Bones

Let’s talk about the Gormogon’s apprentice.

There probably aren’t many people that know I watch Bones, and I mostly do because my special lady likes it, but I’ve come to enjoy it enough that I found the season finale this week to be kind of jarring and, frankly, annoying. Big spoilers ahead.

So we find out the identity of the Gormogon and his new apprentice. Gormogon’s “nobody”, and his apprentice is somehow Zach. Yes, the squint.

How does this happen? Why does this happen? Well, because Zach’s apparently a creature of pure logic (like a Vulcan) and he was approached at a conference a few months back. How do we find this out? Expositionary dialogue.

That’s just annoying. Remember the feeling of “wow, that was quick” that you had when watching Anakin’s descent in Revenge of the Sith? Okay, now pretend that you didn’t even get to see any of the scenes between Anakin and the Emperor, and the entire thing just got spouted off in about three sentences when Obi-Wan confronted Anakin about why he was being such an evil douche.

It’s not like Bones is Shakespeare, but while it’s not a “smart” show, it’s usually a well-crafted one. The dialogue’s cute and witty, and the character interactions, though sometimes caricatures, are generally believable and involving.

You could see the actors doing their best to work through the whole mess, too. Bones’ reactions to both Booth’s “death” (which was already a bizarre enough plot element) and then to Zach’s betrayal felt authentic, but it was all kind of like interior decorating a bathroom. Sure, you’ve got pretty things and it all looks nice, but you can’t ignore that steaming pile that’s floating in the bowl.

I suppose this is all due to the writer’s strike, and things would’ve been less rushed with a few more episodes, but whomever thought going ahead with this plotline on a shortened season was a good idea needs a stern talking to.

For shame!

-Foo

Leave a Reply