Temperance Brennan (Bones)

Infobox character
colour = orange
name = Dr. Temperance Brennan


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first = "Pilot"
last =
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nickname = Bones, Tempe
alias = Joy Keenan
gender = Female
age = 31
born = 1976 ["The Woman in Limbo", "Bones", Season 1 Episode 22.]
status = Alive
occupation = Forensic anthropologist
title = Dr.
callsign =
family = Kyle Keenan/Russ Brennan (brother), Max Keenan/Matthew Brennan (father), Ruth Keenan/Christine Brennan (mother, deceased)
spouse =
children =
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residence =
episode =
portrayer = Emily Deschanel
creator = Hart Hanson

Temperance Brennan is the protagonist of the American television series, "Bones", which is very loosely based on author Kathy Reichs. She is portrayed by Emily Deschanel. Although the character is named after the heroine in Reichs' crime novel series, her characterization was based on Reichs herself rather than the books' protagonist. [Goldman, Eric, " [http://tv.ign.com/articles/793/793242p1.html Digging Up Secrets With the Cast of Bones] ", "IGN", May 31, 2007. Retrieved on June 4, 2007.] The only similarity the two characters share is their occupation as a forensic anthropologist.

Brennan works at the Jeffersonian Institution in Washington D. C. and is paired with Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) to work on cases which require both their expertise. He nicknames her "Bones", referring to her job as a forensic anthropologist. The pair thus-far seem to have a fairly comfortable working relationship, despite the differences in their personalities and the sexual tension evident between them.

Along with her work at the Jeffersonian Institution, Brennan is a best-selling novelist and writes about a fictional anthropologist, Kathy Reichs. In the series' pilot, Brennan says that the closest other forensic anthropologist is in Montreal. Temperance Brennan mostly confides in her best friend and fellow co-worker, forensic artist Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin). Aside from Angela, Dr. Brennan has a band of 'squints' (a term given by Agent Booth to describe what scientists do - "they squint at things"), specifically entomology expert Dr. Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne), and formerly Dr. Zack Addy (Eric Millegan), a bone trauma expert who was also once Dr. Brennan's graduate student.

Brennan graduated from Northwestern University and is a licensed hunter (one episode, "The Man in the Morgue", reveals she has licenses that allow her to hunt in four (unspecified) states). She claims that she only hunts for food. In the same episode its commented that she is trained in three types of Martial Arts, and in the episode "Aliens in a Spaceship", it mentions that Dr. Brennan was currently studying Karate. It is also of note that Brennan's intimate knowledge and understanding of forensic anthropology and kinesiology, often being compared to the Police Detective Columbo for her seemingly unintelligent appearance towards suspects, have given her an aptitude for gaining clues from the body movements of other people ("The Woman in the Garden", "The Truth in the Lye", "The Woman in the Sand",) and contributes towards her martial arts prowess, even advising Booth once how to win his fight against another Ultimate Fighter contestant in "The Woman in the Sand".

Appearances

eason 1

The first season establishes Brennan's character and background. She chose her field of research in order to find out what happened to her parents, who vanished without a trace when she was fifteen - leading to an unpleasant time in the foster care system before being rescued by her grandfather. This is revealed early in the first season, but later contradicted in the last episode of the second season, when in a conversation with her father Brennan says that she always thought she didn't have any grandparents. It has been revealed that she has one living brother, Russ. When she was fifteen and Russ was nineteen, their parents went out and never came back.

In the first season finale, it was revealed that Temperance Brennan's birth name was Joy Keenan. Her parents were bank robbers who were forced to change their names and go into hiding when they testified against other robbers in their group. Brennan discovers her mother's remains, which had been held at the Jeffersonian ever since she arrived, and finally solves her murder. She also reunites and reconciles with her older brother Russ (formerly Kyle Keenan).

eason 2

The season-long plot involves Brennan's developing relationship with Booth as well as the return of her father and brother. In "Judas on a Pole" (2x11), Brennan's father, Max, surfaces when she and her team investigate a murder he committed to protect her and Russ. Max disappears as quickly as he surfaced and takes Russ with him. Her father visits her several more times over the course of the season but manages to evade capture each time. In the final episode of the second season, he allows Booth to arrest him because he realizes that each time he runs away, he cuts himself off from his daughter, which makes her feel abandoned once again. He states that he has set Russ up with a straight job, but refuses to tell Temperance where her brother is living because he is violating the terms of his parole.

Also in the final episode of Season 2, Brennan agrees to become Maid of Honor at Hodgins and Angela's wedding. After Zach turns down the offer of being best man, Booth steps into the role. The episode ends with Brennan and Booth standing before the priest after Hodgins and Angela ran off together without being married. In Season 3, Angela speculates that this had caused a rift in the friendship of Brennan and Booth because of the symbolism (a man and a woman at the altar); however, Brennan seems to be more upset that Booth did not advise Zach against going to work in Iraq.

She also speaks at least five other languages including (but not limited to); Spanish (The Women in the Garden), French (Pilot), Latin (The Boy in the Tree), Chinese (The Boneless Bride in the River), German (Blonde in the Game).

eason 3

Brennan's father is accused of murdering the Deputy Director of the FBI and goes to trial. Through her testimony and trial strategizing, Brennan helps him be acquitted of all charges. Due to the fact that her partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth, arrested her father Max Keenan, Brennan and Booth are sent to therapy throughout the season with psychologist, Dr. Sweets. As the season progresses, Brennan and the Jeffersonian team attempt to catch a serial killer known as the Gormagon, who eventually recruits Brennan's former grad student and current "squint" Zach as his apprentice. Brennan must also deal with the "death" of her partner, who took a bullet meant for her. He later is revealed to be alive, and Brennan tries to figure out why she was never told. Brennan learns that she was supposed to be told by Dr. Sweets, but Sweets didn't tell her so he could observe the reaction Brennan and Booth had when she realized he wasn't dead.

Characterization

While the character shares the same name and occupation in both the books and television series, her characterization in "Bones" is vastly different. Brennan is "very focused," and hyper-rational, she is very defensive and protective of evidence, and she deals with the 'horrors' of the crimes she investigates by focusing on the facts only. In the "Pilot", Angela voiced that perhap the reason why Brennan comes off as distant is because she "connects too much." Despite her extensive knowledge of anthropology, she is quite unaware of pop culture and her coworkers, particularly Booth, like to tease her about it. A running gag on the series is someone making an obvious popular culture reference and she blankly states "I don't know what that means", and she is somewhat excited on the rare occasion that she does understand them. In contrast to the novels, Brennan of "Bones" lacks social skills and has trouble understanding jokes and sarcasm.

Her portrayer in the television series, Emily Deschanel, commented that "Bones"' Brennan "is a lot younger and different" from the Brennan in Kathy Reichs' books. Deschanel remarked, "Not that there aren't certain similarities, but it's a kind of a mesh." [Bridget Byrne, " [http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/mar/28/whats-tonight-wednesday/ What's on tonight: Wednesday] ", "The Albuquerque Tribune". March 28, 2007. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.] According to Deschanel, she and the show's creator Hart Hanson discussed that her character "almost has Asperger's Syndrome". [Gray, Ellen, " [http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/ellen_gray/20070131_Ellen_Gray___Boreanaz_says__Bones__is_not_procedural.html Boreanaz says 'Bones' is not procedural] ", "Philadelphia Daily News", January 31, 2007.]

Brennan is an atheist, critical towards religion and believes in the death penalty. This has led to more than one argument with Booth, who is a devout Roman Catholic and quite defensive of his faith. Brennan's character development is shown in the second season where she refers to the rest of the team as "our squints" even though the term "squints" is predominately used by Booth when he describes the team, Brennan included.

References