Bones Season 10 Episode 11 Review: The Psychic in the Soup
Ashley Bissette Sumerel
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Bones is back, you guys!
Bones Season 10 Episode 11 manages to be an episode that balances an interesting case, character development, and the memory of Sweets.
I really appreciate the fact that months after the death of the beloved character, Sweets is still being remembered. In "The Psychic in the Soup," it's his birthday, which makes everyone a little emotional.
Booth's gesture of bringing donuts anyway, and then giving them to Aubrey is touching without being overdone. It's a little detail that reminds us of the connection between Booth and Sweets, but that also allows us to see a budding relationship between Booth and Aubrey.
My gut reaction any time Bones brings ideas of things like psychics or spirits into the mix is pretty much, "Oh brother, here we go again."
I'm typically not a fan, but I also recognize that this is part of the overall story – the conflict between science vs. religion, evidence vs. faith, and so on. This is the fundamental difference between Booth and Brennan, and we've seen them have these conversations time and again.
It also offers a chance for more conversation between Hodgins and Angela, who also differ on such ideas. Angela even goes so far as to dig up some evidence and make points about how scientists used to believe eclipses were magic and washing their hands was non-sense.
Oh, how far we've come.
She continues her point in one of my favorite quotes from the episode:
The impossible becomes reality all the time. Ideas, and memories, and love. You can't hold those things in your hands, but it doesn't mean that they don't exist. So, why not spirits? And why not Sweets? You don't have to believe. I get it. But you don't have to dismiss the possibility, either. No decent scientist would do that.
Angela
So, I'm willing to go with it, especially in the way that Sweets is remembered. It works because it isn't too over-the-top. It's just subtle enough with Christine's imaginary friend and the fact that she wants them to read a special book (I can't help but wonder if we'll get to read that book at some point, by the way).
I'm even more so willing to get on board when Cyndi Lauper is on the screen. She's simply fantastic.
With all of that going on, there's still a case to solve. And talk about a gruesome way to find a body – not that I would expect anything less. The case itself brings religion into the story as well, as the victim's father turns out to be a pastor. Naturally, he doesn't approve of his daughter's occupation as a psychic, and once Booth and Aubrey realize she was also a lesbian, the father starts to look especially guilty.
But what he says when they accuse him of disapproving offers an important message. He says he had known this about his daughter for a long while, and that there's a message from the Bible that overshadows everything else – the message of love and compassion.
The way the victim actually died is tragic. She was injured twice (by two separate lovers), and neither of those injuries would have been fatal on their own. As is typical, the killer confesses by the end, though the murder was really just an accident. Still, she did hide the body in a tree, so she's in trouble.
For anyone who was on the fence about whether or not to like Rodolfo Fuentes, he's clearly more likable now. In the middle of helping solve the murder, he's trying to smuggle prescription drugs to Cuba to help family and friends. Cam, who is often put in positions of having to follow the rules over her heart, catches him, and it's understood briefly that he won't be able to continue working there.
That is, until Brennan steps in. In her perfectly matter-of-fact way, she tells Fuentes she smuggled the drugs for him, then tells Cam if that's a problem she supposes she'll have to be fired, too. I swear, only Brennan could get away with something like that. It's both hilarious and sweet, and in her mind, the logical thing to do.
Other Thoughts:
- I know that Daisy was mentioned as selling Sweets' car, but I still find it odd we didn't see her when "The Psychic in the Soup" is so highly devoted to remembering him. And on his birthday, no less.
- Watching Booth play tea party with his daughter is one of my favorite parts of this episode. Totally adorable.
What did you think of "The Psychic in the Soup"? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!
Booth and Brennan will be back again next week with Bones Season 10 Episode 12, "The Teacher in the Books." In the meantime, you can always watch Bones online any time via TV Fanatic!
Ashley Bissette Sumerel was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2017. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.
