'Bones' faces a new bump in the road

This week, FOX's Bones presents "The Bump in the Road." Brennan (Emily Deschanel) finds it hard to concentrate on her work, now that her baby is in daycare nearby. Cam (Tamara Taylor) also had a mommy dilemma when her daughter, Michelle (Tiffany Hines), begins dating new-ish Jeffersonian intern Finn (Luke Kleintank). Will these parents be able to compartmentalize their kids and their careers, and still do right by both?

In the fall batch of Bones episodes, the new dynamic between Brennan and Booth (David Boreanaz) does not hurt the series at all. If anything, Bones becomes energized by the shake up. However, the same cannot be said of the past two episodes, which are more baby-centric. Yes, it's nice to see Booth and Brennan have a little family, and the scenes featuring these two are mostly authentic and sweet. Bones has always been good at writing the romantic stuff. It's Brennan-as-a-mommy that they have yet to figure out, and so other parts of "The Bump in the Road" come off as clumsy.

Brennan studies human behavior, without fully understanding how to fit into social interaction herself. It's always been a part of her character, so it's no surprise that being a mother is an adjustment. However, the overwhelming emotion Deschanel lets slip into the part glosses over this. This is not the complaint, as it isn't a surprise that giving birth could change a person.

However, to hear Brennan endlessly talk about motherhood doesn't feel all that authentic. The scene where she catches Angela (Michaela Conlin) hiding her own child in a file cabinet is worse. Sure, it's believable that Angela might sneak her kid into the lab, but the whole thing feels like a staged set up to give Brennan something to babble about. The way Brennan is now being written just seems a bit fake. It's like the writers know how they want her to act, but haven't quite mastered how to make it happen at the same level they were writing the character previously.

Booth fares a bit better, but then, he's not the mommy. His scene with Special Agent Shaw (Tina Majorino), where she admits to having a child, also feels staged. The fact that she acts awkwardly as Booth stumbles for something to say, settling on praising her motherly abilities, of which he has not witnessed, saves it. He act authentically out of step after such a weird confession, and she also looks uncomfortable. This works, even if the initial conversation does not.

Cam, too, is written weirdly in "The Bump in the Road." She is a cheerleader and mentor for Finn, until he wants to date her daughter. Understandable. But then Cam implies that her concerns are about Finn's past, which has already been justified to her and the audience. Why not have Cam express hesitation because of how she sees Finn treat a girl in the diner at the beginning of the episode? That would feel much more real. And without her bringing it up later, instead, using other excuses, why even have that scene?

The lack of focus on this week's case is not a problem. Bones is at its best when it lets its character breathe, and doesn't stick them stringently into the crime formula. But since the characters have all undergone big shifts, and the writers haven't completely adjusted yet, "The Bump in the Road" feels like a mediocre effort. Perhaps it should have been a practice script that didn't see the light of day.

Given the long track record of greatness that Bones has, things will probably get sorted out, hopefully sooner, rather than later. Watch Bones Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Bones finds "The Feet on the Beach"

     In last night's episode of FOX's Bones, Dr. Brennan (Emily Deschanel) works with Dr. Douglas Filmore (Scott Lowell, Queer as Folk) when eight pairs of feet are found on the U.S. / Canadian border. Filmore is a Canadian forensic podiatrist, a field not recognized. Brennan recently wrote a scathing article, finding forensic podiatry is too specialized to be named a valid job description. In fact, after reading the article, Filmore is so upset that right arm becomes paralyzed. So things between them get off to a pretty rocky start.

    This is a great story because Brennan's friends and teammates are used to her standoffish ways. They don't even seem to notice most of the time anymore when she says something insulting or condescending. Filmore brings a fresh pair of eyes to the scene, reminding us that Brennan still have quite a ways to go when working on her social skills. The rest of the Jeffersonian crew sides with Filmore, praising his work and encouraging him to confront Brennan. Sweets (John Francis Daley) even offering counseling, but it does his appendage no good. They also tell her she should apologize, but she doesn't understand why she should, since she only 'stated facts'. Both stubbornly refuse to budge on their outlook, and so they remain at an impasse.

     In the end, Filmore solves the case, and Brennan praises him for his work. She realizes she can do so without apologizing, since she maintains her rightness. Booth (David Boreanaz) is proud of her for the effort. In fact, Booth is the only one who can get through to her at all, and it likely she only said something nice to Filmore because Booth makes her see that not everyone values correctness above all else, as she does. He can see the type of person she really is, and that she just isn't great at communicating. Brennan has compassion, albeit, less developed than in others, but doesn't know how to exhibit those types of feelings.

     This is one more good argument on why Booth and Brennan should be a couple. They understand each other in ways that no one else does. The complement each other, and help strengthen their weaknesses. Considering the upcoming season finale in six weeks is titled "The Change in the Game", I am hoping that the two of them will move beyond friendship sooner rather than later. We've waited long enough!

     The B-plot isn't nearly as good. Cam (Tamara Taylor) does something wholly unethical to get her daughter Michelle (Tiffany Hines) accepted into Columbia. I haven't liked the Cam's insta-teen-daughter thing from the beginning, and while I applaud the writers with trying to find things to make Cam's personal life more interesting, this isn't a direction I support. The outcome of Michelle rejecting Cam's help, saying she will earn her way in on her own because Cam has taught her better than that, is just plain corny.

     There will be new Bones for the next six weeks through the season finale! Bones airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

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