Bones 2.19 Spaceman in a Crater

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ThyneAlone
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Bones 2.19 Spaceman in a Crater

Post by ThyneAlone »

OK, it won't be evident, but I am reviewing this one straight after commenting on The Headless Witch In The Woods, and I'm doing that deliberately because of the interesting contrast. It demonstrates the range of the show. We've had darkness, lack of clarity, terror and superstition about the distant past; this ep focuses on modern-day speculation and superstition by targeting the activities of those who believe there are aliens among us, this time in a bright, antiseptic, state-of-the-art technological ambiance, which even includes a scientific coral implant to prompt the regrowth of porous bone (in a weird synchronicity - that's another thing Brennan has debunked! - I heard an item on the radio this morning about astronauts' bones recovering their solidity of their own accord after a period of about a year away from the space station. No-one knows why or how). Essentially, though, the idea is the same; the squints are trying to sieve and tease the truth from a welter of unproven beliefs.

Hodgins is in heaven. This is, after all, the 'aliens with loafers' episode, and he is able to express all his own speculations about extraterrestrial life. Are his friends, he wonders, actually making fun of him because he believes that we are not all alone in an infinity of space? "It's illegal to mock people for their fundamental beliefs", he reminds them. He's even booked his incredibly expensive ticket as a space tourist. Why do we almost never see this Hodgins nowadays? Nevertheless, it is to Hodgins that Booth turns when he needs to plumb the former's incredible depth of knowledge about the space programme. This is a treat, because we once more see Booth and Hodgins together - rare even in S2 and nowadays almost unheard of. Even their body language is telling; Jack relaxed, casually dressed and rebellious, feet up on Booth's desk; Booth more formal, almost in interview mode. But Hodgins needs information too. How should he propose to Angela? He's already done it once, but she says he did it wrong (NB this first proposal had been shown in the original version of 'Player Under Pressure' but was cut from it when the ep was finally shown in S3 - so we never saw the moment till the S3 DVDs came out). Booth can't help - he's been rejected too!

Excellent stuff
The great opening, with something huge plopping down behind a pair of insouciant cows in a bucolic scene.
Eric's hysterical deadpan delivery of the phrase "My knowledge is vast".
Zack's complete bafflement at Cam's reluctance to remove the flesh from the victim - he doesn't understand the loss of humanity involved.
Booth's risky proclamation "Our government doesn't kill people".
Angela and Brennan working out together that Calvin Howard was ripped apart by a propeller.
The clannish fellow feeling of the astro-wives - another very good Bones example of female bonding.
The hilarious scene where Hodgins enters, remarking "something smells good" and Zack replies "help yourself" which mischievously misleads the viewer into thinking they're taking about Zack's bubbling bone bath until the camera pans out to show some actual food!

Obviously the main point of interest for the Hodgins devotee is his asking Angela out for a posh meal ("no mukluks!") and his subsequent proposal. At this moment I would clearly have melted and said yes several times, but somehow Angela needs to have a special 'feeling' before she accepts. It was here that I started to get really impatient with the way she messes the poor man around and uses her power over him. The writing of this scene was completely unrealistic in spite of the excellent acting of the protagonists. People just don't talk like that and it's completely OOC for Hodgins and Angela. I really don't like it when characters are twisted and contrived to fit a particular plotline. In fact I got really shirty when the manipulation continued into season 3 and the totally ridiculous Birimbau arc. Don't talk to me about it. Just...don't.
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"We make our lives out of chaos and hope. And love." - Angela Montenegro

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HanaTheAwesomeOne
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Re: Bones 2.19 Spaceman in a Crater

Post by HanaTheAwesomeOne »

So they Find the body of an astronaut who appears to have fallen to Earth from a high altitude.
Haha So Of Course Hodgin's and all his Conspiracy Theories/Alien Stories were all over this ep :) haha I Love it. I Miss all his Conspiracy Theories.

Yeah I agree that Whole Angela messing Hodgin's around about the Proposal was Totally OOC. I Found it annoying lol. JUST SAY YES To the Man. Yeah it's lame when a Writer comes in and doesn't Write True to the Character.

This was a Good ep though :)

I Love the B&B interaction. And Brennan's HUGE Smile when she's flipping around in the Air. She so looks like a little kid in a Candy Store :) I LOVE It!

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