Character Growth in Bones

I’ve been watching Bones for years, in my opinion it’s one of the best TV shows, but there were some things I’ve noticed over the years, Temperance Brennans behavior shows characteristics of Aspergers, and in fact creator Hart Hanson based her character on a friend with Aspergers. I could never understand why the series didn’t explore this side of the brilliant but at first glance cold Dr. Brennan. Over the years we watch Dr Brennan become less cold, she learns to open up more. But she still struggles in very real ways with reading cues, with understanding emotions.

In the earliest episodes we see Bones seemingly cold and aloof and to an extent that remains true throughout the series, but in time we watch as she grows, learning to feel, something she had shut our long ago, in the show they blame it on what she went through as a child, but there’s more to it than that, the discomfort she so obviously feels when she is hugged or showed affection is apparent early on, but as the show progresses we see she’s not cold, that in fact in her own way she’s compassionate.

Hart Hanson said in an interview with Screen Rant that the show never mentioned a diagnosis because he did not want to give her character a label, but there was a opportunity missed here, showing others on the spectrum what is possible. We can also watch as the characters grows and learns.

Perhaps it’s time that we see shows portray characters without being afraid of what “others” think.

(C) Michelle R Kidwell

December.05.2021