Bones was a funky comedy crime drama that explored the dynamic relationship between forensic anthropologist Temperance ‘Bones’ Brennan and FBI Agent Seeley Booth as they solved crimes together. The series ran for an impressive 12 seasons before ending in 2017.
Like with many popular long-running TV programs, Bones had its fair share of amazing episodes and storylines, with the relationships between the main protagonists and the rest of the team at the Jeffersonian Institute becoming the beating heart of the show. However, not every season could live up to the hype, and there are some years fans just want to forget.
Season 4
Given that this was the longest season of Bones in the history of the series, it was then a little disappointing that nothing particularly exciting really happened during Season 4. It started off poorly with a two-parter set in England, where the dialogue sounded as though it was based on a posh English stereotype.
The finale was similarly hard to watch, as it made no sense and was merely a result of Booth’s pointless brain tumor, which was barely mentioned again after that episode. Despite the occasional hidden gem like “The Hero In The Hold,” Season 4 consisted of average episodes and strange plot lines.
Season 3
Season 3 fared no better than its successor. The main antagonist of the season, known as the Gormogon killer, didn’t physically appear until the last few minutes of the season finale, depriving Booth and Brennan of a tense confrontation with the villain. The twist in the last episode also felt kind of forced, leaving fans to wonder what the hell was going on.
The only redeeming feature of the season (and saving it from the last place in this list) was the introduction of forensic psychologist Dr. Lance Sweets, who quickly enamored himself to fans with his kind but quirky behavior.
Season 5
This season is mostly forgettable. The ‘case of the week’ episodic format was barely broken, save for the 100th episode and the Gravedigger’s trial, resulting in the show becoming predictable and mundane.
Carrying over from Season 4, the consequences of Booth’s operation to remove his brain tumor caused him to develop feelings for Brennan, a storyline which was rather awkward to watch. Plus, Brennan’s interns were even more irritating than in the previous seasons due to a lack of character development (for the most part). The one highlight was Hodgins and Angela FINALLY getting back together.
Season 10
Surprisingly, Season 10 began with a brilliant episode that tragically brought Sweets’ time on the series to an end. Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. A new FBI agent was introduced but he felt like a weaker and occasionally annoying copy of the beloved Dr. Sweets.
The absence of a proper antagonist was also odd and left the season seemingly full with filler episodes. That being said, Booth’s relapse storyline and Brennan’s pregnancy, coupled with the fun and flamboyant 200th episode, left Season 10 feeling slightly more three dimensional.
Season 9
For a show that is fairly light in tone, Season 9 starts off rather dark and depressing. Booth and Brennan were fighting due to the former rejecting Brennan’s proposal in order to prevent Christopher Pelant from killing five innocent people. While placing the main characters in conflict created drama, it leads to many of the protagonists acting out of character.
Conversely, Season 9 also had some great moments including Booth and Brennan finally tying the knot. The finale also delivered one of Bones’ best cliffhangers.
Season 6
This season had a lot of storylines running throughout, some more interesting than others. Daisy and Sweets’ on/off relationship took up far too much time and was just a bit dull. Jacob Broadsky as the main antagonist was also disappointing as the character’s motivation for his vigilantism seemed convoluted.
Fortunately, other plotlines were more successful, including Angela’s pregnancy that saw her and Hodgins worrying about their child potentially being born blind. Another successful arc was Brennan’s increasing fondness for her interns, which culminated in a truly heartbreaking scene in which Vincent Nigel-Murray was killed.
Season 1
As first seasons go, Season 1 of Bones was not a bad effort. Most episodes were slightly different, especially compared to later seasons, and the main characters were well established. The first recurring antagonist was also introduced in the form of Howard Epps who stole the spotlight in every scene he was in.
However, there were still some issues with the season. The show struggled to find the right balance between humor and drama, often favoring the latter. Jack Hodgins’ personality was also way off base; the character frequently appeared angry and antisocial, a far cry from the loving family man depicted later in the series.
Season 8
Season 8 started off strong with the team at the Jeffersonian attempting to prove Brennan’s innocence and reunite Booth with his family. Pelant continued to torment the characters, managing to bankrupt Hodgins and threaten Booth and Brennan’s relationship. Cam also found love with Arastoo, beginning a fan-favorite relationship which took center stage in the episode “The Pathos In The Pathogens.”
Despite the strong start, the season faltered near the end and delivered a lack-luster finale that, apart from the last few minutes, felt like a rehash of earlier episodes.
Season 12
As Bones’ last hurrah, Season 12 had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, it largely succeeded. It featured the return of Zack Addy and while it recycled an old storyline from Season 3, the season wrapped up his arc extremely well. The series finale was also well written and suitably dramatic, ending with Cam marrying Arastoo and the Jeffersonian blowing up.
Unfortunately, the identity of the previous season’s serial killer antagonist, the Puppeteer, was quite anticlimactic and the new killer at large didn’t make much of an impact with viewers.
Season 2
Moving into the top three, the show’s second season demonstrated what Bones was properly capable of. It featured the introduction of the forensic pathologist, Camille Saroyan, who grew to become very popular, as well as establishing Angela and Hodgins as the series’ OG power couple.
Serial killer Howard Epps also made a couple of reappearances and the first mention of the Gravedigger occurred when Brennan and Hodgins were buried alive. The only sour note is the rather subdued season finale which, while sad, presents itself as just another ‘corpse of the week’ episode.
Season 11
The penultimate season of Bones brought in new and brazen storylines, while still adhering to the show’s basic components. The mid-season finale was very impressive, resulting in long-lasting and heartbreaking repercussions for one fan-favorite character. Cam’s relationship also grew, with Arastoo proposing to her after a temporary break up.
Equally as enjoyable was watching Booth and Brennan adapt to their new family dynamic with the arrival of their second child. The drama was also present in full force with a new, genuinely creepy recurring antagonist and Booth’s disappearance in the first two episodes.
Season 7
This season was quintessential Bones. After six long years of waiting, viewers got to watch as Booth and Brennan finally became the couple they were always meant to be. Angela and Hodgins also warmed our hearts as they figured out how to be first time parents, bringing out the latter’s paternal side.
If that wasn’t enough, Season 7 brought comedy and high stakes in equal measure by having Brennan approach her pregnancy from her typical logical angle and by introducing Pelant, arguably the best antagonist of the series. The finale also delivered an amazing cliffhanger with Pelant framing Brennan for murder.
