Temperance "Bones" Brennan

For the character in Kathy Reichs' novels, see Temperance Brennan.

Dr. Temperance Brennan
First appearance	"Pilot"
Created by	Hart Hanson
Portrayed by	Emily Deschanel
In-universe information
Alias	Joy Keenan
Nickname	Bones, Tempe, Brennan, Bren, Dr. B
Gender	Female
Title	Dr.
Occupation	Forensic anthropologist
Family	Russ Brennan (brother) Max Keenan (father) Ruth Keenan (mother; deceased) Amy Hollister (sister-in-law) Hayley Hollister (step-niece) Emma Hollister (step-niece)
Spouse	None
Children	None
Religion	Atheist

Dr. Temperance Brennan (born Joy Keenan), called "Bones", "Dr. Brennan", "Bren", or "Tempe" is one of the co-protagonists of the American television series, Bones, which is very loosely based on author Kathy Reichs. She is portrayed by Emily Deschanel. Although the character is named after the heroine in Reichs' crime novel series, her characterization was based on Reichs herself rather than the books' protagonist. The only similarity the two characters share is their occupation as a forensic anthropologist.

Character

Brennan works at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. and is paired with Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) to work on cases which require both their expertise. He nicknames her "Bones", referring to her job as a forensic anthropologist. The pair thus-far seem to have a fairly comfortable working relationship, despite the differences in their personalities and the sexual tension evident between them.

Though denying a romantic relationship, they tend to spend more and more time together outside work throughout the series and have "intimate" conversations about their past or present, they "nearly" date, having lunch and dinner together, Booth taught Brennan how to skate, went with her to England and accompanied her to China.

Along with her work at the Jeffersonian Institute, Brennan is a best-selling novelist and writes about a fictional anthropologist, Kathy Reichs (this is a nod to the real life Kathy Reichs, who writes about a fictional anthropologist named Temperance Brennan). In the series' pilot, Brennan says the closest other forensic anthropologist is in Montreal. Tempe mostly confides in her best friend and fellow co-worker, forensic artist Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin). Aside from Angela, Dr. Brennan has a band of 'squints' (a term given by Agent Booth to describe what scientists do - "they squint at things"), specifically entomology expert Dr. Jack Hodgins (T. J. Thyne), and formerly Dr. Zack Addy (Eric Millegan), a bone trauma expert who was also once Dr. Brennan's graduate student.

Brennan graduated from Northwestern University and is a licensed hunter (one episode, The Man in the Morgue, reveals she has licenses allowing her to hunt in four unspecified states). She claims she only hunts for food. In the same episode, it is said she is trained in three types of martial arts. In Aliens in a Spaceship, it mentions Dr. Brennan was currently studying Karate. The known list of Brennan's diverse talents is expanded in Double Trouble in the Panhandle, as it is revealed she is a trained amateur highwire performer. It is also of note Brennan's intimate knowledge and understanding of forensic anthropology and kinesiology, often being compared to the Police Detective Columbo for her seemingly unintelligent appearance towards suspects, have given her an aptitude for gaining clues from the body movements of other people (The Woman in the Garden, The Truth in the Lye, The Girl with the Curl) and contributes towards her martial arts prowess, even advising Booth once how to win his fight against another Ultimate Fighting contestant in The Woman in the Sand.

In "Mayhem on the Cross", a specific instance about Dr. Brennan's turbulent time in the foster care system is revealed. She was locked in a trunk for two days for breaking a dish. According to Brennan, she was warned of the consequences in advance. However, the water was simply too hot to safely use and the soap slippery and thus the dish was dropped. When Brennan reveals this information to Dr. Sweets and Booth, she becomes extremely emotional and very out-of-character. This creates an emotional connection between the three of them by metaphorically "sharing scars." Although all three continue to hide it, they become much closer.

Appearances

Season 1

The first season establishes Brennan's character and background. She chose her field of research in order to find out what happened to her parents, who vanished without a trace when she was fifteen - leading to an unpleasant time in the foster care system before being rescued by her grandfather. This is revealed early in the first season, but later contradicted in the last episode of the second season, when in a conversation with her father Brennan says she always thought she didn't have any grandparents. It has been revealed she has one living brother, Russ. When she was fifteen and Russ was nineteen, their parents went out in their car one day to run errands and never came back.

In the first season finale, it was revealed Temperance Brennan's birth name was Joy Keenan. Her parents were bank robbers who were forced to change their names and go into hiding when they testified against other robbers in their group. Brennan discovers her mother's remains, which had been held at the Jeffersonian ever since she arrived, and finally solves her murder. She also reunites and reconciles with her older brother Russ (formerly Kyle Keenan).

Season 2

The season-long plot involves Brennan's developing relationship with Booth as well as the return of her father and brother. In "Judas on a Pole" (2x11), Brennan's father, Max, surfaces when she and her team investigate a murder he committed to protect her and Russ. Max disappears as quickly as he surfaced and takes Russ with him. Her father visits her several more times over the course of the season but manages to evade capture each time. In the final episode of the second season, he allows Booth to arrest him because he realizes each time he runs away, he cuts himself off from his daughter, which makes her feel abandoned once again. He states he has set Russ up with a straight job, but refuses to tell Temperance where her brother is living because he is violating the terms of his parole.

Also in the final episode of Season 2, Brennan agrees to become Angela's maid of honor. After Zack turns down the offer of being best man for Hodgins, Booth steps into the role. The episode ends with Brennan and Booth standing before the priest after Hodgins and Angela run off together without being married. In Season 3, Angela speculates this has caused a rift in the friendship of Brennan and Booth because of the symbolism (a man and a woman at the altar); however, Brennan seems to be more upset Booth did not advise Zack against going to work in Iraq.

She also speaks at least six other languages including (but not limited to) Spanish (The Women in the Garden), French (Pilot), Latin (The Boy in the Tree), Chinese (The Boneless Bride in the River and The Boy in the Tree), Japanese (The Girl in the Mask), and German (The Blonde in the Game).

Season 3

Brennan's father is accused of murdering the Deputy Director of the FBI and goes to trial, (Episode 13). Through her testimony and trial strategizing, Brennan helps him be acquitted of all charges. Due to the fact her partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth, arrested her father Max Keenan, Brennan and Booth are sent to therapy throughout the season with psychologist Dr. Sweets. As the season progresses, Brennan and the Jeffersonian team attempt to catch a serial killer known as the Gormogon, who eventually recruits Brennan's former grad student and current "squint" Zack as his apprentice. Brennan must also deal with the "death" of Booth, who took a bullet meant for her. He later is revealed to be alive, and Brennan tries to figure out why she was never informed. Brennan learns she was supposed to be told by Dr. Sweets, but Sweets didn't tell her so he could observe how Brennan acted in the face of Booth's death. She also changed her mind about having a baby after taking care of one, showing a more compassionate side to her personality. Dr. Brennan had a strange moment with Dr. Sweets's first girlfriend, April, who was seeking advice from another woman in a stable relationship. April thought it was strange because she is 27 while Sweets just turned 23, and asked if there was an concerns about the age difference between Bones and Booth (which is 5 years). Though she told April they were not together, it's unsure if she trusts her.

Season 4

There are more hints of romantic feelings between Brennan and Booth in this season, and it's been teased by creator Hart Hanson that this is the season that they "finally end up in bed together." Their relationship became slightly strained when Jared Booth, Seeley's brother, was introduced (Seeley took exception to his brother's interest in Bones). In the episode "The Princess and the Pear" Brennan notes that Booth tends to be "needlessly protective" sometimes and she doesn't know why, to Agent Perrota, after Booth instructs Perrota not to let her go into the field alone.

Brennan is unhappy to see her father has obtained a job at Jeffersonian for a time, staying as a convicted criminal. Sweets claims this is because Brennan feels though her father is here now, she can only remember the times he was not there for her in her past. Upon a request from Max, Booth successfully convinces her to accept his presence at the Jeffersonian.

Brennan is shown to have exceptional knowledge in the art of sword fighting when she and Sweets are injured after their car is run off the road and subsequently attacked by a Black Knight.

In the episode "The Girl in the Mask" she speaks basic, albeit flawed Japanese.

Temperance Brennan is revealed to want to have a child in the season four episode, The Critic In The Cabernet. She decides she would like to use Booth's semen. Booth gives his approval, but eventually changes his mind after he hallucinates advice from Stewie Griffin to either be involved or don't do it at all. Brennan agrees to not have a child, or at least to wait. She discovers Booth has been seeing things frequently and takes him to the hospital where it is discovered he has a brain tumor. As he's being rolled into surgery, he lets her know if he dies, he wants her to use his sperm to have a baby. The season ends with an "alternate reality" episode, which in actuality is Brennan reading what she is writing to Booth while he is still unconscious. In this alternate reality, Booth and Bones are married and own a club, where most of the other characters work. The episode ends with Booth waking up, and asking Bones "Who are you?" and Bones looking surprised and upset. In an interview with Hart Hanson it was revealed that Booth doesn't have amnesia but rather he can't remember if she is the Brennan from the alternate reality episode 'The End in the Beginning' OR if she is his partner 'Bones.'

Season 5

shes beauti ful

Characterization

While the character shares the same name and occupation in both the books and television series, her characterization in Bones is vastly different. Brennan is "very focused," and hyper-rational, she is very defensive and protective of evidence, and she deals with the 'horrors' of the crimes she investigates by focusing on the facts only. In the Pilot, Angela voiced perhaps the reason why Brennan comes off as distant is because she "connects too much." Despite her extensive knowledge of anthropology, she is quite unaware of pop culture and her coworkers, particularly Booth, like to tease her about it. A running gag on the series is someone making an obvious popular culture reference and she blankly states "I don't know what that means", and she is somewhat excited on the rare occasion she does understand them. In contrast to the novels, Brennan of Bones lacks social skills and has trouble understanding jokes and sarcasm.

Her portrayer in the television series, Emily Deschanel, commented Bones' Brennan "is a lot younger and different" from the Brennan in Kathy Reichs' books. Deschanel remarked, "Not that there aren't certain similarities, but it's a kind of a mesh." According to Deschanel, she and the show's creator Hart Hanson discussed that her character "almost has Asperger syndrome".

Brennan is an atheist, critical towards religion and believes in the death penalty. This has led to more than one argument with Booth, who is a devout Roman Catholic and quite defensive of his faith. Brennan's character development is shown in the second season where she refers to the rest of the team as "our squints" even though the term "squints" is predominately used by Booth when he describes the team, Brennan included.

In the season four episode "The Critic In The Cabernet" Brennan shows a desire to have a child. She also shows sadness, compassion, fear and friendship due to the fact Seeley Booth needed immediate surgery. She went into the operating room with him, to be at his side, at his request. She also shows her commitment and deep emotional feelings towards Booth as she is holding his hand as they go into the operating theatre together and in the following episode "The End in the Beginning" she is writing about love while sitting at Booth's side waiting for him to wake up from the coma.