In Which He "Evolves"

Season 3, Episode 7

The Boy in the Time Capsule

Their whole thing in this episode is so great. It really truly hurts her when he laughs at her embarrassing story. Guys like the guy he was in high school made her life hell in then, and so for her to realize that he was one of those guys (key word “was”, but even so), one of those guys that, had she known him then, would have made her life hell just like the rest of them, is very difficult for her to take.

And of course, he can't really understand this, because he was Mr. Jock. He never had to deal with that kind of thing.

The story he ends up telling, though, is similarly something she can't understand. He didn't do the right thing, and for a guy like Booth to not do the right thing, it is humiliating. Brennan never had to deal with that, because she was the object of all these not-doing-the-right-thing things.

NON B&B OBSERVATION: It's always bugged me when she says that Booth evolved. THAT'S NOT HOW EVOLUTION WORKS. Individuals cannot evolve, populations evolve. An anthropologist like Bones (hell, any person of any profession with her intelligence) would know that like their own name. And it's a tad disturbing to me that nobody on the Bones cast or crew knew that either.

But, anyway.

BRENNAN: Did you bring that for me?
BOOTH: No.
BRENNAN: Good, because it's the wrong Smurf. I liked Smurfette. That's Brainy Smurf.
BOOTH: Well, Smurfette was a stupid, shallow Smurf who only had her looks. Look, you're better than Smurfette. You have your looks and a whole lot more.
BRENNAN: You did bring that for me to charm me in case I didn't find your humiliation story impressive, but I did, so ...
BOOTH: Aha! So I did impress you.
BRENNAN: That's what impressive means, dummy. You're such a Philistine.
BOOTH: (he laughs) I'll tell you what. You can hold on to this, and it will remind you how far I've come.
BRENNAN: (taking the Smurf from Booth) I forgive you for snorting, Booth.
BOOTH: Evolution is a long, long process. It takes hundreds of years.
BRENNAN: Thousands.
BOOTH: Why do you have to always correct me?
BRENNAN: To help you evolve.

Despite the misleading usage of “evolve” (although she did get it right in that it takes thousands of years), this conversation is pure gold. Just so great. And it shows that he's not just the dumb jock anymore – a not-so-bright guy would just get her the smurfette like she wanted. But not only did he figure out that that was completely wrong for her, he was willing to take a risk and get her the brainy smurf, even though it might piss her off.

And any time when he, indirectly or otherwise, calls her “pretty” is a gem in my book.

(and I may or may not like to think that somewhere, maybe on her beside table, or on a little shelf somewhere, or on her desk at home, she has the brainy smurf and Jasper the pig, side-by-side.)