I started watching Bones in the fall of 2005 when it started to air.  Since then, I have continued to watch the show, though I have missed some episodes because of the changing time slot.  I have Bones - Season 1 and Bones - Season 2, so I decided to add Bones - Season 3 to my DVD collection.  

Bones follows Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, as she works with FBI agent Seely Booth to help him solve crimes.  Temperance is also a successful author and she works at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington, D.C. along with other scientists who also help with the investigations.  Jack Hodgins is an entomologist who also knows all sorts of things about minerals, spores, and mold.  Angela Montenegro is a forensic artist who is also very talented with computers.  Dr. Zack Addy is another forensic anthropologist who worked as Temperance's assistant while he was a grad student.  Dr. Camille Saroyan is a coroner who is in charge of the forensic department at the Jeffersonian.  Once she joined the staff, they ended up working on a wider variety of cases with the FBI.  

Bones is partially based on the real life of forensic anthropologist and author Kathy Reichs.  She works for a scientific laboratory in Quebec, teaches at the University of North Carolina and also works for the chief medical examiner of North Carolina.  Reichs has done work helping to identify remains around the world.  She was part of a team working at the World Trade Center.  The fiction books that Reichs writes feature Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who works in Montreal and North Carolina.  I have not read any of the books, though I have been wanting to check them up.  From the research I have done, the only thing pulled from the books is the name Temperance.  The television show is set in Washington, D.C. and features a different group of returning characters.  I believe that Temperance has more issues in the television show, but I might be wrong about that.  Reichs did make a short appearance in an episode of the show during the second season.  In the show, Temperance writes books that feature a character named Kathy Reichs.

When the third season of Bones begins, things are a bit different in the lab because Zack had decided to join the Army and he was in Iraq.  Temperance is struggling to find a new assistant, so she is thrilled when Zack comes back.  He says that he couldn't assimilate and wasn't able to work in the team environment.  That is all that is said about his time in Iraq.  Dr. Lance Sweets is a new character who turns up in several episodes.  Booth and Bones are sent to him for some kind of therapy which will impact if the FBI will let them continue to work togther.  As the season progresses, Dr. Sweets is brought in to do some profiles and help with certain investigations.

The third season of Bones was impacted by the writer's strike, resulting in only fifteen episodes instead of more than twenty episodes like the first two seasons.  The season had one season long story arc tied to the search for Gormogon, a serial killer who is a cannibal.  They also discover that Gormogon has an apprentice that is assisting him.  Because of the writer's strike, Gormogon is only dealt with in a few episodes and the conclusion seems a bit rushed.  The story arc is resolved by the last episode, but the story isn't as strong overall.  I've read that Hart Hanson, the creator of the series and one of the producers, has said that originally the Gormogon story arc was going to include more episodes, but that it had to be cut down because of the writer's strike.  I think certain things about the story would have worked better if it had included the additional episodes that were planned originally.  The conclusion of the story was very shocking for fans.  I wasn't happy with certain developments, but when I think back over the first two seasons and few little things that were shared, it does make sense.  The arc was definitely rushed since some episodes were eliminated.  Temperence does something in the next to the last episode that isn't even mentioned in the last episode, so there wasn't a full sense of closure with that storyline.

Temperance and the team continue to work with bones during the third season.  Most of the remains aren't as old, and some of them are still rather fleshy when they were discovered.  Several of the bodies were in a condition that was really gross and nasty.  Cam is involved doing autopsies in several episodes, and some of that is shown.  Temperance and Zack tend to just work with bones that don't have flesh, so those scenes generally aren't as gross.  They do uncover some disturbing things, like the fact that Gormogon eats his victims and actually gnawed on their bones.  I did fine some of the remains to be really nasty looking and I would look away at times.  Anyone that has issues with seeing these types of remains may want to skip this show.

Each episode has at least a little bit of mystery that is connected to which ever case they are currently investigating.  Most of the cases are completely resolved by the end of each episode.  Things connected to Gormogon take longer to resolve.  Gormogon is introduced in the first episode and then several episodes pass before that story is touched on again.  There is a decent amount of mystery for that story, though it could have been stronger overall.  Suspense turns up in some of the episodes as well, though the series really isn't that suspenseful overall.  Booth and Brennan end up working on some unique cases during this season, and that includes one tied to a sexual fetish that seems to really freak Booth out.  
    
Many of the characters in Bones are some type of scientist and they use their knowledge to help solve the cases.  Temperance, Zack, and Hodgins use a lot of big scientific words at times.  Most of the time when they do that, I have no clue what they are talking about.  Since Booth doesn't understand most of what they say, someone will usually give an explanation that he can understand, which also helps the audience to understand what is being said as well.  Sometimes even Cam is confused by what some of them say.  Some sort of experiment is done in every episode, and some of them are very interesting.  Hodgins and Zack tend to come up with some unique experiments to help them determine exactly what happened to certain victims.

The third season has the same type of quirky humor that has been used in the previous two seasons.   Temperance still has issues relating to people and her reactions to things is funny at times.  She still doesn't know some of the pop culture references that turn up, though she does know Wonder Woman and Catwoman.  That does seem slightly off for the character since she generally doesn't know about fictional characters.  The way that Booth reacts to some things continues to be funny.  Hodgins and Zack's experiments tend to have some unexpected funny results.  The show isn't a comedy overall, but it includes a decent amount of humor that helps to lighten the mood during some episodes.

The previous two seasons of Bones, especially the second, gave a lot of attention to Temperance's family and the various issues they have.  Temperance spent many years believe that her parents had died only to have discovered that her father was still very much alive and wanted by the FBI.  Things are strained between them during the third season, but they seem to be starting to rebuild a relationship.  Things are further complicated by the fact that Booth arrested her father, though Temperance claims that she isn't bothered by that.  Temperance's brother is also mixed up in something that causes more complications. 

The third season contains two holiday episodes.  The Halloween episode features a murder investigation tied to a haunted house type of attraction at an amusement park.  Someone has found a way to scare people - usually teenage girls - to death and then mummifies the body.  The newest victim has a huge fear of snakes - something I can so relate to.  Once scene shows a room that is full of snakes that I could have done without seeing.  The main characters all dress up for a Halloween party at the Jeffersonian.  Temperance dresses up as Wonder Woman and Cam dresses up like Catwoman.  The two even have a disagreement over who is the stronger character.  There is another comic book reference in the last episode of the season when Booth is shown reading a Green Lantern comic book while soaking in his bathtub.  The second holiday episode is set around Christmas and the victim is a man who plays Santa Claus.  Temperance still has some issues with the holiday, though she ends up doing better with it then she did in the first season episode. 

Really the only relationship shown during the third season is the one between Angela and Hodgins.  Their relationship is a bit more complicated thanks to what came out at the end of the second season.  They are still together and still planning to get married, but they have something else to deal with first.  Not much of their relationship is shared, so it isn't like it overtakes the entire season.  They are great together.  The woman that Sweets is dating turns up during one episode.  That is really it for personal romantic relationships, though there are still hints at deeper feelings between Booth and Brennan that haven't gone anywhere.

Temperance seems like she relating to people slightly better at times during the third season. She still has issues to deal with though.  She is genuinely puzzled by several things.  She tends to look at things in a logical, rational, unemotional way and she doesn't understand that other people see things differently because of their emotions.  Sometimes her seeming lack of emotion is irritating, but I like the character overall.  Emily Deschanel is fine in the part.

Seely is a good FBI agent and while he does appreciate the work that Temperance and her team do to help solve the investigations, he doesn't understand much of it.  He still calls them squints at times.  He can be protective of his friends.  His son is important to him, though Parker isn't around as much.  He frequently doesn't agree with the way that Temperance sees things.  David Boreanaz is good in the part. 

Angela is Temperance's best friend and a forensic artist.  Angela also does a lot of work with computers.  She is more of a free spirit and she tends to look at things differently.  I do like her.  Michaela Conlin is good in the part.  Jack Hodgins is a scientist that knows all kinds of things about bugs, mineral, dirt, spores, and things like that.  He is a member of a very wealthy family and he tends to talk about conspiracies frequently.  T.J. Thyne is good in the part.  Zack Addy is younger than the others and also more intelligent.  He has some of the same issues that Temperance does in relating to people.  Zack gets along fairly well with Hodgins though, and he enjoys their experiments.  Eric Millegan is good in the part.

Cam has been working at the Jeffersonian less time than the others.  She is in charge of the department and that has caused some issues in the past since she and Temperance didn't always agree on things.  I wasn't liking Cam too much at first, but that has changed.  She fits in with the group really well now.  She is intelligent, though sometimes the scientists, especially Zack, say things that she doesn't fully understand.  Tamara Taylor is good in the part.  Dr. Lance Sweets is a new character added during this season.  He is very young, and doesn't always come across as that professional.  He did annoy me a few times during the season.  His part gets bigger as the season progresses.  John Francis Daley is fine in the part.

Main Cast

David Boreanaz - Seely Booth
Michaela Conlin - Angela
John Francis Daley - Dr. Lance Sweets
Emily Deschanel - Temperance Brennan
Eric Millegan - Zack Addy
Tamara Taylor - Camilla Saroyan
T.J. Thyne - Jack Hodgins

DVD Information

Bones - Season 3 has fifteen episodes on four discs.  The fifth disc contains three season four bonus episodes.  The three episodes are the first three episodes from the fourth season.  The episodes are good, though I really don't like one development.  I also found the subject of the third episode to be extremely upsetting.  The few extras are on disc one.  There is a gag reel that is entertaining though not very long.  The other things are called Director's Take and are focused on how certain things from a few episodes were done.  The directors of the episodes talk about whatever is being focused on - in one of them, it was how the corpse was created and made to look so realistic.  Some of the cast also turn up to talk briefly.  There is an optional extended version of one episode, an extended scene from the Christmas episode, and a second version of another episode. 

Episode List

The Widow's Son in the Windshield
Soccer Mom in the Mini-Van
Death in the Saddle
The Secret in the Soil
Mummy in the Maze
Intern in the Incinerator
Boy in the Time Capsule
The Knight on the Grid
The Santa in the Slush
The Man in the Mud
Player Under Pressure
The Baby in the Bough
The Verdict in the Story
The Wannabe in the Weeds
The Pain in the Heart

Season Four Bonus Episodes
The Yanks in the U.K.
The Man in the Outhouse
The Finger in the Nest

Bones is a very entertaining show that is worth checking out.  Bones - Season 3 is a good DVD set for fans of the series. 

This review is part of elvisdo's 2009 Funny Pages Write-Off because of the few superhero and comic book references used throughout the season.

Bones - Season 1 ~ Bones - Season 2 ~

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD