Bones

Reviewed by:
Gregg Braverman

Thanks to all the CSIs, Law & Orders, and McGruff the Crime Dogs, it's nearly impossible to get away with a well-planned double homicide these days. Now, the welcome addition of forensic anthropologist Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) means even a soggy skeleton is enough to catch a crook. Despite being lethal in a scuffle and having dead aim, Bones prefers hanging with her egghead posse and analyzing the remains of whomever the Feds drag into her lab. Wielding all the social skills of egg salad, Brennan's methods often clash with her FBI contact, played by former fang-face David Boreanaz, who gives the show a head start with his TrogdorCon's worth of fans. To successfully break the mold, Bones shoots for character depth—a practice typically used as a contingency plan only when ratings slip—which adds a dimension beyond crime fighting. Blinking during the credits could have you thinking you're settling in for an episode of Law & Order: Skeletor Squad, but with its original and unpredictable cases, Bones is well on its way to birthing its own legion of spin-offs primed to occupy TNT's daytime lineup.