BONES: Hot Zone

Bones 8.23 The Pathos in the Pathogen

Case of the Week:

A badly decomposed human body is found in a veterinary biohazard disposal facility and is brought to the Jeffersonian by the CDC, who suspect a viral infection. The victim is a journalist and blogger who wrote about Big Pharma and was particularly interested in the mutation potential of certain viruses.

All suited up
Photo courtesy of FOX

The Jeffersonian is on lock down because of suspicions that the virus could be airborne. After these are allayed, everyone takes off their biohazard suits and life in the lab becomes a bit more normal, up until Aristoo gets cut by a small needle stuck in the victim’s femur  – potentially the weapon used to infect the victim. Aristoo is likely infected with the virus that killed the victim, but they don’t want to send him to a hospital because he could get a nosocomial infection (hospital-caused bacterial infection) and with him nearby, they can use him as their own little science experiment and help both him and find the person who infected the victim.

They end up building a hospital for him in the bone room as his symptoms progress quickly. Cam presides over him, which is of course a pretty bad idea because she’s 1) in love with him 2)a pathologist who hasn’t been in an ER in years. They somehow have a ton of medical equipment for live people at the lab. The virus is identified as a mutation of the CHIKV virus (AKA Chikungunya virus, which is normally transmitted by mosquitoes and produces a similar disease to dengue fever). They get some antiserum from the CDC and administer it.  Aristoo’s heart rate immediately starts racing and he starts to seize (is this [easyazon-link asin=”B008P9M614″]HOUSE[/easyazon-link] or BONES?). Cam medicates him and he stops seizing.

Meanwhile, Hodgins and Brennan try to concoct some herbal folk remedies in the lab. While they are cooking, Cam and her CDC colleague make Aristoo hypothermic to try to slow the virus’ spread and damage. When the remedy is ready, Cam and CDC guy fight over whether to use it or not. Cam wins the battle and gives it. Of course Aristoo’s condition improves somewhat.

Brennan realizes that one of  the victim’s bone’s fractured from the inside out, *after* death. They surmise that this was the location of infection with the virus and that it wasn’t just a virus that was used as a virus wouldn’t cause a bone to fracture from the inside out. Sure enough, they find bacteria in the sample which was used to accelerate growth of the virus (?). Hodgins find pharmaceutical grade Botulinum toxin in the bone.

Booth threatens the suspect
Photo courtesy of FOX

Angela identifies some other labs that the victim was looking into that could have made the virus. Booth investigates and finds out that an investigator was fired for stealing samples, including CHIKV. The investigator denies it and suggests that he killed Mia to protect himself. They trace back the Botulinum toxin to the lab where the fired investigator worked, but it was made after she left, so she’s off the hook. They arrest her ex-boss and search his office. Booth drags him to the Jeffersonian and shows him Mia’s body and Aristoo. Cam pleads with him for the antiserum, but he asks for his lawyer.

Brennan is determined to save Aristoo
Photo courtesy of FOX

Brennan grabs a syringe and injects it in his neck, telling him that it is the virus that they isolated from Mia (it isn’t). He admits his guilt and provides the antiserum to save himself. They give Aristoo the antiserum and transfer him to a hospital where he quickly improves.

Character Development:

Cam is devastated by the thought of losing Aristoo and is forced to publicly demonstrate her love for him. Booth is grateful for Brennan and vice versa. Angela is very proud that Hodgins and Brennan managed to buy Aristoo time with their folk remedy

My Thoughts:

I had a hard time seeing past some of the medical and scientific implausibilities in this episode to fairly evaluate it otherwise – why does the Jeffersonian have equipment like fancy vital sign monitors and a ventilator when it only deals with dead bodies? Why don’t they listen to their medical adviser, even after joking about it in last season’s The Suit on the Set when Brennan got ticked because the movie version of her book wasn’t medically accurate? The plot seemed rather contrived to put Aristoo in danger only so we could see how desperate Cam would become. There didn’t seem to be a clear motive for the victim’s murder, either. Overall, not one of my favorite episode and much different from last week’s lighthearted jaunt.

Notable Quotes:

None really this week – any that you really liked? Tell me in the comments!

Next Week:

He’s baaaaccckkkkk! Pelant is dead set on making Booth and Brennans’ lives horrible…

Watch the season finale of BONES on Monday, April 29th at 8/7c on FOX!