11x14 The Last Shot at a Second Chance Discussion

Please post your comments about this week’s new Bones episode, The Last Shot at a Second Chance

Please remember that the promos for next week are SPOILERS and cannot be discussed in this thread. Anything that happens in future episodes is a spoiler - regardless of how much it has been promoted or talked about. The episode discussion with spoilers can be found in the spoiler section. Also please be courteous of your fellow Founding Fathers members

I loved this episode for SO many reasons. I love that we’re getting references to all these little things from past seasons. Booth and Brennan at home was fun and cute. I thought Aubrey going to Booth for advice on his and Jessica’s first kiss was nice. Jessica bounding into Cam’s work area and blurting out her personal relationship was a little too Daisy like for me, but at least Cam was able to refocus her on the case. I was worried that Booth’s relationship with Kenny would be detrimental to the case. I was happy that Booth was able to get Kenny the opportunities to get acquainted with his daughter. The case itself was good, I had an idea that the landlord or whatever the correct term is did it. Angela’s dream had me ready to throw something at the TV before we were shown that she was asleep. I loved Brennan and Angela’s talk; it showed how much Brennan has grown over the years. I loved Brennan’s talk with Hodgins, she said what need to be said and I think a tiny bit of Hodgins listened. From the first episode back I’ve said the only way to stop Hodgins from being mean and yelling was to yell back. Finally Angela did that and while it broke my heart to watch it, but it also made me happy. Now that Angela yelled back and Hodgins realizes he was being an ass they can start to work through it and come out on top. I was happy that we got to see Hodgins watch Angela breakdown. I’m also happy that he didn’t act like an ass and go away. Taking her hand was a small thing that said more than words ever could. They’re going to be okay it’s going to take time and it’s not going to be easy, but they’ll get through it. I liked Booth and Brennan at the end, but it worried me when Booth paused before answering whether he thought Brennan would hit someone again. The FBI putting Brennan on a sixth month probation under Booth’s supervision were he’d take the fall was smart, they know Brennan would never do anything to endanger Booth’s career as an agent.

This was quite an emotionally diverse episode.

Brennan now has to appear before the FBI committee to be evaluated for her actions against the suspect in 'The Murder of the Meninist' and the opening scene with Booth enticing Brennan with sex games to follow his advice was delightful. It's been a while since they've been playful/intimate since they became parents and it's nice to be informed now and then that the attraction is still there.

In the hearing Brennan reminds us that in spite of how far she's come, she still has flaws. She doesn't have any notion of the concept of embellishing to appear favorable nor due to her literal nature is she able to read between the lines. It wasn't until she was told that her shared work with Booth was on the line that she'd come to respect the situation and accepted her sentence of a six-month probation and I thought it was smart of them to use the fact that she'd never jeopardize Booth's job to almost manipulate the situation so they'd be preserving Brennan's contract with them while still handling the situation appropriately.  
I believe that Brennan's conversation with Hodgins was actually her stewing in that reality as well as reflecting on the survival tactic she'd learned from her mother; listen to your brain, not your heart.
"Survival doesn't necessarily mean living" was actually quite an accurate part of her point, it was he who'd made the faulty assumption.

I also liked how awkwardly Brennan had eased herself into the conversation with Angela about her Sebastian dream. The significance of having the desire to be unfaithful is quite a new concept for her but I believe she'd handled it excellently. I'd appreciated her pointing out that Hodgins was still sexually capable. I'd been wanting that to be addressed ever since the scene in 'The Death in the Defense' when Angela had confided in Cam essentially that she'd considered her's and Hodgins' plans to have more children ruined, when at that point that had been a bit of a rash presumption as Hodgins' emotional state was still mostly intact.
It's come to my speculation that Sebastian in Angela's dream was actually not a desire for infidelity but a representation of what she'd wanted to regain with Hodgins. The spontaneity of the sex in the dream was a fitting parallel to what their sex life had been (I.E remember the lab sex hint in 'High Treason in the Holiday Season'?).
It's been difficult to watch their relationship deteriorate and especially her positivity being torn apart by Hodgins' verbal abuse but that she refused to take the out he'd given her, but rather to encourage him to see the chance they still have if he'd only believe in his capabilities was amazing and the way he took her hand as she lay in bed sobbing was beautifully uplifting.

I found it brilliant how Cam's line "It's easy to want to run away from things that scare you, easier than trying to fight through the complications" while referencing her uncertainty of her's and Arastoo's relationship also seemed to reflect on Hodgins and even foreshadow his trying to leave her.

There needed to be more substance to her break up with Sebastian, the subtle implication that it had happened was a bit of a cop out I felt as it also suggested that Sebastian could have been trying to pick up Angela and Cam's statement "that was weird" wasn't clear.

The awkwardness between Jessica and Aubrey was both accurate and cute. It's one of the scariest things in the world when a friendship starts to elevate and I believe that is what caused the angst that misfired that kiss.
As someone who believes quite firmly in that the strongest and healthiest couples begin as friends, I found Cam to be spot on in telling Jessica that the slowness indicated that the relationship was meaningful. I thought "Glaciers move faster" was a great line and her delivery made it, lol.
For this reason, I'm more convinced by their relationship that I have been by Cam and Arastoo's.
Their ending scene was strong. Aubrey's comment that he's usually better in this type of situation was a powerful display of how strong his feelings for her are and I loved his blunt statement that he wanted to kiss her. The moment of tension that resulted in a successful kiss or more accurately make out, the way she was portrayed as just standing there in the middle of the road was a bit unconvincing though it seems to be a common portrayal for the person to just stand there staring in shock at the oncoming car rather than to get out of the freaking way. Is that actually an accurate response?
Anyway, I liked it. It was kind of unique and absolutely unexpected. I was actually freaked for a moment that Bones was gonna go this uber Shakespeare romantic tragedy route and kill her.

It's been officially put on the table that Karen will be making an advance and asking Aubrey out which could be worrisome given how awkwardly he's likely to be as he turns her down being that she is a behaviorist but I believe he'll be able to handle it. I don't think there will be any substance to this or a new triangle. At least I hope there won't be. The last thing Bones needs right now is another triangle.  

The promo grossly exaggerated the theme of this episode with the premise 'Booth's loyalties will be tested' as despite his moment of indiscretion that far from happened. He gave Kenny Johnson far too much praise and leniency for a guy he'd known for three months (He'd been in prison for 3 months right?) but when Johnson had legitimate suspicion on him Booth put his professional goggles back on and handled it appropriately.
Prison life is tough and as Johnson stated, it's a sin to befriend a cop so I did appreciate Booth's feeling favorable towards Johnson. Whatever relationship they'd had obviously did aid effectively in getting Booth through those harsh months with his sanity intact.

One of my favorite scenes was Booth's and Brennan's scene with Kalani, the victim's and Kenny Johnson's daughter who was raised in foster care and now in the dilemma of being alone and unemployed as she's expecting her own child.
I felt back to 'Doctor in the Photo' Brennan when she said "I'm alone again". I thought that actress' emotional performance was brilliant and there was a good paralleling of the victim getting clean and genuinely wanting to do right by her daughter and grandchild to Max Keanen (Brennan's ex-con father). The fact that Brennan didn't press the subject suggests that she might have seen it.  

Brennan telling Booth that he'd done a beautiful thing when he gets Johnson to face responsibility and be his long lost daughter's support system was a lovely moment. I was really glad that Kalani had that alternative option, it would have been sad if she'd had to deal with her pregnancy and the prospect of raising the child alone at her age and in her situation. I'd hate to think of the choice she might have made.

5/5 stars. A wonderful episode. I can't wait for next week. I just hope my broadcast won't be fucked up again. I'd had to download this episode because the first 20 minutes was continuous PSA commercials. It was maddening.

Wow! What an episode! I loved the opening scene where Booth and Bones where discussing the sex scenes in her book. I think they should have gone further in the bedroom on this passage in the book. The part other I liked was when Aubry pulled Jessica out of the way of the car, and the finally kissed. Also Brennan and Booth at the final hearing was cute.