Bones 2.10 The Headless Witch In The Woods

[ThyneAlone]

Bones’ take on the Blair witch project is remarkably faithful to the style of the original, with its fuzzy handheld camera footage and black-and-white fade-ins throughout. The fear of the old legend of the 1780s witch who haunts the woods is palpable and brings even our scientific team to a level of speculation Brennan dislikes in the extreme. “I think one of us should remain a rational human being during this investigation” she admonishes her colleagues sharply, and is then both frustrated and exasperated when her ironic instruction to place garlic around the remains is taken seriously!

But this one is all about the things we just can’t explain, and, even though considering it ‘safe to dismiss fantasy and deluded perceptions’ (is she really as open-minded as she thinks? Even six series later her intern Dr Wells accuses her of narrow-mindedness), Brennan simply has to put up with Angela’s empathic terror for the victim, Hodgins’ lively interest in something new and inexplicable and Cam’s spectral vision of her mother. Still, in the end she is taught the lesson that things are not always as they appear; Will Hastings, the man with whom she has established such a rapport and over whom she claims to be able to ‘compartmentalise’, turns out to have killed his own brother and, frighteningly, to have deteriorated mentally into such paranoia and psychosis that he has abrogated all responsibility and raves that the witch did it. Thought-provoking this – is it genetic? Graham Hastings himself has pursued his filmic ambition with such laser obsession that he is unable to think beyond it and is prepared to do literally anything to serve his purpose, including reducing his supposed girlfriend (well, she supposes she’s his girlfriend) to a complete mental wreck with a combination of hallucinogenics, bones, eyes in the trees and a Carrie-like baptism of cows’ blood.

In the background, the two pairings which interest the viewer move on. Brennan and Booth continue to do most of their intimate discussion in the car as they move between the sites of their investigations, and they are at a point where they both start to question what the relationship actually is. Both are patently concerned about Booth’s sexual activities elsewhere and their effect on the partnership. Eventually they conclude, probably erroneously, that their commitment is a work relationship, almost a single-sex/buddy friendship, which does not impinge on and is not affected by their private lives; this despite Brennan’s clearly jealous look as Cam seizes Booth’s hand in the darkness while they watch the video. Booth’s ‘guy hug’ at the end speaks volumes about what is to come.

Though Angela has made clear in 2.07 that she doesn’t approve of work entanglements, her obvious concern for Jack in ‘Aliens In A Spaceship’ has muddied the waters very satisfactorily, and Hodgins has clearly recovered sufficiently to take advantage of her growing feelings. He stays with her throughout her traumatic and courageous ploughing through the video and responds to her need for physical reassurance; and TJ gives him a very slight triumphant smile to himself when she asks whether she can stay over at his place that night. Very subtle and utterly convincing.

I think this is a good, sound, episode that develops relationships by exposing the group to experiences outside their own certainties and forcing them to question both the world around them and themselves. Though they are still seen to be working as a team, individual focus is given to each scientist’s reaction to the underlying horror. It is important that Brennan loses something of her self-belief and her rational perception of the world, because the world is not rational. Madness does sometimes lie beneath an impression of lucidity. Sexual chemistry lurks beneath an impression of friendship; relationships are more complex than they seem. There is something strange about the video which unnerves Hodgins and Angela. This is all carefully balanced to retain the humour that so characterises the show. Very thoughtful and clever writing.

[MariaDiaper]

I thought this was a fantastic episode but I can't watch it again unless I have someone with me because it scared me shitless! The acting was fantastic and I thought the storyline was great. This episode really captures supernatural and horror fantastically, as well as including the good ol' crime into it. And also somehow still has humour?! This was a very well done episode which really explores the human psyche.