Tell-Tale TV Panel: Bones Season 12

After 12 seasons, we’ve said goodbye to Bones. The shortened final season included shocking moments, a heartbreaking death, and an ultimately satisfying ending.

Below, we discuss the best and worst of Bones Season 12, the conclusion of the series, and more. Join the discussion by leaving your thoughts in a comment at the bottom of the page.

Our panelists are:

• Pam, a dedicated fan, formerly from CBR Radio
• Christine Orlando from TV Fanatic
• Allie Perkins, staff writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Ashley Bissette Sumerel, founder and editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank the final season of Bones overall?

Pam: 5

Christine: A 7. It wasn’t perfect. Some of the episodes felt like filler and with knowing they only had 12 episodes left, I expected every one of them to be amazing.

Allie: 6

Ashley: I think I have to go with about a 7 as well for the same reason as Christine. I just expected more from the final season, especially with it being so limited. But overall it still felt like a nice way to end, especially since Zack returned.

Are you happy with the ending?

Pam: Yes, we ended the series with finding out pretty much where everyone plans to be in the near future, and it looks good for all our beloved Bones family.

I think Aubrey will end up with Karen, Bones and Booth are as solid as ever, and Angie and Jack have a baby on the way. Cam and Arastoo are beginning their new life together, and the squints seem to all be heading out on their own away from the lab. A wonderful ending.

Christine: Yes. It gave just enough information about each character that we could picture what their immediate future would hold, and it ended on a hopeful, happy note.

Everyone we loved survived and was headed in a direction that remained true to their characters. The finale left me smiling and after some horrible series finales over the last few years (Castle, HIMYM) I can’t ask for more than that.

Allie: Yes. While I don’t think the ending will go down as one of the best finales, it did everything I needed it to. It was easy to see how the lives of the characters would continue on.

I’m glad they didn’t kill off any main characters and we got closure with Zack. I thought there was just enough action and sentimental moments that really captured what Bones is.

Ashley: I was also really happy with it. Like Allie says, it wasn’t necessarily one of the best finales I’ve seen, but it certainly was satisfying, and it felt nice to watch everyone get a happy ending.

What was Bones Season 12’s biggest mistake?

Pam: I think focusing on too many guest stars which in the past they never bothered with. I would have liked to have seen more episodes focusing on each character getting their own episode. I would have liked to have seen Caroline get a good episode this season.

Christine: There were no big ones, but a few smaller missteps. More romance between Booth and Brennan would have been nice. I also would have liked to have seen more of their kids.

The undercover Buck and Wanda episode really fell flat, and I expected more drama about Zack’s hearing.

Allie: I thought after setting up the season to have a purpose and direction that they had too many filler episodes. None of the episodes were out of character for the series, but I thought with knowing it was the final season and shorter, it would be more focused. I personally loved all the more serialized stories so I was hoping more for that.

Ashley: I agree with what everyone else has said. I think it basically felt too rushed. With just twelve episodes, I expected each one to be stellar and unique. It just seems like there were wasted opportunities. And like Christine, I really felt there should have been more with Zack’s story.

What was the biggest surprise of the season?

Pam: Cam adopting three boys.

Christine: That they killed Max. I thought he might be sick, but I never thought he’d be murdered! He was able to die a hero, protecting his grandchildren, but it still made me very sad.

Allie: I agree with Pam, I was shocked when Cam said she was adopting the boys. Everything else I at least saw coming within the episode, not that one!

Ashley: I was most surprise with Max being killed. I thought he was going to die before the end of the season because they gave us hints about him being sick and considering his mortality, but I thought he’d die from that rather than being shot.

I’m glad they did that, though. Like Christine says, he was able to die a hero, which was more satisfying for that character.

If you could change one thing that happened throughout the course of the show, what would it be and why?

Pam: Clarifying the break up between Booth and Hannah in Season 6. I never ever liked that it felt like Bones was second best to Hannah. Having Booth fall in love with Hannah and asking her to marry him, and then the terrible way he treated Bones when Hannah left.

It was never addressed again after the episode where Bones and Booth were stuck in the elevator during the blizzard. They just fast forwarded to Bones gets pregnant after the shooting of Vincent, and five months later Bones and Booth are living together.

We MISSED everything. It was all done off-screen from the writer’s point of view, and viewers were gypped! I felt Booth settled for Bones, and I just didn’t like that, even though meeting Hannah helped Bones realize she loved Booth, and felt it was too late once she told him how she felt in episode “The Doctor in the Photo.”

Christine: That Brennan wouldn’t have gotten pregnant after what was essentially an off-screen one night stand with Booth. I actually stopped watching for a couple of seasons, because the show seemed determined to keep Booth and Brennan apart with silly obstacles.

When they finally became a real couple and started a family, I thought that’s when the show really got its legs back and became enjoyable again.

Allie: I would change how Booth and Brennan got together. I would’ve liked to see more but they went from one night stand to having a baby.

Of course, they already knew everything about each other but after all the build up I just wanted more before they jumped into becoming a family. Everything else was done so slow but when they actually get together it was just too fast! The viewers missed out on the best part, seeing them be together.

Ashley: Mine is a little less specific, the show took in turn in later seasons with the amount of time we saw Booth and Brennan working together, and that bothered me. They were such great partners, and as the show got into the late seasons, those kinds of scenes got fewer and fewer, which was unfortunate.

What will you miss most about Bones?

Pam: The stellar cast and quality series. Bones is like an old friend always there for you. After 12 years, it is so hard and sad to say goodbye. I have laughed, cried, clapped at yelled at my TV screen over the years.

I will miss the weekly show, and I always looked forward to it even though we had to follow it to so many nights and time slots. Goodbye my old friend, until we meet again … maybe a few Bones movies.

Christine: The characters! This show made good use of its team premise and gave everyone a role and a background story. In later seasons, they did a great job of letting their characters grow and change organically and that made the show both fun and intriguing.

Allie: Booth and Brennan. I enjoyed all the characters, but to me this show was all about them. I came late to the show and knew when started they end up together, but I was still dying for it to happen with every episode I watched.

Watching their dynamic every week is something I will miss. Having a romance I was invested in, rooted for, cried over scenes they had (I almost never cry so it’s a big deal), and got to see evolve into a stable tv couple is not something I feel comes around often. They will be missed.

Ashley: This was always a show that made me feel happy. Even though it wasn’t always perfect, it was such a great story with great characters, and it was complex and had its serious and suspenseful stories, but at the end of the day, it was still a feel-good show. I think that’s what I’ll miss the most about it.

What did you think of the final season of Bones? What will you miss most about the show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! You can also check out our review of the Bones series finale right here.

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