It's been nearly a year since I posted my first blog about Bones, and while we've had our ups and downs, it's still my favorite show on TV. One of the things I liked the most though, the platonic partnership of Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), is about to come to an end.
They are going to Do It.
SIGH. Here's why I liked it so much: I'm the proud platonic lady friend of several guys. They are like brothers to me. Over the past decade or so, we've become like family -- bickered, cried, whined, celebrated -- and never been romantically involved. Our relationships were simply not wired that way. But the love is undeniable. When I started watching Bones, I had never seen such developed lead characters who could have obviously hooked up with each other but didn't. In the beginning, Brennan and Booth were professional partners who found complementary parts of each other that enabled them to work together brilliantly and solve the most difficult cases. They were truly the Yin and Yang of of each other, our generation's Mulder and Scully. (Something Booth even mentions in the pilot.) Sure, there were little "kissy/huggy" moments as they grew closer, and their professional relationship eventually became more and more personal. They even clearly found each other really, really attractive. But still -- no romance. It just wasn't wired that way.
Until now. This season, as revealed in a front page interview with TV Guide, Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz talked all about Bones & Booth having The Sex. I guess this was inevitable after the first season. I know I've heard the creators of the show say that they didn't expect Bones to become the romantic comedy that it is. And there is surely a strong community of "shippers" (fans who root - no, beg, plead, bribe and kill for the romantic relationship) who have been waiting for this since day one.
But not me! How predictable! First you muck up my favorite character, then you break up the couple I actually did like, and now Bones and Booth are gonna get all mushy on each other?
Okay, this could all be because I'm romantically tone deaf -- the last time a guy brought me flowers, I said, "Ohhh...they're dead already, but okay." I'm also so fed up with dating that I will pretty much only accept a date from SNL's Andy Samberg. So seeing my favorite unromantic relationship on TV take a turn for the worst, no start dying, is a little traumatic for me. Like my favorite show is dumping me. Again.
But maybe not. Maybe my Grinchy heart will embrace this. Let's face it -- anything between these two is going to be anything but fuzzy wuzzy, mushy gushy and saccharine. This is Booth and Bones. Do I really think Temperance Brennan is going to fall completely out of character over Booth? No offense Seeley, but of course not. If there is one thing that Bones does right, it's coupling. Take Hodgins (TJ Thyne) and Angela (Michaela Conlin). Easily my favorite TV couple ever. While they aren't together at the moment, they had the most wonderful, natural, organic, granola-crunchy hook-up I've ever seen on TV. It made logical and emotional sense for them to be together, and between the writing, acting and pacing, it worked like magic. We know they're not finished either, because it's normal for couples to go through bumps in the road, and they'll work it out and live happily ever after. Probably together, but in separate houses. (Right? RIGHT??)
And certainly, there have been moments between Booth and Brennan that have hinted that they want to care for each other on a full-time basis. Little by little, Brennan lets parts of her private self into Booth's life because it helps him understand her. After all, she had to open a whole lot of books to become as knowledgeable as she is. And Booth gives back in return, letting down his macho protective guard and showing his vulnerabilities (especially like he did this season). My favorite moment, the one that convinced me this all might work out? "The Boy in the Time Capsule" in Season 3. Brennan talked about being humiliated after a boy taped a Brainy Smurf to her locker - she preferred Smurfette. Throughout the episode, Booth tries in vain to share one of his own humiliating experiences, but ends up regaling the wild sexual encounters of his youth. Um, nice try...? At the end, he has a gift for Brennan - Brainy Smurf. Because Smurfette had no brains, and Brennan has "beauty and brains."
Okay, that still doesn't really make up for teenage embarrassment, but it was a really sweet gesture. I liked it a lot. My Grinchy heart grew three sizes that day.
So I'm okay with Brennan and Booth finally coming together. I have every bit of confidence that Hart Hanson and Co. will not let me down because there is so very much riding on it. "Bones" is out to surprise its audience, so I'm very eager to watch and see what's in store.
Side notes - and SPOILERS!
*This week's episode, "The Bones That Foam," is being directed by David Boreanaz, who just revealed that his wife, Jaime Bergman, is pregnant with their second child! They are already the proud parents of son Jaden. Congratulations!
*CAMEO: Hart Hanson tells me that the gentleman stocking the vending machine at the FBI is none other than his father! How cool is that?
*SPOILER: OMG, Zack (Eric Millegan) will be back in the season finale. Booth will also be dealing with a "major" health issue that may or may not be related to hallucinations. Okay - if the season finale is going to reveal that Booth hallucinated the whole Gormogon thing and it turns out that Zack was never a not-killer and Hodgela never broke up, I will flip out with joy. Come on, it worked for "Dallas"!
"Bones" airs Thursday nights at 8:00 PM on Fox and you should really be watching it.