Bones Review: When a Simple Fetish Just Won’t Do

This week the writers of Bones brought us another solid episode. My only complaint is that they stepped way, way over the gross-out line once and for all. If I had been eating, I would have thrown up during a particular part. I won’t go into the particulars in case there are those of you who haven’t seen the episode, and also because if I do I may have to run to the bathroom myself.

Anywho, back to the story, shall we?

The case begins when eight pairs of severed, decomposing feet wash up on the American/Canadian border. Bones (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz) arrive on the scene, and they are soon joined by a self-proclaimed forensic podiatrist, Dr. Douglas Filmore (Scott Lowell) Dr. Filmore happens to be a Canadian man who Bones recently ran through the wringer in a professional article discounting his life’s work. He’s extremely polite and refuses to let her insults, which of course she views as simple honesty, ruffle his feathers. Since some of the feet remain on Canadian soil, the Jeffersonian agrees to allow him to assist with the case as long as he brings the feet to D.C. with him.

Bones and Booth quickly uncover the source of the feet – a flood at a body farm housed at a local University. They set up scenarios in which cadavers decompose in strange but possible ways so that students can observe different stages and speeds of decomposition. In other words, the place is pretty much Bones’ Disneyland.

It. Is. Disgusting.

It is at said body farm the particular incident I referenced at the beginning takes place.

Also at the body farm, we meet a likely cast of characters and discover there is an actual murder victim among the corpse feet.

At the Jeffersonian, Dr. Filmore is getting on fine with everyone except Dr. Brennan. He’s working with Hodgins (T.J.Thyne), and impressing Angela (Michaela Conlin) every time she turns around. Even Cam (Tamara Taylor) seems charmed by his intimate knowledge of the foot. There’s a rather amusing scene where he denies having an actual foot fetish to Angela.

Side note: Sweets (John Francis Daley) pops up a couple of times in his professional capacity. First, he speaks with Dr. Brennan, advising her to apologize for dismissing Dr. Filmore’s life work and possible causing a mental paralysis of his arm. Cam’s daughter breaks up with her boyfriend, and thinks her future is over because she didn’t apply to any colleges other than the one he’s attending on scholarship. Cam, however, just received an acceptance for her fake admission packet to Columbia. She goes to Sweets, expecting his support for what she’s done, but finds no one who agrees with cheating to get someone into college. Last, he tries to help Dr. Filmore overcome his inability to get angry, to express emotion in the face of Dr. Brennan’s disrespect. It appears he fails in all of these counseling sessions, at least for a while.

In the end, it’s Dr. Filmore’s expert knowledge that allows the team to catch the killer – a student at the body farm who finds his senior thesis project ruined by the deceased marijuana plants – and Bones apologies for belittling him. He stands up to her and Sweets, thinking the man’s paralysis has been resolved, throws something and smacks Dr. Filmore in the face.

The paralysis is resolved, Brennan takes another step toward appropriate human interaction, the murderer is put in jail…but what about Cam, you ask?

Well, she tries telling Michelle that she can go to Columbia after all, but in a truly cheesy scene the child schools the parent. Michelle says Cam taught her cheating is wrong, so she’ll work hard for the next year and reapply to Columbia on her own. We end the night with one of my favorite things, just Booth and Brennan drinking in the bar.

The episode felt like a nice balance of an interesting (albeit disgusting) case and the personal relationships we’ve come to enjoy at the Jeffersonian. The writer’s are still attempting to move Brennan forward on the path toward a humanoid existence, but they’ve slowed her pace down to something that feels more natural and in character. Things are finally going right for this show again, but I have to wonder how many fans have stuck around while it wobbled back toward the tracks.

I mean, I did. But if I hadn’t been assigned these reviews, I’m not sure I wouldn’t have found another Thursday night show to take its place. What say you, readers? Thoughts? Are we back in a good place here…could we see more than a couple of seasons still to come?

I think, if they stay with this formula, the one that’s ALWAYS WORKED, then yes. The show could remain solid and maybe win back some of those fans that stayed on the shark when Bones jumped off.

Also: Where’s Daisy? I miss her. #randomthought

Season 6, Episode 17 “The Feet on the Beach” (original air date April 7, 2011)

Bones airs Thursday nights at 9/8c on Fox.

Pictures Courtesy of Ray Mickshaw and FOX