Bones - The Psychic in the Soup - Review

As most Americans can attest, it's been a long, cold winter. Sure, there was an insane amount of snow, but for Boneheads like myself, part of the bitter chill was the prolonged absence of Bones episodes!

The return episode of spring 2015 broke through the surface of my entertainment landscape like a bright wildflower - pale green shoots giving way to pops of color.

Spring is all about rebirth, the return of things so beautiful but gone for so long. "The Psychic in the Soup" felt like that; watching the episode was a reassurance that sometimes things go away, but that doesn't mean they are gone for good.

Here's a recap of the plot:

The victim of the week (found in a hollowed-out tree) is Justine Simmons, a purported psychic. Her strict, conservative father is a local pastor who doesn't approve of her - how she makes a living, as well as her sexual orientation. Justine has a loyal client base that doesn't seem to realize she's using background checks, rather than psychic skill, to soothe them.

Booth, Brennan, and the rest of the Jeffersonian Team are mourning Sweets again, the pain made fresh when they realize it's their deceased colleague's 30th birthday.

One squint seems distracted, though; Fuentes, the Cuban refugee, carries on secretive phone calls, shows up late, and accidentally drops a sizable stack of cash in front of Cam.

We also enjoyed the company of Avalon Harmonia, a so-called "real" psychic, who calls Angela just moments before Angela attempts to contact her. She immediately inserts herself into the murder case, but as the episode unfolds, it turns out that someone else might need her services more...

Meanwhile, we meet Justine's landlady, one of her closest clients, and one of her smarmiest competitors. None of them are nearly as menacing as Justine's father, and some damning evidence suggests he might have hit her with his cane. An impassioned speech (and a mis-match of dimensions) clears him, however, and further evidence suggests that the victim experienced not one, but TWO head traumas within a few days, the second of which proves fatal.

As we learn at last, Justine was cutting off two romantic relationships in the days leading up to her death - one with her landlady, and one with a suburban soccer mom/client. The landlady fractured Justine's skull, causing blood to pool in her head; then the soccer mom shoved Justine just a little too hard into a bike, and the subdural hematoma ruptured, ending her life.

Back in the lab, Cam receives a box full of prescription medications, and accuses Fuentes of sketchy dealings. He explains that he is bribing Cuban customs officers to smuggle the medications into his country, to save lives. Fuentes intends to resign, but Brennan sends off the medicines without his knowledge, which provides Cam with a loophole to let him stay at the Jeffersonian.

And finally, young Christine reveals a potential for psychic power as well, insisting that Booth and Brennan read her a love story. They're about to pick a title when it materializes via Avalon - a manuscript from Sweets that outlines the relationship between B&B.

Here's what I loved this week:

The scene involving Anthony Taylor (the fake psychic competing against Justine) honestly cracked me up. Agent Aubrey is droll and sardonic with him, yet the character remains true to his ridiculous "craft". I found myself hoping he committed the crime, so I could see his confession scene. But I guess just the one scene will have to do!

I also appreciated Hodgins and Angela's side-story. In true Hodgins style, he expressed doubts about Avalon's skills as a psychic. Although the intuition-versus-science argument sometimes gets repetitive in this show (it's been 10 seasons, after all), I loved Angela's assertion that her hubby keep an open mind with the following argument: "The impossible becomes reality all the time. Ideas and memories and love, you can't hold those things in your hands, but it doesn't mean that they don't exist."

Here's a few more things I observed (and would love to hear your thoughts regarding):

There's a moment in Avalon's first scene when a frustrated Booth is following her around, confiscating the victim's belongings as Avalon keeps picking them up. His arms are loaded with pillows, papers, and Avalon's purse when she suddenly says, "Is it somebody's birthday?" Booth drops every item, flummoxed by the comment.

I sometimes forget how much physicality David Boreanaz puts into his roles, and how he can communicate a lot without saying anything. This moment was an excellent reminder. Anyone else have a favorite moment like that with him?

And finally, let me gush about Justine's dad, Pastor Simmons. Although he definitely seemed cold and reserved and even disgruntled at first, he preached acceptance and love when accused of his daughter's murder.

There aren't a whole lot of current-day representations of Christianity that seem grounded in goodwill; most Christians are portrayed as Westboro-Baptist-style radicals who would rather spew hatred than forgive, tolerate, or embrace differences. Agree? Disagree? Any other kickass religious types in your entertainment landscape?

About the Author - entropyki

Ki (aka entropyki) is a UX Researcher, roller derby enthusiast, Star Wars nerd, and road tripper. When she's not at a computer, she's driving, singing, watching TV, and generally being a badass, plus-sized twentysomething.

Favorite shows include Supernatural, Bones, Party Down, Futurama, Orange is the New Black, and the Big Bang Theory.