A Different Kind of Family

(Originally posted February 29, 2012.)

I was a little conflicted when it came to choosing an episode for this week’s recap. On the one hand, I wanted to stick with something fluffy circa Season 4 again, because frankly, they’re a lot easier and quicker to go over. And I’m lazy. On the other hand, I realized, after looking at the Master List, that I haven’t done anything from Season 2 yet, and clearly that is an egregious oversight I need to rectify.

Apparently I’m a glutton for punishment, and my remedy to this situation was to tackle Judas on a Pole. You guys know how much I love and eat up Brennan Family antics, and this has antics galore. (I really, really love Brennan & Russ acting like typical siblings, until the shit hits the fan, of course.) Plus, the entire squint squad bands together to help Booth, and Caroline is awesome, so all in all, it’s a fantastic ride. It goes from being quirky to sweet to angsty to heartbreaking to bittersweet and back again, which is always a marker of a great episode, right?

So let’s sit back and enjoy our different kind of on-screen family, shall we?

(I haven’t hit my self-imposed word limit, but I’m getting better, I swear. Maybe.)

• The subtitles on my DVD say [♪♪ Alternative Rock ♪♪] which amuses me greatly. Also, this opening is way more stylized than we’re used to on Bones.
• Zack’s thesis defense scene? The fear of that exact scenario is why I didn’t chose the thesis option in grad school. Laziness and sheer terror FTW!
• I love the look of it though — Zack looks so tiny on his throne chair, compared to the committee. Cool directing here. Hey look, it’s the real Kathy Reichs with her alter ego! Trippy!
• Aw, Brennan’s nodding along to Zack’s explanation, encouraging him on. She’s such a good teacher/friend/surrogate big sister.
• HA, of course Booth would steal Brennan away in the middle of Zack’s defense — like he couldn’t have waited another half hour? As usual, he’s physically pulling her out of her chair. Oh, you two. “Hey Zack! How’s it going?” “So far, they don’t like me.” “Shocker!” Aw, remember when Zack was perceptive enough to be able to gauge other people?
• Do you think all the other anthropologists snark about Brennan’s crimefighting ways? “Oh look at her, she thinks she’s soooo-oooo special, fighting crime with her hot FBI partner!” while jealously muttering about? I do.
• Aw, I love how Brennan made certain to reassure Zack on her way out (spoiler alert, I love them in this episode).
• HEE, I love the shot of B&B running through the hall as Zack’s sitting in his chair dejected.
• HEY, Kathy Reichs Dr. Whateveryournameis, don’t hate on Zack! He’s adorable!Although she has a point in that he looks like a freshman still. But he’s Zack!
• Brennan is trying to gross Booth out with the entrails. “Is he gonna make it?” “No, he’s very dead.” BRENNAN MADE A FUNNY! AND SHE’S LAUGHING! I love Brennan so hard in this episode. I love her all the time, but especially in this episode.
• OF COURSE Zack corrected his dissertation committee — “only when they were wrong.” A boy after Brennan’s heart, he is.
• RUSS! I’ve missed you, bud. I love when the Brennans show up. Oh, there are ominous tones around! (I love, love, love this short scene.)
• “I spend half my time with a sniper-trained FBI Agent. I feel safe.” Hee, she’s so proud of herself when she says that, too.
• What I really enjoy about their interaction is the complete faith Brennan has in her brother which really is misplaced since he basically fucks it all up again in the end but I’ll get to that later. The side of Brennan we see here is one we very rarely get to experience — I’ve said it in other recaps, but it’s a bit of a glimpse into the Brennan that would have grown up had she not been abandoned. She and Russ act like normal siblings in this. ANYWAY. What I’m getting at is that when Russ says he feels like someone’s watching him, she takes him at his word (even after the “what’s your evidence?” crack). If her brother’s worried, she believes him, like the good sister she is.
• Case in point — she jumps right in, asking him to stay with her for a few days to be safe. You can tell in this short scene how much Brennan loves having a brother again which is why what he and Max do in the end pisses me off, but again, not the time for this. You know she missed being able to say and do things like that during the 15 years they were apart, so it must tickle her to be able to do it now. When he makes excuses for why he should go home and she teases back “what about your sixth sense?” you can see how much they love each other and are at ease — totally acting like they did as teenagers. I love Russ calling her out on her teasing too: “You can’t not believe in something one second and then use it against me the next!” He’s clearly amused and in on her joke.
• Then she gets all soft and sisterly: “It’s a long drive. You can start fresh tomorrow. And I’ve got cold beer in the fridge.” She knows the way to any man’s heart, ha. I LOVE how she’s just dangling her keys in front of him, tempting him. Seriously, Emily Deschanel and Loren Dean do such a good job of getting that sibling vibe down, especially since Brennan and Russ’ relationship is so complicated due to their former estrangement. When you think about it, it’s remarkable that either of them have managed to put the past behind them to get to this point, but they’re super sweet with each other. I’ve also mentioned this before, but when Brennan finally lets someone in, she is steadfastly loyal to and trusting of them, even though it doesn’t happen often. But when it does — Booth, Angela, Russ (who I argue she seems the most open with here, in a way she isn’t with anyone else except Booth in season 7), she doesn’t waver or flinch. She’s the most at ease as we ever see her.
• OF COURSE Booth just walks in at that moment, and warns “Russell” about the beer tasting like ear wax. Hey, Booth, spending enough time at Brennan’s to know her beer tastes like crap, are you?
• LOL, I love how slightly awkward the handshake between the guys is. Oh man, what I wouldn’t give to see a Brennan-Booth family get-together before the show ends. Fun with a dash of awkward and WTFery.
• Again, Brennan just throwing her keys to her brother is cute, that’s all.
• You know what else is adorable? Booth grabbing her out of her chair, AGAIN. “Why do I always feel like you’re abducting me?!” It’s funny, because it’s true! HEE, I love the slap. They’re so much fun.
• Delaney’s place is “10 times better” than Booth’s? How does one quantify that? Also, spending a lot of time at Booth’s, are we? It’s only Season 2, people!
• Hee, Brennan’s so pleased with herself for the Black Ops B&E moves he taught her that she’s practiced. He thinks she’s adorable too and swaggers over all smiley. Except, she still can’t do it, so he just kicks the damn door down. They’re so fucking flirty and hot I can’t stand it.
• It’s so interesting how Brennan’s gone from idolizing her dad in Woman in Limboto writing him off as a career criminal here, in half a season. Poor Brennan.
• Every time I watch this episode, I wonder what Russ’ game was — did he know who was after him when he first saw his sister? How much did he know re: Max? It’s all puzzling.
• Um, how would Russ staying with Brennan be any safer? Presumably if Delaney knows where Russ is, he can find a famous novelist as well. Then both Brennan kids would be together, making his job that much easier. Two for the price of one! But, I don’t care, because Brennan just wants to hang out with her big brother, you guys.
• Plus, the look on Russ’ face at the end of this scene? It’s so… unreadable. Did he know this was all just a part of the plan? This episode confuses me so much.
• Of course Hodgins knows all about whatever big coverup the case is about.
• HEE, his scene with Booth (they need more!). I love that he keeps trying to POINT THINGS OUT on the paper, and Booth keeps swatting his hand away like a fly. He’s not amused by the squints. But Hodgins can’t help it, he’s too excited. It’s a conspiracy, y’all! “I’ve seen this movie, I get killed on the way home!” “Then don’t go home.” Oh, Crazy Hodgins and Snarky Booth, you two need to get back together pronto.
• Harper’s wife got screwed over by the FBI, everybody.
• (I still don’t quite understand this whole case.)
• Brennan’s reaction when Harper’s wife mentions the bank is incredible — she goes from 0 to 60 in a flash. The panic when she’s talking to Booth about her parents robbing that bank is palpable, like she can’t quite believe the scope of her parents’ crimes. Shit just got real, because they weren’t just stealing jewelry and money, they’re into big time crime now. (Why, I don’t know, because that seems like a really stupid thing to do, but I’m not a career criminal… Or am I? No, I’m not.)
• I like that Booth knew the perfect thing to say to her to calm her down — “go home and go be with your brother,” and she agrees, no argument. Because again, she now has family she can depend on. Sigh. Which makes the ending that much worse. You know if this had happened a few seasons later, Brennan would have headed right back to the lab and worked for 48 hours straight.
• Why is it that the more Zack talks about his appearance and looking like a grownup, the more adorable he seems to me? His floppy hair, you guys! He’s a puppy! With crusties in his eyes!
• It’s always surprised me that Russ is presumably just now showing his sister pictures of his stepdaughters and telling her about them. Didn’t she spend her summer between Season 1 and 2 at his place in North Carolina? (Or maybe it was just a few days/weeks.) I would have thought that if she’d spent a significant amount of time with him then, he would have introduced her to his serious (to the point of wanting to marry) girlfriend and her kids (who he’s raising). Maybe Show forgot. Or maybe they just went into seclusion for a few weeks together to catch up on their lives that they’d missed, with no outsiders. Or maybe he and Amy weren’t that serious yet. I DON’T KNOW. WHY AM I OBSESSING OVER THIS.
• Brennan just jumping in, offering to help out with Haley’s medical costs? See what I mean, when she lets someone in, she will do anything for them. (Plus, nice to see they brought that thread back and had her diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis later on. I mean, not nice, because obviously it’s a horrible disease, but in the sense that they remembered that.)
• Moreover, I just like how they’re sharing things — they’re confiding in each other, again, like normal siblings.
• I really, really love Brennan’s loft.
• Brennan’s face when she repeats what “Columbus” did to Delaney’s body — you can tell she’s reeling as she’s processing that this horrific crime was committed by her father. As if she hadn’t dealt with enough cognitive dissonance and earth-shattering news in the last six months. She’s just so totally FML, what else am I going to find out?!
• Again, I don’t know how much Russ knew at this point. Was he aware that Max killed this guy? I’m hoping no, but they’ve left this whole story so shady that I can never tell.
• Sidebar: the extreme closeups in this scene are so unusual, and if I didn’t already know that David Duchovny had directed this episode, this probably would have tipped me off (that was something the directors on The X-Files loved to do, including him.)
• As you can probably guess, I also adore the “morning after” scene in Brennan’s apartment with Russ as she’s getting ready for work. It’s so short, but it’s probably one of my favourite scenes of the series. Their repartee is just so comfortable, in a way it isn’t with anyone else for Brennan. Russ’ face and tone when he said “everything was fine until Dad left you a message, he said ‘stop looking,’ and you didn’t,” isn’t so much accusatory as it is bemused and “Oh that Tempe, she never could keep her nose out of anything.” And her “Oh, so this ismy fault?” kinda has shades of a 16 year old fighting over who’s going to get grounded for taking Dad’s car out when they weren’t supposed to and accidentally hitting a lamppost and you weren’t supposed to let me out anyway, Russ and you’re the one who turned the music up loud. Ahem.
• “Well, consequences aren’t the same as fault. My parole officer is veryphilosophical.” HA, those Brennans are so witty and snarky. (Seriously, I wish they could have stayed like this. It would have been good for Brennan.)
• It’s also highly amusing to me that Russ is comfortably grabbing fruit from the bowl and walking around the living room, while Brennan is buzzing around in a hurried frenzy. That about sums the two of them up, doesn’t it?
• “You’re the daughter of a career criminal and the sister of a loser on parole.” I LOVE Brennan’s reaction: “What? I wouldn’t let anyone else call you a loser, Russ. What makes you think you’re allowed?” It is just so, so loving and sisterly, but also ass-kicking. See what I mean? She’s just so emphatic. When you’re in with Temperance Brennan, she has your back, unflinchingly. She’d stick up for him just like he stuck up for her in high school. Once more, you see the relationship they had when they were kids, before the shit hit the fan. She lovesher brother, you guys. I so enjoy their relationship (and again, wish we’d gotten to see more of it before Russ did that incredibly stupid thing he does later on).
• Russ knows it too: “I love you, too,” all amused, because he knows his sister and she’s the same way she’s been since they were kids, and this is how she shows she cares. Her smirk back at him is like, “yeah, and don’t you forget it, or I’ll kick your ass.”
• Sigh. Like I said, it just makes me so sad that this really is the last time we see her, or her family, this comfortable and sure. Obviously I understand why, in the story, things had to play out the way they did, but it still makes me heartbroken for Brennan, you know? She finally had most of the pieces of the puzzle back together and re-learned what family was all about, and then they fucked it all up again — which subsequently took years to repair.
• HA, Caroline’s protectiveness over her donut holes. Are they sour cream glazed? Is that seriously her breakfast? Anything on the menu, and that’s what she chooses? Oh, Caroline. And she slaps him too! The universal sign of frustration with one Mr. Seeley J. Booth! She can’t resist him either.
• Oh, poor Zack and his book on body language. He’s like a teenage girl obsessing over what the boy she like likes texted her and what does it mean?! And that he repeats it twice on Brennan and she just takes it. “Dr. Grayson is elderly and arthritic, perhaps he simply needed help getting to his feet like this.” HA, the look on her face tells me she’s kind of making fun over his obsessing. Way to go, B. As does the patting on the shoulder, and Zack’s smile back at her. AWW. Their relationship was so touching.
• Oh hey, Ollie couldn’t live alone after Jenny died and became a priest! Um, I mean, Ryan O’Neal! Ugh, though, I mean, as amusing as Max is now, I’m so confused over how much Russ knew and how this all worked. The first time around, I wasn’t paying much attention, so I figured Russ didn’t know Father Coulter was Max until after this meeting in the office, but then after rewatching it later I knew Russ was in the loop. So, how long was Russ aware that this was what Max was up to? Did he know when he showed up to his sister’s? I brought this up in Woman in Limbo too, but it’s all so vague and sometimes contradictory.
• Like I mentioned in the Finder recap, I enjoy when characters reference stories to one another that the audience hasn’t been privy to until then, because it shows the depth of their relationship. So, it amuses me when Russ mentions the “train trestle story” and Brennan immediately remembers it and recounts it fondly — childhood memories coming back, showing what things were like before.
• HA, Booth has to be Bad Cop and remind the “priest” that what they did was still illegal, even if they were kids. What a stick in the mud. Was he sussing him out?
• I think we can all agree how awesome it is that Russ tells “Father Coulter” to let Booth into the private meeting, because Brennan is just going to tell him everything anyway. Does he know his sister or what? Do you think Russ also wondered just what took them so long to finally get together? Maybe that’s what he and Max talked about when they were in the chain gang in jail together. And it entertained all their fellow inmates. Sweets should have interviewed them for hisfanfic book.
• Russ looks nervous in this meeting — I guess because he knew that this was all a ruse?
• Oh, the irony of “Father Coulter” saying he tried to get Max to walk the straight and narrow.
• Part of me does feel sympathy when Father Coulter tells Brennan her dad loves her — “that’s a personal observation.” I have no doubt Max does love his daughter (as we see later on), and this had to be hard, since this is presumably the first time he’s seen her in 15 years. Still doesn’t make up for what he does in the end, though.
• AS IF they could ID where the silver dolphin on Christine Brennan’s grave was from and who bought it. HA. TV, you’re so funny.
• Poor Brennan, she doesn’t have a clue as to what she’s supposed to do with the knowledge that her dad killed Delaney to send a message to others to stay away from his kids. She’s so dumbfounded and slightly disgusted, too. “Am I supposed to like that?” “Y’know, Bones, I’ll take a stand up crook over a crooked cop any day of the week.” Um, I get the sentiment behind that statement, but it does sound a little too… condoning, I guess, on Booth’s part, given what we know of his character? It’s just a little off to me, is all.
• Oh, Caroline, awesome as always, with the narc FBI agent. “You weren’t evenborn 30 years ago!” She will cut you. And then when the judge figures out her game, she’s as sweet as apple pie: “Did you? I wan’t aware of that, Your Honour. Were you are of that, Agent Booth?” *Shakes head no and shifty eyes* HA. He knows what to do to preserve his testicles. I love that she punctuates “Your Honour” every time with a big smile. No wonder she’s gotten as far as she has, haha.
• “Date of exhumation: that would be today.” Oh Show, I see what you did there, providing exact dates for everything EXCEPT THIS so as not to date it in a timeline.
• What I like about the autopsy scene is that it shows how competent Cam is, and how good she was as a cop and coroner. As I’ve said many times before, one thing I appreciate about this show is that they are unabashed about displaying how smart everyone is, and how much pride they take in their jobs and intelligence (and nerdiness).
• I’ve always felt that the Diner scene with Russ and Booth is a bit of a role reversal, in that normally it’s the brother who’s a hardass with his sister’s boyfriend/male friend/whatever, but here it’s Booth who’s giving Russ a hard time, because he knows exactly what Russ is up to (well, not exactly, but he knows he’s slipping).
• “You know, you’re an idiot, Russ. I like you, but you’re a real idiot.” Aw, he wants both of the Brennans to be OK, because he cares, but ultimately you know it’s because he knows if Russ fucks up, it’s going to hurt Brennan the most. Man, I’m telling you, family reunion scenes with this crew are going to be legendary in their awkwardness.
• Russ doing presumably shady work to get by — um, I’m pretty sure that’s not the way to raise your family, bud, since that didn’t work out so well for your folks. Ugh, it’s times like these that he seems just like the 19 year old who left his sister. I mean, I understand his dilemma in that it’s obviously tough to find work when you’re on parole, but going illegal isn’t exactly a sign of great maturity. I guess Max has rubbed off on him? I do feel for him, though.
• KABLAM! Shots ring out in the Diner! Man, this neighbourhood of DC seems to be prime target practice for snipers. Also, it’s a really cool shot, style-wise.
• I really enjoy the next scene in Booth’s office, too. Brennan is so worried about Russ (and Booth), and is so relieved (and happy — look at her smile!) when he’s OK and she thinks it’s over. One thing that struck me, even the first time I saw this, is how tactile Brennan is with Russ. She’s got her hand on his arm the whole time, and rubbing his arm to make sure he’s OK, etc. That’s a huge sign of comfort for her, because one aspect of her that Show emphasized from the beginning is that she’s physically standoffish and doesn’t warm up easily. Yet she’s doing everything she can to maintain physical contact with Russ, which is definitely a sign of affection and care on her part. The only person she’s like that with, other than occasionally Angela, is Booth, later on, by about season 4 or definitely 5, with the inadvertent arm or hand grazing when they’re talking. Moreover, it’s missing for most of season 6. I certainly think it’s a deliberate act on the part of the directors.
• Of course Brennan just thinks it was lucky that Booth and Russ were at the Diner, together. Not suspicious at all, right? Ha. But she just has so much faith in her brother that I don’t think it occurs to her that he could be falling off the wagon or that Booth could know that. Meanwhile, Russ is thinking, FML, this never works. Also, Booth seems rather suspicious of the Padre, doesn’t he?
• HA, I enjoy how Booth gets all nervous when Deputy Director Kirby calls him, and starts retying his tie. Poor boy. Speaking of which, Kirby’s an asshole, isn’t he? He won’t even tell Booth what his charges are! Although, “the charges against you is that I was pissed upon from a very great height,” is a pretty spectacular line.
• Oh, Pining!Booth. Everyone’s trying to deal with the firing, and all he cares about his is damn car, HEE. He is such a boy. Every time someone tries to relate the gravity of the situation, all he can talk about is his fucking confiscated FBI-issue car. Booth, you are adorable, too.
• Zack totally wins this scene: “I assume the only way Booth can get his car back would be to solve the case on his own and that we’d help.” Aw, he cares in his own squinty way! And then Brennan goes all headmistress on them and asks for a show of hands for who wants to help, and they ALL DO, unquestionably. Because they all love Booth. And I love them all. They’re such a little unit. He’s so touched.This show, you guys.
• I think we can also all agree that Brennan running after Booth down the hallway is also 10 kinds of adorable, yes? The tapping on the shoulder just cracks me up. She just states that all they need is the evidence her father stole, like it’s no big deal, and drags him off, for a role reversal. Be cuter, guys, I dare you.
• I kind of get Cam’s point re: Zack and his professional appearance, but you’d think she’d give him a shot first. I mean, until this point, he was still a student, so there was no reason for him to dress professionally, and he’d never gotten a shot at talking to a jury before, either. I’m sure Brennan had to learn how to talk to them, too. Whatever, it all worked out. (I mean, look at Hodgins, for God’s sake. He looks like Grizzly Adams here.)
• “Father Coulter” continually talking about trying to turn Max to Jesus always cracks me up. I bet Max can hardly keep a straight face, either.
• Angela: “Zack. I am a big believer in people being themselves. You’re actually kinda cute.” Zack: “Yes, I’ve been told that many times, usually followed by the word ‘but.’” Zack, why are you so endearing? Poor boy, back when he was normally socially inept and self-aware, and not problematically so. Hee, the this conversation amuses me.
• And HIS FACE when Angela tells him the hair has to go. It’s the Zack Face!
• Booth: “Why are you mad me?” Big sigh: “I need a gun.” THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID! Literally, THAT’S. WHAT. SHE. SAID. HEE. Sorry.
• “No, you don’t. You got me. I’m your gun.” That’s What She Said, part 2. “You want equipment? Here, have these, alright? New division of labor: I shoot ‘em, you cuff ‘em.” Booth, you are one hilarious man.
• I’m not so sure I understand why Brennan is so upset Booth had Father Coulter under surveillance. That seems like standard protocol for someone who is in contact with a wanted fugitive, no?
• “He abandoned me, Booth. And that’s the best thing you can say about him.” It makes me so sad for Brennan that in what is probably six months’ time, she’s adopted this view of her family. She went from kind of idolizing her dad the science teacher, to completely dismissing him. Like I said, this whole secret life business had to have shaken her to her core. No wonder she has issues.
• Once more, I sort of understand Booth’s stance re: Max’s code of ethics, but I guess part of me feels that he’s a little too sympathetic? For a guy who’s all about law and order, he sure seems to like his outlaws. I see where he’s coming from about protecting his family by whatever means necessary, but I guess I’m conflicted.
• “You mean killing people and setting their corpses on fire?!” HA, see, Brennan agrees with me too. There’s protecting your family, and then there’s that. Max does seem to like a bit of flair, n’est-ce pas?
• You know Caroline was a little disappointed she had to break up their shouting match. You know she thinks that’s hot. (Man, they sure knew how to push each other’s buttons when they were angry, didn’t they?)
• I can’t believe the Deputy Director of the FBI would bother with an ex-con like Max and go after his kids. He should have taken up a hobby instead.
• Brennan’s panic when they bust into her apartment is so poignant. You can hearit so clearly. The catch in her voice as she’s yelling for Russ the first time is heart-wrenching — she’s running on nothing but blind fear now. And she completely crumbles when she sees the pool of blood and assumes it’s his. I feel so, so badly for her in this scene. You know she’s thinking that now that she finally got her family back, it’s been ripped away again. She’s reeling, poor baby. Booth tries to keep calm for her, even though you know he’s probably screaming WTF inside. It’s also super interesting that just like in Limbo, Brennan falls into him and hugs him right away — like she needs to hold onto something that’s real and that she can trust for an instant, and forgets about all their history. Man, this episode is intense!
• She’s so heartbreaking in the car, too. Her eyes are totally misty as she’s trying to come to grips with everything, and with them not doing their jobs (i.e. Calling in the supposed murder). You can tell how much she appreciates Booth’s reality check and him trying to rationalize everything for her, to make her feel better, when she half-smiles back at him. Man, do these guys know each other or what?
• “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks. I wish you wouldn’t keep letting me hug you when I get scared.” Aaand she’s back, people. “Hey, I get scared and I’ll hug you. We’ll call it even.” I’ll bet you will, Mister. As if you guys need an excuse. (I smell bullshit.)
• I like Cam’s suit in this episode. It’s snappy. See, this is what I assume normal coroners and medical professionals would wear to an office, not the Hervé Leger dresses (or whatever) she’s sporting now. Don’t get me wrong, I adore those, and handwave their practicality because they are gorgeous, but no one in her job would wear those to work. These suits? Totally fit the bill. (But HELLO cleavage shot. Those are a lot of buttons missing.)
• The familiar picking at Booth’s lapel — I forget, were she and Booth still friends-with-benefitting at this point? Whatever, they’re friends, I like them.
• “She can’t be going places without me. Not when it’s open season on Brennans.” HA. There’s that Booth snark. (It’s funny, ‘cause it’s true.)
• “Well, first, I want to tell you that your brother, is uh, with his father.” “You mean….with God?” “No, his earthly father — your father.” LMAO I don’t know why, but this exchange cracks my shit up Every. Single. Time. I can’t tell if it’s the Brennan literalism or the Max bluntness, but whatever it is, it works for me.
• “Oh, thank God – which I use only as a figure of speech.” Oh, Brennan, please, never change. (Man, I’d love to use that line sometime.)
• I find the conversation between Max and Brennan about their similarities very intriguing. I think he’s mostly right — from the brief snippets, they are very alike. They’re both blunt and speak their minds, and march to the beat of their own drums. Of course, for Brennan, that means framing her world through science, and for Max, that means gutting bad guys, but you know, the basic principle holds.
• Furthermore, Brennan’s expression is pretty interesting once he brings that up and walks away — like, she’s starting to get a little suspicious, because she’s not quite sure where this stranger is going with this, or how he seems to know so much about her.
• “You better mind your mushy mouth!” Um, I feel like getting chewed out by Caroline Julian would be a glorious thing.
• So, you know how much I love personal stories, and how much I love the Brennans, so obviously I love the story about Russ and Brennan and her Chatty Cathy doll. (See, she does know what toys are, haters. But given what happens next, no wonder she “forgets” about them. Way to ruin another childhood memory, Max.)
• Look at how Brennan stops dead in her tracks as soon as “Father Coulter” says, “I said to your mother, ‘No one will ever jump out at that girl again.’” Once again, her world’s been turned upside down, and everything is flooding back to her. It’s like he jumped out and yelled “Boo!” anew. She’s absolutely seething and completely incredulous that this is happening again.
• Also: Max had so much plastic surgery, he could be a Kardashian.
• What’s always been so fascinating to me about this scene, and that revelation, is that not only does it shake her emotional core, but it’s an assault on her professional skills as well. Like she says, she should have been able to see the markers, but really, if you’re not looking for your heavily facially-reconstructed father in the face of a middle-aged-to-senior priest, how would you seriously be expected to know? Poor Brennan.
• Seeley Booth driving Caroline’s Gremlin will never NOT be funny. Also, snazzy framing, very 24.
• And the hits just keep on coming: Russ knew it was Max all along. Like I’ve said, this whole plot confuses the shit out of me re: how long Russ and Max have been in contact, but I have to let it go before my head explodes. Then, after the weight of this information finally hits her, Brennan snaps back at him, hurt: “You talk to Russ, but not to me?” Dudes, think about it: to her, that’s like being abandoned and rejected all over again — even her dad won’t talk to her! (And her brother kept him from her!) I know that’s not what was going on, but in this instance, you know that’s how Brennan was processing the information. It’s devastating.
• I still don’t know what “you do better without me, and Russ does worse” means. I understand what it conveys in theory, but again, it goes back to how long Russ has known and what exactly is going on. I guess this implies he and Russ have been in contact for awhile, if not years. But that kind of negates much of the punch of Limbo. So, was it after that? Or, does Max mean he’s kept tabs from a distance? I seriously don’t know what to do with any of this, and it’s never really been explained, either. Either way, it’s a pretty shitty thing to do, on both Max and Russ’ parts.
• So, basically, Brennan’s been betrayed by her brother, who she’d only recently reconnected with and learned to trust (wholeheartedly and unquestionably), and her father, who she hasn’t seen in 15 years and has learned over the past year is a felon and murderer. I reiterate: no wonder she has issues. Giant fucking issues. There’s a little FML going on, here.
• Since I’m so easily confused, I still don’t understand why turning over the evidence was such a big problem that they had to go underground. OK, maybe I do. But still, what the fuck were Max and Ruth doing with that shit in the first place?!
• The way Brennan breaks when she says, “They got Mom anyway” is crushing. I’ve mentioned this several times over these recaps, and in this one in particular, but deep down Brennan is still that girl who just misses her mom and never really got to grieve for her, or the rest of her family. Seriously, she’s lost them all — many times over, now. How is she not catatonic?
• But she’s not the only one in pain: “And there’s not a day that goes by that my heart is not broken.” As many problems as I have with Max, one thing I love that the show has always underscored was how much Max adored his wife. You can tell that Ruth really was the love of his life, and clearly he respected her a great deal — not unlike the way Booth treats his daughter. Their entire family really was shattered. (Brennan, though, looks like she’s sizing him up, trying to gauge how truthful he’s being and not quite believing him. No wonder.)
• OK, Russ’ truck is fucking ridiculous. I mean, those wheels? What even—?
• Brennan’s look when he shows up, though — she’s like, of course this is how it has to end. Of course her brother is going to be the getaway driver for her murderer of a father.
• Naturally, Max is gonna think waltzing off with an “I gotta go” is going to be just fine, after the Grade A shit he’s just pulled.
• But Brennan is, as we know, a BAMF to the nth power, and fake-hugs him to kick him to the ground and cuff him — see, the division of labour Booth was talking about! Although, I think that at first, at least part of that hug was genuine, even if she was tricking him into some ninja skills. As though she allowed herself to feel it for a second before remembering she was there to kick his ass. Especially since she keeps repeating “I’m sorry” as she’s trying to detain him, hee. (What is she, Canadian?) See, she has manners!
• The look Russ and Max share as Max shakes his head no to tell him not to approach is interesting. Was Russ going to fight his sister so his dad could get away? These Brennans are so incredibly fucked up, y’all.
• ESPECIALLY SINCE MAX PULLS THE SWITCHEROO AND FUCKING CUFFS HIS DAUGHTER TO THE BENCH. Seriously, these people are in need of intensive therapy.
• However, here is the first of many gems to come out of Max’s mouth over the years: “Listen to me. If you find somebody that you can trust, you hang on to them. Remember that.” Max totally joined the B&B Shippers Club, yes? When he stares back at Booth when Booth shows up and chooses Brennan over pursuing him, you know he knows exactly who that somebody is for his daughter. I’m guessing he probably knew that from the moment he met Booth in Brennan’s office. Which is why he tells Booth to take care of her — because clearly Max knows she’s going to be messed up after all of this.
• Fuck, if Russ has known all along, Russ probably told Max about the two of them before any of this shit happened, after they all hung out together drinking beer inLimbo. See what I mean? This show is ridonkulous. (And this timeline crap makes my head hurt.)
• Brennan looks so pained when Max tells her that he’s proud of her and that he loves her. Part of her has probably been longing to hear that for 15 years, because no one has likely said that since her parents left, but another part is like, really? You don’t get to that privilege anymore, especially not after this.
• LMAO as if Booth thought he could do any kind of ass-kicking IN A GREMLIN.
• Speaking of which — did Russ really need to total it? Really? In his fucking monster truck? Not cool, man. (Plus, imagine the ass-chewing Booth got from Caroline for that? He’s lucky he was still able to father children.)
• Brennan pleading with Booth not to go after her family is a fascinating character development. Brennan’s been noted as seeing things very much in black and white — Max says as much just a few minutes earlier. But this is very much a shades of grey situation. Logically, Booth should pursue Max, both because of his professional duty and because it’s what’s right (criminal = go to jail). But Brennan asks him not to, presumably because them being caught will cause her pain. (Or, maybe she thinks he’d be in danger, but I don’t really think that’s what they were going for.) It appears as though she just wants him to be her friend and forget about her fugitive family for a minute.
• Booth’s reaction is great re: the totaling of the Gremlin. “I mean, did he really have to hit the car? I wasn’t gonna chase him.” SO SAY WE ALL. But man, that car is a cockroach, you try to kill it and it just keeps coming back. Again, B&B’s bond is on display here, too: there was never any question that he wasn’t going to be there for Brennan and be at her side, instead of chasing after the Brennan Criminal Element. Because he knows exactly what this whole thing is going to do to her (as he implies later, outside the Diner), and her welfare is what is most important in this case. Oh, babies.
• Be there, he does. Poor Brennan is so defeated and 3 seconds away from yellingFUCK MY LIFE (if this were on cable), and all he has to do is sit next to her on that bench and rub her shoulder. If you were really fancy, you could say that this is the moment that Show transfers that familial bond of trust from her actual family, to Booth. Actually, I think that’s exactly what they were doing, hence the comment outside the Diner later. It’s as though in this instance, she severs that last thread with her blood family, because they’ve just pulled the ultimate betrayal, but Booth is the one who picks up the pieces. As if Show/Booth is inferring that no matter what, he won’t leave her.
• And it’s true, her relationship with her family is never the same after this. The lightheartedness and banter we see with Russ in the beginning of this episode never returns, and is replaced to a certain degree by snippiness later on. It goes without saying that she also never completely trusts Max again. Even now, five years later, she rarely certain of his intentions, and even when they bond, she kind of keeps him at arm’s length. They’ve made great strides, but they’re never going to be fully healed (and they shouldn’t be — Max has continued to pull a lot of shit. Add that on top of the existing issues, and it’s pretty much impossible for them to ever have a normal relationship).
• But man, the look on her face in the end of this scene, on the bench? UGH. Brennan’s life sucks sometimes, people. Pure devastation.
• Now, for the rooftop scene redux, instead of [♪♪ Alternative Rock ♪♪], we get [♪♪ Indie Rock ♪♪] Really? How exactly do they quantify that difference?
• Max doing the same thing to Kirby’s body — so, he’s a serial killer, now? Is MaxDexter?
• (Max’s MO for these guys is seriously intense, given that assumedly before this, he’d never killed anyone, ever. I guess you go big or go home, right?)
• Also, it’s really fucking creepy.
• I love, love, LOVE the squint squad sticking up for Zack to Cam. No, they don’t want him to just visit every once in awhile, they want him working with them, thankyouverymuch. How could Cam not acquiesce to that? HE’S A PUPPY. Plus, the makeover and promise to learn how to speak to humans etc.
• (“Zack can learn anything,” yes including how to become a serial killer’s apprentice.)
• Zack being able to choose any restaurant, on Angela, to celebrate, and picking the Diner, is all kinds of adorable. He’s such a little boy.
• You know what else warms my cold heart? Hodgins’ hat, because he needs “a little time to adjust to [Zack’s] fascist haircut.” You guys, they’re such buddies, all of them. They are a family. Sniff.
• I don’t think this is going to surprise anyone that I ADORE the next bit, with Brennan and Zack. Remember how I said Brennan doesn’t like physical contact, yet was extremely tactile with Russ? Look at how she just grabs Zack into a hug, without hesitation and with nothing but pure love. It is so tender. I’m thinking she’s subconsciously reaffirming what — and who — really matters and what’s real. Her actual family has just bailed on her, but Zack, who she knows and loves, is here, and has just made her immensely proud, so she’s going to do all she can to make sure he knows this. Sigh. (Again, one season later, he basically does the same thing Russ and Max did… Man, she can’t catch a break with her loved ones, can she?) She and Zack really were two peas in a pod in Seasons 1 and 2, and I absolutely loved their relationship. It wasn’t just a fabulous student-teacher sharing of knowledge, but it was also genuine friendship. Zack was totally the little brother she never had. They do things to me, OK?
• Hee, the Squints managed to shut down the Diner just for themselves. They’re loyal customers. (Liquor license, shmliquor license, they’re drinking champagne, y’all!)
• They managed to save the day, too, since Booth got his job back. Well, OK, it’s mostly Max’s returned evidence that saved the day, but it’s a moment, let’s go with it. But he can’t even be completely happy about it, because of what they had to do to get it. “You know what? I’m sorry that you had to go through it again. Watching your family drive off, leaving you behind. I’m sorry.” Um, way to rub salt in the wounds there, bud. I understand what he means, though. He’s trying to get through to her that he knows exactly what she must have been reliving when Max and Russ took off, and this time she’s not alone. A) because even if she can’t see it, her dad does love her and B) Booth is there for her this time.
• Brennan’s already started the shutdown process, though. She essentially admits that she’s retreating back into her (impervious?) shell: “You know, I’m just— I’m just one of those people who doesn’t get to be in a family.” How incredibly heartbreaking is that? That that’s what Brennan thinks of herself? You heart just goes out to her and she’s still the 15 year old whose family disappeared and was left behind to pick up the pieces and fend for herself.
• But it’s different this time: “Listen, Bones, hey. There’s more than one kind of family.” AND ALL THE FANGIRLS REJOICED IN ALL THE LAND. Hee. First of all, Booth placing his finger under her chin and tipping her head towards him is so incredibly, oddly intimate. Factoring in the 100^th episode flashback, we know they did have a history of this, but it’s even more intense than that. It’s so out of place in what their relationship was at that point, but that’s the idea — he’s trying to emphasize his loyalty and get her attention. (Also, it’s very Mulder & Scully-ish, Mr. Duchovny.) Second, I like that Booth is telling her that these ties she’s made with her team — Angela, Zack, Hodgins, him — are family. They may not be related by blood, but they have just proven that they will do anything for each other and love each other. It’s too early in the show for it to mean romantically, but I think he really wanted to show her that she has created a family at the Jeffersonian, and just because they came from different places doesn’t mean she can’t trust them. As I said, Show/Booth is stating here that he won’t leave.
• And Brennan returns the favour, by telling Booth to come in to celebrate Zack’s job. “We are, all of us, your squints.” I’ve always loved that line too — because Booth is a bit of a loner, but the squints have imprinted on him as well. (Which is why I’d like to see more interaction with all of them, but that’s another post.) He’s found his own corner of the world with them.
• So, as you can tell, I love this episode. I love the pacing, the intensity, the character development — even if it’s painful, too. So much happened in 42 minutes! I even love the visuals — David Duchovny did a fantastic job directing, and I’m not one to notice those things especially, nor am I a Duchovny fangirl, so I’m not just saying that.
• I guess what stays with me the most is that this episode solidifies that the theme of this show is Family. Those that we come from, those that we escape from, those that we create, those that we try to rebuild. All of this comes to roost in Season 7. When you think about it, it makes the progress of the current season that much more amazing, given how shattered Brennan was in this episode after all was said and done. I mean, we’ve gone from “I guess I’m one of those people who doesn’t get to be in a family” to “we’re starting a family” and creating a home together. Who said this show is a procedural? HA. Lies, all lies.

To get serious for a minute, the real damage of this episode: the betrayal of Brennan’s trust. Russ’ is the worst, I think. I mean, yes, what Max does is horrible, but at this point he hasn’t had a redemption arc, and we’re only just learning the depths of his ruse. After all the pain from when they were teenagers, Russ and Brennan had finally reconciled and seemed to have put the past completely behind them. Brennan was happy and comfortable with him in a way we’d never seen on the show and haven’t seen since, until the home scenes in season 7. It’s like she could finally be herself, and she completely let her guard down, because she had absolute trust and faith in Russ after forgiving him. She reverted to her role as playful sister that she had been missing for half her life. But then, he leaves her, again, and betrays her trust and her loyalty so spectacularly in order to go on the run with Max. So she starts to shut down all over again; their relationship is never the same after this. Sure, part of that is because Russ is in jail for all but one of his next appearances, which is not exactly conducive to family bonding, but after this episode, anytime we see them together, there’s a bit of the abrasiveness that was present in Limbo, that was completely absent here. The end of this episode proves to her, once and for all, that her family will do nothing but let her down, when she’d finally learned to trust again, both in herself and in others (i.e. Her brother), and she starts to retreat back into her shell. No wonder she’s had so much trouble trusting feelings and relationships, when the most important ones in her life have failed her, even into adulthood.

 

As much as I enjoy Russ when he’s on screen, I really hate that he did this. In a way, it’s almost worse than when he left her when he was 19, because now he’s old enough to know better and understand the pain he’s causing. Plus, he’s got his own family, and becoming a fugitive when you’ve got a girlfriend and two young kids is a pretty shitty thing to do as well. I mean, he seems like a sweet guy, but I can’t stand how he (well, the writers) basically took this one good thing away from his sister, because he’s one of a rare few who totally gets her and lets her be herself with no judgment, and she returns the favour. So, as much as I’m assuming he’s grown in the four years since he’s last been on the show, I’ve got issues with him.

 

Really, the ease with which Brennan behaves with Russ in the early part of the episode is a side of her we don’t see again until her scenes alone with Booth in season 7. Even pre-season 6, when they’re hanging out and being adorable, there’s always a little something she’s holding back. Yet in season 7, they’re totally just comfortable and open at home, and that’s what she’s like with her brother, before he leaves her again.  Home, after all, is the place where you don’t have to act and can just be. Because ultimately, that’s what family is about, right?

 

Oh, Show.