Bones (TV series)

Premise

Cast and characters

Main cast

• Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan: A brilliant forensic anthropologist working at the renowned Jeffersonian Institute located in Washington, D.C. Her birth name was Joy Keenan, which her parents changed after they turned away from a life of crime. She is an empiricist and author of crime fiction drawn from her experiences. She is agnostic and a staunch believer in facts and evidence, to the exclusion of feelings; consequently, she comes off as distant and detached. She has shown empathy and compassion. Her dearth of social skills provides most of the show's lighthearted humor, primarily through her catchphrase, "I don't know what that means," whenever a pop culture reference is introduced into conversation. She is noted to have a high IQ and impressive reasoning skills. She and her FBI partner, Seeley Booth, begin a relationship near the end of season six. In season seven, they have a daughter together whom they name Christine, in honor of Temperance's late mother. They marry in season nine. Their son, Hank, named for Booth's paternal grandfather, is born in season 11.
• David Boreanaz as Seeley Booth: FBI Special Agent Booth seeks out Brennan's professional help in his investigations involving human remains that cannot be identified without her skills. His character is often used as an audience surrogate to provide a layman's translation of the scientific jargon-filled dialog, especially in the "squints" conversations, or lab scenes. He gives Brennan her nickname, "Bones", which she first hates but comes to accept. He is a skilled investigator and interrogator who often relies on his "gut" and "cop instincts". A decorated veteran of the United States Army Rangers, where he was a sniper, Booth has a son, Parker, from a previous relationship; and a younger brother, Jared, an officer in the U.S. Navy. He has two children with Brennan: a daughter, Christine; and a son, Hank. Raised in the Roman Catholic church, Booth is a devout believer in God and heaven. He frequently debates spiritual issues with Brennan, who regards all religion as primitive superstition unsupported by empirical evidence. He is purportedly a member of the well-known Booth Family, and as such is related to assassin John Wilkes Booth.
• Michaela Conlin as Angela Montenegro: A forensic artist at the Jeffersonian Institute and Brennan's best friend, Montenegro is also her team specialist in forensic facial reconstruction—helping to identify the victims. She also can generate holograms using her three-dimensional graphics program to simulate various scenarios of a crime to help determine cause of death. She and Dr. Brennan are best friends and rarely argue. She is open, friendly, and caring, and repeatedly tries to draw Brennan out of the lab. Angela's father is played by Billy Gibbons, guitarist of ZZ Top, who guest stars as a fictional version of himself. In season five, Montenegro marries co-worker Dr. Jack Hodgins. They have an on-and-off relationship starting from season 2, and she gives birth to their son, Michael Vincent, in season six. Her birth name is Pookie Noodlin, as revealed in the tenth season.
• Eric Millegan as Dr. Zack Addy : Introduced in season one as Dr. Brennan's graduate student and intern. In season two, he receives his doctorates in Forensic Anthropology and Applied Engineering, and joins the staff of the Jeffersonian as a full-fledged professional. Like Brennan, his inability to pick up on Booth's, Hodgins', or Montenegro's pop culture jokes and references is a running gag and a source of humorously awkward moments in the lab, though he has shown he has other "normal" interests such as being a basketball fan and a trained singer. A recurring element in the show involves Zack and Hodgins amicably but resolutely competing to be "King of the Lab." In "The Pain in the Heart", a trophy, presented to him by Dr. Saroyan recognizing Zack as "King of the Lab", is revealed. Zack is removed from his position on Brennan's team in the season three finale, "The Pain in the Heart", when he is revealed to be the apprentice of the serial killer Gormogon. He was residing in a psychiatric facility after pleading insanity to avoid a prison term, as Hodgins told him he "would not do well" in the general prison population. At the end of season 11, Zack escapes the facility after he is suspected of being another serial killer called "The Puppeteer." At the beginning of season 12, Zack is exonerated when his doctor is proven to be the killer instead. Zack confesses his innocence in the Gormogon murders to Booth and Brennan. A major storyline in season 12 is exonerating Zack. In the penultimate episode "A Day in the Life," Zack is exonerated of murder thanks to Hodgins, with help from Brennan and Caroline Julian at his hearing. However, the judge rules that he must finish out the last thirteen months on his sentence for the separate crime of aiding a known killer. Zack remains institutionalized, albeit with a release date just over a year away.
• T. J. Thyne as Dr. Jack Hodgins: An entomologist who is also an expert on spores and minerals, but whose hobby is conspiracy theories. Hodgins regularly identifies as the lab's "bug and slime guy". During an investigation, he primarily deals with particulates and trace evidence and, at the crime scene, will provide Booth with approximate time of death. He is best friends with former co-worker Zack Addy and often tries to "educate" him on social norms. They often compete for the title of "King of the Lab", referring to whoever has more useful information in the investigation at hand. His family owns the fictional Cantilever Group, is extremely wealthy and is a major sponsor of the Jeffersonian. However, Hodgins tries to keep this concealed from his colleagues. It eventually comes out during an investigation, but no one allows his family's wealth to significantly affect their relationship with him. He later loses all his money due to the scheming of serial killer Christopher Pelant, but in time Hodgins regains a considerable portion of it. He sells a hot sauce he develops in collaboration with intern Finn Abernathy which becomes immensely popular. Later he develops an unbreakable beaker, and a polymer floor mat. He marries Angela Montenegro in season five. She gives birth to their son, Michael Vincent, in season six. In season 11, Hodgins is wounded in a bomb attack and left paralyzed from the waist down. At the conclusion of the series, Hodgins is promoted to temporary head of the Jeffersonian lab while Cam and Arastoo are on leave after their wedding.
• Jonathan Adams as Dr. Daniel Goodman : An archaeologist turned administrator, who is the director of the Jeffersonian Institute. He is a loving husband and father to a pair of five-year-old twin girls. His way of working leads Hodgins to think of him as subjective, long-winded, and lacking the qualities of a pure scientist, although the antagonism between the two develops into a friendly rivalry as the season progresses. He has not made any appearances beyond season one. As of episode 23, "The Titan on the Tracks", he is said to be on sabbatical, and is not seen for the rest of the series.
• Tamara Taylor as Dr. Camille Saroyan : Succeeds Dr. Goodman as the head of the Forensic Division at Jeffersonian Institute and is a pathologist. She was a coroner in New York City. Dr. Saroyan had a romantic relationship with Booth prior to her joining the Jeffersonian, and a brief relationship during the show. At first, she and Dr. Brennan have an uneasy working relationship, but she grows to be an integral member of the Jeffersonian team. Since season four, she has had a teenage adopted daughter, Michelle, because of her prior relationship with Michelle's murdered father. Later in the series, she becomes romantically involved with intern Arastoo Vaziri. They marry in the series' penultimate episode "The Day in the Life", taking a sabbatical after the final case is concluded.
• John Francis Daley as Dr. Lance Sweets : An FBI psychologist assigned to Booth and Brennan after Booth arrests her father. He is frequently consulted to provide a profile on the suspects and victims involved and to give a more "humanized" perspective on the case. Due to his age, he is initially treated by Booth and the Jeffersonian team in a condescending manner, but eventually earns their respect and their friendship. He is even accepted by Brennan, who notably dismisses psychology as a "soft science", and is often sought out for advice by the team. In the season ten premiere, it is revealed that he and Daisy are expecting a baby. Soon after, he is fatally assaulted while serving a warrant. He dies with Booth and Brennan by his side.
• John Boyd as James Aubrey, a junior FBI agent working under Booth. Originally, Aubrey tries to win Booth's approval and trust, as Booth is reluctant to work with him due to Aubrey's inexperience. However, he is eventually accepted by Booth and the rest of the team. Aubrey gets along with everyone and his love of food is often the subject of jokes. When he was a child, his father was an investment broker who cheated his clients and fled the country, abandoning Aubrey and his mother and leaving them with nothing. In season 11, it is learned that Aubrey's father is back in the country. In season 12, Aubrey is finally approached by his father, who asks him for money. He reveals he has another wife and young son back in the country he had fled to, so as to persuade Aubrey to give him financial aid. However, Aubrey realises it is all a lie and eventually turns his father in. Near the end of season 12, Aubrey is offered a promotion to Supervisory Special Agent in Los Angeles. Though Aubrey originally took the Los Angeles job, he instead decides to take a similar position in Washington, D.C. in the series finale.

  Recurring cast

• Patricia Belcher as Caroline Julian : Caroline is the acerbic, witty, and often meddlesome Assistant U.S. Attorney from the U.S. Department of Justice. She is a friend of Booth and is always willing, if not eager, to help him and his partner in their cases. She gives Booth a hard time after he accidentally wrecks her prized AMC Gremlin in the course of a hot pursuit.
• Ryan O'Neal as Max Brennan : Max Keenan, a.k.a. Max Brennan, is the father of Russ and Temperance Brennan. He and his wife were nonviolent bank robbers who became involved with gangs in the 1970s. They changed identities to lead an honest life with their children. Booth arrests Max on murder charges in season two, and he is tried in season three. The jury finds him not guilty on all counts and he is released, finally able to reconnect openly with his children. During season 12, he dies while protecting his grandchildren.
• Billy Gibbons as Angela Montenegro's father : The character is a fictionalized version of Gibbons himself-a bearded guitarist in a famous rock band that plays sold-out stadium shows-but despite all the knowing winks to him being Gibbons, the character is never named, only referred to in dialogue as “Angela’s father”, “Dad”, “my father”.
• Loren Dean as Russ Brennan : Russ Brennan, a.k.a. Kyle Keenan, is the older brother of Temperance Brennan, a.k.a. Joy Keenan, and the son of Max Keenan. Russ has a troubled past and has spent some time in prison. He is involved with a woman named Amy Hollister and loves her two daughters, Emma and Hayley. After he and Temperance were abandoned by their parents, he also abandoned his sister, which led to long-held animosity from her. He first appears in the season one finale, where he patches things up with his sister and also reunites with his father in season two. His last appearance is in season three, although he is mentioned in later seasons.
• Eugene Byrd as Dr. Clark Edison : He is the most serious and professional of the Jeffersonian interns, as well as the most organized. At the beginning of season eight, Cam hires Clark as a forensic anthropologist, to focus on archaeological work.
• Brendan Fehr as Jared Booth : Jared is Agent Seeley Booth's younger brother who is notoriously getting into trouble. However, in a continuing "Gravedigger" episode Jared uses his military contacts to help save his brother's life, at the cost of his Navy career. In seasons four and five, his appearances are troublesome to his older brother, especially when he announces his engagement to a former escort, whom he later divorces. In season eleven the trend continues, but this time with a much more dire outcome, as Jared is the newest victim for the Jeffersonian. It takes detached forensic work on Brennan's part to discover that his remains are not those of Seeley Booth.
• Michael Grant Terry as Wendell Bray : He is Dr. Brennan's top scholarship intern. He dates Angela briefly during season five. In season nine, he is diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma by Brennan after breaking his arm during a hockey game. After seeking treatment, he appears to be in full remission and continues to work at the lab. In late season 12, after Wendell has trouble writing his thesis, Brennan helps him realize that his passion is not forensic anthropology after all. By the end of the series, Wendell intends to leave the Jeffersonian to find his true passion.
• Carla Gallo as Daisy Wick : Over-eager and somewhat manipulative, she is often annoying to other workers at the Jeffersonian. She has an on-again, off-again relationship with Lance Sweets. Sweets also happens to help Daisy and the others in the lab get along with each other. They later have a son named Seeley Lance Wick-Sweets, born some months after his father's death.
• Joel David Moore as Colin Fisher : Fisher suffers from depression and has a very dark sense of humor. He sometimes spends time at mental health facilities for treatment and therefore is the intern least often shown working in the lab.
• Pej Vahdat as Arastoo Vaziri : Arastoo starts out by having a fake Iranian accent, so he does not have to constantly explain his Islamic beliefs, but later drops it. He starts dating Cam in season eight; they become engaged in Season 11 and get married in Season 12.
• Ryan Cartwright as Vincent Nigel-Murray : Vincent is an Englishman and a graduate of the University of Leeds. He has a habit of reciting trivia while working. In season six, he is fatally shot in the chest by sniper Jacob Broadsky; his death ends up being the catalyst in Booth and Brennan's relationship. Hodgins and Angela give their son the second middle name Vincent.
• Luke Kleintank as Finn Abernathy : Finn is the youngest intern to date, and has a messy background which includes a stay at a juvenile detention center. He is from North Carolina and has a thick southern accent, which leads Hodgins to call him "Opie". Finn in turn calls Hodgins, who is from a very wealthy family, "Thurston". He and Hodgins go into business together to sell a hot sauce that Abernathy's grandmother made before she died, after Hodgins uses traces from Abernathy's last bottle of the sauce to reverse-engineer the recipe. He and Cam's daughter Michelle fall in love and begin dating, initially behind her mother's back. She later breaks up with him after moving away to college, realizing that the distance and new developments in their lives have caused them to drift apart.
• Brian Klugman as Dr. Oliver Wells : Oliver is a lab assistant who arrogantly boasts of his 160 IQ. He has multiple doctorates in various subjects and is the only intern who is a physician. He struggles to get along with all of the lab members. He and Dr. Brennan butt heads, especially after he tells her that he aims to surpass her reputation. A polymath, he has a wide, if indolent, range of interests, from physics to psychology.
• Laura Spencer as Jessica Warren : Jessica Warren grew up in an educational cooperative. She has five older brothers and she graduated from Michigan State University top of her class at the age of 19. She desires creativity in science, which contrasts with Brennan's insistence upon no speculation. She believes in trusting her gut. She is somewhat outspoken. In season 9, she first appears in the episode "The Drama in the Queen". At the end of the episode she has a one-night stand with Sweets. In season 11, she engages in a relationship with FBI agent James Aubrey, which ends in Season 12.
• Ignacio Serricchio as Dr. Rodolfo Fuentes : Rodolfo is a Cuban forensic anthropologist seeking asylum in the U.S. While he was already a qualified forensic anthropologist in Cuba, he is working towards the same qualifications in America. He's also a shameless flirt, and has openly flirted with Angela and with Dr. Brennan, both of whom are married. Though Angela was flattered by his attentions, both women turned down his advances. Despite his flirting, Hodgins takes him under his wing and becomes a good friend to him. He carries his father's prayer beads with him despite not believing in God, because he believes that you need to experience a little bit of everything to make good life decisions. While starting as an intern, Fuentes eventually gets his doctorate and joins the Jeffersonian staff in season 12.
• Sara Rue as Karen Delfs, a flaky behavioral analyst assigned to help Booth and Bones on a case. She asked Agent Aubrey out, but he was seeing Jessica Warren at the time. She transferred to Kansas after a few episodes, but she returned in the first episode of Season 12 after being sexually harassed at that job by her married boss. She was accused of being the one out to kill Bones, but was cleared when they discovered the real killer. In the second to last episode, Aubrey got falling down drunk at Cam and Arastoo's wedding reception. Karen had Jessica bring him to her apartment to recover since it was closer to the reception hall. In final episode, she learned that Aubrey and Jessica broke up. She bought him some fried chicken and they went off to eat comfort food and commiserate. The implication was that they were on the verge of starting a relationship.

  Production

Conception

Casting

Filming

Music

Broadcast and release

Episodes

American ratings

Broadcast history

Online distribution

Spin-off series

"You want to find people you want to see every single week do one unique character. That's why when you have Hugh Laurie, who is essentially playing a very unlikable character, you love to see him. And that is a rare, rare quality to find. And the finder won't be an unlikable character, but because it is a unique character, it's difficult to find just the right person."

Reception

Critical response

Accolades

Other media

• Buried Deep, written by Max Allan Collins, was published by Pocket Star February 28, 2006. The book is based on the characters in the television series rather than the characters created by Kathy Reichs, who had inspired the concept of Bones. Its plot focuses on Dr. Temperance Brennan and Special Agent Seeley Booth's investigation into the skeletal remains left on the steps of a federal building and its connection with a Chicago mob family. Angela, Hodgins and Zack only appear on the end of telephone conversations with Brennan.
• Bones: The Official Companion is written by Paul Ruditis and published by Titan Books, released October 16, 2007. The book includes cast and crew interviews, episode guides and a background detail on real-life forensics.

Home media

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