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Score: 9.3 Superb 380 votes

The Skull in the Desert

Episode Number: 17    Season Num: 1    First Aired: Wednesday March 29, 2006    Prod Code: 1AKY17
While on vacation, Angela finds a skull in the desert. She asks Brennan for help in identifying the skull because she is afraid it might be her boyfriend, who has gone missing with a local guide. The investigation leads the team through a violent boyfriend, the local sheriff and ultimately to a counterfeiting ring setup in the desert.

Cast and Crew

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Writer: Jeff Rake
Director: Donna Deitch
Star: Jonathan Adams (Dr. Daniel Goodman (Season 1)),  David Boreanaz (Special Agent Seeley Booth),  T.J. Thyne (Dr. Jack Hodgins),  Michaela Conlin (Angela Montenegro),  Eric Millegan (Zack Addy),  Emily Deschanel (Dr. Temperance Brennan)
Guest Star: Brent Briscoe (Larry Stansfield),  Mercedes Colón (Professor Inez),  Clayton Rohner (Wayne Kellogg),  Kalani Queypo (Alex Joseph),  James Parks (Sheriff Dawes)

Notes

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International Air Dates:
Denmark: May 30th, 2006 on TV3 (edit)
David Boreanaz and Clayton Rohner have also worked together in an Angel episode in 2002. (edit)
Featured Music:
"Too Easy" by OneRepublic (at the end of the episode)
"Rain" by Patty Griffin (near the end when Angela sees Danni) (edit)

Quotes

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(Angela and Sheriff Dawes drive up in the middle of the desert.)
Brennan: Only Angela could get a ride in the middle of nowhere. (edit)
Angela: [...] I'm a little afraid that... I'm just afraid that I don't have a generous heart. I'm afraid that I won't have the chance that I had with Kirk ever again.
Brennan: You will.
Angela: How can you be so sure?
Brennan: Because nothing in this universe happens just once, Angela. Nothing. Infinity goes in both directions. There's no unique event, no singular moment.
Angela: (laughs) I don't know what that means. (edit)
Brennan: It doesn't make sense that the sheriff brings us to the scene of the crime and leaves us to die. Does it?
Booth: One godforsaken part of the desert is as good as another godforsaken part. We don't even know if Sheriff Dawes actually called Alex Joseph. I mean, he could've done all this himself.
Brennan: Could Dawes do that, Ange?
Angela: Well, I always thought Ben Dawes was a good man. It would take a lot to change my mind.
Brennan: Like being left to die in the desert? (edit)
(The truck driven by the sheriff goes way)
Booth: Where's he going?
Brennan: He's looking for his sister.
Booth: Either of you two bring any water?
(Brennan and Angela show Booth their bottles of water)
Brennan: Why? Are you worried?
Booth: Yeah.
Angela: About what?
Brennan: Because we're way past where Jesus lost his sandals.
Booth: And I don't hear the truck anymore. (edit)
Booth: I will call the FBI office in Albuquerque and take over the investigation.
Brennan: I wouldn't.
Booth: Why?
Brennan: Desert dwellers are very Insular. Mongolians, Bedouins of the Sahara, the Himba of Kanana. Good hosts, but extremely distrustful of outsiders.
Booth: Bones, this is the United States of America, not outer Mongolia. (edit)

Trivia

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Goof: Booth says that everyone will take a separate compass point and walk in that direction; therefore it doesn't make sense that Brennan ran into Angela during their separate searches. (edit)
Goof: When Booth and Brennan are driving through the desert arguing over whether or not he should take over the investigation, a mountain appears out of nowhere in the background as Booth says, "This is the United States of America." (edit)

Allusions

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Engraver’s plates

Currency printing is a highly specialized craft. The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing prints currency on high-speed, sheet-fed rotary presses which are capable of printing over 8,000 sheets per hour. Printing plates are covered with ink and then the surface of each plate is wiped clean which allows the ink to remain in the design and letter grooves of the plates. Each sheet is then forced, under extremely heavy pressure (estimated at 20 tons), into the finely recessed lines of the printing plate to pick up the ink. The printing impression is three dimensional in effect and requires the combined handiwork of highly skilled artists, steel engravers, and plate printers. The surface of the note feels slightly raised, while the reverse side feels slightly indented. This process is called intaglio printing. Venezuela ’s currency is named for Venezuelan-born Simón Bolívar, who liberated much of South America from Spanish rule in the 19th century and became one of Latin America's greatest heroes. (edit)
Peyote

The central and distinctive practice of the Native American Church is the ceremonial use of peyote, a psychoactive or entheogenic cactus (lophophora williamsii) regarded as a sacramental substance that has divine powers. It is often called “medicine,” and it is believed to have powerful healing ability. Peyote use among the Huichol and other tribes goes back thousands of years in Mexico, and was first documented among the Aztecs some 400 years ago. Its history in the United States beyond its native range (restricted to the Rio Grande valley), however, is much more recent. (edit)
Booth: Ok, who are you, Dr. Phil?

Referring to the popular talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw. (edit)
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Community Reviews (16)

 
10.0
Perfect
The Skull in the Desert
"Well written"
Amazing
Continue » Posted Mar 6, 2008 2:48 pm PST
9.9
Superb
The Skull in the Desert
"Well written"
Angela needs Bones help to identify a skull who could be her boyfriend who went missing with the guide, Nani.
Continue » Posted Mar 3, 2008 9:10 pm PST
9.3
Superb
The Skull in the Desert
"Exciting"
Review
Continue » Posted Apr 8, 2007 12:13 am PST
9.2
Superb
The Skull in the Desert
"Character development"
Poor Angela...
Continue » Posted Feb 15, 2007 3:08 pm PST
9.0
Superb
The Skull in the Desert
"Above average"
Angela's previously unknown boyfriend dies in the desert - and I care.
Continue » Posted Jan 5, 2007 7:28 am PST
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Episode Vital Stats

 
Episode: The Skull in the Desert
Season Number: 1
Episode Reviews: 16
Episode
Score:
9.3 Superb 380 votes
Rating Statistics:
superb: 192 (50.5%)
perfect: 109 (28.7%)
great: 58 (15.3%)
good: 12 (3.2%)
Other: 9 (2.4%)
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