Drippan's Theme Analysis

As some of you know from the Boneyard, I do an analysis of each episode breaking it down to the theme of each.

I checked with Bug who stated 'though she may disagree with them', she really enjoys reading them.

Also, it gives the viewers a new perspective on how to view the episodes. I don't point out everything in the show that points to the theme but the more pertinent parts.

I'm going to transfer them from the BY to this area just for S5.

Drippy

The long hot summer is over (well, it rained here alot)! Season 5 kicked off and I was debating about doing an analyzes of each episode or just let each one slide. After the premiere, I decided to keep it up this year.

I will try to keep my opinions out of each analyzes but as in all writing, some may slip over but I try not too.

"Harbringers in the Fountain" had a definate overall theme. You can see it on so many levels including the crime. It also fits into what HH is trying to do for the fans. The theme of this episode is "Believes". Believes is most commonly used as 'takes as true' but there are other types.

Crime: The Harbringers were believers. They thought what the conman said was true. It wasn't so much a belief system built off faith like Branch Divinian or Jim Jones but people who were allergic to the world who wanted to get away.

Even the main criminal believed he got away with murder and he probably did. It was all the other charges that got him.

Booth: Believes is 'confidence'.

I could go on for days about his belief system right now but I'm going to keep it short. He's so screwed up about his feelings about himself that he doesn't know which way is up. He knows this and has to figure himself out long before he can figure any outside feelings he has with Brennan.

He's thinking "How can I believe my love for Brennan when I can't even trust who I am?"

Brennan: Believes is also 'think or judge' and she is a master at this.

At first we see her thinking 'Booth is back to is old self' and 'Psychics are crazy'. As the episode went on, her thinking told her 'Booth is not back' and 'The psychic is getting to many things right'.

Her thinking has got her twisted up at the end of the episode and her 'go-to guy' is screwed up. They have Brennan pretty much isolated about her feelings/thoughts.

Avalon Harmonia: She has confidence in her abilities. This isn't faith but her knowing and living with her psychic abilities for so long that she is 100% positive in her predictions.

Angela: She has faith in Avalon's predictions. She believes everything Avalon predicts but really has no solid proof as to Avalon being a fraud or not.

Sweets: Believes can also be used to give credit to truths.

He told the truth to Booth about the different PET scans but also told the truth about Avalon's predictions. Him telling about finding his father's watch is giving truth to what Avalon says.

Cam: She has faith in Booth and that he'll do the right thing.

Summary: At the end Cam, Angela, Avalon and Sweets are all set up in their beliefs. Booth and Brennan are torn with their beliefs. The way the ending was is almost like the ending of S3 premiere where they commited that "The Center Must Hold" no matter what happens. For now the only way that can happen is settling for the 2nd best thing which is the close bond they have had.

Pros: Lots of fluff for the fluff monsters.

I loved seeing Brennan on the dig site!

Cyndi Lauper!!!!

Cons: Forced the viewers to believe in psychic and psychic connections. By the end of the episode Angela, Sweets, Booth and Brennan all believed her.

The clown scene......arghhhhh.

The portrayal of Sweets and psychologists. I don't know what HH has against psychology but this show displays it in a bad light most of the time. Even Gordon Gordon misused it for FBI purposes and Sweets only tells half truths to manipulate people to his way of thinking.

Overall it was a good season premiere. Probably the best one the show has ever done, IMO. It set up alot for future episodes but it did leave them boxed in because of the whole Booth confusion/amnesia bit. They have to get that squared away first.

I give this episode a 9.2. I was going to knock it down .2 points because of shoving the psychic stuff down our throats but raised it .2 for the fluff in the episode.

Drip

Hello once again to my analyzes of the episode!

'Bond in the Boot' goes back to what I wrote up in 'S5 Overview' and what to expect. It also added another insight into the main characters' views.

The main theme of the show was about 'Honesty'. Honesty is about truth and trust. It is about the good we see in each other. The secondary theme tackles the age old question of "Money versus Happiness". As can be seen in the episode, it works both ways and it's according on the individual's value system or the circumstances.

Crime: Whenever dealing with the CIA/State Department/NSA, there are secrets. Who to trust and who not to trust play a vital role everyday.

It was shown throughout this episode what happens when information leaks or is kept hidden to well. Wendell finding about losing his scholorship, the girlfriend planting a bug on her boyfriend and the CIA director guarding the secret are all prime examples. The Anonymous Donation to Wendall's scholarship is another secret well played out by having 3 times the scholarship's money.

The 'Money vs. Happiness' is easy to see when you think what can be on that USB drive compared to the diamonds. What is the cost of a human life compared to money?

Booth & Brennan: This retouched on their trust for each other. The trust they have stems not only what they share but also what they don't share. They both know there is a 'big elephant' in the room but keeping it a secret for now is the best thing. Even though the big elephant is there does not mean they can't share other aspects/views of their lives such as their successes and their let downs. Just knowing the other person knows is enough trust for now.

The Squint Squad: I am grouping everyone together for this one because it all centered around Wendell and his scholarship.

Everyone of them tried to hide the fact that Wendell lost his scholarship so he wouldn't be disappointed. Like I've always said the good guys fail because they don't communicate. In this case the good guys tried to prolong making Wendell miserable vice telling him the truth.

Money versus Happiness: I loved the way they handled this topic.

Sometimes money won as in riding first class. Sometimes happiness won as in a hug or solving a case. Somtimes both sides win as can be seen in Wendell's scholarship donation at the end. And sometimes it's not about either as seen by the dead CIA agent.

Pros: The correct use of Sweets! At the end of S4 and so far S5, I've been happy with his character not being everywhere except where it makes sense.

I like the 'big elephant' in the room that is sitting between B&B both knowing it exists.

Booth being tough and smart and witty......finally!

Cons: I now look at my cats in a whole new light and it's not a good light!

Overall: This was an okay episode for me. It neither thrilled me or took away from the series. It's also not a 'must see' episode in that it does not effect the overall relationship/storyline of anyone.

I give this episode a 9.3 in that it had everything in it. It had action, adventure, tough Booth, akward Brennan and even the kitchen sink! I did knock it down some for overuse of the 'Bond' cliches throughout the episode.

Note: When I do these analyzes I always try to rule out the 'fluffiness' of an episode and get to the underlying messages and what was actually done. The fluffiness is the producer/writers way of keeping the viewers coming back for more. That's why you don't see me mention the fluffy parts of the episode in these analyzes unless it it pertinent.

Drippy

Finally get a chance to write an analyzes of this episode. It was a very intense episode with everything that was going on.

This episode, like so many, had a spin on the title "Plain in the Prodigy" (PitP). But, and it took me over a day and much pondering, how many spins on this title there were. When it finally hit me, everything fell into place and fit beautifully on a whole new level.

This episode was easy to see it was about "Choices". Sometimes these are easy and sometimes very complicated. The word Plain in the title means 'normal, nothing extrordinary' and the word Prodigy is used to mean 'gift, something special'.

This analyzes is going to break each character down as the title, Plain in the Prodigy, applies to them. It will also exam some couples as it pertains to them.

Crime: Levi was and is the original 'PitP'. His gift to the world of a pianist was extrordianary. Instead, he decided he wanted a plain life.

The necklace that was stolen is an excellent example also. Levi cherished the necklace even though he knew it was plain. The thief thinking it something extrodinary killed for it but it turned out to be plain.

Even the investigation can be seen in PitP. The Squint Squad spent hours and hours using their gifts to investigate this case and it turns out to be a simple act of robbery gone wrong.

I must say that this case was one of the saddest I've seen in a long time on TV.

Booth: His plain can be seen right from the get go. He told Brennan that when he was growing up he wanted to be a hobo. This is a very simple life.

Instead, he used his gifts first as a sniper then an FBI agent then a father and now a partner.

You can see he still wants the simple life when he is telling Brennan what a beautiful day it is and enjoy it for a moment. The problem is that his job (gift) kept interferring in that he kept make conjectures.

Brennan: Her gift (prodigy) is her intelligence. Her special talent can be compared to Levi's piano playing in that it is way above remarkable.

Brennan doesn't have a plain. Even her losing her virginity was not simple because she said she 'gave it alot of thought'. I can see her doing massive amounts of research on the topic before finally making up her mind. This is sad.

The problem with such a remarkable gift (and Levi saw this) is that the simple stuff in life are missed.

Booth & Brennan: Their gift together is solving crimes and are excellent at it. Though they both would be good on their own, they know that their partnership in this area has brought a very much higher success rate.

The plain in their relationship is the bickering, the beers/food after work or fixing the kitchen sink.

The end scene of them seperated on the porch is them looking at the choices they made or have to make. Each one was pondering the gifts they had both together and as individuals over what could be a simple existence. "Could I/we give up the crime fighting life to live a simple life?" "If I/we gave up that gift, how much worse will the world be?" "If I/we had the simple life, how much easier would it be to have a relationship with each other?"

These are the only two at the end of the episode who were left with unanswered questions or choices.

Cam/Michelle: They talked about Michelle losing her virginity. I hate referring to this as a gift but like referring to it as something special.

I loved the way they talked about sex throughout the episode. They gave us abstinence and reasons for having sex (love/science). I'm glad they didn't have someone say they lost thier virginity because it was the 'in thing' to do. It would have sounded to preachery. Sort of like preachers saying 'you're going to hell if you don't behave' (Cam tried this approach). It gave positive reasons to have sex and not negative.

Sex is a very simple act to perform but must be treated as something special is the message that was sent out from this episode.

Clark Edison: He was the egnima to me in the episode until I read the title again and saw how the title fit not just on a two deminsional plain but on so many plains.

His gift is also his plain. He is a very gifted anthropologist. His simple life is to stay in the lab and do research there using his gift.

When both his gift and simple life was threaten, he took it as a personal insult and reverted back to his childhood by throwing a temper tantrim. For anyone who has never experienced one of these, the child uses any means necessary to get his/her way be it hitting or saying inappropriate things.

Jack and Sweets: I love the use of the rocks in this episode. Another great example of 'Plain in the Prodigy'.

Brennan and Jack thought that the rocks had extrordinary properties and spent hours researching to find out they were plain old rocks.

Sweets saw ordinary rocks and pieced them together to come up with something special.

Beautifully done!

Choices: I usually include the theme as I describe each person but decide that it was more important that we see how the title fits in first.

As can be seen throughout this episode there are different ways Choices are handled. Sometimes we don't get a choice such as in the case of Clark. Sometimes the choices are easy such as the talk between Booth/Michelle's boyfriend (touch her and die is a pretty easy choice). Sometimes they are complicated such as Michelle having sex. And sometimes it is best to think over your choices before making a decision such in the case of B&B.

Pros: Too many to name but I want to touch on the 'Special Ones'.

B&B talk about losing one's virginity. It spoke volume on so many levels.

Karine Rosanthal wrote a beautiful script. I love complex episodes like this.

Cons: Even though Clark was throwing a temper tatrim, I thought it was disrespectful and OOC for his character. I personally don't like people who use their color or gender to get out of work.

Overall: I really liked the episode on alot of levels for the complexity of it. That being said, I also think it took away from the episode as well. Alot of people just want simple, easy to understand episode and miss alot of good stuff. They want the 'simple life'.

I am rating this episode a 9.0. I would rate it a little higher but that would be out of my own personal opinion. For the same reason I would rate it higher is also the same reason I dropped it in points. Though beautifully written, it went way beyond the simple understanding people want/need in a TV show.

Drippy

P.S. This was the most intense analyzes I've ever done on an episode

*Nigel-Murray accent* Hello, hello, hello.

This is my analysis of 'Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'. Unlike last weeks complex episode, this episode seemed to be disorganized on how things fit in.

'Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood' revolved around the theme of the 'Family Role'. In the past it was vital for survival to maintain a strong family. This is no longer necessary because people no longer need family to survive economically. They showed both the anthropological and psychological impact family has on modern times but also how we still cling to survivability of the family unit.

Crime: The suburbs is an excellent example of both modern and survival instinct.

The survival instinct is the reason people move to the suburbs. The crime rate in these types of neighborhoods is very low. Though each individual family can survive on it's own, the neighbors depend on each other for safety. This can be seen by the "Neighborhood Watch" signs.

Modern times shows us that living in a community requires it own set of rules. Keeping your lawn and house cared for, only running a certain amount of phone lines or having a neighborhood Bar-b-que are not required for survivability of the neighborhood but are set up for the tranquility of the family unit.

Aristoo and the Lab: The lab has been shown as a family unit for a long time. It is for survival but can be seen as the modern day family unit.

The basic goal of the forensic lab is solving mysteries of the dead, be old or current. It takes each one of the team to accomplish this. Without each other, the lab would not exist thus not survive.

It becomes modern day when you see examples such as Angela readily accepting her role as babysitter for Parker. Aristoo faking his accent made it easier for him to fit into the team. Even Cam/Booth seeking out Sweets' advice is all part of today's societies. These are all niceties but not required for the survival of the lab.

Parker/Booth/Brennan: This is breaking the family unit all the way down to the basics. This is the "Nuclear Family" that we see today. With high divorce rates and the amount of seperation that today's society brings about, the basic unit had to change.

It is important to teach our children certain things for the survival of the species such as sex.

Pros: It's nice to see Parker and Brennan interact.

Cons: The whole 'it takes a village' was barely touched upon. In today's societies we send our kids to school, daycare and they spend alot of time with other families that impact them. It would have been nice to have a commercial about the whole "It takes a village" like they had one on 'Animal Cruelty' during 'Fingers in the Nest' to explain it better.

The sex toys were uncalled. There was plenty of sex through out the episode with the infidelity going on. They could have used any other business but decided on sex toys for laughs. With Parker on the episode, alot of younger kids probably watched and really didn't need to see these things. HH should have taken his own advice about 'it takes a village' and changed this part.

The windmill was the motive was stupid. Bringing Sweets out to find the motive was bad because not only was the victim killed there but it was an eyesore to the whole nieghborhood! When Cam said her nieghbor had his garage burnt down for cutting his grass diagnally, all they had to do is look around for the misplaced item! It was like playing "Where's Waldo?" when Waldo is the only picture on the page.

Overall: It wasn't a bad episode but neither was it a great episode. It felt contrived so they could have Parker on an episode and to show Brennan/Booth/Parker become a family type unit. This made the whole episode seem disorganized and unintelligent. I felt like it was made more for the 'fluffy bunny' fan and not for the general audience.

I rate this episode 9.0. It would have rated it lower but with Parker on the episode it got that mark.

Drippy

First things first! I need everyone to take a "DEEP BREATH AND CALM DOWN".

Secondly, this is a sneaky message from Hart Hanson to the fans. I'll cover this in the analysis and why he did what he did in this episode.

The third thing is to inform you that tonight's theme is something that I deal with everyday. I am a Constant Pain Sufferer from a condition Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). There are ways for me to control the pain level such as medication, physical therapy and meditation. One of the things I learned early on was that getting overexcited increased my pain level. I had to teach myself to mentally enjoy the moment while keeping the physical part under control. It's a double edged sword.

"The Night at the Bones Museum" theme was very easy for me to see. It shows the effect of "Over Excitement". Over excitement is being so excited that you look or act stupid (sorry, but no nicer way to say it). For me personally, the definition is being so excited that it causes physical pain. This analysis will show the cause and effect that Over Excitement had on the characters.

Hart Hanson and the Deputy Director: HH is a genius for using the DD as a pre-game to 'NatBM'!! As seen the second the spoilers were out that Brennan was going on a date, the fans of the show got way to over excited. The first reaction was "I'm not watching the show any more" which is pretty stupid. Once people started calming down is when they started writing some really good postings.

Even though I did not like the writing/storyline of the DD and Brennan, I must salute HH for emotionally getting the fans involved!!

Brennan: Who didn't see the over excitement that took place throughout this episode? I'm going to write up each reaction and effect seperately. I'll be using different parts of her name for each one.

Tempe has big time 'mummy issues'. Her over excitement makes her act childlike as she remembers what made her become an anthropologist. This behavior made her look and act stupid to her collegues. Once she calmed down, she started piecing the puzzle together but kept getting excited anytime a new piece of information was available. It got so bad that she lost track that there was a murderer still alive and running free.

Temperance has self esteem issues. Her parents' love was thrown away the second they left her as a teenage girl. She doesn't understand the word 'special' when it is applied to her by Booth because of this. She gets over excited when a "good looking and charming man who can have any woman he wants" shows an interest in her. Since she never learned to deal with these emotions from her mother at a vital time in a young woman's life, she converts back to that time period. She acts like a teenage girl whose only focus is on the boy and loses track of what is really important.

Dr. Brennan has confidence issues. She has been told on numerous occasions that she is a cold fish. She does not like being viewed like this thus her reactions whenever speaking to an audience. She compartmentalizes these emotions and buries them inside herself. This is a survival technique she learned in high school/college years. Though calm on the outside, on the inside she is emotional over excited.

As can be seen in the three examples, there are ways to deal with over excitement. 1. Become sensible. 2. Learn from your mistakes. 3. Get help from a friend.

Booth: Another effect of over excitement is that it is contagious. In Booth's case he demonstrate the negative effect. When Brennan and the Egyptian got overly excited about finding an important discovery, he over reacts to the opposite of their feelings saying there is a murderer that is still alive and free. Of course Brennan calms him down by telling him she has confidence in him.

Booth was the rational one in this episode. He kept his eye on the ball and calmly tackled each situation calmly as it was presented to him. He learned these techniques first as a child of an abusive alcoholic then as an Army sniper.

Daisy: Do I even need to state why she is the perfect intern for this episode? She suffers from 'Over Excitement Syndrome' (OES).

She is another demonstration how over excitement is contagious. Though trying to remain calm, it was Brennan's reactions that created the reaction out of Daisy. This created a 'feeding frenzy' so bad that instead of focusing on finding the truth, they both saw the picture of them together on front of an anthropology journal.

She also showed us techniques on controlling over excitement. Breathing technique is very important when taught how to do it correctly. If you noticed, she used this technique when talking to different people. It was only when Brennan was over excited did she lose control.

Sweets: He demonstrates the effect over excitement has on a relationship. He wants Daisy to be happy but also knows the effects of OES. He is torn between her boyfriend and her shrink. The shrink wanted her to make her be sensible. The boyfriend didn't want her to make mistakes. He learned to be more sensible as a boyfriend and to let her make mistakes as her shrink.

This also brings up the oxymoron of people in the mental therapy professions having a higher divorce rate than other professions. How can therapists who help couples have such a high divorce rate?

The Crime: This is the crime that dated back 3000 years ago. The pharaoh, upon losing his eldest, over reacted and had his other son beheaded. This was common pratice because motive for crimes was way more advanced than the science.

I loved this story in that it still shows the consequences of over excitement throughout time. Though the world of science has advanced, the reaction of people have remained constant though. Booth stated this when he said 'Mother's back then are just like mother's today'.

The Egg and The Ruby: These two items represent the consequences of over excitement on a relationship. When losing control, things can be said or done that were not meant to be said or done. This can be seen by Brennan/Booth but also Daisy/Sweets. Just like the egg, either relationship could easily have been broken.

Once Daisy, Sweets and Brennan saw the reaction of being over excited had, they became calm. Just as the mother 3000 years ago demonstrated, remaining calm is the heart of what really matters. The ruby represents what can happen to a relationship when remaining calm.

I love the symbolism of first the egg is between Booth & Brennan then the ruby is between them in the end.

Pros: I loved the crime this week. I don't know why but it seems alot of people as kids really loved tales from ancient Egypt.

I loved the Sweets & Daisy storyline.

Brennan's reaction to the mummy was priceless.

Cons: Though I understand the storyline of dating the DD and how it pertains to the theme and the genius of HH's thinking, I felt it degraded the character of Brennan. Here is a socially akward genius who has spent 4 years with her partner. She states in 'BDitN' that she has learned to interact with people from Booth. Alot of the things done in this episode pertaining to her date with the DD reflected back to a Season 2 reaction from her vice what she has learned since then.

Deidrich Bader was the wrong actor to play the Deputy Director. This may be a reflection to the Drew Carey Show but, IMO, he was bad. This is the first time I have ever complained about an actor playing a role on Bones.

The near kiss at the end seemed contrived. I'm glad it didn't happen but feel sad that HH threw it in as a 'shiny bauble' (thanx Bloo98). This episode's theme was about 'Over Excitement' and remaining calm. When the kiss does take place, I hope it will be in an episode about 'Soulmates', 'Passion' or 'Love'.

Overall: I really liked this episode for the most part. I could rewatch it for the theme alone, the case and Daisy/Sweets. Though the B&B scenes were cute, I could easily skip over the whole B&B/DD storyline due to bad inconsistant writing.

I rate this episode a 9.4. I upped it a little once I saw it a 2nd time.


Drippy

ARGUABLY the worst episodes of the season and ARGUABLY the best episode of the season. Boy, there are alot of DEBATEABLE topics on this episode. Which brings me to the analyzes of this episode......

'Tough Man in the Tender Chicken' was all about 'DISAGREEMENTS'.

Woodchucks: The show started with the debate over the experience of the Woodchucks and proper procedures for processing a crime scene. I have to go with Brennan on this one as they could tie up a court case if the Woodchucks have to testify.

Crime: The motive was a disagreement between the vice owner of the chicken farm and the security guard about the gas money. The victim wanted proof and the security guard thought he had enough proof.

Also the town people and animal rights activists both wanted the plant shut down but for two different reasons. With combined forces, they operated together to accomplish the mission. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend".

Brennan/Angela: The disagreement about the pig was one of heart and one of logic.

Handling Disagreements: This episode showed us how to handle disagreements. You can go to the extreme by setting up picket lines to just not getting involved like Booth did.

Pros: I loved the B&B in the diner scene. I loved how it showed how you can be there for a friend without necessarily getting involved with their problems.

Sweets finally keeping his mouth shut.

Cons: Booth's being wrong in the interrogation room was very, very weak. He's done great through the rest of the episodes since the operation and now they have him down in the mouth because of one bad gut feeling? They act like his gut feelings has always been right but he has always changed it when the science has proved it wrong.

Indifference: Angela/Wendall does not bother me because it opens up to more episodes on this relationship.

The Chicken Farm debate does not bother me. I thought they had just as many people saying they loved meat as they had people who were against meat. Bones has always been pro-animals and I don't have a problem with them showing some of the extreme conditions some of the farms do to the animals.

Overall: This wasn't a good or bad episode but a weak one. I feel the "I trust you" at the end still revisits past moments from B&B. The fallout between Brennan and Angela was weak as well. Also, the directing of the camera was poor and I felt the acting was off as I saw DB/ED smiling as they had the corn syrup/feathers poured over them.

This episode rates a 9.1. I think Nikki was correct on saying the episode seemed disjointed.

Drippy

P.S. Probably my shortest analyzes of all times! Um, maybe I should change my ratings to lower.....

Sorry this is late but I've been a little sick. My brain is a little toasty still from being tired so I'll go with my heart on this analyzes.......which brings us to this week's episode.

'Dwarf in the Dirt' was all about "Love: Head or Heart". In the episode we saw 3 prime examples of handling their feelings of love.

Crime: As can be seen, the wife was in love with her dwarf brother-in-law. She was wrestling with the feelings going on in her heart and listened to her head. Even though we were never given a reason why she never married the dwarf, my guess is that she saw two totally different people who should not be together.

Chef Gordon Gordon Wyatt: This is a man who followed what is in his heart. He wanted to be a chef and has fought for it. He takes great offense when called anything short because he wants to be known as a chef. IMO, he takes it a little to personal when people degrades the title he wants.

Booth: He is at a crossroad with his feelings for Brennan. Not once has he said 'I'm in love with Bones' but doesn't deny it when others say it. That is a big difference. He is still torn between what is going on in his head (rational) and going on with his heart (irrational).

"Grow a set" means to make a decision, take action and take responsibilities for those actions. I still think Booth is in the decision stage of 'grow a set'.

Brennan: She does not follow her heart but in this episode she told Gordon Gordon that she would do anything for Booth. She'll have to do something from the heart similar to what she did in 'Verdict in the Story'.

Pros: I love when Gordon Gordon shows up. I think he is finally correcting what he said in 'Priest in the Courtyard' about why Brennan stayed instead of going with Sully. He has both Booth and Brennan finally pulling towards each other from different directions (heart-head).

Angela and Gordon Gordon scenes are spectacular!

Cons: I'm tired of the whole 'everyone knows they are in love'. It's being shoved down our throats a little too much.

Sweets once again was written contradicting himself from 'Harbringer' to this episode. I know people are trying to explain it but it is so complicated by the time you figure it out that it still doesn't make sense. I wish they would make him a good psychologist vice one who goes from one extreme to the other. I disagree with Gordon Gordon saying Sweets is a prodigy. IMO, this is Hart trying to get us to buy into his character.

Overall: It was a great episode for the B&B shippers in that we see both B&B's coming up with new concepts with dealing with each other. I did like the wrestling in the storyline as it shows what also goes on between our head and our heart everyday when dealing with emotions. You can go 100% with your head, 100% with your heart or have a combination of the two.

I give this episode a 9.3 because some of the writing was great and some of it was not. Even though I understand the whole Simpson contest, it inteferred with the scenes. I didn't even know about the contest until I read it here and thought it was way to odd for our show.

Drippy

I know you all probably lost respect for me for not writing an analysis of this episode sooner but it is a busy time of year.

Talking about 'RESPECT', this happened to be the theme for 'Foot in the Foreclosure'. This episode explores all types of respect.

Crime: The two victims in the case were killed because they disrespected the man's property by having a booty call.

The obese woman who had her friend use her insurance card showed self respect when she said she could not attend the fat people's club because it bothered her. BTW, her friend disrepected her by ripping off her insurance company then taking the trip to Hawaii.

The realestate lady was disrepectful to the whole crime taking place. This reflects back to Brennan's attitude in 'TEitB' where she wanted the nightclub to be opened immediately even though a crime had taken place.

Booth & Hank: The respect they showed each other was good. You could see where they really loved each other.

The problem is they are as bad as the 'Feeders and Eaters' at the club. It is unhealthy to feed obese people but there is no law against it. It is just as unhealthy to hold back feelings as Booth realizes it is not in his capabilities to take care of Hank just like Hank blames himself for Booth's father leaving.

Booth also questioning Hank over and over again about his health is concern on his part but Hank also took it as a sign of disrepect.

Brennan: She showed alot of respect to Booth's grandfather. Not only did she state how much she thought of and listened to him, she did not argue one bit when Hank called her on her feelings towards Booth.

Clark: Do I really need to say his role? Here is a man who never opens up but says he has alot of respect to Booth. Enough said.

Pros: Hats off to the writers for Booth's grandfather script. They really did a good job.

This was also another great episode for ED. Her acting was spot on once more!

Cons: Really tired of the wimpy Booth. Thinking his grandfather wouldn't love him cause it wasn't in his means to take care of him?

Overall: IMO, the only thing brought to light in this episode was Brennan did not balk when Hank called her on her feelings toward Booth. We have not seen this before because she always deflected the question.

The overall theme was good. Respect of others and, more importanly, of one self is very important in life. This episode also shows what happens with 'good guys' and showing respect. I've always stated that good guys lose out because they never state their true feelings because they don't want to hurt the other person. Bad guys don't care so they communicate alot better.

I give this episode a 9.4. Booth's grandfather was great and Brennan interaction with him was suburb! I knocked some off for wimpy Booth and, IMO, a filler episode that could have had alot more potential.

Drippy

'Gamer in the Grease' theme was about 'Competition'.

Crime: The murder was commited because the father knew that the victim had cheated off his son's talents. The problem is like Brennan said at the end 'the boy would not care' if he had that title or not. He just wanted to play his game.

Booth versus Brennan: Who couldn't see the arguement about sports they had throughout the episode? It was a competition to see who was correct about which is a sport and which is not.

Cam knew it was a competition from the get go as she said twice 'I'm in the middle of something.' This clearly states she wants to keep nuetral ground when it comes to B&B.

Sweets versus Fischer: This was a total competition as Sweets was trying to compete against Fischer with the number of women he slept with. Luckily Hodgins was there to show that competition isn't always the answer.

Avatar and the Geeks: This is total competition just like the olden days when people used to stand in line to get excellent concert tickets. Those people in line wanted the best seats which is definately a competition to see who will last the longest.

Competition: It is healthy to be competitive as this resolves alot of problems. As seen in the program though one can lose who they truley are such as in Sweets' case. It reminds me of the old saying 'Keep your eye on the ball'.

Pros: Finally Hodgins tattoo!

Cons: Avatar promo. Even though I understand the extra money the series got for plugging the movie, I thought it was really over done. I'm hoping we see a good pay out in the end for the money they got. Maybe we will with Zooey/Ryan being on the Xmas episode!!

Overall: It was an okay episode. The body, IMO, was the best part of the whole episode. I'm not saying the body I'm talking about is the victim or Hodgins being topless (I put this in for you ladies).

This episode rates a 9.0. That is a B grade in my book. I think with the promotions of the Avatar movie storyline really degraded what we become to expect of Bones.

Drippy

Man, I can't believe I've never done an analysis of this episode! The main reason is that I went along with everyone else with the 'Family' theme. This never fit right with me on a couple levels. It was when I really sat down and thought about it did I get to the 'True Truth' of the episode.

And that is the theme for 'Goop in the Girl'. The 'true truth' is when we take everything away and get to the core of something. I do this everytime I write up an anaylsis. I take away the fluff, the jealousy or anything else that may cloud my decision. I then take into account the crime (be it victim/suspect), what is going on with the main characters and what is going on with the interns to form the theme. I then add back in those elements to get an overall picture.

So, let's get to the 'True Truth' of this episode.

Christmas: Daisy was the representative of the 'true truth' of this holiday. It has been proven that Christ was born in the spring and the whole reindeer antler thing was plan cute but true.

The Crime: From the get go, we see Santa as the villian. As the episode goes on we get the 'true truth' who the victim is. Angela touched on the real truth when she said that they sometimes forget those are real people they are examining.

Ham Radio Operator: This was the guy who made me question the family theme. He had no family that we know of so he didn't fit in.

This angry man was going out on the air waves putting out truthful statements. The truth is it wasn't him who blew the guy up. But the 'true truth' is that if he hadn't been broadcasting, it wouldn't have happened.

Mageret (Zooey): This character lived her life through the truth of another person, Benjamin Franklin. Ole Ben gave us alot of truth so he's a pretty good person to follow.

When Brennan told her she wanted to hear what she has to say is telling Margeret she wants to know the real truth about her and not someone else's truth as told by her.

B&B undress scene: When Cam walks in on Brennan undressing Booth, we see the reaction of all 3 characters. If we were not privy to why Booth was getting naked with Brennan on her knees, we would jump to the same conclusion as these 3 did.

It was the 'true truth' of them collecting evidence and not some sex scene.

Cam & Michelle: At first Cam agrees to let Michelle go to Hawaii. The truth of this is she wants Michelle to be happy. Who doesn't want to see their kid happy?

The 'true truth' came out when Cam said no. Cam said 'deep down it is the correct decision'. This is getting to the core of the matter. That, of course, is that they love each other and that is why they should spend a terrible, rotten Christmas together.

The Toast: Once again we hear Brennan spilling forth the truth about Christmas. It was Booth who stood up and gave the 'true truth' of having everyone there.

Conclusion: As can be seen, there is a difference between the truth and the true truth of a subject. The truth serves a purpose to a point. It is the 'true truth' that is the heart of the matter. It is what makes us human vice being robotic or like other types of animals.

Pros: Zooey!! Love her and it is great to see the two sisters first acting parts together. I feel privelaged to witness this.

Blowing Santa up is a big plus in my book.

Cons: Zooey's character was 2 dimensional. I understand why now but wish they would have wrote it a different way. They can actually change the type of character she is into anything and not just a Ben Franklin wannabe.

Blowing up Santa!! HH/SN really have a mental disorder for doing this.

Overall: It was a good episode with a very interesting case. It had some great family and 'heart crushing' moments.

I give this episode a 9.5. The script was well written but wasn't really clear at times. What brings it up though is the heart part of the show.

Drippy

Hey Guys, Girls and other forms of life!

This was a fun episode and a nice tribute to XF fans. As all tribute episode (Beaver, Double Death), it did not fit well with all the fans. It falls flat like the sequel to a really great movie (not all sequels are bad).

There was a theme to 'X in the File' that related to everything in the show. I won't hide the theme from you because I'm not one to 'Cover Up' what it was truly about. Yes, this episode theme was about hiding the truth.

Crime: The opening scene was a huge cover up. The person who found the body was telling his wife that he was in Florida and not out looking for aliens. He even tried to hide the truth from Booth about him having an affair.

The deposal waste lady was also into major cover up. She offered the victim a bribe. She tried to cover up the illegal act she was doing.

The sheriff was onto cover ups. He told B&B straight up that they could not take the body back to DC because he has played this game before.

Booth & Brennan: They have their own cover up going on. "I won't tell anyone about the scream and you don't tell anyone about the gun" is a perfect cover up!

Angela & Wendell: They thought they were covering up their relationship (Angela more so than Wendell). When busted they decided to reveal to Hodgins about their relationship (isn't that the way cover ups always get busted?).

Angela & Hodgins: You talk about an emotional cover up on both their parts. They put on smiley faces and laugh throughout the day when on the inside they are torn up.

I've always said this in the past but 'good guys' suck at expressioning their true feelings because they don't want to hurt another person's feelings. Bad guys don't care thus tells the truth all the time!!

Pros: The MRI scene was great.

I thought the sheriff was an excellently written part.

Cons: Most of the B&B scenes were not up to par as in past episodes. Like alot of people mentioned they are like friends instead of people who are attracted to each other.

Angela's storyline is now getting boring and making her look slutty. I know HH still has not revealed what Angela will learn from her celebacy but he has created a big rift between Angela and the fans.

Overall: Not a bad episode but not a good one either. It was a nice tribute to XF fans but fell flat for other fans. I'm not much into tribute episodes because everything seems forced and/or out of place as they try to make stuff fit in.

As an episode in a series with the main focus being B&B, this episode seemed out of place. The closeness we've seen between the two characters were more like the end of Season 1 than how far they have come since then. I feel really let down by the ending scene as, IMO, that could have been played out a little bit more closer to the heart than what it was.

I give this episode a 9.0. I could easily skip over this episode like I did with the 'Skull in the Sculpture' episode. Also, the research department really blew it on the whole 'Roswell/Mexico' location.

Drippy

P.S. I think the 'X' could also relate to Hodgins relationship to Angela in the title.

Hey guys and girls!

Boy, what can I say about 'Proof in the Pudding' that hasn't already been said. Oh, I remember! I have to do the theme analysis of the episode.

"Proof in the Pudding" comes from around the 14th century with the whole saying being "The proof in the pudding is in the eating". In other words, in order to really test something you have to experience it. Also note that they are not talking about the pudding we think of today. Pudding back then was mostly wrapped up in skins like we see the modern sausages of today. It wasn't a dessert served during a meal but was the meal.

This episode was filled with "Experience".

Booth: This episode showed alot of his experiences. Not only did they bring up his sniper training but they used alot of his personal experiences that he has seen first hand. When challenged, he provided other with that experience. He gave insight into a snipers way of thinking.

Brennan: Her experiences also shined throughout the episode. Her search for the truth was unwavering with the limitations that were placed on her and the team.

Booth and Brennan: They depended alot on each other experiences throughout this episode. We see this right from the get go as Booth tries to explain to Brennan about the shapes in the pizza. Brennan became more open minded at Booth's experience in this area.

It was most noticeable when Booth told Brennan he would get her more time. Brennan knew that Booth would handle his end but she also knew she had to handle her end by getting the bone out of the room for testing.

B&B depend on each other's experiences alot. Booth was the scientist tonight though when he shot that rifle. Brennan was the heart in that she understands what Booth feels as a sniper.

Jack & Angela: Talk about 'Proof in the Pudding' is in the eating, this was once again Jack's night to shine. Angela sees the proof right in front of her of what type of guy he is.

Cam: She had alot of proofs in this episode as well. She went to each of the sources at the start to find out if it was Angela or Brennan who may have been pregnant. When all the proof was in, it led to Michelle which she was going to 'kill her' for it. Once faced with the truth, she regained her composure.

That being said, she also got her proof about how Brennan feels about Booth. Cam said at the start that Brennan follows the rules to a T. At the end Cam knew that Brennan would never do 'lie', 'balk' or 'guess' at finding unless it was for Booth. *Side note: This may come back to bite them on a future case*

Sweets: Testing. Testing. Testing.

He also tested the Secret Service/General Service Administration guys by placing a smidgen of doubt in their minds.

Hacker: This episode was a major political agenda. Two governement agencies going head to head and a death of a president is very political. Hacker's experience in this area signed through as he covered that end of the equation.

Case: Not much here to write. It was the perfect case though to bring everyone's experiences into full swing.

Pros: First and foremost, Booth was HAWT in this episode. We need more macho Booth like we saw in S1 & S2.

Emily once again was amazing! Her saying the 'jibber jabber' to the look on her face when she hurt Booth are both very priceless moments.

The writing was spot on on every single character.

A big plus for handling the JFK assasination in a very respectful manner!

Cons: The whole 'false positive' pregnancy test and then Cam using the same sample that was found in the trash to perform another test. They could have easily wrote it in that Angela gave her a blood/urine sample to make sure the test was accurate.

Overall: This was the best episode we have seen in a long, long time. The case was very interesting and character developement was superb! It also was not overly complicated episode like 'Prodigy' was and gave the viewers something very easy but complex to watch.

I give this episode a 9.8. It is a must see episode in the Jack/Angela and Booth/Brennan storyline as we see our characters develop.

Drippy

*Vincent Nigel-Murray voice* Hello, hello, hello!

I've read every single comment throughout this discussion thread and am very skeptical about everyone's thoughts are on the theme. We've had people say it was love. Some say it was acceptance. Here is the absolute theme of this episode when taken as a whole.

'The Dentist in the Dirt" theme was "Skepticism". The main thing that ties this whole episode is the seeds in the guys skull and taken literally from a Thomas Mann quote:


"We, when we sow the seeds of doubt deeper than the most up-to-date and modish free-thought has ever dreamed of doing, we well know what we are about. Only out of radical skeptics, out of moral chaos, can the Absolute spring, the anointed Terror of which the time has need."

I am going to break this saying up as it applies to the episode this week. The first part will be about skepticism and the second part of what we can learn from it.

Case: The 2 Civil War reenactors were very skeptical about the battle that was fought. BTW, this is a very true recreation of the Yankee/Rebel arguments that still goes on today.

Skeptical was also used about the gay dentist football player. Who would believe a gay man would play football?

The lady blaming the dentist for giving her hepititis is another example. Booth asked her straight out "Who would believe that story?"

The black gay football player was skeptical about what people would think of him.

Even the murderer couldn't believe that the dentist got so upset over a dozen bricks.

Booth: He was very skeptical of his brother. At first he was skeptical that Jared could find love within a month. Then he was skeptical about Padme being an escort.

He doubted his brother's thought process. Add into the fact about moral chaos as he ran Padme's name through the database.

Brennan: She was having major doubts about what Booth told her and about her relationship with her father. It got so bad that she got sick to her stomach. If Booth's theory was correct in the Jared/Padme relationship then it also holds true about her relationship with her father.

Though she has no tangible proof that love exists, she sees it now from Jared/Padme and father's relationship.

Vincent Nigel-Murray: He had alot of self doubt. He wasn't seeking approval from Dr. Brennan but was doubting himself. This could be seen where he took the blame for something Cam did wrong. He just wanted to make sure he was doing his job right.


Part 2: Only out of radical skeptics, out of moral chaos, can the Absolute spring, the anointed Terror of which the time has need.

This is saying out of skepticism and moral chaos we can learn the truth. We saw how people learned from their own and other's skepticism throughout this episode.

Vincent Nigel-Murray saw the twinkle in Dr. Brennan's eyes that he was doing the right things. Booth learned that Jared was going to be okay and Brennan had her proof that love does exist.

Conclusion: I love being skeptical. Unless provided with proof, I doubt everything and research it til I come up with what I believe is the truth. It helps build us as we grow. Skeptics have changed the world on alot of matters. If you think about it, it is the skeptics who were told that things couldn't be done that went out and did it. Jules Verne wrote about rocket ships to the moon and was trashed by the common people for these thoughts. Now a days we look at his work and see how they became true.

Pros: The whole car scene at the end with Brennan being skeptical of Booth's thought process.

The end speech by Brennan. Our little girl has grown up so much!!

Cons: Upon first viewing, Vincent Nigel-Murray seemed whiney to me. When put with the skeptical theme, he is much better in this episode.

Overall: The episode appears weak until the last five minutes. It was better than Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood but that isn't saying much. The case was a mess and the squints seemed off this week as far as the lab work.

I give this episode a 9.0. I think alot of people missed the overall storyline they were trying to tell and it got lost in the shuffle of trying to get that B&B ending in.

Drippy

P.S. For all you who tried to guess the theme, good try. It's not as easy as I make it out to be sometimes.

Hey folks,

Thought I shed some light on such a dark episode.

"The Devil in the Details" was another episode of the title meaning multiple people. This episode theme should touch everyone as we all have our "Inner Demons".

Before I get started though, a short explanation about "Inner Demons". Most people take this as the evil side of their persona. 'The Devil' title also proves this as he represents evil. This is not the full explanation. "Inner Demons" can also be the good in people. "Inner Demons" are the spirits that makes each individual choose between right and wrong. How many movies have we've seen with an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other trying to convince a person what to do?

The Case: There is alot to discribe here about this so hope it makes sense.

Psychiatric Patients: It is believe in the bible that crazy people are possessed by demons. When we look at all the patients (victim included) we see the "Inner Demons" in each. The person who thinks he is evil to the girl who thinks she is an angel. These are people who follow/show their inner demons.

Psych Ward Assistant: This guy was a good guy. Booth repeated it several times in the interview. He really was concerned about the patients in the hospital but also volunteered his time on the outside. On the flip side we have him given heroine to a patient which is illegal. I can understand this as a constant pain sufferer. Marijuana is illegal but it helps me take the edge off that pain unlike hard narcotics.

The Mother: She had a bad inner demon after she hit her son but she got help for it. Now she has another demon to add on top of that. Does she still love her son because he did kill her other son? This will rip her up for years.

Squints and Booth:

Aristoo: Here is a very devout man who wants no harm to anyone. Unlike Booth, who knew he was going to kill people, he was going to just interpit for the military with no chance of harming them.

Cam: We see her inner demon speak this week. She takes a simple remark and thinks evil thoughts of another person. Like most people, they try to hide their inner demons from the one they are having the thought about. This lying to the person is also evil so we can see how it can build up to the dark side.

Sweets: His inner demon comes from outside sources. How many times in the episode did they make fun of his youthful looks? Doesn't this put doubts in his head about his way of life? The little devil on his shoulder is telling him 'you are no good because you don't look professional'.

Brennan: She thinks she has no inner demons. When she did the non-apology to the doctor, she saw no harm in the way she gave it. It was when she saw the doctor going into action did she realize that she was very cruel to him. She recognized the evil side of herself. This doesn't mean she changes her views on psychology but has a little more respect of the people who are in that profession.

Booth: Not much on his inner demons this episode.

Conclusion: Everyone has 'inner demons' that we must face. Sometimes it is a simple thing as choosing either doing the right thing or the wrong thing (Psych Ward Intern). Sometimes these demons are things we have to live with because you can't change history (Aristoo). Sometimes we have to talk about the inner demons to get rid of them (Cam). Sometimes we just have to have faith in ourselves (Sweets). Sometimes we have to change our way of thinking (Brennan).

As the end scene showed, it doesn't matter if it's your faith in God or your faith in logic (or combination of them) to help you through the bad in yourself/others. Most people feel isolated because they think they are the only ones with these thoughts. Sharing our fears about ourselves is very hard to do but is a major way to fight these inner demons, either if they are good or bad.

Pros: Brennan finally having a little respect for psychologists.

GPS/car conversation with B&B at the beginning.

Cons: Why was Brennan driving? Bad move not explaining that.

I really would have loved to see Angela's inner demon but nothing there.

Murderer was apprehended with no investigation into his character/motives.

Overall: A well written episode showing alot about our main characters. It was a filler in that it can easily be skipped but would not recommend that. This felt along the lines of a S2 episode with the seriousness of the case/topic.

I give this a 9.3. Catching the murderer was off but we did catch alot of insight to our character. The acting by both guest stars and regulars were excellent.

Drippy

P.S. I did not mention Hodgins hitting himself in the head. I am not into slapstick and saw that coming from a mile away. This is a personal view and I know some of you really liked it.

Glad to see these over here Drip! And all in one thread too!!