Bones 9.08 Review: Tactfulness and All It Entails

All those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of Bones, entitled ‘The Dude in the Dam’, now would be a good time to do that before reading ahead. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

While I do believe this series has limited time left after giving the fans what they wanted when Booth and Brennan got married, I’m trying to enjoy the episodes this series has left while I can. In that sense, this was a very pleasant episode to watch. Booth and Brennan had their first fight after being married, about none other than Brennan and her idea of whether she is tactful or not. It was a nice easy fight that we didn’t see too much anger behind, other than the fact Brennan thought being called tactless was incorrect and disrespectful to her. For a couple that practically does everything together, they don’t fight quite as often as I’d expect them to.

The circumstance that stirred on the fight between the newly married couple was surrounding Brennan’s review of another novelist’s books and vice versa. It was actually interesting to see the books brought into this series again, other than to be fawned over like in last week’s episode. The drama between Brennan and Tess was very intriguing and something that is adeptly true of life and those involved with entertainment. I loved that Brennan had strong enough morals though to not want to be part of the ruse, and that the author in the end got her karmic justice.

Another big part of this episode was Hodgins and his being a living host to a fly larva. Hodgins is definitely a character. He’s such a strange man, and while I miss, at times, his grumpy side and extreme conspiracy theories, this happy go-lucky side isn’t something I wouldn’t wish on someone I cared about, it just doesn’t always make for dramatic television. I did like the little giggle he made when he said yes to Angela asking him if he was growing a fly. He’s definitely goofier now than he was broody early on in the series. I do tend to prefer broodiness – to an extent – but this isn’t terrible either.

Of course, there was also the murder of the week that we were introduced to this episode with. I loved that it began with this whole beaver dam being studied for these two kids class, and it definitely made for an interesting place to find a body. I was also quite intrigued by the murder victim’s life, although I didn’t quite get his narcissistic personality thing. It didn’t come across clear enough for me to grasp. The whole leopard slug goop was very cool, and the fact that it basically becomes like a glue was interesting information. Definitely brought on a funny moment with Wendall and Hodgins, particularly when he basically backhands Hodgins accidentally and his gloved hand becomes stuck to Hodgins face. This series certainly is ripe with funny moments.

Overall, a decent outing this week for this series. I loved that the writers plugged in Booth’s whole anti reading newspapers on touch pads, and how technology isn’t always a good thing. I very much agree, while I don’t read newspapers all that often, I prefer holding a book in my hands, the feel of the pages, and the look of the paper as its read rather than the bright white of computers. One thing I wasn’t sure of was how inappropriately short Angela’s dress was. I don’t think that any self-respecting person with a job in a place like the Jeffersonian would ever wear a dress that short to work. No, I don’t think Brennan’s earrings would likely be up to dress code, but there not as apparent as that dress. Still, this was a good episode, not outstanding by any means, but good.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Technology is not all about improvement.” – Booth tells Brennan. I agree that it can often be a hindrance with its readiliness.

“Bitch.” – Wendall calls the other author offhandedly to Brennan.

“Angela is going to divorce you.” – Wendall says to Hodgins, regarding the bug growing in his neck.

“Oh man, this is becoming normal to me.” – Wendall remarks, after making cutesy noises to the larva popping out of Hodgins neck.

“Yeah, but I’d need a laser. … That alien attacks you, you’d be happy I had a laser.” – Booth says to Brennan, trying to convince her to write aliens into her next book.

I’m off to go watch Sleepy Hollow now. After that it’s The Blacklist, so stay tuned.

September, the Month of Premieres

Ah, September, the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year, at least for all you kids out there still blissfully unaware that the world doesn’t stop moving just because summer’s in session. (If I sound bitter about that, I probably am.) Soon all those like myself that live in an ever-changing, and – might I add – fickle climate will have to say goodbye to their summer dresses and shorts, and say hello to pants and long sleeves – that is if they don’t want to freeze to death whenever they walk outside their houses – as the leaves begin to change and make way for the ever present, and always looming cruelness of winter.

But school and a bittersweet new – or often old – wardrobe are not the only things that September ushers in, nor is it the most important. Being that I’m no longer in school, and that I’m a big girl with a job to buy clothes when I want them but bills to pay that necessitate my earnings going elsewhere, the phenomenon that I look forward to the most that September signifies is the dun, dun Fall Television Season. Something so important, it is deserving of being dubbed a proper noun.

Sure, summer has its fair share of noteworthy series’ (i.e. Under the Dome, Mistresses, True Blood, Dexter, and Teen Wolf), it doesn’t have nearly the quantity – nor quality – of options that the fall season does. And this season is particularly exciting for me because I’m going to try doing something almost completely new to me. To prepare for applying to a screenwriting program next year, and as a way of widening my writing horizons, I’ve decided to begin reviewing the series’ I watch and sharing them with the public through my blogs. And I watch a lot of shows.

Now I’m no professional critic, but I can be a highly opinionated person when it comes to the things I care about, and television is certainly one of those things. So hopefully I can improve my writing and critiquing skills, while keeping what I have to say interesting and jaunty. If there’s one thing I do a lot of, it’s watch television, maybe now I can put that to good use, and be able to tell my mother watching television isn’t a waste of time. Although what past time isn’t?

Anyways, if anyone’s still reading, I’ll have you know I have close to thirty shows I plan on watching, over a dozen of which are new series’, at least in the beginning, by the time all the networks have premiered their shows – plus one or two cablers (ahem, Haven, the finale of Dexter). So I’ll definitely be busy with reviews, and maybe even a few fun side things I might throw in, like best show of the week, or weakest performance, etc. If you’ve got any suggestions, feel free to let me know.

So, set your countdowns to five days, because Friday night is the premiere of the fourth season of Haven, the first of many reviews you won’t want to miss. As for me, I’m signing off. Have fun eagerly anticipating my return!

Always,
M.

Unapologetically Me

In the interest of my journey, I thought I'd give you all a little starting off point. My life revolves around three key things, aside from writing and work. Family (to which I lump friends in with as I have so few close ones), my cat Aurora (or, as I call her Munchkin), and television. 

I watch a lot of television, it's a passion of mine. I'm currently obsessed with the show Chuck, having watched four of the five seasons in a matter of a few weeks. Right now, I'm re-watching the first season while I await the fifth season to get delivered from B.C. In the past I've been hooked on my currently all-time favourite series Buffy, as well as it's spin off series Angel.

Buffy has been in my life since I was little. I remember around the age of seven, curling up with my mom and younger sister and watching an episode whenever we could. It was first dvd I ever bought; it was the first series I owned completely. And it has been my favourite TV series ever since. The only two series that have ever come close to knocking it off as my all-time favourite series, are Veronica Mars (when I became obsessed with that series about five years ago), and my now second favourite series Chuck.

It doesn't take a lot for me to like a television show, aside from my dislike of reality TV, I can like almost anything, as long as there's growth. That need is why any of the CSI's or Law and Order's can no longer grab me; I can watch an episode here or there, but I can't watch it on a weekly basis. I also don't watch much in the way of cartoons, and have only ever liked three anime series enough to watch the bulk of them.

Anyways, the fact that it is easy enough to grab me with television, makes it very difficult to narrow down what I watch during the year, but it also makes it easy for me to be entertained, which is ultimately the point. In the past, aside from my aforementioned series', I've enjoyed the likes of Dark Angel, Gilmore Girls, Smallville, Boy Meets World, Sailor Moon, Roswell, and numerous other series'.

I'm very easy-going when it comes to liking series', but not so easy-going when it comes to loving them. My top five in descending order are as follows: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chuck, Angel, Gilmore Girls and Friends. Those are five series' I can watch over and over again, and it doesn't hurt that they've all got a large number of episodes to enjoy.

As is obvious by reading this post, I have a passion for television. The right scene can provoke an emotion that persuades you to lose yourself in a world that may not be possible otherwise. Music, cinematography, characters, writing, actors, and many more elements go into making such beauty arrive and exist for hopefully as much time as will allot it. Not only in television, but in film as well. They can bring you to your knees, make you weep, laugh, be shocked, get angry, find yourself afraid. All of these emotions just triggered by one element. Something so beautiful, that beyond what it's lacking, it continues to be just amazing.

That's why I own one hundred and seventy-six films on DVD, as well as seventy-nine seasons of twenty-six series'. It's a pretty extensive collection, but it's a part of me, a part of my life that is crucial and important to who I am as a person. I can be moved so wholly and extensively, that, for one moment,  nothing else matters except being in that moment.

Alright, I think I've taken up enough of your time.

Always,

M.