Wow.
As you know, last year's Bones finale was a disappointment in a great many ways. They promised change, but instead it all turned out to be a dream inside Booth's head, which was frustrating for a lot of fans. The dream was creative, no doubt about that, but it really didn't add much to the storyline as a whole other than having Booth realize that he loved Brennan. Which everyone already knew anyway.
This year, the finale was much more of a big change and one that served a purpose since a few things really have shifted this season. Booth and Brennan finally crossed the line only to be beaten back by Brennan's insecurities. Angela and Hodgins are married. Cam's moving on with her daughter and with a new boyfriend. The stories did all seem to be moving toward some things shifting around, and so while the case itself wasn't terribly interesting, it was a metaphor for what was happening to our beloved characters: they had to let go of their hoarding!
The ceiling crashes into a little boy's room with huge piles of junk and body parts coming down. The team is called in to deal with an agoraphobic "hoarder," a man who collected a variety of things obsessively and refused to leave his house. There were animals living up there and fans on to try and contain the smell, but it didn't help. The landlord tried to evict him and his former co-workers tried to get him out of the house, but nothing really worked.
Honestly the case isn't that important. It turned out his girlfriend/co-worker accidentally killed him. She forced the window open and he panicked and she pushed him into a fan. It cut him up and then dropped a pile of junk on top of his head, and he starved to death, basically. Messed up. There are some red herrings from the landlord and a fellow hoarder who stole an item from him, but what he really does is represent a major plot point. Booth and Brennan hoard one another, they are incapable of movement and change because of their ties, and in some ways must be "set free" of this obsession.
Article comments
1 - Phoenix
That was a very insightful connection about the hoarding case being a metaphor -- I hadn't thought of that; I was so consumed with the character development I wasn't really paying attention to the case. From reading comments on other sites, I seem to be one of the only people that liked the episode and feel positively about the changes it can bring about!
One quibble that I had, however, is that I think you're being unfair to Sweets. I empathized with his decision to leave Daisy because she was being *incredibly* selfish. "This means more to me than anything!" she gushes almost orgasmically, throwing his proposal in the trash! And then she offers one of the FBI's most brilliant psychologists (who apparently has multiple degrees) that *he* could follow *her* and be a...*pearl diver*?! She acted completely callow and selfish this episode, and I was relieved when Sweets decided to stay behind. He deserves someone who wants to be with him more than they want him to be a sideline to their job.
2 - Elizabeth Thompson
I did like the show,but would have thought that Booth and Brennen would have at least a small kiss before they departed. Even when they walked off from each other and looked back, then I thought they would run to each other and kiss, it would have made a lasting encounter for all of us Bones fanactic fans. That could have helped us for the return in the fall. But that didn't happen, it was disappointing, I thought.
3 - Chelsea Doyle
Oh no Phoenix, I did like this episode. I think it is a daring choice to skip forward a year and I'm looking forward to seeing what they do. I'm on board this finale and the changes with it. I think your point about Sweets is fair. The truth is that at one point he thought he was going to live the rest of his life with this woman, so what was one year? On the other hand I think he realized through this that they weren't right for one another. I knew that already because honestly they didn't seem as well suited as Hodgins and Angela, for example, who do represent a healthy and happy relationship. Sweets is still a young man, he doesn't need to rush into anything.
@Elizabeth Thompson - I honestly would've liked that too. It looked like he was about to kiss her. I mean they are both going to dangerous locations. He's going to a WAR ZONE and she's going to a place with lots of poisonous snakes and stuff! Who knows what could happen. In that sense they really deserved a farewell that could potentially be a farewell forever. Instead they had that hand thing. It was sweet, but I too think they should have at least shared a kiss. Even a chaste one.
4 - sarajean11
How are they going to do a 6th season when everyone will be gone for an entire year? The last thing I want to do is watch a whole new group of people.
Maybe everyone will come back early? Maybe they will do a few episodes of everyone in their separate places?
All I know is there better be another season, cause I don't think I can handle the series ending like that.
5 - Nancy
Sweets also seems to have forgotten something. Doesn't it take about a year to plan a wedding? I see no problem with waiting until the work is over. He achieved his dreams early. WAY early. For him to be miffed because Daisy wants to follow hers is a bit arrogant on his part. Still, the seperation might be helpful to get them both to grow up a bit. Angela and Hodgins have broken up many times before they got married. Sweets and Daisy may have some more living to do.
6 - Nancy
Phoenix, btw, what's wrong with going to dive for pearls? Sweets might have enjoyed the adventure if he had teamed up with Daisy and Brennan.
7 - christine
I like to hear about the hoarding parallel. I think we have gotten so caught up in waiting for the get together we are not paying close enough attention to the story lines. To the writers kudos on that, sorry we were not paying better attention! But i don't know, for him to be ready to jump into her arms on the first episode of this season, then finally admitting with those darn tears in his cute eyes how he feels, to just a hand shake and a for lorn look... just felt a little ripped off. I really hope that it is worth it. I hope big change does come but the one thing I have learned from this is to stop listening to spoilers and little drops of information from hart and crew. That is what ruined it for me - they built it up too much , even David gave an interview this week and implied there would be a kiss and then nothing.... from now on I hope they keep their mouths shut a little more!