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On the Set of the 'Bones' Finale
It's April on the set of Bones. The beautifully dressed stage that represents the Jeffersonian is bathed in a murky haze and smells of manufactured smoke and Chinese food. The Gormogon killer has struck again.
[This story contains some spoilers and some speculation. Be warned!]
To be fair, craft services deserves the credit for the Chinese aromas. The Gormogon is only responsible for the odor of sulfur, which is pumping from long tubes onto the set, setting the stage for the show's third season finale, which will air on Monday, May 19.
A bomb has gone off at the Jeffersonian, but I probably shouldn't tell you who its victim was. I probably shouldn't mention which regular member of the cast is wearing tattered gloves and having his or her hands slathered with KY-Jelly to simulate what looks to be a potentially crippling injury. I probably shouldn't tell you what's happened to David Boreanaz's Booth in the aftermath of the bullet he took to the chest in last week's episode, except to say that Boreanaz is the only major cast member I didn't talk to for this story.
Any context for the explosion and the events of the finale might, in fact, might be damning.
As Bones creator Hart Hanson puts it, "We can't have you getting the context. Because if you knew what happened at the beginning, it would be a disaster and if you knew what happened at the end it would be a disaster."
The most important thing that can be revealed about the finale is that not only will the Gormogon return, but the killer's reign of terror will come to an end after a season of steady investigation.
"He worked slowly into this," reflects T.J. Thyne of the killer, whose appearances have been woven into the third season. "He's been around a while at this point."
"I'm glad he's back, though," adds Tamara Taylor. "It's just such a creepy, creepy storyline."
"Creepy" is, in fact, the first word that comes to several of the stars' lips when attempting to describe the killer, known for his appetite for flesh-eating and skeleton sculptures.
"It's pretty creepy, when you think about it," agrees Emily Deschanel, whose Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan somewhat gives the show its name. "Maybe because I got buried alive by The Gravedigger, I'm more terrified of the Gravedigger? But now it's hitting close to home with the Gormogon thing. It's creepy, the secret society thing, killing all these people off, and just secret societies in general. And then you have people eating not just one person, but they've invited people to dinner, quote-unquote."
In the process of catching Gormogon, the Jeffersonian team will inevitably have to reveal his (or her) identity, a process that's stymied fans of the show throughout the season.
"There really haven't been that many clues and I don't think anyone could have guessed," Taylor, who plays Dr. Cam Saroyan on the FOX drama, admits.
Thyne, known to fans as Dr. Jack Hodgins, insists, "I had a few hunches."
He doesn't offer to share.
Don't expect Hanson to offer any hints either. Quite the opposite.
"I'm not telling you who it is, but it's shocking," Hanson offers. "It's shocking and it's not not someone you have never seen before. No. Yes it is. It is someone you've not... No. No. It's not not someone you've seen before."
Did Hanson just confuse himself? Or is the Gormogon indeed somebody we've met before this season?
Another person not prone to giving away excessive information is John Francis Daley, whose baby-faced shrink Dr. Lance Sweets also first appeared earlier this season, which more than a few viewers suspect isn't a total coincidence.
"I can't really get into it, but everyone gets to go to a pretty dark place by the end of the season," Daley says.
Michaela Conlin, whose Angela Montenegro has spent much of the season trying to track down her first husband to open the door for new nuptials with Hodgins, says that there are certain advantages to the murky places the finale gets to go.
"This episode in particular, it's a very intense episode," Conlin says. "When I read it, I nearly fell off my chair. I think it's incredibly surprising for many reasons and shocking from start to finish. The great thing about these episodes is that we're all working together in the show. A lot of times the show will be split between David and Emily and maybe T.J. and me, but this episode is a lot of us working as a team and those are always... they promote a lot giggling on the show."
Perhaps the combination of giggling and intensity is why Thyne says, "It's been a rollercoaster, this episode. Emotionally, it's been a crazy rollercoaster for the actors as well as the characters. There's a lot happening."
And where will the episode find our heroes when it ends?
"Devastated in the beginning," Taylor says. "Devastated at the end."
A few other highlights from the visit to the set of the Bones finale:
Hanson, on the show's odd and frenzied spring production pace: "We finish this episode that we're shooting now, which is the season finale. Then we shoot four more episodes, which will air after the two-parter that we shoot after that, at the end of June and then we go back and start shooting again for episodes that go... one episode goes before those four -- are you confused yet? -- and the rest come after that. And there's a lot of storylines to keep in mind to tell the actors."
Thyne, on the occasionally frustrating lack of romantic resolution for Jack and Angela: "I feel like Jack. I feel like that guy in real life. He's in this relationship and he's head-over-heals and he just has no idea where it's going. He can't push too much because that'll maybe scare her away and can't hold on too tight either. It's unfortunately, I feel like as an actor it's been tough to get that flow with the storyline, but the character's in even more confusion than I am. It's tough, but I hope we get to see where that relationship leads and I hope it's a positive place."
Eric Millegan, on the yet-to-be-revealed mystery of what he character went through in Iraq: "In the first episode we found out that I didn't quite fit in and I was sent home early, but we didn't know much more than that and I actually asked Stephen Nathan, one of our executive producers, at the beginning of the season 'Is there anything you could give me, that maybe I could play?' And he was like, 'You've been to Iraq. And now you're back.' That was his instruction for me. In other words, it was something I was going to learn more about as the season went along. And we'll cover it. All in due time."
Deschanel, on being asked to sing in last week's episode: "I was not great, but I can carry a tune usually. Sometimes I go off key a little bit. It was and terrifying at the same time, which good. It was good to face fears..."
all I have to say is that I reckon it's Sweets or Zack. It has to be! and all of you lucky American's get to watch it before I do as I live in jolly old England I won't see it until the week after you! =[ but I cannot wait until the fourth season! thats's going to be mejorly awesome people! and that article was brilliant! thanks a million for it! whoop!
toria BONESGIRL93 | May 18, 2008 11:42:40 AM | #Ok, throwing out the idea of Clark Edison
ArabellaElfie | May 18, 2008 8:00:33 PM | #Yeah, Sweets or Zack. Anyone else would be shocking, those two wouldn't. So here's hoping it's not Sweets or Zack.
Siansonea | May 18, 2008 11:53:30 PM | #I have this crazy guess that Gormogon is Sully.
Evelyn | May 19, 2008 12:16:10 AM | #I agree with ArabellaElfie. I think it is Clark Edison. I don't see them getting rid of any of the current cast members and He kept popping up throughout the season.
tvgeek | May 19, 2008 7:05:21 AM | #I don't think its Zac cause he seems to nice to do anything..exspecially singing out loud.I think its Sweets.
GG | May 19, 2008 7:26:51 AM | #I noticed that at the upfronts, Zack was NOT on the cast list for next year, but Sweets was.
Make of that what you will.
tojosontjwilson@comcast.net | May 19, 2008 10:05:52 AM | #I hope it's not Zach! That's all I'm saying..
BTW Emily was awesome last episode, the singing and the acting.. I liked her singing a lot better than Cyndi Lauper's..
Can't wait to see it!
jenny | May 19, 2008 10:20:45 AM | #I really hope its Zack I want him gone since day 1
| May 19, 2008 11:31:42 AM | #Zack is the victim...
Jordan | May 19, 2008 11:39:51 AM | #It's Cam guys. She was not supposed to stay this long. And in the last Gormagon episode, Booth commented on her pants at the beginning of the episode and when Gormagon showed up at the house, he/she was wearing similar pants. Plus Cam knows Booth's weakness for kids and that is why Gormagon took the kid under the water. Cam also had a weird face on at the end of the ep and she is close to Zac or as she calls him Zacaroni.
Kate | May 19, 2008 1:08:31 PM | #This entire article has like, a giant invisible sign saying IT'S ZACH, YOU IDIOTS over it.
Seriously, he doesn't get quoted until the end of the article, and the quote is about Iraq? Yup, it's him.
Jennifer | May 19, 2008 2:47:28 PM | #Is that booths funeral home or is it someone elses funeral home
devin walkup | May 19, 2008 5:05:49 PM | #ok, so i've read that it's not zach. period. i don't think that it's sweets because they just added his name to the credits. plus, he is a really lovable character in a strange way. goodman? we never heard from him after his "few month" sabatical. it's been longer than a few months...
i have to agree a bit with Kate, it makes sense, although i have just begun to like cam, which would make me sad if she left the show. BUT!
she is not a boy, AND her father is still alive, so... she isn't a widow's son, although she is a widoers daughter (her mother died and came to her in the night, correct? or was it her grandmother...)
anyways, this was a great article. thanks for posting.
Elle Belle | May 19, 2008 6:36:19 PM | #The season ended with equal measure of relief and sadness.
observer | May 20, 2008 12:28:17 AM | #misses the last episode will it be in rerun soon?
mmswope@aol.com | May 20, 2008 1:36:45 PM | #sorry guys its zach bless has to be
Dijon | May 22, 2008 2:51:07 PM | #Both Tamara and TJ Thyne are quoted as saying 'he' in reference to the Gormogon. I don't think it's Cam (though I did take a while to get over her sticking that pen in River's head (Serenity)). Be a shame if it were Zack, but I'd be really cross if it was Jack, I love him and Angela; it's so good to have at least one relationship doing ok!!
Nikki T | May 23, 2008 6:25:35 AM | #
Just found a spoiler zone for Bones...
Gormogon is Zack :-(
Bummer
Straker | May 23, 2008 12:54:00 PM | #I refused to read this article until I had watched the show. I didn't want to be spoiled at all. But I had a feeling it would be Zack, althouh I kept thinking "you never know." So I wasn't too surprised, but I was still devastated. And also not fully on board. I just don't get the rationalle, even though thry tried to explain it.
I had also thought it might be Clark, but since it was billed as a shocker, I dismissed him. I do like him, and he is very different from Zack, maybe they will bring him back.
Hopefully next season they will really show how this affects the character. Hodges will be the most messed up I think, which may cause a problem is his and Angelas relationship.
MDEP | May 24, 2008 10:00:08 AM | #The whole story ending with Zack did not work. Saying Zack was weak willed and could be so easily swayed by the personality of Gormagon? No, that is not the Zack portrayed over the past several seasons. I was very disappointed in the ending. Plus the story with Booth getting shot did not work either other than an over-used plot device from multiple other shows. I've enjoyed this show from the beginning but I feel its starting to lose the story telling edge I loved so much.
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