Technorama

Police officers stumble across several severed, rotted, feet on a beach. When Booth and Bones go to investigate they are greeted by a Podiatrist by the name of Dr. Fillmore, an old acquaintance of Bones. When it’s determined that the feet actually fall on the Canadian side, Fillmore pulls rank and says he’ll be doing the investigation to spite Brennan for dismissing his expertise. Her previous thrashing in a professional journal was so severe that it left Fillmore with a paralyzed arm which becomes a focal point of the show.

Fortunately, Fillmore agrees to come to the U.S. to work with Bones (with the feet). This episode is full of erroneous foot trivia (like how much a foot sweats and how much your butt protrudes by wearing heals.) When he gets to the lab, he’s greeted by Hodgins, Cam, and Angela. When he starts working with Dr. Brennan they butt heads a bit while she awkwardly tries to make up, but Fillmore will have no part of it. His spouting of facts reminds me of Mr. Nigel Murray.

Sweets talks to a Canadian “dude” who took the boots off one of the victim’s feet “Oh, mannnnnn!” When Brennan finds out that the feet came from the University of Hogansburg, she figures that the feet must have come from “body farm”, but discovers that they only lost 7 bodies in a storm 8 days ago, but Brennan informs they have a feet of an 8th person – what fun would the show be without a murder after all?

Hodgins finds out that the extra pair of feet belonged to a very expensive pair of shoes ($2000) which have a serial number and quickly verifies the foot belongs to the shoe through a computer graphic – and Angela is quite impressed. Booth and Bones travel to the body farm, and she’s in 7th heaven as she sees the bodies in varied states of decay and gets absolutely giddy when a body explodes in front of her. They talk to the owner of the body farm and find out the shoes belong to one of the student assistants, Dylan McElroy, who went missing a while back. Booth and Bones locate Dylan’s room mate who is selling off his expensive shoes. It turns out that his room mate is just trying to get cash owed for rent, but then we find out he was dealing drugs… Based on our “30 minute rule” (which Julie and I believe that characters introduced about half way through are the likely suspect), it’s the room mate.

Before the first commercial break, we also find out Cam secretly got her daughter Michelle accepted to a prestigious college (Columbia) despite Michelle’s desire to go to a community college – following her boyfriend Derek. The delivery message was accidentally opened by Hodgins who gives Cam “a disapproving look”. Cam’s parental duties continue as later we find Michelle weeping over a breakup with Derek. Michelle says that now she cannot go to the same college as Derek and Cam tries to hide her enthusiasm and lets Michelle she “has an idea”. When Sweets finds out about Cam’s subversion, he’s also upset, but Cam is only there to find out how to break it to Michelle. Sweets won’t have any part of it and she flat out tells him to “Shut up!” claiming that she’s doing this for Michelle’s benefit “You’ve never put anyone else’s interests above your own”, but Sweets retorts “What kind of example are you setting for Michelle?” as Cam walks out of his office.

Sweets tries to talk to Fillmore to help repair the “wound” he bears, but the young shrink gets the brush off. Sweets tries to explain to Fillmore that his paralyzed arm is a manifestation of his frustration toward Dr. Brennan. When Fillmore states that he has issues with conflict in general (because he’s Canadian), Sweets fires back “Because your Canadian or because your free?”

Back on the case (an the lab) Fillmore and Hodgins determine that the body farm was farming more than bodies – they find pollen from marijuana along with some “mite silk” in the shoes taken from the Canadian “dude”. When Booth and Brennan get back to the farm they meet a crotchity groundskeeper and a young “impressive” student assistant (never did catch his name.) Out in the yard, they find some of the weed along with some of the mite silk Hodgins reported in one of the shoes. The motive is set that Dylan was at that location and had to have seen the plants – someone wanted to cover their tracks.

The body farm owner first admits he didn’t know anything about it, but later recants because he didn’t say anything earlier because it would have sounded suspicious – a likely excuse we’ve heard a number of times before.

In the lab, Hodgins collaborates with Angela and finds an odd collection of bugs that should not be together unless they came (to the party) “for the food”. Angela walks from that scene to Dr. Fillmore who is examining feet and also delivers an offhanded insult to non-present Brennan. Fillmore determines that Dylan was killed by two different weapons – some kind of cutting power tool. While Angela is impressed again, Brennan doesn’t express her appreciation when the message is relayed to her in the truck with Booth as they drive back to the body farm. Booth tells her that she should really apologize properly so sew things up, but she’s still reluctant.

In the final scene, Fillmore analyze the foot facts along with potential weapons to quickly determine (with Angela’s help) the weapon was a riding lawnmower. Hodgins finds out the eclectic collection of bugs came for a special bug food that was put on Dylan’s body to hasten decomp and throw off the time of death. One suspect had an alibi for the “false” time of death. It turns out to be the boy genius assistant at the body farm. The reason – Dylan’s weed was growing over his project that called for baren soil, but his project was ruined. He was upset with Dylan and, well… you know.

So back to Michelle and Cam – now at the restaurant… Cam tells Michelle she’s got a pass to Columbia and Michelle says “I learned a lot from you”, rips up the application and says “No shortcuts”. She’s going to work for a year, save money, and get in to Columbia herself.

Penultimately (in the lab), Fillmore loses his temper and rips on Brennan while she attempts to say something, but keeps getting interrupted. When he’s done she comes back with a very nice professional compliment about his skill and talents. Now that things are patched up – Sweets, being the goon he is, throws a steel cup at Fillmore, expecting him to catch it but only ends up hitting him square in the head – much to the shock of Fillmore and Bones. After a brief pause, Fillmore raises his previously incapacitated arm to rub his bumped head and everyone is relieved at his “recovery”.

Finally, at the bar, Bones and Booth have a great final scene about regretful thoughts and being too truthful – leaving us with the usual smile on our faces for net time.

Closing comments: The murder story took a while to get going, and like all good Bones shows, took us down a few false leads to keep us guessing. Had Julie been here, we would have been shouting throughout the show “He did it!” at every new character. Not very sporty, but part of the fun of this show. She may have gotten a little squeamish by all the graphic rotting bodies. While you expect to see that sort of thing in moderation on this show, this one seems to have gone over the top at the body farm. On a personal/character development note, I like how the relationship between Cam and Michelle is developing. Cam’s blast at Sweets was very maternal and justified. Aside, when is Angela and Hodgins’ baby due anyway?

Rating: 9/10

The campaign to dial the 9th chevron continues on Earth before the Lucian Alliance can jump in and take control of Destiny. Rush is supposed to switch with one of the Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) on Earth, but has mysteriously hooked himself to the chair and uploaded his consciousness in to Destiny’s memory to be with Amanda. And of course, any attempt to dial carries the risk of blowing up the planet like it did before. Meanwhile Greer isn’t doing so well from his kidney donation.

Robert Picardo makes a guest appearance as Richard Woolsey to go through the gate and pull a bit of a Trojan horse trick on the Lucian Alliance to switch Lt. Scott with one of their officers (whom we find aboard Destiny chained to a chair.) The same trick is done with Col. Young and Administrator Halprin. Aren’t the stones great?! As Young impersonates the Lucian leader (with Lt. Scott doing his impersonation), some of the soldiers get a little suspicious.

I got a little confused as Rush and Amanda tried to connect Rush to the chair inside the computer’s virtual world. It seems Eli and Gin had a similar idea, but found it was dangerous. When he gets back, Eli asks him what the virtual side was like and Rush responds “Entirely… personal” leaving Eli with a rather puzzled look on his face. I’d love to read the script to find out what he was thinking.

In a bit of a subversive move, Tellford asks McKay if he’d be willing to serve aboard Destiny.

Back aboard Destiny, Gin tells Eli that Rush isn’t really out of the simulation and that Amanda keeps blocking her. Gin tries to tell Eli what to do, but gets pulled away. Ooooo – now we’re seeing a side of Amanda that we didn’t expect. Dr. Rush is no dummy, he figures it out and takes matters in his own hands by destroying the ship (which is cool, but not real.)

Things get a little sticky with Col. Young when he gets a call that the Administrator is on his way. As McKay dials the chevrons, the “other guys” close in and Young has to make the choice shut down the gate and turn himself in.

Rush finally confronts Amanda why she trapped him she says that the only parameters she programmed in to the simulation were that Rush loves her, but he already did. In order to get Rush out, Eli has to delete the memory where Amanda and Gin are stored.

At the close of the show, Col. Young and Lt. Scott come back to Destiny via the stones and admit the mission was a failure.  Eli tells Rush that he had to put Gin and Amanda in quarantine (away from the ship and crew) to save Rush. I’m sure we’ll see them again someday – Oh wait, there’s only a few episodes left. Damn you SyFy Channel.

For some reason, I found this episode a little confusing to follow with several new characters, a stargate in a new location (perhaps I missed something at the beginning) and Rush being trapped inside the simulation. Do they have too many pieces moving as the show wraps up for my simple mind to follow? I know, it was only two story lines to follow, but it didn’t seem to flow quite right with me. Still good, but didn’t make me sit up and go “Oh wow!”

Rating: 7/10

In season 3, episode 18 we’re taken back “over there” to the other universe. The show begins with Olivia and her mom talking about her pregnancy (remember, Peter is the father – before she came back over?) We get some insight to the fact that her family has a genetic abnormality called BPE that puts the baby and the mother at risk. (We find out later that she is, in fact a carrier.) Olivia discusses the option of abortion since either the mother or baby usually die during childbirth in cases of BPE. Just after her mom drops her off at her apartment, Olivia is abducted.

She’s taken to some kind of make-shift operating room where masked people take a sample of her amniotic fluid (or so we think) and set up a live 3D ultrasound scan while she is heavily sedated.

Her fellow agents suspect this is an inside job because of the tracker technology used and how they knew about it. They track down the cab driver who helped “our” Olivia get away and she mentions something that tips off Charlie and Lee. They figure out that the cab driver knows too many details to be making up stories about another universe. They return to talk to “Walternate” to verify the story. Walternate explains the situation (noting that it was classified) and that she is pregnant for his grandchild and offers Lee access to the files to get her back.

Meanwhile back at the “clinic” Olivia defies attempts to be sedated (pills? really!) Suddenly she’s wracked by pain as we see (supposedly) the baby moving inside her. BUT… at the beginning of the show we’re told that she’s only in her first trimester. A commercial break later and it looks like the “bun in the oven” has risen to full term. She’s wheeled to another location in this ad hoc hospital to prepare for delivery. She tells the nurse that she has BPE and tries to play to the nurse’s emotions, but it doesn’t work.

Lee and Charlie tell Astrid of the situation and she starts searching for anyone who may have had access to her records. Olivia’s mom comes in to tell them “there’s no way she can have the baby.”

Olivia fights her way out of the institution to find herself running around China town, in the rain, wearing not much more than a hospital gown – oh, and VERY pregnant. She manages to find a payphone and call Agent Lee. She’s interrupted as her pursuers approach. The cab driver (Henry) offers to help Lincoln while her goes in to severe labor. While en route Charlie informs Lincoln that she won’t make it through delivery. Henry and Lincoln arrive in time and while in delivery Lincoln states that he loves Olivia. She makes him promise that he’ll stay with the baby. Just as the baby is born, there is a dramatic moment (OK, I won’t spoil that one for you.) Just as the medical crew arrives, we see the (bad guy’s) nurse looking through the window and walk off set.

During the closing segment Walternate thanks Lincoln for his help as he passes by them at the hospital. He and Charlie aren’t happy about Walternate’s deception about the Olivia swap and begin to question Walternate’s motives and integrity. There are other suspicious characters from earlier in the show lurking around (including a certain bald man) – so we know this story is far from over. And of course, the writers always throw one more twist that you didn’t see coming just to make you say “YOU BASTARDS!”

Editor’s note: You want my guess? The abductees wanted the baby to power the machine since they can’t have Peter. But that’s just me. And yes, I got misty when the baby was born, but that’s because I’m a parent and a softie.

Footnote: In case you haven’t heard, Fringe has been renewed for another season! HURRAY! We’ll keep you posted. There are only 4 shows left in the season – the next one is April 15th. See you then!

Rating: 10/10