Fox’s hit series, Bones, continued with its seventh season on November 3 in its signature fashion. The first scene opened with a group of armor-clad men rushing through the forest in an intense game of paintball. A lone player diverges from his squad in an attempt to flank his opponents. He
charges up the hill only to be knocked back by the enemy’s onslaught of blue, orange, and yellow paint as he falls back onto the episode’s murder case: a greasy, decomposing body.

This episode, The Memories in the Shallow Grave, introduces the biggest part of the dramatic aspect of the show, a new baby. The second scene shows that after six previous seasons of romantic tension, main characters Dr. Temperence Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) have become a couple and moved in together. The episode focuses mostly on the impact of Brennan’s pregnancy, as hormones are a huge factor of the change in their work environment. Although this is annoying for viewer such as I, who watch the show for its crime fighting over its relationship drama, it is expected and bearable because Bones retains its CSI theme.

“The personal stuff will be how does a couple have a child, work together and deal with each other, while maintaining the fact that we’re a murder show,” Bones Creator Hart Hanson said, “We’re still going to solve a murder each week, for that segment of the audience, and we’re going to see how [Booth and Brennan are] going to [balance their relationship].”

The series is to run for six episodes before taking a winter break. The show will resume in the spring with the remaining seven episodes. This odd schedule was created to allow Deschanel to have her child in real life pregnancy, which was also the reason for writing in Brennan’s pregnancy. Also, Bones has plans to run four extra episodes that could be played over the summer or potentially carried over to season eight.

“Because the show is centrally episodic, and we know what’s happening with Booth and Brennan, we can do a four-episode mini season after the 13-episode regular season,” said executive producer Stephen Nathan.

Overall, the premiere of Bones turned out to be what I had expected. Even though the drama was a little too much for my taste, the pregnancy plays a huge role, but does not compromise the CSI aspect of the show. The characters deal with the pregnancy rather than being controlled by it. The murder was solved in the characters’ usual entertaining M.O.

Still, more is to come in the following episodes such as characters Jack Hodgin’s (TJ Thyne) and Angela Montenegro’s (Michaela Conlin) baby and the introduction of a new long term villain like the cannibalistic Gormogon or kidnap-and-ransom expert, The Gravedigger.

Another thing to look out for in the future episodes is the possible matrimony of Booth and Brennan. “You’re going to ask me to marry you,” said Booth to Brennan in the second scene. Booth was unsure of the circumstances or time but stands by his prediction. This possibility of foreshadowing could lead to one of many plot twists that could occur in this so far outstanding season.

4/5 Stars