“Go get her. You’ve been fighting for her all along.” (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)
Hey there Bones friends! Can I have a virtual show of hands here…how many of you have seen the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World? If you’ve seen it, great, because we’re going to be talking about it in relation to Booth today, but don’t worry if you haven’t – I’ll tell you what you need to know.
First up, the synopsis: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a campy, quirky movie that’s based on a series of graphic novels. The title character meets, and subsequently starts dating, a girl named Ramona Flowers. He soon finds out that if he wants to continue dating Ramona, he must first defeat her seven evil exes. Now I said the movie was quirky, and that’s because it feels very much like a video game, right down to the martial arts fight sequences, 1Up extra lives, and the fact that the exes, once defeated, explode into a shower of coins. It’s…unique. Anyway, back to the story. Scott Pilgrim has just defeated the seventh evil ex with the help of his not-so-evil ex, seventeen-year old Knives Chau. Despite the fact that she was the girl Scott dumped for Ramona, Knives fought with and for Scott in his final battle, at a time when Ramona wouldn’t (or perhaps couldn’t, as she was under the influence of that seventh evil ex). Ramona, saddened by everything that’s happened, tells Scott that it’s time for her to leave; that she’s tired of causing trouble. She thanks him for being the nicest guy she’s ever dated and then she walks away.
Until this point, I’d kind of been watching the movie with this mild sense of amusement. But when she walked away and Scott just stood there and watched her go, I wanted to scream at the television screen, “What are you doing!?! Go after her, you idiot! It’s not supposed to end this way! Knives, she’s a good girl, but she isn’t the one.” Is she? Could it have all been for nothing, I wondered? And then it happened. “Go get her.” Knives said, “You’ve been fighting for her all along.” And that’s when I realized that even the campiest, quirkiest movies, sometimes deal in the profound.
And that was that until The Bullet in the Brain aired and my husband (who is as obsessed with Scott Pilgrim as I am with Bones) quoted that line again, then made the brilliant observation that it reminded him of Bones. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered, “Is it possible that Booth has been fighting for Brennan all along; he just doesn’t realize it?”
There’s absolutely no question in my mind that he fought for her in the past.
Two Bodies in the Lab
The Man in the Morgue
“There’s more than one kind of family.”
Judas on a Pole
The Yanks in the U.K.
“There’s someone for everyone…You’ve just got to be open enough to see it.”
The Man in the Outhouse
“Bones, you are the standard.”
The Predator in the Pool
I would even argue that at some point he knew exactly what he was doing.
But season six? That’s another matter entirely.
Or is it? Just because signs of the struggle aren’t blatantly obvious, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. What if, however unconsciously, Booth is still fighting? And more importantly, can it be proven? I’m not sure. But I do know that I need to try and prove it as much for myself as for anyone else. Janet wrote this incredible post the other day (“The Burden in the Faith,” 1/27/11) and in it she quoted from a comment I made in response to Sarah’s MAQ about The Body in the Bag and how it had affected her. At the time I wrote that comment, I was pretty discouraged, and it showed. But thanks to the awesome responses from other people on this blog who had managed to keep the faith much better than I had, I went back for a second look. Not only did I change my original opinion about the episode, but the experience made me realize a few things about my approach to Bones as well. The following is a portion of my response to Janet’s post:
“[I]’m okay with drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid. I’m okay with looking for the positive in every episode, no matter how hard it is to find, and I’m okay with believing that happy is just a matter of eventually. I just am.”
Here’s the thing: I know that in doing this, I risk giving meaning where meaning just doesn’t exist. And there’s simply no hiding the fact that my evidence is completely anecdotal. But I’m okay with that. If I learned anything from my brief struggle following The Body in the Bag, it’s that perception, like most other things in life, is a matter of choice. And the choice I’ve made is to try and find as much positive in this current storyline as I can, knowing full well that I may not get the outcome I want.
So here they are: my top five “moments of proof” that season six Booth is still very much fighting for Brennan.
It Was Still Love
In my comment on Sarah’s GMMR review of The Couple in the Cave, I made the following observation about Booth’s reaction to Brennan’s comments regarding love and the success of relationships between people from dramatically different backgrounds…observations that I believe are still accurate today:
Couple in the Cave
“And what is Booth doing during all of this? Whether he realizes it or not, he’s still trying to prove to Brennan that they could have made a relationship work. That love is enough to overcome anything – be it disparate backgrounds or chemical reactions. It’s the same message we saw in previous seasons, it’s just being viewed through the lens of the 100th episode. And I know a lot of you will disagree with me on this because you see Booth’s relationship with Hannah as a betrayal of Brennan, but I think Hannah herself is completely immaterial to this argument. At the end of the day, none of this is about Hannah. Booth still loves Brennan whether he realizes it or not…this always has been and always will be, all about Brennan.”
Protecting His Partner
Although it was the first, The Maggots in the Meathead isn’t the only episode this season where we’ve seen that physically protecting Brennan is still of the utmost importance to Booth. He made a move to protect her in The Bones that Weren’t when the angry ballet instructor came at her, and of course, who can forget the way he swooped in to save her from the car in The Doctor in the Photo?
What I think is so significant is that (with the exception of the car), these are situations that Brennan could have easily handled on her own. We’ve seen her take down a Homeland Security Agent (Pilot), a gangbanger (The Woman in the Garden), and a trio of armed guerillas (The Mastadon in the Room) with little effort. An oversensitive bouncer and a pint-sized ballerina with a bum ankle would have been child’s play for someone who is, “trained in three types of martial arts.” Booth knew that and yet he still made the move to protect her. Why?
And while we’re talking about The Doctor in the Photo, I think it’s only fair to point out that Booth, by his own admission, was only able to save Brennan because he was, “following [her] to a bad part of town and saving [her] life.” Leaving your girlfriend and your very warm bed at home to follow someone around in the middle of a cold, rainy, miserable night sure doesn’t sound like something you’d do for someone who was “just” your partner. Know what I mean?
Thanks Bones
Point of honesty: The Bones that Weren’t is one of my least favorite episodes this season. It’s up there with The Babe in the Bar in terms of episodes that have given me the most heartburn. I finally made myself re-watch it during the winter hiatus so that I could delete it and free up space for the second half of the season on my DVR and I have to say that I was a lot more at peace with it the second time around. Of course, I’ve always thought the case was solid, it’s the juice boxes and sunglasses that make me want to scream, but I digress.
There’s one moment in this episode, a glance really, that grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Brennan’s just finished diagnosing Hannah’s potentially fatal leg wound and as she’s walking out of the room, Booth stops her and says thanks.
The Bones that Weren't
The look he gives her is a DB special so you know there’s deeper meaning there. Much like the bow and his, “I’ll see you tomorrow” in The Maggots in the Meathead, there’s a lot more to that look than just a simple “thank you,” don’t you think?
The Zygote
Point of honesty #2: I absolutely loved The Shallow in the Deep. Not because it had the feel of past episodes, but because it had heart. Oh, and because we learned that Booth is still very much bothered whenever Brennan shows her appreciation for another man.
Sure, maybe he was just looking out for her best interests, but it felt like more than that. And yet in my way of thinking, he forfeited his right to be jealous (if he ever even had that “right” to begin with) when he committed to a relationship with Hannah. So why, then, is his negative reaction to “the zygote,” who’s as obviously interested in Brennan as she is in him, nearly instantaneous?
I Didn’t Want to Let You Down
I think this moment at the end of The Bullet in the Brain may be the most convincing evidence yet that Booth is still fighting for Brennan. There were four people involved in the conversation in The Royal Diner that night, and yet by the end, Booth and Brennan might as well have been the only people in the room.
“I didn’t want to let you down.”
He knows that she believes in him…and that matters.
And so he keeps fighting, as he has from the very beginning. He may not understand the reason why yet. But one day (hopefully soon), he’ll figure it out.
So, do you believe Booth has been fighting for Brennan all along? Do you see what I see in these moments or something completely different? What moments would you add to the list? Their welcome home hug in the premiere? Booth’s thumbs up at the end of The Body and the Bounty? Let’s discuss!
Bones Theory 
February 2, 2011 at 7:48 am
The sad look Booth has on his face when watching Brennan through the diner window in The Bullet in the Brain convinces me that Booth really does love Brennan. The look is so sad. He has a trapped look in his face. He is committed to Hannah; but, Brennan is the one he wants and he thinks he can’t have. I felt so sorry for him when I saw that look. If Hannah dumps him, it would be the best thing for him. Sure, he would blame himself for another failed relationship; but, ultimatley, it would free him from a rebound relationship so he could persue Brennan again. That is my hope anyways.
February 2, 2011 at 10:37 pm
On a random side note – I worry that Hannah will dump Booth. I don’t want Booth to be with Brennan because Hannah no longer wants him. Either Hannah has to realize that Booth is actually in love with Brennan or Booth has to realize that he’s in love with Brennan and not Hannah.
February 2, 2011 at 8:15 am
It amazes me what the shippers want to see when it really isnt there. Booth is over protected of everyone. If it was Cam, Angela at the club, he would of done the same. He wasn’t jealous at the cougar ship he was annoyed and cranky due to his own age and that the women and Brennan were treating the young men like pieces of meat. And he said I didnt want to let anyone down, not you. He could of meant himself too, what the evil sniper will bring out of him, he doesnt want them to see it. . . Booth has been written as fully committed to Hannah and that is why the fans are so upset with B/H and grasping for looks and meanings that aren’t there.
February 2, 2011 at 10:43 am
I disagree that Booth has been written as fully committed to Hannah. The show is and has always been about the relationship between B & B, not B & B and a third party. I don’t have to read a single spoiler to know that Hannah is not here to stay because that’s just not what the show is about.
I do think that the B/H relationship has been written badly, however. Hannah is a poorly developed character and scenes like the one with the sunglasses apparently came off entirely the opposite of what the writers intended.
February 2, 2011 at 11:03 am
Sure, there is a lot of overanalyzing and wishful thinking. But Stephanie acknowledges this:
“I know that in doing this, I risk giving meaning where meaning just doesn’t exist. And there’s simply no hiding the fact that my evidence is completely anecdotal. But I’m okay with that. If I learned anything from my brief struggle following The Body in the Bag, it’s that perception, like most other things in life, is a matter of choice. And the choice I’ve made is to try and find as much positive in this current storyline as I can, knowing full well that I may not get the outcome I want.”
The fact is – we ALL of us see what we want to see or don’t want to see. And I’m okay with that. That is what fiction is all about. This happens in “real life”, too – but the beauty of fiction is that seeing what we want to see has no real repercussions except for allowing us to enjoy (or not – it’s a choice, I think), for a moment, an escape into another world.
I float along myriad interpretations of everything in this show. I love it. I have some core opinions about some fundamental aspects of this show – but everything else? Very fluid. And in the end, I will still see what I want to see – like everyone else. 🙂
February 2, 2011 at 11:46 am
I do agree in that, except for DitP, I don’t think Booth shows he still cares about Brennan. I thought his thank you for “saving ” his girlfriend’s life was because he had to say SOMETHING. The cave discussion can apply to his current relationship as well as Brennan. So, no, I don’t see Booth as fighting for Brennan this season at all. I’m hoping that is seriously gonna change. I never watch the show live now. because it’s just not fun anymore.
DitP I think showed that he still knows and understands Brennan. I’m not sure if it shows more than friends/partners though. I mean, if I thought a friend was mentally off and possibly suicidal I would be checking up on them also. Honestly though, excluding the science dude ep (clearly shot before they changed direction) it was the first time I felt like he cared about her at all. Then there was the car scene, and it pretty much dissolved all that. Mainly because he didn’t offer to call Angela – like he DOESN’T know who her best friend is, like she HAS no friends that he knows of. He was so completely cold, I figured he just didn’t want to lose his partner and the highest solve rate in the FBI.
I AM a shipper, but this season it’s been a pretty empty horizon.
February 2, 2011 at 10:55 pm
i don’t think we’re grasping at straws…the producers WANT us to see things like the belt buckle and that last look. if they didn’t want us to make something of it, they wouldn’t waste screen time on it. hh knows he’s torturing us, and he enjoys it.
February 2, 2011 at 8:24 am
@lenora I am sorry but I disagree. That look from Booth was him watching Brennan and her dad have a moment and wistful that they finally got it ~ AND If Booth gets rejected by another woman, then that is too cruel. Everyone that he loves leaves him. Shame on Hart if that is the case and Booth won’t be looking for love with anyone, including Brennan, anytime soon. .
February 2, 2011 at 8:36 am
Bones Theory is great BUT it would be very interesting to see an article by non B&B shippers on B&B. As in all honesty I think B&B is viewed through rose tinted glasses and not actually being discussed with the raw reality that S6 has been about. Sometimes a banana is just a banana. And sometimes a look or a moment is just that between a deep friendship/partnership and nothing more, particularly this season.
February 2, 2011 at 9:01 am
Actually, I would of liked Brennan to fight for Booth. She has been so wishy washy and weak over this. Can’t even be bothered to fight for her man. Where is her passion and fire for Booth? Now where that I can see. Except just giggling and acting like a silly schoolgirl with the woman that actually has her man. In what world?! Huh.
February 2, 2011 at 9:52 am
I actually think Brennan is being quite strong. She puts on her brave face and goes to work and still gets the job done. Yeah, she had an emotional breakdown in the 9th episode, but she picked herself up. I won’t call her weak because she allowed herself to feel something at that time. She’s hurting now. I do agree about wanting to see her fight more, but I can only see that happening if she’s sure Booth is who she loves (or could love) and wants to be in a relationship with. I’m not sure why, but I don’t want Brennan to get Booth from Hannah – it would make her seem like a home wrecker. I just want Booth and Hannah to have a mutual break-up with no hard feelings because it just didn’t work out.
February 2, 2011 at 10:33 am
So agree with you there, about the getting Booth from Hannah. I have such a hard time imagining how Hannah and Booth might end, because I don’t want to see her…give Booth to Brennan, as it were. I don’t want Brennan to be a homewrecker, or get Hannah’s sloppy seconds, or whatever.
And I was going to say too, with Brennan’s seeming lack of fight, what can she really even do at this point? How much more fight can she put in without being kind of a terrible person? I don’t think many of us have thought about what a gutsy and fierce move she made i DitP. To me? That was ultimate fight! I mean, think about it. Brennan spent the first 8 episodes seeing Booth and Hannah together, listening to him tell everyone how serious it is, watch them move in together, etc, etc. And in the ninth she tells him she made a mistake?! She actually sort of propositions him for a second chance when he is smack in the middle of an established relationship with another woman! And yes, she gets turned down. Come on, how many of us would keep fighting after that? Even for a man of no consequence I think a lot of us would back down there. But Brennan, she loves Booth (I’m not going to argue the romantically or not thing here). She wants him to be happy. Yes, she wants to be happy too, but at his expense? No way. So, she backs down. She believes him when he says Hannah’s not a consolation prize. And why shouldn’t she? The fact that she does give him his space, befriend his girlfriend, and back down entirely only proves the depth of her connection to him. If she were just “hot for” Booth, yeah, she’d still be fighting. But she can’t do that to someone she cares about. The Brennan we know and love wouldn’t do that. So as much as it hurts, giggle away with Hannah, I say. I think Booth will end up loving her more for it really.
February 2, 2011 at 9:23 am
I love Bones Theory and I read all the articles. I love it mostly because all of the articles are positive on the B&B ship. I always felt guilty because I very rarely read and left a comment. Now I am glad I didn’t since 2 of the first 4 comments were of a negative varitey. Please don’t let the negative nellies ruin the last place on the internet where it is OK to be a B&B shipper and revel in those tiny moments like the red bow and the thumbs up and the save from the car. I like living in my happy B&B world. The non-shippers have plenty of their own places to put forth all their “raw reality” thoughts.
Maybe he is still fighting for Brennan. I’m not sure. I like to think he is doing it subconsciously. I do believe that he still loves her. I think back to Harbingers and the whole “sometimes you settle for 2nd best” conversation. I believe Hannah is and always has been second best. He may love her, but he doesn’t love her like he loves Brennan. And he always will be Brennan’s protector. He may have done the same thing for Cam or Angela or whoever in the club or with the ballet dancer…but I doubt he would have worried enough about anyone else to follow them out into a rainy dark cold night to make sure they were ok.
I am off to buy myself a 2nd pair of rose colored glasses…perhaps something colored to match Booth’s stripey socks!
February 2, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Thanks, you said what I couldn’t say. I completely believe that this is the story of B&B and not about Booth and Hannah and not even about the supporting characters. As much as we may loves these supporting characters, they are there to FORWARD the story of B&B. The fact that we love them so much simply shows how well developed they’ve become in the series thanks to the writing and the actor’s talents. But, still this is about B&B…there will be no third party getting in the way of them in then end…whenever that day comes. If they don’t end up together…then HH simply backtracked on the story he’d been writing. He will have tricked us, IMO. It’s not about rose colored glasses…it’s about how the series has been written all along. There is evidence upon evidence that shows this is their love story…and oh by the way..they just happen to solve crimes…but still…it’s their love story. I think we all know that nothing is an accident in this series…that HH uses subtest aplenty to write his story…so…I believe Booth has been fighting…whether he knows it or not is correct…but still the heart has been fighting. How do you throw away the best part of you? That’s what Brennan is to Booth and visa versa.
February 2, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Very well said sarajade!
February 2, 2011 at 9:39 pm
I think y’all know I meant “subtext”…right…not subtest…LOL…I should edit before I post. Oh well.
February 3, 2011 at 9:49 am
I agree with you. This is a story about B&B. Once what was lost will be found again. Whether it is Hannah dumping Booth (because she does not trust his past is his past) or they mutually end their relationship, I believe this is the story of Brennan as seen through the eyes of Booth (someone else said this and I loved the idea). I do see that Booth loves Brennan and Brennan loves Booth even if some viewers don’t. I have not given up on their love story and I have great hope for the rest of the season. Bullet In The Brain gave me that hope.
February 2, 2011 at 9:30 am
I have to say I am still so surprised by the intensity of the negative feelings surrounding this season. I have really loved it. Booth was serious when he said “Things have to change”. And, they did change. If we didn’t feel intensely the distance that is between Booth and Brennan we would not understand what drove her to break down to Booth in “DitP”. I feel Booth still loves Brennan and protected her when she needed it most, but I do think he is a bit angry and still hurting. Men react quite differently than women and that is okay.
I think Booth does love Hannah. She was open and affectionate and uncomplicated at a time when he was crushed beyond belief and didn’t have anything to hold on to. “You can love a lot of people in this world, but there is only one person that you love the most”. I think they are spelling this season out very clearly for us with this.
February 2, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Amen, Loraine! I totally 100% agree. I’ve liked this season, too. It’s part of the journey…the really painful part…but necessary. I think the toughest part is winding down and the rest of this season is going to be even more awesome.
February 3, 2011 at 6:39 am
Loraine 100% agree
February 2, 2011 at 9:50 am
I guess I can understand that non-shippers have their own point of view. I was under the impression that it’s a shipper’s blog, but maybe that’s just because a lot of the posts and comments happen to be from shippers. It’s true that there is a lot of reading into moments, but I don’t think it’s as crazy as it seems. Every minute that is aired has been carefully thought over. We’ve seen deleted scenes that were good, but didn’t just make the grade. This is a TV show, not life, and it’s being deliberately written. If it didn’t mean anything, it most likely won’t air. We can debate whether something meant friendship or love, but it means something.
Even not pushing B&B, I don’t see that Hannah is better for Booth (maybe on paper?). I’ve seen Booth’s full smile in previous seasons, and I have yet to see Hannah make him smile like that. To me, their relationship is not meaningful enough to warrant my full support – he holds back so much, she’s always out of town, and it just all happened too quickly.
I’ve never officially called myself a shipper, but it’s just really hard for me to believe that after watching 5 seasons of Booth and Brennan get closer and closer together (whether it’s really love or not) that Hannah will be the one for Booth, or even worse, Booth and Brennan will go their separate ways. It just wouldn’t make sense. I’ve watched so many interviews with HH, SN, ED, and DB, and that doesn’t sound like the direction of the show. I don’t think I’m crazy to take clues from the producers.
February 2, 2011 at 10:00 am
I feel like I learned something. Obviously, Booth still cares about Tempy. You’ve made some great points here to show how he constantly goes out on a limb to protect her or watch out for her.
Sometimes a look is just a look. But when these two are involved that is rarely the case. My biggest gripe with the show is that I find it very unrealistic that they could spend so much time together in such intense situations without nature taking over. Because of this, I find it very unlikely that a look would ever be “just a look”.
February 2, 2011 at 10:08 am
I stopped watching Bones a short time after de 100th. Not because they were not together, but because I thought (I still do) that these writers like to play with the emotions of the viewers. They like to tease, and joke and love when they get a negative reaction. Specially Hanson. I felt insulted as I felt Bones was not the show I loved anymore. I stopped watching because I was really angry. But I kept reading. I kept visiting “100 days of Bones” and “Obsessed with Bones”. I got even angrier when Obsessed with Bones stopped… And then I realized the link that “100 days of Bones” had to this page. Since then, I read it every day. Finally I realized that I had to keep watching. I was not really good at letting it go. I started watching this new season after reading a lot of bad stuff (especially about Hannah) and was surprised to see it didn’t make me angry at all. So, I found some balance. And of course, run away every time I see spoilers and stuff like that.
About Booth fighting for Brennan…I think Booth always knew that if he moved on he would hurt her. That’s why he told her that he would have to do it. He warned her. And then he waited. And then came Maluku. And then there was Hannah. I think some of those looks he gives Brennan have to do with guilt. He knew that Brennan would suffer. Maybe not consciously, but he knew. And now that she finally spoke about it it’s harder for him to ignore it. He doesn’t want her to suffer at all. But he needed to move on and I don’t think he expected it to work like it did. He expected less from Hannah than he got. And he’s conflicted right now, of course he is.
February 2, 2011 at 10:13 am
I think that after all that’s happened – the confessions and the rejections – they’re both fighting to gain equilibrium with each other. I think some of the things we don’t see right now can still come back, but it’s a tough time for them right now.
Brennan was not initially a fan of Hannah. She actually made a few unfavorable comments about Booth’s relationship with Hannah in the earlier part of the season. As Brennan got to know Hannah, she turned out to be nice and the type of person she thought Booth would be better off with. I only need them to be on amicable terms with each other, not be BFF’s, which they aren’t. But they do respect and admire each other. If Brennan were to find out that Hannah has doubts, or has hurt or betrayed Booth in any way, their friendship would turn on its head. Brennan’s loyalty to Booth trumps it.
February 2, 2011 at 10:23 am
I don’t really have much to add because I’ve only seen the season 6 episodes once. Like Stephanie, I’ve deleted them to make room for the rest of the season! I will say that I appreciate pointing out instances of Booth still fighting for Brennan in the recent episodes. Whether or not it’s grasping, just the idea that there may be deeper meaning in Booth’s actions is comforting to someone like me who’s having a hard time so far this season.
February 2, 2011 at 11:04 am
I don’t think Booth is fighting for Brennan. I do think he’s fighting *with* himself, however. He’s the one who said that when people love each other they leave marks, and good people let those marks fade over time, they don’t paint over them with someone new (The Science in the Physicist).
He knows he didn’t do that. Whatever affection he might have for Hannah (which I’m sure is genuine) she’s still a coat of fresh paint over marks that had not yet faded.
I don’t think Max was in this episode just because he was a plausible suspect in Taffet’s killing or just to provide a little comic relief. (Those are both valid reasons, but there’s more). Max is a reminder of the closeness B & B once shared; the whole saga of finding her family and Max’s arrest and the trial and Brennan’s long journey to forgive him and let him be her father again and even have Christmas together…all of that played a huge part in the closeness B & B developed.
Also, I’ve always believed that Booth admired Max in a “noble outlaw” sort of way and even saw a bit of himself in Max (which is why I think Booth was always so desperate for Brennan to forgive and love her dad. If she could love Max, she could love Booth. But I digress).
Max approved of Booth. He told Booth to take care of his daughter and I think Booth feels he failed to do that. He’s lost Max as a fatherly figure now, and at the same time he’s dealing with the loss of another mentor, Broadsky.
That’s a lot to put into one look through the window, but DB’s specialty on this show is packing a dozen emotions into seven seconds of screentime. We have countless examples of that!
February 2, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Great comments! Oh dear, I had forgotten about the fresh paint over unfaded marks! No one will convince me–regardless of his affection for her–that Hannah is, foundationally, nothing more than fresh paint over unfaded-Brennan-marks. What that means for the outcome remains to be seen.
And I love your ideas on Max’s presence! I feel like there’s some sort of development in the future with Max related to this episode, but I hadn’t considered your idea. And it’s a great one. I definitely think you’re right.
Just wanted to say, super thoughtful comments! A lot of aspects I hadn’t thought of before.
February 2, 2011 at 11:35 am
First off, Stephanie, I love this post. It’s beautifully written, and I love the Scott Pilgrim reference. I haven’t seen the movie, but a friend of mine recommended it to me a while back. Now I’m going to have to bump it up on the must watch list.
The moments you point to from early this season are all moments that were helping me keep the faith on my own long before I discovered Bones Theory.
The more I re-watch episodes from this season, the more I like them, and the more I see the underlying story that Hart and company are telling. It’s subtle sometimes, but it is definitely there and it is beautiful in its honesty. That doesn’t mean that things are easy for our intrepid heroes right now, and therefore are not easy for us to watch, but then life is like that. If any of this were easy, it would feel dishonest. And, as I’ve said before, I think that if it were easy, we fans would feel cheated.
Personally, I love the character studies that are going on before our eyes; but I’ve loved that about this show from the moment I started watching it. Booth’s a disaster; Brennan is a mess, but they are both beautiful in their failings and beautiful together. And I don’t mean that in a purely physical sense.
Yeah, it’s difficult to watch Booth and Brennan without each other, but I personally feel that it means that “eventually” is going to be all the more beautiful for them having each been down their own rocky path.
All of that said, I’d like to take a moment to say something about the negativity… Sarah, and Stephanie, I apologize if I’m over stepping or thread-jacking here, but I feel compelled to speak up.
Sarah created Bones Theory as a safe, positive place for people who love BONES to come and share the love. She is a shipper. Many of us who come here on a daily basis are also shippers. Birds of a feather flock together.
Take a look at the banner at the top of this page. Booth and Brennan. Brain and heart. That’s what Bones Theory is all about.
Heart because of a common love of all things BONES, and included in that are Booth and Brennan and their relationship. Brain because we can come together and rationally discuss the show and characters that we have all come to love so much.
I think that the folks who post here are an amazing combination of heart and rational empiricist. We can squee and squeal like fangirls over the Booth gun/table/pants debate, but we can also articulately back up our glee and our hopes for these two characters with empirical evidence we find in the episodes.
So when I checked in this morning and there were only four comments and half of them were negativity directed towards the shippers, I was disheartened. Personally, I dislike argumentative and grumbly statements without backup or proof. There are plenty of places on the internet for that kind of thing. Why bring it here?
A couple of non-shippers have said it would be nice to see Booth and Brennan discussed through non-shipper glasses.
Okay then. Not to take away from Stephanie’s post, because as I said above, I loved it, but I challenge any non-shippers to do just that.
Don’t just complain about the discussion that is not happening, tell us how you feel about Booth and Brennan. Discuss. Be empirical. Show us where your heart is in this discussion. The comments are open. There is no word limit. At least not one that I’ve found yet, and trust me, I can test the limits of a word count. 😛
In Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke Skywalker that “a lot of the truths we cling to depend on a certain point of view.” I for one, would honestly like to know what the non-shipper point of view is, because as a shipper, I can’t see the relationship between these two as anything other than “I’m with Bones all the way, don’t doubt it for a second”. So please, show us what you’re seeing.
Ultimately, we may have to agree to disagree, but I’ll respect your opinion and your right to voice it, and I think it would be a really interesting discussion.
February 2, 2011 at 11:44 am
I tend to agree with Barbara in that I don’t necessarily feel like Booth is fighting for Brennan, but I definitely do feel that Booth is fighting with himself. All of these moments to me feel like moments where he’s put aside his “I’ve moved on” mask and allowed himself the indulgence of just falling back into B&B mode (sorry, I can’t come up with a better way of putting it!). He lets himself be who he was with her before all the angst and drama, though he reigns it in pretty quickly as if he realizes he can’t do that anymore.
I will admit that after Body in the Bag, I was pretty convinced that he’s completely moved on despite all of these other moments we just talked about. It left me deflated, but surprisingly okay, and I’m not really sure why yet. I think maybe (as illogical as this sounds) it’s because it felt very final on Booth’s part that he’s committed to Hannah, and it sort of felt final on Brennan’s part that she sees that, is hurt by it, but accepts it. At that point I too felt resigned acceptance. It sort of makes me feel like whatever happens with B&B in the future, they’ll have to begin again and start over. I know they’ll be bringing a lot of baggage with them, but at least this way they’re on level playing ground. Was that gibberish to anyone? LOL!
Contrary to what most people saw in the end scene in Bullet in the Brain (granted, I’ve only watched it once), instead of longing on Booth’s part, I saw contemplation and indecision, and that’s the first time really this season that I’ve felt that clearly. It was refreshing. I haven’t been able to rewatch a single episode of BONES since 100 (which makes me very sad), but that was the first one I was excited to watch again, and it’s given me the courage to want to re-watch all those that I’ve missed. It’s made me excited about BONES again. 🙂
February 2, 2011 at 11:49 am
I agree, Barbara, I think Max was there to once again sort of weigh in on B&B (as well as the case stuff). I thought the moment he sort of shook hands with Booth (at the end), or gave him a nod was pretty significant. I also remember Max’s edict to Booth in season two. “You take care of her”. Of course, he gave Brennan a similar edict, “If you find someone you can trust…you hang on to him.” So I think Max sort of serves as the…well, as the approving dad, I guess! For both of them, which is another story 🙂
But I did want to jump in on the conversation in general and just weigh in about the ‘positive’ vs ‘realistic’ outlook on this post. I think Stephanie made it pretty clear when she said this…
“Just because signs of the struggle aren’t blatantly obvious, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. What if, however unconsciously, Booth is still fighting? And more importantly, can it be proven? I’m not sure. But I do know that I need to try and prove it as much for myself as for anyone else.”
She’s not saying that Booth is necessarily doing all of these things on purpose, nor that even her conclusions are fact. There’s an open-endedness there that allows for interpretation from all of us, which is good, and the point of BT in a lot of ways. I know that I in particular am TERRIBLE about including season six moments into my posts…for a few reasons. One is that I don’t feel like an “expert” on them; I haven’t seen the episodes much, so I don’t always remember direct quotes or moments, etc. It’s hard for me to analyze moments when I don’t feel like I have all of the context. It feels like doing a book review in the middle of a book, to analyze season six. I hate being ‘wrong’, that is…analyzing a moment and then seeing a new episode and finding out I was incorrect in my analysis. So I avoid it, plain and simple.
But I admire people, like Stephanie, who give it a shot and analyze season six, all while being completely honest and open and admitting that maybe it IS just what she wants to see (what a lot of us what to see, really).
Mary, I think what you mentioned about how sometimes a look is just a look is right on…especially the part about how maybe it’s “just between deep friendship/partnership and nothing more”. My question then, for you all, or for another day maybe…would be… “is there anything ‘just’ about their friendship/partnership?”…and maybe THAT is Booth is sort of fighting for (and likewise, Brennan). Maybe it’s not about sex or love or dopamines. I think Stephanie was clear in her descriptions. She mentioned that it just means “something”. If people interpret THAT as ‘love’, well that is their interpretation. I’d argue that their friendship/partnership is 2/3rds (with love as the other third) of ‘B&B-ness’, and I don’t know that we’ve ever really seen that love-1/3rd much at all in the series. I think what we’ve seen is possibility, between two single people who care about one another. So it’s when that ‘possibility’ is removed that makes people antsy, including myself at times.
Am I making any sense? Haha. I need to get back to work. 🙂
February 2, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Sarah, I have the same problem with season 6. I have only watched two episodes more than once (Doctor in the Photo and Bullet in the Brain) and even then it was because I’d had so many interruptions during the broadcast that I needed to rewatch to follow the plot.
I think once all the unhappiness is over I will be able to watch these episodes and find some enjoyment in them.
I liken season 6 to the 3rd book of the Anne of Green Gables series, which I adored as a child. (on a side note, I could probably write a whole essay on the parallels b/w the romance in AoGG and Bones so I will try to keep my remarks brief here).
Anyway, for anyone who doesn’t know, Anne, the heroine, is a plucky orphan with a lot of abandonment issues and Gilbert Blythe is her best friend who secretly loves her. In Anne of the Island, he proposes and she sadly says she can’t be the sort of person who would make him happy but can’t they still be friends and he is utterly heartbroken and says he has to move on.
My little eleven year old self, reading this for the first time, was so upset that I threw my book across the floor and vowed never to finish reading it. Of course that didn’t last long, but I only skimmed the remaining chapters, desperately searching for any sign that Anne and Gilbert would find each other again, very deliberately skipping over any parts that mentioned Anne’s new beau, the seemingly perfect Roy Gardner, and then finally, happily, getting to the good part when Anne and Gilbert finally realized they had only ever loved each other all along and kisses and happy endings ensued.
Once I knew the end would work out all right, I was able to go back and read the book as a whole, and found that I’d missed a lot of very funny and touching moments in those parts I skipped over when I was so upset about the romance. I fully expect the same thing to happen when season 6 is over and done.
February 2, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Another Anne/Bones fan!! I have discovered that there is a huge crossover there! Anne of the Island and Bones Season 6 are quite similar, and I have been thinking a lot about the parallels too. Gilbert took the gamble, Anne turned him down and they both tried to move on, Anne with Roy and Gil with Christine. I don’t think either deliberately misled the person they were with but they were just already completely taken whether they could admit it or not at the time. Same with Season 6. I love this analogy! 🙂
February 2, 2011 at 7:10 pm
@Barbara, I love the Anne/Gilbert parallel! Write that essay. 🙂 I’d love to hear more of your thoughts!
February 2, 2011 at 10:56 pm
I too am a huge Anne-fan and definitely see the parallels between Season 6 and Anne of the Island. In fact, I went back just recently to re-read those moments again when seeing the parallels and it’s actually quite bang-on. 🙂
If you write that essay…I’ll definitely read it!
February 2, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Barbara, ditto on the essay reading. I’m always up for a discussion about Anne and Gil, and I adore Anne of the Island. 🙂
Sarah, maybe you should post that “is there anything ‘JUST'” as an upcoming discussion topic. I think it has the potential to generate a great conversation.
February 3, 2011 at 9:38 am
Never thought about it that way before but I loved Anne of Green Gables growing up and had the same reactions when Anne and Gil took so long to finally be together…I think comparing the two would make a great post!
February 2, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Why would he save Brennan if he weren’t in love with her?
Because they are still friends and partners – Booth: “You’ll die for your partner, that’s the way I see it.”
I think people tend to overlook that it is his real job to protect people/his partner as an FBI agent and I don’t think he stops being one at the end of the day, and also his hero complex. Someone with a white knight syndrome feels obligated to protect people, he doesn’t do it only because he wants to or love them, he feels it’s his responsibility and the right thing to do, and we all know how Booth is all about that to attune for his supposed sins. He even felt guilty for not saving Epps for God’s Sake! lol
Someone like that also has the desperately need to be needed, and that’s why he wants to save Brennan even when she doesn’t need it or when she can do it herself, he feels one with the universe when he fixes things. The guy is like that cause he has issues because of his childhood, not because he loves Brennan in a romantic way. Do you really think he wouldn’t have done the same for Angela, Hodgins, Cam etc. Do you really think he wouldn’t have stood up in front of the bullet if a stranger had been singing? Or threating the gang member for a stranger?
Why would he care less about Brennan once he is not in love with her anymore? He still feels she is his responsibility as a partner/friend (and unfortunately as a damsel in distress *sigh*), it would not be very heroic/noble etc to forget about her just because he doesn’t love her anymore, and the guy so wants/needs to be a hero cause he thinks it the only way he is worth it, the only way he can be loved…
But I’m not saying whether or not he is/was in love with her, I’m just saying that taking care of Brennan is really not a proof of love from someone with a savior complex. Maybe more a cause of his love…
Booth said it himself in Superhero in the alley, it was not about sex or love or romance what Warren did, trying to save the woman. It’s not the damsel he was seeing, it was the distress, it was not about her, but about her distress and him being a hero or a man as Booth put it, which confirms that Booth thinks a man has to be a hero to be a man… *sigh*
It would have been more interesting to revisit his childhood trauma that caused his need to be needed and thus to be over-protective, instead of revisiting his moral issues.
February 2, 2011 at 12:52 pm
I remember one time when Booth didn’t protect someone as much as Brennan. Well actually he didn’t protect her at all, it’s Caroline Epps. He wanted to, she said no he didn’t insist at all, which surprised me, and Brennan who complained about it. He said he can’t force her if she doesn’t want to and immediately forced Brennan to get protection even though she fought it she said she can take care of herself. I would have expected Booth to send protection to Caroline anyway but he didn’t and she ended up dead…
And now that I think about it, I find weird that he felt guilty for Howard Epps and not at all for Caroline Epps…
February 2, 2011 at 1:59 pm
Actually, he DID try to protect Caroline even after she refused it. Here’s the relevant portion of the conversation:
BRENNAN: You can’t let her go. She’s not safe.
BOOTH: Well, I can’t force her to take protection, all right?
I’ll have the local police drive by her house every couple of hours and make sure she’s safe.
And you know what? You’re not safe either.
Ah, look at me, trying to protect Booth’s honor…
February 2, 2011 at 2:08 pm
@philos
Oh my mistake then ^^ But still, the local police for Caroline every hour and the FBI for Brennan probably never losing sigh of her lol
February 2, 2011 at 12:29 pm
<>
I always took Booth’s statement as an ultimatum to Brennan, a challenge that he threw down to Brennan to be ready, that things couldn’t continue as they had been. But then proceeded to move on without giving either one of them time to see if she would respond to that challenge. I beieve she came back from Maluku prepared, at least, to contemplate a new relationship with Booth, but, too late. He had withdrawn his offer without telling her.
The “meeting at the coffee cart a year from now” was such a strong image to present as a major narrative point — I wonder if Hart ever plans to return there. As for whether Booth has been fighting for her — I think that’s what we were supposed to see. SN said Booth would be “trying” to move on, but somewhere along the line when they decided to keep Hannah on for more of the year, I think they decided that Booth couldn’t show as much doubt or conflict as they would have done if Hannah were going to be around for the “handful” of episodes they originally talked about.
February 2, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Ah, the promise to meet at the coffee cart. To me that felt like a promise. A promise for something more when they returned in that year. I think it’s why I actually felt hurt when he returned with a girlfriend. One he was so excited to show around and have public displays of affection with. It was like he promised me something and reneged on that promise.
So maybe there we (or I at least) were reading too much into a moment. I really don’t know if they intended us to think that, or if it was just supposed to be something along the lines of in a year we’ll be working together again.
I actually would like to see them meet up at the coffee cart at the one year mark. At that point Hannah would be in the past and they’d be ready to fulfill that promise I saw; ready to embark on a romantic relationship. Hey I can dream can’t I?
February 2, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I agree with you Frankie. The meet at the coffee cart was a promise, but it was Booth’s “things have to change” statement earlier that I thought was a demand that she return from Indonesia having changed; made up her mind about them and their working together. I suppose it was a type of promise, too, in that it was an offer to be held open for a specified time, but I view an ultimatum as having a demand coupled with a threat. Listen even to Booth’s tone of voice when he says it. The meeting at the coffee cart was much softer, embodying a hope, I think.
Lorna
February 2, 2011 at 3:08 pm
I am certain we will get the coffee cart scene. I don’t know what will transpire at it, but am confident that we’ll see it. That one was too deliberate and was re-visited in the premiere. It’s possible that it was re-visited to demonstrate how much things can change – but I believe it is more than that.
I am thrown by the timeline of everything – I kinda wish we had a clue, right now, of what month we are in with this 1 year situation . . .
February 2, 2011 at 1:25 pm
I’m really trying not to let my hackles get raised by the whole “Why, shippers?” complaint here. I have to say, before getting into the mess that is internet TV fandom, specifically in regard to Bones, I didn’t even know what shippers were. I still don’t think I consider myself one—shipper seems to imply that a fan irrationally longs for a relationship. I don’t think our hopes are irrational in the least. I didn’t (and honestly, still don’t) understand how there could even be people who don’t believe in the Booth and Brennan eventually. But the fact of the matter is, there are such people, including some of the early commenters. And that’s fine!
That’s the beauty of not only TV shows in general, but this one specifically. HH & Co. is so good at putting in little moments like these that are so ambiguous as to create such fierce discussion on their meanings, or lack thereof. These moments are put in to further the story in some way–they wouldn’t be there for no reason, not in a time constrained, ratings dependent television show. But it would be a bad show if They straight up told us how they were furthering the story! Thus, the interpreting is left up to the individual.
And if some of us choose to believe that these moments are proof that there’s a reason behind our hopes, then isn’t that our own disappointment we’re choosing to risk? Perhaps there are times when we’re grasping at things that aren’t there. Perhaps the look does mean something other than I’m-still-in-love, perhaps the absence of the cocky belt buckle is only coincidental, and perhaps all these little proof-moments are nothing but desperate shippers grasping at straws. But the fact of the matter is, HH & Co., within the show, doesn’t say otherwise! It’s totally up to interpretation.
So if there are folks who don’t believe anymore in eventually, then please, have at it. You are free to interpret things as you see them. But let the rest of us do the same. I see not only hope, but proof in these moments. According to my personal interpretation—of not just each of these moments, but of each episode, and each season, and the series as a whole—according to the way I know the show as an individual, these moments are not representative of desperate hopes at all. It’s solid evidence that my hopes and faith are not unfounded, even if anecdotal. Other individuals may have different interpretations, but I’m not going to tell them they’re wrong. I’m not trying to be anti-discussion, but I’m just saying, consider that for some of us, this doesn’t feel like a stretch.
February 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Totally agree with Barbara’s rewatching issue. Just like I can now sit through the Sully episodes without audibly gagging (it’s nothing personal against Sully, you Sully fans-he’s just not Booth), I’m sure I’ll be more sanguine about the Hannah episodes once she’s gone. Still, I’ve found much to like in season 6; Booth with a hang-dog expression through most of season 5 got to be too heartwrenching at times. At least I see movement here and definite growth for Brennan. Funny, I almost didn’t buy the season 5 DVDs because I was so annoyed with the finale and everyone’s indifference towards Booth leaving (can you guess I’m a Booth girl? But I also love Brennan). But I bought them any way, and now I’m really liking many of the episodes and appreciating things I missed initially because I was so caught up in the angst before.
I guess I’ve always felt that the biggest roadblock towards getting B/B together was Brennan’s ability to be happy with Booth in the surrogate relationship and her desire not to take a chance for fear of being hurt or hurting back. Booth’s hesitation and fear of rejection were big barriers as well, but these were pretty much taken care of last year. Now that Brennan’s issue has been addressed, while I know it still won’t be smooth sailing all the way, I certainly feel a lot of confidence that at least the road to togetherness is in view. So I’m kind of watching this season with some relief.
I’ve never doubted that Booth loves Brennan-loves her still. It goes back to faith, omens, and as Stephanie so well pointed out, that DB special: “the look.” That he’s fighting for her is a given in my book because in my view he never stopped loving her, just buried the feeling. All those little things Stephanie pointed out are subtle signs that his efforts to move have not been entirely successful. I would add the red bow moment to the list: the look he gives her really expresses some of the conflict he feels over the whole situation.
February 2, 2011 at 2:11 pm
I’m kind of in the middle here. As I have repeatedly stated, I have close to lost all hope. Now this doesn’t mean that I don’t think that eventually won’t come eventually (yeah, I know that sounds stupid), but that for me the small stuff has gotten to be too little to hang my hopes on. Having to micro-analyze so much has just exhausted me. It’s also a protective mechanism: hope not, disappointed not. I just can’t take even the tiniest things at face value anymore because of all the times, TPTB have turned them on their heads to be something that pulls B&B apart rather than bringing them together. So, my shipper heart remains extremely skeptical as to whether they can — or even want to — turn this around. It will remain so, until something that only requires regular analysis happens. Hannah leaving will only be a start because they can still come up with lots of stuff to keep them apart even longer.
That all said, I have never believed that Booth had stopped loving Bones or had never really loved her at all. To me, his moving on “so quickly” proved nothing of the sort. All it proved was that he was hurting very badly (and had no reason to think that he was even going to get her back as a partner and friend), was in a very scary place and was feeling guilty about leaving Parker and when comfort was offered in an attractive package, he took it. What happens in Afghanistan stays in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Hannah didn’t (stay in Afghanistan). He clearly was never expecting to see her again either. So, when she shows up, he’s shocked and delighted. A wonderful (yeah, I hate having to admit that) woman loves him enough to give up the work she loves and follow him across the globe — when the one he has loved for years and declares his love to won’t even put just part of her job at risk for him.
I have always believe that his claims of love for Hannah were “protesting too much,” his way of convincing himself more than anyone else.
However, I also believe that Booth was deeply, deeply hurt by Bones, and Hannah and all the other supposed “slights” to Bones were part of his need to protect himself from even more pain. He had to seal those feelings into a compartment and do everything he could to keep that seal intact. I would argue that the slights are actually the proof that he hadn’t really moved on. They show how desperate he was to somehow keep a wall between his heart and Bones.
I may add to this, but I have to let the students know I am canceling class tonight.
February 2, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Reading the post then through all of these comments I have many thoughts running through my mind, and I think I’ve already lost some that I thought along the way, but I’ll try and put some down here.
Yes there are some moments listed here where Booth is defending Brennan and he would probably have defended Angela or Cam if it had been one of them standing next to him. Actually in Skull in the Scuplter he did tell the artist that if he was going to hit on Angela to show her some respect (something along those lines), but in Shallow in the Deep he wasn’t just telling anyone to respect Brennan and leaving a decision on her actions up to her. He just flat out told the guy she wasn’t interested. I don’t think he would have done that with the other women.
I remember when Maggots aired people had been complaining that he hadn’t been calling her his partner the way he had in the past. When the bouncer pushed her it just struck me as very possesive when he called her my partner then, especially because he hadn’t really been referring to her that way.
So yes some of those actions you could say he’d take regardless of who it was because he’s that type of guy. He’s the one who will stand up and defend others. He’s protective not just of those he loves, but really of those he knows, and even those he doesn’t. I think it’s just the nuances in his behavior that make a difference. Maybe they are nuances that I’m creating in my own mind, but I don’t think so, I really think those associated with the show want us to see them because they do want us to know Booth and Brennan together are still the endgame.
That look at the end of Bullet I interpreted as maybe regret, a little longing, and really maybe it’s still pained love. I understand others may and do see something different, and we will, because of course our own experiences, expectations, and really mood will impact what we see.
I really do think that all of those feelings Booth has shown in the past for Brennan are still there, buried deeply and every once in a while they work their way to the surface. He’s very much in denial about that because things are so much easier with Hannah, they don’t have the baggage he has with Brennan. He wants it to work with Brennan so is really ignoring anything that says it might now work.
February 2, 2011 at 2:36 pm
“in Shallow in the Deep he wasn’t just telling anyone to respect Brennan and leaving a decision on her actions up to her. He just flat out told the guy she wasn’t interested. I don’t think he would have done that with the other women. ”
Maybe he wouldn’t do that with Angela or Cam, but they are not supposed to have Brennan’s bad record with men, and they are not supposed, I think, to be as gullible as Brennan when it comes to men (which I don’t like of course but that’s the way the writers made her). I also think that because of their special bond, Booth allows himself to do such a thing with Brennan that he wouldn’t dare doing with Angela or Cam, cause they are not that familiar with each other, and also cause Angela and Cam may not accept such a behavior, which Brennan totally does now… All of that for me doesn’t add up to love in a romantic way. IMO
February 2, 2011 at 4:46 pm
I guess am a “shipper”, so that of course colours how I watch the show and what I take from these ‘moments’. But even if you are not a “shipper” surely you must accept that these moments are intended to mean or convey something – for why else are they included?
The powers that be have told us that B&B are endgame – there is no mystery here, it will happen eventually – however frustrating it may seem to some of us at how long ‘eventually’ is going to take.
And, whether you believe that these moments are included because TPTB think that they are true to the characters journey, or simply required to keep thei audience happy, there is a reason they keep including these moments – these hints to the B&B connection/love, call it what you will, in the show – even this season when Booth is meant to have moved on.
TPTB have openly expressed surprise that anyone is doubting that B&B will end up together and don’t expect any fans to seriously believe that Booth has moved on – after all, how is that possible when we all know he loves Brennan and we know they are endgame. As a result, they have kept including these subtle – almost too subtle sometimes for a lot of people – hints that what Booth says is not the same as what he feels.
I don’t think I am a deluded optimistic – but one of the main reasons that the car scene in DITP was heart crushing was because Booth was so conflicted by Brennan’s disclosure – his words may have been firm and apparently final but his facial expression and body language painted a very different story. I really felt how equally gutted he was in that moment.
Also, in the various scenes mentioned – the moment could have been played differently. Booth could have thanked Brennan for saving Hannah in another way, he could have seen her to the door in another way – we didn’t need to have the classic Booth “look” at Brennan. Also, if Booth was confident in his new relationship he would have just decided to tell Hannah or not tell Hannah about Brennan’s disclosure – he would not have hunted out Sweets at the gym.
I am not sure that these moments mean that he is ‘fighting for her’, but to me they definitely show that we are meant to understand that he is very conflicted and that there is very much an internal struggle going on inside him.
Personally I just wish we had seen more such moments. For example, that they hadn’t used the cut of the bar scene when he walks out with Hannah for dinner and leaves Brennan alone without a backward glance, but instead used the cut where he gives her a thoughful/guilty glance as he leaves.
In any case, I am hoping that however the Hannah storyline plays out, that we get a cathartic, let it all out episode this season – I think it would do both the audience and the characters a world of good..!
February 2, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Sue that scene in the Bar made me also a bit sad; he should have glanced back at her after he rushed Hannah out the door. But his voice sounded a bit disappointed when he said: “I see you tomorrow!”
At least that is what I thought and you said there are so many little subtle things all over the show.
I also agree with you about the car scene. He was put in a very awkward position point blank, but I think he did very well reacting to it.
February 2, 2011 at 5:56 pm
Sue – This is the thing for me: I have come to doubt the words of TPTB as to the end game. There’s been to much disinformation and misinformation to allow me to accept anything they say anymore without a huge grain of salt.
I don’t doubt that Booth hasn’t really moved on, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into an ending with them together as more than just partners and friends. I certainly hope it will, but I don’t trust that it will any more.
Sometimes I wish I were a person who had more faith on many levels, but in most areas of life, I have none and, unfortunately, Bones has become one of those areas. As I said above: no hope, no disappointment, no unhappy surprises.
I do “hope” I’m wrong.
February 2, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Coming back to the coffee cart scene, I think a lot of emphasis was put on that. They all came back after 7 month, why not 1 year. Could be they had to have an opening scene a little more dramatic? If I guess the timeline starting in September (7 Month) 5 month further would be February. Maybe some surprise is in store for us this month.
I never read “Anne of Green Gables”, (I did to grow up in this country) but it sounds like the writers have taken that story of Love and made a modern version out of it. I have to read it now, even if I am not a kid anymore.
I think Booth is still in love with Bones, at least that is what I like to believe. There are so many subtle things to see in this season episodes, on from “The Body in the Bag”, after the disheartening scene with Booth and Hannah when he said: “what ever feeling I had, I don’t have them anymore.” (And my heart took a hit, when he said it.) But he also said to Hannah after she asked him “she loves you?’ “Loved, did …” and then told Hannah to go easy on Bones. It is still a sign of protecting Bones or he did not want to rock the boat in Hannah’s and Bones Friendship. But that does not make sense, if he is really over her, he would be better off, if these two women would not be together. But then later in the episode, when Booth and Bones are in the interrogation room with the Chinese Herbalist and they talked about the Necklace with the Rhino Horn, Bones said: “Rhino Horn is cold and used by men who are hot.” And Booth said:”We are” and he had a little twinkle in his eyes to maybe let Bones know he is still there and he is hot. (Nice thought!) But that could also mean, see what you lost!…. But I don’t want to go there.
Because I am still very positive about the show, I think the last scene in “Bullet in the Brain” Booth look I see as yearning and am unhappy, that he can’t be with her.
February 2, 2011 at 10:53 pm
anne of green gables and anne of avonlea are wonderful books…a must read for any age group.
February 2, 2011 at 11:10 pm
I just love how this blog lends itself to AoGG discussion on the side. Such a sweet and considered and niche parallel 🙂
February 2, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Brilliant brilliant brilliant! Aaah, I love the analytical Bones community 🙂
February 2, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Great discussion, great images.
I too think that Booth is conflicted. I don’t think that he is intentionally fighting for Brennan…but he is doing something. As somebody mentioned, every single shot is calculated. We are meant to have a response to them as TPTB want us to notice and react. Why else zoom in on the missing ‘cocky’? Why else show Booth watching a scene bw Bren and Max when he’s not involved?
This story isn’t over. Yeah we may be shippers, we may be wearing rose coloured glasses, but we’re having fun. Isn’t that the point? I really hope that the analytical/positive slant of this blog remains. It really is one of the only safe places.
February 2, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Love it
Thanks for sharing
I agree….
I still have hope!
February 2, 2011 at 10:51 pm
absolute hands down, the fact that he was there to save her in ditp is PROOF that even though we think he’s at home cuddling with hannah, in reality he’s constantly lurking just out of frame, watching and waiting just like he’s always been. for a while, i was seriously p.o.’ed at him for leaving her to stay up all night and worry and obsess and eat herself alive for that whole three days, but i realized that he WAS really there for her when she needed him. he wasn’t there to keep hannah from being shot, and he didn’t go to the hospital for her operation. there is no way in god’s green earth that he wouldn’t be there for bones if she were under the knife. seriously. we all know it. he himself insisted on having bones in the actual operating room with him when he was operated on. i just don’t see him there for hannah in the same way.
the other scene that gives me hope is the one with the chicken autopsy…he knows from experience that this is a trick she does, he totally LOVES the trick and wants her to show the others, and he’s obviously delighted by it, even though everyone else is revolted. he GETS her. what the heck has hannah ever done that tickles him like this little ridiculous thing? it almost makes me forgive him for all of the eye rolls and impatience with bones over the last few months. almost.
February 3, 2011 at 6:22 am
Thank you all for a spirited discussion yesterday! Virtual hugs to everyone who felt the need to clarify what I said in my post or voice your support for me. I read all of your comments, and they made me smile. 🙂 Most of all, thank you ALL for presenting your arguments, whether pro or con, in a polite and considerate manner. It proves something. It really, really does.
February 5, 2011 at 1:07 pm
Nice post Steph, it made me smile when reading it.
Honestly….i do believe that you are reading a whole lot into nothing in regards to the beginning of the Season.
Couple in the Cave in particular. For me, that scene in the FF before he leaves with Hannah, about love and….well, you know the scene i mean! For me, Booth wasn’t fighting for Brennan by saying how they could have worked…he was on the defensive. He was defending the feelings he had claimed to have for Brennan, and the feelings he now has for Hannah by saying one doesn’t cancel out the other. Make sense? Not sure it does but never mind!
The rest….i’ll admit, what i love about BT is that a lot of the time people read things into facial expressions (Booths in particular) that aren’t there. And i like reading that…i’m a cynic so it’s nice to read something from someone who sees the positive…or thinks they see the positive.
Even when i disagree, it still makes me smile 😀
I think Bullet is the first time this Season we’ve been given the impression that Booth isn’t as secure in what he does or doesn’t feel for Brennan as he’d like us to believe. And Sisters re-emphasised that point.