When I first saw photos of Booth in a wrestling ring with a little person, I feared we were looking at a mistake the size of last season’s circus episode. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong. This could be my favorite hour of Season 5. The “midget wrestling” was a little wacky, but it produced a classic Brennan moment as she realized the Iron Leprechaun they were watching be defeated by Bumble Bee Man was not the real Iron Leprechaun, whose body they’d found in a sink hole: “Boo! That man is not The Iron Leprechaun! Boooo! Fake! Fake!… Fraud! Look at his femur!” she shouted. Also, I did laugh when Booth jumped in the ring to nab the impostor, who tried various wrestling moves on him that I could have identified when I was in the sixth grade and a Rock ‘n’ Roll Express fan. “What do you expect me to do, he came at me like a rabid ferret,” Booth said after flattening the suspect, raising his arms to celebrate, and being booed.
When Bones is at its best, the case is used to further illustrate what’s happening in Booth and Brennan’s relationship. Gidget, the Vince McMahon of the midget wrestling world and the victim’s ex, put it well when she told them that when something goes wrong in the heart department for a man, it always shows itself in another way. For Booth, the fact that he’s in love with Bones but can’t tell her was affecting his aim — which was a problem since he had to be recertified. He went to see Gordon Gordon (Stephen Fry), who I demand return every Sweeps period even though he’s now a cook chef. The character has such a lovely demeanor that he makes the show feel homey. When he’s around, we also find things out. Most importantly, last night, he and Sweets discussed the reason Sweets had never published his book on Booth and Brennan: He wasn’t sure he should make public what they can’t admit to each other — they’re in love. The two men agreed that after Brennan’s traumatic childhood of abuse and abandonment, she used her intelligence to build an armor so she wouldn’t have to feel intense emotions like love. Booth is sensitive to that vulnerability and knows that admitting his feelings to her would be some kind of assault. His problem at the gun range was “phallic frustration” and the reason he’s behaved differently since his coma dream, during which he realized how he felt about her. In short: Not being able to have the woman he loves can drive a man crazy. (Which is what Booth explained to the victim’s sister-in-law. She’d been having an affair with him, which is why her husband killed his brother.)
Gordon Gordon eventually sat Booth down and told him that he’s in love with Brennan. “She doesn’t love me. I would know if she loved me,” Booth responded. (David Boreanaz can always make your heart ache when he wants to. Whether it’s a line that clear, or that subtle “Really?” he uttered when Brennan told Gidget she actually prefers good boys.) Gordon Gordon said Booth needs to have hope and patience. I suppose it would have been cruel for him to tell Booth about the look in Brennan’s eyes when she’d told him that she couldn’t think of a thing she wouldn’t do to help Booth with his mental block. Instead, Gordon Gordon suggested Booth “grow a set” and be a man at his recertification. What he meant was, Booth would never fail Brennan if her life depended on his aim. Bring her to the range and protect her. That final scene, when Booth nailed his target, and Brennan gave him the thumbs up? I applauded.
So, what did you think of the episode? How good was it to have Gordon Gordon back and consulting with Sweets? (Do you think Fry improvised spitting out the potato, or did John Francis Daley just really sell his surprise?) Do you appreciate, as much as I do, Brennan acknowledging that it’s time she “adapt,” even if it results in her making charmingly bad jokes? (“I’m becoming quite amusing.”) Was Booth saying “Chef, I need some advice” a South Park reference? And did you feel a little uncomfortable when Gordon Gordon fed Booth and Brennan something he admitted looked like sperm?
More Bones: 15 exclusive on-set photos — snapped by the cast!
Photo credit: Greg Gayne/FOX
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Mandi i always love your recaps. This episode made me really sad. I cant stand seeing Booth hurt and vulnerable although i secretly love it. Its episodes like these that make me love Bones.
Best episode of season 5
Booth was so heartbreaking in every scene, David hit the nail on the head with each of Booth’s emotions and trials, acting masterclass
Great recap! I really liked this episode. The two stories were interwoven well Booth to the cheating wife “When a man can’t have the woman he loves he goes a little crazy” and loved Booth not denying when Gordon says he loves Bones “She doesn’t love me”. I agree with you I think the potato bit was improvised loved Sweet’s expression! Our site does recaps of Bones and Supernatural and Dollhouse if you want to stop by and say hello at Mile High Horrors.
Mandy, you write the BEST recaps! I can tell you love the show as much as the rest of us fangirls.
You’re spot on with David’s ability to make your heart ache. He’s so good at it! And I’m going to vote for Stephen Fry improvising that spitting out of the potato. That was hilarious. 
I loved this episode! You captured the key elements for me. “The character [Gordon Gordon]has such a lovely demeanor that he makes the show feel homey. When he’s around, we also find things out.” This episode tied up some loose ends. I loved it.
LOVED this episode. Gordon Gordon rocks and I love Booth’s non-denial of his feelings for Brennan. Mandi, you do a great job at recaps and you totally hit the nail on the head. Bones is at it’s best when it furthers Booth and Brennan’s relationship. The last scene was one of my favorites. Brennan giving Booth the thumbs up and Booth’s small smile at the camera. Woo! Boreanz you’re an acting genius!!
On a total shallow note – David and therefore Booth looked so amazing throughout
His hotness just took my breath away at times.
WOW!
A friend and I were facebook chatting while watching it and we couldn’t get over how hot he looked in the three piece suit. Dang!
Seriously – he was very, VERY hot. he is looking awesome this season, which makes me hopeful that there will be some unclothed Boothiness at some point (preferably with an unclothed Brennan as well)
David gets better looking with age, I LOVED him in Buffy and Angel, but he is better looking now than he was then, NOT FAIR!!!
He looks good in anything, but I gotta agree that he’s a man who can really wear a suit! Yow-za!
I loved it but was confused by one thing — If Sweets knew they were in love when he wrote the book, why did he tell Booth he wasn’t in love with her before the coma (remember the scans)?
If every episode could have stuff to evolve the relationship like this one did, I would be blissfully happy. And I wish the “chef” was on every episode!
I think Sweets was trying to protect Booth from possibly going too quickly, which may make Brennan balk. He thinks if Booth tells her that he is in love with her so soon after the brain tumor, with so many other changes, that she will discount it as an artifact of his brain damage, not a pre-existing condition, so to speak.
Good call Sarah!
Agreed
Agreed. And Booth and Brennan sort of inducted Sweets into their makeshift family. He’s quite protective of them. I loved that he concluded they were in love prior to Booth’s surgery, and love love love that he won’t publish the book because he doesn’t want to embarrass them or ruin their chances. It could seriously affect their partnership, too, if the FBI found out.
Great recap! Loved this episode! Stephen Fry is amazing and should definitely be back as often as possible.
My heart broke when Booth said¨she doesnt love me¨…i want this to be extended as long as can get (Booth & Brennan a couple )…Funny thing, did you notice in the begining of the episode with dr saroyan and mr name so long that i cant remember, that an Xray of Homer Simpson was in the back!!! its like in the 1:58 minute i think..i think it was Hilarious
I saw that too – very funny considering Dan Castellaneta plays Homer and was also the security guard in this episode.
they were having a promotion on fox where you have to spot the simpsons references in the episode and win…something?? good job guys! i heard that before bones started and didnt even notice either of those things.
I was watching the episode online. I had to rewind and pause to catch it, but I did notice it. Did you notice Homer’s teeny, tiny brain in the x-ray.
are we still allowed to say “midget”??? I always thought they prefered “little people”
Little people participate in a sport called “midget wrestling”—but you should not call a little person a midget.
I had a mixed reaction to the episode…I don’t like when the writers or whomever make the Booth character too contrived a buffoon; accidental buffoonery is fine by me. I do like it when there is frank discussion/vulnerability. I am hoping we will see absolute bliss in a Boreanaz character(Booth bliss would work for me), someday soon. And there you have it; I am a girl. Glad you are back Mandi. ps I agree about Stephen Fry, potatoes improv and recurring.
DB and ED say more with their eyes than just about every other actor on tv. A great episode! One beef though for Gordon Gordon and Angela – Booth didn’t fall in love with Brennan during his coma dream. He may have realized it through the dream, but he has been in love with her a lot longer than that.
I totally agree with that!!!
Like Sweets wouls say: totally!
ok ..did anyone else notice homer simpson’s brain x-ray in one of the inital scenes of the episode?..the one with cam and nigel murray? or was it my imagination?
@lore…ok i guess it wasn’t my imagination!
This was disappointing. It was a cinch to figure out who the killer was. Classic Kane v Abel. But the rest of the episode was good.
Actually it is Cain and Abel.
Stephen Fry, MISTER Nigel Murray, Dan Castellaneta, and Booth finally expressing he loves Bones? It’s like all of my favourite Bones things rolled into one episode…