astridv | Bones finale

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bones

Bones finale

Oh, what the hell...
The fewer words lost about this episode the better, but I do have a few.

My interest in Bones had already waned considerably since season two, mostly I thought the show was just too formulaic and not dark enough. Now, watching the finale I kept thinking, "Go back to the formula, guys!" Man, were they in over their heads. Sacrificing a wonderful character for a cheap shock effect, without any proper build-up? And it wasn't just the ending; the entire episode was so OOC and full of plot holes that I was actually convinced it was all a sloppily written dream sequence. I was happily busy figuring out whether it was all in Booth's or in Brennan's head until the screen went dark in the end.

I doubt I'll keep watching... I'll let it depend on the flist's reaction posts whether I bother to download next season. I was mainly watching for Brennan and the squint squad, because the Booth/Bones will they/won't they does nothing for me. I love Brennan. I've really come to like Cam. Here's finally a show with many interesting, strong female characters. But unfortunately the Hodgins/Angela bores me as well, and Sweets aka Zack's replacement is a character whose actions are so inept and unethical that I can't take him seriously for a second... he's a caricature, and only there to shove the UST between the two leads in our faces, as if that was necessary. And as to the cases... it's a show I've watched in spite of the hole-ridden procedural plots, not because of them.

I think they made a mistake and this will come to bite them in the ass. Seriously, a peek at Hart Hanson's inbox...

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Hi, mostly a lurker here but always loved your art and recs... just popped in to say that I agree with you.

The season ender was a definite disappointment, it's been clear to me since last season that the showrunners aren't really good with a long case arc, which is a shame. There were glimmers of something more hidden under all that but execution wise they stink. Also, I keep thinking that they should have stuck to the Grave Digger plot, resolved *that* and then move on to the next one.

What you said. I wish I had time for something more coherent.

amen, baby. a~fucking~men.

*hugs*

Yeah, word. For the past two days I've been shaking my head and mumbling WTH. I wasn't overly fond of Zack, but to end his role on the show in such a twisted way is just sad.

On a happier note, NCIS finale was awesome (IMHO).

A world of YES. I really do believe this is a mistake. They rushed the finale and left the audience to form the character justification on their own. ::shakes head::

Sacrificing a wonderful character for a cheap shock effect, without any proper build-up?

How much do I hate that? They did it on T_W's finale and it left me with a lasting distaste for the show. As for Bones, I was just getting into it this season and so I wasn't as invested as many viewers, but still... lamesauce. Every show has weak episodes, but what a way to end a season! What were they thinking?

I'm going to continue watching, because I still like Brennan, Cam and Hodgins. Angela and Booth sometimes too, depending on the episode in question. :) (Notice how I politely don't mention Sweets...) But not having Zack around the lab is going to suck in so many ways.

OTOH, like someone mentioned, the NCIS finale was so full of win that it almost makes up for this. :)

I was rather glad that I'm no longer invested in the show myself. I'm just annoyed by the sloppy storytelling and the way they underestimate their viewers.

What were they thinking?

Or rather, what where they smoking. ;)

Yeah, I was pleased with the NCIS finale. They managed to wrap up their open plot threads nicely. I liked this season a lot better than the last; I think Bellisario leaving served the show well.

Yup... show, don't tell. Can't really disregard that basic rule when you're trying to pull off such a substantial character development.

Yay on the NCIS finale. I'd been spoiled as to someone leaving, and I'd been hoping it'd turn out the way it did. Some very lovely Tony/Ziva character stuff, too.

I, personally, have always had problems with Sweets' ineptness and unethical behavior. As a psychologist myself, I was apalled when he took clients with whom he is working professionally on a frickin' date with his girlfriend!!! I enjoyed the actor in "Kitchen Confidential" (whom he played exactly as he is playing Sweets - but there's a major difference between an assistant cook and a licensed psychologist), so I know it's the role and not just the actor that bugs me.

The finale was excruciable. There was no lead up to the "shocking reveal" and Zach's reasons for joining with Gormagon made zero sense. If they had addressed his experiences in Iraq and actually shown a reasonable lead up to his decision, maybe - MAYBE - I could have bought it, but as shown? Nope.

I'm with you on the absolute lameness of the season finale -- as I've said elsewhere, it has to rank as the most gratuitously nasty send-off of a departing series character since Tasha Yar got eaten by an oil slick in ST:TNG. I'm willing to cut the writers a certain amount of slack because of having to cope with the fallout from the writers' strike, but not that much slack.

I mostly watch the show for the David Boreanaz=Pretty factor, so I'll probably keep tuning in for that next year. On the other hand, the show's no longer a candidate for my "buy it on DVD someday" list, either.

Also, I keep thinking that they should have stuck to the Grave Digger plot, resolved *that* and then move on to the next one.

Right. You could think someone was holding a gun to their head to force the Gormogon plot when there wasn't enough time to set it up properly. They had plenty of alternatives but instead they rushed through the 'Verdict' story, gave a passing glance to Booth getting shot which got resolved in this completely disjointed, pointless teaser (talk about a drive-by shooting *g*)... it makes no sense.

I'm glad you like the recs, btw. One is always sort of reccing into the void, and it's nice to hear people actually find them useful. :)

I'm willing to cut the writers a certain amount of slack because of having to cope with the fallout from the writers' strike, but not that much slack.

Exactly. I can see how the strike affected their storytelling, but it's no excuse since everyone could see the strike coming way ahead. They should've had time to plan ahead accordingly. Looks like Hanson was so enamored with the coolness of his shocking revelation that he couldn't be bothered to think it through properly.

(I never watched that particular TNG ep, but I heard friends rant about it...)

Yeah, I think it could've worked, if done very carefully. There was potential, but they messed up the execution.

As a psychologist myself, I was apalled when he took clients with whom he is working professionally on a frickin' date with his girlfriend!!!

I know very little about psychology but that seemed extremely unrealistic even to me. I can only suspend my disbelief so high, and as a viewer I don't like having to put so much work into ingnoring stuff like that in order to enjoy the show.

Honestly the Gormogon arc wasn't even all that interesting. I find that arcs like that only engage me if one or most of the characters are touched directly by whoever they're chasing. Gormogon was this faceless man I didn't care about. And, look, PTB I *could* buy Zack being turned because of logic but that is if you show us that what happened to him in Iraq affected him and if, again, you've put a face to Gormogon -- if he was this charming and seemingly good guy, if, if, if...

And, hey! Didn't the Gormogon people only take on apprentices who didn't have fathers? Didn't we see Zack have, like, Brady Bunch for a family? WTF, PTB? Argh. The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get.

I also very much agree to the cop out re: Booth's shooting. They really shouldn't have gone through with the storyline if they were only there to pull out some emotions from the viewers. They pulled out an emotion alright and it isn't what they were hoping for.

And, er, speaking of recs, I'd like to very much rec a show to you: Life. I don't know if you're familiar with the show but it's basically like Bones, Veronica Mars and a wee bit like X-Files. It isn't a straight up procedural show either and mostly you watch the show because of the characters, particularly the partnership between the two lead characters, Reese and Crews (see above). It's a little quirky and it has heart and the cinematography and the music is made of awesome (especially in the original broadcast version -- the web version unfortunately changed music). And, oh, the characters.

Oh, and also they do a great conspiracy arc! This show knows how to resolve a conspiracy arc! Plus, its first series is only 11 episodes!

Um. Yeah. Sorry, I can't seem to help rec this show everywhere.

I've posted on the finale to the point of exhaustion, so I've not much to add here, except:

Season 3 contained a LOT of character development for all of the squints, and Booth too, as well. It did become lighter, did evolve into a show that pleased more offline than online fans. It's now a combination hit show/cult offering, and IMO will become less "cultish" and more "mainstream" romantic comedy next year. (We'll see if I'm right about that. :-) )

However, I've now re-watched the episode about 6 times, and it does become clearer with each re-viewing. That said, holy cow! How mishy-mashy was it written that it takes 6 viewings to "get it"?

I'm sticking with it, but it was a damned poor way to end the season, and way too little long-term build-up to Zach's fall from grace.

It did become lighter, did evolve into a show that pleased more offline than online fans. It's now a combination hit show/cult offering, and IMO will become less "cultish" and more "mainstream" romantic comedy next year. (We'll see if I'm right about that. :-) )

I think that hits the nail on the head. Ratings-wise that might actually pay off, who knows. I've just never been that interested in mainstream. I foresee a shift in viewer demographics.

6 times, eh? I admire your persistence. :)

Thanks for the rec for 'Life' :). Not that I'm looking for a new show to get into right now (I'm already watching SGA and NCIS and I've always been a one-show kinda fangirl) but I'll check it out when it's on; sounds interesting.

Honestly the Gormogon arc wasn't even all that interesting.

There's that, too...

btw, have you ever watched NCIS? That might be up your alley; it's similar to Bones in that it's a character-driven procedural. The plots are decent and the ensemble is fantastic. And they haven't screwed up their finale, either. ;) Five highy watchable seasons of quirkiness.

I absolutely 100% give Life a thumbs up, too.

It was my favorite new show back in the fall, even exceeded some of my returning faves. One note, you could tell in the first few eps they were tinkering with the "quirky" factor of the lead, backing off a bit from the pilot.

I can't imagine the music being screwed with.

As to Bones, check your email, although you probably already answered my question in it :) I can understand the strike messing with whatever plans the writers had, but trying to cram something in that half-assed anyway is purely on their heads.

Hey, I didn't manage to read your comment on the first flist read-through, because I hadn't seen the ep then. So now I may be a little late... ;)

But I agree with you. The whole season was uneven. I like Booth/Brennan a lot, but the way it is shoved in our faces, especially through Sweets, gets on my nerves something awful. I hate Sweets's character, he's totally superfluous to all the stories.

I admit I didn't much like Zach either, he's too much like Brennan in his completely geeky logic-dominated way. I think one character like that on the show is enough.

But now that you mentioned it, for the first time I thought about the season as a whole. And there isn't much left to remember. The whole Christmas kiss fiasco and now the finale... *shakes head*

And there was *no* development for any of the other characters. The only thing that worked for me as character insight was the Verdict episode. I actually really liked it. But that's really not enough for a whole season.

I am afraid you're right with your prediction of a lighter Bones next year. We'll see how much longer it manages to hold my attention.

(p.s.: I don't like NCIS because of the military angle, so there's little chance of me watching it, but I'll definitely try to check out Life... that sounds interesting.)

And there was *no* development for any of the other characters.

Yeah. Whatever character development there was mostly involved softening the characters. Somehow they turned Hodgins from this abrasive, edgy, paranoid character into a fluffy puppy when he got together with Angela. I liked Hodgins with edges. No idea what happened to Booth's violent past, his guilt issues, and his overcome gambling addiction... those became forgotten sometime in season two.

But yeah, season two still had several episodes that stood out, like Aliens in a Spaceship. But looking back at s3, I mainly remember the awful horse-play ep and now the finale. I did like Verdict, though it didn't sit well with me that Max got to walk. But I liked the way they wrote it. (But Max, now there's another character that got softened to the point of OOCness, his sharp edges filed off.)

The ironic thing is that right now, where so many of the long-time viewers are turned off the show looking for greener pastures, my SGA-heavy flist starts discovering the Bones love. ;)

I did like Verdict, though it didn't sit well with me that Max got to walk.

Meh, yes. That bugged me, too.

The ironic thing is that right now, where so many of the long-time viewers are turned off the show looking for greener pastures, my SGA-heavy flist starts discovering the Bones love. ;)

Heee. Worse things could happen. ;)) I'd like to say that at least the writing in Bones is an improvement over SGA, but... unfortunately it's not much of a difference these days.

You don't like the writing on SGA? The show or the fic?? I mean, the fic is so much more awesome in SGA, they're not even playing in the same league. And so far I've also been really happy with the writing on the show itself. Though on occasion I hear people be very critical of the show... but I dunno, I enjoy it. Even Buffy and Angel weren't perfect :)

You don't like the writing on SGA? The show or the fic??

The show! The show! The fic in SGA is so much better, bigger, more than I could have ever imagined - for me it's *the* fandom, and it'll stay with me long after I've stopped watching the show (which was last year). I've never seen any other fandom with so much crack and so much talent in one place.

But canon... now that's another matter. I think the writing on the show sucks terribly. The characters are sketchy and there's no useful interaction between them. They totally ruined Carter (who I used to like on SG1) and they think they are writing for men. If they didn't have David Hewlett, acting genius, and Joe Flanigan, gorgeousness personified, it would not be watchable at all.

I did like the first season with its darkness and general sense of being lost in another galaxy without a way back. But that was also more of an expectation from the setting than actual happiness with the writing or the storylines. The first season at least had its highlights.

Even Buffy and Angel weren't perfect :)

Hee. :) Yes, especially Buffy was often cheesy and Angel declined over time, too. But Joss was a whole other league from the Stargate writers and it pains me to compare them. At least he had depth and actual 'living' characters. I miss him.

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