Bones (TV Series) The Fact in the Fiction (2013) User Reviews

The Return of Little Flute

[briezey · 7/10 · 11 July 2022]

This was an alright episode of Bones. Because all Bones episodes have a special place in my heart, I can't rate it too low, but it certainly had its down falls, which is why I am giving it a 7/10.

The biggest issue of this episode is the new intern Oliver Wells. Like the other reviewers, I agree that Oliver is no where near as good as the other interns. It just feels like the writers don't have any other ideas for what a scientist could be so they just keep using the same template -- arrogant, know it all, awkward social skills, etc. It almost feels like they were trying to make a new Zack, like a super smart intern that almost rivals Dr. Brennan and is quirky but lovable, but it definitely did not hit the mark. Then, the writers made Hodgins and Oliver have a good relationship (similarly to Hodgins and Nigel Murry) but I will not be fooled into liking Oliver simply because he and Hodgins get along. I just think this character needs to go. Having a new intern is fun and I think it keeps the show fresh but there needs to be some new development on how these characters are written or its going to get boring and annoying. Also, Oliver seemed to be a bit disrespectful towards Angela and that should be an immediate red flag for Hodgins and everyone else.

I absolutely LOVE the call back to Birimbau (aka little flute)! I think this is such a nice little treat to the long time Bones fans.

As for the actual case, I didn't really care for it. There have been better and there have been worse. The whole concept of time travel is kind of interesting I was just annoyed about how they did it. Like this Oliver guy comes in here, being the new intern, and has the audacity to believe that the second body is the VICTIM FROM THE FUTURE?!?! He is working at the Jeffersonian and his first guess was time travel and not a relative? And he said Dr. Brennen was close minded -- he couldn't even think of the possibility of a relative!

I am also a bit shocked that Bones is not consulted when it comes to hiring forensic anthropologist interns. Bones is clearly particular about the people that she chooses to work with and the writers are trying to convince us that Bones is not involved what so ever when it comes to hiring the interns. I know that they tried to play it off by saying that she didn't read the emails about the Intern Resumes and the New Personnel, but I'm calling bs. I mean when Zack left they said she went through like 17 different people, but suddenly any random person can be hired as an intern without Bones knowing?

Best Part: Bones calling out Oliver at the end by saying that "we all have our area of weakness"

Worst Part: Angela saying that she would go back to her moment with Birimbau -- poor Hodgins!

Good episode even with the annoying new intern

[phoenixnl-16647 · 8/10 · 8 March 2020]

I agree with others that the new intern was a bit of an annoying know it all, but for me that didn't distract too much from enjoying the episode as usual.

Some remarks about the electrocution and explosive effect of 240V mentioned in another comment. The other commenters are completely right about current being the danger not the voltage. But the duration also plays a big part in if exposure to electricity would be dangerous, as does the path the current travels through your body. For instance 7 milliamps going across the heart for 3 seconds is lethal. But you can easily survive a static shock that can be in the thousands volts (Typically in the range of 4000 to 7000) because of it's very short duration and low current which means it has a very low amount of energy (a few milliJoules).

First this is what Brennan says in the episode: "This is a 240V battery". The label on the device the leads are connected to reads "Lead Acid Car Battery" Assuming the device does output 240V (a normal car battery gives only 12V) that would be very hazardous indeed. Accidentally shorting A 12V battery with something like a wrench or screwdriver will melt metal in a fraction of a second. My dad once was tightening one of the clamps on a pole with an open-end wrench and while tightening it got to close to the other pole. Even with a gap of a few mm (about 1/10th of an inch) a spark shot from the pole, into his wedding band and into the wrench leaving a deep pit in the white gold wedding band which got so hot it burned his finger even though he was startled and immediately dropped the spanner.

A battery gives of direct current (DC) as opposed to the alternating current that comes out of a wall socket (110V in US, 220V in most parts of europe) and it is many times more dangerous because a battery doesn't have a current limiter (like a fuse or the breaker in your house). So the lower the resistance of something that is shorting the two battery poles the higher the amperage that will run through it and the bigger the wattage is had to handle. Amps = Voltage/resistance and Power = Amps x Voltage

So yeah having 240V of DC run through something with a low enough electrical resistance could theoretically vaporize the material creating something explosion like. (As a side note, if a battery is shorted for too long the battery acid will start to boil inside and there is a high chance the battery itself would explode) However normal ballistics gel has a reasonably high resistance. 240V would probably melt it but wouldn't vaporize it. However in the episode the electrodes are placed pretty close together and when the gel melts they might move and touch, heat up and cause a small explosion that way. It's not very likely but without trying it I'm not sure you could rule it out. I think this would have been a nice myth for the Mythbusters to tackle to see if the scene has any merit or not.

(There is a video of someone experimenting with AC electricity and ballistics gel with various voltages on Youtube. just search for "Ballistic Gel Vs Electricity")

Just Not Interested

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 22 February 2023]

I couldn't get past the new guy. I'll see how things go. We already have Brennan for rude, insensitive pronouncements. I think the interns need a bit of humility. This guy makes routine pronouncements about how great he is. They have paired him with Hodgins as a friend because of Hodgins' spaciness, I guess. Speaking of spaciness, we have Booth investing in mining operations on asteroids and the introduction of time travel. We can get into those things, but the most reasonable would be the asteroid thing. Can you imagine the time and expense involved to bring a few minerals to the earth. We will be done for in about a hundred years anyway. What was the case about again?

Not your finest hour

[e_clagerlof · 1/10 · 26 February 2013]

Really? An egotistical, rude, elf-promoting, demeaning jerk was the very best you could do?? Nowhere near being on par with Zack, Wendell, Finn, Clark, Daisy or the late Nigel-Murray. Bones' brilliance, lack of great social skills and occasional brusqueness combine to make her charming, complex, and entertaining, the same does not hold true for the new intern - he just comes across as unlikable. While bringing in a new intern helps keep the story fresh yet stable, some thought needs to given to that new character. Hopefully adding this was a one-time mistake and not a continuing annoyance as I don't really want to delete 'Bones' from my 'gotta-watch' list.

New intern.

[ZinQ · 3/10 · 18 March 2019]

The new intern is not at all likeable and as the actor involved seems never to have worked again, well, says it all really. I also agree that Amperage is the danger, not Voltage.

Can voltage really do that?

[maristmervyn · 4/10 · 2 May 2013]

I am no scientist but I am pretty sure that it is not voltage that is the risk with electricity but amperage. In this episode they refer to the explosive effect of 240 volts but as far as I know this is not possible.

I also was surprised that they attributed the broken bones to a bullet entering the body just below the ribs but they then concluded that the bullet passed straight through to hit the second victim. DUH!!!!

I was also not sure about the new intern as others have mentioned. He seems to take away from the general story line of the brilliance of Bones and the others.

Not one of the best.