When I started binge-watching Bones this past Fall, I didn’t expect to fall in love with a crime show, but what I found was way more than just another procedural.
For those that never tuned into Bones, it probably just appeared like any other of the procedural shows out there: NCIS, CSI, Criminal Minds, the list goes on and on. I probably would have said the same thing if I hadn’t sat through a panel at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con that showed just how much fun this cast has together, and showcased some of the relationships the show had to offer. I was a few months into my first viewing of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Rewatchable, and I had already started to get curious about David Boreanaz and what he has done post-Angel, so I made plans to check out Bones.
I walked away from that panel intrigued and ready to look into the show. A month or so later, I started my binge-watch and was instantly in love with this series, its principle characters, and the dynamics that made it so much more interesting than the other shows already around just like it. Each of the characters brought something that I hadn’t seen on TV before, and I wanted to take a chance to express why I’m thankful this show and these characters existed.
Temperance Brennan
Thank you, Dr. Temperance Brennan, for showing that a woman can be a scientist first and foremost in her life, and still feel happy and fulfilled. This show began with a woman who had no interest in playing wife and mother in addition to her work, and ended with a woman who had not only found love with a man who wasn’t afraid to see her as an equal, but who managed to balance her family life with her professional without giving up either.
Thank you, Brennan, for showing how to be true to yourself and your beliefs and still respect those of others. It took you a while to learn how to master this, but thanks to all the good friends around you, you learned how to do both. We are better having known you.
Seeley Booth
Thank you, Agent Seeley Booth, for demonstrating that learning from a woman is not degrading or a mark against your manhood. So, so many times, Brennan knew more than you and stepped in to explain, but you never truly acted as if she was anything other than what she was: a brilliant scientist. May you be an example to men everywhere. We will miss your partnership with her more than anything. The ways you complemented each other in your strengths was absolutely groundbreaking.
Thank you, Booth, for being a shining example of how to hold true to your beliefs even when challenged by the woman you love. Seeing how Bones and Booth were able to hold onto their own belief systems, and still make their life together work, is one part of Bones‘ lasting legacy.
Camille Saroyan
Thank you, Dr. Camille Saroyan, for being the head of a lab that employs the best of the best no matter what their gender or beliefs. Seeing the diverse group of geniuses at work week after week showed that anyone can work together toward a common goal no matter who they may be outside of the workplace.
Thanks, Cam, for being fair minded and having faith in the justice system even when it was hardest to do. Despite all the pressures to conform, Cam never backed down when she thought she was in the right. It’s more important than ever for us to stand against wrongdoing no matter how strong the opposition.
Angela Montenegro
Thank you, Angela Montenegro, for being a positive example of a professional woman who can literally be a jack of all trades. Not only were you a talented artist for even the toughest of the facial reconstructions thrown at you, you took it upon yourself to become the team’s resident technological genius. We continue to be amazed at your skills with a keyboard.
Thanks, Angela, for also showing a healthy relationship between a woman and her sexuality. It was never your dominant trait, but you allowed your character’s sexuality to be a part of her without defining her. I will never forget the positive example you set for millions of young girls that may watch this show in the future.
Jack Hodgins
Thank you, Dr. Jack Hodgins, for proving that no matter how disgusting some people may find the grosser parts of nature, there is always someone who will find them beautiful. We can’t begin to count the number of times we cringed at your outward affection for some of the series’ more gruesome or terrifying crime scenes, but we also saw your appreciation for the bugs, wildlife, and microbial evidence that was possible thanks to your love for all things creepy-crawly.
Thanks, Hodgins, for bringing the fun to science. Thank you for never losing the childlike wonder that comes with performing crazy experiments and proving even the craziest of theories correct. Thanks for taking pride in naming yourself the King of the Lab, even after your competition dried up. You will always be our King of the Lab.
Lance Sweets
Thank you, Agent Lance Sweets, for never allowing Brennan’s distrust of your discipline to diminish your role in this group. You brought a distinct and special quality to each investigation you were a part of, and we still miss you in every episode since your untimely demise.
Thanks, Sweets, for keeping the faith that Bones and Booth were meant to be together, even when the craziest things were doing their damndest to keep them apart. We were always by your side, cheering you on, and hoping that someday these crazy kids would see they were meant to make each other’s lives better.
James Aubrey
Thank you, Agent James Aubrey, for not trying to fill the shoes of Lance Sweets, but for being an agent all your own. Stepping in to help Booth in the wake of such a devastating loss was incredibly noble of you, and we quickly came to love your random bits of knowledge that made you the perfect liaison between the brains of the Jeffersonian and the legal world of the FBI.
Thanks, Aubrey, for being a friend to Booth even when he pushed you away. He needed a fellow agent to stay by his side even when he was acting ridiculous and challenging the love of all those around him. We will always treasure your role on this team and wish you could have been around from the beginning.
Caroline Julian
Thank you, Ms. Caroline Julian, for being the constant legal mind when all these passionate individuals wanted to cross the line. The number of times you were able to remind Booth, Brennan, and all the rest that there is a court system to which they must be accountable cannot be measured. You always were the MVP of this team, constantly working in the shadows and never given the proper acknowledgement for your work. This team never would have accomplished anything without you.
Thanks, Ms. Julian, for making us laugh even in the darkest of times. I will never again hear the nickname chéri without picturing your staredowns and flabbergasted looks. You always managed to keep this team real. No matter how far into the science they dove, you reminded them that not everyone shares their passion for proper Latin names and incredibly detailed scientific explanations.
The Interns
And last, but certainly never least, thank you to the interns. To Zach Addy, Wendell Bray, Clark Edison, Daisy Wick, Arastoo Vaziri, Colin Fisher, Vincent Nigel-Murray, Jessica Warren, Finn Abernathy, and any others we might have forgotten. Thank you for reminding us of the value of education and the pursuit of knowledge. Each of you challenged us to question our circumstances and remember how and why we got where we are. I loved watching each and every one of you learn from the best and the brightest at the Jeffersonian, and will miss watching you marvel at Brennan’s vast knowledge and expertise again and again.
Thank you Bones for showing us a different kind of procedural, and being an example to the world of how a truly diverse group of people can work together seamlessly. We will miss you.
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