The Tough Man in the Tender Chicken

Season 5, Episode 6, Aired
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9.0
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Remains of a chicken farmer are found on the bank of a nearby river, and Booth and Brennan are called in to investigate. The farmer, who was an animal right activist, was about to inherit a chicken factory and had many enemies with motive to kill him -- leaving the team with a lot of murder suspects to sort through.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (12)

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  • The body of a half man half chicken is found by Brennan's fan club. Her and Angela later get into a fight over saving a baby pig. Booth tells Brennan to make up with her and Angela sleeps with Wendell.moreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By iluvparker, Apr 04, 2011
    Awesome episode. I think this is one of the cutest ones I have seen for Booth/Brennan moments. The whole chicken factory thing was totally gross, but other than that the whole episode was phenominal! I would watch it over and over again if I could. I thought it was sweet but a little weird how Angela was trying to save that pig. She kimd of lost her mind a little bit there. Then she had to sleep with Wendell. That angered me a little because I am a HUGE Hodgela shipper and I was majorly disappointed. When Hodgins finds out about that (which inevitably he will) he is going to be super pissed because a) he loves Angela and b) Wendell is his friend. Its not going to end well with that, but otherwise it was fantastic.moreless

  • Thanks to the writers for a very insightful and sensitive script; and the producers, director, and actors for a true-to-life, but bearable, though tragic account of factory farming. The piglet episode depicted our conflicted attitudes towards animals.moreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By conncat2, Apr 04, 2011
    The script was superlative and very true and heart-wrenching, yet somehow bearable. The actors who portrayed the emplyees of the chicken factory farm were so real that I wondered if they were indeed employees. A good point was made that the humans employees of factory farms are also brutalized along with the animals. The incident where Angela tries to get money to save one cute little piglet and is met largely by argument truly shows our conflicted relationship with animals. On one hand we adore our pets, yet we brutalize other less fortunate and maybe not quite as cute animals.moreless

  • hah lol code yellow!!!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By xoxosophiexoxo, Oct 19, 2010
    This was a really good episode. The body of a half man chicken was found by a group of woodchucks! The woodchucks seem to adore Dr Brennan before she tells them off for trespassing.

    I especially loved the part with the corn syrup and feathers!!!!! CODE YELLOW EVERYONE!!!!

    Angela was so funny with the pig, how she became overly obsessed which caused a fight between her and Brennan. At the end of the episode we found out how much Booth's opinion means to Brennan when he tells her to just help Angela and the pig.

    I had hoped for a better 'moment' between b+b but I suppose we will just have to wait(I mean its obviously gonna happen at some point, right!).

    Really can't wait to see the next episode Dwarf in the Dirt!!!moreless

  • Above average.

    6.8
    "Fair"
    By thefanof, Jul 19, 2010
    After ragging on some of Bones' recent "efforts" (I put that in quotes because there was hardly effort shown in most recent episodes) this was a solid installment. Still not great, still one of the weaker shows in the crowded Thursday lineup, but I did not get as bored as I usually do. There were some funny moments, the story was solid, the episode was good enough.

    The show is still pretty boring though and is one that I might have to consider dropping iff things do not swiftly turn around and improve. Maybe after 5 seasons the show has just run its course.moreless

  • Angela's a big slut...again.

    3.0
    "Bad"
    By Snafuperman, Jul 19, 2010
    I was never sure about Angela.
    Sometimes I like her, but other times she just annoys me. What bugs me most of all about Angela is how her appearance can sometimes bring an episode to a screeching halt. So, she has sex with the first guy that gives her money for the pig? Can she be a bigger whore?
    Once again Angela proves what a slut she is, but this episode she's also an idiot who wants to save a pig.
    The scenes with Booth and Sweets are always good.
    I love the way they portrayed the animal rights nut bags.
    EDIT:
    HA! HA! The people who gave me thumbs down on my review are hilarious. Maybe you guys should do a google search like this:
    Bones Angela Slut. You people are going to be really, REALLY busy trying to defend that big slut.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (3)

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    • Wendell and Hodgins are wearing very similar shirts when they are heading to the car in the parking garage, on their way to look for fingertips.

    • In this episode, Bones has no compassion for Angela's request for help with saving a piglet from being slaughtered, and finds her efforts illogical. This makes no sense though, because in the episode "The Blonde in the Game" Bones reveals that she has always wanted a pet pig. She even had a name picked out in the event that she ever got one -- Jasper. In fact, Booth and the others actually gave Bones a toy piglet as a gift at the end of the episode.

    • Goof: In the scene where Bones uses Booth's tie to test the chicken plucker machine, Booth has the top button on his shirt buttoned. When the camera jumps to Cam, it's still buttoned, but then in one of the shots of him and Brennan it's unbuttoned. It is then done up again, and Booth unbuttons it.

  • QUOTES (6)

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    • Sweets: If you combine your "Don't get between women" rule and your "like sisters" observation, you know what I come up with? You dated sisters. Booth: (abashed) They were identical twins. Oh yeah, it was all wrong.

    • Brennan: Saving one pig is an irrational act. Are you suggesting that I point that out to Angela more clearly? Because that would make this conversation very much like a professional consultation. Sweets: No, I'm suggesting, in a very friendly, conversational way, that you help her save that one pig. Brennan: But we agreed that that's a meaningless act. Sweets: Meaningless by your definition, not by Angela's. Brennan: My definition is correct. Sweets: Yes, and if life were simply a debate, you would win, hands down, but we know that it isn't a debate. It's something much tougher.

    • Angela: I wanna save this little piglet. Brennan: That particular, specific piglet? Angela: Yes. It's gonna be $1,500. Are you in? Brennan: No. (chuckles) Angela: Yeah but, look at his face. How can you resist this face? Brennan: Saving one pig or chicken is symbolic at best, Angela. Angela: This is not a symbol. This is a face. It worries me that you can look into these eyes and be so cold. Brennan: I'm sure he's a fine piglet, but ... Angela: How are we friends? H- how is it possible? I mean, we have nothing in common. Brennan: What, you don't wanna be friends anymore because the pig is cute?

    • Brennan: (after Booth sees Wendell caress Angela's arm) Angela's very happy. Booth: I can see that. Brennan: You say that in a funny way. You noticed something. See? You still got it! Booth: You're not gonna ask me what I saw? Brennan: Do I wanna know? Booth: No. (chuckles) Do you wanna know anyway? Brennan: Nope! It can wait. I trust you.

    • Booth: Listen, Bones, I would do anything for you. I would die for you, I would kill for you, but I am not getting in between two best friends.

    • Sweets: You know our very work shows us that, that those people, that call the world an abattoir -- a slaughterhouse -- they have a point. Now you handle that knowledge by imposing this, gossamer web of rationality ... over the ugliness. Angela has a very different way of handling. Sometimes you don't save the world, Dr. Brennan. (pauses) Sometimes you just make your friend happy.

  • NOTES (4)

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    • Tracy Middendorf appeared as Tina with David Boreanaz in the 1st episode of Angel, "City Of… ".

    • Featured Music: "When the Devil's Loose" by AA Bondy

    • David Boreanaz (Booth) has a life-long fear of birds, and at one point he threatened to not partake in this episode due to its use of real-life chickens. In addition, Emily Deschanel (Bones) wasn't too happy with the use of real-life chickens either, as she is an animal rights activist.

    • International Air Dates: United Kingdom: November 12th, 2009 on Sky1/Sky1 HD Australia: November 22nd, 2009 on Channel Seven Sweden: December 27th, 2009 on TV3 Spain: January 22nd, 2010 on FOX Latin America: February 17th, 2010 on FOX Norway: March 4th, 2010 on TV3 Finland: October 2nd, 2010 on Sub Slovakia: October 6th, 2010 on JOJ Germany: October 14th, 2010 on RTL Czech Republic: April 5th, 2011 on Prima

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