Last time on Bones we saw Brennan haunted by nightmares of the murderous Pelant, and obsessed with trying to tie sets of unsolved cases to the “Ghost Killer.” Brennan fears that the female serial killer that Pelant told her about is still committing crimes, and getting away with murder. Booth, meanwhile, tried to comfort his wife even though he doubted there may be a “Ghost Killer.”
This episode of Bones, “Big in the Philippines,” finds the team trying to solve the murder of a country singer. Will this case get Brennan’s mind off of Pelant?
Coyote Ugly
The show opens with Booth and Brennan at an urban garden to examine some remains. This body is somewhat unusual as most of the soft tissue is found because an animal, probably a coyote, vomited on the body. How appetizing!
Back at the Jeffersonian, Angela spies Wendell with a broken arm from a hockey game. Brennan questions whether he should be at work. Later, Booth shows Brennan a video of the hockey game where Wendell broke his arm. Brennan seems disturbed by the footage and states that Wendell has a compound fracture.
A Music Man
Angela has no luck finding out the identity of the victim. Hodgins finds a bloody napkin on the body, and Angela uses her particular magic to identify the logo. Booth heads over to Lebemi’s Bar, and the bartender states that the victim could be Colin Haynes, a country singer who often played at the bar. Haynes supported himself doing construction or odd jobs, but music was his passion.
At the lab, Brennan and Wendell discover that Haynes suffered from osteomyelitis, and would have been in a great deal of pain. Brennan takes this opportunity to ask Wendell if he has ever broken bones before, or if the doctor said anything when his arm was being set. I wonder if Wendell is suffering from something more serious? I hope not!
Sweets and Booth head to the victim’s apartment. The female super, Kara, says that Haynes was quiet and paid his rent on time. From the condition, and age, of the belongings in his apartment, Sweets comments on what a tough time Haynes must have been having. Booth shocks Sweets with his country music knowledge. It’s Booth’s turn to be shocked when he finds a torn up check for a thousand dollars from Boar Hog Records.
An Unexpected Diagnosis
Brennan pulls Wendell’s x-ray without his permission. Cam is not pleased, but Bones explains how she feels responsible for Wendell, and concerned that he get the best care possible. The hit that Wendell sustained in the hockey game should not have caused a fracture. Brennan points out some spots on the bones. It is not good news. Wendell has a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma.
Sweets and Booth meet with the owner of Boar Hog Records. She liked Haynes, and thought he was talented. It turns out that many of the artists on the struggling independent label were not happy campers. Harriet also flirts with Booth when he gets ready to leave. Poor Booth!
Musical Clues
Angela and Sweets decide to analyze the lyrics and melodies in Haynes’ songs to find out more about him. His first release is pretty good, and very upbeat. His next disc is more melancholy. Sweets points out that he was focused on the past, not his future. Sweets also shows Angela a paper that he found in Haynes’ typewriter that appears to be a new love song.
Wendell identifies the cause of death as traumatic injury to the victim’s rib cage. Brennan discovers that the ribs are torn as if someone pulled them apart to reach the victim’s heart.
Brennan goes to meet her husband and tell him about Wendell’s diagnosis. Booth is shaken when Bones tells him that there is a high mortality rate, and that Wendell needs aggressive treatment. Brennan doesn’t know how to tell him, and Booth tells his wife to tell him the truth.
Famous in the Philippines
Back at the victim’s apartment, Booth and Sweets find the cassette tapes that Haynes used to record himself playing. Suddenly a man bolts from the apartment. After Booth pursues him, he attempts to escape on a bicycle. Booth shoots the tire, and the man then begs Booth to kill him.
The man was trying to steal something for the Colin Haynes Museum in the Philippines. Apparently, Haynes was a star there, but no one knew where he was, and most assumed that he was dead until a video appeared online a week ago. In it, a fan tells a surprised Haynes that his music is played on the radio in the Philippines. The female fan also tagged the video with the location of where the meeting took place.
Angela and Sweets determine that the check from Boar Hog Records was a pittance of what Haynes should have been paid. Now that sounds like a motive.
Breaking Bad News
Wendell meets Booth and Brennan at the diner. She tearfully tries to give her intern his diagnosis. Wendell is blind-sided, and Booth gives him the contact information for a top oncologist. This is so sad.
Hodgins determines that the victim’s heart was ripped out by the coyotes. The victim’s body also has traces of lemon juice, eggs, and alcohol. Hodgins is on the hunt for a tasty cocktail with the same ingredients. It turns out that Haynes was stabbed in the heart with a knife, and the killer knocked him unconscious with a shovel to retrieve the broken blade from the victim’s chest.
Booth interrogates Harriet with proof that Haynes wasn’t being paid properly. Although Haynes wrote the songs, they were registered under Harriet’s name. She also has a history of having another artist’s fingers broken. What a sweetheart!
Brennan and Wendell continue working the case. Wendell stops to look at Brennan and states that they were becoming a good team, and she tells him, “We are. We are a good team, Mr. Bray.”
Seeing the World
Wendell comes by to see Booth after his appointment. The doctor recommends chemo, a possible amputation of his arm, radiation, and more chemo. Even with all the treatment, there is still a high mortality rate. Wendell wonders if he should even bother after watching his father be sick from chemotherapy. Booth becomes very upset and tells him that he must fight because his friends need him.
First Date Drama
Kara, the super, had dinner with Haynes the night he died, and threw a cocktail on him. She tells Booth that the date was going well until Haynes started bragging about his fame, and she became angry, especially when he told her that he is playing a gig in the Philippines without being able to show her the plane tickets.
Angela finds out that the tickets were delivered to the super’s apartment, and that the bartender from Lebemi’s Bar signed for the envelope. When he is confronted, the bartender admits that he thought Kara was his girlfriend. Brennan also finds blood on the grooves of his watch that match marks on the victim’s bone.
Sweets meets Kara at the diner and tells her that Haynes was telling her the truth. He also reveals that he was writing a song for her. Sweets gives her a recording of the love song.
Saying Goodbye
Wendell comes to the lab to say goodbye to Brennan before he sets out to see the world with the time he has left. Later that night, Wendell comes to see Brennan and Booth at home and tells them that he changed his mind and wants to fight. Brennan grabs him and embraces him.
When Wendell leaves, the duo dances to the song Haynes recorded.
This episode of Bones made me sad. I like Wendell, and I am not surprised that he decided to fight for his life after all.
Bones airs Fridays at 8 pm on FOX
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Kim has been covering television entertainment since 2013. She is addicted to Real Housewives, Pump Rules, Dancing with the Stars, and many more shows.
