Bones – The Final Chapter: The Hope in the Horror

By: Paige Zinaman

The final chapter of “Bones” kicked off with the first episode of Season 12 titled The Hope in the Horror. In the episode we see Booth (David Boreanaz) and team in a desperate search for Brennan (Emily Deschanel) after she is abducted by Zack (Eric Millegan). In the first few minutes we see Brennan waking up very groggy when she realizes that the man who had taken her was in fact Zack. She tells him that she needs to leave as she needs to find Booth, but Zack tells her to not attempt to stand because the sedative he gave her is still in her system. Brennan starts telling him that he needs to let her go because if he doesn’t Booth will find him. Before she can continue he tells her to stop that he doesn’t want to talk about him. When Brennan asks what has happened to him and what has happened to his head, Zack says that he forgot she hasn’t gone to see him. Brennan then tells him she wants to help and that they can figure it out together only to have Zack say that the shoe is on the other foot.

Meanwhile, back at the lab, Angela (Michaela Conlin) is looking through surveillance of the Jeffersonian when Cam (Tamara Taylor) comes in telling her that Booth is on his way back from the asylum where Zack escaped. Angela tells Cam that since they were on the phone with Brennan when she was taken they know the exact time it happened, but Zack was smart enough to turn off some of the cameras remotely that gave him access inside without being seen. Cam then asks Angela about cameras outside when Angela tells her that no exterior cameras were shut off. This leads Cam to state that both Zack and Brennan could still be somewhere inside the Jeffersonian. As this is happening, we see Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) inside his lab pulling things off his shelves when Wendell (Michael Grant Terry) comes running in with Brennan’s bag asking what they are looking for. Hodgins says they will know when he sees it. He finds Brennan’s hand lotion and puts some on a slide. He reprograms an explosive trace detector to screen the glycerin from the lotion in that way they can tracl Brennan down like a digital search dog. When the trace detector starts chirping Hodgins tells Wendell to call Booth because even though the signal is faint they have a trace on her.

We see Booth running down the hall to where Wendell and Hodgins are waiting at an elevator that the detector leads them. When asked where it leads to Wendell tells Booth that it leads to the fifth floor to the basement. Hodgins suggests that they start from the top and work their way down. Booth slams his hand across the elevator button and tells him that Zack is in the basement. When asked how he knew he explains, “It’s Zack, trust me it’s the only place he would take her.” When he gets to the basement his gun is drawn and he comes to a vault area that the chains have been cut and he hears Brennan’s voice telling Zack he doesn’t have to this. Booth starts to run to the area the voices are coming from and when he gets there he sees Zack holding a syringe. He gives Zack to the count of three to put it down and when Zack says he needs a moment to talk Booth aims his gun and says three. Brennan steps in front of Zack saying that the syringe Zack had he wasn’t going to use on her as he was going to inject himself with truth serum because he wanted Brennan to believe him when he said he didn’t kill anyone.

Cam watches as Zack is being led away when Wendell starts talking to her and says that he knows he doesn’t know Zack like the rest of the team, but he seems harmless. Cam replies, “That’s what we all thought the first time.” Meanwhile, back inside Booth is following Brennan into her office telling her to get her stuff because he wants to take her to the doctor. Brennan says she’s fine and that nothing is wrong with her, causing Booth to get upset. Brennan says she needs to go home and see the kids, but when Booth tells her that they are fine and safe she pleads to him that she needs to see them. Booth tells her to calm down and that Zack caused her nightmares and that innocent people don’t escape to prove their innocence. Brennan tries to tell Booth the opposite and he shuts her down saying that he kidnapped her and wanted to kill her. Brennan asks why he didn’t as she knows there was time. She says she needs to see Zack and when she tries to rush past Booth he stops her in a hug holding her and just holds her.

Back in the lab Wendell is trying to tell Hodgins to slow down. He can tell he’s upset to which Hodgins starts saying if he was in the basement the syringe wouldn’t be in evidence as it would be down Zack’s throat. Hodgins begins to cry out in pain as another spasm hits him and Wendell is there to help him through it. Hodgins tells Wendell is nothing compared to how he’s feeling in his chest to which Wendell grabs his pain meds from his bag and tells Hodgins to take one. Wendell asks Hodgins if he thought Zack was really going to kill Brennan to which Hodgins says he had no doubt what so ever. Wendell asks if there is any chance Zack was telling the truth only to have someone yet again shoot down the theory that Zack may be innocent after all.

Back at the FBI, Booth and Brennan walk in only to have Aubrey (John Boyd) swoop in and hug Brennan causing her to say, “So much hugging. Perhaps I should be kidnapped more often.” To which both Booth and Aubrey say no. When the reach the conference room Aubrey introduces them to a Dr. Mihir Roshan (Ravi Kapoor) who is the head of the facility that Zack was at. He says he had no idea how Zack managed to get out, but brought all of Zack’s stuff thinking they would want to go through it. Aubrey tells Dr. Roshan that Zack was leaving the facility. When Aubrey asks about the scar on Zack’s head he informs the group that Zack was receiving visits from Sweets (John Francis Daly) almost every week and when Zack found out Sweets was murdered he lost it and self-injured himself. He says that Zack has been withdrawn ever since.

Aubrey says Booth should let him have the first crack at Zack, but Brennan interrupts saying that she is the one Zack wanted to see and that she should be the one to talk to him first. Zack is asked how he knew about the murders when nothing was released to the press he reveals that he has been reading Brennan’s emails and explains that he has been allowing himself free time outside the sanitarium for the past few years and going into the local library to use the computers to basically spy on everyone at the Jeffersonian. Well, everyone except Booth. When Aubrey asks how Zack felt about Booth marrying Brennan and having kids Zack remains quiet.

Back at the Jeffersonian, Angela is working on the computer from the library. Cam walks in and Angela shows her the account and sub folders that had all of Cam’s emails inside. Angela tells Cam that he didn’t open any of the emails that had photo attachments that were sent between Hodgins and herself. When Cam asks what the untitled folder was she opens it to reveal emails from an Dr. Alexander Bancroft. Cam asks why that name sounds familiar Angela looks worried and says it has to be a mistake. Meanwhile, Brennan, Wendell and Hodgins go through Zack’s belongings. Angela walks in asking to talk to Hodgins and tells she found on the computer that Zack was using a dummy account under the Dr. Bancroft to which they find out Zack was the one who set up protocol so Hodgins can walk again.

At the FBI, Booth and Aubrey are talking when Booth says they need someone to help look over it and to call the behavioral analysis unit. Karen Delfs (Sara Rue) shows up saying she may be able to help. Back at the Jeffersonian, Brennan finds something in a tooth that makes her believe it belonged to a fourth victim. Meanwhile, in Booth’s office Karen ends up telling him that Zack doesn’t fit a personality disorder, but that Dr. Brandon Faulk (Tim Guinee) does so Aubrey calls units to watch Faulk. Just then, Cam calls and tells Booth that Brennan is gone.

We soon find out Brennan and Wendell go to what looks to be a basement full of puppets. Booth calls Brennan and tells her to get out, but she says the tooth didn’t belong to one of the victims. As she is talking, Wendell finds a door that has a body inside to the fourth victim. When the body is back at the lab they discover that the victim was a teen. Meanwhile, Hodgins goes to see Zack at the FBI and Hodgins starts asking questions about the emails about Dr. Bancroft. Hodgins tells him he has feelings in his legs again to which Zack tells him there is a 1% chance he will walk again as he was giving Hodgins hope.

Booth and Brennan go to Dr. Faulk’s house and question him how he knew Zack and asks the cops to escort them out. Faulk makes it seem Booth is behind it as he tells Brennan the description of the man or woman they are looking for. Meanwhile, Karen wants to give Zack access to the case files to give them the chance to see if he has dissociative personality disorder and make another personality come out. Booth asks Aubrey to call and find out why Karen left. Cam comes and tells the group she found no match on who the victim is and when Brennan shows up at the FBI Karen agrees that Brennan needs to talk to Zack. Karen starts to ask Zack questions about blackouts and he hesitates before agreeing he has been experiencing them. Aubrey tells Booth that Karen’s supervisor couldn’t legally say why she left.

Zack wants to go back to the institution under maximum security because he is guilty, but Booth’s gut filling says that Zack isn’t the killer. Karen escorts Brennan back to the Jeffersonian and Karen tells Brennan her married boss kept hitting on her so she hit him. They find out that the killer was actually a conjoined twin leading them to Dr. Roshan and causing Booth to go back to Zack. Zack is back at the institution and figures out it’s Roshan only to have the doctor stab him in the leg. Zack grabs the syringe when Booth shows up and shoots Roshan. Hodgins and Angela tell Cam that he lost all feelings in legs for good this time. Brennan and Booth go visit Zack and Brennan tells Zack that he can be transferred. She knows that he didn’t kill the lobbyist and Booth says he believes him so they will help him.