Bones is at the top of its game with its 199th episode, so the expectations are high for next week’s Hitchcock inspired 200th show. This week was both sweet and fun and introduced some new dynamics to the show that are going to be interesting to explore over the season.
In this episode, the Jeffersonian team had a challenging case to solve, as they had very few remains to work with. Fortunately, intern Wendell was there to lend a helping hand (bias declared – I think he is my favourite of the interns), finally in remission from cancer and completing his clinical trial. After the sad death of Sweets it is nice to have some good news for one of the team. This show, also added an extra dimension to the Wendell character with a bit of a love-story. He hooks up for a ‘nooner’ with his former nurse, Andie (Shalita Grant) after a sweet picnic complete with 80’s ballad. Although he has a bit of a freak out later, all ends well with a kiss at the Jeffersonian. This on-shift make-out session is witnessed by Cam who proves once again she is possibly the coolest boss ever.
Apparently Booth is a bad driver, or at least an irresponsible one. He spends the episode stuck in the FBI office completing the world’s most annoying online traffic course, due to apparent traffic violations. This set-up felt like a slightly forced way to bring about Brennan and Aubrey getting some case solving time together, although credit to David Boreanaz for making these scenes both funny and relatable. He warns Aubrey, as he sets off, that Brennan has “a very original way of dealing with things.”
Brennan has little patience for Aubrey’s witty interjections as they sift through trash looking for more remains, telling him “has anyone ever told you you say some pretty bizarre things?” Fortunately, Aubrey is too good-natured to take offence. However, he redeems himself a little later by impressing Brennan with his chemistry knowledge. The Aubrey-Brennan pairing was fun to watch, but I can’t help wishing for some more Booth-Brennan time. The show is essentially built around their dynamic as a crime-solving pair, and though the scenes at home together are sweet, it’s the action in the field I’m beginning to miss. It is, however, a credit to the strength of the supporting cast that so many other storylines can play out around these two main characters.
Back to the case, the team do find the skull of the victim, or rather Brennan catches the skull when two kids launch a trolley into a bunch of trashcans and send remains flying. Angela bemoans its incomplete state, in a perfect example of the Bones dark brand of humour. “Is it too much to ask for a complete skull? I mean sometimes these murderers are so inconsiderate!”
However, the victim can be identified as a psychology professor conducting experiments on subjects that allow them to think they tortured another human being to death. Hence, he is the ‘master manipulator’ in the episode’s title. The professor also had been romantically involved with a few of his graduate students, leading Aubrey and Brennan down a garden path of jealous lovers and competitive academics.
In a surprising turn of events the murderer was instead his gossipy neighbour, a woman who so loved birds and bird-watching that she attempted to poison the professor’s cat. When caught in the act, she shoved him on a garden sculpture, killing him. So naturally, she dismembered his remains with a saw and scattered them amongst suburban trashcans. This is Bones after all.
Review Score: FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
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