David Boreanaz (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) stars as F.B.I. Agent Seeley Booth, who teams up with forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) to solve some of the most baffling and bizarre crimes ever. Booth depends on clues from the living, witnesses and suspects, while Brennan gathers evidence from the dead, relying on her uncanny ability to read clues left behind in the bones of the victims. Their different investigative styles cause the two to frequently clash, creating an undeniable chemistry and just the right touch of dark humor. Inspired by real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs and state-of-the-art criminal investigation procedures, Bones is a compelling, cutting edge television.

Beyond Bones: The Complete First Season

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Meet the Characters of Bones: The Complete First Season (click for larger image)

Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz)is a former Army sniper who mistrusts science and scientists – the "squints," as he calls them, who pore over the physical evidence.	Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel)is a highly skilled forensic anthropologist who works at the Jeffersonian Institution and writes novels as a sideline.	Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin), earthy and bawdy, is Brennan’s friend and fellow scientist.
Zach Addy (Eric Millegan), is a young prodigy whose genius IQ actually gets in the way of his finishing the several doctorates he has begun.	Dr. Jack Hodgins (J Thyne), is an expert on insects, spores and minerals, but conspiracy is his hobby.

Stills from Bones: The Complete First Season (click for larger image)

Sad rehash of CSI-Vegas

As usual, people who aren't geniuses try to script characters who are supposed to be genius and get it wrong. Mensa types do not pontificate all the time nor do they exhibit complete ignorance of all pop culture references. Regardless, the characters' personalities are very inconsistent. Their vocabulary and speech patterns vary from show to show and even scene to scene. And if the occasional sloppy science and unrealistic police procedure in CSI bugs you, you'll really hate this show. I so wanted to like this series and I gave up after 3 episodes.

CSI with a Heart

CSI and its various offspring continue to garner strong ratings on television as people are fascinated with how the authorities use state-of-the-art technology to solve crimes. The latest incarnation is Bones, a T.V. show that takes the CSI template and attempts to inject some humanity and characters that we actually care about. While the actual cases obviously take up most of an episode's running time, the personal details about the characters' lives are gradually revealed. The show took a few episodes to find its rhythm and fortunately its ratings were strong enough to allow it to get better.

After the untimely demise of Angel, it is nice to see David Boreanaz in another successful show. While the writing isn't as strong, his natural charm is a large part of the appeal of his character. Also, his backstory - an army ranger sniper - hints at a slightly dark past. It also helps that he has excellent chemistry with co-star Emily Deschanel whose character also has an intriguing past - her parents disappeared when she was 15 years old. Deschanel is an excellent foil as she plays someone who is more comfortable in her lab surrounded by the remains of dead people than in a noisy nightclub filled with people. She clearly lacks the necessary people skills. However, Bones is hardly a helpless bookworm as she has plenty of strong opinions and is not afraid to voice them. She is also capable of defending herself physically as well.

An easy comparison for Bones would be a combination of the partner dynamics of The X-Files with the formula of CSI. Where The X-Files dealt with supernatural crime, Bones deals with more natural crimes but the Mulder/Scully dynamic is certainly present in the relationship between Bones and Booth. What makes Bones work is not really the various cases but the characters and how we grow to care about what happens to them.

The first disc features a commentary on the "Pilot" episode by executive producer Barry Josephson and creator/writer Hart Hanson. They touch upon the test screening process and how this resulted in a few changes to this episode.

Disc three includes a commentary on "Two Bodies in the Lab" by actors David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel. They joke with each other in this relaxed track. The two actors make fun of the sexual tension between their characters. But what is evident from this track is the genuine chemistry between them and one can see how this translates to what we see on screen.

The fourth disc features several featurettes including "Bones - Inspired by the Life of Forensic Anthropologist and Author Kathy Reichs" a profile of the woman whom the character of Bones is based on.

"Character Profiles" are text biographies on each of the main characters.

"Squints" takes a look Bones' team of scientists. It's an actual term that is used and the cast members talk about the dynamics between their respective characters. They talk about how fascinating the technology aspect is.

Finally, there is "The Real Definition," that examines some of the overtly technical terms from the show and defines them in plain English.

Best forensics on TV

This program is a breath of fresh air in the forensic world of CSI programs. Witty, with sharply drawn characters and clever storylines, it is definitely worth your time. The effects are graphic, but not excessive. The cast is great. I had no problem adjusting to David Boreanaz from Buffy and Angel in the role of an FBI agent. He and the entire cast are perfect! And . . . this is one of the rare programs that is fulfilling our expectations in season 2, currently being broadcast. Treat yourself to Kathy Reichs' excellent series. And . . . check out her Temperance Brennan novels as well. Highly Recommended.