Bones - The Brain in the Bot - Review

Well it's no surprise that "The Brain in the Bot" had a lot to do with intelligence. Artificial intelligence, genius-level intelligence, stoner intelligence, and crime-solving intelligence, just to name a few.

Bones has gotten into a habit of weaving current scientific, social, and political affairs into their stories, and this week's episode is no exception; it deals with the untimely death of an AI entrepreneur named Ian Goldberg, and the wider-reaching implications of that technology.

PLOT

Again, the show did an incredible job of casting suspicion on a number of folks, including the 100% nervous co-owner of Goldberg's company, the cantankerous engineer, and even the seemingly-altruistic robot. Outside the office, there was an avid protestor of artificial intelligence, a potential business partner dealing in sex dolls, and a kindly drug dealer...and it's the latter, who gave Ian a groundbreaking business idea, who ended his life in a fit of rage. (Hey, I'd be pissed if a millionaire gave me a dumb bluetooth speaker, too.)

There was a lot going on outside of the latest homicide, though. Hodgins shaved off an eyebrow in the opening act, which I didn't find particularly funny until he haphazardly tried to stick its replacement onto his brow in act three. Angela was given the MacArthur fellowship (also known as "the genius grant") for her years of work on the Angelatron (the Jeffersonian's ultra-powerful computing machine). That seemed to ruffle Brennan's feathers a bit.

Daisy Wick, the longtime squintern, asked Brennan for a reference in her application to the National Forensic Lab. Brennan didn't seem too optimistic about that working out, either.

Brennan's dad showed up at her office late in the episode, seeming a little sentimental. I didn't think anything of it until the last scene, when little Christine noticed that he dropped something - something that looks suspiciously like a hospital wristband. I'm sure we'll see more about that in episodes to come.

Oh, and it was Brennan's birthday! She decided to plan her own surprise party, claiming the planning of that kind of shindig is more pleasurable than being shocked and surprised by loved ones. (Is it just me, or did she kind of have a point?) The party turned into a celebration of Brennan, Angela, and Daisy, which was lovely - and a testament of Brennan's growth as a friend and mentor over the years.

DISCUSSION

However, does anyone miss the days when Brennan was more self-centered and strictly logical? Sure, she's all soft and cuddly lately, but not as edgy or prickly as she used to be, and I sorta miss that side of her. My dad used to be a fan of the show, but pointed out recently that in the later years, characters don't really behave in the ways he expected, and it's made him turn away. I suppose if you're reading this post, that's not the case for you...but I'd love to know what you think of the character evolution on this show as we enter the final stretch.

Booth's gift to Brennan was a court date to exonerate Zack in a few months - hooray! This means we're likely to catch a few more glimpses of Zack Addy before the finale, and I am thrilled by the notion. Any theories about the outcome of his case? About how it might impact the Jeffersonian Team? About where his court date will land in relation to the show's finale?

And lastly, there have been some fun throwbacks in this episode that I want to call out. One is the occurrence of Booth and Brennan's song, "Hot Blooded". I'll confess, that's a longstanding track in my personal library, and it's become a trigger that reminds me of some of the best parts of the show. It was nice to hear the two of them jam to it for what might be the final time. The other is teased out during scenes between Hodgins and Daisy, who used to have a somewhat tempestuous relationship that's mellowed considerably - despite the fact that she once accidentally shot him. I'll be honest, I don't remember that moment, but it makes me want to go back & catch some of the highlights of their scenes together.

All in all, "The Brain in the Bot" was a pretty strong episode. What did y'all think? I want them comments!