BONES Recap: 12×05

It somehow gets increasingly more difficult to write these recaps every week. Because with each passing episode, it becomes that much harder to remain in denial. But I will attempt to keep moving forward. While I am obviously excited for everything coming down the pipe the rest of the season, I try not to get too eager for the next episode until the day-of. So yes, I want so badly to see my two favorite people competing in a log rolling competition. But I will remain focused on this past week’s episode. Time is passing far too quickly, it would seem. And this show is entirely too wonderful to ever stop. I feel like I cannot end this intro on a depressing note. So I’ll just say that it was another exceptionally lovely, amazing, hilarious, and beautiful episode.

Source: Marla @ The Game of Nerds

Boner Street

This was not a significant plot point by any means. But alas, I cannot bring myself to gloss over this glorious moment. The latest body had been reportedly discovered on a street with the unfortunate name, “Boner.” Actually, the body was only discovered because a teenager was attempting to steal the street sign. Perhaps it’s a bit on the immature side to laugh at such a name. But I did. Multiple times, for multiple minutes. And you know what, Brennan laughed as well. So I feel completely justified in my level of maturity.

It’s pretty juvenile, if you ask me, I mean, the street is named for a prominent old family.

I disagree. The word “boner” is objectively…hilarious. The human penis has no skeletal material of any kind.

I believe the reason I found this entire exchange so endearingly hysterical is that Brennan isn’t laughing because of the word and what it implies. She is actually laughing at the meaning behind the word “boner.” Wow, I have written that word more times this week than I have in my entire life. Brennan personally finds the word “boner” to be humorous, as there is no bone contained in the male reproductive organ. And I could not love her more for this display of nerdiness (is that a word? no? it is for now).

Booth explains that kids steal street signs with inappropriate names all the time.

Like Wanger Street or Morning Wood Way.

There’s nothing humorous about nocturnal penile tumescence.

What?

It’s a natural phenomenon, as you well know.

But… “Boner Street”?

Brennan begins laughing uncontrollably once more. And given the circumstances, it’s really precious. Sometimes, this woman really is just like the rest of us. Fine, she’s not normal, she’s extraordinary (of course).

Aubrey’s Dad

According to Michael Peterson, this storyline has officially run its course. I wasn’t initially expecting it to be completed by the end of this episode. Though, it was definitely both an interesting and fulfilling resolution. As an audience, we didn’t quite know how Aubrey was ultimately going to react when coming face to face with his father. And even throughout this episode, it was unclear as to what his final action would be as it related to his father. Would he lend him the money? Would he turn him in to the FBI? Or would he just let him go, with a few choice parting words.

A certain media site pointed out this week that Bones deals with a plethora of “Daddy Issues.” And it added that perhaps Aubrey should have had “Mommy Issues” instead. But I think this was precisely as it should have been. For one thing, it enabled the other characters to relate directly to Aubrey. And because Booth and Brennan had different issues and resolutions with their respective fathers, they had the right advice for Aubrey at the appropriate time. Brennan’s story had a happier “ending.” Though Max and her mother did abandon their children, their intent was only to protect them from harm. And when Max reentered Brennan’s life fifteen years later, he eventually went to prison so he would not have to leave his daughter again. Also, it was a way to earn some of her trust back. Brennan sealed the deal by clearing her father’s name. She presented an alternative scenario in court. And that was enough to free him for good. At the end of the day, Max is a good man who made some tough and consequential choices. Their relationship would still take years to mend. It was certainly an arduous and emotional process at times. But they have made it to such a good place. I won’t comment on what’s to come for Brennan and Max, since it will reduce me to tears about now. But the point is, Brennan found a happy ending of sorts with her father.

Booth, on the other hand- well, it wasn’t a completely tragic resolution. His father was abusive. And his grandfather ended up saving Booth and his brother from the situation. Years later, Hank informed his grandson that his father had died. Booth never got that last chance to face his dad again. Would he have confronted him about all the pain and suffering he endured during his childhood? Would he have listened to the man and what he had to say? It’s hard to fathom at this point. Regardless of what Booth would have said or even wanted to say, he will never have that chance. But there was a moment in season seven when Brennan reminded him that not every memory was marred with horror. I think in Booth’s story, that was the closure he needed most.  For Brennan, it was letting her father back into her life and to her metaphorical heart.. For Booth, it was a matter of letting that anger go. It doesn’t mean he still doesn’t look back at his childhood with regret and sorrow. No child should ever have to endure what he went through. But he could at least remember that there were good times. And he has a constant reminder of that one perfect day sitting in his house.

Aubrey took neither Booth nor Brennan’s path when it came to dealing with the return of his father. Philip Aubrey came back to town and claimed he needed his son’s help. We find out later that Aubrey decided, for the moment, not to immediately turn his father in to the authorities. The issue Aubrey had to wrestle with was that there was a child involved. Philip Aubrey claimed that he needed money to support his wife and son. Aubrey was told this boy was his half brother. Did he believe the man? I think Aubrey was certainly suspicious. He knows that his father is a master manipulator. But Aubrey has such a good and kind heart. No matter how much he wanted to turn his father in at that moment, he had to at least consider this child in question. If his father truly had become a better person in the years since he ran away from his family, then perhaps Aubrey could at least give his son a better life than he had. If he turned his dad in, this boy would suffer the same fate. He would grow up without a father as well. Aubrey ruminates on this while he waits to see if the story checks out.

Eventually, Aubrey finds himself in Booth’s office. Booth can sense that something is wrong with his friend, as this is the first time he has seen him without an appetite. He refuses cake, which is an immediate red flag. Aubrey tells Booth it’s because he knows his father is back in the country. But he initially neglects to include the bit about actually coming face to face with his father earlier that morning. It  seems as though he is about to tell Booth, but then changes the subject back to the case. But not so fast. Booth is far more perceptive than people give him credit for.

You know, my old man, he was a piece of work.

Yeah, he drank, right?

Yeah. He drank, and he beat the crap out of me and my brother, till Pops took us in.

I guess neither one of us drew very well in the fatherhood lottery.

Well, you know, with my dad, he died a while back. I never got a chance to really confront him. Tell him how I really feel, you know, man-to-man.

Look, Booth, let’s just suppose that I know where my dad…

Stop talking. All I’m saying is, when we do bring your father in, maybe you’ll get a chance for some closure.

I’m pretty certain Booth is pretty sure that Aubrey has seen his father already. But if he is actually told as much, he would be obligated to do something about it. He is giving Aubrey the chance to confront his father. This is the chance Booth never received. Whatever closure means in Aubrey’s case, he can attain it. Booth is giving him that push. And that opportunity.

By the end of the episode, Aubrey meets with his father again at the diner. At first, I believed Aubrey may actually plan to absolve him of all his transgressions, so to speak. But in the end, he is simply not ready to believe that his father can and has changed. He also tells Philip that he should not take any credit for the way he turned out. Aubrey knows he is a good man despite his father. When Booth speaks to Aubrey, he tells him that there was no son. It was yet another scheme. And Booth adds that he is proud of Aubrey. Booth knows it couldn’t have been easy to turn the man in once again. But I know that if Booth had the chance, he would have liked some closure with his father. Even if it was only for a moment. He never got his chance. Aubrey finally did, after all this time. And just like that, Aubrey’s appetite is back.

I also just want to add one more item re: daddy issues. Bones did do “mommy issues” as well. Booth had to make peace with his mother who left him decades prior. He had to find a way to be okay with the fact that she left him and his younger brother to ultimately go be a mother to someone else’s kids. It wasn’t easy for Booth. We saw him struggle with how to cope with the situation.  And it took a lot of soul searching and a few good points, courtesy of Brennan. But he eventually got there. Enough to let her back into his life. Just because it ended on a happy note, doesn’t mean there wasn’t an issue with which to contend. He worked through it. Some stories have positive endings. It doesn’t mean there wasn’t a struggle along the way.

Finally, I loved that John Boyd was able to play opposite his real-life father. It was a nice touch, for sure. And it makes me incredibly happy that the cast had the opportunity to bring in their loved ones onto the show over the years. Bones truly is a family.

Cam v. Hodgins

Hodgins finds Cam in her office examining two possible murder weapons. They happen to be hunting rifles, and Cam happens to look like she’s “hunting wabbits.” After a few Looney Tunes jokes were exchanged, Hodgins takes a peek inside the barrel of the rifle. He determines right away that they could not have been the murder weapon, as there were unhatched spider eggs contained inside. Once Cam realizes that Hodgins is referring to spiders, she panics. If you know your Bones episodes reasonably well, you will recall that Cam is actually petrified of spiders. She jumps at the very mention of what she is looking at, and pleads with Hodgins to be careful with them in her office. Hodgins assures her that the eggs will not hatch. Unfortunately for himself and Cam, he was wrong. Several spiders emerge from their eggs and make their way into the crevices in Cam’s office. Hodgins doesn’t tell Cam. And he may be sorry about that fact later on.

Later in the episode, when Cam and Angela are going through the victim’s messages, Angela suddenly notices something moving in Cam’s hair. The spiders had made their way out of the autopsy room and onto the person least likely to welcome their presence. Cam screams (as does Angela) and tries to brush the creatures out of her hair.

I know Hodgins is your husband and your soul mate. Um, but I…

No, no, we’ll kill him together.

Yeah. This-this stays here.

Yeah.

And it did stay there, for a few scenes at least. Hodgins went looking for Cam, only to be informed by his wife that Cam went home to shower and change because of the spiders. Hodgins knew at that point that he was in trouble.

Came insists upon taking the victim’s humerus to Hodgins to swab. “It’s time he and I had a little chat.” When she delivers the bone with instructions from Brennan, she adds that the two of them need to talk. Hodgins wants to know just how much trouble he is actually in for the spider catastrophe. But Cam actually appears quite calm. She wants to take this as an opportunity for self-reflection.

So you’re just gonna forgive me?

Well, either that, or I wait until you’re lulled into a sense of security– maybe days, maybe months. And then when you least expect it, exact my revenge.

Are you serious? Come on, Cam. That anticipation, that’s just cruel.

Almost like living in constant fear that there might be a spider crawling in your hair?

What an absolutely perfect revenge. My money’s on Cam never really doing anything. Torturing Hodgins with uncertainty will probably be enough for her. The two of them are such fun. They have such a fascinating dynamic. I love their scenes together. And I think a lot of it has to do with their chemistry off-screen. “The Giggle Twins” are really just wonderful to watch. I can’t imagine how disturbing it would be to find spiders in my hair though. Hodgins may want to watch his back for the foreseeable future. Don’t mess with Cam.

Brennan’s Audiobook

In order to steer Brennan away from the utter excitement of “Boner Street,” Booth puts on “entertainment for someone over the age of eight.” It’s actually a recording of one of Brennan’s novels. Booth has clearly purchased the audiobook, a fact that he is quite proud of judging by the smile on his face. It’s the most radiant and contagious smile I’ve seen in some time. It goes without saying that this man is such a fan of his wife’s intelligence and success. He is proud of every single one of her many achievements. But Brennan isn’t nearly as giddy about the audiobook. In fact, she seems to have no idea what she’s hearing.

Wh-What is this?

What, you don’t recognize it?

It’s your latest novel on audiobook. (listens to some more) This is terrible.

The narrator.

The narrator?

Yes. He misses all the nuance of the main character’s voice. I need to call my editor.

The narrator has a proper male voice. And to Brennan, it’s all wrong. When her editor finally gets back to her, Brennan learns that she must audition in order to record her own book. To her, this is nonsensical. Actually it’s a bit curious to me as well. I am most interested in authors voicing their own books. Unless of course they are unable to. Or they obtain a notable VIP to do it instead. But I think if I lived in the Bones world, I would want to hear Brennan’s “sonorous” voice telling the stories contained in her novels.

When Aubrey asks to hear some of Brennan’s audition tape, she is thrilled to be able to share what she has recorded thus far. As the tape plays, Booth has a confused look upon his face, while Brennan is glowing. We then hear her “Agent Andy” voice, which happens to sound like a gravely monster to the audience. But she mouths along Andy’s words with the recording, as if she has received them brilliantly. Booth is shocked that a character based on him would sound like that in Brennan’s mind. But she notes that it’s simply how she hears his voice when she writes the character. Aubrey tries to feign his enjoyment. But Brennan sees right through him. In the past, she has not been as adept at reading people (people who are not Booth, at least), but she could see that Aubrey was not exactly loving her voice work.

Brennan ultimately destroys her audiobook. Because in the end, she realized she has touched people with her stories. That’s more than enough for her. Fisher actually helped her come to that realization. With a little help from Aubrey’s terrible “poker face.” Booth lets her know that she has a fan who wants her to read a bedtime story. In case that wasn’t clear, it’s their daughter. And really, that’s all the recognition Brennan needs. Christine will always want Brennan (or Booth) to narrate her bedtime stories.

Fisher’s Secret Revealed

At the beginning of the episode, Fisher scoffed at the rest of the team when he realized they were avid readers of Brennan’s novels. Actually, it’s still unclear whether Cam has begun reading the books, herself. If you recall many years ago, she was not interested in reading them. Not because she didn’t believe Brennan was an engaging writer. But because she dealt with death all day, and needed a break when it came to her evenings. Perhaps things have changed a bit over the years. Or maybe the Kathy-Andy story is just far too compelling to deny.

Fisher calls Brennan’s novels “lowbrow.” He claims he’s more into the nihilists’ work. Of course Angela relays this bit of information to Brennan, who has no problem confronting Fisher during a bone examination. She inquires what it is about her novels that he finds so “objectionable.” He hesitates for a moment. But only a moment. “But… from what little I’ve read, I find them to be cheap and lacking a certain perspicacity.” Something about his word choice puzzles Brennan. And it’s not because she doesn’t know the definition, as Fisher initially assumes. She calls it an “interesting choice,” and they move on with the task at hand.

By the end of the episode, an unsuspecting Fisher enters Brennan’s office to get her to sign off on a forensic report for Cam. But before he can leave, she brings up his comments about her novels once more. He admits to being a bit harsh, but that’s not what she wants to talk about. She informs him that she has very thick skin, so to speak. But his word choice earlier in the day had triggered a memory.

Years ago, my editor sent me stories written by readers in the style of my books– fan fiction.

Oh, fan fiction. Yeah.

Most of them were quite terrible. But one story at least got the science right. It was called “The Perspicacity in the Bones.”

That’s ironic.

Memorably bad title. The plot centered around a tormented intern who…

Had an affair with his boss. Uh, Dr. Brennan…if I may…

I ran a computer analysis…

No, you didn’t.

…of the prose from that story with work you’ve written for me. The result was conclusive. You’ve not only read my novels, but you were once a devoted fan of them.

You’re gonna tell Angela and Hodgins about this, aren’t you? That would be needlessly cruel.

Thank you. I think it’s enough for us to know that despite your apathetic affectations, there are things in this world that bring you joy.

I am in a hell of my own making.

This scene was complete and utter perfection. And I was actually fooled by Fisher’s demeanor throughout the episode. He is definitely not the type to get enthusiastic about much in life. But I cannot express the pleasure I felt when learning that Fisher was not only a fan, he actually wrote fanfiction. I also love the fact that Emily probably had to learn about fanfiction in order to recite that line, as she is one to make sure she knows the meaning behind Brennan’s words. It’s humorous to note the thousands of stories which include her very character. But I digress, as I always do. Poor Fisher. Though it’s hard to feel that sorry for him. He could have just simply said he didn’t read the novels and left it at that. But he made quite in error in drawing attention to himself. And his secret was discovered. I think Brennan received immense satisfaction from learning of his once-devotion to her novels. Both of their faces are priceless.

The next episode is the logging competition. There will be mention of Zack’s developing case, Christine’s frustration in learning how to ride a bike, and of course, FRICTION (see sneak peeks for this week). I can’t wait. But I can. I say that every week. And each week, I mean it just a bit more.