TV Reruns: Bones

[manualman]

Have you seen this show? I’m going through in on Netflix and find it really interesting.

I feel like there is a writer with some profoundly catholic ideas, but am frequently jarred by shallow modern moral notions (especially sexual) that seem inserted by somebody else (producer maybe?) You don’t notice until you watch a bunch of them in a row.

The main characters are a flawed, but basically catholic FBI agent (Booth) and a brilliant woman forensic scientist of the utterly material secularist sort (Brennan). She (Brennan)constantly and loudly proclaims the superiority of her worldview and he charitably takes it on the chin and proceeds to prove her wrong over and over again. The deep theme of the show seems to be that shallow materialistic ethics are a dead and meaningless end and the real beauty in life lies in things unseen.

Yeah, there are crudely done sexual themes (with the nowadays obligatory LGBT character) and even the hero FBI guy isn’t a perfect moral example. But although he clearly is in love with Brennan, he keeps their relationship chaste and she slowly starts to see how much more there is to life than the material world as a result of his agape love for her. Dont ruin it for me if that changes, I’m only to season 4 so far.

If you’re looking for interesting entertainment and can overlook some of the usual American shallowness seemingly thrown in to prop up ratings, BONES is worth a watch. There are some pretty cool deep themes developed you don’t see much anymore in modern shows.

 

[St_Francis]

Just as a heads-up, later on in the series there are several shows in a row where some sex-obsessed writer seems to have temporarily replaced the more Catholic writer. That phase does end altho the sex-obssesed writer does seem to contribute a few lines every few shows thereafter.

Enjoy! I have always liked the show

 

[Arizona_Mike]

I should probably start watching this. The science on the first episode I saw was pretty ludicrous and that turned me off, but I’ll take a second look.

 

[DaveBj]

Booth falls very much into the category of “Cafeteria Catholic” (Sorry, readers of that other thread). And – spoiler alert – in the current season Brennan is pregnant with Booth’s baby.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

Sounds interesting. I’ve been meaning to watch this show for awhile now.

However, I am concerned that is presents a strawman of atheists. Does it?

 

[DaveBj]

Sounds interesting. I’ve been meaning to watch this show for awhile now.

However, I am concerned that is presents a strawman of atheists. Does it?

The way it’s written, Brennan’s atheism is so snarky that it makes atheists easy to dislike. My wife and I used to watch the reruns pretty regularly, and we both commented independently that the character is written as if she had Asperger’s.

I’ve read several of the books; author Dr. Kathy Reichs doesn’t write her that way at all in the books.

 

[manualman]

Sounds interesting. I’ve been meaning to watch this show for awhile now.

However, I am concerned that is presents a strawman of atheists. Does it?

No, I don’t think so. Both the catholic character and the atheist are presented as good, honorable, sincere, but troubled human beings. Brennan’s personality and psychological issues have more to do with her coming off as arrogant than her atheism does. Her atheism isn’t so much a theological conviction as it is an outgrowth of her empirical worldview. An atheist might not like the way that the plots often demonstrate the shortcomings of being a 100% empirical materialist though. Watch for yourself and see.

I agree with another post in stating that Booth is NOT a model catholic in behavior or conviction. He’s an imperfect human being that seems to have had a lot of catholic formation, whether he always accepts it or not.

 

[KarenElissa]

I agree with another post in stating that Booth is NOT a model catholic in behavior or conviction. He’s an imperfect human being that seems to have had a lot of catholic formation, whether he always accepts it or not.

I agree. Is it a perfect show, nope, but it tends to have a much more positive view of Catholicism than most shows. It also tends to have better morals than most of what is out there. Again, not perfect, but there have been some great story threads.

 

[KevinAK]

The way it’s written, Brennan’s atheism is so snarky that it makes atheists easy to dislike. My wife and I used to watch the reruns pretty regularly, and we both commented independently that the character is written as if she had Asperger’s.

I’ve read several of the books; author Dr. Kathy Reichs doesn’t write her that way at all in the books.

Kathy Reichs is a producer/consultant for the show, so apparently she doesn’t mind the way Brennan is depicted in the series.

 

[DaveBj]

Kathy Reichs is a producer/consultant for the show, so apparently she doesn’t mind the way Brennan is depicted in the series.

I know, and that’s strange, because the Brennan in the novels isn’t nearly as snarky as the Brennan in Bones. Then again, Brennan in the novels is older than Brennan in the series; may Reichs wanted the younger version to have more rough edges.