In Which They Start to Date Others

Season 5, Episode 18

The Predator in the Pool

BRENNAN: Andrew was joking; he likes to put people at ease. It's a nice quality.

(Andrew and Brennan share a smile)

BOOTH: Well, everybody likes to laugh. (off the leg) Except that guy.

I'm sure at this scene, there's a lot of “what the hell, she can flirt and want to be with HACKER, of all people, but not Booth?”s that go on withing the sea of fans out there when it comes to this scene (and this whole episode, really). And I was definitely part of this mindset. But see, here's the thing: she doesn't have shit at stake with Hacker. She has nothing. She doesn't have a working relationship to worry about, she doesn't have all this fear of “losing” what she already has with him.

And she's not looking to fall in love with him or anything. Yes, later on she says she said “no” to his invitation to see a play because she thought “play” was code for “sex”, so she obviously wants more than a purely sexual relationship, but I really don't think you can go “Oh my god, how can she want to be in love with Hacker and not Booth?!” It's just too far out there.

And of course, a lot of it is probably a coping mechanism similar to Booth's: instead of truly dealing with it and moving past it, she's just trying to do the moving past it part. It's a lot less clear that that's what she's doing when compared to how clear it is that that's what Booth is doing because how what happened hurt Booth is a lot more clear. He wanted to give them a shot. She turned him down. He's crushed. And his pride is flattened. Of course he's going to try to move on right away. But Bones was hurt in this to, hurt by her own actions. She has to have a way to deal with it too. And since this IS Bones we're talking about, she's certainly not going to let it all out in the open and truly deal with it, especially since she doesn't have Booth to help her out with it, so she's going to try to push it away, act like it never happened, and make like everything can be the same.

BOOTH: Okay, you know what? You don't have to go in, Bones.

BRENNAN: Yes, I do. We need to recover what's left of the victim to have any hope of identification.

BOOTH: Time out, okay. Have Hodgins do it.

HODGINS: I look like Richard Dreyfus, don't I? "We're gonna need a bigger boat!"

BRENNAN: No - we don't need a boat. Wh-why are you wearing that hat?

BOOTH: Keep his brain warm, okay. Make Hodgins go in there and do it.

BRENNAN: There is nothing to be afraid of, Booth.

HODGINS: Yeah, you know, sharks - they don't eat people.

BOOTH: Really? Tell that to the guy who got, ya know, coughed up by a grouper, okay.

Remember that thing I said about how they can try to hide and tuck away their love now that the “event” has happened, but it's still there no matter what they do? Yeah, this is an example of how true that is. He's still the White Knight. Even though she flat out said he's the one that needs protecting, he's still the white knight. He can't help it.

BOOTH: Oh, he's looking forward to our date - your date.

BRENNAN: So am I. He emailed me and said he had tickets to a play.

BOOTH: He emailed you? For a play?

BRENNAN: I believe that 'a play' is Andrew's code for sex. (Booth looks a bit uncomfortable) Is it okay for us to talk like this?

BOOTH: Yeah.

BRENNAN: Well, when he invited me to the play I thought it was code for sex so I said no.

BOOTH: Oh.

BRENNAN: But I said yes to coffee.

BOOTH: Maybe that's a code.

BRENNAN: uh, uh. Angela said that coffee isn't a code for anything.

BOOTH: Well, I have a date too.

BRENNAN: Good.

BOOTH: Catherine Bryar.

BRENNAN: Everyone at the aquarium is a suspect.

BOOTH: And once she's eliminated as a person of interest...

BRENNAN: (changing the subject) Why did Andrew call?

Huh. She continues with her making-like-everything's-the-same thing by talking about Andrew, he mentions going out with Catherine, she changes the subject, BUT every time after this instance, she mentions Catherine every chance she gets. Do I sense a little shock at the idea that he's actually moving on, so she buys times to form a reaction by changing the subject, and then she over-mentions Catherine as to 1) make like she's ok with it, and 2) continue to make like everything is how it used to be?

I believe I DO sense that.

I have a question for ya'll: did they tell Sweets about the end of 5.16? I remember Booth mentioning at one point that he was “moving on” to Sweets, but I mean, I think Sweets would freak out a LOT if he knew what happened. Thoughts, anyone?

ANGELA: Hacker is very sophisticated in his job, but he's much more transparent in his personal life. Does that sound like anybody you know?

BRENNAN: Me? So you mean we're compatible?

ANGELA: Well, you know who I think you belong with.

BRENNAN: I don't belong with anyone, Angela.

Oh, Bones. This is just sad. Damn you, thinking you're incapable of love.

BRENNAN: I'm going to have coffee with Andrew.

BOOTH: Alright. Have a good time.

BRENNAN: Thank you.

BOOTH: I'm going to see someone too.

BRENNAN: Dr. Catherine Bryar.

BOOTH: The case is closed.

BRENNAN: She's very nice. The two of you seem compatible.

BOOTH: Maybe, we'll see.

Her talking about compatibility not once, but twice, this episode, adds yet ANOTHER possible reason as to why she turned Booth down: despite what she feels, she knows that on the outside, they are completely incompatible. She doesn't know how to let herself just go with her feelings as opposed to the evidence, and the “evidence” says he's the gambler and she's the scientist and they aren't compatible.

BRENNAN: She's easily as pretty as I am. I mean, using me as a standard.

BOOTH: Bones, you are the standard.

OH, BOOTH. :(

BRENNAN: Angela and Hodgins find the fish tank to be very romantic.

BOOTH: Mystery of the deep. The great unknown.

BRENNAN: It's a body of enclosed water filled with aquatic, ectothermic vertebrates. Not unknown at all but pretty. Maybe that's what they like.

BOOTH: Yeah. That's probably what it is. I bet that's what it is. So, your date. Um, how was that?

BRENNAN: Oh, quite enjoyable. Andrew is charming and very funny.

BOOTH: I can see; you're still smiling.

BRENNAN: What about you and Catherine? Did you have a good time?

BOOTH: Yeah. Yeah. We laughed. A lot. It felt good. I'm gonna see her again.

BRENNAN: Excellent. You deserve a good woman, Booth.

BOOTH: So do you, Bones. I mean, not a women but you know what I meant.

BRENNAN: I know. So, um, what did you laugh about?

OH JUST SHUT UP NOW. “You deserve a good woman Booth” “So do you” STOP IT. STOP BEING SO FUCKING POIGNANT, YOU TWO. SERIOUSLY.

BOOTH: Just...something about her earrings.

BRENNAN: She wore amusing earrings.

BOOTH: No. She said that they were a gift and she knew they were real because no one would buy fake diamonds that small.

BRENNAN: They might - if they were on a tight budget.

BOOTH: Oh, no, no. It's um - it doesn't matter. You had to be there.

Uh-oh. This is some of that “evidence” that's going to reinforce the absurdity of the two of them being together in both their minds. It's superficial, as Wyatt said, but they don't see this. They just see yet another thing they miss the connection on.

Post-emotional explosion times are not happy times 'round these parts.