Despite the Bugs, Bones is a Hard Hit

Like Beanie Babies, leg warmers, and Furbies, television has had its fads. Last season, there were sci-fi shows, and this season had serial shows. But through every fad of the last decade, procedurals have been immune and have prospered. Of all the procedurals on television right now, with at least 16 on basic networks, Bones is, without a doubt, the best.

Now in its second season, the show follows an FBI agent and a team of forensic specialists through both crime-solving and relationships. The core of the show is Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and special agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanez), who solve cases with unusual evidence while dancing around an obvious attraction to each other. Rounding out the cast is an eclectic mix of characters-Dr. Jack Hodgins is the "dirt and bugs" guy, which is not as gross as it sounds; Dr. Zack Addy recently was promoted from assistant to Dr. Brennan; Dr. Camille Saroyan is the head of the department; and Angela Montenegro is an artist who helps with the visualizations. The crew, known to the FBI as squints, works at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington, D.C., where most of the show is set. On paper, the show is about solving crimes using bones, but there's much more to Bones than that.

For a show about bones, there sure is a lot of chemistry in the air. For starters, it takes mere seconds of any episode for it to become painfully obvious that Booth and Brennan are perfect for each other. Her logic compliments his gut instinct, he explains pop culture references to her, she explains anatomy to him, and he wears the colorful socks in the relationship. They will undoubtedly be one of those will-they-won't-they couples where it's only a matter of time before they get together, but for now, it's fun to watch them dance around each other. It's amazing to see how far they've come in two seasons. Gone are the days of mistrust between the FBI agent and the forensic anthropologist. These days, they can't function without each other. In a recent turn of events, Booth was forced to take a short leave and Brennan had to work with another agent. The sheer number and the intensity of phone calls between Booth and Brennan made it abundantly clear how well they work together.

There's more love where that came from. In contrast to the unrequited sexual tension of Booth and Brennan is the budding relationship between Angela and Hodgins. They're just adorable. There's not much more that can be said about how entertaining it is to watch them flirt and bat eyes at each other in the lab.

Possibly the best relationship of all is the dynamic amongst the team as a whole. The team members work as one cohesive unit-both personally and professionally. They've even had a Christmas Eve slumber party in the lab, though, admittedly, that was due to a quarantine. Recent episodes have taken members temporarily off the team, and it is immediately clear what's missing.

Another great aspect of the show is the physical and emotional strength of Dr. Brennan's character. She is a well-known forensic anthropologist, a best-selling author, and highly skilled in martial arts. It's always amusing to watch her stop a menacing male suspect in his tracks, especially for the look on his face. Yet watching her deal with emotional crises, such as a full-season-and-a-half mystery about her parents, shows the true depth of her character. Most importantly, Brennan never needs to fully rely on her strength because the rest of the team-particularly Booth-is there for her.

Beyond the emotional core of the show is the reason it's a procedural-the crime and guts. At first, the gory nature of having a show about bones is a little off-putting, but, after a while, it becomes second nature and doesn't seem quite so bad. In fact, it's amazing to see how much the team can discover from a mostly decomposed body. While there are episodes that focus on this type of crime, there are also episodes where the bodies lead them to a more conventional investigation. There was even an episode where Booth and Brennan went undercover as an engaged couple, which also threw more logs onto their sexual-tension fire.

While Bones may have elements that are found in every procedural, it is definitely one of the most unique overall. The characters, the evidence, the twists, and the romance all combine to create a wonderful show, and there's something for just about every viewer. Fox recently renewed the show for a third season, and with Idol-enhanced numbers, it's sure to be around for a while-just long enough for Booth and Brennan to get together in the last seconds of the series finale.