Bones is a television show that
portrays a peculiar group of scientists, led by Dr. Temperance Brennan, who team
up with FBI Agent Seeley Booth to solve murders in the Washington D.C. area.
This episode puts a slight twist on the show’s premise, as the lab has lost
power and the two integral characters and investigators are trapped in a
stalled elevator. Their predicament leads to some illuminating conversation and
ingenuity while investigating.
One of the aspects of Bones that I find
particularly interesting and relevant is the value the show places on human
life and the extreme significance of discovering the truth. Both Booth and
Brennan agree that humans are inherently beautiful and have value, although how
they come to that conclusion is quite different. Brennan is an atheist; she
denies any idea that postulates the existence of any god. Booth was raised
Catholic, who believes in God and that He endowed humans with value. In their
world of investigating crime, a world where the stain of sin is easily seen,
the heinousness of murder is juxtaposed with what should’ve been. No image-bearer (although not referred
to as image-bearers on the show) deserves to have their life taken from them. Because
of the importance of life, finding out the truth of the matter is also integral
to the show. Truth is the good, the beauty, the glimpse of shalom in the midst
of a fallen, broken, dirty world. Like everything in our world, this bit of
culture contains both good and bad. But, if you look for it, Bones encourages
the viewer to desire good. As an audience, we want the “bad guys” to be
punished and the “good guys” to triumph. We hope for the truth to be brought
into light and for the suffering to cease.
But I am left wondering:
Would a crime drama such as Bones be accepted if it was more
realistic in the sense that the “bad guy” was not caught? Not all real life
crimes are solved, but is the success of a TV show dependent on the resolution
of this tension?
In television, can we make the distinction between “good
guys” and “bad guys”? Can we also separate the “good guys” from the “bad guys”
in real life?
I appreciate your choice in shows. I enjoy Bones myself. I agree that this is a particularly powerful episode. I honestly think that it would be a good development for the show to have a killer go free, and see how everyone responds. I think that the show did try to delve into the dividing line in the heart with the whole Zach Addy fiasco in season three. However I do agree that it is much to easy to label people good and bad in the show.
ReplyDeleteGreat questions, Heather! It's interesting that Bones uses the religious convictions of its characters as a backdrop for their investigative work. The Wire is a show that comes to mind in which the "bad guy" often goes free, and in fact, everyone is a mixture of good and bad. It's a refreshing change of pace for a television show, but I feel like it also teaches me more about real life than other TV shows do, demonstrating why certain social problems are so persistent. But it's not for the faint of heart! Thanks for sharing.
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