Aliens in a Spaceship (15 Nov. 2006)

When Hodgins and Brennan are buried alive, it's a race against time and a kidnapper who doesn't negotiate.

Director:

Craig Ross 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 complete credited cast:
Emily Deschanel	...	Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan
David Boreanaz	...	Special Agent Seeley Booth
Michaela Conlin	...	Angela Montenegro
Eric Millegan	...	Zack Addy
Tamara Taylor	...	Dr. Camille Saroyan
T.J. Thyne	...	Dr. Jack Hodgins (as TJ Thyne)
Benito Martinez	...	Thomas Vega
Julie Ann Emery	...	Janine O'Connell
Charles Mesure	...	Pete Sanders
James McDonnell	...	James Kent
Salli Richardson-Whitfield	...	Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Kurland
Rich McDonald	...	PA State Trooper

Storyline

A reported find of 'two aliens' in a large vat proves the gruesome grave of human twin boys, Ryan and Matthew 'Matty' Kent, missing since years, burned at 300°. It's again the work of "the Gravedigger", a serial kidnapper-murderer who buries his victims and demands a royal ransom, no negotiation. The twins had not enough air to survive even if the ransom had been delivered as demanded, but after examining Matthew's serious fracture and stun-gun wounds, the team concludes it was a car crash, the Gravedigger was surprised by the second twin and has no larger vat available. Now the Gravedigger kidnaps both Bones and Hodgins from the Jeffersonian parking-lot, asking $8,000,000, well within his family's means. Zach discovers why the vat contains so much blood: Ryan severed his own artery with a pen, to give his brother more air and hence time. The forensic hostages -inside a car boot- aren't found within the ultimatum, but use enough tricks to gain time by saving and making oxygen, send a ...

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Plot Keywords:

ransom | ultimatum | buried alive

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 November 2006 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 6, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Brennan is comparing the Gravedigger to God, we first see the car from the outside and the windows are up. The next shot is from the inside and the windows are down, but there's no wind (you'd be able to see it in her hair).

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Quotes

Special Agent Seeley Booth: We're running out of time.
Zack Addy: Minor correction. Dr. Brennan and Hodgins will run out of time in four seconds
[everyone looks at the timer as it goes down to 0]
Zack Addy: We are out of time.

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Soundtracks

"A Light On a Hill"
(uncredited)
Performed by Margot & The Nuclear So and So's

User Reviews

Buried alive

Though the theme of this episode, which involves the main characters being buried alive has become pretty common ( mainly since Tarantino's Kill Bill movies and his two CSI episodes,) here it is well executed and fits into the series really well.

Temperance and Booth discover two corpses left by the mysterious "Gravedigger", a villain that buries his victims alive asking for ransom within a time limit. He also abducts Temperance and buries her alive along with Hodges. While the most obvious couple of characters buried alive in a car would be Temperance and Booth the episode works because it takes advantage of their confessions to each other throwing light to both Booth/Brennan and Hodges/Angela's relationships (especially to the latter which has been on the spotlight throughout the season)…The episode, in general, throws some more light into it's "secondary" characters and the ways they are connected making them appear more than just a few "squints" (to quote Agent Booth's characterization).

We also see, for the first time, the spiritual side of Temperance and what she thinks about God. Her skepticism serves the episode well in terms of dialog and gives depth to her character.

Trapping the main characters into a car deep underground doesn't lead the series out of the fields of science. As Temperance and Hodgins are trapped inside the car they try to find ways to survive, including how to cope with Hodgin's wounds (he was hit by "Gravedigger's" car) and how to communicate with the outside world etc. Thus though with time the agony elevates, the series does not enter the field of "scare tactics" and maintains its focus. As for the ending it showcases the slow changes in Temperance's psyche and brings her a bit closer to Agent Booth. A crime novelist that follows "Gravedigger's" path is also shown here (played by "shield's" Benito Martinez) but his character is not analyzed thoroughly (but that's way to much to expect from a 40 minutes episode and the ending definitely leaves space for him to appear in the future?).

In all one of the best episodes of the second, much improved series, which demonstrates its true quality in characters and script writing. Another proof why a good forensic show can be effective and satisfying in many levels.