WtF Bones

[gwyn]

Bones is my happy place. It's not the most brilliant show, it doesn't have the sharpest writing or the most carefully observed plots, and it's a procedural at heart, so it spends a lot of time trying to gross people out when it doesn't really need to. But it's got wonderfully observed, quirky characters (a personal fave), some great dialog, and an ensemble cast that still keeps the focus largely on the two lead characters. And it's got Dave. I have loved David Boreanaz since early Buffy, and he makes me especially happy when he plays light comedy, his timing is excellent and he's just innately charming.

So now I'm pissed. They peed all over my happy place. I watch the show because it *is* a happy place -- it's a throwback to more old-fashioned shows where there were threats to the main characters, but you knew people weren't going to get offed in some dramatic fashion guaranteed to leave a wake of bitter and confused viewers.



I really am, like everyone else on my flist, just gobsmacked about last night's episode. WTF doesn't even really describe it. I know, strike, yadda yadda. But the strike didn't make them write that character assassination. There's absolutely no reason they created it. It's not a law that you have to have a big dramatic season finale that gets rid of a major character. Were they just tired of Zack? It makes no sense to have set this up so randomly, so quickly. It should have been Sweets, if they needed some kind of lame dramatic flourish of having it be someone inside. He's a far less connected character for us, but all I can think is that they believe it'll be great to have this kid psychologist giving profiles and arguing with Brennan, without understanding what it takes to invest in a character the way we have with Zack.

But this... there's no character motivation for it at all. Zack may have been an alien, but he's not impressionable. He may have been alone, but he himself isn't a lonely character. And by trying to tie it into some kind of logic, they failed utterly, because there is no logic to what happened (and then to have Zack actually decry the truth by saying they wouldn't understand is just... wow, cheap. Beyond cheap). All that stuff they put into Bones's mouth about logic is utterly logic defying. It makes no sense for a character who values truths and science to do something so dishonest, murderous, and ... well, mystical or religious. Those are all emotional arguments that he was making, in reality.

It wasn't Zack. It was as if they'd hired some writer off Lot H to come in and write their season finale without knowing the characters, the usual story style they follow. I love Zack, I love his alienness and how he's the other side of the coin that Brennan and he share. I love that his friendship with Hodgins humanizes him. He's a wonderful part of their ensemble. ANd then they just throw him away for an effect, one that I haven't seen a single person respond positively to.

I also hated how the episode started off -- I loathe fakeout beginnings like that, and it felt totally forced and trite. Worse, it didn't even make sense -- there's no way that they would have been able to fool everyone in a situation like that, and that Sweets was responsible for keeping the secret was even fakier and stupider. Were we supposed to believe that Booth's son didn't know the truth, or else why wouldn't they be there? Did the writers think of ANYthing before they pulled this piece of crap out of their asses?

If they got rid of Zack because they thought they had nowhere to go with him as a character, it will make me even more hostile. He's an incredibly rich character, and him learning to be more of a human, along with Bones, as they work on these cases, is ripe with story possibilities for years. I just... I am boggled by how badly they handled this. Cheap, sleazy, stupid, lame.

Even the bathtub scene does not make up for this. Throw some guy from the lot into the writer's room, throw some other guy from the lot into a room with hundreds of candles and some fake teeth with whom we have no vested interest, throw some guy in at the beginning we're supposed to watch Booth beat the crap out of and be relieved he's not really dead (magically healing GSW to the upper shoulder)... every single thing about this episode was just sad, weak, lame.

Really, I haven't been this angry about showrunners ruining one of my shows since the end of 4th season Nikita. Go to hell, Hart Hanson. You wrecked my happy place.

Comments

[namastenancy.livejournal.com]

It made absolutely no sense - no sense in terms of plot and no sense in terms of what we've been told of Zack's character. I wonder what behind the scenes b-s brought this about? Want to bet that they will introduce us to another "hot" dude or dudette to take Zack's place? Wanna bet that this is what the producers think will raise ratings?

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I keep hoping someone will tell us all that it's because the actor wanted out, or something, but from what I hear, he wasn't too keen on the story. It just really... they pulled it from so far up their asses it was probably a heart massage. And what I watch Bones for is the quirky, the sweet -- Zack was the embodiment of what's fun about the show.

[elinora.livejournal.com]

I know they wanted to change the cast, but I think they owed the character a better send-off than that. It made no sense at all.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I didn't know they'd been planning a cast change. SOmehow that makes me feel even worse! Because it's that cast who put me in the happy place, and it's not one I feel like I can care about if it changes. Angel, Buffy, shows like that, I can deal with the changes, but this was such a happy little ensemble for me. Wah.

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

But this... there's no character motivation for it at all.

Actually PTSD, alienation and his perpetual drive to find an older male role model are a *pretty* good character motivation, IMO. They just didn't get a chance to really explore the PTSD aspect yet.

I'm pretty sure they are going to address it next year, though, since the show runner has stated we'll be seeing Zach again next season, Eric Milligan's schedule permitting.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I was disappointed in how little they explored the effect of Zack's service. Continuity is not one of their strong suits, I admit. Stuff happens and then everyone seems to move on, except when it means a way to get more stories, such as Booth shooting the clown. I wish someone would wake up and see someone in the shower in the first ep next year. I'm not sure I want to watch now.

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

I was disappointed in how little they explored the effect of Zack's service.

I know they intended to, they just didn't get a chance. Although, you're right, that does call into question the things they could have dumped in the past few episodes in favor of fitting it in.

No assumptions

[(Anonymous)]

Zach ain't dead. He may very well be back. The dead do not return (except for Joss, soap operas, politics...). OK, the dead do return. My point is that Mr. Milligan may very well be back .Read the Hart Hanson interviews that are roiling around the webernet.

Jay

Re: No assumptions

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Oh, can you direct me to anything? I saw a bunch of crap before, but I never saw any of the showrunners address this absurd finale.

[devylish.livejournal.com]

going to have to soooo agree with you on teh bones stuff... i was literally wtf after the epi... I kept thinking... they're must messing with us... they aren't going to do this to us.

but NO they took my zacky and spewed all over him. He's beautiful... and fun and wellll crap... i sooooo can't believe they did that!

what was interesting to me, was that they made a point of saying he did this because he was impressionable and alone and therefore more or less unoved. But at the same time, they pointed out throughout the epi just how loved he is by all the members and not only IS he loved, but eh KNOWS he's loved! He kept all of the littttttle crap they had given him though the years... why? because his 'family' had given it to him.

then to have Zack actually decry the truth by saying they wouldn't understand
If nothing else, zack recognizes the intelligence of his cohorts... he feels hodges is smart, and he KNOWS brenn is.... he might feel he's smarter than hodge, but he has always had an extremely healthy respect for bones' brain.

did the actor who plays zack want out of his contract? i mean... sigh...

okay... i'm done blathering...

although the bathtub scene was great... especially the part where she noted he wasn't being 'shy'.

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Aww! Nothing like having a show go septic on you. Not that I watch Bones, but I caught some interview on TV Guide or somewhere where the showrunner was patting himself on the back, since if the fans were upset it was obviously GENIUS TELEVISION!