One of the consequences of the dominance of streaming television is that modern shows often aren’t given the opportunity to find their footing over the course of multiple seasons. Even critically acclaimed shows are expected to have a clear ending in mind from the moment that they begin, which can be a burden to showrunners who want to evolve over time. Some of the most beloved shows in history simply ran for as long as possible because the audience’s relationship with the characters remained strong. In the case of Bones, the excellent chemistry between David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel allowed the series to continuously reach funny, surprising, and emotional places.
Bones follows a group of forensic anthropologists and federal law enforcement officers who analyze human remains and pursue justice. While she was a relative unknown at the time that the series began in 2005, Deschanel came to embody the character of Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who has dedicated her life to working at the fictional Jeffersonian Institute located in Washington, D.C. While Boreanaz was coming off of a critically acclaimed run on Angel, the brilliant spinoff series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he did just as memorable work on Bones in the role of FBI Agent Seeley Booth. The relationship between Brennan and Booth was the heart of Bones, and Deschanel and Boreanaz were able play off of each other’s performances perfectly.
‘Bones’ Perfected the Procedural Formula With Its Case-of-the-Week
While it’s sometimes viewed as regressive when compared to the “prestige television” of networks like HBO or FX, there is an art to making a good procedural that does not feel entirely derivative. Bones had the benefit of being centered on an aspect of criminal investigations that isn’t touched on as often, as it explores the ways in which people’s bodies can still provide insight long after their lifespans are cut short. Although this added a scientific element to the series that helped to ground it in reality, it also ended up revealing something about the characters. Even if Brennan claimed to be an emotionally distant person who didn’t pick up on many social cues, her respect for biology shows that she is deeply compassionate, even if it is hard for her to express it. Similarly, the task of taking down criminals is something that gives Booth satisfaction, as his family’s checkered past has given him a strong sense of right and wrong. Since Deschanel and Boreanaz worked on their chemistry off-set and consulted on the story directions, the dynamic between Booth and Brennan felt more authentic as the show continued.
Bones had the benefit of a robust supporting cast, as the team that worked at the Jefferson quickly felt like an extended family. This was evident in the first season’s episode “The Man in the Fallout Shelter,” which centered on the team being trapped in the lab over the Christmas holiday, where they are forced to open up to one another. This family dynamic is critical for the development of both Booth and Brennan given their respective traumas; Brennan’s father, Max (Ryan O’Neal), was a criminal that abandoned their family, and Booth’s brother is involved in some criminal activities that he has to cover for. As a result, characters like Jack Hodgins (TJ Thyne), Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin), Zack Addy (Eric Millegan), Camille Sayoran (Tamara Taylor), and Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley) were given more prominent roles as the show reached its later seasons.
Bones was also willing to have fluctuations in tone, which explored how Brennan and Booth would react within different situations. At times, the show would be quite gripping, as several ruthless serial killers dominated the narrative for the course of an entire season; the most terrifying of these was Christopher Pelant (Andrew Leeds), a powerful cybercriminal whose ability to manipulate data briefly forces Booth to give up his relationship with Brennan. At the same time, both Deschanel and Boreanaz had great comedic timing, and Bones was smart enough to take advantage of their physical humor. Any instance in which the pair was forced to adopt disguises to go undercover showed how uncomfortable both Brennan and Booth would become when they weren’t in their own skin.
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‘Bones’ Best Relationship Isn’t Booth and Brennan
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What Gives ‘Bones’ Such Longevity?
Although the chemistry between Deschanel and Boreanaz made it likely that their characters would ultimately begin a romantic relationship, their eventual marriage was foreshadowed quite early in the show, with the early episode “The Santa in the Slush” foreshadowing it best. However, seeing these two characters finally end up together didn’t mean that the tension of the show was resolved. After getting together, Bones dealt with how Booth balanced his responsibilities to his ex-wife and son, how Brennan faced her anxieties about maternity, and how their open relationship made them more susceptible to criticism. Instead of pulling cheap twists to shock the audience, Bones earned a loyal fanbase because it dealt naturally with the ramifications of what working in this dangerous field would look like after over a decade.
Deschanel and Boreanaz helped to draw out great performances from the rest of the cast, even when the seasons faced some creative hurdles. While the death of Sweets remains one of the most controversial moments in the entire series, it showed Booth at the most vulnerable he had ever been, forcing Brennan to rein in his desire for revenge. Similarly, the blossoming romance between Hodgins and Angela offered a fascinating comparison point for Booth and Brennan’s relationship, as the two couples featured similar issues in their marriages as personal and professional responsibilities collided with one another. Towards the end of the series, the prominent role of the younger interns put Booth and Brennan in the position of being mentors to a generation of scientists and agents who had admired them. Bones was a gem that has stood the test of time, and it would be impossible to recapture that magic if it was anyone but Deschanel and Boreanaz in the leading roles.
All episodes of Bones are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
Bones
- Release Date
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2005 – 2017-00-00
- Network
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FOX
- Showrunner
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Hart Hanson
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Brad Grunberg
Mitch Clancy
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Cynthia Preston
Amelia Trattner
