One of these two "Booths" is a whiny, alcoholic, slimeball who needs a punch in the face. *hint: he is NOT wearing a "cocky" belt buckle.
Episode 4 x 9 of Bones: "The Con Man in the Meth Lab"
Bottom line: 4 steamboats out of a possible 5.
Booth: Earns 5 out of 5!
This is my favorite episode of season 4 thus far.
THE BODY
Grossness factor: I'd give it a 7. (Don't take a bite of fried chicken prior to the body being shown.) The body is not as clean and fleshless as I generally like. You know, if I could say I have a preference with how my decomposing humans look.
THE CASE
Not as riveting of a case as usual with a pretty quick solve. This was to make room for the massive amount of character development that took precedence in the episode. It reminded me a bit of Santa in the Slush in that regard since all I really remember about the Santa case was that B/B had to sniff a whole bunch of Santa Claus posteriors to find the right (or wrong) Kris Kringle. In both episodes the case was almost a distractor in trying to get to more of what was going on between Booth, Booth's brother Jerod, and Brennan. Booth gives little bro the intro to Bones and his squints. Cam refers to Jerod as Jarhead. I've decided a much better name for him is "Jerkhead." Henceforth, that is what I will call him! There were actually two cases presented. One that Booth had been working on behind the scenes referred to as the "Rico Case" in which at it's culmination he was fairly certain his face would be minted on a coin. (I'm thinking he'd look good on a Nickel. JMHO!) The other was the case and involved a body being accidentally blown up by the local police in a training exercise extolling the dangers of shooting tear gas into Meth Labs. It turned out to be a bad cop who killed the dead guy he was conspiring with for his take. Or it might have been a fake cop who killed him for an invention. Yeah, I paid MEGA attention to all of this as you can tell. Seriously, it doesn't really matter because I swear the CASE was not where the action was occurring.
SQUINTS
In the world of revolving Zacks, I'm loving the one named Clark. Remember, he was the one who indicated he was mature enough to be Max Brennan's scientist because he'd "been with a woman." I mean, I am loyal to and love Zack as much as anyone, but Clark and his wont to avoid all things personal at work was a really nice quirk. He views the Jeffersonian as though he has stepped into the set of a soap opera. Everywhere he turns there is personal drama and all Clark wants to do is work. He even wore a special "no personal drama" tie to prove it. For some reason I could see Clark and Booth getting along like peas-n-carrots since he's generally not so big on the personal drama either. Although Booth did happily pass on the new development in Angela's love life to Clark. What man can resist talking about gorgeous girl-on-girl action? Obviously not even Booth can! I loved the moment that Hodgins pulled Clark in on a very Hodgins/Zack-esque experiment. Clark seemed embarrassed that he was momentarily distracted from his professionalism when Brennan caught him and I thought...wow, we may have found our new Zack! Angela was pretty limited in this episode but delivered the line of the night IMO telling Brennan [para] that "having sex with Jerod would be a creepy way of sleeping with a Booth without it being the real one."
Bren: "He's a real Booth."
Ange: "He's Booth-lite."
Sweets and Cam were the best little B/B shippers eva! taking the place that is usually held nicely by Angela. Cam was, for 80% of the episode, the only friend Booth had. She filled in a typically clueless Brennan on what was really going on inside her partner's head. I am now hard-pressed to remember a time when I used to dislike her. Sweets and Camille held an intervention with Brennan to help her give up her short-lived Jerkhead addiction and in doing so gave Brennan some insight into Booth's formative years. You know, Sweets generally knows what he's talking about. He has the psyches of Booth and Bren nailed most of the time. More peeps should listen to him since he is ALWAYS right. Except that time when he thought Hodgins was Gormagon. Yeah, nevermind, Sweets is an idiot.
BOOTH
This was probably my favorite episode for the development of his character. David B. did an exceptional acting job here in displaying the mixture of charm, restraint, integrity and a pinch of simmering anger that is Seely Booth. God, you really felt for Booth in a way that has not ever happened, at least for me, on the show. We got a glimpse of the make-up of SA Booth...finally! Apparently, strong-and-silent Seely grew up in an abusive household. His father was physically abusive and an alcoholic--it was implied that Booth was abused but not Jerod. Booth has been protecting his younger brother for most of his life, stepping in to deflect blame from young Jerkhead and never allowing him to reap the consequences of his misactions. This trait was exploited in what transpired with the Rico case. Booth had been working with the police force and was sure to receive some recognition, maybe a promotion, and was planning a trip to Hawaii to celebrate. All this fell by the wayside when Jerkhead was stopped while driving under the influence. (Had he just dropped Brennan off when he was stopped? If so then bad, bad Bren for letting an inebriated Jerkhead drive!!) Seely has to trade in his recognition and a little of his integrity to get Jerkhead out of his scrape with the law. Bye, bye Hawaii! Cam immediately gets the connection and confronts Booth, but he shuts her down thisquick. Cam reflects that the last time she discussed Jerkhead with Booth she lost speaking-to-Booth privileges for 6 mos. Subject dropped quickly. Can ya blame her? Booth's day goes from worse to worser! when suspect after suspect proves to be the wrong call, Bones is out all night with Jerkface, his cred is stripped for his case, Bren calls him a loser (more about that later!), and did I mention it was his birthday??? Awww, poor Booth.
BRENNAN
I have never been angry at Tempe. Never! Not one time. Until tonight. I was ready for Cam to bitch-slap her, or maybe for Sweets to talk her to death, or even, you know, for Booth to just shoot her. She begins the episode by hitting on Jerkhead blatantly in Booth's presence. Booth likes it not. In her nerdy scientist-y way of hitting on guys she comes at lil' Booth hardcore. And he IS kind of cute in an "I'll likely sleep with your roommate when you leave for work" kind-of-way, but really when Seely Booth is standing next to Lil' Jerkhead Booth there is just no way you make any comments about facial symmetry or the such. I mean, there's just no contest. But I digress, so Bren gets herself a date with J-Rod and proceeds to watch him schmooze a bunch of military brass. And then try to schmooze her. He gives her his $0.02 on big brother and implies that he is the success of the family because Booth refuses to take chances and always sabotages himself. He proves this by kissing Brennan who seems to like it but not in a "gum-trading, 5 steamboat" kind-of-way. She does tell her Cam/Sweet interventionists that she likes Jerkhead and even refutes their assertions that J-Rod is to blame for Booth losing credit in the case. You know, because she's known Jerkhead for all of 12 hours while she's seen Booth take a bullet for her, work tirelessly to save her life multiple times, brilliantly give of himself to comfort victims, confront bad guys, etc, etc... So why would she possibly take Booth's side? She has no facts, she says. The worst moment of the day for both Bones and Booth came when she was questioning Booth as to why he didn't receive the recognition for the Rico case. She repeats Jerkface's words that imply Booth is a no-account loser. Not caring what Jerkface said, but caring VERY MUCH what Bones thought, Booth asks, "Do you think I'm a loser?" She tells him he shouldn't be sad that his place in the tribal male hierarchy is so far below his brother's. Basically, "Yep, I suddenly find you to be a big fat loser!" Booth is very, very hurt. And angry. But being Booth, he doesn't clarify with her what he has sacrificed for Jerkface. He doesn't want to have to ask for her respect. After 3 years one would think he has earned it. One would think wrong. At least temporarily. Brennan meets with Jerkhead following her CamSweet intervention and asks if he had anything to do with sabotaging Booth's case. His guilty expression is such that even Bones gets it. She is pissed at him for misusing Booth and at herself for believing Jerkhead--so much so that she knocks him out of his chair and says that HE is the loser, not his gorgeous brother. And THUS my Brennan is back! Loves her! Unsure how to broach the subject and make amends with Booth they proceed to solve their case about the money, the inventions, the fake cop with Bones actually getting shot in the arm in the process...which was treated to only about 10 seconds of importance and with Booth once again displaying his perfect aim in taking out the perp through the dividing grill of a police cruiser. Wait, how did he did a real police cruiser? OK maybe he was a real cop. Oh well, unimportant! :)
The RESOLUTION
The Jeffersionians convene to a Booth Birthday Bash in the Bar, and Brennan, who is widely renown for her speech-making!, does the honors in the toast. Booth sits nearby still stewing in his misery. Bren lectures that generally the Alpha-male of the tribe is the one who is the flashiest and draws the most attention to themselves, but she thinks that Anthropology may be wrong on this one. (This is HUGE for her to say! WOW! Booth has won out over Science for her!) She's seen enough of Booth to realize that the TRUE alpha male is the one who is quiet, solid, stands up for their family and friends, and is sexy as hell. (She actually didn't say that last one.) She will never be swayed by those flashy-type alpha males again. (SHE MEANS YOU JERKHEAD!!!) "Thanks Bones," Booth says with a sad little smile. Nice moment. But now's the time for Booth's Bones intervention. She pulls him aside and even though I KNEW what was to follow--a coming-to-Jesus talk regarding Jerkhead--I still had a hope that maybe she was going to give Booth-superior the birthday kiss he so deserved. Sigh. She tells him he's got to stop enabling Jerod. Booth bristles and starts to instinctually push her away. But she threatens to get Sweets to give the talk in her place. He relents and listens defensively pointing out that she'd acted similarly when she had Max acquitted knowing he was guilty. They commiserate for a moment in their shared realization. Booth is emboldened by Bones' words and decides to confront lil' bro. He asks Jerod to stop drinking and tells him that he is done protecting him. He needs to grow up now. Not surprisingly Jerkhead is unreceptive "I carry my own water" (Really? When?) and blows Booth off to get more of his drink on. Booth, defeated, sits down on the nearby park bench in preparation for Brennan to come and deliver their patented end-of-episode...
2 MINUTE HEART-to-HEART
This 2 min H2H was not quite 2 mins but was a powerful one all the same. Up to this point Booth has divulged next to nothing about his family, his childhood, or anything else to Bren, an by proxy to we the viewers. As she approaches him he is emotional and doesn't want to talk. "I need some time" he says thickly. "Do you time and space?" she asks. And he gives her the sweetest smile, "Just time." He indicates he wants her there and she sits beside him. She's brought him a piece of his birthday cake with 2 forks. As they share the cake he gives her a gift...a piece of himself. "My dad drank," he confides. And thus the doors to his heart are swung wide open. Well, at least they are cracked a bit!Booth/Bren Progress
MAJOR! Progress in the relationship front. Not really any sexual tension in this episode between the two but there was a strengthening of the emotional bond. The sneak peeks for this week had implied a WHOLE different story than appeared on screen. Maybe even a Brennan/Jerod hook-up. Thank GOD that did not happen! Booth opening up to Brennan was just fabulous. It's truly amazing that we are into season 4 and just now making a dent in the Booth facade. Booth's reticence to talk about himself in any sort of a personal way has been a stumbling block for them. I truly think Booth is already at a point where he realizes he has feelings for Bren and is trying desperately to hide them from her since he knows that "you can't rush her." Booth couldn't help saying impulsively "No" twice to the idea of Jerkhead taking Bones to the Ball. Brennan, on the other hand, really came to an appreciation of Booth. Her speech about Booth being the invisible man who would now forever hold her attention was basically a proposal of marraige from Brennan. She just doesn't realize it yet, nor does Booth. Okay, maybe proposal is a bit of a stretch. It WAS very telling that she was out on a date with Jerkhead and finding herself focusing on the elder Booth. "I was just thinking how bored Booth would be here." She found out in short order who the REAL Booth was and who was Booth-lite. I believe her when she says she will never question that, or him, again.
What Went Wrong?
Nothing really, in my opinion. The only change I'd have made is I do love when Booth sees Bren looking fabulous. They are corny moments, yes, but a desired fixture on the show. (See Bren in Vegas hooker outfit, see Bren in Wonder Woman costume, etc) She was really lovely in heading to the Ball and it was wasted solely on Jerkhead. But in retrospect Booth was probably low enough as it was without seeing her leave looking like that with his Jerkhead brother. So no real complaints from me in this episode. The case may have fell a little flat but that turned out to be for the best since characterizations took the front seat here. Fabulous episode as a whole.
