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Bones Season 5 Episode 12

The Proof in the Pudding

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AIRED: Jan 21, 2010

9.4

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Episode Summary

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The Jeffersonian team is put on lockdown by a group of government agents, who insists that they determine the cause of death of a top-secret, unidentified corpse. Booth meanwhile breaks into the lab, with the help of his boss, to figure out what exactly is going on with the secret investigation.moreless

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (14)

Writing a summary would be easier if the episode had a solid plot to begin with...it's basically Booth running around trying to look impressive and sullen at the same time, while they all bicker and debate over the mystery-remains' identity: JFK, or not?moreless

5.0

By talkingbones18, Nov 11, 2011

This was without a doubt my least favorite Bones episode...ever. Memo to writers: The NaNoWriMo motto of "No plot? No problem!" does not apply to television. Really, what was the point of the whole case? Even the Men-In-Blacks' head honcho, Mr. White, had to shake his head and say, "I don't know," when asked what the point was in basically holding them hostage to identify cause of death. Despite the fact that the whole plot of the episode was unstable, it did have its merits. Cam really shone - I think that even though this is my least favorite overall episode, it's my favorite episode in regards to only Cam. She went mama-bear for her daughter and her team. Nut...even though the pregnancy test really kind of ties into that, I'm still unhappy with that part, too. Firstly, what is this, Friends now? Secondly, it appears that the only reason for having that subplot was to tease us some more with the prospect of an Angela/Hodgins get-together. Just another notch in the stick of Romantic Disappointments On Bones That Drag On Forever.

Speaking of said dragging-on-forever romantic disappointments, we had another visit from Hacker. Now, I don't hate all of Brennan's love interests - I did rather like Sully. But this guy is just a jerk looking for some booty call. I really hope we don't see any more of him. (Booth making him looking like the idiot he is was a plus; Brennan still impressed by him anyway was not.)

I'm still trying to understand how Booth violated National Security (according to the men in black, anyway) on no less than two separate occasions and didn't even get a slap on the wrist. It only adds to the level of disblief. Not that watching him single-handedly taking out the men in black wasn't hot or enjoyable - just, not entirely believable in the long run.

Booth struck me as over-sensitive, narrow-minded, and in denial for much of the episode. The government covering up the truth of JFK's murder is really not the worst thing in the world - ever hear of Watergate? Manifest Destiny (AKA we'll steal everyone's land 'cos we want to)? Relocating and killing Native Americans? Slavery? Jim Crow Laws? Booth did go to high school, right?

The ending was wimpy. The official conclusion is that the remains were not JFK, but the unofficial reality is that it could, yet again, go either way. (Way to stick to the fence on the conspiracy-theory front. Clever - but yeah, wimpy.)

Overall, a somewhat-entertaining, though rather ridiculous episode. Not every episode can be the show's best ever, but this one fell below-par for me. I guess it's to be expected every once in a while.moreless
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Government agents force the Jeffersonian team to identify a body, which could be JFK. Camille fears that her teenage daughter may be pregnant, but the pregnancy test actually belongs to Angela.moreless

7.5

By johndoe70, Jun 17, 2011

An average episode, which could have been much better.

OK, so the Jeffersonian team is help prisoner at the lab and forced [by a secret government agency] to figure out how a mysterious body died, under very strict rules and regulations. This sounds pretty clandestine, but it quickly becomes a running joke with Sweets needlessly whispering into his cell phone or, at the end, where Booth's inept FBI boss rushes into save the day. Yes, it is all initially funny, but becomes tedious because their is not much of a story beyond a series of gags and jokes.

Yes, this is where we learn that Angela might be pregnant and it recycles Cam's fears that her teenager daughter is sexually active. However, this alone does not make for a great episode. The fact that episode is mostly set in the lab, does not have to be a bad thing. Some of the best episodes have had the characters stuck in the lab. But this time around it is just simply average.

It does not take long before the team suspects that this is the remains of JFK, which means that the team gets to hash out old, Oliver Stone-inspired conspiracy theories along side the silly notion that if the government was somehow involved in the murder of JFK, Booth would lose all faith in the United States of America. It is implied that this was all test, in the event that Congress orders a new investigation into the death of JFK. Well, I am not entirely sure why the government would feel the need to run such a test, much less doing so in secret.

I also do not buy the argument that Booth would be unable to handle "the truth". It suggests that he believes that the American government is unable to make mistakes and that if it does, it is best to cover them up. One can almost hear Jack Nicholas shouting to the audience, "The Truth? You cant handle the truth!"moreless
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I can't believe people enjoyed this episode.

1.0

By silvermoore, Jun 11, 2011

This was by far the worst Bones episode EVER! The whole storyline was beyond unrealistic and would have never happened in real life. Booth's behavior would have gotten him fired. The subplot with Angela's suspected pregnancy was LAME, especially since it ended up being a false positive. The whole JFK conspiracy theory plot seemed hackneyed. I love this show because of Booth and Bones, and I'm usually willing to suspend my disbelief, even when the story lines are a bit of a stretch. But this one was just too much! I can only figure that there are many rabid Bones fans out there who give every episode a 10, because there's no way this episode deserves this high of a rating.moreless
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The Jeffersonian is locked down and the team is forced to investigate the cause of death of a man whose identification is classified as priority zero and Booth tries to break in and save the day. In the sideline, Cam finds a pregnancy test and panics.moreless

10

By parmissm11, Apr 14, 2011

Ladies and gentlemen, Bones is back. This episode in my opinion, was the best in the season and included the drama, mystery and sweetness the show needed to get back on track. Although it may seem a little farfetched to have the remains of present Kennedy on the examination table, the anticipation of discovering something new about the beloved president's mysterious assassination kept us attentive the whole time. The most important and sentimental part of the story was the fact that no one wanted to put Booth through the agony of thinking he was just a cold blooded killer for the government. I mean my government (in Iran) lies shamelessly all the time and I'm guessing it's not highly unlikely for that to have happened in the US, but Brennan's gesture was selfless, out of the ordinary for her character and certainly showed her car for Booth.

The other significant fact in this episode was Hodgins's unconditional support for Angela specially with offering to help her with the pregnancy (watch if you don't know if she's pregnant or not) and opens many doors for their future relationship.

Honestly, it was a great part and for those who were unkind to it, I want to say anything lower than a 7 for this episode is merely unfair. Enjoy.moreless
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WOW!

9.5

By vicky24c, Apr 14, 2011

In this episode of Bones, the following happens. The Jeffersonian is put on lockdown by a group of government agents. The team are told that they have to identify how the victim died, but they are not to try and find out who the victim actually is. And so we have an episode filled with love, conspiracy theory and just pure craziness. Angela has a pregnancy scare, and Hodgins says that he will support her, and even marry her even though the baby is not his. That was just so sweet. Bones brings up some family history for Booth, which doesn't go down well. As the episode ends, we learn that the victim was not in fact JFK, and we end seeing Angela and Hodgins walking off to together, and Booth and Bones walking off together. Overall a very interesting episode, and was also an episode filled with love.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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David Boreanaz	Special Agent Seeley Booth
Emily Deschanel	Dr. Temperance Brennan
Michaela Conlin	Angela Montenegro
Tamara Taylor	Dr. Camille Saroyan
T.J. Thyne	Dr. Jack Hodgins
John Francis Daley	Dr. Lance Sweets

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Diedrich Bader	Andrew Hacker	Guest Star
Richard T. Jones	Mr. White	Guest Star
Scott Connors	Mr. Jones	Guest Star

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Episode Photos

Brennan (Emily Deschanel) on Bones from ...

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Booth (David Boreanaz) waits anxiously f...

© 2010 Fox Broadcasting Company
Brennan (Emily Deschanel) meets Mr. Whit...

© 2010 Fox Broadcasting Company
Brennan (Emily Deschanel), Cam (Tamara T...

© 2010 Fox Broadcasting Company

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- Angela used the exact phrase "the proof in the pudding" in the season 2 episode "The Truth in the Lye" as she was making a reference to a deteriorated body that was found in a tub full of corrosive household cleaning products.
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- It is revealed that Seeley Booth is a descendant of John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. But since John Wilkes Booth never got married and never had any kids, Seeley could only be a collateral descendant of his at best.
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QUOTES (14)
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- Hacker: You mind telling me why it's so important you get in there?
  Booth: They're my people.
  Hacker: Oh God! Now you're going to prove that you're a better man than I am, too? (Booth leaves) That you care more about your people? (sighs) How am I going to get anywhere with Temperance if you keep making me look bad in comparison?
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- Sweets: Why would the General Services Administration bring in a body?
  Hodgins: Standard federal issue cover-up.
  Angela: This is the first time I have ever been as paranoid as Hodgins.
  Booth: You're FBI property. If anyone's gonna lock you up, it's gonna be me.
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- Cam: Is there any way I could just ... persuade you to ... look at these and guess cause of death?
  Bones: Guess?!
  Cam: I need to get home to kill Michelle.
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- Booth: Hey, guys, guys, listen. I'm gonna need some science, uh, jibber jabber to distract these guys.
  Brennan: Oh! You know who can do jibber jabber?
  Booth: Who?
  Brennan: Me!
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- Hodgins: (after Angela tells him she's pregnant) Wow.
  Angela: So, Wendell should be the first to know but, you should be the second and since I told Cam, I- I should tell you.
  Hodgins: Do I say "congratulations"?
  Angela: I don't know. I mean it's not the right time. It's not the right guy.
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- Mr. White: You are not permitted to identify the victim.
  Brennan: In order to recreate what happened to the skull, we need to, encase it in flesh.
  Angela: It's totally non-descript, as you can see.
  Sweets: Do you know who I kindda see? Ricky Martin.
  Hodgins: Alex Trebek.
  Cam: James Garner. (Mr. White shakes his head in defeat)
  Brennan: I see Booth.
  Booth: W- you think that looks like me?
  Brennan: Yes I do.
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- Booth: You must think I'm crazy for being so happy that it wasn't J.F.K.
  Brennan: I'm very impressed. You wanted the truth even if it was going to hurt you.
  Booth: I learned that from you.
  Brennan: Really?
  Booth: Yeah. I mean sometimes you have to ... go with your brain over your gut.
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- Cam: Were you aware that J.F.K. had scarlet fever in childhood?
  Brennan: Hodgins informed of that fact, yes.
  Cam: Scarlet fever can cause osteomyelitis.
  Brennan: It's ... very rare, Cam, it can happen in approximately one of one hundred cases. It's statistically unlikely that it was Kennedy.
  Cam: You're a good person. (pauses) I will never forget what you did for him.
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- Cam: I'm too young to be a grandmother.
  Brennan: In some cultures, you're old enough to be a great-grandmother. (Cam worriedy glances at Hodgins)
  Hodgins: But not this one.
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- Hodgins: What was that all about?
  Angela: Yeah, well, what makes Cam crazy?
  Hodgins: When I do experiments.
  Angela: And?
  Hodgins: Michelle?
  Angela (nods) Michelle.
  Hodgins: Ooh, sixteen. (pauses) Ouch.
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- Cam: Strange question, I know, but I gotta ask. (shows a pregnancy test) Are you ... by any chance pregnant?
  Brennan: No, I haven't had sexual intercourse in quite some time.
  Cam: Do you want to know why I'm asking?
  Brennan: You're holding a home pregnancy test, I assume it's positive and you're worried about losing the most ... important person in this lab.
  Cam: (sarcastically) No, very modest.
  EDIT SHARE
- Jack: You're gonna have this baby.
  Angela: I don't know that yet.
  Jack: Yeah, well, when you do, I've been thinking. You're gonna try to raise this kid on your own. Wendell is, a very decent guy.
  Angela: He's a great guy.
  Jack: I know. But he's a struggling grad student and you're gonna minimize his responsibilities for his own good.
  Angela: Please. Regular Nostradamus there, huh Hodgins? Hm. Predicting the future?
  Jack: Says the woman who consults a psychic. My point is -- I'm your guy.
  Angela: What?
  Jack: I'm your guy. I love you. I love you! And ... I want to help you in whatever way I can. If- if you want to move in together; if- if you want to get married, I'm here for you. And for the baby. In whatever role you need.
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- Mr. White: You want my permission ... to shoot a cantaloupe.
  Brennan: Yes.
  Mr. White: With my side arm.
  Brennan: You took away Agent Booth's firearm.
  Cam: You want our best work? This is what we do.
  Mr. White: And, this experiment is essential to ... cause of death?
  Brennan: Because you have, forbidden us from taking samples in order to estimate the osteoconductivity of the oblique taphonomic remodeling, pertaining to the midsagittal plane, a- a cephalometric transaction -- or translation -- if you will, of the intramatrix can be deduced by correlating the force displacement values with the osteogenic, angiogenic, hydrogel nanocomposite we place inside the surrogate.
  Mr. White: Which is ... a cantaloupe.
  Brennan: You understand me perfectly.
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- Hacker: Booth. Are you being held against your will?
  Booth: (snorts) C'mon, I could get out if I wanted to.
  Hacker: That's not the question I asked you. I asked you, "Is an agent of the FBI, being held by persons unknown against his will?"
  Booth: Yeah. We all are.
  Hacker: Then I find on behalf of the FBI, I am annoyed by their arrogance.
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NOTES (1)
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- International Air Dates:
  Spain: March 5th, 2010 on Fox
  Australia: March 14th, 2010 on Channel Seven/7HD
  United Kingdom: March 18th, 2010 on Sky1/Sky1 HD
  Latin America: March 31st, 2010 on Fox
  Sweden: April 18th, 2010 on TV3
  Norway: September 9th, 2010 on TV3
  Slovakia: November 10th, 2010 on JOJ
  Finland: November 20th 2010 on Sub
  Germany: December 2nd, 2010 on RTL
  Czech Republic: April 26th, 2011 on Prima
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ALLUSIONS (2)
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- Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones from the General Services Administration are an allusion to the lead actors Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones of the 1997 movie "Men in Black," which was about a top-secret agency in charge of alien activity on Earth. The term "Men in Black" is also frequently used to describe any mysterious men working for unknown organizations that cover up alien conspiracies, or more recently, any organization that has unknown purposes -- similar to the General Services Administration.
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- While the team is examining a computer recreation of the Kennedy Assassination, Angela uses the phrase "back and to the left" to describe the motion of Kennedy's head after being shot. This phrase has been used many times to describe the motion of Kennedy's head after being fatally shot, as seen in the famous "Zapruder Film" -- a home video taken of the assassination.
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