Stars: David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel, Michaela Conlin, TJ Thyne, Tamara Taylor, John Francis Daley, Patricia Belcher, Danielle Panabaker
Writer: Jonathan Collier, series created by Hart Hanson, based on the life and writings of Kathy Reichs
Director: Kate Woods
Network: Fox, Mondays @ 8 PM
Airdate: October 1, 2012

“The Gunk in the Garage” has an unusual opening for an episode of BONES, in that we see the killing take place, rather than just have someone happen upon the human remains. In this instance, an incendiary device is placed in a soft drink cup atop a car. When it detonates, the victim is decimated, with flaming pieces blown all over the parking structure.

For once, Booth (David Boreanaz) doesn’t get to investigate. This is because Assistant District Attorney Caroline Julian (Patricia Belcher) has coerced the FBI special agent into doing a budget report that could get him a promotion that will come with a raise, even though it would also confine him to a desk. Booth is smarting from the disparity between his income and that of Brennan (Emily Deschanel), who wants to buy things for their daughter that Booth can’t afford, so he accepts the assignment.

This means that FBI psychiatrist Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley) goes into the field, partnered with novice FBI special agent Olivia Sparling (Danielle Panabaker). Sparling initially scoffs at Sweets’ background as a shrink, but gains respect – and some lust – for him as his insights prove correct.

It turns out that the victim was an identical twin, though he and his brother were raised separately. The twins, however, had similar lifestyles, right down to marrying similar women who can’t stand them. The wife of the victim’s twin had hired a hit man to kill her husband, who took out the twin by mistake. When the team learns that the hit man is now going after the surviving twin (his original target), Booth leaves presenting the budget report to lab bossCam(Tamara Taylor), taking down the bad guy but blowing his promotion. Brennan didn’t really want Booth to get the promotion anyway – no other FBI agent would let her go into the field. Besides, Booth is much happier as “a man of action,” as both of them put it. Financially, they reach a compromise. Booth can live with Brennan buying things for their daughter Christine – like a grill, which daddy Booth can use.

The case affords Hodgins (TJ Thyne) the always-desired excuse to blow things up in the lab and for lab artist Angela (Michaela Conlin) to show off her facial reconstruction skills once again. It’s amusing, although even within the light context of BONES, it requires a suspension of disbelief that the wife who solicited the hit would so readily incriminate herself.

It’s also nice to see how Sweets’ psych knowledge can be applied to deduction on a case, though going through the whole flirtation with Sparling so that Sweets can ultimately display loyalty to offscreen girlfriend Daisy is aimed at a viewer other than this one.

“The Gunk in the Garage” is middling BONES – not the series at its best, but pleasant nonetheless.

Related: TV Review: BONES – Season 8 – “The Tiger in the Tale”

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Article Source: Assignment X 
Article: TV Review: BONES – Season 8 – “The Gunk in the Garage”

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