Bones, S5x1-8, mostly x8
Whoa...a fannish post.
I am filled with love for my show and its characters. Also, I cannot stop grinning at Pa Walton as Booth's grandfather.
First things first: Emily Deschanel is GORGEOUS. She's always gorgeous. But I think she's even more gorgeous and glowing this year than last. I attribute part of that to them having got her out of HER clothes and back into Brennan's (thank GODS), part of it to makeup, part of it to better hair again (thank gods), but...gorgeous. *sigh*
Second things second: DB is so much better and subtler an actor than I EVER would have thought he'd EVER be able to be. I LOVE his work, especially the little expressions. The little stuff he does is so good.
To my own surprise, I actually think that Ralph Waite turned out to be a better pops than James Garner (whom they'd name-checked when talking about casting for when they brought on Booth's grandfather) would have been, though the Pops/Poppy thing would have made me smile with James Garner. I LOVE Ralph Waite in this role. I think he works well physically as Booth's grandfather. (Apparently he was also Gibbs' dad or grandfather....but he was JOHN WALTON first.)
Re: the retcon on Booth's backstory, well, it's retcon, imo. BUT, I also think that it's retcon that is not at all in violation of what they've actually SAID (or even how they've said it). I do think that having Booth's father have left him and Jared wasn't in the original game plan. I think that having Booth's dad be an alcoholic makes perfect sense...but I'm pretty sure that, while they might have come up with that S1, I doubt they'd have made him "an abusive alcoholic" if they'd been pinned down in S1.
That said, I do think that this does fit.
Booth's work as a sniper, his perfectionism/how hard he works at his job, how hard he is on himself, his high standards, his gambling...those are very much traits in keeping with a child of an alcoholic--and especially the oldest child or the one who assumed the adult role in the situation.
I consider Booth an unreliable narrator on his own life story. His comments (thanks, labsquint for the ts) in "Woman in Limbo" about how he loved his parents, the whole "My old man and I were tight" to Gordon Gordon, I think those are brief enough statements (from which he changed the topic), to be only part of a whole. I also think that, again, as the family secret-keeper and cover-up person, that speaking of this is such a huge taboo that he Just Didn't Do It.
The fact that, until "Con-Man," he never even had said to Brennan aloud, "My dad drank," is a HUGE indicator of how much guilt and shame he feels over the family secrets. That is also clear from the fact that he still can barely talk about Jared's choices to become the irresponsible one...and Booth's long-standing bailing out of his little brother, whom he clearly has always stood in protection of)...that he'd never shared that with her till THAT late in their relationship and partnership in spite of all he knows about her, and in spite of how close they are otherwise? That just confirms to me how closely to the chest he holds details about himself and his family
So, although previous to now there has NEVER been any indication that Booth's dad LEFT at some point, just that he was abusive (as of last year's backstory additions), I can brush this off as him covering the whole, covering his own shame, and not telling the entire truth, while the stories of dad in Vietnam and of dad as a barber are still accurate pieces, imo. The show has been entirely consistent about mom just not being mentioned (except the one comment about her writing jingles), and that I DO find odd (even though I know that HH has said that, in his head, mom is alive out there abut hasn't been part of Booth's life since he was little though they haven't fleshed that out even in their own heads).
That said? The scene about his dad and Pops chasing dad away...that scene with Pops and Brennan was just GORGEOUS. And I'm in LOVE with how she loves Pops and is so FOND of him. And I'd REALLY like to know how old Booth was when Pops chased dad away for good.
I LOVE LOVE about this season that Booth and Brennan are in love with each other, they both know (I believe) that they're in love, they're both behaving like people in love, and they're both contemplating what this means in terms of what will or may happen next. I am comfortable saying "they are in love with each other and this is now just a waiting game" without question, without reservation...and my little inner shippy romantic--whom I'd forgotten existed like this--is all giddy with joy.
And, most of all, I LOVE that we're getting an incremental, beautiful, measured, gentle falling toward each other that they're doing, the growing comfort, the smiles, the growing joy, the growing acceptance. I love it.
I think that Brennan's little smile at "only" having the one nickname that Booth uses is TOTALLY the little smile of someone who's BESOTTEN. (I was simultaneously thinking, "But...'Tempe' is your other nickname..." ...but it's CLEARLY not at all the same.)
I love that she loves Pops for being that relative (she didn't have) who made sure Booth was okay in spite of his parents, for being that person who watched out for Booth and made it possible for her to meet Booth, that she loves him for all the ways she sees Booth in him, and for having someone with whom to gang up on Booth...she got to tell Booth that someone told him to shut up, you know?
I like that even Clark was drawn in by the discussion of grandfathers. I like that SO much of the episode was about family and pride and love and wanting love and pride expressed by family and the loyalties of family. Very, very nice.
Also? You must read ayiana2's post-ep for 5x08 "Be Yours to Hold It High". Also, readthesubtext's "Intimacy" set during "Two Bodies" from S1. JOY in FIC!
I should be grading.
I am filled with love for my show and its characters. Also, I cannot stop grinning at Pa Walton as Booth's grandfather.
First things first: Emily Deschanel is GORGEOUS. She's always gorgeous. But I think she's even more gorgeous and glowing this year than last. I attribute part of that to them having got her out of HER clothes and back into Brennan's (thank GODS), part of it to makeup, part of it to better hair again (thank gods), but...gorgeous. *sigh*
Second things second: DB is so much better and subtler an actor than I EVER would have thought he'd EVER be able to be. I LOVE his work, especially the little expressions. The little stuff he does is so good.
To my own surprise, I actually think that Ralph Waite turned out to be a better pops than James Garner (whom they'd name-checked when talking about casting for when they brought on Booth's grandfather) would have been, though the Pops/Poppy thing would have made me smile with James Garner. I LOVE Ralph Waite in this role. I think he works well physically as Booth's grandfather. (Apparently he was also Gibbs' dad or grandfather....but he was JOHN WALTON first.)
Re: the retcon on Booth's backstory, well, it's retcon, imo. BUT, I also think that it's retcon that is not at all in violation of what they've actually SAID (or even how they've said it). I do think that having Booth's father have left him and Jared wasn't in the original game plan. I think that having Booth's dad be an alcoholic makes perfect sense...but I'm pretty sure that, while they might have come up with that S1, I doubt they'd have made him "an abusive alcoholic" if they'd been pinned down in S1.
That said, I do think that this does fit.
Booth's work as a sniper, his perfectionism/how hard he works at his job, how hard he is on himself, his high standards, his gambling...those are very much traits in keeping with a child of an alcoholic--and especially the oldest child or the one who assumed the adult role in the situation.
I consider Booth an unreliable narrator on his own life story. His comments (thanks, labsquint for the ts) in "Woman in Limbo" about how he loved his parents, the whole "My old man and I were tight" to Gordon Gordon, I think those are brief enough statements (from which he changed the topic), to be only part of a whole. I also think that, again, as the family secret-keeper and cover-up person, that speaking of this is such a huge taboo that he Just Didn't Do It.
The fact that, until "Con-Man," he never even had said to Brennan aloud, "My dad drank," is a HUGE indicator of how much guilt and shame he feels over the family secrets. That is also clear from the fact that he still can barely talk about Jared's choices to become the irresponsible one...and Booth's long-standing bailing out of his little brother, whom he clearly has always stood in protection of)...that he'd never shared that with her till THAT late in their relationship and partnership in spite of all he knows about her, and in spite of how close they are otherwise? That just confirms to me how closely to the chest he holds details about himself and his family
So, although previous to now there has NEVER been any indication that Booth's dad LEFT at some point, just that he was abusive (as of last year's backstory additions), I can brush this off as him covering the whole, covering his own shame, and not telling the entire truth, while the stories of dad in Vietnam and of dad as a barber are still accurate pieces, imo. The show has been entirely consistent about mom just not being mentioned (except the one comment about her writing jingles), and that I DO find odd (even though I know that HH has said that, in his head, mom is alive out there abut hasn't been part of Booth's life since he was little though they haven't fleshed that out even in their own heads).
That said? The scene about his dad and Pops chasing dad away...that scene with Pops and Brennan was just GORGEOUS. And I'm in LOVE with how she loves Pops and is so FOND of him. And I'd REALLY like to know how old Booth was when Pops chased dad away for good.
I LOVE LOVE about this season that Booth and Brennan are in love with each other, they both know (I believe) that they're in love, they're both behaving like people in love, and they're both contemplating what this means in terms of what will or may happen next. I am comfortable saying "they are in love with each other and this is now just a waiting game" without question, without reservation...and my little inner shippy romantic--whom I'd forgotten existed like this--is all giddy with joy.
And, most of all, I LOVE that we're getting an incremental, beautiful, measured, gentle falling toward each other that they're doing, the growing comfort, the smiles, the growing joy, the growing acceptance. I love it.
I think that Brennan's little smile at "only" having the one nickname that Booth uses is TOTALLY the little smile of someone who's BESOTTEN. (I was simultaneously thinking, "But...'Tempe' is your other nickname..." ...but it's CLEARLY not at all the same.)
I love that she loves Pops for being that relative (she didn't have) who made sure Booth was okay in spite of his parents, for being that person who watched out for Booth and made it possible for her to meet Booth, that she loves him for all the ways she sees Booth in him, and for having someone with whom to gang up on Booth...she got to tell Booth that someone told him to shut up, you know?
I like that even Clark was drawn in by the discussion of grandfathers. I like that SO much of the episode was about family and pride and love and wanting love and pride expressed by family and the loyalties of family. Very, very nice.
Also? You must read ayiana2's post-ep for 5x08 "Be Yours to Hold It High". Also, readthesubtext's "Intimacy" set during "Two Bodies" from S1. JOY in FIC!
I should be grading.