Bones Review: The Steel in the Wheel (Season 12 Episode 9)

The end is getting near, and I can’t help but feel nostalgic.

On Bones Season 12 Episode 9, “The Steel in the Wheel,” Booth and Brennan (and Aubrey) go undercover one last time, and a favorite character from early seasons returns to help clear Zack’s name.

“The Steel in the Wheel” manages to balance the lightheartedness of a classic undercover episode with the importance of returning to the Gormogon case, all while continuing what most of Bones Season 12 has done — celebrating the series as a whole.

My chief complaint? It feels too rushed. I can’t decide if that’s because I’m going through a grieving process over the fact that the show is ending and I just don’t want it to stop, or if this episode is trying to do so much that we lose the chance to dig deeper.

Brennan’s anger, for example, is worth exploring more. It’s clear her grouchiness is because she’s still grieving her father, but I would have liked to see her deal with that more.

Gordon Wyatt’s return is timely and completely perfect, from his tea cart and his biscuits to his advice that Booth and Brennan go undercover to the demolition derby. It’s been so long since we’ve seen someone who is able to counsel Booth and Brennan in the way Sweets used to, and before him, in the way Gordon did.

His advice is spot on, and it’s pretty fantastic watching how much Brennan enjoys herself as she smashes into other cars. Any time Brennan gets out of her comfort zone is interesting and fun to watch.

The way Booth says “Wanda” is hilarious. He lays this particular version of Buck Moosejaw on pretty thick, and it really feels as though David Boreanaz is treating the whole thing like one last, awesome, hoorah.

Speaking of which, his real life wife and son get to play a part in the undercover act as well. It’s a really special touch.

Meanwhile, Hodgins remains dedicated to proving Zack’s innocence.

There’s something particularly wonderful about the fact that this episode opens with a shot of the Gormogon vault, where Hodgins has been working all through the night.

Now that he believes his friend isn’t a killer, he can’t rest until Zack is able to come home. It’s so satisfying to return to this storyline again — it’s the one thing that would have felt truly unfinished had the series ended any time before now.

And Gordon’s help with the case feels right. As Booth says, Sweets wouldn’t have trusted any other psychologist with his files, so bringing him in makes perfect sense, and it feels like a nice way to connect a lot of different threads.

His help pays off too, and in a step toward proving Zack’s innocence, the team finds a vault with a dead body that just might give them the evidence they need.

Other thoughts:

• Brennan’s car is called “Bonecrusher,” because of course it is. Nice detail here.
• “Ding Dang Doodle!” Seriously, Stephen Fry is so wonderful as Gordon Wyatt.
• This episode is a nice send off for Fuentes, who I’m also realizing I wish we could see more of. His character is so interesting, and he became really likeable throughout the series.

What did you think of this episode of Bones? Share your thoughts in the comments below! You can also check out my review of Bones Season 12 Episode 8, “The Grief and the Girl,” right here.

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Bones airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Fox.

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