Bones 5.04 The Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

[Jude40]

Hi Everyone

I totally, completely, absolutely loved this episode and I mean everything about it but just a few highlights:

TJ of course, more of him in this, and he was at his mischevious best especially, the pebbles discussion, crap 'a technical term' and the smack from Cam over the muslims v christians line.

'Oh god she's a therapist, she talks like a therapist'...'Oh god she's an anthropologist, she talks like an anthropologist'.

Booth making the suspect, alibi notes in the neighborhood.

The Brennan/Sweets discussion re anthropology/psychology and then Brennan accepting Sweets point of view over wanting to know the motive.

The end scene, Parker wanting Booth to get a girlfriend so he could get access to a swimming pool and Brennan giving them access. This episode more than any I've seen so far made B&B seem like they were already a couple but without the physical side.

I liked the Arastoo story with the fake accent which culminated in the really cool good natured banter scene, just good that the whole cast featured more.

I really haven't got anything bad to say, loved the story, the interaction of the characters and the humour, Brennan didn't even annoy me at all this week and I loved her in that last scene with Parker.

I don't know what everyone else thought but I just hope the rest of the season is this good.

Anyway off to the pub later, then Bones and Lie to Me on Sky +

Catch you later

Jude x

[jade.stormcloud]

This is a repost of what I wrote on the BY.


My least favorite one so far this season. The case was confusing, the motive was anticlimactic, and the Parker "my dad needs a girlfriend" B-story was not as much fun as I thought it might be.

Also, the Arastoo storyline just seemed really odd to me. In "The Man in the Fallout Shelter," Angela said that she believed in the Christian mythos, & Hodgins indicated that he believed in God. So, why would Arastoo's faith be such an issue? It just seemed like they were trying to force some religious controversy where there isn't any.

Maybe I'm just tired; it's been a long week. But still.... I didn't squeal, I didn't "aww," there was no tear-jerking or empathy, there was no cool gross-out factor with the corpse.... Not to say there weren't a couple of good little bits. For instance, Bones giving them her key without even thinking about it was nice. They looked like a cute little family unit there at the end.

Other than that last scene, though, I could probably skip this episode & never miss it. So disappointing. I'm supposed to LOVE every episode! I have failed as a BONES viewer!

Oh well. There's always next week.

[ThyneAlone]

Well, I'd have to say I fall neither into the unconditional love nor the relative indifference bracket. I did like that TJ got a little more to do, I always adore it when he is out in the field anyway; his unbridled enthusiasm is so cute! I also liked the fresh scenario. So often the murders are in sleazy and unprepossessing surroundings. It was bizarrely reassuring to examine the dark undercurrents we all know exist beneath the bright, clipped-lawn, image-conscious face of suburbia. It makes a change that everybody had some small (or huge) secret to hide, and the fact that this particular secret had been holed up in a luau pit underneath a slowly roasting pig reminded me of the metaphor of Lord of the Flies - telling us that our savage natures are just a little bit below the surface. Interesting also that while ostensibly adopting a positive attitude towards the environment, these people could not accept the reality and the sacrifice involved in caring for it.

That said, yes, Jade, it was thoroughly confusing. In fact I can't recall a non-political one that confused me more. I couldn't remember who was meant to be related to whom or sort out the wildly varying motives!

As far as the subplots were concerned, yes, Parker was cute and all, and the final scene indeed effectively projected a lovely family image, but the find-dad-a-girlfriend theme seemed a little forced to me. And whatever point they were trying to make with Arastoo's small deception escaped me completely, though it did fit in with the general theme of concealment and underlying reasons for certain behaviours. I don't see why his religion needs to be such a big deal. It would never occur to me to ask a practising Muslim why exactly he practised, whatever accent he might profess! I just thought that was weird. Unless the actor was just fed up with putting on an accent and felt he was presenting a stereotype, of course!!

I see where you're coming from, Jude, with the extended family ensemble work. It is definitely improving the ambiance of the show that the BB emphasis has become more subtle and that we are seeing more of the group, their mutual acceptance, banter and so on. I too hope that it continues to develop.