'Bones' in the Court Room

First, I LOVED this episode.  Having said that, I'm nervous about next week's finale.  I don't like where things are heading on the Brennan front, but we'll discuss later.  Now, remember that I LOVED this episode when I make the next observation: Did anyone else feel that the characters were a bit out of character this week?  I'm not complaining -- not in the least -- because I liked seeing the more human side to Brennan and Hodgins.  It just took me by surprise.  They spend so much of their lives dealing with tragedy that I didn't expect either of them to crack when going face to face with the Gravedigger.  I was shocked to see Brennan having nightmares and emotional moments both on and off the stand.  Apparently, the entire experience had quite an impact on her because by the end of the hour, she was standing on the edge of a very monumental decision.


The image of Bones sitting in the back of the taxi waving to Booth as he stood by powerless to stop her was deja vu all over again.  We saw the exact same scene unfold in the 100th during the flashback to their first kiss.  This time, the implications might be a bit more far-reaching.  If Brennan decides to leave the Jeffersonian, Booth isn't going to be the only person affected.  The timing on her sudden change of heart feels strange.  Ever since Booth poured his heart out to her, she has adamantly insisted that their partnership means a lot to her, and now, she wants to end it because all of the sadness and tragedy has taken its toll.  It's not that I doubt that it has (actually, it surprises me that people are able to work these jobs day in and day out without wanting to quit), but Brennan has always been so emotionally void that I never questioned her ability to focus on the science and ignore the emotion (who can forget her endless in-sensitivities when dealing with victims' families?).  This week, we learned that she has been having nightmares.  Perhaps, this work has been affecting her on a very human level all this time.  Obviously, Bones can't leave or there would be no show, but I have a feeling that next week's finale is going to be heart-breaking (for the second time in the last month).

I'm really glad the show decided to bring the Gravedigger case back.  Having an episode that focused on a trial was a nice change of pace.  It was suspenseful seeing the Jeffersonian having to scramble to make their case and have their own science used against them on the witness stand.  It made the usually confident scientists seem uneasy.  And, it was especially interesting to see Brennan knocked off her game.  She let her emotions slip in and it affected her performance on the stand.  Crazy Max tried to kill the Gravedigger, but I did enjoy his phone conversation with Bones ("Dad, I don't want you to kill people for me.  Just buy me a sweater like a normal dad.").  And yay!, Hodgins told everyone about his and Angela's wedding!  But with their marriage, Brennan's sudden change of heart and Booth and Bones's decision to not pursue their feelings for each other, I, too, feel that things are about to change.  And right about now, I'm feeling as uneasy as Brennan.

And now, here is this week's edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:

THE GOOD: That scene between Booth and Bones in her apartment.  She opened up to him about her nightmares and fears.  He hugged her.  It was good.  VERY good.

THE BAD: The poor boy who died after he was buried (barely) alive.  

THE UGLY: Brennan's thinking about leaving the Jeffersonian and her partnership with Booth.  If she goes through with it next week, things are gonna get VERY ugly for this TV fan!

If you missed this week's episode ("The Boy with the Answer"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.