I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again

(Originally posted July 14, 2013.)

This might be late, but it’s better than never, right?

Con Man in the Meth Lab is an episode that gives me a surprising amount of feelings, given how I don’t typically consider it among my favourites. (I don’t hate it, not at all, I just don’t think of it immediately.)

The thing is, I learned from a very young age how to defend unpopular opinions. (I attribute it to my parents’ jobs when I was growing up, if I’m being honest.) As a result, I kind of like to stick up for Brennan here, despite how polarizing her actions are.

Nonetheless, the real meat of this episode is Booth, and any episode that allows us to delve deeper into his background and his psyche is A+ in my books. You guys know how much I love the Brennan Family Drama, but Booth’s family is just as interesting — the only caveat is that we don’t know nearly as much about his as we do hers.

So, get your birthday cake or your Scotch, and embrace the Awkward that is this chapter.

• This sheriff at the training exercise is going to blow himself up, right?
• Well, close enough.
• Because this is Bones, which means there is a dead body flying out of the meth lab.
• AND THAT IS WHY YOU ALWAYS LEAVE A NOTE.
• (You cannot convince me J. Walter Weatherman didn’t coordinate this stunt.)
• Chronic lateness is a way of asserting control, Sweets? Well then, I must be master of the universe by that logic, Baby Duck.
• Look how proud Booth is of his big case! We know he gets satisfaction in putting criminals behind bars, but we so rarely see him so, well, excited about his work. Aw, Booth.
• Sidebar: I really like Brennan’s hairstyling and makeup in season 4, as this scene demonstrates. Carry on.
• Heh, Brennan knows all about his big RICO case!
• … Which she is not supposed to know about.
• But she does. Because Brennan knows just about everything about Booth.
• Since they are a couple without knowing it, in case you haven’t gotten that memo recently.
• HEE. Sweets is so hurt that he doesn’t know about the case. Um, Sweets, no offence, but you do not have what Brennan has to get that out of Booth.
• Oh my gosh, Booth is adorable when he dreams of seeing his name in lights. Or on a coin, as it were. (Even if it seems a little unusual for him? He’s usually so stoic. But I suppose that is the whole point of this plot, so I digress.)
• Booth is going to Hawaii to celebrate, huh? I bet there is someone he could convince to go with him, to see those sharks. Ahem.
• Heh, Brennan knew about Booth’s brother, when Sweets didn’t. Neener neener!
• (As I’m pretty sure they mentioned his brother way back in season 1, in the episode with the foster kids, points to Show for continuity!)
• Aw, poor Sweets, he just wants to play Turtle Party Wagon with Booth and Brennan. Bide your time, son. You’re gonna have the sleepover to end all sleepovers in a few years.
• “Things in a toilet bowl should not move.” Preach it, Angela!
• Wait, this is after Hodgins and Angela broke up, right? They’re very chummy, right here.
• BWAHAHA! Clark has to announce his arrival in the lab by a loud throat-clearing. Which Angela responds to, naturally, by enveloping him in a big hug. Much to his dismay.
• Hodgins: You said you didn’t want to work here anymore.
  Clark: No, I said my working style tends towards the professional. See my tie?That’s an indicator.
  Me: Oh, Clark, I adore you.
• Clark works there despite the lack of professionalism because it’s still the best forensics facility in the world! Aw. These people are good, y’all.
• “A Korean war reference? You do know we have a brand new war, right? It’s been in the news?” DRINK! I say so, dammit.
• (I may have gotten a head start.)
• “Aren’t you the least bit curious if Hodgins and I are back together or not?” Nope. Sorry, Angela. This has been today’s edition of THE JEFFERSONIAN HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS.
• “Aaand not work. Am I the only one who can tell the difference here?” Basically,yes.
• “Aren’t you impressed Angela and I can work together so well?” Heh, I thought Clark was going to flip them off when he grabbed his tie. Of course, that would have been unprofessional.
• Oh look, it’s Brendan Fehr, who is apparently Booth’s infamous brother!
• (Full disclosure: I almost always think Brendan Behr comes off as a smarmy jerk in his roles. This does nothing to dispel that.)
• (That being said, I loved Roswell as a teen, so, I do have a soft spot for Michael Guerin.)
• ANYWAY.
• Cam knows Jarhead! For that is what we are calling Jared.
• (Heh. Just before he said it, I thought, “aren’t Jarheads Marines?” Nice to know Cam is just taking the piss out of him.)
• See: “He’s getting so big! Soon he’ll be wanting a later curfew and a car of his own!” HEE! She’s acting like an asshole, just like Booth and Brennan! I love it. It’s a very quick, subtle indicator of Cam’s history with Booth— that she’s so familiar with him that she’s on a teasing basis with his brother. Meaning, Cam isn’t just a fling, she’s a legit family friend.
• The writers make Brennan extra-squinty when meeting “Jarhead,” and while that should annoy me, it doesn’t as much, here. I am amused.
• “Is she coming onto me?” “No, that’s just the way she talks.” Heh. I’m easy, that makes me laugh, too.
• Aw, Booth is so proud of his little brother and his fancy Pentagon job: “Basically, he runs the place.”
• “I’m quite intelligent!” That might be the most modest Brennan’s ever been about her brain.
• It amuses me that Booth is willing to pimp out Cam, in a manner of speaking, to Jared, but he categorically refuses to let Brennan even consider it. Wonder whatthat means. Ahem.
• Sidebar: while I think the casting of Booth’s brother was pretty great, chemistry and looks-wise, one thing that gets me is that Jared seems so much younger than Booth. Maybe that’s the point? I mean, in terms of personality, he’s like a frat boy, but even physically, he appears so youthful. He seems like he’s close to ten years younger than Booth or something, to me. Which obviously isn’t impossible, but it’s just a head-scratcher when thinking about the timeline. Which I’m not. Because time is magic on Bones etc.
• (You know, I’d think Angela would make a better date for Jared than Cam, but Angela would probably eat him alive, whereas Cam would just mock him.)
• Brennan: Are you thinking of leaving lesbianism behind [for Jared]?
  Angela: I prefer not to be labelled, OK?
  Me: HEE. I love their friendship. (And that Brennan can even tease Angela when it’s warranted.)
• BWAHAHAHA. OK, my favourite part of this episode may just be when Booth gets into the gossip game and takes it upon himself to update Clark on Angela’s sex life. “Since you were last here, Angela ran into her ex-girlfriend, who is now her ex- ex-girlfriend.”I mean, Booth, people. He’s probably second only to Clark in terms of uptightness re: personal lives. He’s eating this up with a fucking spoon! He’s smirking! THE JEFFERSONIAN IS HIGH SCHOOL.
• HEE. Even Clark is flustered at that scoop. He is such a guy. “The only ex I care about are X-rays.” “Right.” “I apologize for the pun.” I want to squish you two.
• HEY! The victim’s son is Betty Draper’s brother! Also known as the weaselly campaign worker on The Killing.
• Er, who keeps notebooks in their jackets?
• Ooh, an alcoholic parent who abandoned his son in his time of need and came back decades later after seeing him in the media, after which son invites him to stay with his family? Why, I wonder if Show will ever reuse this… Ahem.
• (That reminds me, I never did get around to recapping The Party in the Pants. That was the very night that Real Life started getting Batshit Crazy and hasn’t stopped since. Sigh. Fuck 2013. Have I mentioned that lately?)
• Um, this disgruntled business partner of the son’s kinda looks like FML FBI Tech.
• My, Brennan is pretty. Like an old-time movie star. Just saying.
• Uh oh, Cam has to bail on Jared thanks to Murder, and Brennan wants to step in. “Seeley, would you mind?” What Booth is thinking? “YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT I FUCKING MIND.” What he says? “Hmm? No? Why would I mind?” Oh, because you’re hopelessly in love with your partner, that’s why.
• Heh. I love when he gets that pinchy look on his face.
• OH HOT DAMN.
• No seriously.
• I mean.
• DAAAYUM.
• Brennan is all dolled up for her date. At the lab. And she looks stunning. I mean, she always looks beautiful, but all decked out like this? With the slinky, classy black dress and fancy hair and smokey makeup? She’s especially gorgeous. (I love love love her party makeup in this scene. And her jewellery. And her dress. And her hair. Basically, everything about her.)
• “You have got to be kidding me…”/ “I just didn’t know that you were so…” Even Clark agrees. Today is “All the women in the lab are particularly hot just to drive Clark mad, right into a cold shower” day at the Jeffersonian. He’s totally checking her out, namely in the boobage area. (Heh, I like how he ends up also having an awkward moment with her boobs in season 7. Maybe that’s his thing.)
• Sidebar: Brennan’s dress kind of reminds me of the dress Emily Deschanel wore at the Emmys last year. (I think it was that show? When she was her sister’s date?)
• “We misidentified the victim!” OH SNAP. That doesn’t happen often around these parts. Yikes.
• Um, a party at the White House full of sailors and soldiers in their dress blues/whites? Did I just step into an episode of JAG? It feels like I did.
• I think it’s interesting that Brennan watches the party from afar, on the bench, instead of hanging on Jared’s arm while he schmoozes. I’d like to think that’s part of Brennan’s personality — as the anthropologist, she’s always observing people from the sidelines rather than taking part. (Maybe I should say I’m an anthropologist when I go to functions and awkwardly hang back like this.)
• Sigh. Still flailing over Brennan’s makeup. It’s just about perfect.
• Brennan sure seems to be comfortable enough with Jared:
  Jared: You wanna know the secret [to schmoozing]? You have an incredibly beautiful, incredibly intelligent scientist-slash-novelist sitting alone waiting for you to bring her a drink. … Too corny?
  Brennan: Definitely.
  Me: JESUS H. MURPHY. Jared, have you been working on that one all night?! GAG.
• I think Brennan’s reaction is really interesting, though. She seems genuinely flattered, despite knowing full well how cheesy it is. I know Brennan is used to being told she’s smart and beautiful, but… whereas she’s normally accepting of it, she’s almost bashful here. I don’t know that Brennan is used to be so singularly focused-upon, even if she knows it’s just a line.
• Also interesting? That Brennan admits that while she’s been sitting there, she’s been thinking about Booth, and how much he’d dislike being there. (In other words, Booth is always on Brennan’s mind. Not that means anything. Of course not. Ahem.)
• OK, here comes the first instance in which I will come to Brennan’s defence.
• First of all, let’s all agree that Jared is a little punk, right?
• Secondly, let’s get to what he says — that Booth is afraid of success and stays in his comfort zone and that it drove their dad nuts. Yes, Jared could just be an asshole who is trying to get in Brennan’s pants by knocking his brother down a peg, and I’m sure that’s probably part of it. But looking at the larger picture, I could see how Jared might genuinely feel that way. We know now that Booth defended Jared from their dad, or at least seemed to bear the brunt of their dad’s ire. If Jared is substantially younger than Booth — even if it’s just, say, five years instead of ten like I’ve been assuming — he would have had a much different perspective on their home life than his older brother. Where we see Booth protecting his brother, Kid!Jared probably was oblivious, and just saw Seeley getting into a fight with dad. We know how brave and committed Booth is, but Jared’s perception is probably tainted by their childhood relationships. This is not to defend Jared at all, because I think he’s a jackass, but I’ve seen how kids in the same family see their home life drastically differently based on their birth order and age differences, even when it’s a relatively safe, peaceful family, so in a dysfunctional one like the Booths? I’m not surprised Jared’s perception of his brother is so different from others’.
• Plus, like I said, he’s an asshole.
• Especially since he thinks being a sniper is safe. That sounds like a kid brother who can’t measure up, alright. (I mean… Booth is a fucking SNIPER. If ever there were a job that was the opposite of “comfort,” it’s that.)
• So, just to stick it to big bro, he dives in and kisses Brennan. “Betcha Seeley would have never done that.” “Nope.” HOLY SHIT, how are their Thanksgiving dinnersnot fucking awkward? “Hey kids, let me tell you about the time Uncle Jared tried to make out with Mommy just to make Daddy mad…” (Yes, Booth is turning into Ted Mosby in this fantasy, what’s the problem?)
• I was about to say how the 100^th episode, and even Santa in the Slush retconned this exchange, since we now know Booth and Brennan have, in fact, kissed already, but I guess technically, Brennan was the one who initiated both of those kisses.
• I think Brennan’s reaction to the kiss is interesting, too. She’s not displeased, and she smiles and is friendly and flirty, but she doesn’t seem particularly interested in him in that way? Maybe I’m reaching.
• More importantly, let’s get to Brennan’s reaction in general. What I like about this scene is that you can practically see her brain working and processing this new information. She seems surprised at Jared’s assessment of Booth, and you can see her trying to fit that data in with the information she’s already accrued of him herself. I have a whole theory about this, but I’m not going to get into it right now. Stay tuned for more on this front.
• However, the short version is I don’t think Brennan is a bitch at all, and I have my reasons. Naive, yes, but bitch, no. There’s a method to their madness, in my eyes.
• Ooh, Sexy Swingin’ Segue Serenade! … I’m sorry. I was trying to be clever about the jazz music over the transitional footage.
• It’s the next morning! Booth doesn’t give two shits about the case because all he can think about is his baby brother sexin’ up his partner! Cam tells him Jared and Brennan had a late night last night! RAWR. (Um, Cam, how do you know?)
• Bwahaha Cam’s eye roll at his transparency, it is the best. (No wonder she’s the first to confront him about being in love with his partner.)
• Ooh, this state trooper who’s trying to cover up the body in the meth lab from the media is a tad smarmy.
• “And if the press digs up that the bodies were burned and blown into several pieces, it makes the FBI look sneaky.” “Well, the FBI is sneaky.” Dude, you clearly skipped this day in Kiss Ass School. If you’re trying to suck up to Booth to get him to cover up your shit, don’t shit on his employer, man.
• “I tell you what, why don’t we tell the truth, and take our lumps when we have to.” Sigh. Booth is such a Good Man. Too bad this nobility comes back to bite him in the ass. This is why Booth can’t have nice things. Poor Booth.
• It amuses me that Cam is acting all den-mothery about Brennan coming in past curfew later than usual. Because, in case you didn’t get the memo, THE JEFFERSONIAN IS HIGH SCHOOL.
• Brennan hasn’t been to sleep yet! BOW CHICA WOW WOW.
• (Except not.)
• (I wonder if Brennan is one of those people who gets deliriously giggly by hour 30 of sleep deprivation?)
• Brennan looks way better on no sleep than I would if I slept for a week straight. Dammit.
• BWAHAHA, Clark looks like he’s going to be sick when Cam brings up Jared. I think “Fuck my life” was coined especially for Clark.
• Aaah, it’s a Girl Talk Intervention! I love these. (Remember my gushing over the one in this year’s finale?)
• The Girl Talk in question today is concerning one Jared Booth. Angela and Cam do not approve. “Because he’s Booth’s little brother. And it would just be a creepy way of having sex with a Booth without having sex with the real Booth.” Aah, I see our Audience Surrogate is alive and well.
• (They know what Brennan really secretly wants, even if Brennan doesn’t realize it herself.)
• Plus, I love that Show is spelling out exactly what’s going on with Brennan. It’s one thing I’ve always appreciated — that they’ve never shied away from admitting that Booth and Brennan are crazy attracted to each other, and want each other, even if the characters themselves were in denial. It’s rather refreshing.
• “Jared is Booth Light.” Heh. It’s funny because it’s true. (I love that Cam and Angela both inherently understand that Booth is the “real” Booth.)
• Oh how convenient! The real dude who the victim was impersonating just happens to be in bone storage at the Jeffersonian! I bet that’s where Jimmy Hoffa is too.
• The guy who plays the (crooked) sheriff is one of Those Guys who shows up in every show. (I thought it was Meat Loaf the first time I saw this.)
• Aw, flip phones! How quaint. Oh, 2008.
• In other news, Jaaaaared’s iiiiiin troooooouble.
• HEE. I love how Hodgins always manages to rope Clark into an experiment. Clark loves it, but tries to deny it. He’s so cute.
• Oh great, Jared got busted for DUI after he crashed his car into a post. What a peach.
• Next, he starts whining to Booth that he’s going to lose his job if he gets busted for DUI. WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL. Fuck you, Jared. It’s not your brother’s job to fix this. UUUUUUGH. HAAAAAAATE. I definitely think Jared takes after Momma Booth but that is another post.
• Bwahaha, Betty Draper’s Brother wants to know if he can keep the money Booth and Brennan find in their house. Way to prioritize, man.
• Um, this may be a little ignorant of me, but it seems odd that an African-American man would have a Ukrainian-sounding last name like “Wolchuk,” but what do I know?
• However, that is not important right now.
• What is important? Smarmy State Super Trooper TOTALLY CLAIMS ALL THE CREDIT ON THE RICO BUST ON NATIONAL TV.
• Oh, Booth. Honey, what did you do?
• Booth, I hope you didn’t just rip up actual plane tickets. (Aw, 2008, when people still had paper tickets. I think the last time I had a paper ticket was when I flew to Dallas maybe… eight years ago?) I’m pretending those were just pamphlets. Dude you should totally take Brennan to Hawaii with you.
• Oh boy. Cam pulled the “pretend I have important case information just to get Booth into the lab so I can give him the third degree” card. Well played, Dr. Saroyan.
• And grill him, she does.
• “Don’t you lie to me, Big Man. I’m your friend.” Sigh. I love their friendship, so much. I love when she calls him Big Man. (Hell, I love when Angela calls him that, too. It’s so sweet.) Again, very few words to indicate how close Cam is with him. She’s so concerned, and she knows how he tends to martyr himself for his loved ones. (Ahem.)
• Booth looks so pained. I want to hug him.
• Yet, Cam also looks hurt, though hers is more of an angry hurt. She knows how hard Booth has worked for this, and that shit had to have gone down for him to give it up, and that he doesn’t deserve this bullshit, but he puts up with it because he can’t say no. It’s very subtle work, but it’s masterful, by both of them.
• Heh, meanwhile, back at the FBI ranch, Sweets is meeting Uncle Jared in an elevator, and it amuses me.
• Of course, Jared thinks a couple of hockey tickets will make up for his brother losing the biggest case of his career for him. Because Jared is an asshole.
• “My brother doesn’t like birthday presents.” WHO DOESN’T LIKE BIRTHDAY PRESENTS?! Jared, you’re an asshole.
• “Having a big brother is like having an extra dad. Only, a dad who protects you from your real dad.” Baby Duck’s spidey senses are tingling, y’all. He is intrigued. As are we all. This is the first indication, other than a deleted scene from the previous season, that Booth’s childhood was not as rosy as he made it out to be.
• “There’s nothing worse than somebody who always thinks they’re right. And then they’re right.” Oh you would know, Jared.
• I’d like to think Sweets immediately infers that Jared is, indeed, a selfish asshole.
• OK, as I rewatch episodes this summer, I’ve come to really love the relationship between Brennan and Clark at the lab. “Pure conjecture, Dr. Edison. But it has logical integrity.” He’s so proud of himself when she praises him. They all want her approval.
• “Is the stool out? No, you mean stoolie.” Hee. Brennan is adorable when she tries to use slang so naturally and gets it just a smidgen wrong, but Exasperated!Booth delights me. Booth’s having none of it today, unfortunately, and who can blame him?
• Hey suspect dude, your tracking device don’t mean shit! We all know they’re so easily hackable, at least if you’re a criminal mastermind. Which you may be for all we know. AHEM.
• Uh oh, Brennan confronts Booth about the RICO bust at the most unfortunate time, in the observation room at the Hoover.
• “Did you do something wrong? You didn’t get the credit you deserve.” Gulp. This isn’t going to end well.
• Case in point:
  Brennan: Jared warned me that you tend to sabotage yourself. […] He said you’re afraid of success.
  Booth: So basically, I’m a loser.
  Brennan: No, he never said the word loser.
  Booth: Do you think I’m a loser?
• DANGER WILL ROBINSON.
• Attention, all: here begins my Defence Of Temperance Brennan.
• It never even occurred to me when I first saw this episode that Brennan’s reaction was problematic, and it wasn’t until after the fact, after becoming involved in the online fandom, that I understood just how polarizing Brennan’s behaviour here was. Or, maybe not polarizing, but outright enraging, I don’t know.
• For what it’s worth, here is my interpretation of the scene, and why I’ve never had a problem with it. I know a lot of people think Brennan’s being a total bitch for believing Jared and thinking Booth is a loser, but she doesn’t say that here, and I don’t think that’s what’s going on.
• We know Brennan is all about research and gathering facts, right? Yes, Brennan knows a lot about Booth. But here comes his brother— who’s known him hisentire life — and he starts filling in the gaps she doesn’t know about in her partner. Brennan’s only known Booth for four or five years at this point; Jared has about five times as much experience with his brother, in her eyes. So I could see how Brennan would consider what Jared says about Booth at face value. Notice how as she reminds Booth, Jared never said he was a loser, nor does she. (Yet.) Remember what I said earlier about Brennan’s interesting expression once Jared starts talking about Booth’s “fears”? She’s surprised, and you can see her trying to fit that in with what she knows about Booth. She’s curious.
• Basically, what I’m saying is that to me, this is Brennan thinking, “huh, I never knew that about Booth, but if Jared says so, he must have a point, because he’s known Booth longer than I have.” Let’s remember that at this point, Booth hasn’t given her a single reason to doubt Jared. All she knows is that Booth is maybe a little overprotective, as he is with all his loved ones (even though she doesn’t know about the DUI yet), and that Jared is apparently rising the ranks in the Navy at a rapid pace, with an important job, and appears to be successful at it. Yes, after their date Cam and Angela tell her the score, but she has no reason to not believe Jared. Sure, her experience with Booth should tell her otherwise, but that’s part of the point to me— that Booth tends to keep his personal life, particularly his family, very private, and keeps his head in the sand about some of the more serious issues (see: Jared’s drinking and Mama Booth’s… everything). So she doesn’t know that Jared is a lying (or at least misinformed) asshole who’s just trying to get in her pants or stick it to his big brother. We know that Brennan is rather guileless herself, and while she doesn’t trust easily, she trusts her Jeffersonian family (and Booth) completely, and I could see how she’d accept Jared as an extension of that and give him the benefit of the doubt, since he’s Booth’s family. On top of everything else, Booth won’t open up about the RICO bust, and I could see how she’d mistakenly connect the dots. I don’t think she thinks Booth is a loser, at all, but I think she takes Jared’s information as another chapter in her Encyclopedia of Booth, and posits it as a theory as to why he lost the case.
• So, to sum up, I think Brennan’s just very naive in this case, which I don’t believe is out of character. I mean, look at her own relationship with Russ: yes, it got messed up as adults thanks to their parents’ fuckery, but as kids, they were obviously very, very close. Other than her parents, Russ knew her the best of anyone, as the “Marco Polo” story in Woman in Limbo indicates. Brennan’s family “got” her as a kid in a way no one else ever tried to, so I could see how Brennan would just assume Jared and Booth had a similar relationship, since, as I’ve been saying, she’s been given no indication otherwise. (And won’t until Booth’s revelation at the end of the episode, spoiler alert.)
• Whew. Sorry for the rambling, guys. But, this seems to be one of those lightning rod moments in the series, and I wanted to offer my own two cents about it all. I guess it just proves how differently everyone interprets a piece.
• Moving along, Brennan’s response to Booth — that anthropologically speaking, males rank themselves hierarchically, and there’s no shame in not being on top — is not a slight against him, or an indication that she thinks he’s a loser. At all. She might not be expressing herself clearly, but she in no way thinks Booth is inferior. She’s talking about how men rank themselves — e.g. Booth and Jared. She’s not talking about what she thinks of him. It sounds, to me, like she’s saying, “hey, if you’d rather let guys like Jared or Super Trooper Sleazeball get the limelight, I don’t see anything wrong in that.”
• And yes, she doesn’t answer Booth’s question — but, again, it looks to me like she’s just taken aback by his tone that she’s trying to assess his reaction, because she doesn’t understand why he’s so upset. Then the phone rings and Booth doesn’t give her a chance to answer.
• Am I reaching? Probably. I’m just saying, this is how I saw the scene, and is why I’ve never been bothered by it like others have.
• Just want to reiterate. Brennan never says Booth is a loser in this, nor does she indicate that she thinks less of him. (Yet.) She’s just concerned about him and his sudden change of heart regarding his RICO glory, and trying to fit that in with the new information she’s been given. Then, after Booth heads towards the door, she calls back to him, obviously knowing she’s hurt him and wants to talk to him, but he leaves before she gets the chance to explain herself.
• I don’t think either of them are to blame, here. Brennan’s trying to peel back more Booth layers (metaphorically speaking, of course), but does so a tad clumsily, as she is wont to do, and Booth flies off the handle because he feels rightly cornered. He thinks his little brother is making the moves on his partner by sending him up shit creek, and he’s had a really fucking terrible week so far.
• ANYWAY. That is my story and I’m sticking to it.
• Booth, to Betty Draper’s Brother’s Wife: “You have a family to take care of. We do whatever we can for family.” OH HEY ANVIL I’VE MISSED YOU. In case you haven’t noticed, that’s one of the guiding themes for the entire series. To this day, in fact.
• Booth seems to have cooled off a whole lot. Good for him.
• Brennan continues to have the best reactions about imbecilic behaviour: “People make stupid, irrational decisions.” Yes, they do, Brennan.
• “You know, they act from the heart sometimes, Bones. It’s not a crime.” Um, hold that thought about Booth being OK. Oops.
• Cam needs Brennan! For personal reasons. Heh. This is going to be great, regardless of the intent.
• Cam: Dr. Brennan, I don’t want you to think this is an intervention.
  Brennan: I don’t know what that means. (DRINK!)
  Sweets: An intervention is when a group of loved ones bands together to help one of their own make a difficult decision.
  Cam: Oh! Then— Then, it is an intervention.
  Brennan: Are you my loved ones?
  Me: HEE. I love all of these people on this catwalk tonight.
• Seriously, though, I love them. I love that Cam wanted to talk sense into Brennan and give her the 411 on Booth, I love that Sweets conferred with Cam based on his own suspicions, I love that they’re genuinely looking out for both Brennan and Booth’s well-being here. I just love this family so much.
• I also love that Cam knows all about Booth’s family life. Once more, it’s a quick indicator of how long they’ve been friends, and how well they know each other. I would love to know sometime how they came to be friends. They obviously became very intimate, very quickly if Cam was able to become so close with both brothers. (And that she and Booth kept coming back to each other after their rifts.)
• Uh oh— Cam says Booth always takes the fall for Jared, and Brennan says she has no evidence of that. Oh, but she does, Brennan: “I’ve known the Booth boys for fifteen years.” OH SNAP. (So, that places Cam and Booth at 20-to-25-ish when they met? College, maybe?)
• Heh. Brennan tells Sweets he’s not a real scientist! DRINK!
• “I like [Jared] very much!” “Yeah, well, cut it out!” HEE. There’s Cam, getting right to the point. I love you, Cam.
• Again, when Brennan says that Jared is more “successful” than Booth, she’s speaking in quantifiable terms — and outwardly, Jared is very showy. He’s hobnobbing at he White House with the who’s who of the military, and probably the politicos too. Booth said himself in the beginning of the episode that he was measuring his own success on this RICO case by the notoriety: the press conferences, the commendations, the “face on a coin,” etc. And suddenly, he loses all that. So, by “objective” measures as Brennan sees it, Booth is “less” successful — because she’s going off his own parameters. She doesn’t see that as a bad thing, either. She’s not faulting him for it. Jared just has more “plumage.”
• Ooooh: the last time Cam told Booth what she thought of Jared, Booth didn’t speak to her for six months. Gee, that is so unlike him, not wanting to talk about his problems! (That was sarcasm, in case you couldn’t hear me.) Booth is sure consistent.
• (Kind of like he and Brennan weren’t really talking much in Partners in the Divorce, hmm?)
• “We’re saying maybe Booth deserves the benefit of the doubt here, until all the evidence is in.” “Evidence. I am comfortable with evidence.” That’s the thing about Brennan: she prefers to make her own judgments, whether that’s about the bones on her slab, or people she meets. Jared’s given her no reason to doubt his word yet, nor has Booth given her a reason to doubt him, so everything Cam and Sweets say is just conjecture to her. (Because if there’s anyone who knows what it’s like to be misunderstood, it’s her.) Sure, that contradicts what I’ve said earlier a bit, since she used Jared’s words to kind of reshape her view of Booth temporarily, but I think that’s different, because it seemed like Jared was more filling in the holes to her, rather than contradicting Booth altogether.
• HOWEVER.
• Brennan is a scientist. And she will gather her own data.
• Which is why she meets Jared for lunch. And very casually, though bluntly, asks him about what happened, seemingly assuming that he’ll just clear it all up for her. Which he does, but not in the way she expected. As soon as she mentions Super Trooper Sleazeball getting the credit for the RICO bust, Jared clams up and smugly tells her this is a thing “between brothers,” which she shouldn’t concern herself with. Then Brennan figures it out. I love the change in her expression: she goes from friendly and understanding, to pissed off, in a nanosecond— both at Jared, and at herself.
• And when Brennan gets pissed? She gets LOUD: “You took advantage of him! You know, you made me think that he’s a loser. And what really makes me angry is that I believed you! I wouldn’t blame Booth if he never spoke to me again!You’re the loser.” OH SNAP.
• OK, I know, this kind of contradicts my defence of Brennan earlier. Whatever, it’s my recap, I can think whatever I want, however wrong it is. Yay cognitive dissonance!
• (I’ve been well-practiced in cognitive dissonance these last few months.)
• But, really, I don’t think that Brennan meant “loser” in the way we typically do. She means it in the sense that he doesn’t go after what he wants, or that he gives up easily— which is what Jared was getting at on their date, and how she subsequently framed the RICO debacle as a result of that conversation.
• I admit, I love seeing Brennan angry. Especially when it’s directed at someone who deserves it so richly, like Jared. We know about her trust issues, and being betrayed by someone she liked stings, because she doesn’t typically accept people so easily, but she did Jared since she trusted his relationship with Booth. But what upsets her the most is that she may have lost Booth himself due to her mistake.
• Jared, of course, proves what an asshole he is by shrugging off her accusation and returning to his drink in the middle of the day.
• EXCEPT.
• Brennan shows us all what a BAMF she is, and literally shoves him off the fucking stool. Not metaphorically. Literally. It is GLORIOUS. And highly satisfying, evidently.
• Let me reiterate: AWKWARD FAMILY DINNER, PARTY OF EVERYONE.
• (Please, Season 9, I beg you, make this happen.)
• Aww, Booth is hurt Brennan pulled the pre-complete ring-off with him while she was in the middle of kicking Jared’s ass. Booth, if you let her finish, you may feel better, trust me.
• Hey, Brennan breaks the case for Booth and doesn’t even realize it! And he loves her big brain even when he’s mad at her!
• The kid playing Betty Draper’s Brother’s son looks remarkably like him for an actor-child.
• Oh, so, Booth determines the appropriate way to confront the crooked sheriff at a witness’ residence is to show up waving A GIANT FUCKING SNIPER RIFLE in his face. JESUS CHRIST, MAN! Booth, did they not teach you anything at Quantico?
• So, obviously Deputy Meat Loaf takes BDB’s wife hostage. This is what one does when facing the business end of A FUCKING SNIPER RIFLE.
• Meanwhile, Brennan gropes Booth’s pants for his regular weapon. (AW YIS. No, sadly, not like that.)
• (She would now though.)
• I mean, seriously. WHY THE FUCK IS HE USING THAT RIFLE?! I… don’t get it. I don’t. This makes no sense. Except DRAMA.
• Deputy Meat Loaf: Now this is what’s gonna happen. You’re gonna get in your vehicle and drive away. And I’m gonna do the same thing. And everybody lives, and everybody’s happy. Hold that thought, dude.
  Brennan: That sounds like a good idea.
  Booth: No, not a good idea!
  Me: HEE. Only this show makes a tense hostage negotiation quippy.
• JESUS CHRIST. Betty Draper’s Brother tries to make a break for it, and gets pistol-whipped for his troubles. IS EVERYBODY STUPID TODAY?!
• “You are by far the worst hostage negotiator I have ever run into!” I have to agree with you there, Deputy Meat Loaf. Booth must have skipped that day at Quantico too, due to of Feelings. He probably had to save the world from an asteroid that day or something.
• Only on this show do people argue over being a good shot (or not, as the case may be) in the middle of a fucking hostage situation. Oh, stupid beautiful babies.
• So Booth is all about delaying the inevitable, until Officer Meat Loaf shoots Brennan in the arm (OH MY GOD) and all bets are off. Because Booth then shoots the ever-loving shit out of Meat Loaf’s car with his giant-ass rifle. Aah, so THAT was why we were in need of this little plot device. So Booth could be a Big Manly Man with his Big Manly Rifle. As opposed to Deputy Meat Loaf’s tiny (by comparison) pistol.
• (Heh, Brennan getting shot makes me laugh, since her fall is so… campy, I guess? Unlike the next time she gets shot. Or stabbed. Man, Brennan has been in some deep shit.)
• Welp, Office Meat Loaf would do anything for love, or money, but I guess he won’t be doing that, because he’s done dead.
• Brennan, once again proving what a badass she is, gets up to cover Booth with her own weapon. No bullet stops this woman!
• Woohoo, it’s a party at the Founding Fathers! Because it’s Booth’s birthday, apparently! Aw, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOOTH! Jesus, his birthday, on top of everything else? He’s had one shitty week, guys.
• Brennan’s making a toast! While her arm is in a sling! And Jared’s skulking in a corner because he’s a vampire or something, I dunno.
• Look, I’m just going to transcribe the whole toast. While it’s a tad inappropriate for the setting, it’s very, very sweet. “I would like to propose a toast, to my partner and future husband, Seeley Booth. I know who he is, but I forget sometimes, because— because he never shines a light on himself. He shines it on other people. (Booth: “Yeah, right after I conk them on the head with it.”) Anthropology teaches us that the Alpha Male is the man wearing the crown, displaying the most colourful plumage and the shiniest baubles. He stands out from the others. But I now think that anthropology may have it wrong. In working with Booth, I’ve come to realize that the quiet man, the invisible man, the man who is always there for friends and family— that’s the real Alpha Male. And I promise that my eyes will never be caught by those shiny baubles again.”
• OK, the writers are contradicting themselves a little, because as far back as Season 1, Brennan described Booth as an Alpha Male, but whatever, not getting into it.
• And yes, Brennan’s speech is, as I said, a tad out-of-place and overly intimate for a public toast, but let’s just blame it on the wine and what I’m sure are excellent pain meds she’s on for her arm.
• Let’s get to the actual content, shall we? In her perfectly Brennan way, she’s saying, “I’m sorry Booth, I will never take anyone else’s word over yours again, I’m sorry for being distracted by your charming-but-awful brother, and also, FUCK YOU JARED YOU WEASEL.”
• The thing is: I know I watch the show through Brennan Goggles, but I still don’t know how Brennan was supposed to know that Booth was covering for Jared, or why she should apologize for that, when he wouldn’t tell her otherwise. (I do think the apology for not “trusting” him has some merit, though.)That being said, I think what she says here is rather beautiful. You can see in her face how much Booth means to her, and how much she trusts him, implicitly. And how much she respects his ethos, and what he does for his loved ones. He is a Good Man, plain and simple. There is a lot of love in that speech. And for her to reveal this publicly is huge. She’s not saying “I love you” explicitly, but she sure as hell is with her face and her meaning. And Sweets, Angela and Cam know it.
• We all love how she only has eyes for Booth in this scene, right?
• Ooh, they got Booth a sheet cake for his birthday! Apparently he’s 10 years old.
• Brennan takes Booth aside. Because she wants to make out with him! Sadly, no, that’s not the case. (I mean, yes, she wants to make out with him, but no, that is not what they’re doing.)
• Brennan cuts right to the chase: “What you’re doing for your brother? Isn’t fair.” She knows what happened the last time Cam tried this on him, but she’s going for it anyway, because she has his best interests at heart. She doesn’t want to see him hurt.
• “Come on Bones, don’t get me mad at you, after that great speech, alright? Not after I got you shot.” “You didn’t get me shot, I got me shot.” Ooooh. I find it interesting that while he cut Cam off completely when she tried this tactic, he doesn’t do that to Brennan, even if she’s upsetting him. He does warn her that he’s getting pissed, but he doesn’t want to lose her, either. (Because Brennan is The One, ahem. And he can’t hide from her.)
• It’s interesting that once more, he takes responsibility for something that happened to someone else, this time Brennan. Guilt Complex, thy name is Seeley Booth. (I also find it highly amusing that Brennan admits she was at fault for getting shot, since she did not listen, as usual.)
• Brennan, you see, is trying her own hand at an intervention with Booth. (Because she is his loved one, even if they don’t know it yet.) And dammit, if he won’t listen to her, she’s going to sic Baby Duck on him.
• OH HI THERE SUAVE BABY DUCK! (He may think he’s drinking a martini, but the bartender totally gave him a Cosmo. With extra cherries.)
• Booth gives up. Because as much as he doesn’t want to talk about this with Brennan, he really, really doesn’t want to talk about it with Sweets. Sweets won’t let it go; at least Brennan will when she finds a satisfactory answer.
• Grumpy Lumpkins here isn’t having fun. “Come on, Bones, you have to admit that getting a psychology lesson from you—” “—Is like getting an anthropology lesson from you?” Touché, guys. Brennan’s right; Jared will never learn to deal with his own shit if Booth keeps bailing him out.
• Brennan looks totally gobsmacked when Booth admits he gave up the RICO credit to cover Jared’s DUI. And it’s not just because she’s upset he isn’t getting what he deserves; it’s also because, as she points out, what if Jared does it again, and ends up hurting someone else behind the wheel?
• (She’s right to be upset. People who drive drunk are stupid. I’m sorry, but they are. It’s one thing to get trashed yourself — have at it — but getting behind the wheel means you’re endangering others. It’s always the others who get hurt the most, it seems. There’s no excuse.)
• “Right. Says the woman who got her father off murder charges.” BUUUUUUUUUUUUURN! Holy shitballs. Way to hit below the belt, Booth. Jesus Christ.
• (He’s kind of right, though.)
• “Face it. We do things for family.” “You’re right. You’re totally right.” Welcome to the show, folks. This is one of the core tenets of Bones.
• “No, I’m not [right].” Well, there’s a head-scratcher. “There’s no risk your father will kill again.” Uuuum, haaaaaave you met Max? He’d totally kill again and not feel any remorse for it. (As if Max doesn’t already have Sours in his crosshairs.)
• HAHAHA Jared thought Booth was taking him out to give him dating tips re: Brennan. Jared, you’re drunk, go home. (For real.)
• “You’ve gotta stop. The drinking, stop it.” I don’t know why, but this makes me laugh. Booth, you’re so naive. Poor baby.
• “I carry my own water, Seeley!” This expression also amuses me. But Jared? Bullshit you do, your brother carries all your water, jackass.
• Poor Booth, redux. Jared is a dick, and was a dick to his face, and ruined his birthday. He should have punched Jared instead of the wall.
• But here’s Brennan to make everything better. Because everything is better when they’re together.
• (REMEMBER THAT WRITERS. I’m holding you to this.)
• Brennan: Hey, you gonna come back in for some cake?
  Booth: Bones, I just need some time.
  Brennan: Do you need time and space? (Yes because Booth is a time lord.)
  Booth: Just some time.
• You guys, look at his smile. No matter how shitty he’s feeling, he wants to feel shitty with Brennan. OK, that didn’t sound right. But you know what I mean. He already leans on her for emotional support. No matter how bad things are, he can’t stay away from her. (See: Season 6.)
• Aww, Brennan came out to bring him some cake. Cake solves everything.
• (And it’s one piece with two forks. THEY ARE SO DOMESTICATED.)
• Attention, people, it’s time for a Deep Revelation:
  “My dad drank.”
• That’s it, that says it all.
• Everything that drives Booth, summed up in one sentence.
• He doesn’t want to be his dad, so he strives to be better. He keeps control of his emotions, because his dad didn’t. He puts everyone else first, because his dad didn’t. He’s so cognizant of his temper and of his capacity for violence, because his dad wasn’t. He’s almost reverent towards his loved ones (see: Brennan),because his dad wasn’t. He does everything for his son, because his dad never did.
• And Brennan? She understands all this, without any elaboration. So she sits by his side (like she always has and always will), because that’s just what he needs.
• Sigh. Poor Booth. Again. No wonder he’s so messed up.

 

You guys know how much I love me some family dynamics on this show. Usually, it’s the Brennan side that gets me all excited, but the rare time we gain insight into Booth’s family, it usually brings out some strong emotions in me as well.

I know that it seems like a bit of a retcon for Booth’s father to suddenly be a violent alcoholic here in season 4, when every other indication was that Booth had an idyllic childhood, with a mom who wrote jingles and a dad who flew fighter jets in Vietnam before becoming a barber in Philly. But, as I said earlier, even in the deleted scene from season 3, one year before this episode, we got a hint that Booth’s family life wasn’t so sunny (“My dad wasn’t so great”). We know that Booth likes to live in denial until things blow up, so I can totally reconcile him glossing over the bad stuff to the outside world and only revealing the very few happy memories he has. After all, no one likes to talk about how fucked up they are, right? This tells me that the writers had at least thought about this background for Booth earlier on in the series, even if it wasn’t revealed until now.

Moreover, I love that it fits perfectly with what we still see of him today. Booth is always trying to make things right, even when it’s not healthy. Hell, even as late as the season 8 finale, he was holding himself responsible for the life of others, to the detriment of his own happiness. (AHEM.) They’ve been remarkably consistent on that aspect of Booth’s character.

Obviously, I’m a Brennan apologist, so I can “fanwank” her behaviour in this episode to my heart’s content. That being said, I don’t think she was perfect here— but no one is. She was human. And sometimes humans are swayed by false impressions. I really do think she was just deferring to Jared’s experience, not realizing that she knows Booth way better than his brother ever will. However, as I mentioned above, it was really shocking to me when I got involved in the online fandom just how much people were upset with her in this episode, because I could sort of see how her interpretation made sense. I’m glad she came around in the end, though.

(And Goddamn, do I ever want to see an awkward family reunion. I just do. I’m not proud.)

I love that we got to get a glimpse into Booth’s history in this episode, as that’s so rarely explored. Even to this day, in season 8, we’re learning things about him, since he’s usually so buttoned-up. I really like that even this early on, Brennan is right by his side as he’s navigating the tricky family waters, because if anyone understands complicated families, it’s her. It’s like she’s taking the advice he gave to her when her dad emerged, and making it even more poignant. And I love that he appreciates her companionship here, and that even now, over four years later, we see her standing by him, even confronting him with difficult situations he doesn’t want to deal with. (Again: take Momma Booth.)

So, as much as Jared is an asshole, I do like what he reveals abut Booth’s character. Basically, it comes down to this: Booth is a Good Man. He puts family and duty above all else, sometimes to a fault, but that’s what makes him the guy we know and love.

(But, really, thank God he now has a stable family life, because dude totally deserves it, after all this.)