Andrew Robinson
This is the second in our series of “How [blank TV show] should have ended.” First was Game of Thrones. Now, we tackle the FOX crime drama that lasted for twelve seasons: Bones.
Summary
Starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz as the leads, Bones is a somewhat-serialized crime drama that takes on murder cases involving merely bones and rotten flesh. The show featured its share of serial killers, but the writers always seemed to have trouble ending those longer stories, whether it be with someone like the Gravedigger, Gormogon, or its very last case: Kovac.
How Did it End?
Booth, Brennan, Hodgins, and Angela get trapped in the Jeffersonian when Kovac and his mystery partner set a bomb. Brennan, who has been the show’s most intelligent character for its entire run, appears to have suffered some brain damage, but everyone else is – more or less – okay. Once they are rescued, they begin to search for Kovac through both bones and his movements. They return to the Jeffersonian in order to study the bones, despite the building most certainly being structurally unsound due to the massive explosion. Brennan is still brain-damaged and unable to provide much help.
Eventually, Booth and Brennan travel to hunt down Kovac, despite injuries suffered to both during the explosion. Right when Kovac appears to have them in his grasp after injuring Booth’s hand, Brennan suddenly regains her ability to understand bones and fixes his hand in record time. Booth then picks up the gun and shoots Kovac to his death.
Some final scenes include Cam and Arastoo adopting three teenage boys right after their wedding and Hodgins being named interim “king of the lab.”
How Should it Have Ended?
Honestly, Kovac’s character shouldn’t have been the final threat seen by fans. He was not a particularly well-explored serial killer, nor was he overly frightening. He was completely unmemorable in every way.
So….
Booth and Brennan capture Kovac earlier in the final season, perhaps in the penultimate episode. Given the fact that a new serial killer cannot be introduced this late, the finale focuses on someone from the Bones family past: Zach.
Instead of it being revealed that Zach will be released from psychiatric care for the criminally insane, the final episode instead focuses on if he will, in fact be released. Or, rather, if he should be.
Booth is the first to visit Zach. While there, Zach says a few troubling things regarding his involvement with the cannibalistic murders perpetrated by Gormogon. Perhaps he doesn’t realize that what he did was wrong. Maybe he doesn’t own up to his mistakes. He doesn’t say anything overly troubling (he doesn’t out himself as a cannibal, for instance), but he doesn’t say anything to set Booth at ease.
After Booth leaves, he discusses it with Brennan, his wife and Zach’s former mentor. She is struck with unusual emotion – even for a woman that lives her entire life analytically, Brennan simply cannot view Zach’s case objectively. Booth realizes this midway through the conversation, and doesn’t tell her what he thinks his recommendation to the judge is going to be: to prohibit Zach from leaving.
Later, Booth goes to Hodgins, hoping that Zach’s once-best friend would see him and form his own opinion. Hodgins agrees, but insists that he must go alone.
Zach is happy to see Hodgins. They talk about old times and how things could have been if they had stayed the same. He tells Zach about Angela, who is now his wife, and their kids. However, when the conversation turns to the murders and Zach’s potential release, Hodgins feels… uneasy. Again, his friend doesn’t say anything overly controversial, but he also doesn’t seem to be outwardly remorseful. He was a child then, he says. He’s changed and he realizes the errors in his ways.
Hodgins wants to believe him, but something just feels off.
When he returns to Booth, he quietly – nearly apologetically – tells the agent of his qualms. Booth agrees and tells Hodgins he thinks he’ll recommend that Zach remains incarcerated. Hodgins isn’t so sure, and says he thinks they’re overreacting; Zach has never been good at communication.
Next is Angela’s turn to visit Zach – she comes out with the same worries, but it is her recommendation that he should be released. That leaves Booth alone in his view.
Angela mentions in passing to Brennan what Booth is planning to recommend. Brennan, of course, is outraged, though she notes that his recommendation doesn’t mean that much overall: Zach will be released based on what his evaluators think should be done. Still, she feels betrayed by her husband.
As has always been her nature, she confronts Booth, who immediately apologizes for not telling her, but stands pat on his recommendation. She says she’s going to visit Zach herself.
During their meeting, Zach tells his once-mentor that he just doesn’t feel anything when it comes to what he did. He doesn’t feel happy about it, but he doesn’t feel remorseful, either. He just doesn’t feel… anything. Brennan asks him when the last time he felt any emotion was. He says he can’t remember.
She leaves troubled. Her heart tells her that Zach isn’t a threat to society and he doesn’t deserve to be locked up. Her brain tells her that his lack of emotion is something that indicates he could, in fact, be a threat. It is an interesting situation for a woman that prides herself on being objective.
When Booth asks her how it went, she hesitates, then says he seems to be doing well. He has put the incident behind him, she says.
Booth ultimately recommends that Zach stay incarcerated. Brennan is upset and passionately argues against her husband, as well as her better judgement. She says she will personally look after Zach, and they will provide him with a home. Booth is taken aback. The evaluators listen to their recommendations.
When the two return home, they fight about Brennan’s speech. Booth says he worries about Zach living in the same home as their children. Brennan reminds him that she’s the one that brings the money in the family.
A few days later, they say that they have decided to release Zach, but only on the condition that he lives with Brennan for at least two years upon his release. Brennan agrees.
A jump in time shows Zach living amongst Booth, Brennan, and their children. All appears to be well – Booth and Brennan are still together and happy – though it is clear that Zach still isn’t experiencing much – if any – emotion. He’s physically present, but his emotions are not. Hodgins, Angela, Aubrey, Cam, Arastoo, and the various squinterns arrive to attend what looks to be a Christmas party. Everyone is smiling except Zach, who is engaging in conversation, but not giving any visual cues.
They discuss all the characters’ next steps and how their lives have been. They reminisce over their great times together, and a few highlights from past seasons are shown, including episodes featuring Sweets. Apparently, Hodgins and Angela are still at the Jeffersonian, while Cam and Arastoo have moved across the country to start their new life together. Brennan is the new boss at the lab, and Booth still works with the team. A few of the squinterns have gained permanent jobs at the Jeffersonian.
The final shot is of Zach, who it is said is still living with Booth and Brennan, yet has not returned to work. He delivers pizzas, he says stonefaced. The screen cuts to black as the viewer is left to decide if Zach is sane at all.
