It’s a new year, and we finally have a new episode of Bones! Last time, we saw Brennan bond with a physicist after the death of his daughter. Cam also confronted her former friend from college, Haley, who stole her identity. With Arastoo’s encouragement, Cam decided to let go of her anger and move toward forgiveness.
This episode of Bones, titled “The Ghost in the Killer,” finds Brennan plagued by nightmares about the evil and murderous Pelant, while she becomes drawn into the case of another serial killer.
A Not So Special Delivery
In her dream, Bones is frantically trying to gather bones that Pelant is scattering while he tells her that she won’t find the “Ghost Killer” without him. She screams as she is buried by falling bones. Booth tries to comfort his wife by reminding her that Pelant is dead.
The next morning, Brennan and Booth discuss why Cam doesn’t believe that there is a link to another serial killer. Booth gently raises the possibility that maybe Pelant was just playing mind games with Brennan. Booth heads out to perform that hallowed morning ritual, getting the newspaper, while Brennan asks if he believes her.
Booth discovers a package on the door step, which contains a body. Ah, good morning! Brennan remarks on how carefully the remains were boxed up, and also finds a note asking her to find out what really happened.
Brennan Versus Clark
At the Jeffersonian, Angela asks Brennan why she is so calm about receiving a body delivered to her home. Brennan reasons that since she is the best anthropologist in the country, it is rational that someone would want her to work on the case. When Clark arrives, Brennan demands to know why he is there. Cam says that she called him in since the remains may have been archeological in nature. Clark is the only person available, and he volunteers to help. An irritated Brennan orders him to clean the bones.
Booth and Sweets discuss the nightmare delivery. Booth is angry that the remains were sent to his house, and angry that Pelant is still haunting Brennan. Sweets thinks that the remains were packaged carefully because the person cared about the victim. They decide to try and focus Brennan on the case so she will let go of Pelant.
A Historic Sail
The victim is identified as 18 year old Lana Brewster, who died in 1995. Brewster was a sailing champion whose body washed up on the rocks. The solo round-the-world race, called the Paxton Cup, started in Newport, Rhode Island. Her story is even more inspirational because she broke her arm, and set it herself, during the sail. Brennan and Cam are suspicious because she died during a sail in calm conditions.
Cam finds some fibers on Brewster’s wrist, and brings them to Hodgins. He suspects that they are from treated leather, and thinks they may be from a bracelet. Hodgins also finds some particles that were present on the body and the box that suggest that they were somewhere else before being dropped off at Brennan’s house.
Sibling Rivalry
Sweets sits down with Brewster’s brother, Dan, who is her only living relative. He torpedoes Sweets’ theory that he may have dug up his sister when he states that he didn’t really like his sister. After reading a copy of the note found with the body, Brewster’s brother recalls hearing his parents discuss a boyfriend of Lana’s, and they were clearly not fans. He doesn’t know the name of the mystery man.
All About the Money
Cam pulls the original autopsy report which states that the victim drowned, but makes no mention of her broken bones or the leather fibers on her wrist. It is certainly starting to look like a murder, and because of the incompetence of the coroner, maybe one that is being covered up.
Angela tells Sweets that the medical examiner who performed Brewster’s autopsy, Leslie Dollinger, received a large monetary transfer of 1.9 million dollars into a brokerage account set up in her name right after the death was ruled accidental. Dollinger is deceased, so it looks like she won’t be providing any information.
Booth comes to find Bones when she doesn’t come out to the car. Brennan is working on the serial killer case, and forgot that Booth was waiting for her. Her husband is worried about the toll that the case is taking on her. Brennan looks sad when she asks if he believes her. He tells her to follow the evidence the way that she does, with hard evidence, and to not let Pelant be in charge.
Meanwhile, Cam finds Clark in the Jeffersonian shower, and confronts him about why he slept there the night before. Awkward! Clark offers to give Cam an explanation about why he has been so disheveled lately, but she declines to hear it, and warns him no to do it again.
Old Money
Sweets, Angela and Hodgins discuss the case over breakfast. They wonder if Brewster’s sailing rival, Erika Stamp, could be the murderer? It turns out that Erika was the actual winner of the Paxton Cup, but it was given to Brewster, who came in second, when it was revealed that Stamp cheated. Hodgins knows all about this, since he was a rich kid. He used to sail, have a girlfriend named Muffy, but apparently Muffy was nothing next to Binky, who was hotter. I love it!
Stamp sunk her boat for the insurance money and served time in jail. Brewster and Stamp’s boats both sunk because of the transducers.
Sweets sits down with Erika, who is still furious. She states that she borrowed some tape to repair her sail, and that Brewster could have let it slide. She blames Brewster for ruining her life, and angrily leaves the interview room.
Hodgins notices on pictures of Brewster’s sunken boat that the motor is missing. Since the dingy was also missing, Hodgins believes that the murderer put the motor on the dingy to reach shore right after sinking the boat.
Brennan’s Obsession
Booth talks to Cam about Brennan’s obsession about the “Ghost Killer” case. He begs Cam to let Brennan continue on the case until she realizes that it is a dead end. Cam is worried that she will have to report Brennan, and maybe lose her own job, if she tries to hide the expenses. Reluctantly, Cam agrees to see what she can do. Cam puts Clark in charge of the six possible “Ghost Killer” cases, and asks him not to tell Brennan. Clark can hardly hide his enthusiasm, but agrees.
Blast from Hodgin’s Past
Angela discovers that the pay out to the medical examiner came from the Kestech Transpo Corporation, which is owned by the McNamara Corporation. Hodgins is stunned because his family was close to the McNamara family. Trent McNamara was a bad guy, and Hodgins thinks that he may have dated Brewster. Sweets does some research and finds out that McNamara was indeed a bad kid who was expelled for cheating, fighting, and drug use.
McNamara’s father sent him to Switzerland two days after Brewster’s body was found. Trent is in town for his father’s funeral, so Booth thinks that Sweets should accompany Hodgins to meet with him.
They drive out to the McNamara mansion to meet with Trent and his sister, Stephanie. Hodgins is delighted by the toll time has taken on Trent. Hodgins asks Trent if he was dating Brewster, and he says that he was. He also said he was in court-ordered A.A and had to keep the relationship a secret. When Sweets tells the McNamara’s that the medical examiner was paid off by their father, Stephanie thanks them for coming by and says they will call their lawyer.
Link to the “Ghost Killer”?
When Brennan and Clark look at an injury to Brewster’s sternum, Brennan thinks that it is the same type of wound in the “Ghost Killer” case. Clark thinks that the wound is similar to a foil used in fencing, but doesn’t see the similarity to the “Ghost Killer” victim. Brennan confronts Cam because the cases were given to Clark. Cam tells Brennan that she is trying to help by having an objective person decide if there is a serial killer.
The Tale of the Gun Powder Residue
Meanwhile, Hodgins goes to see Trent, and tells him that he doesn’t think that he killed Lana. Later on, Angela goes to find Hodgins, who is secretly helping with the “Ghost Killer” case. He is shocked when Angela tells him that Trent shot himself.
Hodgins accompanies Cam to the scene. Stephanie arrives and Hodgins leads her into the other room. She is sick of the family drama, and is glad there are no more male heirs.
Hodgins finds gun powder residue on Trent’s hands, but no note is found at the scene.
Brennan and Clark find that Trent had a wrist injury that rendered him unable to bend his trigger finger. The gun that was used was extremely light, so there is some confusion as to whether or not Trent could have killed himself.
Dan Brewster, Lana’s brother, visited Trent one hour before he died. He said that Trent told him that Lana cared about him, and that she felt bad about the falling out with Erika.
Clark’s Secret
Clark tells Brennan that he and Nora are breaking up after eight years together. He is very sad about the break up, and he promises that he has enough time to devote to the “Ghost Killer” case. Brennan and Clark bond and she asks him to call her Temperance.
Unanswered Questions
Hodgins work his scientific laboratory magic and discovers that there are traces of the same pollen on Trent’s clothing as Brewster’s body. Brennan goes to talk with Cam and asks her to tell Clark that both Brewster and Trent both had their fingernails ripped off.
Brennan is upset that Trent’s suicide will be seen as an admission of guilt in the Brewster case. Booth tells her not worry that they will find the “Ghost Killer.”
I liked this episode of Bones, but it doesn’t seem like a conclusive ending to this week’s mystery. Perhaps Brewster really is one of the “Ghost Killer’s” victims? We’ll have to tune in next week for more clues.
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.
