Bones 3.15 The Pain in the Heart

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Sinkwriter72
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Bones 3.15 The Pain in the Heart

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

This is it, people! The big night! Season three finale. :D

Here's hoping the episode is exciting and sets track down for all the Bones characters for a promising season four to come.
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by KimberHodgela »

Woo hoo! Looks like it's going to be a good one, from the previews I've seen and gossip I've heard! I'll be here to discuss it right after House, which airs directly after Bones, and promises to be just as shocking and amazing! It's going to be one mind-blowing night on television.
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by sofilps »

Two finales in one night? sure as hell this will be interesting! though I don't see House...

Oh god, I CAN'T believe that the time finally came. We are going to finally watch it tonight.
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by KimberHodgela »

Well ... wow. Just ... wow. It was definitely an hour of suspense, and of me running back to my computer to see what people were saying and speculating. I honestly thought it would end up being that new anthropologist, Clark Edison, but I guess I was wrong! In all honesty I don't think I ever really rationally believed it could be Zack. Although he was just the assistant, but still ... he murdered a man? Wow.

I don't quite know how I feel about the actual episode - beyond the confusion and shock. Do I think Zack could *really* be Gormogon's apprentice? I don't know. In a way, I think his character could do something like this and be able to rationalize it, but also I feel that this is a writer's ploy of "hey, let's do something totally irrational and see what happens". And I have a really, really hard time accepting that Zack would take a man's life, no matter what "logic" told him.

Can I just say kudos to TJ for playing a CREEPY Hodgins? I was really starting to suspect it could be him for a few minutes there! I think this entire hour was spent changing my mind on who it was, why it was, and what the heck was going on!

We got a nice kiss between Jack and Angela, some hugging, and sweet moments, which was nice. Nothing about the husband, and no break up (hadn't that been predicted, or included in a side?). Perhaps the writers will focus more on their relationship next year, and I, for one, am just happy they are going into S4 as a couple still! Yay!

Okay ... House calls, so I'll be back in a hour to see what you all think!
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by skftex »

Well, I had pretty much decided they were going to do this to Zack because he fit the profile of the apprentice and then hearing that Bones would be looking for a new assistant. Honestly I think they took the easy way out of the whole Gormogon story. I know a lot of people didn't care for it, but I wish since it was there they didn't make it Zack. Honestly, if I thought of it weeks ago then it wasn't very much of a mystery because I don't figure things out very well.

So other than that, I loved all the Hodgins scenes though. The guy definitely CAN be creepy can't he? The kiss with Angela was so sweet. :)

So can't wait for the posts from those of you that are very good at dissecting episodes (which I am not) and read your thoughts! :mrgreen:

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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

My first thoughts at the conclusion of this episode, as I sat with my arms folded tightly across my chest, were:

I...

What the...

No f-ing way. I refuse to believe it.

I'm still troubled by Hart's final choice. And a bit pissed off by it, to be honest.

On the positive side of things, I am glad that I avoided spoilers, because I was on a roller coaster ride this entire episode. I had NO idea which direction they were going to go or who would be the guilty one. I suspected almost everyone at some point, even Angela because she seemed the most serene and unlikely suspect. I hoped it would be Sweets, but there was too much time left in the episode for him to be the real killer when they presented that possibility. Still, even after I ruled him out in my head, I couldn't figure out where they were going to take the story instead. I had no idea who it would be. That's a good thing -- it sure held my attention.

I have to commend TJ for his subtle acting choices (and the slightly sinister music underneath), because it made me suspect him. I didn't want to believe it, I didn't trust that suspicion, and I knew deep down that they were probably just trying to mess with me and keep me guessing. That he would be the 'obvious' choice and therefore not 'the one' in actuality. I was generally unconvinced when he was lurking about and standing in the darkness and surprising Cam in her office. At that point I knew it was probably just atmospheric playing in order to tease the audience into suspecting him.

But when he was in the hospital, pushing the button for Zack's pain medication, over and over again, I found myself getting really uncomfortable. That was an effective scene -- it really had me going. I was like, what are you doing, don't you hurt Zack! :mrgreen: I can't believe I let him convince me. Damn it, TJ! ;)

Am I horrible for wishing Sweets would have been the killer? Like they thought it might be Zack, but then at the last minute they found out that Zack lied in order to protect everyone from some piece of evidence so Sweets wouldn't come after them too? That he'd found something, and needed to confirm it when the explosion happened? I was really hoping he'd have an explanation when Booth and Brennan came to talk with him at the hospital. Really, really hoping.

I'll admit it. I do not like this storyline choice. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I've been letting it 'simmer' a bit and I don't particularly like it. I feel almost as betrayed as the characters do.

First of all, the profile of the serial killer is a very specific one. They usually do not veer from their strict pattern, every detail in every crime committed the same way. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the apprentice chosen each time is supposed to be a "widow's son." Right?

Zack comes from a very large family, and last time they showed his family, they were all alive and healthy. He is not a widow's son.

Also, maybe I need to rewatch the episode, but I was not fully convinced of the 'logic' that Zack was following, the logic that brought him to make the choices he did, to even become Gormagon's apprentice.

And I truly do not see it in his character to be able to kill someone, no matter how much logic he's sorted through in his brain. Sure, he'd know how to do it, which area to stab in order to finish the guy off expediently. But isn't this the guy who could hardly stab a dummy in the episode where they all tested out weapons?

Yes, Zack is often an emotionless robot, but I always thought we'd finally get to see his character evolve enough to crack that exterior. I didn't think they'd use that characteristic to make him a 'plausible' killer. There have been times when he's been affected by things, like having to clean the bones of a child who was sexually abused and murdered. And even though he may not know how to access those feelings enough or show them, it has always seemed clear that he cares deeply about the people at the Jeffersonian. This is his second family, and in a way, he probably cares about them even more than his biological family because the Squints understand him better. They know and understand what it's like to be super-smart and what it's like to feel unusual. So I just can't see him betraying them like this. Especially when he's said (in his State Dept. interview) that if he had any doubts about anything, he'd probably go to Angela or Brennan first, to sort through and make sure he was looking at things the right way, before coming to any sort of conclusions.

I just don't know...

Back to the positive side, the episode may have had its plot flaws but the acting carried it through, no matter what.

The look that slides off Cam's face in astonishment when Booth and Brennan ask for the hospital room so they can talk with Zack... so excellent. As was her emotional outburst and teary conceding at the end of the episode. Well done, Tamara Taylor.

Watching Brennan press her forehead against Zack's, and earlier in the episode, when she kissed him on the forehead... heartbreakingly sweet.

Every scene Eric was in... just so expressive and vulnerable and subtle. Made me ache. I just wanted to give him a hug -- until the final reveal, that is, and then I was so ticked off, I didn't know what to feel about him. I really understood Cam's angry defensive outburst at the end, because the turn of events was just so... WTF.

I loved TJ's work because he really had me going. For once in the entire series, I didn't know how to trust him. Because he was so opaque with his acting choices, I actually found myself feeling sick when he came in and kissed Angela as she sat at Zack's bedside. !?!

Can you believe that? Did any of you feel that way?

Because I couldn't be 100% certain he was innocent, if there was any possibility of him being the guilty one, the thought that he was coming in and fooling Angela, kissing her like nothing was going on, that unnerved me. GREAT job, TJ. :D

Fantastic acting, all around.

On a side note, I will say that once again they're trying to push the Booth and Brennan relationship rather than going with the subtle. The final scene was great, really soft and lovely. But the bathtub scene -- though funny, I'll admit -- was out of character for Booth. Despite Brennan's joking claim as she left the bathroom, Booth is totally puritanical when it comes to sex and bodies and all that goes with it. No way he'd stand up like that in front of her. He'd be protesting all the way, trying to cover up and kick her out of the room.

I understand they were trying to go with the funny in that moment, and on some level it worked, but overall it's unnecessary. Those two characters have a remarkable chemistry. In fact, all those comments throughout the episode, through Sweets' character especially, all the comments about passion and seduction and pie (haha), were completely unsubtle. There's an adage in writing that says 'Show, don't tell.' In other words, don't spend a ton of time telling the audience that two characters hate each other or love each other. Instead, show the characters' emotions. All that Sweets verbal analysis of their relationship is unsubtle and unnecessary at this point. We already know Booth and Brennan have a unique, close relationship, through everything we've seen them go through together. We don't need to be told that there's seduction and connection and emotion between them. Give the audience credit for being able to recognize it as it's evolving. Same with Angela and Hodgins. We see it, through the scenes in which they do things for each other and support each other, through crazy cases and tense moments and loving connection. I wish Hart and the writers would realize that and give us as the audience some credit for having brains and eyes and feelings about these characters. We already know. Just keep showing us, through wonderful, funny, intense storylines and decent follow-through.

Final note: While I kept waiting for Booth to 'wake up' in the opening scene, to prove he wasn't really dead, they did fool me nicely by not using that as the device. I liked the confusion. However, I don't like how disconnected it was from last week's episode. No follow-through. Brennan shot Pam in the throat, didn't she? That's pretty brutal. Were there no consequences (emotional or otherwise) for that action? On Brennan's part or anyone else's (for being there in the midst of something so scary)? No investigation from the FBI? And how long does it take for someone to heal sufficiently from a shoulder gunshot wound? How much time passed from last week to this week? Couldn't have been that long, if they were just holding the funeral at the start of this week's episode. Usually Catholic funerals occur within days after the death, three or so. Booth was moving around pretty darn well for someone who'd been shot. And after all they've been through together, no matter how logical and pragmatic Brennan usually is, I can't see her being able to 'process and move on' in less than a week. No way. Maybe at the beginning of the series, but not at this point. Not after everything they've been through. She's changed a lot, become more emotional, more connected to the people around her, especially Booth.

I also felt there should have been more emotion, a scene included, with the rest of the Squints finding out about Zack, especially because they have just as strong a connection with him (if not more so than Cam). In my view, Hodgins would have been confused and shocked at first, but I believe he'd also have been angry. They'd been buddies (sort of, haha), they'd lived together (sort of), traveled to work together every day, they had a camaraderie, they played and fought and competed together. Angela's the one who would have been sad and confused all the way through, but Hodgins? I think he'd be pissed off at first, before switching to sorrow and loss. He's the guy with the rubber band, you know. It could have been edgier. And they all definitely should have been included instead of a short montage. Once again, I hate to pick on Sweets, but they used him and gave him more time than the Squints, the people who actually have an emotional and familial connection with Zack.

Maybe it's just me, but it was too rushed, fitting all of this into one episode. FOX should have allowed them to at least break it up into a two-parter, or something.

Those are my thoughts, for now. Everyone else? :D
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by KimberHodgela »

Sherry, you are definitely not horrible for wanting Sweets to be the killer. I was thinking that the entire season, just so he could vacate my show. But I guess we couldn't be that lucky, could we? And he seemed to be extra annoying in this episode, too.

Zack being the apprentice was just ... out of character. I'm still finding it hard to accept, and want to pull a "that never happened" ignorance. Yes, he's socially awkward, and yes he can be thoughtless sometimes and even emotionless, but he's not heartless. He would not kill someone just because he found "logic" in it. I just can't see it happening, and I'm rather angry with Hart for choosing this outcome. If they've fudged the Gormogon case so badly, I'm not sure I want to see where they go with the Gravedigger! Will it be Hodgins, because he was involved nobody would suspect him??

I avoided major spoilers, but did know that Eric wasn't going to be a regular for next season. I figured he would be written out somehow, and when he was injured in the lab I figured that was his "out". He would be too damaged to be a regular, but could consult and perhaps find another use in the lab.

That being said, I agree with you Sherry about the acting - especially any scene containing Eric or Tamara. Both actors were superb in this episode, and Tamara's facial expressions, as well as her tears and minor breakdown in the second-to-final scene had my heart aching for her. The lab just won't be the same without Zack around ... no more King of the Lab, no more great bonding scenes between Jack and Zack, no more Zackaroni ... it just doesn't seem right.

Sinkwriter72 wrote:On a side note, I will say that once again they're trying to push the Booth and Brennan relationship rather than going with the subtle. The final scene was great, really soft and lovely. But the bathtub scene -- though funny, I'll admit -- was out of character for Booth. Despite Brennan's joking claim as she left the bathroom, Booth is totally puritanical when it comes to sex and bodies and all that goes with it. No way he'd stand up like that in front of her. He'd be protesting all the way, trying to cover up and kick her out of the room.

...However, I don't like how disconnected it was from last week's episode. No follow-through. Brennan shot Pam in the throat, didn't she? That's pretty brutal. Were there no consequences (emotional or otherwise) for that action? On Brennan's part or anyone else's (for being there in the midst of something so scary)? No investigation from the FBI? And how long does it take for someone to heal sufficiently from a shoulder gunshot wound? How much time passed from last week to this week? Couldn't have been that long, if they were just holding the funeral at the start of this week's episode. Usually Catholic funerals occur within days after the death, three or so. Booth was moving around pretty darn well for someone who'd been shot. And after all they've been through together, no matter how logical and pragmatic Brennan usually is, I can't see her being able to 'process and move on' in less than a week. No way. Maybe at the beginning of the series, but not at this point. Not after everything they've been through. She's changed a lot, become more emotional, more connected to the people around her, especially Booth.

I outright hated the bathtub scene. I felt it was ridiculous, and that Booth was extremely out of character in it, as was Brennan. It just seemed like another blatant attempt to "push" these two together, and use a moment where Booth was vulnerable and naked, and Brennan could "sneak a glance". :roll:

As for Booth's injury, and the whole follow up with Brennan shooting (killing?) Pam ... that was stupid too. I understand there was a lot to cover in one hour of television, but even a mention of it would have been nice. And I believe someone (Caroline? Booth?) said it had been two weeks since the shooting, which would mean that Brennan and the gang went for two weeks of thinking Booth was dead, and Sweets knew about it but "chose" not to tell Brennan to continue his experiment (Brennan should have decked him for this). Booth did seem to move around quite a bit in the beginning for a guy who had received a gunshot wound. And I'm surprised the FBI would allow him into the field like that. Didn't it seem odd that he was at his own funeral, "hidden" beneath a cap? What if someone had recognized him and questioned it? Couldn't the FBI have taken this guy down without him??
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by begolden »

Sherry and Kimber, you two ladies have said it all. Tried to log on last night after the episode, but the site wouldn't open for me! So here I am, late to the party but glad that everyone else said all the things that were on my mind. I am so displeased with this episode. Utter and total character assassination. The show will never be the same--it will be incomplete without Zack in the lab. We can also never trust the writers again. If they can do this to Zack, they can do anything to any of our beloved characters. Unbelievable... :x
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by late_heart »

How fitting that I'm reading these terrific posts while being on hold with the IRS.

Not surprisingly, that sums up my experience watching last night's episode.

Eric deserved a much better vehicle for his talent than the new and improved Bones, and I hope he'll get that now. TJ did a great job with hideously crappy material -- and, like Michaela and Tamara, he's the 'little black dress' of the show -- works perfectly with anything.

We'll never know how well or poorly the episode was written; my educated guess is that too many hands rendered the original unrecognizable, but that's status quo. Throw in producers anxious to keep their 'meal ticket' happy and the usual demographics to be hit...

So I don't have anything else to say, except that I hope this show works as a way to propel TJ, Eric, Emily, Michaela and Tamara) further forward into the kind of career they desire. They're fine actors and deserve to have satisfying work and lots of it.
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

I think I'm heartbroken, too, because I really wanted them to spend some time on Zack's character (and all the Squints, including and especially Zack and Hodgins), delve into developing him more, explore his experiences in Iraq, and show us how he could evolve emotionally as a person. I knew that the writers' strike had thrown everything off, but I trusted that they would at least try to get to it next season. Now we won't have the pleasure to witness it, and I mourn that. Deeply.
late_heart wrote: So I don't have anything else to say, except that I hope this show works as a way to propel TJ, Eric, Emily, Michaela and Tamara) further forward into the kind of career they desire. They're fine actors and deserve to have satisfying work and lots of it.
I hope so, too, late_heart. I really hope so, too. :(

And thank you for your eloquent words about TJ. I whole-heartedly agree. He really does work well with anything and everything he's given. He elevates the scenes, always. That speaks to the enormity of his talent, and I really hope more and more people will get to see it, and that TJ will continue to get opportunities to explore and hone it, in ways that fulfill and invigorate him, through many fascinating projects.

Did we get you through your IRS call yet? Or are you still stuck? ;)
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by late_heart »

The b@stards disconnected me. Another parallel to last night's episode.

I'm with you in the heartbreak department, Sherry.

Oddly, I'm more disgusted by the Booth in the bathtub/beer hat mishegas than Zach's departure. My expectations of this show are so low that I knew 43 minutes wasn't enough time to present a satisfying finale.

Much like my expectations of the IRS.

But instead of me waxing cranky about this ep, let's talk TJ!

He was sooooo good. I liked his interactions with Booth (well, really!) and the aura of suspicion around him. Loved the way he danced on the cusp of creepy/cool. And even though his doping of Zach was meant to be suspicious, there was such affection in it that I didn't see that it was meant to be sinister -- until you pointed it out!!!

Must run... picking up Mom from the hospital. Another story for later, I swear! Will update you later!
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by Sinkwriter72 »


Gotta love the IRS. ;)

late_heart wrote: [TJ] was sooooo good. I liked his interactions with Booth (well, really!) and the aura of suspicion around him. Loved the way he danced on the cusp of creepy/cool. And even though his doping of Zach was meant to be suspicious, there was such affection in it that I didn't see that it was meant to be sinister -- until you pointed it out!!!

I think some of it was the music underneath. In fact, I wonder if I watched TJ's scenes without the sound, if I would feel a completely different take. See love and affection and concern throughout instead of potential sinister intent, without that music trying to lead me to other conclusions.

Hmm... interesting. I may 'test that hypothesis,' in Zack's honor. :D

And you know I always look forward to hearing your thoughts. Still waitin' on that email, sassy! *GRIN* I tease because I love, you know that.

Hope all is well with your mom!
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by KimberHodgela »

begolden wrote:Sherry and Kimber, you two ladies have said it all. Tried to log on last night after the episode, but the site wouldn't open for me! So here I am, late to the party but glad that everyone else said all the things that were on my mind. I am so displeased with this episode. Utter and total character assassination. The show will never be the same--it will be incomplete without Zack in the lab. We can also never trust the writers again. If they can do this to Zack, they can do anything to any of our beloved characters. Unbelievable... :x
The site was having troubles late last night ... and what a perfect night for it!! I wanted to edit my latest response, but wasn't able to so I emailed the edit to myself and fixed it this morning.

I think you hit the nail right on the head, Rebecca, with your statement about not being able to trust the writers again. I also get chills when I think how easily it could have been Jack who was the apprentice. TJ can really pull of creepy well, and with all of Jack's conspiracy theories and whatnot, the writers might have considered him for a departure too. However, I think the relationship with Angela may be the saving grace, as Zack was unattached and pretty much out on a limb by himself. He and Cam are probably the least attached characters (Booth and Brennan have each other, Jack and Angela have each other, and I'm ignoring Sweets and his obsession with B&B). I guess Cam had her past relationship with Booth, but that is no more.

I'm awaiting some mind-blowing interview with Hart or someone else on the writing team, with explanations of how they decided on Zack's fate, and why. Maybe that will make me be somewhat okay with the decision (highly unlikely).

And late_heart, I hope your mom is okay! And also - being on the phone with the IRS and being disconnected? You know Jack Hodgins would find a conspiracy in there somewhere ... ;)
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by sofilps »

begolden wrote:Tried to log on last night after the episode, but the site wouldn't open for me! So here I am, late to the party but glad that everyone else said all the things that were on my mind.
:shock:

I was freaking out because I couldn't enter the forum, it's good to know that I wasn't the only one with that problem.

On to the episode I...I don't know what to think. Sherry, you summed it up pretty well. I honestly thought for a moment that it could actually be Hodgins. I got scared first when he entered in Cam's office, he was creepy, yes he was. Ohhhh my. And then when he was giving Zack the painkillers...I felt as he was trying to shut him. He wanted him to stop talking...and I didn't understand, I was like 'seriously? is HE Gormagon??' I doubted, it was very very well acted. I also give kudos to TJ for those scenes!

Zack as Gormagon? mmm I read every possible spoiler and I kind of figured it out but still I didn't want to believe it. I'm sad that Eric's out of the show. for sure the squint squad will not be the same without him, Zack and Hodgins scenes?? experiments!??? c'mon!

In the funeral scene it was suspicious that rebecca and parker weren't there...and that punch that brennan gave booth, he deserved it. tough it wasn't his fault that Sweets didn't informed her that he was alive and it was all part of a mission.

I always liked Brennan/Zack relationship. The scenes between them were very strong and both Emily and Eric did a extremely good job.

And I know this has no relation at all but, when did Zack got the 'King of the Lab' cup? I didn't know he was the one who won.. :P

It was rushed, the episode had too many things for just 43 minutes which was what I though from the very beginning. It's a shame because there were things that are still incomplete. Well at least I felt that they should have explain a little bit more everything. Too confusing. And I know that it was because of the writers strike, but with one more episode it would have been better.
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by KimberHodgela »

sofilps wrote:And I know this has no relation at all but, when did Zack got the 'King of the Lab' cup? I didn't know he was the one who won.. :P
I wondered that too, Sofi! When Zack and Jack were in the lab together, Zack said something about him being the "uncontested King of the Lab". I think when Jack was offering to do the experiment for him (*shudder* ... Thank goodness that didn't happen!). I wondered if I hadn't been paying attention when this was decided, since I figured it was still a weekly contest between the two of them.
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

I was just taking a break by reading a bit of people's reactions to this episode over on 206_bones (LJ), when I found a link to this article.

Within it, this particular section ticked me off:

In my interview with exec producer Hart Hanson, Hanson said he was expecting a "violent reaction" from fans. But here he further explains why they chose to make Zack the apprentice: "We had gone pretty much as far as we could with that character. There’s an opportunity with that character to bring in a number of people. We’re not replacing him with a single character. We’re going have a bunch of people coming in and out and that gives us a bunch of opportunities in the lab for humor and stories."
They had gone as far as they could with Zack?

Are you kidding me?

Oh, Hart. I was willing to overlook some things, but if you think that's as far as you could have gone with Zack the character, I'm frustrated and disappointed in you. Come on. Perhaps you weren't interested in going further with the character, but there were definite, interesting possibilities to be found in developing Zack.

I hope Eric goes on to find a niche singing in Broadway shows or wherever his heart leads him next. He will be greatly missed.
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sofilps
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by sofilps »

KimberHodgela wrote: I wondered if I hadn't been paying attention when this was decided, since I figured it was still a weekly contest between the two of them.
Yeah, same here!

Sinkwriter72 wrote:
They had gone as far as they could with Zack?

Are you kidding me?
yup, that's definitely not true I mean, I remember not so long ago at the Paley Center panel they were talking about S4 and how Zack was going to let us all know what happened to him in Iraq and all that, they even told us that it was the same reason why Eric's brother came back. So they already had plans for him. It's not fair. It's not nice. I know that due to the strike they had to make things happen more quickly but I'm going to say again that they should have made 1 more episode at least. Now we'll never know what happened to him while in Iraq. Or maybe if he comes as a guest in some episode they manage to put it in a scene, because that really bugs me.
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Sinkwriter72
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

If Hart Hanson thought that was as far as he could take Zack as a character, he needed to take a stronger look. There was a ton of emotional mining to be done. Just look at what he accomplished with that one scene where Brennan refuted Zack's argument and made him see it another way. Pointing out that he put himself in danger because he cared about Hodgins. Zack actually cried, and it was moving to me as a viewer.

Imagine if -- without the killing -- we could have seen Zack affected by a lesson in that way. Imagine where his character could have gone next, through his emotional development.

What a waste of a good character. For what? For bringing in 'fresh blood' to add more laughs or new types of stories? What about working with the well-established team you already have? There was more that could have been done.

If Hart does this with the rest of the Squints, choosing shock value and ratings stunts over solid, subtle, logical and moving character development, if he doesn't bother to look deeper at these wonderful characters and give these talented actors something rich to explore, I will be furious. And hugely disappointed on TJ's behalf. He is so freaking talented. Like late_heart said on the previous page, he elevates every scene. He does so much with everything and anything he's given. He deserves more than what they gave him to play with as an actor this season, and so did Eric.

I'll come back to see what they choose to do next with Season 4 because I'm curious and because I'm a loyal viewer. But I truly wish they would have taken more time (or had more time) to think harder about this particular plot choice. To borrow from Zack's own phraseology, I do not accept that argument about his character.
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KimberHodgela
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by KimberHodgela »

Sinkwriter72 wrote:They had gone as far as they could with Zack?

Are you kidding me?

Oh, Hart. I was willing to overlook some things, but if you think that's as far as you could have gone with Zack the character, I'm frustrated and disappointed in you. Come on. Perhaps you weren't interested in going further with the character, but there were definite, interesting possibilities to be found in developing Zack.

I hope Eric goes on to find a niche singing in Broadway shows or wherever his heart leads him next. He will be greatly missed.
Is that for real? How awful. I feel horribly for Eric, as he is an extremely talented actor, and I felt that Zack had grown as a character since S1 (when he was barely able to speak to Booth, or speak again Brennan). That's "as far" as he could go, though? Give me a break. I know there's blame pointed at the writer's strike for not finishing up the Iraq storyline with Zack, but wasn't that somewhere "to go"? Explain to us why he was sent back, maybe bring in some of his family members, or give him a steady love interest?? I'm deeply saddened to hear Hart say this about such a potentially amazing character :(

That being said, I agree with you. Maybe Eric can find better respect on Broadway, or in theatre ... where his talents won't be wasted. He obviously has a fabulous voice, and we know the boy can act, she just needs to find a place where he's given the respect he deserves.
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ThyneAlone
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Re: Bones 3.14 The Pain in the Heart

Post by ThyneAlone »

Hi Kimber! I see you are posting simultaneously with me and with the same sentiments. I have just read all the thoughtful and honest responses from members here, plus I have managed to catch the ep on the ever-reliable sidereel.com. I am speechless with anger. A choice has been made to send a cast member so far out of character that if the lab were the centre of the solar system he'd be mournfully orbiting Pluto, alone out in the cold and well out of reach of common sense and logic. I'm afraid I had feared all of this and was only waiting in trepidation to see how they could ever make it convincing. And they haven't, of course. After turning Jack and Angela into cardboard cutouts last season to serve witless plot turns, and transforming Brennan and Booth into a kind of Punch and Judy show with no relationship colour or delicacy so that they have to bring in a pointless puppet character to tell us what is going on with them - now this insult to viewer intelligence?

Come on guys, it's Zach. You made him grow away from robot Zach, that's why we don't believe you this time. I've now little doubt that the Hodgins/Angela connection is going to be treated with a similar cavalier attitude and we'll be lucky to see any development at all there until some idiot comes along and decides it might be interesting and viewer-grabbing to make them into Bonnie and Clyde for no particular reason. I'm disgusted. In spite of the excellent efforts of TJ (I, like the Zap2it reviewer, who commended him for the best acting in the ep, thought he was superlative throughout) and the others to make us feel with this, I couldn't share most of it. Though I was moved by everyone's devastation at the end. Btw how has Caroline managed to persuade Zach not to tell everyone he is perfectly sound in mind? That's not something she should have been able to do so easily.

There were plot holes and character holes, so I don't know where to begin with how it doesn't hang together, but I'm with you on the funeral and the whole ridiculous sideshow to make us think Booth had died. Where was the family (maybe that much-vaunted 'brother' could have put in an appearance)? Was Rebecca on the list of people to be told? Why would Sweets withhold information just as an experiment? He isn't heartless and he's not a five-year-old. And he was particularly annoying in this episode with all that talking. It was like someone following the actors around giving a running commentary on all the action. Re the bathtub scene, what's the point of going completely OOC for a few moments of supposedly salacious humour? And who was the Gormagon guy? Just some kind of nobody? Surely it would have been better if it had been someone we'd already met (I reckon that Bancroft guy who runs the place would have been an excellent bet) - even if that did mean that Zach would know his name and deprive us of his unlikely zeroing in on a house he'd only visited blindfold?

Stop it already. Either go back to the exquisite colour, light, shade and translucent quality of S1, with properly studied characters (I can't believe Hart said we had finished exploring Zach!!!) and realistic, intelligent dialogue, or leave the whole thing alone and turn it into a springboard for the cast, who deserve better and might well get 'better' elsewhere. I regret to say that I probably would give up watching at this point if it weren't for TJ. I'll stay on long enough to see if things turn round in August, but I have nagging doubts.

Thanks all for summing everything up superbly. I share all of your concerns, individual and joint!
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"We make our lives out of chaos and hope. And love." - Angela Montenegro