Bones 1.09 The Man In The Fallout Shelter

[Dr.Valentine]

I, 5 seasons later!, still had never noticed the time flux hahaha..man, I'm usually pretty good at the whole "observation" thing lol..

So, in my own (weak) defense, There was a half naked god on screen! Of COURSE I didn't notice! hahaha, that's my story and I'm sticking to it

I think this is my favority Goodman episode, I kinda miss him and his Mufasa voice from time to time, though I always thought he was a bit immature for running the Jeffersonian

Angela was a tad pushy-er this go round, but I blame that on the lack of Father-Daughter time.

And, I don't think anyone ever really mentioned Booth's euphoria- how funny! I'm pretty sure it's in season one that Angela suggests to Bren Booth is only acting ignorant, so I think it's a cute comic relief to have our big strong fbi guy laugh at twinkling lights only he can see

Ahhh, I think I'll have to watch this epi tonight, if not to get into the warm feelings of christmas love, to see the steamy shower scene we all dream about!

[skftex]

Okay here we go! Awesome episode! This is definitely going to be long!!!

Angela wants Brennan to go to the Christmas party. “Friends don’t let friends photocopy their butts at company Christmas Parties” I think it is too late for Brennan to participate in the secret Santa exchange because I think you have to actually have a gift bought? If you rearrange Secret Santa you get Secret Satan. HAHA Yes that is helpful Angela. Angela is already talking about being drunk from an eggnog but Hodgins and Zack haven’t spiked it yet.

So Booth didn’t suspect it wasn’t a suicide because he should have, in another episode, I don’t remember which one, he says something about that, if you shoot yourself in the head you drop the gun, always. So the photo of the skeleton like its holding the gun, he knew already it wasn’t a suicide. I like that he already brought the body before Brennan told him to do it. And Angela drags him off to the party; I hope he did what he was told and kept Angela from the photocopier.

Zack with his robot is funny. NOW Hodgins is going to spike the eggnog. Then he has eggnog.
Oh, now Booth is back, the party is like a Star Wars convention. HAHA I hope someone is watching Angela! And NOW Hodgins is actually going to spike the eggnog. Those scenes are all mixed up. LOL So Booth brings a body, then is all like “Jeez Bones, Merry Christmas” Maybe he should have waited to bring the body until after Christmas?

Angela is going to kiss EVERYONE! HAHAHA Zack actually beats Hodgins to the decontamination shower. Sherry rewound when we got to this scene. HAHA And I told TJ. Hodgins towel is really long and Zack has two. At least Hodgins didn’t try to lie about drinking the eggnog. That says something about him right? The scene where they are talking to the guy dressed as Santa, Hodgins looks like he is sleeping until the guy asked if they were following protocol, then he gives a most AWESOME eye roll. HAHA And then owns up to not following protocol again. See he takes responsibility for his actions. Funny that Booth thinks that he gets to leave because it sucks to be Hodgins right now. A guy dressed like Santa is in charge, or if you use Angela logic, that guy is Satan!! Merry Christmas! I don’t think it is really that fair to Zack for Booth to want to shoot him, Zack didn’t do anything, plus who brought them the body in the first place HUH??? “Maybe you guys should go get dressed?” WHAT ANGELA! NO!! What kind of terrible idea is that! HAHAHAHA But they do what she says.

That isolation table is cool. I wonder if we see it again sometime. I don’t remember it. He wore a toupee and it is a tiny little wisp of hair, yet Brennan says it doesn’t look like it has degraded much. I like how when they are all blaming each other that Hodgins says “I was supposed to be in Quebec.” I also love how Hodgins is upset that he wasn’t the one to get the hallucinations. Hodgins talking about being somewhere else for Christmas actually reminds me of TJ. Because he travels a lot at Christmas so I guess this is the way he sees it…minus the masseuse…or maybe not? HAHA Personally I think Zack is more on track with what Christmas is, but Hodgins goes with the masseuse on that one.

I like the scene with Booth and Goodman. I like when they found ways to have these sorts of combinations. Goodman talks about his family and Booth reveals he has a kid, and it all seems like a very natural conversation. But Booth never tells Goodman not to mention it, so I can see why he assumes that people know already later on.

The scene with Booth popping up in the back wearing Angela’s elf hat always makes me laugh. HAHA He looks so proud of himself, Christmas Eve day, both a day and an eve, it’s a Christmas miracle. Sometimes I think Brennan needs to just stop with her logical information about things, because honestly, anyone who enjoys Christmas for whatever reasons, aren’t going to want to hear it, and view her just as Booth does, as the Christmas killer. I do however, think it is funny when Booth is pointing up and saying the man upstairs and Brennan says “A helicopter pilot?” HAHAHAHA

I don’t think Goodman finds the breakfast tray that appetizing. The scene where they are going to set up the secret Santa really shows that Zack, Hodgins and even Goodman are really, really geeky. Zack wanting to build a random generator, Hodgins with his 5 numbers and 5 letters, and Goodman, I’m not sure what he said though it was something about matching personalities? And Booth and Angela (even though she IS one of them) just laughing. Pick a name, get your own put it back. And the squints are all impressed and say “That will work.”

Wow, Hodgins says “We’re friends” and boy he gets the evil face from Goodman. TJ’s eyes looking really blue there. I like that Goodman asks for permission to read the letters. And I think Rebecca is evil to pull something like that about Parker at Christmas.

Again I like that Hodgins admits AGAIN that it was his fault, that he apologized and he does feel guilty about it but then he says he is an accidental Grinch but Brennan is the Grinch on purpose. HAHAHA Only he isn’t the Grinch, he’s Stu Lou Who! And in that he drops the info about Booth having a kid and then when he realizes Brennan didn’t know, I love how he says she didn’t hear it from him and walks away really fast!

“Well nothing brings people together like a Christmas lung fungus.” I like all the lights and decorations you can see from up there where Booth and Brennan are during that scene. The whole story about careful Lionel is so sad. He was getting married and running off to Paris. And he got killed. Sad.

Eww Zack asking Brennan if there are any foul smelling pustules on her shins. EWWW. I like the look they all give him. There are things I like about this scene, them all eating together, talking and joking, and Hodgins saying “Well I believe organized religion is just another political movement to control the masses, doesn’t mean God doesn’t love me.” But Brennan just opening her mouth and saying whatever she thinks kind of ruins it, and that was really cruel for her to say that about Booth having a child out of wedlock. I hate it when she does stuff like that. At least Angela tries to point out that it was harsh.

The Angelator Christmas tree is so cool. Proof that Angela really would have to be one of the squints despite the way she acts. I loved back when they used to have really honest talks between Angela and Brennan. It actually showed why they were always saying they were best friends, something that has been a bit lost in the later seasons I think. I also like how Booth comes in and just listens to the story about Brennan’s parents and going into the foster system, and how respectful he is when he says “Excuse me, we have Lionel’s missing person file.” Plus the whole conversation leads to Angela demanding she find Ivy, showing she understands that Brennan wishes someone could have told her what happened to her parents, even if Angela does it in kind of a bossy way.

Booth is very talented at making origami birds. I like that Hodgins tells Angela it is prettier if she doesn’t know what it is. Really that is great because she probably wouldn’t be as impressed that it is mold. And Booth gets the crazy robot and actually acknowledges Zack and shakes his hand. Too bad he didn’t keep remembering that Zack did what he could to give Booth something to give his son that is pretty cool. He goes back to practically ignoring him.

“Green as in go or as in stick a needle in your brain.” I also like that Booth stops as everyone rushes out and is kind of hesitant to leave Brennan and then tells her about being at Wong Foo’s.
The scene with Ivy is nice. The granddaughter has always seemed a little stiff to me but still it is nice. She got to find out Lionel wasn’t a bad guy and didn’t abandon her.

The doorway at Wong Foos could double as a hobbit house door! I never noticed that before. Then a nice scene with Booth and Parker. Who has practically disappeared from the face of the earth in the newer episodes, guess he isn’t as cute as Christine. And it ends with Brennan opening a gift from her parents. I wonder what was in the box? I know that isn’t the point but she seemed to like it. 

[Sinkwriter72]

Sharon, I cannot believe you busted me to TJ about that rewind! You are such a troublemaker!

You know... in my defense, I was merely rewinding to appreciate the hard work and dedication TJ obviously puts into taking good care of himself and his acting instrument. It's for the good of the project. If I didn't notice these details, what kind of fan would I be?

Not buying it? Anyone? Bueller?

Okay, fine, let's just get it out in the open, shall we? This is the Bones Christmas episode, but in my book it also should be known as the Shirtless Hodgins episode, because the moment is that magnificent. The first time I saw the episode, I dropped the remote and found myself fumbling for it to pause so I wouldn't miss the rest of the episode, because the sight of Hodgins in only a towel seemed to cause my jaw to drop and my hearing to short out. He looks GOOD, okay? Really, really... really... good.

In fact, every time I see that scene, I say, "Damn, TJ. WOW."

But his well-formed physique is not the only reason I like him. The man is very talented, as we all know. With both the humorous and the dramatic scenes and all the little fine details in between. Which I'll gladly talk about until my face turns blue.

But for a moment, yes, I needed to rewind. Because I'm not blind. And I have a pulse. (LOL.)

Moving on...

Sharon and Steph have already talked so thoroughly about this episode that I'm not sure I can put it any better. Well said, ladies!

So I'll just hit on some favorite moments and highlights as best as I can.

First of all, there are so many funny lines in this episode:

- Friends don't let friends photocopy their butts.
- Like Alien after Predator.
- I got into the decontamination shower WITH Zack. Haven't I suffered enough?
- Be kind. Rewind. Booth has a kid? (Oops. Way to go, Goodman.)
- And the classic line: Well, nothing brings people together like a Xmas lung fungus. (Heh.)

Some questions and minor musings I had:

- They only have one shower? What if more than one person is sprayed with something?
- When Angela suggests that Hodgins and Zack go get dressed, I have on question - WHY?
- I always wondered if the editors accidentally looped in a TJ voiceover twice. At the end when Angela shows off the digital tree image, he says "Merry Christmas" exactly the same way twice in a row.
- Angela's sketch of Zack's family looks a little like she did it in crayon. You'd think she would have done it all in charcoal or pencil or whatever she uses to make her sketches. Maybe it's just colored pencil, but it looks thicker to me. So that's just a little oddity that amuses.

Points of amusement and entertainment:

The set. The Jeffersonian set is always impressive and unique, with all that metal and chrome and levels of work environment. But in this episode it seems even more stunning.

The entire episode (from sets to people) is gorgeously lit. SO beautiful. Of particular note, near the end scene as Brennan goes back into an office to open the belated gift from her parents, the shelves in the background with the vases and other odds and ends in silhouette are stunning. It's a breathtaking sight and makes me want to climb in and explore. And you have to love the fun of seeing Xmas decorations interspersed amongst the test tubes.

Oh, Hodgins... shame on you. He really did start it all by not wearing a mask while Zack cuts into a bone. Frankly, I'd think he'd be more careful about that, given that future episodes have Brennan talking about how exposure to bone dust could cause all sorts of lung issues. Still... he's funny, and to have a director dressed as Santa Claus dressing Hodgins down for it is pretty funny too.

So many entertaining bits amongst the entire team. A close-up of Angela's elf shoe jingling and tapping impatiently, how complicated they make a simple thing like picking names for a Secret Santa exchange, the way they all turn on one another in attempts to place blame for why they're all trapped in the lab over Christmas, a drugged Booth jumping around in an elf hat (makes me laugh every time), Hodgins' dismay that he didn't get the good drug effects instead of Booth ("That is so not fair"), the talk of religion and what they do or don't believe (ZACK: "Hey, I’m a rational empiricist all the way. Unless you talk to my mother. Then I’m Lutheran." LOL), Brennan's lack of filter on her mouth when she talks of the "Christ myth" and Booth's ex having his child out of wedlock (so cringe-worthy, Brennan!), and in the end Sid in a Santa hat. All so fun and funny.

I love the gifts they give to one another. Take away the superficial and what it boils down to is what they can make with their own hands, based on what they know of one another. That's really lovely. Goodman creating the shape of a scarab for "bug man" Hodgins, Angela drawing Zack's family, Booth making Goodman a regal eagle made out of paper, Hodgins giving Angela a beautiful (though gross) image because he knows she'll appreciate the artistic structure of it, and Zack giving Booth a special gift for his son because he knows Booth needs it. (That robot may not do anything when you tell it to, but at least Parker will probably find it funny and fun. LOL.)

Like Steph discussed, it's the thought that counts. The metaphor for "giving" is present throughout this episode in so many ways, and it's such a lovely "Christmasy" episode. A bit saccharine, perhaps, but I think they balance it well with snarky humor and soft drama.

They could have been hyper-melodramatic and soap opera-like and made one of the team get sick and have to go through that brain procedure. Instead, they treated each scene with humor, thoughtfulness and an underlying message that though these people may "only" work together as colleague-friends, they truly are a family at heart. That's really beautiful.

It's a classic "bottle" episode (or as Steph says, "quarantine" episode), where all the characters are stuck in one place for the entire episode. That could be seen as clichéd, but I don't think this episode suffers from that. Instead, it's funny and refreshing, thought-provoking and sweet. We get to see characters interact on deeper levels than usual and (in some cases) with different scene partners than usual.

For example, there are some terrific scenes between Booth and Goodman. That's not a scene pairing we see often, not without Brennan or another team member there too. Instead, we got to see two men connect as fathers missing their kids and feeling the loss of not spending a holiday where they want to be. Booth sees Goodman in a new light, as an archeologist instead of "just an administrator." He sees Goodman's talents. In turn, Goodman sees a more vulnerable side to Booth, one not many -- not even Brennan at this point -- have seen. The humiliation Booth's ex puts him through over the phone is unkind (especially because it's not Booth's fault that he got trapped at the Jeffersonian), and Goodman is there to witness it and give Booth space. I think it's good that Goodman was the one to be there for that rather than Brennan, because (though generally sympathetic) Brennan would have likely hounded Booth about it, looking for answers, or she might have instructed him on what she thought the rational reasons were behind his ex's demands and insults and how he should have handled it, and that's just not something Booth needed in the moment. Goodman was able to be respectful and give him space, rather than embarrass him further. I think both men learned a little something about one another and got the chance to appreciate the other a little bit more than they had before.

For humor, I love the Hodgins and Brennan scene where he accidentally tells her that Booth has a kid: "I wasn’t the one who told you." In fact, I'm thoroughly entertained by the entire scene, because TJ as Hodgins talks so rapid-fire, it's marvelously comical:

"Wow, was that a shot? Because I apologized. I mean, Goodman doesn’t get to see his [family], Zack doesn’t get to see his [kids], Booth doesn’t get to see his son. At least I’m an accidental Grinch. All due respect, you’re the Grinch on purpose... The Grinch is a relatively well-known creation of a children’s author named Dr. Seuss. Listen, I got Angela for my Secret Santa thing and what I wanna do is blow up a microscopic image of the toxic mold Stachybotrys chartarum because I know she’s very interested in fractal imagery. I thought that might appeal to her aesthetically. Do you agree?"

Heee. I love TJ's timing in that scene. Everything he says is really funny and fast. It's awesome.

On a more serious note, I love the Hodgins - Zack scene, when they're both hanging out, talking from inside their sleeping bags. They always have such wonderful chemistry in their scenes, but it's nice to see beyond the humor and get a little more of a glimpse into each of them and their lives outside of the lab. The look on TJ's face while Zack talks about his family seems to show that even though Hodgins won't admit it, he likes the idea of family. It was a nice touch, too, because we eventually learn more about how his family is all messed up and he's one of the only ones left. So this is just the smallest kernel of that, and even though he doesn't have all the pieces from the writers yet, TJ finds ways to say such things without words, through his acting.



In fact, I think this episode made me not only see Brennan but also Hodgins in a softer, more thoughtful light. I always feel a little bad for Hodgins during the visitation montage. I know he's got the "hot masseuse" visiting him, but everyone else has family and I always thought it was sad that he didn't have a single family member looking out for him. I mean, Brennan doesn't have anybody either, but that was already known and sad. This episode made me think about Hodgins as well. It's a really nice character detail they don't expand on nearly enough.

We also see some terrific, subtle support between Booth and Brennan in this episode. When Booth overhears Brennan's intimate conversation with Angela about her missing parents, he stands back and waits to interrupt. He doesn't push her to tell him more, he doesn't demand answers, he doesn't butt into the conversation. Instead, he waits and he's there for her in the end when she needs a little support. That's a really nice detail and adds to the development of their partnership.

I like that we get a good mix of scenes amongst all the characters. It's not simply focused on the two leads. The beauty of a bottle episode like this is the opportunity it creates for richer character and relationship development amongst all the different combinations of characters. And the Bones writers did that really well in this one: we get scenes between Angela and Brennan, Booth and Goodman, Brennan and Booth, Zack and Hodgins... It's a true "team" episode. Team as family.

Which is why it's always a little sad to me when they all take off so quickly when the green light is given that everyone's healthy and able to leave. I know they all have places to be and people to be with (as we saw in the earlier montage when they're all visited), but they also all know that Brennan's going to be alone. So I really feel for Brennan in that moment as they all run out of there. I wish at least one person (Angela would likely be most fitting) to give Brennan a hug.

Between the Boy in the Bush and this episode, I really felt like the showrunners, writers and actors were finding their stride with emotional cases and effective balance between Booth, Brennan and the team. It's a favorite episode of mine, to be sure. One of the best of Season 1.

[ThyneAlone]

I reckon that's a Barbie in Brennan's package. It looks just like a Barbie. probably not Malibu or Disco Barbie, more like Scientist Barbie - you think?

[skftex]

I don't know Steph, the box is a bit square isn't it? Also, she was 15, not sure how many girls at that age want a Barbie anymore. Of course, if it were a scientist one maybe it'd be more than it just being a Barbie, so that might make a difference. I'd have to go back and look the scene again to see if the box really looks longer than I remember it. LOL

[ThyneAlone]

she was 15, not sure how many girls at that age want a Barbie anymore.

Fair point. Precocious little madam that I was, I asked my grandmother to buy me my 'final' doll when I was 11. I loved dolls but I thought I was getting too mature for them. That was about the time I started consciously reading Shakespeare to improve my mind!

I still get the doll out and look at her occasionally. Her name's Wendy. She's one of the most beautiful things I have ever possessed. My Nana never did things by halves.