Bones 12.09 The Steal in the Wheels

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skftex
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Bones 12.09 The Steal in the Wheels

Post by skftex »

First off, I used the title on the actual script for this episode, not the imdb.com or TV info title of “The Steel in the Wheels” I think that is incorrect as the titles are nearly always a play on words and Steel in the Wheels isn't a play on words. Second, I'm watching this one again because I was a bit distracted when I watched it the first time so I'll be typing things as I see them. Which means this might be a bit long. :P

The first character you actually see in this episode is HODGINS! That is so very rare that when it started I thought I had missed the beginning and did a rewind. :P Hodgins is working hard to find evidence to clear Zack. It really annoys me that they keep saying he'd plant evidence. I just don't believe he would as the science has ALWAYS been as important to him as it has been to Brennan. However, Brennan does have a point saying that the absence of evidence is not proof of evidence. If they'd just said that in the first place instead of claiming Hodgins planted it just because Brennan didn't catch it, I'd not mind so much.

The hay baler and hay bales in this episode are pretty gross looking. And Brennan is pretty snippy in this episode. I guess that is their way of making us believe she is not handling her father's death still. She just seems snippy to me, not upset.

And this is the episode we get to see Gordon Gordon again and I was really happy about that. I love that character. But I'm one of the few that doesn't get all sentimental when they mention Sweets. Honestly while it was sad when the character died, I don't miss him AT ALL. Aubrey is after the “tiny cakes” :D I like “Good children share, don't they?” :D

Eww. The victim had a parasitic worm (Ascaris Llubricoides according to our lovely Hodgins) and Hodgins wants Angela to let him know if she finds another one. HAHAHAHAHA That would convince me not to look too hard in that hay! Of course, all the body parts would have the same result. The worm “checked out of his human hotel five, six days ago.” Boy Hodgins has a way of stating things. :D

The whole thing with the blood donation helping with ID really bugs me. It is one of those shortcuts they started taking on Bones a few seasons ago that I really do not like. I imagine in Virginia thousands and thousands of people donate blood and even if double red blood cell donation is a rare type of donation, it isn't THAT rare, because I've done it a few times. And having his age, which I'm assuming is approxiamate as they never can be exactly sure before ID, and gender is really going to narrow it down enough to get a positive ID. I realize that they've always cut corners on ID procedures and DNA because it isn't realistic for a TV show to wait weeks, but this falls into the “magic” I was talking about in an earlier episode thread.

But we do learn who he was, and that he lived in Covington, Virginia. I've been there!!! Not that it matters nor does anyone really care! LOL

The scene with Cam and Rodolfo is sweet. Slowly all the interns are getting their blue lab coats. :)

Again with the well placed cameras so Angela can just follow everything that goes on. But this bank, it was supposed to be in a small local bank. Do they really believe small towns have that many “security cameras” pointing to the streets? Possibly businesses have them but they'd be more focused on the building right? I live in a fairly large city and we don't have cameras everywhere!

Hodgins and Gordon-Gordon!!! The first time TJ got to do a scene with Stephen Fry. :)
Gordon says “Don't get up!” to Hodgins. Which according to Twitter is an ad-lib by Stephen Fry. I guess that is why TJ has that funny half smile on his face. :D :D :D :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

So they are going looking for the body of the apprentice that was disposed of 10 years ago.

They keep saying there aren't a lot of jobs for a forensic anthropologist in DC. Which I suppose in a way is true, but you'd think they could get a job in one of the many universities there as well as work at the Jeffersonian as they do already? I guess if they want to do strictly forensic work it and not teach.

I looked it up, there really is a Penhook, Virginia, Bittinger, Maryland, and Mocksville, North Carolina.So lots of small towns getting attention. Cool!

I remember watching demolition derbies on TV as a kid. Haven't seen one in person either. I don't like Buck and Wanda, so I'm never excited to see them, I preferred Tony and Roxy.

Hodgins thinks it is disgusting that Gordon-Gordon says humans taste like chicken. Can you imagine how gross something has to be to make HODGINS think it is disgusting? :icon-eek:

I''m not sure but I think I'll pass on the Moroccan dish of Amlou if it is the same ingredients in hair oil. LOL But then again, maybe Amlou is delicious and human tastes like chicken!

I'm confused. This Ray guy hit the victim with a wrench, while the victims arms were being held. But the victim somehow managed to do a muay tai move on Ray? I guess I missed something in the timeline of that explanation but now we know Ray had an accomplice.

Good thing no one else in that derby received a phone call at the time the guy Aubrey was following called. Booth and Brennan would have had to somehow chase all of them. :roll:

The bank worker did it. :P

This time Hodgins is making sure they can't accuse him of falsifying evidence. So they find the apprentice and the body has dried blood on the sleeve and by sight Cam knows it belongs to the lobbyist? Couldn't it be his OWN blood? Ah wait, I ran that by again, she says “IF it belongs to the lobbyist...” So okay. Not assuming even though they do all get very happy before knowing the facts.

Anyway, I mostly liked this episode, lots of Hodgins so that usually makes me happy! 3 more episodes!
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ThyneAlone
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Re: Bones 12.09 The Steal in the Wheels

Post by ThyneAlone »

Sharon! Stop saying all the things I want to! Just 'cause you're a couple of weeks ahead!
But to reiterate.
I don't think I have ever viewed an episode, not even recently, in which I so often said out loud "How did they do that? How can they assume that?" Well, I guess we have to suspend disbelief, but the blood thing! The convenient CCTV! The phone call! The deus ex machina that made them realise it was a woman..it's probably all to do with having to fit a lot of stuff into half the usual number of episodes, but there have been at least a couple of so-so eps they could have happily omitted this season.

Yay on the Hodgins focus and the search for Zach evidence. Some very funny material there and an excellent performance from TJ, who's always best when Jack is really fired up and passionate about something. Stephen Fry was also a welcome guest - and in a time when everyone seems to be fascinated with food on TV (son no.2 is currently driving us mad with Gordon Ramsay programmes), he has appropriately become an excellent chef. Lucky he's seen as something of an eccentric though, some of those phrases he came out with were not exactly modern English vernacular! Yet again the search for evidence came over as unrealistic. The various jumps of logic leading to the burial site seemed unconnected and odd. How many acacias did they have to dig up, for goodness' sake - a rather tenuous link to the Masons, surely? And again, I repeat - as you know, Gormagon was something of a shark-jump for me anyway - a serial killer who has killed his one accomplice (because the 'Sith' idea was actually stated in that arc), somehow manages, like the Gravedigger before him, to stash the corpse under a tree in the most elaborate of coffins without anyone knowing? Btw I think we have had the "humans taste like chicken" comment previously, in another, early, cannibal ep (the bear one, was it?).

All that said, I still enjoyed the episode. Buck and Wanda were thoroughly cheesy, as usual, and I tend to lose focus when BB are out undercover involved in boxing or archery or throwing knives at people, but Brennan certainly did need the outlet; even my usually quiet hubby commented on her unpleasantness throughout the hour. And there were some great lines, especially for TJ.

However. How on earth will they fit Cam's wedding and the resolution of Booth's and Zach's arcs into 3 episodes? Watch this space, folks. Particularly as Sharon is still ahead of me. :)
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Re: Bones 12.09 The Steal in the Wheels

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

This was an okay episode to me - I think I didn't love it because I didn't care about the demolition derby stuff, I hate Buck and Wanda (LOL), and I felt like they wasted what could have been an interesting exploration of Brennan dealing with the complicated nature of her grief for her father but instead they turned it into "Brennan just needs to get out her aggression by smashing into cars, emotional problems solved!"

What made this episode for me was the appearance of Gordon Gordon (I love me some Stephen Fry), and the fact that Hodgins was a primary part of the episode. That is always a huge plus. Those were the parts I liked the best.

I like seeing how dedicated Hodgins is to proving Zack's innocence. But I still find it pretty disappointing that Brennan is still so adamant that he's guilty and will not be exonerated, even after Booth's change of heart. Doesn't she trust Booth's gut at all, after all this time? And why isn't Booth in on this either? He seemed so sure, yet we don't see him involved in this at all. Even just a quick comment that there's not much he can do until Hodgins finds something new for Booth to take action with would be a helpful nudge to show that Booth cares. Instead it's like he never got involved at all.

Very nice to see Gordon! But I do hate when the writers treat Gordon (or Sweets) as if they're the only one who can interrogate or figure out how to handle a suspect. Aubrey asking Gordon for help just seemed so random, especially because Aubrey seems to excel at interrogation (and when required, careful questioning).

As I mentioned above, I have no love for Buck and Wanda. They always seemed like a rude, over-the-top stereotype. (And Booth's a fool for messing with his back while it's fragile.) Aubrey chowing down on his hybrid corn dog + funnel cake was pretty funny, though. And I did laugh when Brennan yelled at some of the derby people for continuing to smash into her vehicle: "Stop hitting me! I have important work!" LOL.

Overall, what I most appreciated was Hodgins being so extra-thorough with the procedure in bringing in the body of the apprentice. Personally, I think early seasons Hodgins would have been a lot angrier and more sarcastic about being accused of falsifying evidence. But perhaps it shows a bit of growth for his character that he was mainly hurt but didn't get furious about it or hold a huge grudge. Nevertheless, I do still wish for an apology from both Cam and Brennan because I truly don't believe Hodgins would ever do such a thing, and they should know better than that about him by now. Keeping science pure is everything to Hodgins.

Anyway, not much else to say about this episode. Always want for more Hodgins, but what else is new? ;)

And yes, Steph, I too wonder how the heck they'll wrap up everything satisfactorily in the few episodes they have remaining. *sigh*
Last edited by Sinkwriter72 on Sat Mar 18, 2017 9:12 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 534
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