Booth went from "a young and rebellious FBI agent," as FOX describes him in their official episode description, who had a gambling problem to a more grounded and ex-gambler agent. As for Brennan, she grew a human bone over the years.
I always thought Booth and Brennan's first encounter was supposed to have been terrible so I never expected them to kiss under the rain and then almost hook up in the past! WTF? is what I said to my TV when I watched the episode, especially since Brennan and Booth didn't understand each other back then as much as they do now. No matter my reaction, this showed that right from the start, the duo was more than just colleagues.
Back in the present, Sweets pushes Brennan and Booth to make a decision about their relationship. Booth is ready to gamble and take a chance on love. Brennan is not that inclined saying that he needs to be protected from her and that she can't change. I would have loved to see them hook up in the present as it would have offered the show a new storyline to explore.
However, I understand why the writers decided to have them remain colleagues and friends as the sexual tension will remain and viewers will come back in the hope to see if the duo will eventually take the leap. For sure, both of them, especially Booth since he told Brennan he wanted to find someone who would love him, will resume dating. What's your take on the relationship? Are you happy with the decision of having Brennan and Booth go their separate ways romantically?
Other tidbits of interest:
- Cam was the one who referred Brennan to Booth! So without Cam, the team would have never come together.
- Booth thought the flesh contained all the good evidence. This case was definitely an eye opener for him and now he uses the "bones" in most (if not all) of his cases.
- Hodgins was anti-social six years ago (he even was in an anger issue management program) and didn't get along with Zack at all!!! Talk about a surprise, especially since they were the best buddies in the world before Zack was arrested. How cool was it to see Zack and Hodgins do their first of many experiments together! Thanks to that experiment, Hodgins and Zack started to bond which surely helped Hodgins become more friendly. Hodgins even flirted with Angela but she wasn't interested at that point.
- Zack telling Booth he was stupid was priceless.
- Booth and Brennan's first case is the reason why Angela joined the team. Before that, she made drawings of people. Talk about a funny murder scene recreation she did! She used very low tech items (pen and paper) to recreate the scene when now she has a 3D computerized display!
- The "Bones" nickname was first said by Booth during the first case.
- Sadly, no explanation as to how "The King of the Lab" expression came to be.
That first case was quite interesting as it helped put in place the team -- except for Cam and Sweets who joined later -- and helped us better understand the characters. The case also helped put relationships in place: Hodgins & Zack, Angela & Brennan (they knew each other for a month but this case surely solidified their friendship), Booth and Brennan. Personally, I've really enjoyed this episode, the flashbacks and even the ending.
