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mistletoeAaaah what a morning! In a good way. Steve Bruce and Niall Quinn (my uber-hero) were on Goals on Sunday this morning and I know I am biased but what common sense they talked. It's not usual for the chairman of a football club to be an ex-player (I can't think of another one in this country) and a former player for the club to boot. Manager yes, but not chairman. He's not even from the area: he's Irish, but he has such a passion for Sunderland football club he more or less bought it; or at least put together a group of business men to do it for him. And when they ran out of money he went and found someone else. What a man!
Speaking of passion and what a man, I've got more to say about Booth (oh there's a surprise. Mid season 3 Booth in fact starting from an episode I really enjoy: Mummy in the Maze and then further thoughts from The Intern in the Incinerator.
To continue with going against the norm, we find Booth and Brennan at an Amusement Park in The Dungeon of 1000 Corpses face to face with a clown. Suddenly, we discover Booth is not just afraid of dentists.
BOOTH: Right. What did you see?
BREATHLESS WOMAN: A corpse. Past the killer clown.
Booth lets go of the mask, his eyes wide.
BOOTH: (in a higher pitch than usual) Clown?
Booth looks at Geller.
GELLER: You okay?
BOOTH: Yeah.
Booth stands up straighter, his posture stiff.
BRENNAN: You sure?
BOOTH: Sure.
BRENNAN: Come on.
Brennan heads to enter the dungeon as Booth points to the breathless woman.
BOOTH: Clown.
Int. Dungeon of 1000 corpses - night. The inside of the dungeon has lights flashing, and a background sound of shrill screams. Booth walks in and stops when he sees the killer clown. The clown has wrinkly skin, and long sharp teeth. Brennan enters behind him.
BOOTH: Um... the phone rang. It's Cam on the phone. It's ringing.
BRENNAN: Coulrophobia.
BOOTH: Huh?
BRENNAN: The fear of clowns. Coulrophobia. May explain why you shot that clown last year.
There is no doubt, Booth is unnerved by the clown and even getting past it proves a trial with a leap and a shriek as it moves and laughs. Everything else in there holds no fears. He doesn't have to shoot this clown though; that comes later. What he does do is press the boundaries with a suspect. Booth has little time for criminals and apparently the ones that really get his goat are sex offenders and those who harm children. Gregg, the Grim Reaper, fills both roles and Booth does not hold back, slapping him twice on the head and encouraging Brennan to join in. This gets the desired result as Gregg sells out his girlfriend, Lola. Similarly when Booth goes to arrest Lola he threatens to rip out her piercings unless she starts talking. This is someone who really doesn't like bad guys and matches his methods to their crimes or even kinks. His rationale?
BOOTH: Look, I'll do my street thing, you do your lab thing, all right? (presses the button) Together, we catch bad guys. That's good math.
Another example of going against the norm is found in the Halloween costumes Booth and Brennan choose: Wonderwoman and the Squint. As fantasy figures they are interesting choices.
Booth clearly enjoys sending up the squints and even Brennan herself:You see what I did right there? I corrected you, you know, in character...(laughs)... as a squint! However, when the serious stuff comes round he is soon back to his impatient self when it comes to squints.
Booth steps up to Hodgins
BOOTH: Well guess again, but better.
HODGINS: No, sorry.
ANGELA: Booth, they don't guess.
BOOTH: (turns to Angela)Who's they?
Cam and Angela both point to Zack, Brennan and Hodgins: Them!
BOOTH: Well, that's just stupid.
So Booth gets back to normal even if the squints, following Brennan's lead start taking a few leaps of faith although Zack can only do it if Einstein says it's all right.
Back in FBI mode if not clothes, Booth solves who the murderer is (hooray!) and has to deal with Brennan's leaps, not metaphorical this time as she first shoots him and then jumps on him with an irrational fear of snakes. However, Booth stays on task and is called upon to perform a miracle shot in order to kill the EMT bad guy, who is dressed as a clown.
He has returned to normal and Brennan again acknowledges his feelings about having to shoot people, something he hasn't had to do for a while. (He has actually only shot one person dead in Man in the SUV and took part in the hostage rescue in The Woman in the Car)The trauma is his sniper memories.
BRENNAN: I'm sorry you had to kill someone. I know you hate that.
BOOTH: Yeah, he had it coming.
BRENNAN: You hate it. I'm sorry that happened to you.
BOOTH: We saved the girl. That's a pretty good date.
BRENNAN: Except not really a date.
BOOTH: I know. It was...
BRENNAN: ... work. Not a date.
Recognising that they are not living out their fantasies is what we would expect of Booth. He is reminded here that what you wear doesn't make you the person you really are and underneath everything he is an FBI agent who is very good at his job, but has to accept that there is a human cost to what he does in the name of truth, justice and the American way.
In The Intern in the Incinerator we're back to a case where Booth gets to do proper police work and prove yet again how his dealings with women can go awry. His gut instincts are in full play when he states categorically that this murder is not part of the cannibal killer case even though the victim was working on the artifacts. He proves to be correct. This is also the point where the case becomes known as Gormogon which name Booth inevitably mangles whenever he can.
Things go wrong when Cam asks him to attend her father's birthday party as if he were still her boyfriend. Being Booth he not only does that but provides the perfect gift: a universal remote. Where things get complicated is when Cam's sister kisses him. Here's a moral dilemma! Technically he has done nothing wrong and yet he is made to feel the guilty party. Although this is a light-hearted moment there is a kernel of sadness in there that Booth is forever left alone. Even though Cam doesn't have Booth as a boyfriend anyway, she closes ranks with her sister against him. Booth has no idea what went wrong. Even then, he loses the girl, even when he was only doing her a favour as a friend.
The other interesting moments involve his knowledge of Brennan. Not only does he know her password, but he has figured out her two alternatives as well. Also at the end when he is discussing the outcome of the case with Brennan in his office.
BOOTH: One of you. You were all offended that it was one of you.
BRENNAN: You know what? I am offended.
BOOTH: I just said that. (pours another shot)
BRENNAN: I’m offended! Because . . .
BOOTH: Because you were betrayed by one of your own.
BRENNAN: Yes. Are you going to betray me?
BOOTH: No. (they toast)
Heh! Manchester United are talking to no one after their defeat to Liverpool this afternoon. Dummies are on the floor all over Anfield.
Speaking of passion and what a man, I've got more to say about Booth (oh there's a surprise. Mid season 3 Booth in fact starting from an episode I really enjoy: Mummy in the Maze and then further thoughts from The Intern in the Incinerator.
A BOOTH FOR ALL SEASONS
So we just go right past the clown. I can walk right past the clown, like she said. Just right... BOOTH - The chinks in the armour
Mummy in the Maze is a fun episode that actually works for me on most levels. There isn't much insight of Booth's background, but what is there is quite telling. The most surprising item is a reversal of roles signalled by Brennan and Booth having an argument about religion. Nothing new there, but this one is different.
Normally we know where we stand on religion with these two: Booth believes and Brennan doesn't. But on the basis of the Pastor's response to her question, Bones seems to be making an unusual choice and Booth is thrown.
BOOTH: Didn't that pastor guy make you mad?
BRENNAN: No.
BOOTH: He's a fundamentalist.
BRENNAN: I appreciate consistency.
BOOTH: Oh what, the consistency of trying to scare kids into Christianity?
BRENNAN: How do we keep kids from smoking? We tell them it gives them cancer.
BOOTH: It does give them cancer.
BRENNAN: According to science.
BOOTH: You know, that's all you care about is science.
BRENNAN: In the end, even someone who believes in empiricism and science has to take a leap of faith.
BOOTH: What?
BRENNAN: I believe in what I can hear, taste, see, touch and measure. You believe in what you feel. Pastor Jonas believes that God speaks to him through a sacred book.
Booth's cell phone rings.
BOOTH: Yeah, well, I feel like we're on the wrong side of the argument here.
To continue with going against the norm, we find Booth and Brennan at an Amusement Park in The Dungeon of 1000 Corpses face to face with a clown. Suddenly, we discover Booth is not just afraid of dentists.
BREATHLESS WOMAN: A corpse. Past the killer clown.
Booth lets go of the mask, his eyes wide.
BOOTH: (in a higher pitch than usual) Clown?
Booth looks at Geller.
GELLER: You okay?
BOOTH: Yeah.
Booth stands up straighter, his posture stiff.
BRENNAN: You sure?
BOOTH: Sure.
BRENNAN: Come on.
Brennan heads to enter the dungeon as Booth points to the breathless woman.
BOOTH: Clown.
Int. Dungeon of 1000 corpses - night. The inside of the dungeon has lights flashing, and a background sound of shrill screams. Booth walks in and stops when he sees the killer clown. The clown has wrinkly skin, and long sharp teeth. Brennan enters behind him.
BRENNAN: What's wrong?
Booth jumps and squeaks. He pulls out his phone.BOOTH: Um... the phone rang. It's Cam on the phone. It's ringing.
BRENNAN: Coulrophobia.
BOOTH: Huh?
BRENNAN: The fear of clowns. Coulrophobia. May explain why you shot that clown last year.
There is no doubt, Booth is unnerved by the clown and even getting past it proves a trial with a leap and a shriek as it moves and laughs. Everything else in there holds no fears. He doesn't have to shoot this clown though; that comes later. What he does do is press the boundaries with a suspect. Booth has little time for criminals and apparently the ones that really get his goat are sex offenders and those who harm children. Gregg, the Grim Reaper, fills both roles and Booth does not hold back, slapping him twice on the head and encouraging Brennan to join in. This gets the desired result as Gregg sells out his girlfriend, Lola. Similarly when Booth goes to arrest Lola he threatens to rip out her piercings unless she starts talking. This is someone who really doesn't like bad guys and matches his methods to their crimes or even kinks. His rationale?
BOOTH: Look, I'll do my street thing, you do your lab thing, all right? (presses the button) Together, we catch bad guys. That's good math.
Another example of going against the norm is found in the Halloween costumes Booth and Brennan choose: Wonderwoman and the Squint. As fantasy figures they are interesting choices.
Booth clearly enjoys sending up the squints and even Brennan herself:You see what I did right there? I corrected you, you know, in character...(laughs)... as a squint! However, when the serious stuff comes round he is soon back to his impatient self when it comes to squints.
Booth steps up to Hodgins
BOOTH: Well guess again, but better.
HODGINS: No, sorry.
ANGELA: Booth, they don't guess.
BOOTH: (turns to Angela)Who's they?
Cam and Angela both point to Zack, Brennan and Hodgins: Them!
BOOTH: Well, that's just stupid.
So Booth gets back to normal even if the squints, following Brennan's lead start taking a few leaps of faith although Zack can only do it if Einstein says it's all right.
Back in FBI mode if not clothes, Booth solves who the murderer is (hooray!) and has to deal with Brennan's leaps, not metaphorical this time as she first shoots him and then jumps on him with an irrational fear of snakes. However, Booth stays on task and is called upon to perform a miracle shot in order to kill the EMT bad guy, who is dressed as a clown.
He has returned to normal and Brennan again acknowledges his feelings about having to shoot people, something he hasn't had to do for a while. (He has actually only shot one person dead in Man in the SUV and took part in the hostage rescue in The Woman in the Car)The trauma is his sniper memories.
BRENNAN: I'm sorry you had to kill someone. I know you hate that.
BOOTH: Yeah, he had it coming.
BRENNAN: You hate it. I'm sorry that happened to you.
BOOTH: We saved the girl. That's a pretty good date.
BRENNAN: Except not really a date.
BOOTH: I know. It was...
BRENNAN: ... work. Not a date.
Recognising that they are not living out their fantasies is what we would expect of Booth. He is reminded here that what you wear doesn't make you the person you really are and underneath everything he is an FBI agent who is very good at his job, but has to accept that there is a human cost to what he does in the name of truth, justice and the American way.
In The Intern in the Incinerator we're back to a case where Booth gets to do proper police work and prove yet again how his dealings with women can go awry. His gut instincts are in full play when he states categorically that this murder is not part of the cannibal killer case even though the victim was working on the artifacts. He proves to be correct. This is also the point where the case becomes known as Gormogon which name Booth inevitably mangles whenever he can.
Things go wrong when Cam asks him to attend her father's birthday party as if he were still her boyfriend. Being Booth he not only does that but provides the perfect gift: a universal remote. Where things get complicated is when Cam's sister kisses him. Here's a moral dilemma! Technically he has done nothing wrong and yet he is made to feel the guilty party. Although this is a light-hearted moment there is a kernel of sadness in there that Booth is forever left alone. Even though Cam doesn't have Booth as a boyfriend anyway, she closes ranks with her sister against him. Booth has no idea what went wrong. Even then, he loses the girl, even when he was only doing her a favour as a friend.
The other interesting moments involve his knowledge of Brennan. Not only does he know her password, but he has figured out her two alternatives as well. Also at the end when he is discussing the outcome of the case with Brennan in his office.
BOOTH: One of you. You were all offended that it was one of you.
BRENNAN: You know what? I am offended.
BOOTH: I just said that. (pours another shot)
BRENNAN: I’m offended! Because . . .
BOOTH: Because you were betrayed by one of your own.
BRENNAN: Yes. Are you going to betray me?
BOOTH: No. (they toast)
He speaks the truth.
Heh! Manchester United are talking to no one after their defeat to Liverpool this afternoon. Dummies are on the floor all over Anfield.
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-06 06:44 pm (UTC)Normally we know where we stand on religion with these two [...] Bones seems to be making an unusual choice and Booth is thrown.
But note how Brennan hasn't changed her mind and is as direct as usual and doesn't mince her words when it comes to religion: Pastor Jonas believes that God speaks to him through a sacred book.
Another example of going against the norm is found in the Halloween costumes Booth and Brennan choose
They kind of switch roles, don't they? Booth becomes a squint and Brennan someone who catches bad guys (correct me if I'm wrong, my parents didn't allow comic books so my knowledge of the heroes in them is a bit fuzzy.)
Here's a moral dilemma!
And he went to Hodgins. Woho!!! Sorry if I start to sound like a broken record, but we all know who he would have talked to had this occurred in S4 or 5 or 6... If you come across your friend Huronia, tell her I've ordered the anti-Sweets buttons, shoehorned shaped as she asked ;)
Love the last scene.
BRENNAN: Yes. Are you going to betray me?
BOOTH: No. (they toast)
And then he did.
But Sweets is partly to blame too. Booth really was right when he said he felt like an action figure for a twelve-year-old. Letting someone think their partner is dead for research purposes clearly shows Sweets lacks the experience and maturity to do his job. Only someone relying on textbooks and not realizing he's dealing with real people would do something like that. What was he thinking?! This is my No 1 problem with Sweets.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-06 06:57 pm (UTC)Yes, betraying Bones. I knew there would be controversy because I don't think he has. It is definitely down to Sweets whatever betrayal went on in Pain in the Heart and Brennan was on Booth's list of people to tell the truth to. So he should not be blamed for that omission. You should blame him for trusting Sweets to do the right thing and he still hasn't sounded him out on what he thought he was doing. I look forward to going to town on Sweets shortly *rubs hands in anticipation*
The religion thing at the beginning is actually poorly set up as Brennan had in an earlier episode referred to a priest as believing in the myth of the Trinity and resurrection. Here she is not being so judgmental which when you consider the Pastor was talking about nonoaborted babies growing to be what they wished to be but washed in the Holy Spirit is surprising when that belief seems rather more controversial than the basic tenet of the Christian church she mocked.
If she is looking for consistency then you can't get more consistent than that.
Edited to make sense in the middle