Apr 16 2009 02:45 PM ET

'Bones' recap: Bridezilla and Dr. Burn in Hell

Mayimbialik_lSo much to talk about, where do we begin… How many of you had to put down your pasta while watching this episode? Definitely one of the bloodiest we’ve seen. The case was a dead Bridezilla, who’d been run over by an SUV — twice. I’m always a fan of the Angelator, but that recreation of the smushed head — ewwwwwwww. Was it her fiancé or her maid of honor (guest star Mayim Bialik!?, pictured) behind the wheel? No. And I’m sorta disappointed that we didn’t get to see Booth seriously interrogate the latter. I miss that Blossom sass. Was it her ex-fiancé, who was named Joe Fillion (a shoutout to David Boreanaz’s buddy Nathan, who he thinks is doing a hit-and-run on Bones with ABC’s Castle)? No. He just happened to hit a dog the week before, which is why they found a black hair in his tire. (That, and because a guy who broke down talking about the incident wouldn’t have thoroughly washed the memory of it away?) Or was it Owen Smith, the last guy the cheating bride met using a dating service that sends a picture of any potential match within 100 yards to your cell phone and allows you to choose "Date or Hate," and if both parties select "Date," then sends you the other person’s cell number? Sorta. She said "Date" to a composite photograph the creator of the service forged because he’s tired of these women who say they want a "funny, smart, successful guy" not giving him the time of day. (Note: They did not say "honest.") He drove up to meet her in the alley of the Champagne Lounge, and when she flipped him the bird, he snapped and ran her down.

For a minute, I thought the message of the episode was that any kind of dating service — online or on cell — was bad. But really, it was that when Brennan behaves like such a dick that you start to dislike her, it’s because she’s insecure and jealous of someone. At a bridal shop where the Bridezilla got into a shoving/slapping match with a consultant, Brennan and Booth saw Sweets’ girlfriend Daisy trying on a gown and hugging a man that was not her "Lancelot." Brennan, naturally, wanted to tell Sweets. Booth didn’t. Okay, I know that some groom’s do actually go dress shopping with their fiancées (which is just wrong) because I watch TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. But I think the norm is still for most couples to be afraid of the bad luck that results — or simply to want that great moment when the groom sees the bride for the first time at the far end of the aisle and smiles so big that there’s no doubt the couple will make it. Why were B&B so sure that was Daisy’s fiancé with her and that she was getting some on the side with Sweets?

As for whether they should tell Sweets, I’d love to hear what you think. In my life, I tend to operate under this rule: If you care enough about the person to stick around and help pick up the pieces, then you should deliver the blow. If you don’t, then you should tell someone who does and let them deal with it. Booth did not want Sweets to come into his office mopey and in need of manly-man advice, so he wasn’t going to spill. Brennan, being all about the truth and thinking that Sweets, as a therapist, should be able to handle the emotions on his own, eventually did. I was all for her doing it — until she did it with that air of gloating: "Obviously you can’t read all the psychological subtleties that you think you can." Brennan shouldn’t have told Sweets, because her motive wasn’t so he could make an informed choice about his relationship with Daisy — it was so she could prove her theories that love is a chemical process that causes delusion, monogamy is an unrealistic concept for man, and marriage is an innately bad idea because no one can know how she or he will feel years from now.

Brennan and I, however, made up because her emotional cruelty resulted in one of my favorite scenes on Bones this season: Sweets coming into Booth’s office mopey and in need of manly-man advice. When he started with "Well, I’ll get right to it," I actually thought he’d paid Booth a visit because he was mad at him for not telling him. But he was just putting on a brave face and pretending that he appreciated Brennan’s honesty. "No, you don’t. Come on," Booth said. "I don’t. I don’t," Sweets said, launching into the conversation Booth had been dreading. God, I love it when John Francis Daley acts flustered and depressed. Booth turning into his therapist, so clearly enjoying sitting in the chair with his hands clasped, instead of on the couch (or leather armchair, in this case) — classic. In the end, Sweets’ sanity prevailed, and he confronted Daisy, who told him that her cousin was out of town during the one-day-only, 50-percent-off sale at the bridal store, so she went dress shopping for her with the cousin’s fiancé. No way in hell does a bride let someone else choose her wedding gown, even for 50 percent off, and send her fiancé. But whatever. Sweets and Daisy had make-up sex in his office, so all is well in the world.

Back to Brennan’s insecurities… She showed up at Booth’s door for ourregular episode-ending tête-à-tête because when her belief system is shaken, she turns to him. Because, I guess, he’s actually more optimisticabout her growth potential than Angela, who usually just gives her an"Oh, sweetie" shrug. It turns out Dr. Burn in Hell (the nickname Boothgave Brennan when she didn’t see the image of the Virgin Mary in the driedblood on the cardboard the victim had been pressed between) isjealous of everyone’s faith in love. She wants to be the kind of personwho wants to lose herself in someone else, who believes love is"transcendent and eternal." Shockingly, she hadn’t yet downed anyScotch from Booth’s bottle when she delivered that line. I thought Booth was gonna put his arm around her there on his couch — you know, in one of those"partner hugs" — but he just assured her that she would be, someday. [Insert swooning over the soft Booth voice reserved just for her.]

So, you know it’s question time. Do you think Booth and Brennanshould have told Sweets about seeing Daisy with another man? (I thinkthat’s how Miss Fact Happy should’ve stated it, since that’s all shetechnically knew.) Do you think they’re making Booth look pale toforeshadow his upcoming health crisis, or is that just me imaginingthings? Who else totally knew that Angela had joined the dating serviceand would pop up on Hodgins’ cell phone right as he was about to go havedrinks with intern Wendell and his magical group of hot female friends?(Though, I expected them to each hit "date" and reunite on a corner, which they did not. I just realizedthat Angela didn’t mention her celibacy vow once this episode. Thankyou, writers!) And what exactly IS Angela’s job description? We knowit doesn’t include scraping a woman’s remains off cardboard as if shewere a pizza being removed from an oven — can I get one final ewwwwwwww?I guess it involves anything with facial reconstructions, reenactments,computers, bedazzled cell phone repairs, and lemon juice-infused arts andcrafts?

Talk among yourselves. I’ll see you back here tomorrow a.m. to dissect the second part of this week’s "two-night Bones event."

Comments (1-28) of 28 Add your comment

  • Martha

    In Honesty Straight-Talk World, Booth and Brennan should’ve gone up to Daisy in the bridal shop and asked what she was doing…but then I guess there’d be no adorable Sweets-in-therapy-with-Booth scene later. But you’re right, Mandi – a bride doesn’t let someone else choose her dress while she’s out of town, 50% off sale or not. I wish the writers would get Angela and Hodgins back together, because they’re much cuter and less annoying that way.

  • Matthew M. F. Miller

    When did Brennan stop being a rational human being? Did the writers forget that this brilliant woman spent the early years of this series trying to keep the others in the lab from making premature judgments based on incomplete evidence?
    Brennan would have seen the infinite possibilities upon seeing Daisy in the bridal shop. It was a ridiculous plot device because it is not something her character would have done. As a brilliant cultural anthropologist, she also would have understood the cultural significance of jealousy and ownership. Everything about this show is back on track except for her character.
    Temperance Brennan has gone from being a rational, out-of-the-loop, lovable geek to irritating and irrational. Perhaps the writers should buy their own DVDs and study up on who her character truly is.

  • MKS

    I got really excited when I saw Blossom! I kept thinking that the she would be back later on the show, so I was a little be disappointed that she didn’t turn out to be the killer, which would have been hilarious.

  • DJ

    At first, I was on Bones’ side about telling Sweets, but a small part of me knew it would probably backfire on her. I think that being Sealy’s partner has “prepared” her for becoming more “human”. She’s struggling with this world between rational thought and emotion. Oh, and “Dr. Burn in Hell” is one of my favorite lines of the series. What an amazing show!

  • rebecca

    No one knows what Angela’s job description is. It’s one of the great mysteries of the show. I mean, okay, she’s an “artist”… but she essentially seems to do whatever doesn’t fit into anyone ELSE’S job description.

  • kaydevo

    I think Bones was right to tell Sweets, but totally wrong about WHAT to tell him. “Are you getting married?..We saw Daisy trying on wedding dresses today.” Just the facts. Getting a little tired of Brennan’s robot-like emotional state and superiority complex. She should have grown more by now. How could she NOT have fallen for the fabulous Booth by now? Sigh. Loved the great scene with Booth as counselor, he actually was helpful to Sweets.

  • caliban821

    I felt Bones was completely in character in this episode. Despite all her claims & theories, Tempe has never been rationale or insightful in this area. Despite all her friendships, she’s a closed off woman with serious trust issues owing to her situation w/her family. It’s one of the reasons she is inferior to Booth at interrogating. It is reflected in her distain of psychology. She uses anthropological concepts to justify her fear of romance/committment. Of course under different circumstances or if Sweets wasn’t involved she would have confronted daisy to discern the truth. But her need to feed into her fears & issues overrode that. This episode was needed to make her admit that. BTW what a piece of work the victim was. We have to go beyond the “B” word to describe her. It’s a surprise she didn’t get offed sooner. And it would have been a hoot if Blossom had been the killer

  • Lin

    I cannot believe they keep taking time away from the (formerly) main characters to focus on the inept and squirrelly character of Sweets, who is unbelievable, unnecessary, unqualified and unbearable. Make him go away!

  • Jen

    For goodness all Brennan had to do was contact Daisy and ask her. Brennan use to believe that the facts were the most important thing not speculation. She has changed too much.

  • Mike

    Brennan only told Sweets cos she wanted her views to be right. It had nothing to with Sweets, or telling him. It was all about her ego. I found her attitude rude and annoying throughout

  • Lucy

    I was disappointment that Mayim Bialik didn’t have a bigger part!! That part about scrapping the victim up like a pizza was pretty gross.

  • Abbie

    Booth was so swoony. He was adorable. I love him. Wish we had more Booth’s in the world!

  • Mary

    David is one hot man! Booth is one hot FBI Agent. He is the sweetest. Just want to hug him

  • shawna

    So it’s impossible that the cousin already knew which dress she wanted and just had her cousin, who is the same size, try it on and buy it during the sale?

  • Garry

    I really get annoyed at Brennan when her unshakable logic makes her sound almost without any human feelings or compassion. She spent most of the episode actually arguing against the concept of love (which was somewhat hypocritical–didn’t she once she fall for Booth’s former colleague, who wanted to run off with Brennan to the tropics?). Her dealing with Sweets got me angry, as if she has absolutely no capacity to recognize other people’s emotions, or the effect her words has on them (classic Asperger’s Syndrome, I tell ya). It’s usually a fairly endearing trait of hers, but she went overboard in this episode.
    Of course, I can’t stay mad at Brennan for long–if only she wasn’t so breathtakingly gorgeous! Her confession to Booth of her jealousy of those who were looking for life partners was a relief to hear!

  • Cara K

    They’ve been slipping with Brennan recently. The old Brennan would not have immediately declared the cardboard woman was murdered — because she could have died accidentally and then had her body disposed of my a panicked companion. And Brennan also wouldn’t have told Sweets “Daisy is engaged” etc — I agree with Mandi that the most she would have said was “we saw Daisy wearing a wedding gown embrace another man in a bridal shop.” I want my old Brennan back!

  • Marley

    Brennan’s character is so inconsistence I really can’t be doing with her anymore. She learns one thing and forgets it the next day. Regression at it’s worst.

  • Ann

    Booth out shrinking Sweets was a classic scene. My absolute favorite. It rocked!

  • Josie

    This was a gross episode! I enjoyed it none the less. I do wish that Mayim Bialik had a bigger part then the few lines she had. Boo! I was also very surprised that Brennan automatically thought that Daisy was engaged. What happened to getting all the facts before making assumptions and false accusations? Odd…

  • BJohnson

    I think her conclusion on Daisy was spot on Bones, because only Bones with think that only brides to be and their sig. other would be there celebrating a dress. It’s wierd the writers have forgotten that time she was with that other FBI guy in season 2…crap what’s his name? The dude took off on a boat to see the world or something.
    Anyhoo, this gross out ep. does top the grossest one to date, the one of the Basketball player getting squished in between the bleachers.
    I didn’t notice Booth’s paleness, but I did hear Brennen mention how a couple of kids took to her. I am still torn about the upcoming B&B lovin’. I’m hoping that turns out to be a bad dream.

  • V

    I kinda thought the whole Daisy/dress thing would end up as Daisy wanting to get married to Sweets, and when Brennan told him, he figured it out and completely freaked out because he wasn’t ready for marriage or something. The actual plot of this was kinda forced, by comparison…actually, the whole show just didn’t flow right.
    The post-it note thing was kinda cool, though.

  • ashlee

    I agree with V that I thought Daisy was ready to wed-with no ring yet- and Sweets was on the fence. But I wanted to slap Brennan for the way she outed Daisy to Sweets. Her rationale was self-serving and had nothing to do with her concern for truth. It was nice to see the Booth/Sweets interaction though.

  • Dana

    I hate to say it, but DAMN Blossom is looking old! Loved the episode, since I was totally expecting Blossom to be the killer, so it was nice to be surprised.

  • Quratulain

    I agree with everyone who says that Brennan went off track with the whole jumping to conclusions thing. Also, the therapy session and the ending B&B discussion was fantastic. The writers had already foreshadowed this in the episode (with the Muslim intern) where she has this odd expression on her face at the end when she sees him praying. I do think however that the writers could have managed to have the therapy session without having turned off Brennan’s logic. I did not for single minute think that Daisy was with another man.

  • Quratulain

    Oh and what’s with Booth suddenly taken to name calling? Last week he referred to her as Creepy and this week Dr. Burn in Hell? What the….?

  • J Lo

    I still think Daisy is pulling a fast one on Sweets – ask any woman if they’d let someone else choose their wedding dress with their fiance and you’ll get a resounding Hell to the No. Even if that were true, the convo would go more like this “do you think she’ll like it? let me call and ask” – not the squealing and the hugging that ensued. And I agree with the other posters that Brennan, the utterly logical, emotionally detached scientist we once knew, acted out of character by leaping to this conclusion and by telling Sweets. We know she has no problem with polygamy – she didn’t bat an eye when the fiance of the scientist was sleeping with her assistant (even while engaged) in last week’s ep and in a previous season, she had no qualms about seeing two men at the same time. She would have either come up with a number of alternate scenarios or not speculated at all without knowing all the facts.

  • Lia

    I was genuinely confused since the Bones I saw last night was about heavy metal people but then I realized- whoops, I missed one! This sounds interesting, I have to go hit Hulu. Meanwhile, last nights Bones was great, especially the ending and we get details on 3 very troubled childhoods!

  • Sarah

    Along with being an artist, Angela is a technological guru. Remember she created the Angelator. That takes quite a bit of squint know how.
    As for filling in when needed, they all do that to a certain extent.

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