The Finger in the Nest (4×4)

“The Finger in the Nest”

Episode 4×04 / Production 3×17

Written By: Lyla Oliver

Directed by: Jeff Woolnough

Booth attempts to have father/son bonding time over a football toss….but Parker finds something in a bird’s nest…

CAM: Did he completely freak out?

BRENNAN: Booth said Parker wanted to put it in his pocket and take it home.

SWEETS: A human finger?

BOOTH: Yeah, a human finger, alright? Look, is my son going to be suffering from some kind of post-traumatic stress, you know like suppressed feelings, memories, all that hooey?

SWEETS: Well, a child’s brain can’t process death as an end. You know, that’s why we tell children that their deceased loved ones are looking down on us from heaven.

BOOTH: Which they are.

BRENNAN: When I was five years old, I went next door to visit our neighbor, Mrs. Walkey, and she was dead; sitting at the kitchen table. And I’m alright.

BOOTH: You spend your life with skeletons. It’s just a matter of time. He’s just a kid. He’s gonna realize that he had a dead finger in his hand. He’s gonna freak out.

BRENNAN: Are you afraid you’re going to get into trouble with Rebecca?

BOOTH: There’s a chance that he might not say anything to her.

BRENNAN: So, yes.

B&B investigate and find out a dog killed the victim. They go looking for the dog. Booth sees some big dogs and hesitates to get out of the car.

BRENNAN: Is that why we’re not getting out?

BOOTH: No, it’s the country, Bones. They got a different way of doing things.

BRENNAN: You’re afraid of the dog.

BOOTH: No, I’m not. What you do in the country is you sit in your car and you wait. It’s rural-polite.

Booth expresses concern about Parker being affected by the finger. Brennan shrugs it off.

BOOTH: Okay, yeah. I get it. You saw a whole lady’s corpse when you were a little girl, and you were fine.

BRENNAN: Yes. Although, for some reason that I do not understand, I kept staging my own death. Pretending that I drowned in the bathtub, faking electrical shock. It really freaked my parents out. And then once when Russ found me hanging he had to go see the school psychologist.

BOOTH: But otherwise you were fine?

BRENNAN: Yeah.

The team finds evidence of a dog fighting ring. B&B investigate.

BRENNAN: It’s not his fault. He’s actually a very nice dog, aren’t you? He reminds me of you.

BOOTH: Me?

BRENNAN: He’s got warm and reassuring brown eyes, and he’s capable of great violence.

BOOTH: Hey, great. Thanks a million.

Hodgins admits he has a problem to Sweets.

HODGINS: I don’t know how to do this.

SWEETS: Mostly you just tell me what’s on your mind.

HODGINS: Mostly on my mind is I hate everyone.

SWEETS: Everyone?

HODGINS: To varying degrees, but, um… yeah, yeah everyone. Angela…the most. Because we, you know, had something great, uh, and now it’s dirt, Zack…for being such an idiot, Brennan for bringing us all together, Cam for making us efficient, Booth for giving us a mission, you for pick, pick, picking at me… Should I go on?

SWEETS: No, no. I get the point.

HODGINS: I just hate everyone. So, what? Intense therapy, heavy medication?

SWEETS: Nah. I’m good with the hate.

HODGINS: Are you serious?

SWEETS: Yeah, I am. You’re doing fine.

HODGINS: Um… I hate everyone.

SWEETS: You’re coping. It’s a coping technique. Coping’s good.

HODGINS: Did you get your degree on the internet? Let me see your diploma.

SWEETS: You’re working. You’re living a life of purpose. You haven’t turned your back on your friends.

HODGINS: Except I hate them all.

SWEETS: You’re independently wealthy, right? You don’t have to work. And yet you choose to stay with the people you hate.

HODGINS: Which makes me completely nuts.

SWEETS: No, you’ve… you’ve replaced one way of seeing the world-paranoia-with another: misanthropy. Soon you’ll replace misanthropy with something nicer. But for now, temporarily, I’m satisfied with your coping technique.

HODGINS: My coping technique of hate?

SWEETS: Correct.

Brennan makes a decision and Booth has to share some news.

BRENNAN: Well, I’ve decided to adopt Ripley.

BOOTH: Bones…

BRENNAN: I’ve already contacted a dog walker and a doggie day care place, and my dad will take him when I leave town. I got a little tag. See? Ripley Brennan.

BOOTH: He was put down.

BRENNAN: What?

BOOTH: I’m sorry. You know, he killed someone and they had to put him down.

BRENNAN: It wasn’t Ripley’s fault. People made him do what he did.

BOOTH: I know. I’m sorry.

Booth helps Brennan cope.

BOOTH: Talk to the universe… or God or Ripley.

BRENNAN: Well, I don’t believe in God.

BOOTH: Well, God spelled backwards is “dog”.

BRENNAN: And Ripley is dead. Plus he’s a dog, with, you know… limited vocabulary skills.

BOOTH: Bones, just… speak from your heart.

BRENNAN: On behalf of humankind, universe, I’d like to apologize for what happened to Ripley. He was born a cute little puppy and then the people who adopted him wanted to kill him because they were too stupid to realize that he would grow into a big dog.

BOOTH: That’s good.

BRENNAN: Ripley was a good dog. He didn’t wanna fight. But he did it to please his master. Y’know, he didn’t want to attack a human being, but he did it to please his master. You know, it wasn’t Ripley’s fault that his master was cruel and selfish. Like all dogs, Ripley only saw the good in people. Dogs are like that. People should take a lesson…Is that enough?

BOOTH: Yeah. As much as any good dog could hope for. Even with limited vocabulary skills, okay?

Who planned this scene set up….because its GORGEOUS!

Take aways:

*Sweets is being utilized as part of the team, helping in personal matters (Parker, Hodgins) as well as criminal cases

*We get to see a bit more of Booth as a father, which is nice!