TV Review: BONES – Season 10 – “The Lance to the Heart”

By RACHEL REITSLEFF / Contributing Writer

Posted: October 11th, 2014 / 10:15 AM

Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz in BONES - Season 10 - "The Lance in the Heart" | ©2014 Fox/Jordin Althaus

Stars: David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel, Michaela Conlin, TJ Thyne, Tamara Taylor, John Boyd, Patricia Belcher, Eugene Byrd, Carla Gallo, Sterling Macer Jr., JD Cullum, Sam Anderson, Rance Howard, Susan Angelo
Writers: Nkechi Okoro Carroll & Keith Fogleson, story by Michael Peterson, series created by Hart Hanson, based on the life and writings of Kathy Reichs
Director: Dwight Little
Network: Fox, Thursdays @ 8 PM
Airdate: October 2, 2014

With the start of Season 10 and the death of Dr. Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley), BONES has certainly entered a new era. Wrapping up the gigantic conspiracy that consumed the latter portion of Season 9 and the first episode of the new season in Season 10’s second installment, “The Lance to the Heart,” feels like rushing things somewhat, but this is balanced by strong character moments, particularly for Brennan (Emily Deschanel), who is given a superior “Snap out of it!” speech to Booth (David Boreanaz).

Daisy (Carla Gallo), pregnant with Sweets’ child, assists Edison (Eugene Byrd) with Sweets’ autopsy. Sweets was killed by a blow to the heart. Hodgins (TJ Thyne) suggests that the conspiracy should be treated like a living organism, an approach that serves the team well.

Agent Aubrey (John Byrd, in the opening credits as of this episode) assists Booth in tracking Sweets’ killer – they find the assailant dead on the roof of a nearby building, another victim of the conspiracy. Angela (Michaela Conlin) and Hodgins go through blood-soaked notes found on Sweets – Hodgins is able to detect what was written in the imprints beneath the blood.

Brennan comes home to find that Booth has replaced the weapons that were confiscated when he was arrested months ago. Brennan realizes the guns were obtained illegally. Booth wants to kill Sanderson (Sam Anderson), who he blames for Sweets’ murder. Brennan is furious and declares if Booth goes down this path, she will take her daughter (she’s no longer including Booth as a parent in her line of thinking) and leave. The Booth she knows believes in law and order and due process, not in vigilante executions. Booth is allowing the situation to kill him. Faced with the prospect of losing his wife and daughter – Brennan isn’t bluffing here – Booth takes a step back from the brink and decides to bring the guilty parties down as a member of the FBI.

It turns out that the conspiracy dates back to J. Edgar Hoover, whose second in command was the stepfather of Dr. Durant (JD Cullum), who already covered up a murder sixteen years ago. Durant believes the Founding Fathers of the United States never wanted a democracy, but rather a land ruled by the elite, and he, like his stepfather, has been working towards this. Booth punches Durant, and we can’t really blame him, especially because Durant’s blood on Booth’s knuckles provides the DNA the team needs to tie him to the case. It wasn’t Sanderson after all.

The episode ends with Sweets’ funeral. Brennan, ever the atheist, begins talking about how she doesn’t believe Sweets is with God. At first, Booth tries to get her to stop talking, but Brennan continues. Sweets is with all of them by his impact on their lives, a sentiment shared by everyone present. As Sweets’ ashes are scattered, his friends begin to sing the deceased’s favorite song.

The proportions of serious, funny and touching are in pretty good relation to one another here. It’s great to see Brennan actually be outraged by Booth threatening to go to the dark side. From a literal-minded perspective, he is behaving in a way that will cause her to lose him, and she’s as angry at him as she’d be at anyone else doing this – more so, actually, because Brennan can usually trust Booth to look out for her and their daughter’s best interests. Given how many times Booth has asserted his will over Brennan in the last season, it’s also nice to have Brennan win an argument between the two of them for once.

There are also some good grace notes here, including the use of Rance Howard (who was also in the season opener) as a former FBI agent who is still dedicated to the memory of Hoover. Brennan’s eulogy for Sweets is both tender and a warm reminder of how the character has served the series. Gallo also gets a lovely sequence where Daisy and Brennan explore Sweets’ past by examining his remains, deducing from old injuries what sports he played as a youth. It’s the sort of thing that only happens on BONES and, like most shows, this one is at its best when it is at its most unique.

Related: Exclusive Interview with BONES show runners Stephen Nathan and Jonathan Collier on Season 10

Article: TV Review: BONES – Season 10 – “The Conspiracy in the Corpse”

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