Why I Love BONES

By guest blogger Trish Milburn!

I admit it – I’m a fan of TV. But not just any TV programming. I like good programming that not only entertains me but also offers a little fodder for my writer’s brain. In particular, good characters and dialogue draw me in. One of my favorite shows is BONES. The show is wonderful at conveying sexual tension between the main two characters, Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz).

On the surface, you couldn’t find two characters more dissimilar. Dr. Brennan, who is based on real-life forensic anthropologist and author, is a no-nonsense expert when it comes to bones, sees everything through an anthropological lens and is totally clueless about pop culture. She’s single, unless you count being married to her job. Booth is also dedicated to his job, but he knows how to have fun too. He isn’t married but has a young son. Initially, these two butt heads as they work together on cases where human skeletal remains are found. But gradually, they find they do have the occasional thing in common or at least can see the other person’s point of view. It’s been so fun watching them go from reluctant partners to friends to sexually aware of each other but not admitting it to anyone, not even themselves. Being the romantic that I am, I’m anxious for the day when they finally kiss and get together. But I don’t want that to happen too soon because then the sexual tension that largely drives BONES will be gone, and the show will likely not last much beyond that. I want to enjoy the ride a while longer.

Another reason I love this show is that I get to see David Boreanaz’s funny side. I loved him as the vampire with a soul in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, but his humor only came out occasionally. On BONES, you see it every week. And it’s even funnier compared with Bones because she often doesn’t get the jokes. And she drives him to distraction sometimes, which only heightens the sexual tension between them and makes you wish he would just grab her and kiss her silly.

The secondary romance on BONES, between forensic artist Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin) and insert and mineral expert Dr. Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne), gives fans the satisfaction of seeing a couple get together — not that they don’t have their own bumps in the road along the way. Again, you wouldn’t have expected these two to get together, but they did and they’re adorable! Angela is beautiful and earthy, and Jack is sexy in that nerdy, smart guy way.

Totally outside of the romances or potential romances on the show, the cases they solve each week are interesting in and of themselves. They’re good thinking material for anyone who writes romantic suspense or mysteries.

BONES airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central on FOX. To learn more about the show and its characters, visit http://www.fox.com/bones/

~~~
I hope I’ve conveyed the same type of sexual tension in my manuscript, OUT OF SIGHT, which is a finalist in the American Title contest sponsored by Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine and Dorchester Publishing. Online voting for the first round of the competition ends tomorrow, Oct. 28, after which the two contestants with the least amount of votes will be eliminated. To view and vote on the best first line, visit http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

Thanks to Lee for letting me show my love for one of my favorite TV shows today. I hope I’ve convinced a few non-viewers to give the show a try.