The Crank in the Shaft

Season 4, Episode 6, Aired

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The remains of a despised office manager are discovered in an elevator shaft, and Booth and Brennan must figure out which employee killed her. After some investigating, they find that the manager had more than a fair share of complaints on file. Meanwhile, Angela and Hodgins try to make peace in the lab after their break-up.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (12)

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  • A formerly great show is getting worse and worse in each new episode.

    2.0
    "Terrible"
    By panzerwuss, Feb 24, 2011
    If you have trouble picking out the really inane parts of the show, just listen for the violin plucking after each little silly "incident."

    Booth continues to act like a sophomore in high school. In fact, with the exception of Cam, each character is being made to look more and more ridiculous each episode. The new replacements for Zack have been absurd.

    This started last season with the addition of Sweets. The purpose of Sweets is an enigma. Why have a psychologist constantly working with the Jeffersonian? My guess is to force the silly comedy routines. Unfortunately this is taking time away from the actual plots. This year they have added the mini plots of Booth being jealous, trying to get a new chair, etc., etc. All of this takes away from the substantive nature of the show.moreless

  • Wanted to give this higher than 7.5 but it was just an average episode.

    7.5
    "Good"
    By D-LinkUK, Jan 10, 2011
    Booth and Brennan are sent to investigate the remains of a hated office manager which are discovered in an elevator shaft, naturally it's all about who killed her and why, fingers point to one likely suspect then the next until the real killer is discovered and charged.

    We also had an update on Angela's and Hodgins break-up plus yet another intern, though this one was completely different to the one's we've had previously ( very dark mood & pessimistic ), I've said this before but why not just bring Zack back and save us the horror of one intern after another try to gain favour with Dr Temperance Brennan.

    I have to admit the episode was not as good as last weeks and is probably one of the weakest one's so far but what I am loving is Dr Sweets, his interactions with Booth, Brennan, Angela, Cam & Hodgins is brilliant, an excellent character and am so glad he was introduced.moreless

  • Interesting case.....

    8.5
    "Great"
    By vicky24c, May 23, 2010
    In this episode of Bones, the following happens. We open with office staff in an elevator going up to their floors, when some of them start to smell something. Then the elevator starts to get into trouble, and so half of a human female leg falls from the ceiling. We know it is female from the shoes it is wearing. We then see Bones and Booth in a session with Sweets. We learn that one of Booth's co-workers has recently died, and Booth now wants his chair. They then get the phone call about the case ad so Bones and Booth head to the crime scene. Soon what's left of the body is found, in the elevator shaft. Soon the victim is IDed as Patty, the office manager. Soon they get the name of someone who Patty got fired only days before her death.
    Soon Bones works out what killed her, a staple. The staple caused her amorism to burst which killed her. Angela and Hodgins talk and try to talk out their problems, so that they can work together again. Soon they confront one of her co-workers who they believe killed her, and soon he confesses to the crime. He admits that he did it alone, but soon the evidence, shows that someone was working with him, when he dumped the body. We soon learn that the other person is the secretary, who was dating the killer. Although she soon confesses to being the one who threw the stapler at Patty, thus causing her death. As the episode ends, we see that Booth finally got the chair that he wanted so badly. We soon see that the chair is not all that it was cracked up to be and falls short of what Booth had expected.moreless

  • A good episode, unusual cause of death and that elevator shaft was nasty.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By whiteraven2005, Jul 08, 2009
    The story is unusual cause of death and disposal of the body which elevates it above the usual inter-office-romance murder tale. The body in the elevator shaft was nasty for two reasons, 1/ the body being shredded like that, usually I'm not too bothered about what happens to my body after death but this would be an exception, 2/ imagine trying to gather the evidence from 16 floors worth of elevator wall. Yuck.

    The latest of the line of interns is really creepy, his constant depressed whining, especially when he's talking to his bosses. Not a great way to impress them. I look forward to the next fill-in until we get Zack back.

    Good and some real creativity thrown in which makes it better than most of the employee murder stories I've seen in shows like this.moreless

  • Nothing special happened

    7.5
    "Good"
    By Parricida, Oct 06, 2008
    oh.. This was episode what I was not eager to see and when I saw it, there was just nothing special. Ok, we had some great conversation and little of the only Brennan attitude with helping Angela and then the whole hive thing. That was good. And the end, when she told Booth why she helped him to get chair, it was good too.

    But most of the episode - it was some pointless things like Booth wanting so badly for a chair. I do not know but it sounded silly. And then the case.. not the best one they have had. Maybe it all was just like that because before this week, there was really great episode?

    Anyway, ok episode but that's allmoreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (3)

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    • Goof When Booth and Brennan first talk to Ted Russo, they say that they can get a court order to take his DNA sample, but his DNA should already be on file because according to his boss he was arrested a year ago for marijuana use, and DNA is taken upon arrest.

    • When Booth sits down in his new chair, there are two yellow dice on his desk. In previous episodes ("Intern in the Incinerator" and "The Woman in the Tunnel"), Booth was holding dice while interrogating people.

    • Brennan: The DNA showed it was from an Asian male - you're the only person of Asian descent in the office Chip. Actually, Chip is not the only Asian at the office. There is another man in the office who is from India, which is also a country in Asia. Of course people sometimes exclude Indians in their definition of "Asians," but being a anthropologist, Brennan should know better than to use the term so loosely.

  • QUOTES (15)

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    • Booth: If I could help you get a better chair I would. Brennan: Well thank you, but if I wanted a better office chair, I would buy one myself. Booth: No No, that's not how it works Bones. When you work for The Man, he buys all the office furniture. Brennan: Which man? Booth: You're kidding me right? There's no actual "man." Brennan: Then who buys office furniture? Booth: Never mind, Bones. Just, never mind.

    • Angela: So I need some advice. Sweets: I have office hours, Ms. Montenegro.

    • Booth: Anyone else work here late? Gary Flannery: You kidding? I mean, when that clock hits six it's like the running of the bulls, especially on Friday.

    • Cam (looking at a slide of a mystery stain): What have we here? Hodgins: Do you think I'm off my game because of Angela? Because of all this residual stuff between us? Every time I look at her I still think about ... Cam: Semen. Hodgins: What? No! I was gonna say something much more romantic than that. Cam: This stain, it's semen. Hodgins: Oh, right.

    • Fisher: My grad thesis explored the effect of falls on human bone. I got the idea at my summer job. Cam: I'm afraid to ask. Fisher: Suicide hotline. Cam: Were you ... for or against? (Fisher only smiles.)

    • Cam: According to the deterioration of the sperm tail, the ejaculate's from Friday night. Booth: That must have been some happy hour. Brennan: The night she was murdered. Booth: You can tell all that from their, little tails? Cam: Yes. And I can also tell our man is probably of Asian descent. Booth: Ah, by the way they swim. Cam: No, from 42 specific DNA sequences. Booth: Yeah ... probably more exact.

    • Fisher: Do you think the stain is relevant to the case? Hodgins: Before I can answer that, I need to know what it is. Fisher: I get it. We live our lives in darkness, hoping for a sun that seldom shines- Hodgins: Go away Fisher.

    • Brennan: (referring to Fisher) The depressed intern is quite clever.

    • Cam: Any leads on who she is? Fisher: The hot chick is doing a sketch from the few pieces of skull I could locate and reconstruct. Cam: Hot chick. Fisher: Sorry. The other hot chick.

    • Hodgins: (hands Cam a tray with a bow on it) Might help Angela with her sketch. Cam: Right! You should give it to her. Hodgins: I'm, kind of busy. Cam: And I'm kind of your boss.

    • Brennan: Marijuana doesn't make you a killer. Booth: Yeah, well it makes you stupid.

    • (Angela has just told Brennan about her awkwardness with Hodgins.) Angela: Brennan, you're supposed to say something. Brennan: Oh- oh, I'm sorry, what- what am I supposed to say? Angela: Something that will make me feel better. Brennan: Ah! Huh ... um, well, both Hodgins and you mean a lot to me, but since you're my best friend I- I guess I could fire Hodgins. Angela: (surprised) What? No, huh? I- I don't want you to fire him. Brennan: Well that's good, because I wouldn't have liked doing that. Angela: Yeah, of course. Thank you though for the offer, it was ... very sweet. (stands up) Brennan: So I helped? Angela: Oh, absolutely, sweetie, thank you, it was... (walks out) (Brennan smiles with satisfaction)

    • Cam: Have you considered Prozac, Mr. Fisher? Colin Fisher: Already on it. Cam: Then double your dose 'cause you're bringing me down. And that's hard to do 'cause I've worked with death for years and you're makin' it all look like good times now. So get it together okay? Eeyore.

    • Hodgins: Okay, you are not gonna believe this! Booth: Yeah, try toppin' death by office supplies. Hodgins: I was racking my brain over the trace analysis from the sweater: furfurol, proteolytic enzyme, triarylmethane dye - Booth: Hodgins, Hodg- Hodgins! Eyes glazing over. Hodgins: It's a Blue Hawaiian! Bones: What's a Blue Hawaiian? Booth: Well, it's a potent cocktail. Two of those puppies and you're asking yourself, "Hey, why am I naked, and who are all these people?"

    • Cam: Come on Mr. Fisher let me see a little smile. (Mr. Fisher stares at her blankly) That's the ticket.

  • NOTES (1)

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    • International Air Dates: Australia: November 27th, 2008 on Channel 7 Denmark: January 6th, 2009 on TV3 Sweden: January 11th, 2009 on TV3 Spain: March 13th, 2009 on Fox Finland: April 24th, 2009 on Sub Norway: May 21st, 2009 on TV3 Germany: September 3rd, 2009 on RTL Slovakia: October 7th, 2009 on JOJ Czech Republic: September 20th, 2010 on Prima

  • ALLUSIONS (3)

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    • Booth says that the FBI agent who just died was named Graham Kelton. Graham Kelton was also the name of the FBI agent in the short lived Fox series "Vanished." Graham Kelton was killed in the eighth episode of "Vanished."

    • Cam: Buck up, Mr. Fisher. You give me cause of death, I give you a Kierkegaard T-shirt. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a Danish philosopher and theologian generally recognized as the father of Existentialism. Based on his many comments throughout the episode, Fisher is more than likely a student of this particular school of philosophy.

    • Cam: So get it together okay? Eeyore. Eeyore is the pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, old grey stuffed donkey in the world of Winnie the Pooh.

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