Santa redeems one angry, shouting man

This week’s Christmas themed Bones didn’t seem to be about much. Sure, there was the requisite murder mystery, as well some holiday inspiration. At the end of the day, however, the episode felt more like a hodge podge of stories that eventually fell together into the same 44 minutes. Cam and her makeshift family, Bones’ and hers, and the lives touched by the death of the victim all were good stories, but together they didn’t work. Bones normally does Christmas episodes so incredibly well, but this one just felt like they were trying to hard.

I loved the story arc with Owen Thiel. The senseless death of one man resulted in the redemption of another. His voiceover/last broadcast over the burial was very well written, and performed even better. The message, though not perfect analogous, really reminded me of the “In Excelsis Deo” episode of The West Wing. Thiel here was the wrong guy at the wrong place at the wrong time, but the fact that it changed him makes the death of a ‘good, simple man’ have some meaning.

Unfortunately, what was basically a C story was all that made a lot of sense to me. There really didn’t seem to be an A Story. The murder story was so unimportant that we didn’t even see the resolution on screen. By the time we’d gotten to the final sequence, I’d almost forgotten Ryan O’Neal was guesting because he’d been used so little. It was nice to have him and Zooey Deschanel around, but I think you’ve really got to give them more to do.

I won’t go as far as to say that the Thiel arc saved a bad show, because it certainly wasn’t a bad episode. Did it live up to the standard it’s set for itself in the past? No, not really. But it was great to see the two sisters act together, and the cute glances at the Christmas dinner table between Bones and Booth were fun. Angela/Hodgins and Sweets/Daisy always make for fun, and we didn’t even see any Avatar posters!

Other observations:

• Anytime we get to see Ryan Murphy or any members of Bones’ family is a very good thing.
• Week three of Bones pushing my personal gross-out level to new heights.
• “Yep. Vascular tissue on your Cocky belt buckle.”
• Bones needs to carry a gun more often … Just sayin’.
• “It’s an uncanny resemblance … you’re practically sisters.”
• What’s a guy got to do to get Harry Connick, Jr.’s Christmas music integrated into a TV show?
• Cam makes a pretty damn cool mom.
• I don’t if Angela and Hodgins will ever get back together, but they will never be fully separated.
• The insert shots of Christmastime in Washington were beautiful.

Clacked by Ivey West
on Dec 11, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT