Bones makes "The Change in the Game"

     FOX's Bones gives viewers a comparatively mediocre season finale, compared to others they have done, save for the final moments. With the take down of the sniper who plagues the team this season, along with a fairly significant death, occurring in the penultimate episode, most of "The Change in the Game" deals with a normal, standard case. Booth (David Boreanaz) and Brennan (Emily Deschanel) go undercover in Max's (Ryan O'Neal) bowling league to find out who has killed a man found among the pins. Angela (Michaela Conlin) goes into labor, but a video link to the Jeffersonian keeps her and Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) more or less working the case up until the baby arrives. However, the end of the episode has a big, game changing reveal, in keeping with the hour's title.

     Brennan is pregnant with Booth's baby. Their sexual hookup comes as comfort after losing an intern in the previous episode, and takes place subtly and off screen. In fact, there is disagreement among the fans about what exactly occurs between the two in the bedroom until Brennan makes her announcement. It truly is "The Change in the Game," as Brennan and Booth dance around each other romantically, and have been for years. This development will force them to mature into a couple quite fast, as both are happy about the baby, and want to be good parents to it. The writers are smart to skip the dating phase of their relationship, avoiding pratfalls that can come by changing the characters too much with early stages of love. Instead, strong feelings growing over many years will suddenly manifest in a big way.

     What should be very interesting is how the expecting parents will interact with the new ones. Angela and Hodgins are sure to raise their child very differently from B and B, so all sorts of conflict may arise between the two parenting styles if advice is given. One baby following so closely on the heels of another will shake up much of the team dynamic, and should reinvigorate a show that is going into its seventh season.

     During the labor alone, plenty of humor is provided as Cam (Tamara Taylor) and Wendell (Michael Grant Terry) try to figure out Angela's equipment, and mess it up. For anyone who thinks Angela has the cushy, easy job, being the artist in residence, all such notions are dispelled as the two co-workers discover just how hard it is to operate the various computers that allow Angela to help solve the murders.

     At the bowling alley, there is also a fun story, as Max's bowling teammates include the overconfident Hercules (Kevin Alejandro, True Blood, Southland) and the precocious teenage boss, Chance (Kristin Quick, The Secret Life of the American Teenager), as well as a rival team of colorful characters. The B's go undercover as a lower class engaged couple, and all sorts of hilarity ensues. While this isn't too far off of a standard case, the inclusion of such interesting side characters do make the story pretty entertaining.

     Bones also stars John Francis Daley, and will return for a seventh season next fall on FOX.

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Article first published as TV Review: Bones - "The Change in the Game" on Blogcritics.