Longevity in of itself is impressive for any television show, as simply remaining on the air for such an extended amount of time is a rare achievement when so many great programs are canceled early on within their runs. While there are many once promising shows that began todecline in quality around Season 3, the Fox procedural comedy-dramaBonesmanaged to run for an incredible twelve seasons before its series finale aired in 2017. While it’s easy to associate the end ofBoneswith its emotional series finale, the reality was that the series had started to dip in quality within its final few installments. Despite ending in a satisfying way,Boneswould have been a stronger series had it wrapped up after its ninth season.
F.B.I. Special Agent Seeley Booth teams up with the Jeffersonian’s top anthropologist, Dr. Temperance Brennan, to investigate cases where all that’s left of the victims are their bones.
Loosely based on the experiences of the forensic anthropologistKathy Reichs,Bonescentered on a team of forensic anthropologists that work alongside the FBI to identify deceased victims and determine their cause of death. The lead scientist Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel), forensic artist Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin), entomologist Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne), psychologist Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley), and pathologist Camille Saroyan (Tamara Taylor) develop critical research that helps the FBI Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) make arrests in the cases. WhileBoneswas ostensibly a “case of the week” procedural show,the series' core tension revolved around the blossoming romance between Booth and Brennan.Boreanaz and Deschanelworked to develop a real friendship that made their onscreen chemistry even more dynamic.
While Booth and Brennan are initially at odds with each other, they begin to steadily realize that their skills perfectly counterbalance each other as they grow closer over the course of several cases. While the couple had reached a point in the previous season when they were willing to be emotionally open with each other, Booth is forced to break up with Brennan due to threats made by theruthless serial killer Christopher Pelant (Andrew Leeds).Bonesnever had a villain as domineering and terrifying as Pelant.With his ruthless hacking skills, extensive resources, and obsession with Brennan’s relationships, Pelant was a villain who affected each member of the team on a personal level. Pelant’s dominance within the ninth season gave the series a darker feel that suggested it was reaching its conclusion.
The ultimate standoff between the Jeffersonian team and Pelant made “The Sense and the Standoff” one of the most exciting episodes in the show’s history. After recognizing that Pelant’s ego is his greatest weakness, Brennan and her friends stage a fake murder to draw him out and defeat him. The episode epitomized the importance that each member plays in solving a case, and freed them from the burden that Pelant had put them under. While it was a great way to conclude one of the show’s most exciting storylines,Boneswasn’t able to top “The Sense and the Standoff” in its later seasons. In comparison, the villains, cases, and interpersonal conflicts that emerged within the final three seasons felt rather underwhelming in comparison.
‘Bones’ Season 9 Resolved the Romantic Tension
In addition to finally putting Pelant’s reign of terror to an end, “The Sense and the Sacrifice” opened up the possibility forBooth and Brennanto become an official couple. They eventually would in the episode “The Woman in White,” a heartwarming installment where the team must desperately try to solve a beguiling murder case on the eve of Brennan’s big day. While it was satisfying to see Both and Brennan set for a happy future together,Boneswas far less interesting once the romantic tension was resolved. The “will they or won’t they” question that had lingered over the show wasn’t present in its final installments once the two were actually married.
This ‘Bones’ Squintern Was Ahead of Their Time
One of the show’s best recurring characters also challenged stereotypes and negative cultural portrayals on television.
While it was able to have fun with the premise of a married couple solving crimes together,Season 9 did not present a sustainable template for the rest of the series. Much of the season was spent resolving some of the show’s long-standing storylines, including revelations about Booth’s family that had been teased in previous seasons. While the presence ofRyan O’Nealas Brennan’s father, Max Keenan, always gave the show a boost of energy, the character’s desire to protect his daughter felt less urgent now that she was officially married to Booth. It was clear that Season 9 represented a conclusion to the first iteration of the series. Unfortunately, the conclusive nature of these episodes meant that the only way to continue the show’s trajectory was to create artificial tension and strange plot twists, leading the show to continuously “jump the shark.”
The ‘Bones’ Cast Suffered After Season 9
The marriage of Booth and Brennan in Season 9 meant thatBoneshad to rely more heavily on its supporting cast within later seasons to keep the series feeling fresh. Whilethe romance between Hodgins and Angelahad always given the series a healthy sense of humor,Bonesstruggled to give substantial storylines to its supporting cast in later seasons.A strange storyline involving Camille’s identity being stolen came completely out of left field, and detracted from her compelling romance with the intern Dr. Arastoo Vaziri (Pej Vahdat). Additionally, the revelation that the fan-favorite character Wendell Bray (Michael Grant Terry) had developed a serious illness felt like a twist injected purely to gut punch the audience.
Most critically,Season 9 was the last season ofBonesthat featured Sweets, as he wasdramatically killed offat the beginning of the next season. Sweets had been a core part ofBones’ success as an ensemble show because he challenged each of the characters’ perspectives in a way that made them feel more vulnerable. While the FBI Agent James Aubrey (John Boyd) was introduced to fill his shoes, he did not have the previously existing history with the other characters that had made Sweets’ role so critical. While it’s impressive thatBoneswas able to run longer than most television shows do, it would have been best if the series concluded after it had already peaked.
Bonesis available to watch on Hulu in the U.S.
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