Topic: Bones

[Najemikon]

You know, I do like Bones. I've always maintained the pilot was very poor, but once it got going, I liked it. It's very basic, but at its best, it packs a punch.

I even stuck with it through the weird half-season 3. Started watching season 4 the other night.

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Oh my goodness me. This had better pick up. The first two episodes aren't poor, they are offensively bad! The whole Angela/Hodgens thing was so shittily handled anyway, but they had to go and set it in the UK and try their best to insult everyone. It's that point that is making me post this as I need to set a couple of records straight.  Disclaimer: It's only a bit of fun though! 

Point number 1: Murders occasionally happen here and when they do, Scotland Yard are more than capable of having a crack at solving the crimes themselves. Our coppers are not desperately wishing for a couple of foreigners to appear out of nowhere to help. They do it twice in these episodes. And if they did...

Point number 2: ...no way could they help if they wanted to! Not without a lot of paperwork. And an FBI agent allowed to just question people? And carry his gun? Er... no.

Point number 3: Ok, moving on, let's abandon logic and say that our Detectives were happy for Bones to take a gander at the corpse. But ship it to the fricking Jeffersonian!!?? What? Shut up. Contrary to what the episode writers clearly think, the UK has world class forensic facilities and are staffed by very capable scientists. They might even be the best in the world, considering some of the advances made here (DNA profiling, for instance). The idea that Bones could just click her fingers and choose to send everything across the pond without any kind of argument is beyond absurd.

Point number 4: So let's say Bones could send stuff. Erm... time difference anyone? Referred to in the episodes at all? No, not so far as I could tell. I take it all back. Clearly we should be glad of Bones' involvement because she has control over her own dimension where the usual 9 hour lag is not noticeable.

Point number 5: Something new now. As a nation, we like the Mini very much. Wonderful car. Sadly the classic Mini is not very common now, having been taken over by it's new, ironically larger, modern version. To suggest that the car rental place only had a beat up old Mini to rent to Booth is laughable for all the wrong reasons! And a flat tyre because he kerbed it? Really? Good grief. Why not have everyone else driving Cortina's. 

Point number 6: Finally, the UK as a whole is well aware that it is the 21st century. We do have Lords and people do get knighted, but they aren't generally as common as depicted here. Or as inbred. Or as criminal.

It wouldn't be so bad if the episodes were in any way smartly written, but this was just awful TV. I'll pretend episodes 1 and 2 don't exist if it improves, but so far it looks like it couldn't recover from the screwed up season 3.

[samuelrichardscott]

Season 4 is in my to watch list and from the sounds of it, might be there for a short while. I tried watching CSI with one of my brothers once who is a forensic scientist for the met (he just started after finishing his Uni PhD). Impossible is not the word.

I always hate it when cultures are portrayed stupidly on TV. It's like saying all Germans are unfunny (bbbbb on Invelos has a hilarious searing wit... seriously he is the funniest poster there), all Americans are fat and ignorant, Australians are genetically modified for barwork, Italians are all muscles and tanned and the French are a bunch of annoying wimps. OK, the French one is maybe true.*




*I mean the France French, not the Jimmy French.

[Jimmy]

I'm a country alone

[Dragonfire]

It eventually gets better.  I had major issues with season 4.  What they did with Angela and Hodgins almost made me stop watching the show completely it ticked me off that much.  Season 4 is probably my least favorite because of all that crap.  And the 100th episode.  Yes there was something good in there, but then they go and crap all over like 30 seconds later.  Or maybe that was season 5.  I can't remember now.  I have major issues with the 4th season...major. 


There were good episodes in there, but there was too much other ...hmm...baggage I suppose you could call it for it to be a really good season.  I have it on DVD..I've had it for over a year now, but I just haven't watched it yet.  Because I really don't want to see the dumbass breakup again. That was just stupid and pointless.  They really screwed Angela up for a while. 

I had issues with season 5 too, but not as many for the most part.  Except for the 100th episode - if that is in season 5..which the more I think about it, the more I think it is.  I still haven't watched the last episode from season 4 or 5...I'm thinking it is 5.  One thing does get fixed in season 5 which makes me very happy, though there wasn't a lot of set up for the resolution.  Things really got better, at least for me, in season 6.  Yes there was still some crap to get through

(click to show/hide)

Booth coming back with a new girlfriend that he is crazy about..and that everyone thinks is just wonderful as soon as  they meet her.  She was just too good to be true, and it felt like the writers were forcing her on the audience.  Thankfully that didn't last.

  I was very happy overall by the end of the season.  I've been liking the new season a lot overall.  I think there is a lot of good stuff there.  Bones still makes some stupid assumptions or decisions at times, especially considering what is going on, but it is a lot better.

So I do think the show gets better..you just may have to give it some time and perhaps suffer through some episodes you don't care for.  I do think certain things were dragged on entirely too long.

[Achim]

Thanks for the amusing read. It is incredibly stupid if a premise of the show is just wrong like that, but then you say it's fun to watch? So basically it's just like CSI (original, not Horace)

[I have not seen a single frame of Bones myself.]

[hal9g]

Come one, now.  Everyone knows you have to suspend belief while you're watching these shows.  I could go on for hours about the technology used that is simply ludicrous.  And Jon just wants to complain about how the U.K. is portrayed?   Hate to say it old man, but that seems a bit over-sensitive.

I have mostly enjoy enjoyed every episode of this series...but really, Angela having ZZ Top for a dad, and Bones having a FBI most-wanted for a dad....talk about implausible....like I said, I could go on for hours.  But why bother.  Just sit back, let go, and enjoy!  It's entertainment!  That's all!

[Najemikon]

There's suspending disbelief and then there's losing all semblance of logic. Normally I enjoy the show and it is generally absurd. That's part of why I watch it at all. My main issue with these two episodes actually wasn't the UK stuff, it was that they were simply so very badly made. Lazy, cheap TV that should be on daytime in Australia. Marie suggests it gets better though. Well, it couldn't be worse!

Honestly I'm not even taking the depiction of the UK that seriously. It is a fun show, it just annoyed me that they wouldn't make the effort. They could have had a great story and if the dialogue had actually even tried to give the Brit characters any sort of respect, you know, like arguing with Bones, then I wouldn't be bothered at all.

[samuelrichardscott]

Just watched this double header episode and agree with you 100%. It went far beyond suspending belief and just became a bit insulting due to its poor structure and unbelievably lame storyline. I loved seasons 1-3 and about to watch the next S4 episodes. It can't get any worse than the opener. If it is, no more Bones for me.

[DJ Doena]

Even though in the beginning I missed Zach Addy I like the later formula with the changing assistants because they freshen the shop up with their individual quirks.

I've written a blog entry about the usage of technology in TV shows once but what the big bad of season 7 is doing is even beyond ludicrous. But I like the supsense he brought to the mid-season cliffhanger.

(season 7 is shortened and late due to Emily's real-world pregnancy)

[samuelrichardscott]

That was a good read, thanks. Thankfully, episode 2 was much better, 3 was a bit mediocre. Hated the overuse of that dog whisperer guy, but aside from that, it was ok. Disc 1 of S4 was not a great start overall IMO.

[samuelrichardscott]

Just finished up season 4. Was a drop in quality in previous seasons but after the first couple of disappointing episodes it did pick up and there are some absolute crackers. I loved the episode based around Black Metal, the Japanese police friend of Booth episode, and the one with the body of a frat boy in a mascot. The season finale though was bloody awful.

Season 1 - 4.5/5
Season 2 - 5/5
Season 3 - 5/5
Season 4 - 4/5 (22 decent episodes, 4 very poor)

[goodguy]

Funny. I liked the S4 opener and loved the finale, even if it was one of those "special" episodes. Might be because I generally consider Bones only a slightly-above-average show. So every time they do something a little more different, I perk up.

[Dragonfire]

I can't remember now if I liked the last episode in season 4 or not.  I know I got irritated with several things in season 4.

I liked the newest season overall, but I'm not that happy with how the last episode ended.  That big stinking mess better be fixed really quick in the new season or I'll get really ticked.