*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Synopsis: We begin the season with the team trying to recover from the bad knock they suffered at the hands of Zack Addy (Eric Millegan). Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) and Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin) put an end to their relationship, both drifting their own ways, and losing each other. Hodgins loses something that used to be a large part of his identity: his ability to be a rich conspiracy buff. He gets cocky, short and rude with people, no longer overly caring about his appearance, and his amusing insight to government dwindles to non-existence. I blame this on his trauma of losing Zack, his best friend, as well as the love of his life.

A steady stream of interns come through the lab. Dr Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) is unable to pick one, and so we meet up with the extremely depressed and gloomy Colin Fisher (Joel David Moore), uptight and work-oriented Dr Clark Edison (Eugene Byrd), the calm Muslim Arastoo Vaziri (Pej Vahdat), the permanent fact-spewing Vincent Nigel-Murray (Ryan Cartwright) and my personal favourite, Wendell Bray (Michael Grant Terry). Each with their own distinctive skill set that they bring to the table, they all vie hard in hopes of being granted the full time position.  Brennan and Dr Camille Saroyan (Tamara Taylor) establish soon on in the intern that they will not, under any circumstances, be able to work with: Daisy Wick (Carla Gallo), and neither can the rest of the team. She is ditzy, irritating and frankly just grates on everyone’s nerves. However, Dr Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley) gets into things with Daisy, but they have to keep in under wraps from the rest of the team as they aren’t prepared to really put it out there that they are an item. When Daisy returns to the team for another case to help out on, Camille approaches Dr Sweets, desperately seeking his help to rid the team of Daisy. Dr Sweets says that he will do the firing, and he and Daisy announce to the world how they are together.

Zack Addy assisting on a case

On a particular case, Hodgins goes to see Zack Addy at the mental institution, and discusses the case with him. In the middle of the case, when the team is ready to give up, Zack walks back into the Jeffersonian. Booth’s first instinct is to take Zack in, but they need his help. With his assistance they solve the case, and Sweets is tasked with delivering him back to the institution. Sweets is terrified of being alone with a killer when Zack admits to him that he never killed anyone, although claims he would have had the “master” asked him to. Sweets is upset, and tells Zack that he does not know what he will do in a situation until he is in it, and wants to inform everyone of Zack’s innocence when Zack forbids him. He knows he will not make it in prison, and so he will stay where he is. Sweets knows he is sitting on a big secret now.

Dr Gordon Wyatt (Stephen Fry) returns for a few episodes, and reads the book that Dr Sweets is compiling about Brennan and Booth. Again, Dr Wyatt feels the books tells more about the writer than the subjects, and he informs Brennan and Booth that Sweets has had a more difficult life than they know. Inviting Sweets to join them for dinner, Brennan shares a fragment of her past that has been hidden away for so long. Sweets feel sorry for her, and Booth is shocked that Brennan has been through the things that she has. Angela’s father (Billy Gibbons) returns to town, and Hodgins is freaking out. He is desperate to avoid the man, and Angela speaks to her father, telling him that the breakup was mutual. Just when they think all has blown over, Angela’s dad kidnaps Hodgins, who wakes up in the desert with Angela tattooed on his bicep. Sweets suggests that Angela take a sexual hiatus after her relationship – that she started shortly after calling it off with Hodgins – with Roxie Lyon (Nichole Hiltz) also ends badly.

Booth and Brennan join the circus for a case, and Brennan gets very attached to the place, the familiarity the people share, and the dedication. She fools Booth into being far more reckless than he was prepared to be, but the pair leave there feeling particularly good about themselves. Camille hires Max Keenan (Ryan O’Neal) to teach at the Jeffersonian, which causes major disagreements seeing as Brennan wants him gone and out, nowhere near evidence and crime scenes, etc. Eventually Brennan relents and her father stays.

The Booth brothers

The Gravedigger returns, demanding evidence that was stolen be turned over to them, and kidnaps Booth for the incentive. It turns out Hodgins stole the evidence, and they are almost killed when returning it. Just in the nick of time, Booth is rescued by Brennan. Booth saw a dead Private on the boat that he was kept on by the Gravedigger, Teddy Parker (Noel Fisher). In the midst of all of the Gravedigger drama, they manage to ascertain who they are, and state attorney Heather Taffet (Deirdre Lovejoy) is arrested for the crimes, while Jared Booth (Brendan Fehr) is in deep trouble with the government for having pulled some highly illegal strings to finally grow up and help his brother out for a change. Camille’s ex-lover turns up dead, and she goes on an emotional roller coaster ride with his daughter, Michelle Welton (Tiffany Hines), and eventually ends up adopting her, throwing herself headlong into parenthood.

Brennan decides out of the blue that she wants a baby, and that Booth must be the donor. This shocks the whole team, and even more so that Booth gives into Brennan’s wishes that he be the donor. However, Booth is having difficulty with the concept of bringing a baby into this world and not being allowed to be the father. Brennan figures this out because Booth is talking to things that are not there, and tells him she will not have the baby, but that he needs to trust her and see a doctor. It turns out Booth has a benign tumour in his brain that needs to be surgically removed. The last episode of the season revolves around the antics of Brennan and Booth in an alternate universe where they are an item and everything is distinctly different from what it is.

Best Episode: The Hero In The Hold

Worst Episode: The Yanks In The UK (Part 1 & 2)

Rating:
I was not particularly enamoured with this season. I missed the way Hodgins and Zack brought life to the show, and the surly guy that replaced Hodgins really got to me. I missed all the conspiracy stuff that he used to cook up. I don’t know, having Zack gone really screwed with the whole make up of the show. I like the fact that Zack was not the loon that we thought he was, that clears up a lot. I like the new lab techs that are floating in and out, they each have their perks. My favourite is Wendell of them all, but Clark gets me, too. He is so anal about everything, and such a stickler and so unsocial at work. Brennan suddenly wanting to have a child took me by surprise, and the fact that Booth insisted on being the father is something that could not be taken lightly. I am glad that Jared, for all the silly, stupid and immature things he has done, finally stepped up to help Booth. It was high bloody time he did some of the protecting. Booth’s tumour is heavily scary by the end of it, and the alternate reality he has woven for himself featuring Brennan is very heavy. Overall, a rather slow season. However, I loved Angela’s dad coming back for Hodgins, and the dodgy tattoo that was left. I was heartbroken when they went their separate ways as they were so great together. I wish Booth and Brennan would finally just say what they have to say! Brennan and her father finally laying things to rest is a relief, too, and Sweets suggesting that Angelo go celibate had me in stitches. The latest love of his life, Daisy, is really annoying, though you could see why they would be drawn together. Caroline Julian (Patricia Belcher) was again an absolute pleasure to watch, she is so amusing and always a treat when she has a role to play. Not the worst series season I have ever watched, but I expected more bang after the conclusion of season 3.