Bones

The Verdict in the Story

Season 3, Episode 13, Aired 5/5/08

Episode Summary

Brennan's father Max Keenan is on trial for the alleged murder of FBI Deputy Director Kirby. Everyone on the team, except for Brennan, is called as a witness for the prosecution during the trial. Brennan on the other hand is the forensics advisor for the defense, and she must rely on both her dedication to her family and her skill as an anthropologist to help free her father.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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David Boreanaz

Special Agent Seeley Booth
Emily Deschanel

Dr. Temperance Brennan
Michaela Conlin

Angela Montenegro

Fan Episode Reviews (34)

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Bones help to release her dady...

3.0

"Bad"

By Nikell, Nov 02, 2011 Report Abuse

Each season bones lose more and more of her charm.. This time helping her father to avoid the justice.. and the most important issue for a crime related show.. Where is the true killer of the deputy?... Maybe mulder and scully could solve this case.... 'cause the team got lost... The friendship and love relationships more important than D justice?. please!... im sure that a couple of police and forensic med desagree that fact....

This is a cheappy argue to show us the human side of bones's chart...as if we hadn't seen that before. Futhermore angela refuse to testify and that is well... obstruct the jsutice never was so easy and without several consecuence... Not even a Jur indictment..or some truobble in the jeffersonian?... no, no, no...

average episode...moreless

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3 26
What was promising to be a non-story turns out to be pivotal in character development.

10

"Perfect"

By HurryUpSlowly, Oct 30, 2011 Report Abuse

I have to admit that I watched the first half of the episode quite sceptically, believing that it introduced an unacceptable degree of levity into what was supposed to be a fairly serious issue for Brennan, since the stakes were very high for her father, to say the least. I was particularly annoyed with her and Booth's attempts to keep it light and with her outburst of laughter at the beginning. I also thought that there's isn't much that the scriptwriters can do intelligently, since it was pretty much clear that the guy was guilty. Happily, I was wrong, as it turned out that the story was in fact about many other things, achieving a degree of depth and warmth I would not have suspected from a pretty slow start.

SPOILERS AHEAD Two things I that the scriptwriters did spectacularly well:

1) Playing on the reason vs. intuition pairing (of Booth and Brennan, but also inside each character's own personality). This is a recurrent theme throughout the series (see the episodes with Dr Wyatt, who catches on to that when he quotes William Blake). Of course, this was formulated in this episode as the brains/heart dilemma and contributed enormously to Brennan's development. I love her as a heroine - she's complex enough to be surprising but also very plausible. 2) the end of the episode, when Booth comes out of the courtroom before the verdict is read. I think this links with one of the episode in season 2, when there's a discussion about missed opportunities and he says that that he realised that he wanted to marry Rebecca- who eventually refused him - irrespectively of whether she was pregnant or not - that is, irrespectively of the verdict. Beautifully done - understated and well-acted.moreless

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3 0
A tense and emotional episode for all those BB shippers!!!

9.8

"Superb"

By flex0507, Oct 30, 2011 Report Abuse

"Brain and heart, Bones" - That phrase just sums up this series perfectly. I expected this episode to be a little dry and slow in all honesty and a bit boring. Oh boy was I wrong! The tension that was so expertly created really left me on the edge of my seat. There were also a few BB moments to keep all us shippers happy. And what Bones does at the end for her father was a wonderful twist - i certainly wasn't expecting it!
This ,being a character driven rather than plot driven episode, was just a beautiful conclusion to wonderful 3 year plot line.moreless

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4 0
An episode that sadly diminishes Temperance Brennan, she should be ashamed of what she did.

9.0

"Superb"

By whiteraven2005, Sep 17, 2011 Report Abuse

That is a very cool skeleton. Yet we never actually come back to it?!

For Max's trial, it is necessary to separate Booth and Brennan. Clark is an excellent opponent to Zach, after all, he was Zach's potential replacement when he was in Iraq. He actually finds something Zach missed. Makes you wonder if Max planted the supposed murder weapon at the scene just so the forensics team would assume it was the murder weapon. Makes you wonder if maybe Brennan got her brains from her father. However, Max proves again what a scumbag he is suggesting perjury. Max actually says he'll get on the stand and deny he killed Kirby. Russ must be harbouring some serious resentment toward Tempe Max openly admits he didn't run only because of her. Again, Max puts Tempe over Russ. Max isn't exactly helping their relationship.

It's certainly one of the most bizarre trials ever with the defense and prosecution being friends, waving across the courthouse and sharing coffee. Deflecting potential blame to Tempe was dangerous even if it was to create reasonable doubt, enough evidence and they could arrest Tempe.

As heartwarming as the final moments may be, Brennan completely ignores the fact that she just released a double-murderer back onto the street. As someone who helps convict murders for a living, she should be utterly ashamed, father or not.moreless

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2 14
Another good one......

9.5

"Superb"

By vicky24c, May 23, 2010 Report Abuse

In this episode of Bones, the following happens. At a crime scene, Caroline comes out and tells Bones that she and Booth cannot work together now as her father's court trail has set a date. And so it basically becomes Bones and her father against the rest of her team. At a meeting with Caroline, Angela says that she is not going to take the stand and so she leaves. Hodgins says that he will only take the stand, if it is ok with Bones. And so she grants it. We then jump to the court trial, and see that Angela is not there, as she stayed true to her word. When she is called up on the stand, Angela refuses to answer any questions, and so she is placed in contempt of court. And so Bones goes to visit Angela and she still won't testify. Then the next day at the trial, as Bones and Booth keep on talking to each other, the judge orders them to move seats, as they apparently they don't whisper as quietly as they think, they do. During the trial, we learn that the murder weapon found at the crime scene, is in fact not the weapon and so the case may get thrown out. Bones and Zach then have a search warrant for Bones's apartment, to try and find the murder weapon. As Zach searches the apartment, Bones and Booth talk, until Zach finds what he believes to be the murder weapon. As the trial is started again, things don't seem to be going very well for Max. Son Bones comes up with another theory of what could have happened. Soon Bones puts herself to be the 2nd possible suspect and it gets sold to the jury, as even Booth seems to believe it. And so with this in play, the jury cannot convict Max for the crime and so he is set free, as the jury find him not guilty. And so father and daughter are reunited. We also learn that Bones will not be charged for the crime.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- In "Judas on a Pole", the episode where Deputy Director Kirby was murdered, Max slipped a commerative Christopher Columbus coin in his mouth, just like he did with the others in a corrupt group of people he murdered. It seems odd that the Columbus/Max correlation wasn't mentioned in an attempt to connect him to the murder of Kirby. Edit
- When Bones is standing alone on the stairs outside the court house, Booth can be seen standing behind a pillar in the background. Edit
- Goof: At the end when Brennan hugs Booth, his arms are on top of hers and around her neck. When the camera switches to Angela, Brennan's arms are around Booth's neck. Edit
Notes
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- Featured Music: "Fountain" by Sara Lov (at the end of the episode) Edit
- Ryan O'Neal is billed as a "Special Guest Star" in this episode. Edit
- International Air Dates: Denmark: May 13th, 2008 on TV3 United Kingdom: May 15th, 2008 on Sky1 New Zealand: June 23rd, 2008 on TV3 Spain: July 4th, 2008 on FOX Sweden: August 24th, 2008 on TV3 Norway: September 25th, 2008 on TV3 Australia: October 27th, 2008 on Channel 7 Belgium: November 24th, 2008 on 2BE Finland: February 27th 2009 on Sub Czech Republic: December 2nd, 2009 on Prima Edit
Quotes
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- Caroline: Dr. Brennan is suspended from all crime-related duties. Booth: What? Brennan: For laughing at Booth? Booth: That really doesn't bother me. Edit
- Zack: (Clark is spraying red dye into the victim's skull.) What are you doing? Clark: Dr. Addy, the prosecution is required to share information with the defense, not the other way around. Zack: That better not stain. Clark: It's not permanent. What are you doing here? Zack: I heard you were still looking at the victim's skeleton and wondered if you found anything I missed. Clark: You're not allowed to ask me that. Zack: I didn't ask you anything, you asked me. I answered. Clark: You're not screwing with me are you? You're just ... like this. Zack: Yes, this is exactly how I am. Edit
- Sweets: Dr. Brennan, everyone you work with, including your therapist ... Booth: Former therapist. Sweets: ... is endeavoring to imprison your father. That's wicked stressful. Brennan: Booth is right. It doesn't bother me. Sweets: No, Booth is wrong. Yes, it does. Edit
Allusions
ADD ALLUSIONS
- (AUSA Julian preps her witnesses for the prosecutionBones' assistants at the Jeffersonian.) Caroline: (to Hodgins) No badges saying "Resist Authority" or "The truth is out there." "The Truth Is Out There" references the long-running Fox Network series The X-Files' mantra, always seen at the end of the opening titles (with a few exceptions like for season-ending cliffhangers). Edit
- When Booth and Brennan are talking with Sweets outside the courthouse, they start to purposely annoy him by sing-songing things like "He really likes us." There is a very similar scene in the movie Miss Congeniality, where Sandra Bullock's character sing-songs similar sentiments in a similar manner. Edit