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Bones is a police procedural drama and crime thriller that aired on Fox for 12 seasons. Police procedurals are some of the most saturated programs on television. From the Law & Order franchise to NCIS to CSI to Criminal Minds, there are a lot of cop shows to choose from. With so many shows, it's a difficult challenge for a police procedural to gain traction. Why give a new show a chance when the old reliable is still going?
Bones is one such crime thriller that actually managed to stay relevant and pull away from the crowd. This incredible series found the perfect balance between the harsh realities of heinous crimes and a found-family dynamic among the Jeffersonian Institute staff. Bones blends popular mystery tropes with a strong ensemble cast and gruesome details that will have audiences wincing. Fans can currently stream Bones on Hulu, and it's easily one of the best crime thrillers available on streaming today.
Bones Combines Classic Crime Solving With a Strong Slow-Burn
Bones first aired on September 13, 2005, and it ran for 12 seasons with 246 episodes. The series follows forensic anthropologist Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz).
Bones and Booth are at the forefront of an excellent ensemble cast, and their chemistry is immediately undeniable. These two characters are dynamic, engaging, and well-rounded on their own, but the second they're on-screen together, viewers can't help but lock in and watch. Bones will hook you in the first 10 minutes of episode one; that's how impressive it is.
One of the standouts of Bones is the slow-burn romance. The "Bones and Booth" dynamic is a pure opposites-attract situation, because Bones is a logical scientist who deals in literal facts. Meanwhile, Booth is a charismatic agent who relies heavily on his intuition. There's enough tension between their differences in opinions and methods that they develop a strong will-they-won't-they dynamic.
Other crime thrillers have done this with less success. Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit are one such example. The slow-burn romance can be a risk, because if fans get invested and there is no payoff, they might grow frustrated. Fortunately, Bones had the payoff to justify the building chemistry between Bones and Booth.
The couple finally sealed the deal in Season 6, Episode 22, "The Hole in the Heart." While Bones and Booth are like the heart and soul of Bones, they can't do all the heavy lifting on their own. On the back of their incredible dynamic and well-executed slow-burn romance, Bones has an amazing extended cast. The entire Jeffersonian Institute feels like one big family.
The Jeffersonian Institute is a research institute and museum where Bones works, and is often the setting where she helps investigate various crimes with the FBI. The Jeffersonian Institute itself gives Bones a unique flair, because it's such a different base of operations from a traditional police procedural.
It does cleverly pay tribute to the real relationship between the FBI and Smithsonian Institution scientists. However, it's the staff that truly makes the place feel lively and like a found family unit that fans can find comfort in. Characters like Jack Hodgins and Angela Montenegro really round out the cast.
While they aren't "main characters," they are still distinct and fully realized characters. They add different perspectives to each new case, as well as humor and understanding for the rest of the cast.
Bones Was a Revolutionary Show Way Ahead of Its Time
It may seem strange to cite Bones as a 20+ year-old show, but it did come out in 2005, making it 21 this year. Bones was honestly a revolutionary show that, at the time, took a lot of risks. Even the title character, Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, was light years ahead of her time.
As a strong and brilliant female lead in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field, Bones stood out from other cop procedural series protagonists. She is unapologetic, logical, and never took the backseat to anyone. The entire show is named after Dr. Brennan, so it's safe to say that Emily Deschanel's portrayal inspired viewers everywhere.
She proved that a woman could succeed in a male-dominated field, not just in-character, but in real life too, because Deschanel was competing with mostly male leads in similar series. Not only is Bones the main character and the brains behind the operation, but she is also constantly portrayed as the provider.
Dr. Brennan can even be called a trailblazer in her field, so the show isn't subtle or modest about her achievements. Part of the reason Bones still works so well is that it strikes an important balance between its groundbreaking main character and a comfortable, almost predictable formula. Many fans describe Bones as having a "Scooby-Doo formula."
Almost every episode follows a weekly investigation where a body is found, Bones and her colleagues examine the body, and the killer is hunted down and eventually brought to justice. It's a comfortable formula that keeps fans coming back for more, because they know what to expect, while still being surprised by the gruesome reality of each murder.
Bones also heavily emphasized the science of forensic anthropology. As a character, Dr. Brennan isn't a cop or an FBI agent; she's a forensic anthropologist. To complement the importance of her role, the show never actually shies away from showing the details of the science itself, no matter how gruesome it may be.
Despite the "Scooby-Doo" nature of the series, it told shockingly mature stories for adults, keeping its audience engaged with the main character, the slow-burn romance, and the horrors of human nature.
Bones Season 11 Might Be the Show’s Best Season
It's hard to argue that Bones wasn't a great show from the very start. It lasted 12 seasons and to this day, fans still hope for a Bones revival or continuation of some kind. However, one season does stand out from the rest and that is Season 11.
Season 11 has a flawless 100% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a shockingly rare score for any television series. This season is mostly memorable because it shook up the case-of-the-week formula in a way that fans really didn't see coming. Bones Season 11 took more risks and upped the stakes for Dr. Brennan and several other major characters in the series.
Critics and fans alike praised this season for breaking the typical formula and focusing on much more emotionally dense stories. One character arc that stands out in Season 11 is Dr. Jack Hodgins' (T.J. Thyne) story. After a horrific bombing, Hodgins finds himself paralyzed and severely impacted forever. Hodgins must face the cold, hard reality that his marriage, his career, and his life will never be the same.
Season 11 also includes a heart-pounding arc where Booth goes missing. While investigating his disappearance, his FBI-issued gun is found on the body of a murder victim who is mistakenly identified as Booth himself. For a while, Booth actually becomes the prime suspect in an ongoing murder investigation.
The body is eventually revealed as Booth's brother, Jared, and suspicion falls on Booth as the killer. This nail-biting story arc ultimately sets up the main villain for the rest of the season, but even so much as teasing the idea of Booth snapping and becoming a killer kept fans glued to their couches.
The found family dynamic of Bones never faded during Season 11; it was just put through trials yet to be seen. Season 11 is known for diving into much darker storylines, testing each character's individual resilience, as well as the entire Jeffersonian Institute.
