The first two weeks of Bones' seventh season helped establish the new normal. Last night's installment, while more than adequate, was firmly ingrained within that norm, while continuing similar themes.

That's a good thing. We skipped some critical months with Booth and Brennan, and their relationship made strides. It just felt like we were playing catchup as we figured out where they stood as a couple.

This week, they seemed more comfortable and easy going ... relatively speaking, of course.

The investigation itself was not particularly captivating for the third straight week - it's been awhile since the killer wasn't plainly obvious and almost an afterthought - but it was all about the symbolism.

Brennan grappled with what is becoming her weekly obstacle on the road to motherhood. We hope you're sitting down for this, but - wait for it - Temperance is not the "playing" type as a youngster.

Listening to her state matter-of-factly that this allowed her to focus on science was vintage Brennan, as if there were no other option. Also classic? Her first attempt at playing with the dismembered doll.

She did come around to understanding the importance of playing with a child, realizing that just maybe, the upbringing of Temperance Brennan could be deviated from slightly with some degree of success.

With Emily Deschanel looking increasingly pregnant, the first three episodes of the fall have all followed this pattern. Some think the B/B dynamic was forever altered by the pregnancy, and to a point it was.

However, I do enjoy Brennan's default, standoffish resistance to things in life that most of us take for granted, and the way that Booth, with the patience of a saint, helps her see the light eventually.

I also get a kick out of the lighter moments between the two, such as the closing scene when Brennan, now embracing the idea of toys for their future daughter, ambushed Booth with the toy gun.

A Nerf-gun war broke out (she bought two), and no matter how you feel about them as a couple, how could you not crack a smile? Even if it's hard to believe they're a couple, I'm getting used to it.

The fact that they're intimate, buying a place together, having a baby ... sometimes it all feels like too much. At the same time, it feels like not enough, with several crucial months being skipped.

All in all I think Bones is doing as well as it can depicting their relationship given the timetable they've decided to use. Hopefully over time, we'll see more of the moments we've craved for so long.

Brennan wasn't the only one the case affected. For Angela, assembling baby gear brought out her OCD side. She and Brennan bonded over becoming mothers, though, making for a serious "aww" moment.

How cute is baby Michael, too? The occasional glimpse of Mini-Hodgins at the Jeffersonian is very sweet. With on-site day care, he can make an appearance here and there without taking over the show.

Presumably, the situation will be similar with Booth and Brennan's daughter (a.k.a. Michael's future girlfriend), although I imagine we'll likely see more of the little girl, being the central character's child.

What do you think they'll name her?

The B story of "The Prince in the Plastic" dealt with Sweets' quest to get his firearm commission. Where they thought this up, I have no idea, but Lance seemed dead-set on it and it is believable enough.

He does work for a federal agency and go into the field. It seemed very un-Sweets, but that was really the point, as watching him attempt to become licensed was scary, awkward and quite entertaining.

Fortunately, he didn't off himself, and can now act like those stitches were from a true battle scar. With that out of the way, he can pack heat on investigations with Booth with the requisite confidence.

This major Sweets plot line also meant the return of Daisy (Carla Gallo), which is either exciting if you're a fan of that couple, or irritating if Daisy gets under your skin ... or some combination of both.

I find her incredibly cute, honestly, but last night was almost too much. Some things are better in small doses, although since a lot of us thought she'd be killed off last year, it's good to have her back.

All in all, another good installment. Hopefully we'll get a more intriguing mystery one of these weeks, although the writers have certainly come up with some good body-find scenarios. So, so gross.

Before we turn it over to your comments, here's the promo for the show's December 1 return (next Thursday being Thanksgiving, we have to wait an extra week for the show's return):

What did you think of this week's Bones? Share with us below!

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.