Lots of sticky wickets in last night's episode — which featured the murder of a hell-and-brimstone male televangelist turned post-op transsexual female pastor of a tiny congregation that welcomed all kinds — so where would we like to begin, Bones fans? The hour was rather lacking in any substantive Brennan-Booth 'shipper moments (except perhaps finding out that while Booth would like Brennan better as a man, Brennan would probably find Booth too pretty as a woman), which leaves us with only the issues. Anyone got anything profound to say about sexual orientation or religion? What about boating accidents and/or the importance of swimming with a buddy? On our newly developed Zack Replacement Scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a brain in a jar and 10 being George Clooney, where would you put tonight's random-fact-filled but ultimately disposable intern, Mr. Nigel "Vino Delectable" Murray? And how much longer can the Murphy Brown-style rotating employee schtick stay fun?
Last week, Media Life Magazine reported on a new study from Marketing Evaluations, The Q Scores Company, which measured and ranked viewers' emotional attachment to broadcast TV shows during the '07-'08 season. ("Emotional attachment" was defined as how committed you are to continuing to watch a show.) This list of the 20 series that garnered the greatest devotion (I've included it after the jump) definitely got EW's TV department talking.
And that conversation got me thinking: Let's do our own informal poll for the '08-'09 season: Name the five broadcast TV shows you are most committed to watching this fall. (I know we all love our cable, so this may hurt a little.)
My list:
1. Fox's Bones (for those of you wondering where the PopWatch love has been, Abby West will be bringing it back starting this week)
2. ABC's Brothers & Sisters (I would happily marry into the Walker clan, if only for the wine; pictured, David Annable and Emily VanCamp) (Also: Slezak is recapping later today in PopWatch, fear not)
3. ABC's Desperate Housewives (for as long as Gale Harold is on, anyway; bonus pic of him with Teri Hatcher, after the jump!)
4. The CW's Privileged (it's like an ABC Family Channel original movie, only well-written!)
5. I was gonna say CBS' Ghost Whisperer — I've got to see where they're headed with David Conrad's character — but really, it's ABC's Boston Legal. They know it's their last season, which should give them plenty of time to plot an appropriately insane, verbose, and (above all) affectionate exit for Denny Crane (William Shatner) and Alan Shore (James Spader). In the season premiere, Alan took on Big Tobacco and Denny thought his penis had Alzheimer's — very promising.
The results of EW.com's first annual EWwys, honoring the shows and actors that coulda/shoulda been nominated in Emmys 10 major categories but weren't, are in. You'll find their margins of victory in our gallery of winners (that Best Drama race was T-I-G-H-T). After the jump, the rundown of EWwy recipients, as voted by you, the readers...
Any of you out there Bones fans? Thought so. So if you happened to miss it Wednesday night, Hulu -- which is partnering with EW.com in advance of EW's Fall TV issue -- is streaming the two-hour season premiere that takes FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and Dr. Temperance ''Bones'' Brennan (Emily Deschanel) to London. Check it out below (and be sure to read Mandi's pop culture personality test with the hunky Boreanaz). And for those of us who need a forensics refresher course, Hulu has 26 old Bones episodes posted right now, including all of season 1. What are you waiting for, the weekend or something? Get to it, and post your comments below.
In honor of Bones' return tonight with a two-hour season premiere (Fox, 8 p.m. ET), I sat down with David Boreanaz yesterday and resurrected the EW Pop Culture Personality Test. Click here to read about how he used to pretend that he was Craig Sheffer to get into bars in 1994 (possibly my favorite story ever), what he asked Farrah Fawcett when he wrote her a fan letter as a child (we think he was joking?), and why he doesn't believe in TiVo or DVRs (fascinating... but wrong). He also went off on Heroes, a.k.a. "the most overrated show on TV," and Fox, for giving Fringe the Tuesday night pairing with House that he clearly wanted — so that's enjoyable, too. As for this "weirdest place" that he's ever done an interview? In need of a quiet location at the Trump International Hotel & Tower, we were sent to the spa waiting room. The soothing music almost lulled him to sleep on a comfy cream leather couch. Luckily, there was just enough foot traffic to keep him awake — and laughing. He greeted every hotel employee that passed through and told one robed woman that she'd made a good choice when she grabbed an orange from the fruit platter. (Though he'd later steal a banana...) When Ivanka Trump walked by, leading a large tour of suits, he repeated "Bones, 8 o'clock, Wednesday nights, best show on television" on loop. (One woman said she was now going to program the show on her DVR — ha!)
If you're in the mood for more Bones talk, check out the The Writers in the Bonecast, a podcast hosted by Lindsey Patten of the ABY forum and Wendy Young of Obsessed With Bones. They invited myself and Jamie Frevele of The Huffington Post to participate in a 90-minute rumble with them last weekend. We covered the season-three finale, the Hodgela storyline (snooze), whether we want to see Zack return in Season 4 (cut and run, I say!), and if/when/how Booth and Brennan should get together.
EW's Whitney Pastorek sat down with David Boreanaz at Comic-Con Friday (watch Part 2 of their conversation below), and he had two great ideas for Bones' fourth season:
1. That Booth should injure his firing hand and have to depend on Bones to do things for him. Hilarious. Made me want to watch the Halloween episode "Mummy in the Maze" again, when she was packing as Wonder Woman.
2. That he guest blog for us throughout the season. That might help us get over Gormogongate. What do you think?
If I could give him the gift of a career, I would. But he'll just have to settle for me putting this out into the ether: Wouldn't he be great in a guest arc on Bones? He's already played FBI for Fox once (a hostage negotiator in Standoff, below). Physically, he's totally Brennan's type. And how much fun would it be to watch him out-Booth Booth?
Have you ever been watching TV, had a serious emotional breakdown over a plot twist, and blamed it on the fact that you were "sleep-deprived?" This just in: You are not full of s---.
Let me take you back seven days: Alynda Wheat sent me her rough cut of the Bones season finale so that Abby West and I could watch it together in the office. Even though I'd had approximately five hours of sleep on each of the three previous nights, we decided to stay late anyway and have our screening... in Dave Karger's office. (He has a love seat, and is so nice that he won't mind if/when he reads this.) Fifty seconds in, when Sweets said, "It's Agent Booth's funeral, Dr. Brennan," Abby had to press pausebecause I told her to. A minute later, when Caroline started delivering her graveside eulogy, I slid off the love seat onto my knees, turned my back to the television, hugged the seat cushion, looked up at Abby, and said something to the effect of, "What?... Wait. What?... What?" It wasn't that I thought Booth (David Boreanaz) could actually be dead. (And no one should've, which is why I didn't use a spoiler alert.) It was that my mind was too mushy to process anything unexpected and remotely upsetting. Right?
Right! I just Googled sleep-deprivation and emotional, and the first link was this: "Sleep-deprivation causes an emotional brain 'disconnect."' It says, "Without sleep, the emotional centers of the brain dramatically overreact to negative experiences, reveals a new brain imaging study.... The reason for that hyperactive emotional response in sleep-deprived people stems from a shutdown of the prefrontal lobe — a region that normally keeps emotions under control."
That makes perfect sense. So now, while I Google which of my lobes insisted that Abby rewind Booth's bathtub scene (embedded below, because I can't let go of that beer helmet issue I have), share what TV moments you've overreacted to due to sleep-deprivation. I know I was pooped when I phoned a friend after that Miranda-chokes-home-alone episode of Sex and the City and left an urgent message saying I would tap out a code if I ever needed her to call an ambulance but couldn't speak. A tuckered Slezak admits that he was "emotionally wobbly" throughout Wednesday's American Idol finale. Your turn.
After reading the comments on my post mourning CBS' cancellation of Moonlight (pictured), in which some viewers vow to boycott the network, and those on Abby West's Bones season finale preview and postmortem, in which a handful of fans threaten to abandon the Fox drama after its rushed resolution to the Gormogon case, I'm wondering how often people actually follow through on such promises.
So, tell me: Have you ever boycotted an entire network? Or gone cold turkey on a show because you felt it did you wrong? And how long did you hold out? I'm fascinated.
So that's it, folks. We've come to the end of the road on season 3, and I have to say that I've got mixed feelings about last night's finale. From the fake funeral in the beginning to the heartbreaking revelation of Gormogon's apprentice at the end, much of the episode either rang false or felt a little too condensed for me. (We'll reveal the killer's name after the jump for those who actually haven't watched the show yet. Get on that already.) Suffice it to say, for now, that to make me believe that ending, to wrap my head around that logic, it would have needed another episode or two to play out.
But let's start with the fake out over Booth's alleged death. I don't think anyone really thought Booth was dead, despite Emily's Deschanel's superb acting, selling Brennan's desire to stay within the cold embrace of her work to avoid the sadness of her Booth's supposed demise. There was so much that could have been done with this if it were stretched out longer than three minutes. I concede that it may have taken the characters too far along their building-love path, but it seemed like a cheap trick to find out so quickly that after Booth was shot in the chest last week by stalker Pam that the FBI supposedly used that opportunity to fake his death and lure out another killer. And that the good doctor Sweets would use this as a chance to test Brennan's feelings for her partner by not telling her that he was alive. Back in the lab, Brennan was rightly livid that she wasn't told, and that anger led to last night's finest scene for some: a naked Booth in the bathroom.
Now I won't harp on the beer-can hat being a little incongruous (though, as one Bones-obsessed colleague of mine pointed out, there was a tray there that he could have used and a beer hat seemed too low-rent for him, even in the comfort of his bathroom) but from the Green Lantern comic book to the cigar to the vinyl record playing on an actual record player, that was a total guy-bath time. And let's not forget the rubber ducky that shows up later. The scene might have been too light-hearted for some but a more serious scene, one in which Brennan didn't actually gesture at his nether regions and ask if he wanted a towel, would also have brought them closer to the brink of consummating their sexual tension. And in our heart of hearts, we want them to put that off as long as possible.
Fox's Bones concludes its strike-shortened season
tonight, wrapping up the series' first attempt at a serialized story
line with the unveiling of the skeleton-collecting, cannibalistic
Gormogon killer and his apprentice. We caught up with exec-producer
Hart Hanson shortly after it was announced that, in the show's fourth
season, it would break from it's Monday-night pairing with House, moving
to Wednesdays in the fall and Fridays come January. While he's hopeful
that the Friday-night placement, meant to help build other shows,
won't happen, and accepted yet another schedule change, Hanson seemed
to crave a little stability. ("I would like them to be tossing all
their effort into making our show a huge hit instead of something
between a huge hit and a cult hit," he said.) Still, Hanson talked to
us about the finale and what went into the planning of this season,
answering some PopWatch questions along the way. (Sorry, guys, no word
on if/when David Boreanaz' Booth and Emily Deschanel's Bones will
finally hook up.) Read Hanson's (spoiler-free) remarks below, and check back with us tomorrow, after the big reveal, to
read more from Hanson on how they decided who the killer would be and
what it could mean for the show next year.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When the identities of the Gormogon killer and his apprentice (which we at PopWatch know) are revealed, are you concerned about the fan reaction? Hart Hanson: I'm counting on it. We're expecting a violent
reaction. When you make a change to a beloved ensemble cast, it's a
good thing and a bad thing. You lose someone but you've got to make
changes and keep it alive. The kiss of death is to keep adding
characters without making room for them because everyone is
underserviced.
Given that you had to rejigger the end of the season, are you happy with the resolution?
I think it works. We'll find out how it works. If
there hadn't been a strike, we would have had a few more Gormogon
stories and it would not have played out exactly the way it did play
out but the end result would have been the same. There would have been
people gone because of the Gormogon. It just would have played out in
different ways. Characters could have been killed for example. However,
one of the things we've found out is that on our show, despite the
murder and mayhem, we are fairly funny, and were we to kill people,
beloved characters, for example, having our regular characters live
with that would be more difficult than if they didn't die. So in that
respect, it worked out just fine for the series.
Of course, I had to write this. But I almost didn't. This week's stalker-themed episode of Bones made me feel a little guilty for knowing that festive socks and hockey are actually two of David Boreanaz's favorite things in real life. In fact, I'm pretty sure he already got the birthday present he wanted: His beloved Philadelphia Flyers are still alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs after finally winning one against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. Boreanaz has been blogging about the Flyers' Cup run for NHL.com. Even if you're not a hockey fan, you might enjoy him calling out Sidney Crosby's "Rico Sanchez porn mustache." No? Then maybe this clip of him "throwing down" with Friday Night Lights' Taylor Kitsch at a celebrity hockey event earlier this year? No? Fine. Then just celebrate by watching the Angel bloopers below and the Bones gag reel after the jump.
What a way to race toward the season finale: a relatively tight murder mystery, a lot of humor, and an emotional (if not suspenseful) cliffhanger. Not to mention combining Bones with another PopWatch favorite, American Idol.
Season 6's Brandon Rogers helped set the open mic scene with his version a Pippin song, and season 5's Ace Young (pictured) played the talented victim. As with all our vics, more than one person had motive to kill the not-so-nice and ambitious singer, from the cheated gym owner to the stalker client, Pam Nunan (Jennifer Hasty). But it was his hyper-sensitive artist neighbor who took a clay string to the stoned singer's throat and tried to cover it up. (I do wonder, though, why, after killing someone in the name of getting peace and quiet, would he live with the ongoing alarm instead of just breaking into the apartment to silence it? Or was that supposed to be all Tell-tale Heart-esque?)
The ideas of status and power were threaded throughout the episode, but Brennan's praising of Booth while noting her own elevated status ("Since I'm the best in my field, it would be self-destructive to work with someone who's beneath me.") was particularly choice. And Zack was full of surprises that affected his status last night: citing
his home workout regimen that accounted for his deceptively strong
physique and later bursting into song to prove to Hodgins that he had
achieved some measure of status because of his singing voice. Was it me
or did Angela and Cam seem to view Zack in a new light after his
rendition of "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing"?
Former American Idol contestants Brandon Rogers and Ace Young guest on tonight's episode of Bones (8 p.m. ET). Both play aspiring singers: Brandon's character is credited as "Broadway Wannabe," while Ace's goes by the name "Tommy Sour." From the Fox teasers, we know that Ace is the one who bites it. But, watch the clips below and cast a vote for the Idol alum you would spare. (Why? Because I'm feeling puckish.)
Okay, let's just get this out of the way: I cried during this episode. I know, I know. We're all aware this show is all about the chemistry between Booth and Brennan (pictured; just see Mandi's post on the subject for a refresher) but it was all dialed up to 11 last night during the trial of Brennan's father, Max Keenan (Ryan O'Neal), for killing the FBI director who was stalking his children. The case, with it's own ups and downs that kept you unsure of whether Max would go free, ended up spotlighting Booth and Brennan's special connection in unique and touching ways. By the time her father was released, it was fitting that Booth was hugging her other man outside while waiting to hear the verdict.
What made the show so much better was that they weren't limited to the really heavy emotions but were able to be playful and light with one another and show how in sync they are, like Booth telling Special Prosecutor Caroline Julian that he didn't mind Brennan laughing herself to tears at his hypothesis for the oddly positioned skeleton in the beginning of the episode, or their teasing of Sweets when he asked to continue meeting with them. (The two of them singing "He really liiiikes us" in unison was genius.)
It's been a week since we had an image of Bones' David Boreanaz on PopWatch (and even though Abby West’s Mini TV Watch will post in a few hours, I can’t wait). So, tell us: Can Boreanaz (Special Agent Seeley Booth) and Emily Deschanel (Dr. Temperance Brennan) compete for the title of TV's Best Chemistry? To be clear: "Chemistry" is not limited to "sexual tension" (although I'm willing to bet the clip below, from the Bones pilot, is what scored that series its original pickup). In our book, it also describes the shared sense of timing that makes Calista Flockhart (Kitty McCallister) and Sally Field (Nora Walker) a joy to watch on Brothers & Sisters; that's earned James Spader (Alan Shore) and William Shatner (Denny Crane) each Emmys for Boston Legal. Because we're looking for the best chemistry in TV history, feel free to nominate classic duos like The Dukes of Hazzard's James Best (Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane) and Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg). We'll even accept James Best and the basset hound that played Flash, if you can make your argument in 75 words or less...
I have to agree with my friend Mandi Bierly. This was one of the best Bones ever, if only for Brennan's priceless interactions with the baby, whose murdered mom was the primary victim this episode. Brennan's initial desire to remain distanced and logical when it came to baby Andy were hilarious. From her declaration that "Elephants are not purple. This is wrong" to her notation that while bears often adorn children's clothing, "in reality they would devour a small child." Too funny. And a great balance to the sadness of the situation in the economically depressed Virginia town, where the victim's embezzling boss killed her and an accountant who found him out.
Didn't you know that as soon as Brennan connected with the baby as a fellow child whose mother is dead—not to mention that they both had felons for fathers—she would be all in? I would've loved to have seen Brennan at home with Andy at night, the better to understand how and why she started warming up to him. And of course, the next time I'm playing with a baby I really won't be able to stop myself from wiggling my fingers at then and cooing "Phalanges! Phalanges!" (Anyone else thought of Friends' Phoebe stopping Rachel's plane by saying something was wrong with the phalanges?)
I know the show is based on finding icky corpses, but last night's grates-and-bleacher-smooshed basketball player was one for the books. Add to that the family of rats nestled in the clothing and we entered a whole new level of disturbing. Thankfully, the case of who killed the star college forward was a nicely intricate one that held together as we went from suspecting the sleazy booster who befriended the player and supplied him with steroids, to the player who would benefit the most from his death, to the basketball-player-turned security guard who ultimately confessed to the murder out of love for his daughter, who'd been getting it on with the STD-carrying player under the bleachers. (BTW: Almost as disturbing as the decomposed body was the amount of sexual…nonchalance (?) exhibited by the girls in the episode when it came to these athletes. I know that it's a stereotype that's long been out there, but let's hope that in the real world it's more fiction than fact....Right. I'll stop kidding myself now.)
It was yet another chance to go into the world of the jock, a world that Booth calls home but in which Brennan is completely out of her element. Heck, even Zack and Hodgins knew the name and the stats of the college b-ball star — and were impressed. But Brennan remained dismissive of sports, calling them "childish games," and those who watch them "juvenile." I don't remember Booth ever getting as offended by her statements as he did last night, since "he's all about sports."
Ahhh. The return of Bones is like catching sight of your favorite comfy chair at the end of a long day. The discovery of the remains of a body (this time in mud), the crime scene banter that often includes awkward moments and odd clarifications (that's serious as a heart attack guys — not gas attack), lab challenges, tag-teamed interrogations — and, oh yeah, lovely contrived reasons for our favorite forensic anthropologist and FBI agent to interact outside of their work. I don't know about you, but I settled back in pretty quickly.
The first new episode since last November didn't pick up on any of the threads of ongoing story lines: nothing about Gormogon, the search for Angela's husband, or Brennan and Booth's spectacular mistletoe kiss. What we did get was the case of the skeleton in the mud pit that ended up being a champion motorcycle rider who had gone missing after a big win. His team owner's son — a rival racer — and another driver he'd put in a wheelchair both came under suspicion very quickly, until the son was killed riding the first guy's bike that had been tampered with.
Even though it was fun to get back into Zack and Hodgins' King of the Lab competition as they tried to narrow down the murder weapon for mud-pit guy, I kind of felt that, as a group, they took way too long to figure out that the damage in the front of the head was caused by a fall that came after the victim was struck in the back of the head. By the time the victim's blood-covered truck was discovered and Angela explained the choke-up on the prybar, it was pretty clear that the cool-as-cucumber sister was the culprit.
The guest turn by M.C. Gainey (Lost) as the Fitz family
lawyer was a treat. As Gainey himself has said, at least according to
IMDB, his face lends itself to questionable characters. That, combined
with his role as one of those devious Others on Lost, was a cue
to be highly skeptical of his clients. He managed to give his
performance nice hints of humor between the doggedness (in explaining
forensic evidence from his client: "Did you shake hands with him? Sit
next to him at the bar? Make out a little?"). I can't say I had the
same warm and fuzzy feeling from the über-annoying, way-too-enthusiastic FBI motor tech (Darlena Tejeiro), who I feared was being
placed as new diversion love interest for Booth. A
Three Stooges theory of aggression? Really? If we're destined to see
her again, lets hope they turn down the pushiness and toy with the
quirkiness.
exhaustivo adjective Feeling exhausted because you stayed up too late the night before watching shows recorded to your TiVo or DVR. Commonly accompanied by the self-flagellation, "Why do I do this to myself?"
Origin: Wednesday morning, three blocks into my 12-block walk to work, I regretted staying up till 3 a.m. watching (or fast-forwarding through) four new-to-me Angel repeats, American Idol, the Dancing With the Stars results show, and a Bones rerun on TNT that, hello, I actually own on DVD. (But it was the season 1 Christmas episode where everyone gets quarantined in the Jeffersonian, and only Booth gets to enjoy the fun side effects of the antifungal cocktail they're administered, as seen below.) Which is why I said to myself, as I was trudging, "I am exhaustivo."
1. Hosts of any kind are disqualified. The relationship you're creating is real; your better half must be fictional.
2. You can't change anything about your partner — other than that he or she will no longer have the hots for the show love interest, obviously.
3. You must explain why you'd make a good match, so when other PopWatchers want to steal your pick, they know what they're up against.
After the jump: Three of the TV heartthrobs who made our cut, and why.
The following IM conversation took place at approximately 11 a.m. ET between myself and the totally-happily married Abby West (who writes PopWatch's Bones recaps).
When was the last time you IM'd, emailed, or phoned a friend on a closing day to sanction a crush?
Mandi: dude. i am in love with Boreanaz now. a little. i watched the season 2 Bones DVD in 2 days. i thought i was just into Booth but then i spent an hour watching Boreanaz interviews on YouTube. and i kinda heart him now. that is all. Abby: you see!!! told you!!! I'm not just a boy-crazy spaz. Mandi: well, let's not jump to THAT conclusion yet Abby: um, well, okay. true but still Mandi: i think he's going to be one of those men who gets better with age. he's less beefcake and more MAN Abby: he's kinda awesome and I will take you down to get to him if ever I need to.
The current love of my life is season 1 of Bones on DVD.
I never watched the show, now in its third season, until this fall when I began reading Abby West's killer recaps, and we found ourselves discussing how David Boreanaz (pictured, with Emily Deschanel) is "so her type" — see also: Kiefer Sutherland and Brendan Fraser — over $3 mango margaritas. I bought the first season DVD yesterday, and seriously, is there anything better than sitting down with 22 episodes that you've never seen but know you'll enjoy? I cleared Disc 1 in one sitting, and let me just say this: I realize that we saw Bones (Deschanel) in a Wonder Woman costume this year, but I've never been more aware of a woman's breasts than I was of hers in the pilot. When does the Fox-iness subside?
What TV show are you currently killing hours with on DVD?
It's been two (looong) weeks since the last Bones episode of the year aired (you know, the one with "the Kiss") and I thought you might be jonesing for a little Booth/Bones action. And boy does this behind-the-scenes clip of the taping of the long-awaited kiss give you just that. It's a deeper, richer, yummier, more sensual, devastating, delicious…um, where was I? Oh, yeah. It's a hotter different version of the kiss that was actually included in the show. So, which osculation would you preferred to have seen?
I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly filled with brotherly love and good tidings to all. I'm usually reluctant to jump right into the whole Christmas thing so quickly after Thanksgiving and I'd subconsciously blocked the fact that last night would be the last Bones for the year, but still I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy thanks to the surprising abundance of wish fulfillment in an episode that centered on a dead Santa. Booth got to spend Christmas day with his son, Parker, Brennan gave her father the "family" Christmas that he really wanted, and, oh yeah, did I mention that Booth and Brennan finally kissed?
Okay, so they didn't have their tongues down each others throats or anything, but that was far more than an obligatory blackmailed kiss. He had her gum in his mouth when they were done! She grasped his lapels with both hands! He seemed unsteady on his feet when it ended and she looked very, very pleased with herself. Sure, she said it was like kissing her brother, who she must like very, very much. They both practically ran from the room, but that little kiss will likely stay with them both for a while.
I must get this out of the way: Sweets has to be just a red herring as the Gormogon killer, right? I know there's been speculation about this for a while (looking at you Jason) but the hints were so heavy-handed last night with his oh-so-timely insights and participation on the case that I have to believe they (the writers) are trying to throw us off the scent of the real killer. Besides, John Francis Daley is now a series regular. How long could they string us along and have him be the freak (Freaks and Geeks, get it? Sorry. Couldn't help it.) who's actually killing and eating people? That can't be how they roll, can it?
Okay, with that out of the way, Wow! What a great episode. It was chock full if intrigue (hidden cameras in the vault, two Gormogons, etc.) and action, not to mention family drama, just so meaty…kinda like the dead guy in the opening scene.
Yeah, yeah, we're all for personal growth and all that, but you know, there's nothing we love more than looking back on our past. An episode with a time capsule from 1987 is the perfect excuse to reference all the '80s stuff that seemed essential during some of our teenage years. (The rest of you who don't think that decade deserves such loving navel-gazing are sort of SOL here.) The show went straight to a warm happy place, name-checking such things as Betamax, Commodore Amiga computers, St. Elmo's Fire, big hair, and the Cure (yes, Brennan's "What did he have?" was one of the night's best lines, but it would have been even more satisfying if it hadn't been in last week's trailer).
Of course, the time capsule also contained the gooey remains of poor sweet programmer Roger mixed in with the trivia. The tale of the brainy kid who got the head cheerleader pregnant and was accidentally killed by his best friend was an interesting new spin on the geeks-vs.-the-cool-kids narrative that's often a subtext on this show. We've always known that the socially-awkward squints might as well be aliens to the charming Booth, and it stands to reason that these personality dynamics wouldn't be new developments. But having them work on a case that exemplified those dynamics forced at least Booth and Brennan (Emily Deschanel, pictured) to talk about those aspects of themselves beyond the superficial listings from the rest of the crew (Doc Martens, Michael Jackson glove). It manifested in both the big talks as well as the little things like Temperance's head shake and quizzical look when the 20-years-older
cheerleader asked whether we all didn't miss the way we used to be, harkening back to an adolescent glory day.
So, they faked us out with last week's teaser about the Illuminati story line: last night's death and incineration of the pretty young Jeffersonian intern was not connected to the cannibalistic serial killer who started off this season. Hey, I don't begrudge them the feint. It was a good way to keep that long-running plot device fresh in our minds, not to mention confuse this week's whodunit and provide us with a catchy new word: Gorgonzola Gormogon. (True fact: Gormogons did exist but they don't appear to have been all that menacing.)
Once again, things were a little topsy-turvy as the squints were the ones quick to make assumptions while Booth and Camille worked to rein them in. As the show progressed, I was a little surprised that the more logic-bound Brennan and Zach were so quick to connect the current case to that past one but once Booth explained it to Brennan at the end, it seemed like a no-brainer. The very thought that someone they trusted, whose credentials matched theirs and allowed them into the "house of reason," would commit such a heinous crime was more distressing than the possibility that a face-eating maniac was in their midst. The revelation that the girl's murder and that of her arrogant married lover/colleague, was all just part of a scheme to cover up a smuggling operation was nice and tidy and totally satisfying.
A sure sign that the show is starting off on the right foot is when I have to pause it to laugh during the first few minutes. Brennan's concerned statement ("Don't scare the boy, Booth") just hit me in a soft spot and made me guffaw, probably thanks to the ingenious setup of she and Booth having to succumb to the tender ministrations of the extremely young Dr. Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley, Freaks and Geeks). Both of them could barely suppress their skepticism as the green psychotherapist had them do one of those "meaningless exercises meant to illustrate the importance of supporting each other."
I've missed the distracted insight that Stephen Fry's Dr. Wyatt brought to his 3-episode arc last season as he dealt with Booth's anger issues. But Sweets (or just Lance, if you like) is the perfect model to play off of Booth's inherent alpha male routine and Brennan's calm analytical styling. He definitely got their attention when he told them they could be separated because of the perceived tension caused by Booth arresting Brennan's father. It really wasn't a surprise that their "homework" showed that they trusted each other, but little things throughout the episode led me to think that Bones might end up sharing with Sweets some of the things that annoy her about Booth: his talking to her when she's on the phone, his trying to read her answers. But no, what she showed was her protectiveness of him as she leapt to his defense when she felt his humanity was called into question. That last scene, with Booth's hurt look when he thought she wouldn't even have coffee with him if they weren't solving murders, Brennan's rational yet mindful-of-his-feelings resolution that yes, they would meet for coffee, and Sweets' knowing look as he witnessed the emotion bubbling under the surface, all portend lively therapy-room scenes to come. This is really good plot device to stir the Booth/Brennan stew.
Now, I have to say that despite my borderline obsessive love of this show, I was fully prepared to come down hard on it if last night's murder story line faltered. The last two case-of-the-week episodes were a little flawed (one was confusing, the other had an unsatisfying ending) but the show's many wonderful characters, hilarious lines, and, of course, our favorite partners in crime-fighting more than made up for it. Thankfully this week's case of the murdered organic supermarket mogul buried in a compost heap with a woman went back to the nuts and bolts of one-offs we like -- with red herrings tossed about everywhere. Could it be the wife? The enraged farmer? The daughter and her ex-boyfriend stood out from the time of their introductions, but it really wasn't until halfway through that I put it together. I had the fleeting thought when I saw the dead girl's picture that she had similar coloring as the daughter, so it really fit when they revealed that she was not the dead guy's girlfriend but his daughter. It wasn't a neck-breaking twist but it was well acted, the emotion on the face of the daughter as she realized she'd accidentally killed her half-sister, Brennan's supportive grasping of the girl's hand. I saw it coming but felt it nonetheless.
There was no further movement in the stories of the supporting cast but I didn't really miss it with the extra Booth/Brennan time. I did appreciate Hodgins' reference to the Widow's Son cannibalism conspiracy. It was a nice way to let us know they haven't forgotten the promise of the season premiere.
So, what do you think of Dr. Sweets? What were your favorite lines? How quickly do you want to see another Widow's Son episode?
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Last week, 
The results of EW.com's first annual EWwys, honoring the shows and actors that coulda/shoulda been nominated in Emmys 10 major categories but weren't, are in. 
In honor of Bones' return tonight with a two-hour season premiere (Fox, 8 p.m. ET), I sat down with David Boreanaz yesterday and resurrected the EW Pop Culture Personality Test. Click 
After reading the comments on 
So that's it, folks. We've come to the end of the road on season 3, and I have to say that I've got mixed feelings about last night's finale. From the fake funeral in the beginning to the heartbreaking revelation of Gormogon's apprentice at the end, much of the episode either rang false or felt a little too condensed for me. (We'll reveal the killer's name after the jump for those who actually haven't watched the show yet. Get on that already.) Suffice it to say, for now, that to make me believe that ending, to wrap my head around that logic, it would have needed another episode or two to play out. 
What a way to race toward the season finale: a relatively tight murder mystery, a lot of humor, and an emotional (if not suspenseful) cliffhanger. Not to mention combining Bones with another PopWatch favorite, 
Okay, let's just get this out of the way: I cried during this episode. I know, I know. We're all aware this show is all about the chemistry between Booth and Brennan (pictured; just see 
I have to agree with my friend Mandi Bierly. This was one of the best Bones ever, if only for Brennan's priceless interactions with the baby, whose murdered mom was the primary victim this episode. Brennan's initial desire to remain distanced and logical when it came to baby Andy were hilarious. From her declaration that "Elephants are not purple. This is wrong" to her notation that while bears often adorn children's clothing, "in reality they would devour a small child." Too funny. And a great balance to the sadness of the situation in the economically depressed Virginia town, where the victim's embezzling boss killed her and an accountant who found him out. 
I know the show is based on finding icky corpses, but last night's grates-and-bleacher-smooshed basketball player was one for the books. Add to that the family of rats nestled in the clothing and we entered a whole new level of disturbing. Thankfully, the case of who killed the star college forward was a nicely intricate one that held together as we went from suspecting the sleazy booster who befriended the player and supplied him with steroids, to the player who would benefit the most from his death, to the basketball-player-turned security guard who ultimately confessed to the murder out of love for his daughter, who'd been getting it on with the STD-carrying player under the bleachers. (BTW: Almost as disturbing as the decomposed body was the amount of sexual…nonchalance (?) exhibited by the girls in the episode when it came to these athletes. I know that it's a stereotype that's long been out there, but let's hope that in the real world it's more fiction than fact....Right. I'll stop kidding myself now.)
Ahhh. The return of Bones is like catching sight of your favorite comfy chair at the end of a long day. The discovery of the remains of a body (this time in mud), the crime scene banter that often includes awkward moments and odd clarifications (that's serious as a heart attack guys — not gas attack), lab challenges, tag-teamed interrogations — and, oh yeah, lovely contrived reasons for our favorite forensic anthropologist and FBI agent to interact outside of their work. I don't know about you, but I settled back in pretty quickly. 
In honor of Valentine's Day, and with a nod to our gallery of 
The following IM conversation took place at approximately 11 a.m. ET between myself and the totally-happily married Abby West (who writes 
The current love of my life is season 1 of Bones on DVD.
I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly filled with brotherly love and good tidings to all. I'm usually reluctant to jump right into the whole Christmas thing so quickly after Thanksgiving and I'd subconsciously blocked the fact that last night would be the last Bones for the year, but still I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy thanks to the surprising abundance of wish fulfillment in an episode that centered on a dead Santa. Booth got to spend Christmas day with his son, Parker, Brennan gave her father the "family" Christmas that he really wanted, and, oh yeah, did I mention that Booth and Brennan finally kissed?
I must get this out of the way: Sweets has to be just a red herring as the Gormogon killer, right? I know there's been speculation about this for a while (looking at you Jason) but the hints were so heavy-handed last night with his oh-so-timely insights and participation on the case that I have to believe they (the writers) are trying to throw us off the scent of the real killer. Besides, John Francis Daley is now a series regular. How long could they string us along and have him be the freak (Freaks and Geeks, get it? Sorry. Couldn't help it.) who's actually killing and eating people? That can't be how they roll, can it?
Yeah, yeah, we're all for personal growth and all that, but you know, there's nothing we love more than looking back on our past. An episode with a time capsule from 1987 is the perfect excuse to reference all the '80s stuff that seemed essential during some of our teenage years. (The rest of you who don't think that decade deserves such loving navel-gazing are sort of SOL here.) The show went straight to a warm happy place, name-checking such things as 
So, they faked us out with last week's teaser about the Illuminati story line: last night's death and incineration of the pretty young Jeffersonian intern was not connected to the cannibalistic serial killer who started off this season. Hey, I don't begrudge them the feint. It was a good way to keep that long-running plot device fresh in our minds, not to mention confuse this week's whodunit and provide us with a catchy new word: 
A sure sign that the show is starting off on the right foot is when I have to pause it to laugh during the first few minutes. Brennan's concerned statement ("Don't scare the boy, Booth") just hit me in a soft spot and made me guffaw, probably thanks to the ingenious setup of she and Booth having to succumb to the tender ministrations of the extremely young Dr. Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley, Freaks and Geeks). Both of them could barely suppress their skepticism as the green psychotherapist had them do one of those "meaningless exercises meant to illustrate the importance of supporting each other." 
