TV Review: FOX Starts Eighth Season of ‘Bones’ with Action-Packed Episode

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CHICAGO – With the end of “House,” FOX’s “Bones” is now the longest-running drama on the network and one of the longest-running series on any channel on network TV. David Boreanaz has essentially been on TV for two decades now with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Bones.” I think even fans of the show have to be surprised that it’s survived this long. But is it still any good? Surprisingly, yes. The premiere of the eighth season has a lot of plot to get through to reunite Bones (Emily Deschanel) with Booth (Boreanaz) and so it’s hard to tell how creatively vibrant the show will be all year but the show’s incredibly charismatic ensemble still seems vital enough to justify the program’s longevity.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

At the end of last season, Brennan had to go on the run after being framed for murder by the nefarious Pelant (Andrew Leeds). Naturally, that’s where the action picks up this year as everyone who cares about Bones is trying to clear her name. While Brennan works with her father (Ryan O’Neal) to not only stay clear of the FBI but keep her daughter safe, everyone back at the lab searches to find the evidence that will set her free.

Of course, it’s Brennan herself that gives Hodgins (TJ Thyne), Angela (Michaela Conlin), Camille (Tamara Taylor), Sweets (John Francis Daley), and Booth the tools they need to save the day when she uncovers and even examines a long-dead body that could be related to Pelant before calling it into the police. If they can tie Pelant to the murder of the discovered bones, could they trip him up in a way that frees Bones? Or even buy themselves enough time to prove that Pelant doctored the surveillance footage that sent their beloved on the run in the first place?

Bones
Photo credit: FOX

“Bones” has been a good-not-great show for seven years now with some peak seasons where it felt as fun and confident as anything in its mystery-solving genre and some seasons where it felt a bit repetitive and actually rather dull. Interestingly, the show seems to have survived the union of Booth and Brennan unharmed unlike most shows that turn their flirtatious pair into lovers. Deschanel and Boreanaz have always had solid chemistry and the two actors are charismatic enough to make the replacement of their flirtation with actual love remain interesting. The supporting cast has also been long-underrated and the stability on the show has created some interesting relationships over the years. If “Bones” had replaced most of its crew over the years, the emotion of how characters like Angela and Camille respond to Brennan’s predicament wouldn’t resonate.

Where does “Bones” go from here? As the “CSI”s and “Law & Order”s have proven, there will always be mysteries to solve. I’ve long liked the way that “Bones” emphasizes the rapport and personalities around the murders as much as the crime itself. It’s what has distinguished the show for going on eight seasons while so many similar shows have come and gone.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]