The Essentials
medium confidence
43 of 246 episodes. Skipping the rest saves 8d 11h — 1d 19h to watch instead of 10d 6h.
Forty-three of two hundred and forty-six. The Booth-and-Brennan relationship and the recurring-killer arcs are the spine; the rest is case-of-the-week. Built from published episode primers, with season six corrected - the sources' own list introduces a major character and the original cut kept her departure while dropping her arrival.
For a first-time viewer.
Updated
Where the story lives
The path
Tick episodes off to track where you are. Turn on spoiler hiding below if you have not seen it yet.
S01E01Pilot60mFBI Special Agent Seely Booth teams with Dr Temperence Brennon from the Jeffersonian Institute to solve the murder of an ex-aide of a Washington, DC, congressman.
S01E15Two Bodies in the Lab60mBooth and Brannan investigate the death of a man in what appears to be a mob hit. They are assisted in their investigation by fellow FBI agent, Jamie Kenton. The investigation takes a dangerous turn when Brennan lands in the crosshairs of the killer.
S01E22The Woman in Limbo60mWhile trying to determine the identity of a Jane Doe, Brennan is shocked to learn the remains are those of her mother, who went missing with her father fifteen years ago. Brennan discovers her mother was murdered more than a year after her parent's disappearance and is determined to find out what happened.
S02E09Aliens in a Spaceship60mBooth and Brennan search for a killer who buries his victims alive and leaves them to die if ransom demands are not met.
S03E01The Widow's Son in the Windshield60mA skull smashes the windshield of a car driven by a group of teenagers on the freeway; a trail of suspects leads Brennan and Booth to a strange cannibalistic society; Cam suggests that Angela hire a private investigator to find her ex-husband.
S03E13The Verdict in the Story60mWhen Max goes on trial for the murder of FBI Deputy Director Robert Kirby, all the team members but Brennan are called as expert witnesses for the prosecution.
S03E15The Pain in the Heart60mA human jawbone found at the Jeffersonian alerts Brennan and the team that the Gormogon serial killer has struck again; a lab explosion lands Zack in the hospital; Gormogon's silver skeleton disappears from the vault.
S04E25The Critic in the Cabernet60mBrennan asks Booth to be the father of her child; Stewie Griffin offers the couple advice.
S04E26The End in the Beginning60mWhen a body is discovered at a popular nightclub, everyone is a suspect.
S05E01Harbingers in the Fountain60mAngela's psychic, Avalon Harmonia, reveals while reading Angela's tarot cards that there are multiple bodies buried under a Washington, DC fountain.
S05E16The Parts in the Sum of the Whole60mWith Sweets finishing his book on their partnership, Brennan and Booth take the opportunity to set the record straight and recount the facts of the first case they worked together.
S05E22The Beginning in the End60mThe team works to uncover clues buried under a life's worth of possessions saved by a hoarder in order to solve the mystery of his death. Meanwhile, Angela's father has a specific purpose for his most recent visit, and Brennan and Booth are confronted with unique opportunities .
S06E01The Mastodon in the Room60mWith Cam's reputation and career on the line, the team travels from overseas to help her solve the case of an unidentified young boy. The Forensics Anthropology Unit lost much of its vigor after disbanding to pursue personal ventures, and it will take the collaborative energy and knowledge of the newly reunited team to unravel evidence and find closure for the family of the unknown boy.
S06E02The Couple in the Cave60mWhen the remains of a couple are discovered in a cave at National Park, the team must piece together the identity of the man and the woman as well as solve the crime. Meanwhile, Booth's girlfriend and Afghanistan war correspondent, Hannah Burley, makes a surprise visit.
S06E09The Doctor in the Photo60mBrennan gets a glimpse into her own life when the body of a brilliant and career-driven surgeon is found in a rough neighborhood with multiple fractures in her skull and no indication as to how or why she was there. While the team investigates the case objectively, Brennan struggles to separate her own life from the victim's as she perceives many parallels between them the more she learns about the victim's past.
S06E13The Daredevil in the Mold60mRemains are discovered on the roof of a warehouse after a failed bike stunt. Meanwhile, Sweets turns to Booth for advice about his relationship with Daisy, and Booth makes a decision about his relationship with Hannah.
S06E16The Blackout in the Blizzard60mA severe blizzard causes a city-wide blackout, adding to the obstacles the team must overcome in order to solve a murder case that could be linked to a potential viral outbreak. Booth and Brennan have a conversation about their relationship while trapped in an elevator, and Angela and Hodgins get worrisome news about the health of their unborn baby
S06E22The Hole in the Heart60mWhen sniper-on-the-loose Jacob Broadsky claims another victim, Booth becomes more determined than ever to catch his elusive foe. After a bullet meant for Booth strikes an innocent victim, Booth makes it his mission to catch Broadsky once and for all.
S06E23The Change in the Game60mThe unidentifiable and gruesome remains of a bowler are found lodged in the automatic pinsetter of a bowling lane. Booth and Brennan go undercover as part of Max's bowling team in hopes of finding clues about the victim. Meanwhile, Angela goes into labor.
S07E01The Memories in the Shallow Grave60mWhen the Jeffersonian team identifies the remains of a woman found in a paintball field, they discover two missing-persons reports in her file. Booth and Sweets interrogate the victim's husband and learn that she suffered from amnesia. When Wendell Bray learns that the victim also survived a bullet wound, inconsistencies in her medical records uncover a surprising crime linked to her murder. Meanwhile, Brennan and Booth adjust to their new life as an expectant couple and deal with the forthcoming changes in their home life.
S07E06The Crack in the Code60mCryptic message penned in human blood is discovered at a national monument. As the Jeffersonian team embarks on a scavenger hunt to solve the case, they realize their tech-savvy suspect remains one step ahead of them. Meanwhile, Booth and Brennan search for the perfect home for their new family.
S07E07The Prisoner in the Pipe60mThe remains of an escaped convict are found in a residential sewer, but an examination of the sewer pipes indicates that the murder occurred within prison walls. Brennan insists on solving the crime - despite Booth's pleas for her not to overexert herself - and the expectant couple experiences a very untraditional arrival of their baby daughter.
S07E13The Past in the Present60mEvil tech genius Christopher Pelant, a suspect in a previous case Brennan and Booth handled, is back in court on appeal. Knowing what he is capable of, Brennan and Booth inform the judge that he is a suspect in two murder cases. Then, Brennan and Booth are called to the scene of a new murder. After determining the victim is Brennan's friend, who also is linked to Pelant, the Jeffersonian team works to prove he is guilty once and for all. But when law enforcement examines the team's findings, key pieces of evidence are tied to Brennan and suspicion falls on her.
S08E01The Future in the Past60mHaving been accused of murder, Brennan is on the run from the FBI, with help from her father Max. Booth and the Jeffersonian team are convinced evil tech genius Christopher Pelant has manipulated key evidence in the case to pinpoint Brennan as the prime suspect. Then, an anonymous tip leads the team to the remains of a high school guidance counselor that may hold the key to proving Brennan's innocence.
S08E24The Secret in the Siege60mWhen evil tech genius Christopher Pelant returns to toy with the Jeffersonian team in their newest investigation, they discover that the string of murders that have been occurring are tied to FBI agents close to Booth. Meanwhile, as the investigation unfolds, Sweets realizes that the evidence seems all too familiar to him and Brennan starts evaluating her relationship with Booth when signs begin to point to him as a potential target of Pelant's.
S09E01The Secrets in the Proposal60mIn the season premiere of BONES, the Jeffersonian team investigates the murder of Jason Siedel, an accountant for the state department, whose remains were found in a hotel air conditioning unit. When Booth finds his old army buddy and CIA agent, Danny Beck, clearing away evidence at the victim's condo, he begins to realize that Siedel's murder could yield more suspects than the team had anticipated. Booth also seeks out Aldo Clemens, his friend and an ex-priest from their military days together, to get advice on his relationship with Brennan, now that Pelant has put a wedge between them. Meanwhile, Brennan must decide whether to have faith in Booth or to end her relationship with him.
S09E04The Sense in the Sacrifice60mPelant is back, and the members of the Jeffersonian team want to put an end to the hold he's had over them, once and for all. When a human cadaver is willed for research to the team, they devise a plan, with the help of Special Agent Hayes Flynn, to stage the human cadaver in a way that Pelant would stage a murder, and steal his spotlight in order to flush him out. But their plan backfires when Pelant is a step ahead of them, resulting in him killing someone close to Booth. Meanwhile, Sweets returns from his leave of absence and is convinced that Agent Flynn isn't the person whom everyone thinks he is.
S09E06The Woman in White60mThe Jeffersonian team investigates the murder of Nancy Handelman, whose body was discovered at the time of Brennan and Booth's wedding rehearsal. When the case becomes more serious than the team anticipated, Cam and Angela do everything in their power to keep the details of the investigation from Brennan in order to ensure that she will stay focused on her big day. Tensions run high when unfortunate events occur to stall the wedding temporarily, and Max comes to town with a suspicious duffle bag full of money.
S09E24The Recluse in the Recliner60mIn the season finale of BONES, the Jeffersonian team investigates the death of Wesley Foster, a conspiracy blog writer who had arranged to meet up with Booth to discuss a previous case before his untimely death. Realizing that whoever killed Foster did not want him talking to Booth, the team has to try to figure out who is behind the death and how the previous case is relevant. As Booth and the Jeffersonian team dig deeper into the burgeoning conspiracy surrounding the man's death, it's evident Booth may be in over his head, and his future with the FBI is put in question.
S10E01The Conspiracy in the Corpse60mIn the Season 10 premiere of BONES, Brennan and the Jeffersonian team are desperately working to get Booth out of jail, clear his name and absolve him of crimes he did not commit. The remains of a man who has been dead 16 years could be the point of origin in the entire government conspiracy that ultimately put Booth in jail. Meanwhile, Booth is faced with a challenge from a new and politically ambitious FBI agent. As he awaits trial, Booth also realizes that many of the convicts with whom he is locked up are criminals he put in there, and Daisy and Sweets have a surprise for the rest of the Jeffersonian team.
S10E02The Lance to the Heart60mTo find out who framed Booth for murder, the Jeffersonian team, with the help of Special Agent James Aubrey, continues to investigate who is behind a conspiracy within the Federal Government that dates all the way back to J. Edgar Hoover. Then, when foreign DNA is found in a previous victim linked to the scandal, the team is able to narrow down the number of suspects, leading them closer to cracking the case.
S10E15The Eye in the Sky60mWhen the remains of a high-stakes gambler are found in an industrial shredder, Booth risks relapsing into his gambling addiction as he and Brennan delve into the world of underground poker. Meanwhile, Hodgins invents a new product related to the lab, and Brennan and Booth find out some exciting news.
S10E19The Murder in the Middle East60mWhen a powerful member of the Iranian parliament kidnaps Arastoo to have him aid in a murder case, Booth and Cam head to Iran, and the rest of the Jeffersonian team must race against the clock to help expose the killer. Meanwhile, Brennan learns the truth about Booth's growing gambling habit, and she turns to Aubrey for help to keep her and Christine safe from her husband's menacing bookie.
S10E20The Woman in the Whirlpool60mWhen the body of a well-known cookie jar collector is found in a riverbank, the Jeffersonian team must submerge themselves into the victim's collector community in order to catch the murderer. Meanwhile, Booth struggles to come to terms with Brennan's decision that he move out of their house due to his gambling addiction and Aubrey has his eye on one of the "squinterns".
S10E21The Life in the Light60mWhen the remains of an ex-con and biker gang member-turned-yoga instructor is found in the aftermath of a forest fire, the team must navigate both worlds from the victim's past to find the killer. Meanwhile, Booth continues working hard to beat his gambling addiction and regain Brennan's trust, and Angela and Hodgins make a big decision that will impact their future at the Jeffersonian.
S10E22The Next in the Last60mWhen the Jeffersonian team discovers remains of a victim, and elements of the crime scene point to a possible protégé of serial killer Christopher Pelant, they must revisit their prior work on Pelant while tracing new clues that will hopefully lead them to the copycat killer. Meanwhile, Angela is skeptical about her and Hodgins decision to move to Paris and Brennan and Booth contemplate options outside of the Jeffersonian and FBI.
S11E01The Loyalty in the Lie60mSix months after the events of last season, Booth, Brennan, daughter Christine and the new baby are ostensibly living a dream life, a world away from the murder-filled life they left behind. But a case with close personal ties to the couple compels Brennan to become involved in the forensic analysis of the remains, and Booth mysteriously goes missing, prompting an FBI investigation into his whereabouts led by Agent Grace Miller (guest star Kim Raver), who works closely with FBI Agent James Aubrey on the case. However, tensions rise when Miller tries to investigate one of the team's own as the primary suspect. The case also brings Brennan into contact with a member of Booth's family (guest star Dilshad Vadsaria), and "squintern" Arastoo Vaziri (guest star Pej Vahdat), who has been filling in as lead forensic anthropologist during Brennan's absence, hopes the temporary position becomes permanent.
S11E02The Brother in the Basement60mAnother layer is added to the mystery of Booth's whereabouts and the state of his physical condition when the team discovers that FBI Agent Miller (guest star Kim Raver) has not been entirely truthful with the FBI and the Jeffersonian, keeping vital information from them that could lead them to Booth. Meanwhile, the Jeffersonian gets a surprise visitor, FBI digital forensic scientist Dr. Benjamin Metzger (guest star Josh Casaubon), who works with Angela to try to decode the information the team has been able to uncover regarding Booth's location and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. Also, Arastoo makes a major decision that affects his and Cam's personal and professional relationship.
S11E10The Doom in the Boom60mThe team investigates the murder of a police officer that sends shockwaves through both the Jeffersonian and FBI teams. Behavioral analyst Karen Delfs is assigned to work with Booth on the investigation and lends her professional assessments on who the cop killer could be, while Cam must make some decisions in her personal life and the entire team re-evaluates what is truly important to them.
S11E13The Monster in the Closet60mThe Jeffersonian investigates the decomposing body of a social worker in the park, but evidence suggests the killer lived with the body for months before dumping it. Things get even more complicated when they determine another set of remains has similar details which link the multiple victims to a serial murderer who had sinister interactions with his victims' bodies. Booth and Aubrey consult with behavioral analyst Karen Delfs to help with clues to the killer's identity while Cam tries to determine what (and who) she wants in her romantic life.
S11E18The Movie in the Making60mTo produce a television segment on the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal lab, a documentary crew follows Brennan, Booth and the Jeffersonian/FBI team on a "typical" case as they investigate a corpse found in a landfill that was buried there more than a decade ago. The camera captures normally unseen footage of the team at work, while candid commentary by each of the team members provides an inside look at the investigation as Booth and Aubrey show off their unique skills in the field, and Brennan and her team prove their expertise and integral importance to solving murder cases.
S11E22The Nightmare in the Nightmare60mThe team dives back into investigating a serial killer from the past, attempting to find "The Puppeteer", who lives with his victims' bodies before disposing of them. Meanwhile, Brennan works through her guilt over her retirement last year, blaming herself for not stopping the serial killer earlier. However, little does she know she might be in some trouble of her own.
S12E12The End in the End60mWith Kovac still at large, the team searches for evidence to track him down. After Brennan experiences a setback, the rest of the team must figure out how to find Kovac without her, putting everything she has ever taught them to the test. When all signs point to Kovac having outside help, as well as a hideout, Booth and Brennan go searching for him.