The sixth season of the American television seriesBones premiered on September 23, 2010, and concluded on May 19, 2011, on Fox. The show maintained its previous time slot, airing on Thursdays at 8:00 pm ET and then moved to Thursdays at 9:00 pm ET in 2011. The season consisted of 23 episodes, and introduced a spin-off series The Finder in the 19th episode which has the same name.
Storylines for the sixth season include the final return of Heather Taffet, aka the Gravedigger, as well as the introduction of a new recurring antagonist, sniper named Jacob Broadsky. David Boreanaz directed episodes 11 and 16 of this season. Emily Deschanel was originally scheduled to make her directorial debut with episode 14 of this season, a Valentine's Day wedding episode, but this was postponed due to episodes 13 and 14 airing during February sweeps when Brennan's character would have had an unfavorably smaller presence, as Deschanel would have had to be prepping to direct her episode. Deschanel did not end up directing an episode due to scheduling conflicts, and though she planned on directing an episode in the next season, she did not direct until six years later, on season 12’s "The Hope in the Horror". After dropping the idea of a black-and-white episode the previous season, creator Hart Hanson revealed the "out of the box" episode this season would be a story shown completely from Brennan's point of view after she identifies with a victim who resembles her, "meaning we will see the world the way she sees it. We hope this will give a little insight into how Brennan perceives all around her". Intern Vincent Nigel-Murray Ryan Cartwright, introduced as a recurring character in season four, was killed off in the penultimate episode of this season, shot by sniper Jacob Broadsky. Series creator Hart Hanson explained the reasoning for this decision was due to the television series Alphas being picked up, in which Cartwright is a series regular. Hanson explained, "We knew would happen before the end of this season, so the story has been in the works for a while. We knew that one of our squints, who are very, very talented actors, would get a job". Hanson also explained that, "He's a well-beloved character... probably the favorite squint of the audience, so we decided to kill him for the heartbreak". Episode 4 features the character Professor Bunsen Jude "The Science Dude", which is inspired by real-life person Bill Nye "the Science Guy", having a similar name and a children's science show.
Spin-off series
In October 2010, it was revealed that Fox was developing a potential spin-off series that would be built around a new recurring character that would be introduced in the sixth season. The potential spin-off series would also be created by Bones creator/executive producer Hart Hanson, and be based on The Locator series of two books written by Richard Greener. The character of Walter is described as an eccentric but amusing recluse in high demand for his ability to find anything. He is skeptical of everything—he suffered brain damage while overseas, which explains his constant paranoia—and known for asking offensive, seemingly irrelevant questions to get to the truth. Production on the episode was scheduled to begin in December 2010, but was delayed to early 2011 due to creative differences. Creator Hart Hanson posted on Twitter regarding the notes he got from the network, "I received studio notes on the Bones spin-off idea. They want it to be better. Unreasonable taskmasters. Impossible dreamers. Neo-platonists." During Fox's TCA press tour, executive producer Stephen Nathan revealed production on the episode featuring The Locator began in February 2011, with the episode airing in April. In the episode, Booth and Brennan travel to Key West, Florida, where the spin-off is said to take place. Nathan went on to say regarding the casting of character, "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 unlikeable character, but because it is a unique character, it's difficult to find just the right person." Geoff Stults was cast as the lead character with Michael Clarke Duncan and Saffron Burrows cast as the other two lead characters. The three characters were introduced in episode 19 of the sixth season. The Finder was picked up for the 2011–12 season on May 10, 2011 with an order of 13 episodes. It was later cancelled on May 9, 2012.
Episodes
DVD and Blu-ray release
The sixth season of Bones was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on October 11, 2011, in region 2 on October 17, 2011 and in region 4 on November 9, 2011. The set includes all 23 episodes of season six on a 6-disc DVD set and 4-disc Blu-ray set presented in anamorphic widescreen. Special features include two audio commentaries—"The Doctor in the Photo" by executive producers Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan and Ian Toynton and "The Blackout in the Blizzard" by actors David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel. Featurettes include "Breaking Down: The Blackout in the Blizzard" and "The Visual Effects of Bones". Also included are extended versions of "The Daredevil in the Mold" and "The Bikini in the Soup", a gag reel, and the pilot episode of the television series The Killing.
