By Kimberley Veart
After a one week hiatus, Bones is back with an eventful episode that sees Hodgins become a suspect for murder; intern Wendell’s (Michael Grant Terry) return from cancer treatment and a National Forensic Scientists’ Convention which has the ‘squints’ all excited.
The episode begins with Brennan nervously preparing for her keynote speech, she and Booth rehearse science-related jokes and it is adorable. The convention however seems to be filled with feuding scientists. Cam asks, “Does everyone in this place hate each other?” as Hodgins has a tense run-in with former acquaintance Dr. Saunders. For Gilmore Girls fans out there, points if you spot Kirk (Sean Gunn) amongst the scientists.
Just as Brennan is about to give her speech, the alarms go off and the Jeffersonian team discover a body on fire, and all of a sudden there is a murder to solve at the Forensics Convention. It is quickly discovered that the victim is the Dr. Saunders that Hodgins had words with; Hodgins seems more annoyed at the inconvenience than anything else as he comes under scrutiny as a suspect. He says, “This is the third time I’ve been a murder suspect. It makes me want to kill someone so you don’t waste your time.”
Everyone at the Jeffersonian is glad Wendell is back and in remission, and when he has to leave work for an appointment Brennan treats with her usual tact. “You are no use to me if your cancer returns and you die Mr. Bray. I can wait until you come back.” However, he takes longer than they think, and everyone is concerned. He meets up with Booth who gives him a firm and rather unconventional pep talk, after it turns out one member of the clinical trial that Wendell is part of died. Booth convinces him to keep on fighting, because “he doesn’t want to lose another brother.”
Suspicions turn to various people at the convention, from its head to an author there for research. An enthusiastic Aubrey and a more reluctant Booth awkwardly interrogate Hodgins. Booth reminds everyone he knows what it is like to be framed with circumstantial evidence, so avoids jumping to conclusions. Aubrey, on the other hand, tells him “I really think you are a good guy, so please don’t be the killer.”
The murder is eventually solved, and traced back to a rather annoying scientist who had been supplying the team with his useful inventions. The back and forth exchanges between him and Brennan is entertaining as she shows him exactly how she saw through his attempts to forensically cover his tracks.
There were many competing story lines in the episode, which meant none of them were as fully developed as they could have been. The suspicions towards Hodgins could have been mined for more drama, especially regarding Angela’s feelings about it all. The convention setting was entertaining and unique and created the prospect for deliberate misleads within the forensic evidence. It was great to have Wendell back, though he isn’t an intern that provides light relief, and his more dramatic storyline would perhaps have been better placed in an episode with less going on.
Review Score: THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
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