In two minds
Nov. 13th, 2008 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mistletoeWell, I've just watched Bones twice and, while I get it, I don't get it.
This would have been an ace episode if it had focused more on the Booths and less on the case. The case got in the way; although I could see the need of it to serve the plot, it irritated.
First of all, David was excellent tonight: focused, knight in FBI issue Kevlar armour, and bauble free. He was honest, angry, frustrated, hurt and just downright good. At the beginning, he was good old Booth, full of dreams of birthdays in Hawaii, joining the elite of FBI super-agents and his face on a coin. From the point his brother first called him, however, he was on the defensive. Oh he was on the case but everything else was somehow sublimated to the greater good i.e. keeping his brother safe, even to the detriment of himself.
I think it significant there was little sign of brotherly love. When we see Brennan with her brother there are hugs, kisses and offers of a bed. None of that here. Furthermore, Brennan has no qualms about using Booth to serve her family's needs. None of that from Booth either. He has to take responsibility; he is the one who has to tell the truth and take the lumps, or cover it up and still take the lumps.
He never talks to Brennan about his brother until the end when she has already learned the painful truth herself; never defends him, makes the token remarks about him running the Pentagon; but is there genuine pride there? Or is he waiting for another foul up? Whatever the truth, he is not sharing what he truly feels with anyone about anything. Furthermore, I think he is genuinely angry with Bones when she is dispassionate instead of sympathetic. I remember when Booth was extremely upset when Cam got poisoned she at least recognised that she didn't know what to say to him and Booth appreciated that. Here he is left believing that she thinks he is a loser because she doesn't answer him when he confronts her. He is hurt that she take Jared's word for it. Telling Booth that he deliberately sabotages his chances of success every time is tremendously cruel and it shows us Booth's insecurity that he normally tries to hide beneath his facade of confidence. But it is just a facade to his vulnerabilities that Brennan barely acknowledges.
I am amazed that when it really counts, she still can't read him and that is why I am in two minds. She never picks up on the subtleties of his reactions. For example, when Jared wants a beautiful intelligent woman to take to the party, Booth balks at the idea of Brennan being the one he takes. Now that might be because he knows his brother could put her in danger if he is drinking, but if that is the case then why does he not object to Cam going? Of course, we later discover that Cam has known 'the Booth boys' for 15 years and so knows enough to take care of herself. But, Booth won't let Jared call Brennan Bones; that's his name for her, no one else's. He doesn't say anything to her when Jared does ask her when Cam cries off with too much work. Considering his normal reaction to anyone she goes out with, that seemed strange to me, but not apparently to Bones.
The big example of this is how she accepts what Jared says about his brother at face value. He belittles Booth's time as a sniper as a way to stay in the comfort zone, not putting his head above the ridge. He then goes on to prove he does climb over the ridge by kissing Brennan and saying Seeley would never do that. He is right, but for Brennan to accept this as proof of Booth's failings is just wrong.
Sweets, on the other hand, picks up straight away that Booth is letting his brother use him, be a second dad rather than letting him trip and fall. But when he and Cam confront her about this she asks for evidence. Has she not worked with Booth for 3 1/2 years and seen for herself that Booth's instinct is to help others whatever the cost to himsef? From taking her earring from the crime scene in New Orleans, to saying what she knew he had to say on the stand at her father's trial, Booth has put his job on the line for her and yet now she conveniently forgets.
She even bungles the arrest by distracting Booth at the wrong time and forcing him to shoot the corrupt cop in the back. When he looks back at her from the car it's as if he is saying ' Now see what you made me do: another death on my conscience.' Only at the end do I see that Brennan has recognised Booth's quality and seen that a quiet man is the true alpha male. That and her angry outburst at Jared in the bar when she says that he is the loser, not Booth.
I don't think Booth had a very happy birthday: Jared is not going to change. Hopefully, Booth will make him carry his own water from now on. And he finally does open up to Brennan a little when he tells her why the RICO case went down as a State Police bust and not his one moment in the light. Saving his brother from a drink driving arrest cost him that, not keeping his head below the parapet. His final line to Brennan: 'My dad drank' is the most telling exchange between them yet for him. He does things with his heart.
Brother Jared (hello Roswell alumni) was the real conman in this case. The intricacies of the murder plot were largely irrelevant and a bit of a mishmash to be honest: two obvious red herrings and a hurried reveal about where the money came from that I still didn't understand the purpose of when it all came out. Was it just bad guys falling out and the cop wanting all the money for himself? Puny.
Anyway, Booth made of win, Sweets and Cam right up there with the support; Angela spotting Boothlite in an instant and Hodgins getting Clark into trouble for building the garbage sorter were the highlights.
It was still a good character study though.
Will post again in half an hour to keep the NaBloPoMo going cos tomorrow night Tosca beckons. I seem to have a migraine. Damn.
This would have been an ace episode if it had focused more on the Booths and less on the case. The case got in the way; although I could see the need of it to serve the plot, it irritated.
First of all, David was excellent tonight: focused, knight in FBI issue Kevlar armour, and bauble free. He was honest, angry, frustrated, hurt and just downright good. At the beginning, he was good old Booth, full of dreams of birthdays in Hawaii, joining the elite of FBI super-agents and his face on a coin. From the point his brother first called him, however, he was on the defensive. Oh he was on the case but everything else was somehow sublimated to the greater good i.e. keeping his brother safe, even to the detriment of himself.
I think it significant there was little sign of brotherly love. When we see Brennan with her brother there are hugs, kisses and offers of a bed. None of that here. Furthermore, Brennan has no qualms about using Booth to serve her family's needs. None of that from Booth either. He has to take responsibility; he is the one who has to tell the truth and take the lumps, or cover it up and still take the lumps.
He never talks to Brennan about his brother until the end when she has already learned the painful truth herself; never defends him, makes the token remarks about him running the Pentagon; but is there genuine pride there? Or is he waiting for another foul up? Whatever the truth, he is not sharing what he truly feels with anyone about anything. Furthermore, I think he is genuinely angry with Bones when she is dispassionate instead of sympathetic. I remember when Booth was extremely upset when Cam got poisoned she at least recognised that she didn't know what to say to him and Booth appreciated that. Here he is left believing that she thinks he is a loser because she doesn't answer him when he confronts her. He is hurt that she take Jared's word for it. Telling Booth that he deliberately sabotages his chances of success every time is tremendously cruel and it shows us Booth's insecurity that he normally tries to hide beneath his facade of confidence. But it is just a facade to his vulnerabilities that Brennan barely acknowledges.
I am amazed that when it really counts, she still can't read him and that is why I am in two minds. She never picks up on the subtleties of his reactions. For example, when Jared wants a beautiful intelligent woman to take to the party, Booth balks at the idea of Brennan being the one he takes. Now that might be because he knows his brother could put her in danger if he is drinking, but if that is the case then why does he not object to Cam going? Of course, we later discover that Cam has known 'the Booth boys' for 15 years and so knows enough to take care of herself. But, Booth won't let Jared call Brennan Bones; that's his name for her, no one else's. He doesn't say anything to her when Jared does ask her when Cam cries off with too much work. Considering his normal reaction to anyone she goes out with, that seemed strange to me, but not apparently to Bones.
The big example of this is how she accepts what Jared says about his brother at face value. He belittles Booth's time as a sniper as a way to stay in the comfort zone, not putting his head above the ridge. He then goes on to prove he does climb over the ridge by kissing Brennan and saying Seeley would never do that. He is right, but for Brennan to accept this as proof of Booth's failings is just wrong.
Sweets, on the other hand, picks up straight away that Booth is letting his brother use him, be a second dad rather than letting him trip and fall. But when he and Cam confront her about this she asks for evidence. Has she not worked with Booth for 3 1/2 years and seen for herself that Booth's instinct is to help others whatever the cost to himsef? From taking her earring from the crime scene in New Orleans, to saying what she knew he had to say on the stand at her father's trial, Booth has put his job on the line for her and yet now she conveniently forgets.
She even bungles the arrest by distracting Booth at the wrong time and forcing him to shoot the corrupt cop in the back. When he looks back at her from the car it's as if he is saying ' Now see what you made me do: another death on my conscience.' Only at the end do I see that Brennan has recognised Booth's quality and seen that a quiet man is the true alpha male. That and her angry outburst at Jared in the bar when she says that he is the loser, not Booth.
I don't think Booth had a very happy birthday: Jared is not going to change. Hopefully, Booth will make him carry his own water from now on. And he finally does open up to Brennan a little when he tells her why the RICO case went down as a State Police bust and not his one moment in the light. Saving his brother from a drink driving arrest cost him that, not keeping his head below the parapet. His final line to Brennan: 'My dad drank' is the most telling exchange between them yet for him. He does things with his heart.
Brother Jared (hello Roswell alumni) was the real conman in this case. The intricacies of the murder plot were largely irrelevant and a bit of a mishmash to be honest: two obvious red herrings and a hurried reveal about where the money came from that I still didn't understand the purpose of when it all came out. Was it just bad guys falling out and the cop wanting all the money for himself? Puny.
Anyway, Booth made of win, Sweets and Cam right up there with the support; Angela spotting Boothlite in an instant and Hodgins getting Clark into trouble for building the garbage sorter were the highlights.
It was still a good character study though.
Will post again in half an hour to keep the NaBloPoMo going cos tomorrow night Tosca beckons. I seem to have a migraine. Damn.
