'Bones' Episode Recap: The Doctor in the Photo

Bones fans are anxiously awaiting the return of series on January 20, 2011. For six seasons viewers have witnessed the romantic dance between Detective Booth and Doctor "Bones" Brennan and were finally rewarded with a rare showing of emotion from Bones in the final 2010 episode. During "The Doctor in the Photo" episode Bones allowed feelings to penetrate her intellectual facade, bearing her soul to Booth. The good doctor was visibly shocked and moved to tears after Booth confessed his love for FBI agent Hannah.

Cliffhanger Twists

Rarely does a television show offer such a mid-season cliff hanger or generation of buzz from the fans. The introduction of Hannah as a recurring characters in the CBS television show caused a love/hate relationship to grow for many viewers. The highly anticipated of honest communication and a heartfelt conversation between the two lead characters came with quite an unexpected twist.

You could see feelings and fear swelling to the surface for Bones as the episode progressed. What began as a routine scene investigation turned into something very personal for Doctor Brennan. The investigators and the detective journeyed to a rough part of town to collect evidence from a murder. A female doctor, bearing a slight resemblance to Bones physically bore a more striking resemblance of the soul.

Soul Mates

Not only did Doctor Lauren Eames where a distinctive piece of jewelry which mirrored Bones' favorite ring, but she also lived a solitary life void of emotional connections and romance. A connection between the forensic expert and the transplant surgeon causes concern in the lab. Bones exhibits an unusual sense of connection with the victim, to the point that she blurs the lines of her reality and the life of the deceased.

Hodgins discovers that Dr. Eames has been dead for nearly a year and no one seemed to notice. Bones and Booth visit the hospital where yet more similarities between the two female doctors come to light. Eames' supervisor tells the duo that she was all business and really had no life outside of her job. Although she had no enemies to complete a suspect list, she also had no friends or lovers. Bones speaks with the transplant helicopter pilot who shares his love for the deceased and the number of times she rebuked his advances.

A Life Unnoticed

The lack of personal life or emotional connections which prompted the victim's death to go virtually unnoticed send Bones into a deep reflective funk. When she looks at photos of the victim or listens to tapes of her voice, all Bones sees is her own reflection. Sweets is encouraged by her willingness to discuss the emotions and fears she is experiencing as a result of the case.

While the episode includes searching for clues which eventually leads to solving the case, it is only secondary to the story revealed to viewers. Although Bones and Booth trace a valid lead to a disgruntled father of a former patient, the undertones of the entire episode surround the growing awareness of Bones that her heart was designed for more than pumping blood through her veins.

Doctor Brennan becomes increasingly afraid that she will end of alone and as unnoticed as a speck of dust on the floor. While listening to audio tapes of the victim she begins to understand a growing sense of missed opportunity and potential future regret in her own future. The victim had a habit of putting herself in danger just to feel alive and Bones decided she did not want to end up haunted by a tragic fate and full of "what if" questions in her personal life.

Missed Opportunities

As Bones comes within inches of losing her life courtesy of an oncoming care while solving the case, Booth pops out of nowhere - rescuing her once again. Doctor Brennan was nearly sealed in the same accidental manner as Doctor Eames. After the pair of crime fighters wrap up the case of pedestrian doctor verses car - buried by police weary driver, Bones drops her defenses and tells Booth how much she cares for him. Hannah haters do not have to wait long to add reasons to despise the existence of the new blonde bombshell. Tears pour out of Brennan's eyes as Booth reveals that he is in love with Hannah. Bones' admission of feelings and fear of leaving behind a trail of regrets prompts the character's first realization of raw human emotion - sadness.