Bones: Double Trouble in the Panhandle

Posted by: Jolee  •  January 25, 2009 @ 9:23pm

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

Booth and Brennan check out the skeleton(s?) of conjoined twins out in a desert. The team, along with the annoying Mr. Murray of the unrelated trivia knowledge, deduce that they were buried in a very shallow grave, and the victims were young females... easy to ID considering that they were conjoined twins. Angela finds their names in less than two minutes: Jenny and Julie Hicks.

Hodgins thinks they had been wrapped in a sheet before burial (indicating careful burial), and the soil around them had decomposed popcorn in it – from the traveling circus, obviously!

B&B talk to Sweets before heading out to question the circus folk. Sweets informs them that circus people are extremely tight-lipped and don't talk to outsiders, even cops. He knows this because his biological mother was a carny. Explains some things, actually... Brennan agrees about the circus folk, she spent time studying them, and apparently because adept at the high-wire. We're learning all kinds of things in this episode! B&B decide to go undercover to solve the murder.

The Case

The parents aren't very helpful, but their doctor helps a bit. He tells us that the girls could have been safely separated, but they disagreed on whether or not they wanted to. He also says that they loved the circus, and had ideas on how to expand their act.

Booth, at the circus as Buck Moose Jaw, questions some of the circus folk about the twins. The circus manager tells them that they left the circus "a while back". He even has a note from them saying goodbye. More questions are asked, and get avoided.

At the lab, Angela tells us that the note was forged. She knows because of the "switch" of left/right-handed writing – someone else forged their names. Also, Hodgins finds hair gel under the nails of one of the twins.

At the circus, B&B are introduced to more folk; the clowns, the Strongman, and a girl who I can't figure out what she does in the circus. They tell B&B that one of the twins had a boyfriend and wanted to leave the circus, but the other one didn't. B&B go back to question the doctor, who wore a lot of hair gel. He was dating one of the twins, but is all alibied up.

The fractures on the heads of the skeletons were identical, and Angela sets up some scenarios as to how that could have happened. They narrow it down to one possibility, their heads were konked together somehow. Mr. Murray also finds fractures in their lower legs and feet.

B&B have a run-in with the clowns while looking through their props for possible murder weapons. During the show, they spot the Strongman with a huge mallet, who obviously has the strength needed to cause the fractures on the twins skulls. They question him after the show, and he gets very agitated, drops a huge net on them, and runs away.

Talking to the rest of the circus people, they reveal themselves as FBI, and just as Sweets suspected, they all walk away, refusing to talk. B&B are deliberating on how to continue while in the big top, and Brennan suddenly decides she wants to try the high wire again. She goes up, and starts doing very well, until her feet and lower legs start hurting and she falls (into a net). She has an epiphany that the twins were trying a high-wire act, and fell. The death was accidental!

The Strongman walks up to them outside the tent, and emotionally admits to burying the twins, but insists he didn't kill them. B&B knew that already, and promise to get him a good lawyer for the "interfering with a dead body". They let him hang out with the circus friends for the night, and in the morning, they are all gone. Oh well. He didn't kill them anyways.

Buck and Wanda Moose Jaw

Undercover as a Canadian knife-throwing act, they show up at the circus in a mobile home and terrible fake accents. Under pressure, Brennan throws out that they have a "Russian" theme... even though they don't even have an act prepared.

Meeting some of the circus people, they are obviously in another world. They phone Sweets for help, who gives them some insights on the language of carnies, and also that they should not push, but "keep to themselves", and the circus people will come to them. Obviously this means B&B have to fake loud sex in their mobile home.

Cam convinces Brennan to set up a webcam for their act. You know, in case they notice something that helps with the case. Riiiight. In a rather hilarious scene on the way to interrogate the doctor, B&B ride a motorcycle with a sidecar while talking about their act, and Brennan digs through Booth's tight leather pants for his phone while he is driving. Priceless!

B&B, ready for the act, show off some awesome costumes: Booth in a huge fake mustache and Russian-looking fur coat, Brennan in a lacy bodysuit that shows off her body (she has a great body)! Booth accidentally hurts Brennan's eye, and she has to wear an eye patch as well. But, as she says, "The show must go on!!" - She is apparently very excited for the act!

The show starts, and Brennan gets right into it, yelling at Booth to smile and wave. Their "act" is pretty amazing; Booth throws knives at Brennan, who is standing against a board with balloons around her. Booth is very good (apparently trained in knife throwing in the military), and gets all the balloons, and a huge applause. He bows and heads for the curtains, but Brennan pulls out some props for him to aim at as well (getting smaller and smaller, and closer to her head). It's scary, but they pull it off very impressively. All the while, the team is watching via webcam, and cringing and applauding. Well, Sweets talks about the sexual connotations of knife-throwing.

After they confront the Strongman, they are sad that they have to go back to their "real job" and find a murderer. But not until Brennan has her gratuitous walk on the high wire.

The morning after they solve the murder, B&B are standing outside their mobile home looking at the empty field that was a circus just a few hours ago. They remember their moment in the spotlight over coffee, and have the most corny episode ending ever:

Brennan: Where do you think they are now?

Booth: (Dramatic pause) Over the horizon...

(Pan out, fade to black)

In this recapper's opinion, this episode was exceedingly fun and exciting, although self-indulgent for no reason. Gotta love carnies though.

Tags: Bones, Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz

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Original Comments Posted (4)

metal2000 says...

I'm watching Bones now! I caught up on 3.5 seasons over the holidays, and I'm so glad to have finally watched this show. It's instantly become one of my favourite.

So happy to finally watch the show when it airs. Loved Andy Richter showing up as the head of the carnies -- it was the perfect role for him! Overall, a very fun episode.

Jan 27, 2009 2:54am

Sarahm says...

You caught up on 3.5 seasons over the holidays? When did you have time for Christmas?

Jan 27, 2009 6:38pm

metal2000 says...

I just watched 3 or 4 episodes a day, every day, until I was caught up. It wasn't too hard, as there was nothing else on that whole time.

Jan 28, 2009 11:23pm

joalberts says...

Excellent!! Welcome to the club!

Jan 30, 2009 10:24pm

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