Do you ever have one of those days? Everything is going great. You wake up and your hair is naturally awesome, your friend you haven’t heard from in forever e-mails you to make plans, you go out for lunch and get the best sandwich ever, you find a twenty in your coat pocket. And then … something happens. Maybe you burn dinner. Maybe you get a really big bill. Maybe you trip and sprain your ankle. But something, some little, tiny thing, ruins your otherwise perfect day. And even though maybe the day, as a whole, was a win, all you take away from it was the fact that your ankle really freaking hurts and everything sucks.
That day? Was this episode of Bones.
The murder this week was absolutely phenomenal. It was just the right mixture of disgusting, fascinating, and innovative. Death by chocolate! Corporate espionage! If there’s one thing you can say about Bones, it’s that you almost never have a crime on it you’ve seen on some other procedural. And how cool was that postmortem eruption thing with Cam analyzing the gas bubbles? I mean, it wasn’t just me and the fact that I’m exactly the kind of gross person with a twelve-year-old’s sense of humor, was it? Also, the victim’s name was Harriet, and she was a spy. Harriet the Spy! I wasn’t the only one laughing there, was I?
I loved the Cam storyline, despite the fact that it gave me traumatic college application flashbacks. I loved the power play between parent and child as far as future plans go, and it rang so true to what really happens. Cam’s scene with Sweets was particularly lovely, especially when it came to the part where Sweets says his only experience caring for something is sponsoring a rare water buffalo. I continue to adore the Hodgins and Angela baby storyline and feel it is just utterly too precious for words. Plus — Vincent Nigel-Murray. He’s by far my favorite squintern. He’s just so cute, with his little accent and facts. That one about the Quakers and chocolate? Awesome. I plan on using it at every cocktail party I pretend I’m invited to.
I even felt really, really hopeful about the direction that the Booth and Brennan storyline was taking. The banter back and forth and use of the word “yowza” seemed to really be settling back into their old groove, like they were finally leaving behind the massive awkwardness between them behind. And then … that last scene. I had such hopes for that scene. They weren’t even high ones, really, I just wanted them to all go to the bar, Hodgins to realize everyone knew, hah hah yay we’re having a baby, and scene. Was that so hard? Apparently it was, because apparently, Booth is no longer the Booth I know. Apparently we now have pod person Booth, who skips out on his friends officially announcing they’re having a kid because he really, really needs to get laid. In normal world, wouldn’t it be Brennan who’s wondering why they need to go attend this farce when they all know, and Booth would assure her that that’s what friends do, and then they’d smile at each other and raise their glasses and happy music would play? Since when does Booth ditch his friends for his lady, and how, exactly, is this going to end up making me feel anything towards said lady except bitterness that she pulled Booth away from the very important baby gathering?
I understand, in conception, what Hannah is supposed to be. She’s supposed to be that girl that gets with the guy you like, and you want to hate her because she took your man, but you can’t, because she’s awesome, and you feel sort of bad for secretly wanting her to die. That was sort of what they did with Cam, right? It should, in theory, work. I don’t know why it’s not working — if it’s the actress or the writing, or maybe a combination.
I mean, we’re supposed to believe Brennan has some great underlying respect for Hannah based on what, exactly? That Hannah stole her sunglasses? Whatever it is, it’s bumming me out and making me not look forward to Bones in two weeks, as well as be cranky that apparently Hannah’s sticking around a while. (WARNING: if you don’t want to be spoiled silly, don’t actually read that article.) I’ve never been cranky about anything on Bones for longer than a week before! I’m starting to wonder if there’s a curse of the Bones reviewer, like you can only last one season before the show frustrates you too much and you hand it off to someone else, much like Ivey handed it off to me.
Whatever it is, I don’t like it. Normally, I would comfort myself with chocolate but, well, I don’t think I’m in the mood for that right now.
Clacked by Julia Hass 
on Nov 19, 2010 @ 14:47 EST5EDT
Brennan cares about Hannah because she really cares for Booth and Booth loves Hannah …
It’s just her messed up way of showing Booth how much she loves him
Am I the only one who was completely on the Cam’s side in the college application stuff? Obviously forging an application to Johns Hopkins is a bit much, but telling your daughter that it’s stupid to follow a boyfriend to some random school in Maine is in no way out of line.
Cam storyline was really good, as I can perfectly understand both sides of it, as a young woman you always want to follow your bf, and as a parent, you always want your kid do do better. It was really believable.
However the end with Booth felt completely out of character, Booth wouldn’t ditch a party they were already walking towards like that, he would maybe not stay for the whole time, but ditch them? Booth is a parent, he knows how important this announcement was for Hodgins.
While I was totally on-board with Cam not wanting Michelle to go to a crappy school, I kind of halted at her forging the application essay. Couldn’t she have at least asked Michelle to apply to other schools, just to humor her? If not, couldn’t she have just used one of Michele’s old essays? Even if she changed her mind, wouldn’t Michele feel like a fraud knowing it was her mom’s essay that swayed the acceptance committee?
I loved the Sweets-Cam moment, and almost wanted to see a Sweets-Cam hook-up.
Although I’m totally with you on Hannah, I’m sensing a pattern in your dislike of couples that disrupt the main couple :)
*POST AUTHOR*
The thing is, I’ve never minded before! Before I was like “hah! You girls get in there while Booth is still available!” But Hannah… ack. I don’t know what it is about her that makes me REALLY dislike her.
Is it just me, or did anyone else half hope that it was Hannah in the chocolate when they said the victim looked like her? Like maybe she was on assignment and got killed?
Oh well!
I didn’t like the Oompa Loompa bit or the Yowza. It just bugged me.
And I’m totally with you on the ending falling flat. Booth walking away? Not cool. If anything, he should have at least invited Hannah.
Overall, the episode was very meh for me.
I forcasted back in July/August that the writers are going to have Booth start gambling again. I’m wondering if that last text wasn’t one from Hannah but was a reason for him to go somewhere to shoot pool? IMO, they converted Booth all the way back to being preseason 1.
The next episode is going to be the start of his downfall. He can pretend with Brennan. He can pretend with Sweets. He can pretend with his friends. But can he pretend where his son is involved? Will Brennan let him get away with the crap he’s been pulling lately with Parker? She is Parker’s village, after all.
I think Booth is forcing this relationship with Hannah. What happens if he tries to force a relationship between Hannah/Parker because he is only seeing his ‘happily ever after’? I think Brennan is going to call him on it to protect Parker.
They really have Booth going further and further down the rabbit hole and he’s gotta break here shortly.
Honestly if it weren’t Hannah wouldn’t you understand that Booth skips a tooth-grinding event where he knows the outcome and rather be with his girlfriend?
I mean if you were looking at it from Hannah’s perspective then the great ending for the day is her boyfriend coming over instead of him doing something he has done for a couple of years.
To be honest I think it’s the other way around. He spends so much time with these people, and it’s WORK, not his LIFE. His life should be Hannah now and you complain about him not spending more time with… well… his friends? His friends at most, if you look at it closely. Maybe not even that, maybe you can even call it his work-friends.
I would even say that if he can’t commit to Hannah then how on earth should he be able to commit do anyone else? It’s as if you regard the people from the lab as his “real family” and Hannah some whore he now goes to as if he were cheating…
Well the problem is it’s not something he has done for the last 2 years, it was one of his best friend’s announcement of being a soon-to-be parent for the first time, and he knew what it was and how important it was for Hodgins and still chose not to attend even for a little while.
Sure I understand that, but the question remains – is THAT his family or is he going to build a family of his own one day?
I mentioned that in my comment – it seems the guys he works with are supposed to be more important than his relationship. And honestly it is something everybody knew already and it’s just a baby. It’s not like they were getting married or someone died. They are pregnant. Big whoop.
I understand your feelings about the last scene but even if it surprised me, I understand it. And it didn’t ruin the whole episode for me.
I think Booth can’t be that easily with Brennan outside work. And it’s not just because of Hannah. B&B are also having reversed role and I like it.
The line said by Booth ” He feel in love with a fake… ” and the whole episode turning around this theme must mean something.
I’m pretty sure we will figure it out.
I agree with many of the comments here… Although Hannah is not my favorite character-Booth’s actions are not her fault. I feel that she would have understood if he stopped by to have a drink with friends and then head home. I feel that Booth’s actions are because being around Brennan and not being with Brennan are too much for him- These social occasions are just a reminder to Booth that he is not with the woman he loves- instead he is with a fake.
While the last scene did leave me with a “wfh” feeling, let’s face it, we have all bailed on our family, at one time or another, to be with the bf/gf. Also, we don’t know if Angela even invited Booth to this schdig and have the squints reached out to him this year, I think not. I have to admit it was pretty shocking to me how much they are destroying the Booth I thought I knew.
SPOT ON !!!!!
everything i wanted to say!
Harriet the Spy and “Look at the size of that thing” … Its a pop-culture reference-apaloza.
I’m not sure, though, that you might be reaching in your hatred for Hannah. I think his absence was a lot more about it not making sense for his character to carry on the charade.
I also wonder if the banter you liked tonight was less about a change, and more about Hannah just not being in those scenes (That’s not a criticism of your point, but of the show).
Great review. I thought what Cam did was awesome because that is exactly what my mom did for me. In high school I was convinced I wanted to go to a small Christian college that is so strict you have to sign a waiver giving up dancing. I ONLY applied there. My mom pretended to be supportive, but secretly applied for me at a prestigious university– wrote my essay for me even. It has now been 5 years that I graduated from that university. I am so thankful she applied for me and I wasn’t stuck not dancing at that other place… though I still have nightmares that the school will find out I didn’t write my entrance essay!