(The following contains some spoilers for fans who don't keep abreast of Bones talks on the Internet.) As Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan on Fox's Bones, actress Emily Deschanel gets asked one question more than any other: When will Bones and Booth get it on?
Though the show is--on the surface--about a forensic scientist and an FBI agent cracking grisly murder cases, underneath all those body parts and skeletal remains is a thumping heart that bleeds sexual tension between Bones and Booth (played by David Boreanaz). But, as previously (and purposely) leaked, the two do eventually hook up later this season.
"Happily for Emily that's already happened," Deschanel told reporters this morning, referring to the forthcoming tryst which has already been filmed. "That is a question most commonly asked, either by people on the street of by people interviewing me. It is nice to tell people it is happening."
But why now? And how will the producers prepare for the potential backlash and post-coital fizzle that other shows see when stars finally fall into each other's arms?
"It's been four years, it's been something everyone has been waiting for for some time," Deschanel says. "Producers wanted to find a clever way to do it that doesn’t completely ruin the chemistry we have. I'm glad we waited this long, but I don't think we should have waited too much longer. The concern has always been that it will dissipate the romantic tension between the characters and a lot of shows have died from that. I think it was a matter of timing and figuring out a way that it doesn’t ruin the show. I'm happy about the way it turned out."
Bones isn't above doing a few stunt castings to draw interest, and there are two whoppers coming up. Of the Family Guy crossover where Booth has hallucinations of world-dominating baby Stewie, Deschanel says, "It's done really and it's really believable." And the season finale has some rocking guests: Motley Crue. "The band doesn't understand continuity, Tommy Lee played some takes with his shirt off."
Deschanel says she's very different from her character: "I'm certainly not as intelligent, I'm a little more personable. I'm able to have conversations with people, which she struggles with." But conversely, she sees her professional relationship with co-star Boreanaz as almost identical to the relationship between Bones and Booth, with less sexual tension and more of a brother-sister type of thing going on.
Bones wouldn't be where it is today without its rabid fan base, and Deschanel knows this. "We did better on an unscheduled night without a lot of promotion," she says of the fans following the show around despite its many time changes. "If we didn't have the fans, we would never have survived because we've been moved around so many times. We owe it to our loyal viewers."
