Bones Review: The Original Formula Wins Again

I wish all episodes of Bones could be like this. Focused. Smart. Emotional. Only marginally cheesy.

It’s a lovely thing to behold.

Unfortunately, it looks from the preview for next week that we’ll be back to the relationship issues between Brennan (Emily Deschanel), Booth (David Boreanaz), and Hannah (Katheryn Winnick), in addition to a totally out there plot. I guess we’ll just have to revel in this feeling for the next week, in the knowledge that somewhere, underneath the nonsense, the Bones we fell in love with still exists.

But enough about my own heartbreak.

This week began with an old enemy, the Gravedigger, being transported to an appeal hearing. Sweets (John Francis Daley) rides along at her request, and she berates him at every turn. Deirdre Lovejoy, who plays the Gravedigger, continues to play an insane, disturbing, child killer with eerie accuracy. Sweets is obviously shaken as he exits the armed vehicle among the crowd of screaming humanity. Some are protesting the death penalty, others are screaming for blood, and among them stands the silent father of two of her victims, video taping the proceedings.

A shot rings out and the Gravedigger’s head explodes, spattering Sweets with gore. Caroline (Patricia Belcher) is also at the scene, and as always, adds so much personality to every moment.

So the Gravedigger is dead, and a tangible relief sighs through the cast of the show. Still, murder is murder, and it’s the F.B.I.’s job to find out who did it, no matter who the victim is. Sweets spirals down into a depression, wondering if the Gravedigger is right about his lack of real skill and lack of importance to the system.

Brennan and Booth are into solving the crime, and no awkward conversation or innuendo ruin their perfect, chemistry filled partnership. They learn, based on the trajectory and distance of the shot, that the killer must be a trained sniper. Brennan says that, as a member of that elite brotherhood, Booth most likely knows the killer. He digs through his past and they come up with a list of several suspects – all men who are part of Booth’s past.

Angela (Michaela Conlin) and Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) disagree about the latter’s glee over the Gravediggers death. He says after what she did to him and others, there’s no reason not to feel pleasure that she got what she deserved. Angela is concerned over the lack of sensitivity, as well as his ability to so easily condone a ruthless murder, which is wrong no matter the crimes of the victim. Hodgins goes to see Sweets, who confirms for him that its natural to feel as he does. I’m not sure Sweets would have given the same answer if he were in his right mind.

The Sweets situation finally comes to a head when he’s confronted by Caroline, who confessed through teary eyes that she “messed herself” when the Gravedigger’s head exploded. She got through to Sweets regarding the killer’s intentions, which were nothing more than to shake his confidence before his testimony at her appeal. Sharing her own frightened reaction helped Sweets feel better about his own, and he’s back. I say, with no hesitation, that his character is the best one on the show, and the only one who exhibits a believable and steady growth as the show continues its decline.

The case is solved as we learn a certain sniper from Booth’s past did assassinate the Gravedigger, and that the father of the murdered boys paid him. Unfortunately, an innocent escort (hah) is murdered in the process, making the killer’s actions turn from questionable to abhorrent.

Booth confronts his old military buddy and gives chase, only to injure himself as the man blows up his trailer full of evidence and escapes. I’m guessing we’re going to see the return of this storyline, as it seems the man has a bone to pick with Booth personally. I think that will do nicely. The moments when we learn more about Booth’s past generally work out well.

Brennan’s father (Ryan O’Neal) also makes a cameo in order to clear his name from the suspect list, and he’s as spot on as usual. He and Brennan continue to rebuild their relationship, and aside from a brief conversation between the two of them regarding Booth and Hannah, the episode was free of uncomfortable relationship moments.

I wouldn’t be sorry if we never saw Hannah again, or never spoke of any of the personal affairs of the main characters on the show. Things are much better when we focus on the cases, and allow the periphery characters to bring the charm, romance, and drama on a weekly basis.

Season 6, Episode 11 “The Bullet in the Brain” (original air date Jan. 27, 2011)

Thursdays at 8/7c on Fox.

Pictures Courtesy of Ray Mickshaw and FOX