FOXJen Godwin here, with scoop about one of my personal favorites, Bones. Read on to find out what's in store this season for the Nick and Nora of the forensic anthropology set...
Where Are They Now: According to show runner Hart Hanson, when the series premieres in the fall, we’ll pick up several months after last season’s finale, having missed "the amount of time that actually has passed." He also says this about the only thing you really care about (admit it!), the Bones and Booth romance: "We want to keep them apart as long as we can without annoying the audience, and there are a number of ways to do that. We use a number of little steam valves to release the pressure." Boreanaz snickers at this, and Hanson shoots back, "I didn’t mean masturbation, David!" Also, according to Ms. Emily Deschanel, this season the show explores "how being left at the altar affected them."
Zack’s Back: Eric Millegan (and Hanson) confirm Zack Addy will be back this season, but they won’t confirm when or how. Eric did say, "He was sent home from Iraq early, and we’re going to explore why…"
Squint Love: Michaela Conlin (Angela Montenegro) says of Angela and Jack‘s romance, "Angela is not one to be pinned down. She’s a free spirit who really fell in love. We’ve been working on finding my ex-husband. It should be pretty interesting." My man, T.J. Thyne (Dr. Jack Hodgins), meanwhile, says, "I think Jack is madly, deeply and passionately in love with her." All together now: Awww…
Shallow Impressions: I can report from here in the catbird seat that Boreanaz’s biceps are ridiculous—good ridiculous. He looks great on the show in the suits, but I think maybe a tight T-shirt now and again wouldn‘t be such a bad idea…
The Missing Episode: According to executive producer Stephen Nathan, "Player Under Pressure," the ep that was pulled in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, will be reworked. The new version preserves the mystery elements and will bring the romantic storyline up to date. He expects it might air Dec. 7, and the old material (wherein Jack proposed to Angela) will hopefully appear on a DVD...sometime somewhere.
Extra Eps: Nathan tells me the network definitely wants the 28-episode season (because of the potential writers' strike and because reruns don‘t "work" anymore), but he’s afraid postproduction limitations may prevent that from actually happening. He expects no fewer than 24 eps but says 28 might be stretching it. Start sending your nudge letters now.
Scene Shots: Exec producer Barry Josephson says they built out the FBI set this season, so look for more focus on the federales. And as a tease, he adds that the pressure releases for the Booth-Bones sexual tension may include more "third parties."
Featurette: Emily did a DVD commentary with her real-life father, Caleb Deschanel, and Stephen Fry for "The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House."