After being such an unabashed fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel", with the cancellation of both I wondered if any of the stars would be able to find themselves in another hit. Several of the actors found their way into shows that were quickly cancelled, but Alyson Hannigan is now in her fourth season of "How I Met Your Mother." Surprisingly, David Boreanez was also given the opportunity to see if he could shed the image of "Angel" (you know how it is to be typecast) by starring in the "CSI"-like series, "Bones." For those who thought "Bones" was a new series that dealt with the early career of Dr. Leonard McCoy… you were totally wrong. Instead it dealt with the career of Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), a forensic anthropologist. Based on the writings of real life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, Brennan is able to piece together crimes by studying the bones that have been left behind.

She is a bit of a misfit, so when she has to team up with FBI Agent Seeley Booth (Boreanez) the poor Dr. Brennan is totally out of her league in the social sense. However, there is no denying her brilliance and uncanny knack for noticing the smallest details, which often break the case wide open.

The formula is similar to "CSI", "NCIS", "Criminal Minds" and other shows of that ilk in that there is always the 'team.’ So while Brennan and Booth are the focal point of the series, there is a cast of peripheral players making up the rest of Brennan's 'team.' There's Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin), Zach Addy (Eric Milligan), and Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne). Each has their little piece of expertise that, when used in tandem with Brennan's knowledge, reconstruct the crimes of those who almost got away with it. The second season also added a new boss for Brennan in the form of Dr. Camille Saroyan (Tamara Taylor). Unfortunately as it is such a small world, Saroyan also happens to be an ex of Booth's so it adds that little bit of 'tension.'

What's different about this series though, and I have to give them credit for slightly breaking the mold, is that they don’t rely so much on the glitzy close-ups of corpse's wounds to tell the story. They instead interact more with those involved, making the show more about the victims and their families than the actual crime itself. But make no mistake; the series does not shy away from the occasional shot of decaying corpses and the like. There are times when the series won’t appeal to the squeamish.

"Bones" was another of the many series I missed during its initial airing. In truth, I hoped Boreanez would be good, so I did watch the first episode when it aired. I wasn't really impressed and decided to skip it instead of giving it a chance. As I've been wrong before (Shock! Gasp!), I was wrong this time. The series gained fans quickly and it has been just getting stronger. So, last year when Fox opted to release the entire first season on DVD, I went ahead and dove in.

While I initially still thought the Pilot episode was rather weak, the rest of episodes just got better and better. The characters began to 'click' and by about the 6th episode, Boreanez had completely left Angel behind. His character is so different, which only serves to prove he is a better actor than even I had thought he was. His rapport with Deschanel elevates the series in ways I hadn’t thought possible. By the end of the season, I was hooked. Even when they had an episode dealing with the death of a young boy, which was very tough to watch, I couldn’t look away.

Following the premiere of the fourth season, Fox is now releasing the third season, which I actually made it through in record time. Which wasn’t too hard as it was made up of only 15 episodes due to the writer’s strike. Short though it may have been, I found the third season to be every bit as compelling as the first two. A storyline dealing with Brennan’s father on trial for murder and a serial killer who throws the remains of his victims off of overpasses both make for a great season.

Since the third season was so short, Fox opted to include 4 bonus episodes from season four to flesh out the set. And while I was happy to see the additional episodes, I cannot help but feel that it might come back to bite Fox when they actually release the fourth season. After all, why would fans want to pay for 4 episode twice?

The DVD set does include a lengthy (and funny) Gag Reel as well as a couple of extended episodes. Most interesting however is the inclusion of two versions of the episode “Player Under Pressure”, which was reshot in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech Shootings. Here you’ll find the new version as well as the original, which was supposed to (but did not) air during the second season.

"Bones" has definitely grown on me…. as opposed to in me… (get it… bones… in me… .never mind…) I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where the fourth season takes it.

Episodes:
The Widow’s Son in the Windshield
Soccer Mom in the Mini-Van
Death in the Saddle
The Secret in the Soil
Mummy in the Maze
Intern in the Incinerator
Boy in the Time Capsule
The Knight on the Grid
The Santa in the Slush
The Man in the Mud
Player Under Pressure
The Baby in the Bough
The Verdict in the Story
The Wannabe in the Weeds
The Pain in the Heart
The Yanks in the U.K.
The Man in the Outhouse
The Finger in the Nest

Starring: David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel
Extras: Extended Episodes, Unaired Version of “Player Under Pressure”, Extended Kiss from “Santa in the Slush”, Gag Reel, Director’s Take, 4 Bonus Episodes from Season 4
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 11/18/2008
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Bones: Season 3 a B.