Seeley Booth

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Seeley Booth
First appearance	"Pilot"
Created by	Hart Hanson
Portrayed by	David Boreanaz
Information
Nickname(s)	Booth
Gender	Male
Age	37
Occupation	Specical Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation aka the FBI
Family	Jared Booth (brother)
Children	Parker Booth (son)

Seeley Booth is a fictional character in the American television series, Bones. He is portrayed by David Boreanaz and is a co-protagonist of the series alongside Dr. Temperance Brennan, to whom he affectionately refers as "Bones".

Contents 1 Character history 2 Relationships 2.1 Camille Saroyan 2.2 Temperance Brennan 3 Characterization 4 References

[edit] Character history

Seeley Booth is a former sniper of the United States Army Rangers, and an expert knife thrower. He is currently an agent with the FBI. He frequently consults with his professional partner Dr. Brennan, whom he has nicknamed 'Bones', and her team, acting as a liaison between the FBI and the Jeffersonian Institute. When it comes to solving crimes, Seeley has a very different approach from Brennan and her team, preferring a more human, interpersonal and intuitive set of methods. While he finds the information Dr. Brennan and her team uncover to be valuable clues, he often finds their means overly convoluted and restrictive, and prefers to add his own intuition and knowledge of people to it — something which clashes with Dr. Brennan's scientific, objective, and analytical approach, which has its own limitations.

While Seeley tries to keep personal and professional life strictly separate, aspects of his personal life leak through. He is a religious man by nature, having been an Altar boy as a child, (he knows a little Latin) and is still a practicing Roman Catholic (episode 1x19), seeking to atone for the lives he took as a sniper while an Army Ranger and since through his work in the FBI. His father flew fighter planes during the Vietnam War and his mother composed jingles for television adverts. While in the Army Rangers, he was apparently tortured, leaving him with emotional and physical scars (revealed in 1x15 "Two Bodies in the Lab"). Booth has apparently been serving the FBI for the past 12 years as of episode 4x06 "The Crank in the Shaft", meaning that he was either 24 or 25 at the time.

He was romantically entangled with a blonde lawyer named Tessa at the beginning of the series, which caused some friction between Booth and Brennan. He also has a seven-year old son named Parker with his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca, whom he states refused to marry him. Originally, the communication between Seeley and Rebecca seemed hostile, as she denied him visitation out of spite, but it is later revealed that relations between them have dramatically improved.

The "squints" soon began their habit of interfering, or be simply being very interested, with his personal life. Angela asked personal questions about and directly to Tessa, and even advised them on island trips. When he was dating Camille, Angela and Hodgins soon found out from what they had seen in the lab. But what really interests them is his relationship with Brennan; They all hint at it, and Angela always asks them questions. Camille herself becomes interested, asking questions as well, such as an instance when she was undercover, she asked if there was only one bed where they were seeing them so close that Booth sat on Brennan's cloth. He became Hodgins' adviser when proposing to Angela.

He has a brother named Jared who worked at the Pentagon and has a drinking problem. In Season 2, Episode 14: The Man in the Mansion he tells Dr. Gordon Gordon Wyatt that he is from Pittsburgh. However, then in season 4, Booth tells Brennan that he is from Philadelphia, and he is a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers. It was also revealed at the end of Season 1 that Seeley is (still) recovering from a gambling addiction, which possibly arose as a coping mechanism after separating from the military and leaving a stressful, war-time environment.

Early in the series, Seeley once arrested Brennan for shooting a murderer who, despite trying to kill her by setting her on fire, was unarmed at the time. Even though she was not convicted, she was still charged with a felony, which meant that her original application for a concealed weapon was denied. In the second season, she was allowed a permit, and later bought herself an oversized gun from a local mall.

At the end of the second season, Seeley agrees to be Jack Hodgins' best man in his wedding to Angela Montenegro after Zack Addy refuses. It is unclear whether he knew that he was the second choice, but the issue became moot after the wedding was called off.

In the third season, Seeley uses information found by Brennan and the lab team to track down a serial killer known as Gormogon, which forms the season's "story arc".

In the first and second episode of the fourth season, Yanks In The U.K., Booth was given the title of "Official Junior Knight of the Realm," although the medal was from a toy-store.

In the season 4 episode, Double Trouble In The Panhandle, he reveals that his father was a barber as well as a drunk (revealed earlier in the season), and abusive. In the episode "Mayhem on the Cross," Booth states that, had it not been for his grandfather, he might have killed himself as an adolescent, though he only reveals this to help Brennan when she told him and Sweets about her own trauma in the foster system. Booth, Brennan, and Sweets all had abusive childhoods and have formed something of a surrogate family, clearly affectionate, but hidden behind banter and mock insults.

In season 4 episode "Hero in the Hold", it is revealed that he named his son Parker, after his slain spotter, Edward "Teddy" Parker. Booth blamed himself for Teddy's death until he came face to face with Teddy's ghost who revealed that his death was not Booth's fault but his own as he disobeyed his superior's orders to "get down" repeatedly. In the end of the episode, it is revealed that Booth was not hallucinating, as Teddy reveals himself to Bones on the anniversary of his death. When Booth goes to the cemetery, he sees Teddy's girlfriend, and Teddy appears next to Brennan, who doesn't know who he is and thinks he is just another man visiting fallen comrades. Brennan assumes Booth was hallucinating Teddy's appearance, despite the fact that he assisted Booth in an escape which would have required two men.

In the season 4 episode The Critic In The Cabernet Temperance Brennan decides to have a child and asks for Booth's semen for her child. Booth considers Temperance's request. This causes him large amounts of stress, which he irrationally denies to Bones and Sweets.

Later, he begins to hallucinate visions of the character Stewie Griffin from the cartoon Family Guy. This, combined with his stress over Brennan's request, causes him to grow continually irrational, as he refuses to reveal his experiences to anyone. Later, he seemingly forgets that he is hallucinating, when "Stewie" appears while Booth is questioning a witness. He converses with "Stewie" while the others watch, and is seemingly confused by Brennan's concern that he is talking to an invisible cartoon character. Brennan takes Booth to the hospital for his hallucinations, which she believes include Edward "Teddy" Parker in the previous episode Hero in the Hold (although he was actually real). It was announced that Booth had a brain tumour and needed immediate surgery. Though he had earlier refused to give Brennan his sperm while he was hallucinating because he would want to be a part of the child's life, Booth tells her before going into surgery that if something should happen to him, he wants her to have his baby. As a result of the surgery he loses his memory of her.

In the last episode of season four "The End In The Beginning" the surgery to remove Booth's brain tumor was a success. However Booth reacted poorly to the anesthesia which resulted in a coma that lasted four days. When he awoke muttering about how real the dream he had was (the subject of the episode) Brennan was there by his side but he is unable to remember who Brennan was. The season ends with Booth's memory possibly shattered and Brennan shocked at what she just heard.

[edit] Relationships

[edit] Camille Saroyan

Seeley rekindled an old relationship with Dr. Camille Saroyan when she joined the Jeffersonian team. However, Seeley ended the relationship for the second time after an intense case nearly cost Camille her life, with Seeley asserting that on-the-job romantic relationships endanger the team in high-pressure situations. Booth is shown to have known Dr. Saroyan for some length of time (she mentions that she has known Booth and his brother Jared for 15 years in the fourth season), with both of them possessing extensive familiarity with the other's family members. Despite the breakup, Camille and Seeley have remained close friends, working together on cases and giving each other advice on numerous occasions.

[edit] Temperance Brennan

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While Seeley and Brennan maintain a professional relationship and friendship, there is also a level of deep emotional attachment evident on both their parts, as well as a hint of romantic and sexual tension within their relationship.^[1] This tension is crucial to the plot of the series, with fleeting minor characters constantly mistaking Booth and Brennan for a romantic couple, which they consistently and vehemently deny.

Though denying a romantic relationship, they tend to spend more and more time together outside work throughout the series: they "nearly" dated, having lunch and dinner together, he taught her how to skate.

Particularly, Seeley is apparently jealous of Temperance's romantic relationships in the episodes "Two Bodies In The Lab" (1x15), "The Woman In Limbo" (1x22) and "The Boneless Bride in the River" (2x16). Booth has shown a tendency throughout the television series of intimidating, confronting or competing with anyone he believes to have a sexual interest in Brennan, including his own brother. He is also extremely protective of her in general, and is often defensive of her to the point of physically assaulting those who pose a threat to her safety. He has saved Temperance's life in several episodes, digging her out by hand when she is buried alive, jumping in front of a gun pointed at her, violently threatening a gang member into calling off a hit put out on her, and shooting a crooked FBI agent-turned-hit man just as he is about to bash in the back of her skull with a gun. In other instances where he believes Brennan's life to be endangered, Booth often (to Brennan's annoyance) refuses to leave her side, once offering to sleep on the couch at her apartment and flying immediately from Washington D.C. to New Orleans after Temperance wakes up bloodied, beaten and possibly date-raped in her hotel room.

In "The Woman in the Sand" Seeley is extremely impressed when he sees Brennan in a somewhat revealing dress he picked out for her, and slaps her buttocks later in the episode, ostensibly to convince others they are a couple while undercover as a street fighter and his "sugar mama". In many other episodes he appears somewhat stunned whenever he sees her in revealing clothing, such as a Wonder Woman Halloween costume, a dress for a date with another man, and a gown for an event at the Jeffersonian. Booth has admitted to Brennan and to her father that he finds her "well-structured" and "beautiful", and once reassured her that she has "her looks and a whole lot more".

In the third season their relationship was extended as they were forced to undergo therapy together with Dr. Sweets, though Booth intimidated Sweets at first. Sweets said though they were very close to each other he detected very deep emotional tension between them. He told they were avoiding talking their personal lives by talking about work. Both are very protective of each other and seem to have agreed to mock Sweets on this point.

In "The Santa In The Slush" (3x09) Brennan's father wants to spend Christmas with their family, so Brennan asks prosecution attorney Caroline Julian to "pull some strings", though Seeley cautions Temperance that Caroline will want something in return. Caroline jokingly blackmails Brennan; amused by Booth and Brennan's longstanding insistence that they do not view each other in a sexual light, she demands that Brennan kiss Seeley on the lips for 5 "steamboats" (seconds), using mistletoe as an excuse. He became freaked hearing about the deal and wanted to know why but Caroline was only feeling "Puckish". The two kiss, and to the shock of Caroline (and themselves,) the kiss lasts for 12 (in the extended scene on the DVD, 16), not 5, "steamboats", during which Brennan's chewing gum ends up in Booth's mouth for a humorous effect.

It is revealed in the Season 3 episode The Intern in The Incinerator that Booth knows Dr. Brennan's favorite things very well, naming her favorite flowers and planet and effectively guessing her choices for computer passwords. In several episodes he presents her with small, quirky personal gifts and favors, including a toy pig named Jasper, a 'Brainy Smurf' action figure, and a Christmas tree for her family. He often comforts and hugs Brennan after severe emotional distress associated with her personal life and their jobs. Throughout the series, despite their bickering and teasing, Booth has made it clear to Brennan that he has a deep respect for her as a woman, a professional, and as a person.

In the Season 3 episode "Wannabe in the Weeds," Seeley is stalked by Pam, a suspect in his investigation. The emotionally unstable woman is suspected for the murder because she had previously stalked the victim. She subsequently begins stalking Booth, stating that she feels a special connection with him, inspired by his reassuring touch as she grieved over the victim's death. At the end of the episode, Pam tries to shoot Temperance, jealous of her close relationship with Booth and mistaking them for lovers. Seeley, however, steps in front of Brennan and tries to stop Pam as she pulls the trigger, but he inadvertently takes the bullet. Brennan then picks up Seeley's gun and shoots Pam in the throat without wavering.

In the next episode, it's revealed he survived but Brennan was unaware of his survival, so the two had an argument about the trust factor in their relationship. Otherwise, Booth talks with Brennan about his top secret missions.

In season 4, he accompanied her to her trip to England for a conference. He hated the country and shouted it out loud while trying to navigate London's streets behind the wheel ("Yanks in the U.K."). He also came with her on her trip to China "The Passenger In the Oven". He is also there to comfort her when she reveals her abuse as a child from her foster parents, and is willing to share some of his past in order to help her. He also bonds with Sweets on this occasion, forming, in the words of doctor Gordon Wyatt (Stephen Fry), something of a family.

In the seasons four episode The Critic In The Cabernet, Brennan asks Seeley to become the father of her child, to which he responds to with great stress. Over the course of the episode, he begins to hallucinate Stewie Griffin to a point where he converses with the character in front of Brennan and a suspect they were questioning. If it were not for Brennan's insistence to go to a doctor, the benign tumor that caused the hallucinations might not have been found or possibly found too late to save Booth. Before going in to surgery, Booth donates his semen to Brennan so she can have a child. He found out earlier in the episode that his count was 28.8 million for three milliliters. After the surgery is successful and Seeley awakes from a four day coma, he began murmuring about how the dream was so real. Brennan does not understand what he is mumbling and becomes scared when he states he does not remember her.

[edit] Characterization

Seeley does not fit in socially with the collection of "geeks" (whom he and his FBI colleagues refer to as "squints") that make up Dr. Brennan's team. Seeley fills out the stereotype of the "All-American boy" — now all grown up — very well. He is world-wise, socially at ease with people, very athletic, and apparently sexually confident with women (a contrast to the humorous social bumbling sometimes exhibited by some of Dr. Brennan's team). Booth often refers to himself as a jock, having played basketball and several other sports in high school and college. A signed picture of Bruins player Cam Neely can be seen in the background behind his desk.

Seeley is a fan of Classic rock and Arena rock music. He has expressed great affection for the group Foreigner and poked fun at Bones for her interest in new world, jazz music and hip hop. He also likes the band Poco and sang their song, Keep on Trying with Bones. In the season three finale, it is also shown that he listens to the band Social Distortion to help himself relax, while reading a Green Lantern comic in the bath. It is revealed in the season three episode "The Mummy In The Maze" that Seeley suffers from coulrophobia.

Seeley's brother, Jared, comments in The Con Man in the Meth Lab that Seeley is a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team.

Seeley seems to get on quite well with Angela Montenegro and Jack Hodgins, but finds Zack's cold naiveness a little disconcerting, to the extent that he leads Zack to believe that the fact that Seeley rarely acknowledges his existence is a sign of male bonding, so that he doesn't have to talk to him.

Booth stated in The Girl in the Gator that Howard Epps was his fiftieth kill. However, Booth was not technically responsible for Epps death, so as of The Man in the Cell his official kill count is at 49. However, as of The Con Man in the Meth Lab, Booth's official kill count is at least 51, as he killed the serial killer dressed as a clown in Mummy in the Maze, bringing it to 50, and Gormogon at the end of Pain in the Heart, bringing it to 51. He also shot a conning sheriff who shot Dr. Temperance Brennan in The Con Man in the Meth Lab, though a death was never confirmed, possibly bringing the total to 52.

Booth also killed three people in season 1. A terrorist in The Man in the S.U.V., and two mercenaries in The Woman in the Car, this means Booth's kill count before the series began was 46.

However it should be noted that this count only is taking confirmed kills. Any kills during a firefight while in service such as the one Teddy Parker died in would not be taken into account.

It has been said in a TV Guide article that Booth is supposed to be a relative of historical figure John Wilkes Booth but this has yet to be stated on-screen. It was, however, mentioned on the Twitter page of producer Hart Hanson. ^[2]

[edit] References

v • d • e Bones Official website · Episodes Characters Temperance Brennan · Seeley Booth · Angela Montenegro · Zack Addy · Jack Hodgins · Camille Saroyan · Lance Sweets · Other characters Storylines The Gormogon Distribution Home video releases · Other media Other Kathy Reichs