Let me start by throwing this out right from the start: I’m a fan of the show. I watch it every week, and I certainly have no plans to give it up. That being said, there is one thing that has just nagged at me for years where Bones is concerned, and it’s Brennan. More specifically, the way she interacts with other people. On occasion, she’s just too stupid to be believable.
As I said, it’s been an ongoing thing for me with the show, but it all kind of came to a head last week as we saw Sweets offering his help to teach her how to read people. My first hope in hearing his suggestion was, “Thank goodness, they are finally putting that bad gag to rest.” Because, it is a gag. And they certainly aren’t the only people to use it. NCIS has a running bit that has been going on for years where Ziva bungles colloquialisms.
The problem here is that Brennan is often well past the line of believability, to a detriment. Booth tells her she’s awkward, and that would be just fine. But as we see her standing in front of someone who is about to learn that a member of their family is dead, she turns to Booth and asks, “What’s the polite way to say he was murdered?” That’s not socially awkward. It’s socially retarded. And I just can’t buy that Brennan could have arrived at where she is in life without some basic understanding of how to deal with people.
What do you think? Is Brennan, on occasion, too stupid? Or should I see about getting my prescription updated?
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Mar 18, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
Asbergers
I thought it was just me. I understand socially awkward, hard childhood, but really – she’s around people watching them all the time -she should have learned something
I find it difficult to believe anyone as socially clueless as Brennan is presented to be could be a successful writer of fiction. How does she write the people in her best-selling books. Strange. Doesn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the show though. Just like anything, sometimes you have to suspend belief a bit.
Yes! What Jason said. From the first freaking season I was wondering that – successful fiction writer who can’t relate to people on a basic level? No freakin’ way. Remember the episode where she was an expert witness and couldn’t explain things to the jury or relate to them? How does she write mysteries that people can relate to? Ridiculous.
I like to think she’s pretending to be more awkward than she is just so she can say and do whatever she wants without having to deal with people she finds annoying.
I’ll hang on to that thin logic until they tone it down a bit.
*POST AUTHOR*
I like that logic GL, thin as it may be.
I got past the bogus 3D face-rendering they did in the early years now and watched four seasons within six days. I’m fine with her awkwardness, the friendship and connection she has with Booth makes up for the rest of what happens. I personally can’t stand Angela and how she deals with other people or better her life. I can’t wrap my mind around the way she “forgot” her hunk of a first husband, then doesn’t get married, then gets together with her ex and then jumps into bed with her OTHER ex.
I mean that’s just screwed up. Brennan’s behavior is a piece of cake compared to that. It makes for so many funny moments – I like it. Especially this season they have so many new one-time guest stars as possible replacements for Zack who are all as much as if not more socially inept as Brennan – I think she fits right into that whole bunch of weirdos, including Zack.