B&B investigate the murder of a letter carrier whose remains are found in a large tub of used cooking grease. Turns out the mailman was also a champion video game player of an old-school title called "Punky Pong." Could the video game thing have anything do to do with his slaying? While this is going on, Hodgins, Sweets and the hippie intern whose name always eludes me are planning to see AVATAR together, and must hold their place in line. Complications ensue, among them being a sweet young thing who latches on to Sweets while he's holding the place in the AVATAR line, and she insists on having sex with him. Conveniently, the boys have set up a pup tent in the line. But Sweets is conflicted, even though the girl has some swell tattoos across her breasts. Back the ranch, the boss is mystified by the boys' abrupt comings and goings. A funny episode indeed.
9 Reviews
Too much Avatar not enough Booth
prtfvr5 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This must be the episode that David Boreanaz missed time from due to the flu. Not only is he white as a sheet through out, he's barely in it which was really disappointing.
The guys waiting in line for a movie was a funny idea - if it hadn't been a shameless (is there worse word than that? Prostitution?) plug of Avatar. It felt so forced and there was WAY too much of it. It actually changed my interest in seeing this movie which was guaranteed until I saw this episode.
I liked the woman with the tattoos. She was pretty funny and I'm glad that they didn't go with the tired old ploy that she would steal the tickets. She added a lot to what was otherwise a tedious promotion.
As an aside, either Cam never changes that blue sheath she was wearing or they discovered the body and solved the case in the same day. And why was Angela mad at Hodgins for having that tattoo? She should have been apologizing for her crazy father - profusely.
There wasn't much of Bones in it either. More of a supporting cast episode and while I do love the supporting cast, the best part of the show is the constant banter between Booth and Bones. Since that was so painfully lacking, I'll stick with my thought that this is the flu episode. It makes me feel better.
Although I have all the seasons from iTunes via season passes and have watched all of them over and over again - more than I care to admit - I don't think I'll ever watch this again mainly because of the hour long Avatar commercial. I'd rather have seen a ten minute commercial for the movie in the middle of the episode than all the pandering to James Cameron. I don't think he needs the help on this one.
I didn't think that anyone could force product promotion more than Kay Jeweler's and Jane Seymours Heart Pendant when they spent an entire night last year on NBC shoving it down our throats in every series (including My Name is Earl with Crab Man giving Joy the necklace) but this is pretty close. I hope that this trend gets nipped in the bud before it ruins otherwise perfectly good shows.
You know what? I had given this a 7 but I'm changing it to a 6 and after today I shall never speak of this episode again.
Love Bones other wise and can't wait to see Emily's sister, Zooey next week - Finally!
The guys waiting in line for a movie was a funny idea - if it hadn't been a shameless (is there worse word than that? Prostitution?) plug of Avatar. It felt so forced and there was WAY too much of it. It actually changed my interest in seeing this movie which was guaranteed until I saw this episode.
I liked the woman with the tattoos. She was pretty funny and I'm glad that they didn't go with the tired old ploy that she would steal the tickets. She added a lot to what was otherwise a tedious promotion.
As an aside, either Cam never changes that blue sheath she was wearing or they discovered the body and solved the case in the same day. And why was Angela mad at Hodgins for having that tattoo? She should have been apologizing for her crazy father - profusely.
There wasn't much of Bones in it either. More of a supporting cast episode and while I do love the supporting cast, the best part of the show is the constant banter between Booth and Bones. Since that was so painfully lacking, I'll stick with my thought that this is the flu episode. It makes me feel better.
Although I have all the seasons from iTunes via season passes and have watched all of them over and over again - more than I care to admit - I don't think I'll ever watch this again mainly because of the hour long Avatar commercial. I'd rather have seen a ten minute commercial for the movie in the middle of the episode than all the pandering to James Cameron. I don't think he needs the help on this one.
I didn't think that anyone could force product promotion more than Kay Jeweler's and Jane Seymours Heart Pendant when they spent an entire night last year on NBC shoving it down our throats in every series (including My Name is Earl with Crab Man giving Joy the necklace) but this is pretty close. I hope that this trend gets nipped in the bud before it ruins otherwise perfectly good shows.
You know what? I had given this a 7 but I'm changing it to a 6 and after today I shall never speak of this episode again.
Love Bones other wise and can't wait to see Emily's sister, Zooey next week - Finally!
Booth Learns About Video Games
Hitchcoc6 February 2023
This starts out with a man found in a grease depository. It is filled with all the dumpings from a restaurant and is being siphoned for biofuel, I guess. Or just being disposed of. That has nothing to do with anything other than a place to hide a body. This leads us to the world of video game competition. Booth and Brennan argue about sports. Booth says for it to be a sport it has to occasionally produce injuries. Anyway the whole thing centers around a guy who declared himself world champion of some throwback game and the jealousy that ensued. He is the victim. I won't spoil anything. The subplot involves the three men from the lab taking turns holding a spot in the ticket line for Avatar. It leads to an encounter with a hot to trot girl who is very impressed with their credentials. On a totally different note, I never thought Avatar was that big a deal. It's an enjoyable movie but hardly the second coming.
Ha
jchory-26 December 2009
I think it is very funny that Joel Moore, who stars as Colin Fisher in Bones, and in the this episode wins the tickets to Avatar, is in Avatar. He plays Norm Spellman. Obviously Avatar isn't out in theaters yet, but when it is I wonder in "Spellman" will be a similar character to Fisher. I kind of hope he is.
I just think it was clever, and wondered if anyone else picked up on it. I haven't finished this episode yet, but it looks pretty good. Also thought it was funny that Temperance wouldn't look at the body until all the flesh had fallen off.
Anyway, Avatar looks like a great movie.
I just think it was clever, and wondered if anyone else picked up on it. I haven't finished this episode yet, but it looks pretty good. Also thought it was funny that Temperance wouldn't look at the body until all the flesh had fallen off.
Anyway, Avatar looks like a great movie.
An interesting piece for gaming history, 9 years later.
svandyksvd14 October 2018
This episode had me in tears due to the fairly recent condemnation of world record holder Billy Mitchell, the "King of Kong" (King of Con more like it...), and the typical hyped movie aspect that's common to find with great movies such as the shown Avatar, Star Wars (the oldies), and many pixar/disney movies.
Simply bravo to the writers and producers
Simply bravo to the writers and producers
Not a great take on autism
boigonh28 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Normally I like this show. It's certainly dated now and I hate what they did to Zach and I guess that repeats here.
The thing is, Brennan is coded autistic from the beginning. Here she is a person who is very clear that she's the best in the world at what she does, and in the end she concludes that the kid who's perfect game was co-opted simply doesn't care because he's autistic. She doesn't know that. She can't. Just because we communicate things differently sometimes doesn't mean we don't care. And she would care if someone used her work for their own advancement without crediting her. It's just another moment of misrepresenting us in ways that ultimately do harm in the real world. It's disappointing.
The joke about avatar being the most important thing that ever happened to the guy that's pretending he's not both on the show and in the movie was funny tho. At least one of them would have known that it was a rip off of the LeGuin novel tho. (the word for world is forest). Not in-world realistic that not one of those sci fi loving academics would have read LeGuin's seminal series.
The thing is, Brennan is coded autistic from the beginning. Here she is a person who is very clear that she's the best in the world at what she does, and in the end she concludes that the kid who's perfect game was co-opted simply doesn't care because he's autistic. She doesn't know that. She can't. Just because we communicate things differently sometimes doesn't mean we don't care. And she would care if someone used her work for their own advancement without crediting her. It's just another moment of misrepresenting us in ways that ultimately do harm in the real world. It's disappointing.
The joke about avatar being the most important thing that ever happened to the guy that's pretending he's not both on the show and in the movie was funny tho. At least one of them would have known that it was a rip off of the LeGuin novel tho. (the word for world is forest). Not in-world realistic that not one of those sci fi loving academics would have read LeGuin's seminal series.
Cameron has no shame
mr_kilpatrick5 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
It would appear that James Cameron sponsored "bought" this episode! All of the shameless plugs for Avatar through the entire episode. It would seem that the entire episode was written around Avatar. Which the name for me is a sticking point.
As I understand it Cameron used the name Avatar and now Shyamalan's project can't use it even though he was into production first. I do understand that Cameron finished first and can then use it, but I feel it's a dirty trick.
As for this episode I feel it was really poor because of having to work in all of the Avatar stuff. BTW "do you like my tattoos?" I thought that was funny.
As I understand it Cameron used the name Avatar and now Shyamalan's project can't use it even though he was into production first. I do understand that Cameron finished first and can then use it, but I feel it's a dirty trick.
As for this episode I feel it was really poor because of having to work in all of the Avatar stuff. BTW "do you like my tattoos?" I thought that was funny.
Blatant advert for Avatar
maddyjames-501-17259326 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Bones has often been very bad about embedded adverts, (especially when it comes to vehicles - Cam talking about how she's using Angela's car because it has more room, Bones telling Booth about how her car can automatic park, etc) - all mini-adverts within the story itself.
This is one of the worst examples of embedded advertising I've seen for a while. It isn't just a scene explaining why this particular brand name thing is a good quality product, but in that the entire sub-plot is an embedded advert for the film Avatar, including several conversations with them literally standing around watching clips of the film and talking about how much they have to see it.
It's annoying, distracting, and not funny at all. Mostly just teeth-gritting.
On top of this ridiculous storyline, there is also the other storyline so negatively showing Autistic people. Once again, Autistic people are shown as empty and lifeless corpses, unable to speak or think or do anything except for one thing they love, in this case a video game. It's really offensive. Bones is particularly bad about showing disability, and it's usually offensive when they try.
This is one of the worst examples of embedded advertising I've seen for a while. It isn't just a scene explaining why this particular brand name thing is a good quality product, but in that the entire sub-plot is an embedded advert for the film Avatar, including several conversations with them literally standing around watching clips of the film and talking about how much they have to see it.
It's annoying, distracting, and not funny at all. Mostly just teeth-gritting.
On top of this ridiculous storyline, there is also the other storyline so negatively showing Autistic people. Once again, Autistic people are shown as empty and lifeless corpses, unable to speak or think or do anything except for one thing they love, in this case a video game. It's really offensive. Bones is particularly bad about showing disability, and it's usually offensive when they try.
Brennan was a bit sloppy in this episode....
carijuneowens21 October 2020
For as methodical, logical and evidence driven Dr. Brennan is, she made some major assumptions in this episode. I can accept evidence of De Quervane's Tenosinovitis(?) markers on the bones but she assumed the victim was in too much pain to have played the record-setting game. The only one who could have told her what his pain level was was a pile of bones on her table. She assumed he didn't have the range of motion to have played the game. Since tendons are soft tissue (out of her area of expertise) she couldn't have known by examining the bones. Also, range of motion decreases as the condition worsens, so she also assumed the length of time he suffered from it. And last, she assumed he didn't have the surgery and subsequent physical therapy to restore range of motion, Yes, she could have spoken to his doctor but that's doubtful because the doctor would have cited HIPAA laws to keep the information confidential. For a character that's as evidence driven as Dr. Brennan, she drew conclusions that had little to no evidence backing them.
As a side note, I know this because I suffer from De Quervane's.
As a side note, I know this because I suffer from De Quervane's.
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