The Jeffersonian investigates the CIA while a briefcase that supposedly holds millions of dollars of diamonds goes missing.

Grade: B-
Stars: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne, Tamara Taylor, John Francis Daley
Writer(s): Michael Peterson
Director: Alex Chapple
Release Date: September 24th, 2009

BONES has never been afraid to show some really disgusting things, and this week’s episode definitely proved that. You would think it would be enough with first opening with a shot of a man’s hand getting cut off and then afterwards showing him getting eaten by a bunch of stray cats, but unfortunately the worse was only yet to come when they find another dead body with the flesh literally melting off of its face. I’ve never been one to get squeamish about such things, but I think in this case I just felt like they were overdoing it a bit.

This episode was also kind of predictable, with Wendell’s loss and regaining of his scholarship and also with what was inside the briefcase (or maybe I should say, what wasn’t in the briefcase). Usually BONES has me guessing up until the very end, but that wasn’t really the case in this episode.

When it was mentioned at first by Cam (Tamara Taylor) that Wendell would lose his scholarship, which in turn would make him lose his internship at The Jeffersonian, I already knew that someone would put up the money so he wouldn’t have to leave. In fairness, I did think it would be only Dr. Brennan (Emily Deschanel) only because she said that she wouldn’t because she tries not to become too attached to her assistants anymore, especially after what happened with Zack. In the end though, it seems everyone put up their own money in order for him to stay, making enough anonymous donations to cover three scholarships.

The case itself wasn’t predictable, and I did enjoy the twist at the end with the hidden map in the image. But I’m pretty sure almost all of us knew right off the bat that the briefcase did not contain diamonds, and I found myself getting bored while they were pursuing that angle. I do like that it turned out to be a USB and not a microchip because really, isn’t it always a microchip? I also thought that the murderer using a laser to torture the victim was interesting, and I absolutely adored that in the end the victim was honored by the CIA by putting a star in his name as one of the agents who died during service for their country, even though he was only a computer analyst. But he never spoke a word while being tortured, so he was one damn brave computer analyst.

The best story arc in the episode had to be Booth (David Boreanaz) trying to regain his ‘manliness’ and sense of his original self by learning how to fix his own plumbing. Which apparently is an ‘again’, seeing as how he used to do be able to do it pre-coma. What was more enjoyable about it in particular, though, was how Brennan was helping Booth feel better about himself in that aspect by buying him the book he was looking for (“Plumbing for Dummies”, yet she called it “the book for imbeciles”), and asking for her to pay him back so he didn’t feel bad about how she is so much wealthier than he is, especially since she just received a very large check from her publisher. Her also asking to be shown how to do it by him once he learned was really nice especially because after Sweets (John Francis Daley) suggested it to Brennan, she immediately dismissed the idea, and yet still went ahead and did it. It seems a lot of them have been doing that lately, dismissing Sweets’ ideas to his face and yet trying them out later. Poor Sweets really has no idea how much he actually helps half the time.

Overall, the episode kept me, for the most part anyway, drawn in and entertained. It was funny, especially when someone from the CIA came in to approve Booth as the investigating officer (who had some doubts about appointing him because he shot a clown) makes Booth respond with a smile, “It was a mechanical clown. Come on, you’re telling me you never wanted to do that?” It also makes me wonder though, when Booth’s fear of clowns will return. I have a feeling it’s going to come back at probably one of the worst possible moments. What I think a lot of us are waiting for though, is finding out whether his love for Brennan is real, and not just a symptom post-coma. Stay turned next Thursday at 8pm on FOX for more BONES, more bodies, and more answers.