The Man in the Cell

Season 2, Episode 12, Aired
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Episode Summary

Booth and Brennan are ordered to the cell of serial killer Howard Epps to identify the remains of an inmate. To their surprise the charred remains don't belong to Epps.

It's soon learned that Epps has escaped and is on a revenge path, which involves Booth's young son, Parker. Due to the danger of the case, Brennan must get FBI protection.

Cam inhales a toxin while performing an autopsy, which puts her life in danger.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (45)

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  • An episode to be loved by fans of the series for many different reasons. Spoiler alert.

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By goshwow, Nov 28, 2011 Report Abuse
    What happens when Howard Epps escapes prison? If that question frightens you, then you're in for a mouthful of freaky. This episode will certainly shock you if you aren't completely desensitized by this point, and though that isn't saying much when considering the many times the show has tested the stomachs of its audience, the gruesome levels associated with the images in this episode are amplified when considering that it is Howard Epps who is behind it all. It's a thrilling episode that also manages to get a few chuckles here and there.

    The only thing that I will complain about is the way that the episode ends. Mr. epps dies, which means that he show no longer benefits from having a consistent nemesis. Not all hope is lost, however: There's still the Grave Digger, for those of us who remember Aliens in a Spaceship. Nobody knows who the Grave Digger is, and all of this time outside of the Bones universe could mean that he is perfecting his method. Lastly, the way in which epps dies is sort of lackluster. He doesn't leave an emotional body count behind, though he tried with Camille. Such a magnificent villain deserved a better, if not later, termination. All complaints aside, it's still a very good episode, but next time the show decides to terminate a key villain, one that at least shares epps' haunting record, I think the writers should vote on a continuous storyline within consecutive episodes, in turn within a season, not between seasons (because that would piss the hell out of everyone).moreless

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  • Epps escapes

    10
    "Perfect"
    By vicky24c, Nov 03, 2011 Report Abuse
    In this episode of Bones, the following happens. When a fire breaks out in a prison, and a dead body is found, Bones and Booth are called in to investigate. They believe that the body is that of serial killer Epps. When Bones looks at the body, she says it does not belong to Epps. We soon learn that the body is in a burnt out fire outfit and that Epps has escaped in plain sight, dressed as a fire-fighter.
    They track down his wife, to learn that they have since divorced, and she turns down protection. After she leaves, Booth tells Bones that she also needs protection. Soon Booth sees that bones has a gun (and a huge one at that) and isn't happy about it. Then Epps phones Bones and Booth tries to trace the call. They trace it and get a location, but by the time they get there, he has already gone. But he leaves them a present, which turns out to be shaved bone. Then, back in the lab, Angela screams and the team see that she has received a human heart through the mail. Angela freaks out. Soon the clue point back to Epps's now ex-wife and when they go to see her, they find her head (and only her head) inside of a refrigerator. We soon learn that she was alive when her head was cut off. Bones soon learns that Booth has assigned 2 agents to follow her/them at all times. Then Cam finds something inside of the victim's ear, which is from where Parker (Booth's son) plays every day after school. And so Booth and Bones head straight there. They find the Nanny and Booth rushes onto the ride to find his son. But he isn't there. They soon see him going to get ice cream by himself. He then says that the man bought him an ice cream, who said he was his father's friend. When Cam and Zach start to open up the head, a powder disperses into the air, which Cam breathes in. She falls to the floor and starts to have a fit. They get her to the hospital, only to learn that she doesn't have much time to live. Epps rings Bones and offers her the cure for Cam, but changes his mind when he learns that they have his mother in custody. They soon track down where the body which belongs to the head his, and when Zach takes a bag off of her stomach, he actives a press switch, and so has to keep his hand on the body to stop it from going off. As Booth stays with him and when the bomb goes off, they are both still in close range. We then see a news report saying that Zach is dead and Booth is in critical condition. But we quickly learn that this is not true, as we see both of them sitting, alive and well in Bones's office. They soon learn what is the poison is and so they start Cam on the right drugs to cure her. When she comes round, Booth is there waiting for her. So Bones goes home and the FBI are keeping an eye on her, but is it really that safe? Of course not. As she is in the shower, we see someone climbing out of a wall, and we see that it is Epps. As he goes to kill her, she is waiting for him, with her big gun, and so is Booth. He throws the crow bar in his hand, and Epps jumps over the balcony. Booth manages to grab him, but can't hold him. Epps soon slips and fall to his death. As the episode ends we see Booth with Parker at the play ground, and Bones goes there to see Booth. We learn that Cam is being released from the hospital, and we learn that she and Booth are no longer a couple, as he blames himself for what happened to her.moreless

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  • Tension all round.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By tanargue, Jun 19, 2011 Report Abuse
    You knew if Epps was involved we were going to get some nastiness and that was what we got. Not only did he destroy people physically but delighted in torturing people psychologically. Playing with their minds and feelings.
    This episode had everything. OK there were some procedural errors committed in the lab but they were brought about by the overwhelming urgency to catch the monster. Although Brennan was the catalyst for all that Epps was doing it was really Booth who made things happen. It was Booth who involved Epps's mother; it was Booth who pressured Cam into opening the skull (and he admitted remorse and felt guilty about the result). Booth was angry and driven throughout the episode even going so far as to frighten his son with his hard questioning although it was driven by his fear for Parker.
    In the end, Epps was the winner in this game of torturing souls, especially Booth's. He was left feeling that he didn't know how to make things right with his son and that he shouldn't become romantically invovled with any partner in this high risk job - much to Brennan's apparent disappointment. It won't last though, he cares too much about people, even Zack.moreless

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  • epps escapes from jail and now brennan and booth have their hands full trying to keep him from hurting their friends and family

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Collegebound06, Apr 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    oh my gosh..at the time this ep came out it was like the best ep ever..in everything..the case and the relationship..the case was so mind-boggling..the clues and everything kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and the horrible things going on like the thing w/ cam (no offense but i never liked her and i never will so if her character was gone i wouldnt be sad for long lol..i know im cold)..but anyways..epps is horrible and i was like so horrified when i thought zack was going to get blown up but booth saved him..yay booth..and everything even w/ parker im like oh my gosh..epps is so cold...anyways back to relationships..great bb moments..trying to impress her w/ being a hero..and then the whole saying hes getting security for brennan and stressing that..oh yeah..but then the thing at the end that killed me..two ppl who work together in the job we do shouldnt date b/c we put each other in danger..come on..that killed me..i put a pillow 2 my mouth to cover my scream and then started hitting the pillow and my stepmom is like whats wrong w/ u..so now im doing the same thing in the privacy of my own roommoreless

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  • Serial killer Epps escapes, targeting Brennan's friends.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By whiteraven2005, Jan 05, 2011 Report Abuse
    Good to see Epps again, his creepy obsession with Brennan is quite fun.

    It's a relief to see that Epps' wife has come to her senses and divorced Epps, got a new boyfriend. Stubbornly refusing to believe Epps would come after her. Boy, was she wrong.

    Epps is on a rampage, aimed at Brennan. Angela, Parker, Cam. Though Cam's injuries were her own fault, Zach was asking her to x-ray the head and instead she just went in blind and broke the glass vial. For all her preaching on protocol, she ignored it. Brennan is no better, Epps was going to tell her what poison it was and she taunts him about his mother, making him hang up! It's the problem with poisons, why they could only find the cure once they had the actual poison - once poisons enter the body, the body breaks it down and it becomes near impossible to identify.

    A good episode but wasn't perfect because people we know are very good at their jobs start making incredibly stupid mistakes. Epps showing up in Brennan's apartment was also pretty predictable.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • When Bones is talking on the phone with Epps, he says that his IQ is 180. Albert Einstein's IQ was only about 160, which would mean that Epps is substantially smarter than Einstein and one of the smartest people in the world (based on IQ). Edit
    • When Booth and Brennan are at the hospital talking to Cam's doctor, Booth says, "What does that mean? I don't know what that means." This is a play on Brennan's line in regards to pop-culture references. Edit
    • When the lab was under high security alert, for some reason the only people to come when Angela screamed were Cam, Bones, Zack And Hodgins. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • The merry-go-round at which Epps buys Parker ice cream is the same merry-go-round seen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (in which David Boreanaz played Angel) in episode 5x08. Edit
    • The building used for the external shot of the fire-damaged prison as the episode opens is the Joliet Correctional Center located in Joliet, Illinois. The first season of Prison Break was also shot on location there (calling it Fox River State Penitentiary). Edit
    • International Air Dates: Denmark: March 27th, 2007 on TV3 Spain: April 27th, 2007 on FOX TV Spain Belgium: November 9th, 2007 on RTL-TVI Germany: November 15th, 2007 on RTL Australia: January 10th, 2008 on 7 Finland: July 25th, 2008 on Sub Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Brennan: Epps said that whatever else happens here on out was my fault. Cam: Then we won't let anything else happen. Edit
    • Epps: You're gonna drop me anyway. Just get it over with. Booth: You son of a bitch. Epps: Are you saying you don't want me dead? Booth: Yeah, I'm not you. Epps: Oh, really? You're not thinking of the world with me still in it? Going after Dr. Brennan, your son ... Booth: I'm not you. Edit
    • Booth: (After he puts Parker on the Merry-Go-Round, he turns around and sees Brennan) Hi, how'd you know I was here? Brennan: Saturday morning, how's Parker? Booth: Yeah, I'm afraid I freaked him out the other day, he's really scared of this place, now I gotta put that right. Brennan: That's you all over, putting things right. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Booth: (examining a refrigerator) Don't worry Bones it's not booby trapped. Booth is referring to an event from the season one episode "Two Bodies in the Lab" where he was seriously injured after opening Bones' refrigerator, which had a bomb wired to it. Edit
    • Angela: (about Howard Epps) If there was ever anyone who should be in GITMO. Cam: I agree. GITMO, or GTMO, is the military acronym for the Guantanamo Bay Naval base. Since 2001, the naval base has contained a military prison, the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp. Prior to 11 July 2006, the U.S. maintained that these detainees were not protected under the Geneva Convention because they were enemy combatants, rather than prisoners of war (this suggests that they are tortured, and Angela feels Howard belongs there). Edit
    • Booth: (to a yawning Brennan) Maybe you'd like something a little more exciting, eh? Like Attica ... In September of 1971, dozens of prisoners, as well as several hostages, died in the Attica Prison Riot, that occurred in the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, New York. Edit

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