The Superhero in the Alley (8 Feb. 2006)

Bones and Booth investigate a body found in an alley that is dressed in a costume. The case leads them to a missing teen involved in comic books and a role playing game.

Director:

James Whitmore Jr.

Writers:

Hart Hanson (creator), Kathy Reichs (inspired by the life of forensic anthropologist and author),

Stars:

Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Emily Deschanel	...	Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan
David Boreanaz	...	Special Agent Seeley Booth
Michaela Conlin	...	Angela Montenegro
Eric Millegan	...	Zack Addy
T.J. Thyne	...	Dr. Jack Hodgins (as TJ Thyne)
Jonathan Adams	...	Dr. Daniel Goodman
Judith Hoag	...	Helen Granger
Ivar Brogger	...	John Kelton
Aaron Paul	...	Stew Ellis
Josh Keaton	...	Yasutani the Terrible
Adriana DeMeo	...	Abigail Zealey
John Mese	...	Ted McGruder
Sarah Aldrich	...	Lucy McGruder
John M. Jackson	...	FBI Deputy Director Sam Cullen
Suzette Craft	...	Kelly Meira

Storyline

Bones happily postpones her stress research contribution to a 9,600 year old Chinese find to help Booth prevent embarrassment to the FBI after the discovery of a boy in rubber costume, despite maggot-consumption, found to be smashed to death before he was pushed from a roof to stage a suicide. He's identified as 17 year-old nerd Warren Granger, who had no social life except Yasutani the Terrible's loony 'clan' of comics superhero fans role-playing self-invented characters in costumes. Warren designed and drew his own superhero comic, in which he starred with fellow member Abigail Zealey alias 'Blue'; the director studies his psychology from the story-text. While 'research reading' introduces Zack to the fantasy world of comics, the sleuths examine the presumably fatal fantasies and teenage group dynamics...

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Plot Keywords:

sexual tension

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 2006 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Dr. Theodore T. Alexander Science Center in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Josephson Entertainment, Far Field Productions, 20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

41 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Bones and Booth are supposedly in a DC-area bowling alley telling the owners that their employee had died, a yellow flier is visible promoting the "61st California State Bowling Championships".

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Quotes

Special Agent Seeley Booth: Okay, so did he jump or was he pushed, Bones?
Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan: That's what we have to figure out. We can take the skeleton in, give you a report; maybe after next week.
Special Agent Seeley Booth: No you don't have to solve the whole case. Just tell me if I'm looking at a murder. Maybe, you know, pull a quick ID?
[Smiles charmingly]
Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan: [Smiles while Amused] Don't use your charm smile on me.
Special Agent Seeley Booth: What? It's a mark of respect, that's all.

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Connections

References Star Wars (1977)

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Soundtracks

"Ah! Leah!"
(uncredited)
Performed by Donnie Iris

User Reviews

Bones:The Superhero in the Alley

A teenager's corpse is found in a superhero costume(of his own making), soon discovered through forensic study by the Brennan and the Jeffersonian team that the kid was dying of leukemia and killed with a bevel knife, his spinal cord severed by someone much stronger than him. This teen, Kevin(known to his comic book fantasist pals as Citizen 13; an avid comic book collector and aficionado), had helped create his own comic book, drawn by the owner of a store(which distributes comics and graphic novels)he frequented. The book's story outline and characters could have details which lead Booth and Bones to his killer, concerning a muscular brute known as the Twisted and his horrible treatment of a damsel in distress, Opalescense. The investigation leads B & B to a bowling alley, possible domestic abuse, and a bone fragment from the person responsible for murdering Kevin. Beautifully realized story about the not-so-subtle links between the real and fantasy, printed on page by an artist or writer; not to mention, one's desire to be heroic while understanding his limited time remaining, the courage it would take and the willingness to confront an antagonist hurting another weaker than him. The episode also allows us to enter the world of a dying artist, while also seeing how some might take the comic book fantasy world a bit too seriously. I imagine this is a warm and loving shout-out to those who are active participants and customers at Comic-con.