Writing Choices on Bones: What Season 1 Tells Us

Bones is like comfort food to me. I rewatched it this past fall. 

I was struck this time around by how much Season 1 foreshadows writing choices in later seasons:

Jonathan Adams as Dr. Goodman: I greatly enjoy Tamara Taylor as Camille Saroyan. However, Adams is a comedian par excellence, so I was somewhat disappointed that he disappeared (and pleased to find him again on Last Man Standing). 

After watching Season 1, I determined that, actually, the writers kept the character; they just made the character female, younger, and a coroner. But the whiplash humor and direct attitude remained. The writers obviously determined that unlike Booth, Brennan needed a "boss."

John M. Jackson as Booth's boss: The writers also clearly determined that Booth didn't need a boss. Obviously, he has one, and Deidrich Bader from Season 5 is utterly hilarious in that role, but generally speaking, in terms of writing, rather than a boss, Booth needs a third party observer on his side of the fence: Sweets and later, Aubrey.

Patricia Belcher as Caroline: Patricia Belcher shows up half-way through the first season and rapidly becomes a regular. The bantering lawyer not only provides a necessary role in the upcoming legal episodes; she also provides a strong, demanding and non-impressed viewpoint, even regarding the scientists. She is the person who can waltz in and ask for things that others might balk at. 

Eric Millegan as The Intern: Eric Millegan, of course, is replaced by the end of Season 3. What interests me is that he holds on for longer. From the writers' point of view, Brennan clearly needs an intern. Zack, however, was too static. 

The use of rotating interns got a little out of hand near the end (I consider Oliver Wells completely pointless--his scenes could have been handled by any of the others). But the idea is overall quite intelligent in terms of writing. 

What interests me about the changes between Season 1 and later seasons is how the writers continually come back to character interactions. Some Bones's plots go down the "we must have dramatic things happen to keep people interested" rabbit hole but generally, the "keep people interested" focus is accomplished by putting interesting characters together on the screen. 

Whom does Camille have to keep in line? To whom does Booth turn about Brennan? Who challenges his decisions? Who tries to persuade him to alter focus, leading to conversations (rather than commands)? Who challenges Brennan? Who gives her a chance to expand her social skills and even forensic skills?

Impressively character-driven scripts!