ratcreature | Bones season finale

WTF? They made Zack a serial killer apprentice?!? I didn't find that believable at all.

I haven't been watching Bones long, but I caught up with all episodes before the strike-related break (though I watched some of S1 out of order), then following the last eps as they aired, and I didn't see the setup for this at all. The whole Gormagon cannibal serial killer/secret society plot was quite over the top and I didn't like it to begin with, but this just made no sense to me.

To start with, even if you buy into conspiracy theories, it really is not a "rational" solution to kill single members of said conspiracy and eat them, and they have not shown me anything to make me believe otherwise in the context of this fictional universe, and I don't see how any serial killer would convince someone like Zack that it was, strong personality or not. Targeted assassinations themselves, maybe, though even that is a stretch, because it's not like killing some members was automatically a solution to a structural problem like a widespread conspiracy undermining an official system, but whatever. But the whole ritual aspects, with the cannibalism, the bone displays and so on? Really not. Any rationalization for that would need a lot of framework and possibly magical thinking. Zack may have been suffering PTSD from Iraq and be socially awkward and so on, but he was also successful in his job with a great career ahead of him, had approval from his peers, had friends and regular contact to others caring for him, so I don't see how he could have been possibly sucked this deep into a serial killer's delusion in such a short time. Seriously as far as vulnerable, isolated people susceptible to crazy charisma go, he doesn't fit that well, IMO.

I am really disgruntled with the series right now, and I suspect that my reaction isn't worse is only because I haven't been watching that long, and am not that invested in the series.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm rather glad I'm no longer invested in the show - I'd be really pissed off right now. Instead I'm left with a vague feeling of WTF. Zack's dialogue was one of the highlights of the show [I mean, the show generally, not this ep in particular]. I'm not even getting into the rest of that rushed mess of an episode.

Yeah--that was a moment of shark jumping FAIL and I am still shocked they did it and didn't realize it would make regular viewers angry.

It was just so completely out of the left field. Were we supposed to think him really maladjusted and damaged? Or something? And what was the supposed setup for this? That he was upset after working with mass graves in Iraq? I just have no idea. People don't just suddenly decide to join some serial killer in his delusion.

Yeah. I may still watch next season, but that pretty much killed my deeper interest that was only beginning. I would have needed a LOT more set up to buy something like this, I doubt they could have managed even in a full season. People don't just join serial killers.

I hated the whole episode. From the screwing-with-our-heads of the beginning, to Sweets being an asshole, to that absolute OOC'ing of Zack. I mean, seriously, a genius who spends his life fighting crime (sort of) just abruptly deciding to kill people? Did the writers not recall that episode where Zack told the investigator that instead of disclosing secret information in the face of a perfectly rational argument, he'd ask someone (I think it was Angela or Hodges) first? Yet we're supposed to believe that he'd happily follow a known serial killer's dictates to commit murders without checking with his more balanced colleagues. Because obviously murder is less serious and worthy of thought than divulging secret information. I call BS and damn I'm pissed. Zack was awesome. If they wanted to get rid of him, they could have done something less demeaning to his character and infinitely more believable.

Yes, yes, yes! That is exactly the scene that I flashed on that makes it totally unbelievable to me that he'd kill without doing a reality check with someone. They couldn't just kill him off if he had to go?

Yeah, it was really bizarre. They didn't even try for a real motivation. I mean, believing in secret conspiracies may be a bit weird, but from there doesn't go a line to "serial killer apprentice" without a lot more setup than "he's a bit awkward and insecure", and that really not even all that much when it comes to fundamentals, considering that he not only had s so far successful and promising career, but also a circle of colleagues who are also friends.

Did the writers not recall that episode where Zack told the investigator that instead of disclosing secret information in the face of a perfectly rational argument, he'd ask someone (I think it was Angela or Hodges) first?

TOTALLY. Also, we've seen him refuse to do things before on the grounds that he didn't think Dr. Brennan would like it, and I'm pretty sure he's able to tell that she wouldn't like THIS, on the grounds of her NOT LIKING KILLERS and all.

Yeah, even killing the character would have been better than this mess of a character assassination.

Yeah. It might have been slightly more plausible if they had portrayed Zack as someone completely alienated from the group before and then this serial killer guy preying on him while he was suffering from PTSD or something, but he had support network and other people he looked up to, so why would suddenly some serial killer take up that position of authority? ANd in just a couple of months?! I have no idea what they were thinking, and the writers don't an out-of-jail card because of the shorter season from me either, because I don't see how this could have possibly worked even with five episodes more to set something up.

I didn't watch Bones this year, but I had been planning to come back and watch it later. Goodbye dvd rental revenue, showrunners! Now I'm not even sure I can bring myself to go back and watch the episodes from other seasons that I missed. Serial Killer Groupie Zack WTF?

Yeah. And not just groupie either. He killed one victims himself.

I heard that the actor wanted out/ was quitting. So I guess the writers went: You know wouldn't it be cool to have him go that way (or something like it), but they didn't have the time to pull it off believably because of the strike.

I agree it was completely unexpected and unexplainable done the way it was. I did like the emotional reactions of the team though.

The whole episode is full of ideas that SOUND cool (everybody believing Booth is dead while he's undercover, one of the team being a killer, and a few other things I don't remember right now) but were really poorly executed.

I wouldn't have minded so much if they had made him a bad guy in a vaguely believable fashion, even through some awkward retroactive explanation we didn't see in foreshadowing, but the idea of him becoming partner to a cannibalistic serial killer for the good of humanity because somehow that helps with uprooting conspiracies... that makes less sense than the most convoluted parts of the X-Files mytharc.

Bones season finale

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject