Sunday, October 4, 2009

Bones - The Plain in the Prodigy, S05E03

This week's murder case was well conceived and delivered, though I had little interest in the personal problems of the main characters this week.

Specifically, I really thought the whole mess with Cam's new adopted daughter, Michelle, and her boyfriend and the potential of them having sex was kind of ridiculous. I know Cam (Tamara Taylor) is new to motherhood, but wouldn't that make this conversation a little easier. What would you say to any 16 year old girl who might be thinking of having sex? But trust Cam to make it far more complicated than it needed to be.
The one good part of that plot line was when Booth (David Boreanaz) met Perry. Not only is Booth Michelle's favourite uncle, but also an FBI agent and former sniper. And he thinks women should be granted A LOT of respect. Got to love seeing a young man made to sweat over what might happen to him if he misbehaves.

The murder, however, had a whole lot of interesting stuff going around.
To begin with, Clark (Eugene Byrd) was back this week. He, of course, did not want to hear about Cam's personal issues either, but was even less pleased at the prospect of trudging along the railroad in a jump suit (looking for body parts). His comments about the task's resemblance to a chain gang, and his calling Bones "Boss" were hilarious, especially because Brennan (Emily Deschanel) herself did not notice them.

This choice of victim roamed into the realm of potentially impolitic. The lad, a young Amish boy in the city on his self-seeking journey to decide whether he would stay in his community or leave it, was found on the tracks. Suddenly his parents, his love interest, her brother, and friends he met in the city become suspects. And slowly a secret life is revealed - the young man had a talent for playing the piano and was considering joining the National Conservatory rather than returning home.

It is always dangerous when writing about people of a religious faith and what they are capable of. I was so pleased with the choice of murderer. He was not part of the Amish community, of which I was glad, but he was also not a friend of the victim. For the first time on Bones, the murderer was someone we had never met, the motive robbery, and the murder a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I did not see that coming.

It struck the heart strings all the more when we learnt that the lad was planning on returning to his community. He broke his left hand in his piano so that he could not reconsider - he'd never be great with that injury. Whether for the girl or his religion, or likely both - to live his life in his community - he sacrificed his gift.

The only point I was confused about was when we met some of the lad's other Amish friends, also on their journeys in the city. Though partying and getting high, their dress still clearly indicated that they were Amish. Perhaps there is a difference in the practices between Amish, Menonite and all their divisions, but in the groups I know, they do not wear the clothes while on the journey. And it is very strange that they would still choose to wear the clothes while doing drugs and drinking.

What did you think of the episode?

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