In Which They Must Be Separated (Just From Across The Aisle)

Season 3, Episode 13

The Verdict in the Story

There are a lot of little things in this episode. Brennan and Booth's “whispered” discussions across the aisle during the trial. Their taunting of Sweets, saying that his wanting to study them is just because he likes them but doesn't want to admit it (and the one line of song they make up about). But there are also quite a few big things that are much more important.

BOOTH: Okay. You're not Dr. Brennan today. You're Temperance.

BRENNAN: I don't know what that means.

BOOTH: The scientist part of you got sidelined, temporarily.

BRENNAN: I still don't know what that means.
BOOTH: Bones, just, take the brain, okay, put it in neutral. Alright? Take the heart – pop it into overdrive.

(Booth inmates a car engine revving and pretends to drive. Brennan laughs.)

BRENNAN: Sometimes I think you're from another planet.

(Booth stops 'driving' and sits back up, across from her.)

BRENNAN: And sometimes I think you're really very nice.

Normally, the big thing with this scene would be the whole heart/brain speech. But see, that's typical Booth. He's given that speech tons of times already, just in different forms. What's big with this is when she goes “And sometimes I think you're really very nice.” Because he's given this speech, and others like it, to her many times before, many times when it was both just what she needed to hear and it was what the last thing she wanted to hear, and for the first time, she's verbally expressing her appreciation. She verbally acknowledges that she wants and need to hear what he's saying. And that's big.

BOOTH: Could Bones have killed Kirby? Temperance Brennan – I've worked with this woman. I've stood over death with her, I've faced down death with her. And Sweets, he's brilliant, he is, but he's wrong. She could not have done this.

BARRON: I didn't ask you your opinion of Dr. Brennan's character. I asked you, did she have time?
(Booth looks to Brennan and knows that once again, she needs him to tell the truth. This could be what saves her dad.)
BOOTH: Yes. She had time.



This part is just so great, and so meaningful for them. It absolutely positively kills him to have to say she could murder someone, even though he's really only say she had the time to kill him. It goes beyond any feelings he might have for her, it's not about that – it's about the fact that his partner, this woman, he sees how great a person she is, even though he may tease her about this or that, he sees that in her core, she is a good person, and he respects her so, so much for that.