Written By: Dana Coen
Who should Brennan choose?
Brennan is putting together a skull while everyone is interrupting her.
ZACK: The Anthropology Journal is publishing our piece on the evolution of the coronal suture.
BRENNAN: Worthy interruption.
ZACK: You’re supposed to bump my fist with yours.
BRENNAN: Why?
ZACK: I’m told it’s a widely acknowledged gesture of mutual success.
Enter a mysterious figure from Brennan’s past-
HODGINS: Okay, now this is weird. There’s some guy in the lounge who asked me to give you this. He said you’d know who he was when you opened it.
Brennan opens the package and pulls out a mini-dustbuster. She goes to meet her former teacher, Michael.
MICHAEL: You left it at my place.
BRENNAN: Three years ago.
MICHAEL: Hmm. First time I’ve been in Washington. I thought I should return it in person.
Our trusty squint squad watches the encounter.
BRENNAN: I hope you don’t have any expectations.
MICHAEL: Do you?
BRENNAN: Civility?
MICHAEL: I can handle that.
BRENNAN: So why are you here?
MICHAEL: George Washington University wants to talk to me about heading their Anthropology Department.
BRENNAN: They’d be lucky to get you.
MICHAEL: I assumed they tried you first.
BRENNAN: I already had a job.
SO PRETTY
The squints try to figure this out…
HODGINS: This is like watching cars mate.
ANGELA: It’s gotta be Michael. Stires, her forensic anthropology professor from Northwestern. They were—
HODGINS: Very, very close?
ANGELA: Mm.
ZACK: Dr. Brennan is my forensic anthropology professor. Does that mean—
ANGELA and HODGINS: No.
LOL, nice try Zack.
BRENNAN: It seems like we should have dinner tonight, catch up?
MICHAEL: Sounds reasonable.
BOOTH: Hey Bones!
Enter the conquering hero, not with a dustbuster, but a case.
BOOTH: Bones, I got a present for ya. Straight out of an illegal ravine on a dump in Fairfax. You see, our forensic people confirmed it was human matter. So, rather than open it myself and risk being trashed by you for contaminating the evidence, I decided to bring the whole refrigerator to you.
BRENNAN: All right, you can open it.
BOOTH: All right. Whoo, okay. Uh, he or she?
BRENNAN: She.
MICHAEL: Late teens, early 20s.
BRENNAN: I’m guessing she’s been in the refrigerator for a year. Is there enough insect activity to help us be more precise?
HODGINS: There’s always enough insect activity.
I love you, Hodgins. lol
Angela comes by with case information but quickly shifts to the personal stuff.
ANGELA: Any other ex-lovers come knocking on your door today?
BRENNAN: The “ex” in ex-lover is not a variable. It’s a constant, like the speed of light.
ANGELA: Save your dirty talk for the hunky professor.
BRENNAN: I can assure you, our relationship is purely platonic. What we share is a love of science. Neither of us has the time or inclination for emotional complications.
Cut to later on, and Brennan is in bed with her former teacher.
BRENNAN: We missed our reservation.
MICHAEL: Ah, well. That’s the price we pay for scientific exploration and discovery.
BRENNAN: You realize this is just recreational, Michael.
MICHAEL: Of course. I’m just impressed that we can just pick up where we left off like no time has passed.
BRENNAN: Well, time is an imposed construct. You really think you’ll move here?
MICHAEL: Depends on the offer.
BRENNAN: Maybe I could get you a position at the Jeffersonian.
MICHAEL: Working for my old student.
BRENNAN: Would that be a problem? I can’t help it if I’m usually right.
Back at the lab, the squints are missing their fearless leader…
ANGELA: She’s late. She’s never late.
HODGINS: You worried about her?
ANGELA: I’m happy for her.
ZACK: Why?
HODGINS: Remember that time you were late?
ZACK: Oh. Yeah.
Hahaha I love Zack and Hodgins!
Hodgins and Zack stare down Michael in the lab.
ANGELA: The guys wanted to meet him anyway.
BRENNAN: They could learn a lot from him.
HODGINS: You were Brennan’s professor?
MICHAEL: She was 23. An adult.
HODGINS: That’s what Clinton said.
ZACK: You run through a lot of students?
Hahahahahaha!!!
Tension quickly rises when Michael questions Brennan’s findings so far in the case.
MICHAEL: It’s something to consider. The last thing you want to do is jump to conclusions without evidence. I mean, I know how much you want to find out who did this.
After being studied by the squints this whole time, Brennan has to ask:
BRENNAN: What? Is it so odd for everyone to see me with a man?
They nod.
Booth and Brennan hit the field looking for clues. And find some kinky suspects.
So pretty, Brennan!
BOOTH: Well, the fridge we found Maggie in is a match with the marks on the Costellos’’ floor.
BRENNAN: They’re sadomasochistic fetishists.
BOOTH: Yeah. Turned the basement into a fun room.
BRENNAN: Seeking sexual gratification through the manipulation of power. Probably the oldest of fetishes, master-slave. It’s all about dominance.
BOOTH: Well, this only comes up when the bloom comes off the rose, if you know what I mean.
BRENNAN: I don’t know what you mean.
BOOTH: You know, when the regular stuff— when it gets old, you need to spice it up, it’s over. When sex is good, you don’t need any help.
So, are married B&B “spicing it up” yet or is it still good?? 🙂
BRENNAN: Oh, that’s for sure.
BOOTH: I’m sorry?
BRENNAN: I was agreeing.
BOOTH: Yeah? Well, don’t. Okay? It kinda freaks me out.
BRENNAN: I was just saying that I myself feel no inclination toward either pain or dominance when it comes to sex.
BOOTH: Are you sure?
BRENNAN: Yeah, I’m sure.
BOOTH: Because you can be very bossy.
When Booth turns away, Brennan hits his arm with a whip.
Later, Brennan reconnects with Michael.
BRENNAN: I figured it out. I was right about how she got those fractures.
MICHAEL: I just don’t have the time, Tempe. I have an appointment.
Ouch.
BRENNAN: I thought you’d want to see. The university can wait a few minutes.
MICHAEL: It’s not with them. It’s with someone they want me to meet.
Suspicious.
After they argue over more findings. Michael, annoyed, gives up.
MICHAEL: I yield. French restaurant?
BRENNAN: I’m more in the mood for Italian. I need to put together the evidence packet for Booth to deliver to the U.S. Attorney.
MICHAEL: I’ll meet you at your place.
Michael is clearly frustrated, But Booth is proud of her.
BOOTH: Good work.
Angela and Brennan talk it out.
ANGELA: Do you really think he can handle your success?
BRENNAN: Because of today? No, we’ve always been competitive.
ANGELA: I know, but he’s a man and his student, a woman, has surpassed him.
BRENNAN: Michael is extremely secure, Ange.
ANGELA: Honey, when you stuck it to him today, he was upset.
Booth also has concerns.
BOOTH: Bones?
BOOTH: The judge is holding them without bail. The U.S. Attorney is thinking about sending you flowers.
BRENNAN: The facts are facts.
BOOTH: Uh, Bones, I have to ask. How much have you been sharing with, uh, the professor?
BRENNAN: None of your business.
BOOTH: I mean, on the case.
BRENNAN: Oh. I bounce everything off him. Why?
BOOTH: Well, you gotta keep him out of it from now on.
BOOTH: He met with the Costello’s lawyer. Michael is their expert witness. It’s his job to tear apart the case that you’ve built.
But Brennan still meets him for dinner.
BRENNAN: How could I not be upset? Basically, you were spying on me.
MICHAEL: Spying? It’s a criminal proceeding. You’re required by law to disclose all your findings to the defense anyway.
BRENNAN: I’m only required to provide you with the raw facts we intend to enter into evidence, not the process by which I arrived at those facts.
MICHAEL: I apologize. That’s a nuance that escaped me.
BRENNAN: Why didn’t you just tell me, Michael?
The squint squad and Booth are highly disliking Michael and are basically looking out for their girl the next day.
BOOTH: He still at it? Keep an eye on him.
GOODMAN: That’s not going to be a problem.
Goodman nods to Hodgins and Zack. Zack is videotaping Michael. They nod back. Booth gives the squints a thumbs up.
Don’t mess with these scientists!
ANGELA: Did you just give Zack and Hodgins a sign of encouragement?
BOOTH: Yeah, you know, that’s the first time I’ve been able to look at them with imagining Moe knocking their heads together.
GOODMAN: Agent Booth, you’re accessing your inner squint.
Brennan is fierce and stands up for herself.
BRENNAN: I understand the game the doctor is trying to play and I’m perfectly capable of dealing with him myself. I’m sure he’s just thrown by findings he would have missed.
Booth and Brennan have some partner bonding time.
BOOTH: Bones, you okay?
BRENNAN: Why wouldn’t I be?
BOOTH: Because the nutty professor’s grading your paper. What’d he give you anyway, huh? I was always happy with a B.
BRENNAN: I never got a B and I never will.
BOOTH: That’s my girl.
Booth isn’t intimidated by her success. He supports and encourages it. Which is why he’s perfect for our girl!!
As they prep for trial, Brennan is told she comes off aloof to juries. She is not happy about this.
DEAVER: Well, then you understand my concern. Professor Stires is open, charming, great-looking. Jury’s gonna love him. I love him.
BRENNAN: This isn’t a personality contest. It’s about data that we present to the jury.
DEAVER: You’re kidding, right?
BRENNAN: No.
BRENNAN: (to Booth) Why didn’t she say anything about you? You can be very irritating sometimes.
Cut to the trial. Booth takes the stand, as does Angela & Hodgins.
Sexy FBI testimony
Brennan takes the stand, and is clinical as they feared she would be. Booth tries to help her understand the disconnect.
BOOTH: Listen, Bones, I know you care about this case, but I think you should let them see that.
BRENNAN: So, I should perform?
BOOTH: Just a little bit, yeah. I mean, do you see how I portrayed myself as a no-nonsense, tough-guy cop?
BRENNAN: You are a no-nonsense, tough-guy cop.
BOOTH: Exactly! And I think that it wouldn’t hurt if the jury saw who you really are.
BRENNAN: Well, I don’t know who you think that is, Booth, because this is who I really am. Just this.
Michael, however, instead of encouraging his former student, cuts her down.
MICHAEL: Well, I might not use all the technical language, but I’ll try to make myself understood.
LEVITT: Objection, Your Honor. The witness is impugning another witness.
MICHAEL: With respect to my former student, Dr. Brennan, with findings like these, I don’t know why she became a forensic anthropologist. She seems to have ignored all but her preconceived notions.
MEREDITH: Do you disagree with Dr. Brennan’s data?
MICHAEL: Well, sometimes doctors can use data to confuse a very simple situation. I mean, I’m a doctor and I could hardly follow her.
MICHAEL: This case is about people. Not incomprehensible technical jargon. I don’t think that these people should be convicted of murder just because Dr. Brennan sounds smart.
LEVITT: Your Honor, really?
JUDGE: The jury will disregard Professor Stires’ personal view of Dr. Brennan.
Booth agrees to get the lawyer to give Brennan another chance. Goodman steps in to advise her on the next step.
BRENNAN: The jury likes Michael better than they like me. Apparently, that’s a problem. Are they stupid?
GOODMAN: Compared to you, yes, they are stupid. However, compared to you, most of the world is a little stupid.
BRENNAN: I’m a better forensic anthropologist that Michael Stires.
GOODMAN: Which is why two years ago I hired you instead of him.
BRENNAN: Michael applied for this job?
GOODMAN: Yes.
BRENNAN: His credentials are better than mine.
GOODMAN: Yes. But you are the more rational, reasoned, empirical scientist. And you care. And if he tries to convince you otherwise, tell him to go to hell.
Michael doesn’t know when to quit.
MICHAEL: I think you’re taking this too personally.
BRENNAN: You think I should be more rational?
MICHAEL: Yes.
BRENNAN: Go to hell.
Boom.
MICHAEL: Tempe, you can’t personalize the work.
BRENNAN: Do you remember in Central America standing in a mass grave being guarded by soldiers? We knew that they were probably the same soldiers who had killed the people we were digging up. I was just a student. I was scared. I turned to you and I asked, “What do we do?”
MICHAEL: That was a different place and a radically different context.
BRENNAN: You said, “We tell the truth. We do not flinch.” You flinched, Michael.
Booth and the lawyer have devised a way to help the jury understand Brennan.
LEVITT: Is that why you wrap yourself up in techno-speak, so you don’t have to feel how these victims remind you of your own parents?
BRENNAN: How I feel doesn’t matter. My job doesn’t depend on it.
LEVITT: But it’s informed by it. Or are you as cold and unfeeling as you seem?
BRENNAN: I see a face on every skull. I can look at their bones and tell you how they walked, where they hurt. Maggie Schilling is real to me. The pain she suffered was real… facts can’t be ignored or dismissed because you think I’m (Brennan laughs dryly) boring or obnoxious, because I don’t matter. What I feel doesn’t matter. Only she matters. Only Maggie.
Afterwards, Angela attempts to cheer up her friend.
ANGELA: So he owes you another dinner, huh?
BRENNAN: No. I won’t be seeing him anymore.
ANGELA: Sorry.
BRENNAN: I was foolish to be so open with him. It was irrational. You know how you get when you’re tired.
ANGELA: Yeah. You wanna go out? Grab a drink?
BRENNAN: Um, I think I just want to work.
ANGELA: Okay.
Enter Booth. Who, with perfect timing, comes in with work. He knows what she needs!
BOOTH: Hey, Bones.
BRENNAN: What is it? I’m not feeling very forgiving.
BOOTH: Yeah, I know, but, uh, we have a case.
BRENNAN: Victim is an adult male, 35 to 40 years old. From the pattern of the burning, I’d say an accelerant was used. Could you hand me my bag?
BOOTH: Yeah, sure. Listen, do you want my coat or something? It’s cold up here.
BRENNAN: If I did, I’d ask for it.
Sassy!
BOOTH: Yeah. Sorry. And, um, I’m sorry.
BRENNAN: You had something to accomplish. You found a logical way of getting what you needed. Probably would’ve done the same thing.
And the episode ends with them working on the scene together as a team. All is right in the world again.
Thoughts? What do you think about Brennan and her former professor? Was Booth right to give the lawyer info to humanize Brennan without her consent or did he need that element of surprise? Did Michael’s betrayal factor into Brennan wanting to maintain a work-only relationship with Booth?
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Brennan looks as upset as I am 🙂
Boots & Blazers 