The Twisted Bones in the Melted Truck: In which we find out Parker has a way with adults And...
The Twisted Bones in the Melted Truck: In which we find out Parker has a way with adults And Brennan soaked Booth's Meatballs
So I know that everyone is hyperventilating over the promo and even more people are on oxygen tanks after sneaking peeks (none for me), but in case you forgot, there was a new episode last week and some fairly interesting things went on.
First and foremost there was a case(we all watch for the cases, right Hart? ;) ). An interesting one that had even Brennan scratching her head as to what could've caused the appearance of melted bones. I really, really had fun watching Daisy and Hodgins work together. Ever since she got assigned to sift through excrement, Daisy's been trying to get on his good side. Most times her character just comes off as annoying (and there were points of that along the way tonight during her FBI quest) but tonight felt like she and Hodgins hit a stride and I was laughing. I propose that a half-hour sitcom with the two of them would be funnier than some of Fox's other sitcom-bombs ('Til Death comes to mind).
I also really liked that this one had a victim who was a true victim. For me, Bones is at its best when it's not a crook, or a jerk, or anyone like that, but rather when it's a talented kid, a guy looking to change his life, a pregnant woman, or a guy who's wife was screwing a kid who was dating a girl who came from a bad home. Those are the ones that tug at my heart-strings and make me fall even deep in love with this show and their world. They also did a decent job at keeping me guessing as to who the killer was, which was always nice.
Outside of Daisy, I thought Sweets was also at the top of his game. I gotta tell you, I'm one of those people back is season three who was rooting for Sweets to be Gormagon or the apprentice. My opinion of him didn't really change during season four, though by mid-way season five I was starting to warm to him. Now I feel like the writers have a handle on him: he's the guy who tells the truth to whoever will listen and he only pops in on the lab to visit Daisy. A few different times, he's called Booth on aspects of his relationship with Hannah (he did more of that this week) and in Melted I just wanted to stand up and cheer when he told the teacher that she was NOT a good teacher for sleeping with her student.
The only thing that disappointed me with Sweets was the “help” he gave Daisy because he just seems like too straight of an arrow to do that. Of course, that led to Masked Scheduler's second cameo bit on Bones and where last time the poor man was trying to decide what gender he should decide on, this time the ailment looks as if we could blame it on multiple personalities. That shrug he gives? Yeah, that's gold. I know, I know, it's a weird thing to like, but so far it's been a very funny gag role that he plays and I hope they continue writing him in. There's a sense to which letting Sweets have other patients also suggests that he has a role within the FBI that extends beyond just Booth and the Squints. Plus, it's always fun to anticipate who or what Masked Man is going to walk in on next.
The big story that was going on, though, was Hannah vs. Parker. Introducing his kid to his girlfriend is a big step in Booth's eyes and I liked that he was saying that Parker hated Hannah, just because kids say that about people they don't want to meet OR they don't want you to spend time with. I liked that they explained how it was Parker hadn't met her yet, and that at first blush it looked like they weren't going to hit it off at all.
And this, this is where Hannah begins to develop some depth as a character. I really liked the way she talked with Parker and got him to answer her questions and ask some of his own. I know, there were several people out there rooting for the meeting to fail, but I thought it stayed true to what we know about Parker and to real life. Bringing a kid into a dating relationship is never an easy thing but I thought they addressed the issue well. I also very much appreciated the animated conversation between Brennan and Parker at the end. You can tell he's very at ease with her and considers her a favorite adult because she knows so many facts and answers his questions honestly. I was okay with the ice cream switch too because my kids switch favorites more often than underwear if it's for someone they take a liking to and really want to impress. The truth of the matter pops up in how Parker instantly wants to show off how cool and awesome Brennan is. I love that their rapport is everything we fanfic writers make it out to be.(Yay! They use the pool AND she soaked Booth's meatballs[totally phallic] doing a CANNONBALL!! My inner fan girl squeed very loudly at that)
For as much as I felt for Booth trying to walk that tightrope, I also felt for Brennan. You can see the light beginning to dawn as she realizes that Parker got along with Hannah too. I always wonder how much exposure to kids Brennan gets. We know she and Parker do cannonballs and such together in her pool, and she took care of Baby Andy all those years ago. She seems to hit it off with the teens - again because of the honesty thing - but by and large, I don't think she'd label herself as being any better with kids than Hannah labeled herself. Having Parker like her means a lot to Brennan, but she's not so sure what to think when Hannah and Parker also get along (side note: didn't Rebecca's b/f Drew take them to the Zoo back in the day? Is that some sort of rite of passage for these new significant others?).
She is also positively green with envy at two places: first, when she finds out Hannah hasn't failed, and second, at the diner when Booth and Hannah hold hands. And on Hannah's part she looks a little bit jealous at Booth's obvious rapport with Brennan and Parker. I think she's starting to learn just how much Booth's omitted about this “partner's” relationship. It's because of these responses that we see, along with a few other things, that I'm glad they put this one before “The Doctor in the Photo” instead of afterward as it was originally scheduled. This episode lays the groundwork we need to see all the things that happened in that promo to happen.
And so we come to the end, and that promo. I feel like I could do a whole thing just on that promo alone. My original thesis has always been that this ep should be Brennan's 100th. Let's face it, episode 100 was all about Booth and his feelings but Brennan wasn't ready for that. So now Brennan can spill her truth and BOOTH won't be ready for it.
I think anyone who's expecting him to dump Hannah and go straight to Brennan will be disappointed and I don't think that's what Brennan would want him to do. She's just crushed that she missed her moment and it will crush him too, but he's not a cheater. Never will be. I suspect it will drive him closer to Hannah. Mostly out of self-preservation. And I really can't see Brennan demanding he dump Hannah, she'll just break our hearts by sobbing about missing her moment, then insist he be happy. And poor Hannah! Remember “collateral damage” from the Couple in the Cave? Yep. That's her. She could not have known how close B&B were when she stepped into their world and he flat out lied to her when Hannah asked if they had anything going on together. And now she learns she's blundered into field full of emotional landmines. How does she react to finding out?
On Twitter, I said that that preview was my wet dream for all that S6 could be and I still think that's an apt description. Brennan has needed to A) wake up to her own reality and B) share said reality with Booth, for forever. Last year, spoiler pal Bama and I were calling a “Gift of the Magi” scenario toward the end of the season and we were wrong about the timing but now that it's all coming together I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and that that Magi scenario is here(appropriately at Christmas-time). I'll warn you, I firmly believe it will get pitch dark with angst before it gets better, but the journey will be well worth the payoff. I also firmly believe we'll get the coffee cart. Maybe not as an official date, but as the start of them beginning to be “Them” in an unofficial way.
Okay, sorry if I've rambled but the coffee is getting me all hyped up and dang it I just can't wait for Thursday and for all of the Thursdays to come starting in January!!!! Once Hannah goes on her merry way (I'm calling lucky 13 along with pal Smurfs[who is wicked awesome, btw, and who I think is totally right in her proposition that 13 is IT] for the end of B&H) I just really can't wait to see how they handle all of the things Hannah's brought to the surface. Couple that with that OTHER big story arc (which will remain unnamed for my fellow spoiler-free peeps who actually haven't learned about it; [Side note: Gum is by and large still spoiler free but Gum can't stay away from Twitter and thus knows certain things and gropes blindly at others{side note to side note: Gum would totally grope Booth blindly too} so if I seem to be spoilery it's all Twitter's fault] but which I'm very excited about) and I would still venture to say that Season six will be my favorite season EVER!
backs slowly away from keyboard before this gets any more confusing
For those of you out there who are still struggling to like this season, I empathize but would urge you to watch the show with the end goal in sight. Reality is messy like that, and they've chosen to go the messy route vs. the "Standard Book of TV Plots" route. It's a long, dark journey and we may not all agree that we like it, but I am willing to bet you'll not be disappointed in the least by the end of the season....
Your turn to run at the mouth now.
Gum :)
ps Does anyone else find it amusing/ironic that in the episode before Brennan discovers her heart(which she "can't change" according to 100) IS open, she discovers that bones (which "CAN'T melt" she tells Booth) can indeed appear to melt under the "right circumstances" (like, say, the guy you love dating someone else)? I really hope I'm not the only one...