Bones - The Complete Second Season DVD Review

There are certain human issues which nearly everyone can relate to, and these are usually most focused on when it comes to art. The one human phenomenon which seems to appear regardless of genre, country the art originated from or any other varying factors is love. Season two of Bones takes a cue from countless other shows which have succeeded recently with the integration of romance between the characters. Regardless of the show and the formula which may come attached to the particular genre, romance can always be added in to make the show progress and have more serial qualities. The characters grow, change, and become the reason to continue watching these shows when the formula gets old. Bones had flirtations in season one as well as several emotional moments for all of the characters but the romance was kept minimal. Aside from a quick relationship Dr. Brennan (Emily Deschanel) has which lasts just one episode, season one stayed away from the usual romantic developments, but season two has more than enough to improve the show greatly. Not only does the show finally increases the tension between Dr. Brennan and her F.B.I partner Agent Booth (David Boreanaz) by adding a third wheel in the form of a new boss, but there are other added flirtations when some of the specialists in the lab spend too much time in the lab together.

Genius comes with a price of social handicap, and while House MD has an insensitive cripple with emotional issues, Bones features Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel), a brilliant forensic anthropologist who is completely disconnected with the outside world. She can read the bones of a corpse and know facts about their lives but lacks the knowledge to understand even the simplest pop culture reference. To make matter worse she was emotionally crippled by her parent’s unexplained death, and buries herself in work as a way of escaping living human contact. Brennan is partnered with F.B.I. agent Seeley Booth, played by David Boreanaz (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), making for plenty of awkward “will they or won’t they” relationship drama that adds plenty of tension to the already complex show. The result is a show not unlike a cross between House and CSI, with just as much medical mumbo-jumbo as there are criminal investigations.

It all comes down to the characters, and the actors who play them. Each episode there is another mystery to solve inspired by the real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs and actual criminal investigation procedures, but it is the relationships between the ensemble of fabulously well developed characters that the show remains interesting, even though they are somewhat predictable. Each episode we are given a little more insight into the workings of these characters, including the bug expert who is actually an extremely wealthy man that just wants to work and be left alone, the young protégé without much of a social life, and the free-spirited artist who puts faces on the corpses. Each are given their moments, allowing for unique relationships in a particularly strange work environment. The other half of the entertainment comes from the mysteries themselves, which are not unlike those fans of other medical or investigative shows might be used to, but I suppose one cannot get enough of a good thing. There are points in the series where intellectual jargon is put aside and this can be somewhat problematic as welcome as it is.

All twenty-one episodes of season two are included in the set on six DVDs. One new improvement on these DVDs is a “Play All” option, which was missing from season one on DVD. Other than that the setup is essentially the same. There are commentaries on select episodes as well as on the deleted scenes. There are also a few featurettes and a gag reel.