag people who have connected with one another and take care of one another.
Dr. Wyatt: I like how he played Booth and Brennan. That was fun, and to me, I think it shows that he sees just how far their relationship has progressed. Which is major. He didn’t even analyze them hardly at ALL! Except for Booth a tiny bit when all four of them were in Brennan’s office (and her dress totally matched the couch), he mostly treated the partners as colleagues and friends. I like the way he kind of passed the torch onto Sweets. The ‘higher calling’ part was special.
Booth and Brennan:
Sometimes I forget about Brennan’s life. Maybe it’s because she’s rich and famous and successful, but…oh, my heart is breaking for her! It makes me want to find Max and punch him in the face. Twice. Good on Brennan for opening up to Sweets, and good for Sweets for speaking up, for telling her it wasn’t fair, the way she was treated. Oh, that she still feels even for a second that she might have deserved it!?!
I think Booth was stunned by what she said (and that she said it). I liked how his confession was meant for her. And I think when she put the handkerchief back in his pocket, that maybe Booth was doing a bit of catching up to his own reality.
Do you think that at the end, was Sweets nodding and smiling, thinking that Booth and Brennan aren’t that different? Was that the Wyatt point? Or was he thinking that Brennan thinks about Booth all the time? Thoughts?
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I was kind of bored by the actual case this week, but that could be because I loved the relationship stuff so much more this week. And i think death metal is the furthest from music I’ve ever heard…. but I digress.
Almost got a little teary at the end with the Sweets/Brennan/Booth admissions. Goes to show how much the writers have really fleshed out the history of the characters we get to see week to week. Loved that Booth’s confession was more directed toward Brennan, like you said. Like he was so concerned with her being ok that his own admission took a distance second place because she was crying. Watched the scene a couple times and loved that Booth never really took his eyes off her except for a few glances at Sweets.
Has Fox been doing the mid-show synopsis and I’ve missed it or was this a first? Kinda bugged me.
Love this show! New episode Monday night.
I loved this episode, and i can’t wait for the one on monday (and again on thursday!). i am thrilled they decided to make all of these episodes really close together. I think they are on a really good streak :]
Dr. Wyatt’s point was that “one of them is acutely aware of that attraction, struggles with it daily as a matter of fact…” at the end with the handkerchief, Brennan puts it in his jacket pocket and pats it (almost to the point of lingering). Then booth reaches up to put his hand on top of her hand, but its already gone. Booth has this look of almost hurt and disappointment on his face, and Sweets sees that and connects it. Brennan, yet again, has no idea. She’s just trying to reassure Booth that she’s okay.
Of course she loves him too, but i guess she doesn’t get it in the way that Booth does? She views love scientifically, he views it as feeling and the heart (not as an organ). Brennan’s affection for Booth is apparent in times of high intensity or emotion (hugs, explosions, private b&b moments). i still don’t really get it, but i know it’s there. i love all the little private moments, but it would also be cool to see it expand. who knows???
wow, i love this show. it always keeps me guessing. And i love your posts, keep ’em coming! 😀
It wasn’t Max that did that to Brennan, it was her foster parents.
This is the 3rd week that I have seen the mid-show synopsis.
My reply to Izzy;
You said that:
“at the end with the handkerchief, Brennan puts it in his jacket pocket and pats it (almost to the point of lingering). Then booth reaches up to put his hand on top of her hand, but its already gone. Booth has this look of almost hurt and disappointment on his face, and Sweets sees that and connects it. Brennan, yet again, has no idea. She’s just trying to reassure Booth that she’s okay.”
But maybe it wasn’t just a simple act of reassuring Booth. Metaphorically speaking, the handkerchief represents something that Booth gives from himself to her, for her, and she accepts it. She even wipes her tears on it and puts it back into the pocket above his heart, as if symbolizing that she trusts him with her tears. In the end when she pats his pocket, I think she was trying to tell him with her actions what she can’t tell him in words, yet. And he sees this, thus the look of shock and then disappointment as she pulls away. Its almost as if he’s shocked that he realizes she DOES feel something for him, in that way and as he tries to hold her hand, she pulls away, not denying his touch, but because she knows that they’re not alone. If you watch the scene again, you can see that “there’s someone else in the room with us” look she gives him as she glances at him and then at sweets. I really do think that HH was trying to hint that Brennan is the one who is “acutely aware of that attraction” and who also “struggles with it daily”. Shes past the point of denying that she has intense feelings for Booth but shes not ready acknowledge those feelings because she can’t explain them, and we all know how she just has to have an explanation for everything! But thats only my opinion :]
yeah that totally makes sense too! haha oh well, I’m sure they’ll clear it up for us eventually.
for now i just love those moments :]
Hey, Thanks everyone for the responses! I am glad you liked this episode as much as I did. Yeah, bowlby4, I just meant that since Max had left her (and Christine), that Brennan had been forced to be in the foster system. Guess I should have worded that better. thanks for keeping me honest 🙂
I thought that the acting in this episode was spectacular. Both John Francis Daley (Sweets) and Emily Deschanel (Bones) just did a spectacular job with showing the vulnerability of an abused child who has grown into a successful adult. I was never much of a Sweets fan, but I think I may be turning into one considering that performance.
Sweets changed the name of his book to “Bones – the heart of the matter”.
So now I’m torn.
Is the book referring to Brennan’s heart and what matters to her? Or perhaps the fact that Bones is the matter of Booth’s heart?
Quick, call the crime lab – the suspense is killing me.
It’s Brennan that has figured it out and struggles with it. In her own way – I think it’s still dawning on her and she can’t figure it out. I think Booth is way past that point and has just dealt with the fact that they can’t be any more than colleagues and friends.
The vulnerable scene at the end with Sweets was heartbreaking and really, really well done. It took all 3 of them to a new level.
Can’t wait until tonight’s ep!
Angie and I talked a little about this episode last week. It was brilliant! Great to have the case in the background (because that metal stuff? yuck!)
I keep flipping between who I think struggles with their love for the other because I think they both do. I think maybe Brennan is a little farther along in the process and holding back because she knows how Booth looks at love and relationships and she doesn’t know how to do that – yet. And yet I think Booth knows that Brennan cares for him but can’t even imagine she liking him “in that way”, you know?
I don’t know but I love this show!
PS I still love me some Sweets!
I just watched this episode and I realized that it can’t be Brennan. The reason why I think this is because he initially thought that Brennan was the one who struggles with her feelings for him day to day and after their little heart to heart, Sweets tells them that he “just saw what [Gordon] saw.” This means that his more recent beliefs are contrary to the meaning that can be implied from the first renaming of the title.