It’s very rare for a show to last more than a few seasons without a significant dip in quality, particularly for network procedurals that rely on the same formula on a week-by-week basis. Even if the showrunners have a unique twist on the traditional investigative premise that stands out compared to rival programs, the “case of the week” structure can get tiresome once viewers adjust to the established way an episode plays out. However, Bones was able to sidestep these common issues thanks to the investment that series creator Hart Hanson placed on fleshing out the characters. Though the series has an eclectic supporting cast, Bones was reliant upon the excellent chemistry between Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz. Dramatic crime shows are bound to encourage investment from viewers based on the nature of the cases being discussed, but Bones brought to life an interesting central dynamic that would not have been possible without its two performances.
Loosely based on the real life and books of Kathy Reichs, Bones centers on the brilliant forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan (Deschanel), who works to investigate evidence at crime scenes at the industrious Jeffersonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Brennan has a close relationship with artist Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin), entomologist Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne), intern Zack Addy (Eric Millegan), psychologist Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley), and pathologist Camille Saroyan (Tamara Taylor). However, it’s her personal and professional connection with FBI Agent Seeley Booth (Boreanaz) that gave Bones its distinct charm. While Hanson originally had a much different approach in mind, Booth and Brennan’s roles were changed after a critical moment filming the pilot episode. It came down to the two actors being completely in sync on what direction the show should head, and it ended up inspiring a series that continues to garner new viewers based on its rewatchability.
Booth Was Never Meant To Be a Permanent Fixture on ‘Bones’
Bones was unique among procedural crime shows because, at its heart, it was a character drama. Booth and Brennan are complete opposites: while Brennan is socially adverse and highly neurotic, Booth is gregarious, often relying upon his “gut” to make decisions. Initially, their partnership is rocky, as their approaches to solving crimes are radically different; Brennan often feels that Booth doesn’t treat the scientific procedures that she conducts with respect, and he often feels that she uses advanced terminology in order to make him “feel dumb” and undermine his authority. However, Booth and Brennan eventually discover that their skills are complementary and they enjoy spending time together. Eventually, a romance blossoms between the two, but Booth is originally set to be a minor character in the series. According to Hanson, the show would have involved a group of different FBI agents who came in to help Brennan complete her cases.
Despite the importance he ultimately played in the show’s narrative, Booth was originally intended to be little more than an audience surrogate. As someone not well-versed in the scientific jargon that Brennan often spoke about, he would’ve served as a character who asked the same questions that the audience did without breaking the format of the narrative structure. However, Hanson took note of the chemistry between Deschanel and Boreanaz when filming the show’s pilot episode. He stated that he felt the audience would “want to watch these two interact,” because they were “a very rational person and very emotional person.” He compared their dynamic to that of Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in the classic mystery series, Moonlighting, which is regarded as the series that initiated the “will they or won’t they” debate in many modern television programs.
The relationship between Brennan and Booth turned Bones from a standard procedural into must-see television. Generally, “case of the week” shows don’t require viewers to pay close attention to the character details, as they tend to revert to the status quo at the end of each episode. However, Bones gave the viewer a reason to watch the show sequentially, as Booth and Brennan began to mature as they understood each other more closely. Early episodes may have felt closer to a more traditional mystery series, but the standout Season 1 episode, “The Man In The Fallout Shelter,” indicated that Bones was putting its characters first and foremost. It was in this installment that Booth opened up to Brennan about his regrets about fatherhood and how he began to become a workaholic to avoid depression about his admitted failure to stand by his son. Likewise, Brennan was able to discuss the similarly complex relationship that she had with her own father, Max (Ryan O’Neal), who had left her family due to a series of crimes that he had committed. Both Booth and Brennan are essentially lonely children in need of acceptance; while their family lives were never ideal, they can at least find solace in relating and empathizing with one another.
Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz Developed a Real Friendship While Making ‘Bones’
Although their chemistry may have been apparent to Hanson as early as the pilot episode, Deschanel and Boreanaz worked to develop their own onscreen dynamic. The two would regularly meet with an acting coach to develop the snappy “back and forth” dialogue between their characters to make it feel more realistic. Over the course of their experience, Deschanel and Boreanaz developed a real friendship that mirrored their onscreen personas. The time and investment they put in was certainly advantageous; later moments in the series that explored the intimacies of their relationship felt more sincere thanks to the stars’ genuine respect for each other. While having a pleasant working environment is something that every production strives for, it was absolutely essential for Bones, a show that cranked out 22 episodes a year for over a decade. It is unlikely that the show would have had the same longevity if the actors didn’t feel comfortable playing off one another and acting friendly on screen together.
Given how dark the subject material was, the comic banter between Boreanaz and Deschanel was critical to the tone of Bones. The series often dealt with graphic content and featured more than a few ruthless serial killers who pushed the Jeffersonian staff to their limit; murder, suicide, sexual assault, and torture became commonplace on a series that managed to incorporate a surprising amount of graphic content, despite its TV-14 rating. Viewers may have only been able to stomach so much disturbing material if that was the only thing that Bones had to offer, but Booth and Brennan often traded comic jabs at each other’s expense. It’s impressive that Boreanaz and Deschanel could add these humorous elements without ever sacrificing the show’s integrity; the comic relief felt authentic to the characters and didn’t detract from the gravity of their responsibilities. In many ways, Booth and Brennan use their comedic banter as a way of blowing off steam when the weight of what’s going around them makes it too difficult to go through traditional therapy. It’s also noted that given how unique their profession is, Booth and Brennan are among the few people who can actually relate to each other’s experiences.
Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz’s Chemistry Is Crucial to ‘Bones’
Some of Bones’ most emotionally impactful scenes feel more realistic due to Deschanel and Boreanaz’s real-life connection. In the controversial Season 10 episode, “The Conspiracy and the Corpse,” fan-favorite character Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley) is beaten to death by a rogue Navy SEAL in one of the most shocking, brutal moments in the series. Although Daley left the show to pursue other creative opportunities, there were certainly better ways to have said goodbye to his beloved character than brutally killing him off in a way that not only feels jarringly abrupt but also inauthentic. It became more than obvious that the decision was made purely to appease an actor’s schedule and did not creatively fit into the narrative that Hanson had in mind.
The one saving grace of this tragic moment in the series is Deschanel and Boreanaz’s effortless chemistry. Because the actors share such a close bond in real life, their characters’ reactions to Sweet’s death feels authentic – even if Sweet’s death itself does not. The way the two actors were able to react and respond to each other’s grief and shock heightens the scene. It’s because of Deschanel and Boreanaz that even in Bones’ most unpopular moments, viewers kept coming back. To the credit of both Deschanel and Boreanaz, Bones never felt like it was ignoring the consequences of this moment, as it would become an important part of both characters’ development within the final two seasons. Booth begins to cope with some serious mental health issues as he copes with the loss of Sweets, a former rival who he had grown to trust as one of his best friends.
‘Bones’ Maintained a Consistent Level of Quality Throughout Its Run
While even the best shows can be accused of “jumping the shark” at a certain point, Bones never suffered a serious decline in quality thanks to the strong performances of Deschanel and Boreanaz. Even when the show developed storylines that weren’t realized to their full potential, both actors ensured that Booth and Brennan always acted within character. This was also the result of Boreanaz’s creative involvement; he stepped behind the camera to direct several episodes, including the acclaimed series finale that brought Bones to a satisfying conclusion. While pulling off a great season finale is challenging for any show, it’s particularly hard for a procedural that had to justify the years of investment that fans had in the material. Thankfully, Bones‘ final installment was one that wrapped up a particularly compelling conspiracy storyline in a satisfying way, yet also managed to look back at the eclectic cast of characters and assess how radically they had evolved since the series began in 2005.
The chemistry between Deschanel and Boreanaz is what gave Bones its longevity. It was a level of success that proved difficult to replicate, as the botched spinoff series, The Finder, was unable to develop the same connection with its cast. The series remains highly rewatchable as “comfort television” for many fans because the characters feel like family over time. Rumors persist that a reboot or continuation of Bones is in the works, with Boreanaz recently stating that it was a character and universe that he would be interested in returning to. While there have been some disastrous television revivals in recent years, it’s easy to imagine that Boreanaz and Deschanel would have enough integrity to ensure the wait was worth it for Bones fans. That being said, it would be much more challenging for viewers to accept any way of continuing Bones in which these two were not directly involved on a creative level to ensure that Booth and Brennan were still the same people that they always were.
Bones is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
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