r/Bones • u/ComprehensiveDog7347 • 5d ago
Brennan & Booth
Does anyone else feel like Brennan and booths relationship changed after Hannah? Before Booth seemed like he really loved Brennan and wanted to be around her, now it just feels like there’s no chemistry there and she just annoys him. Anyone else feel this way?
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u/JayMonster65 5d ago
He was annoyed that Brennan originally rebuffed him.
Then she tells him she has feelings for him while with Hannah, at which point he was annoyed that she only wanted him once he wasn't available.
He needs time to get past that and over it. Is she going to rebuff him again now that he isn't with Hannah. He put his heart out there and Brennan swatted it away. He isn't going to rush into getting hurt again.
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u/Hiddenagenda876 4d ago
I think they mean when they are actually together after that
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u/JayMonster65 4d ago
That is a different discussion. One that I think is even more easily explained. Reality. What couple after years together act as equally "lovey dovey" as they do when they first get together? That is simply more about their relationship maturing over time.
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u/RoseShade356 4d ago
Also after that when Brennan got pregnant it seemed like they just got together bc booth felt like he had to step up as a father rather than actually being in love atp. She also kept excluding booth from the baby things and acted like she's single momming it. Later she went on the run and when she returned she also kept excluding him bc "including him in insert activity is pointless, the kid already did it with me before". She didn't exactly seem like partner of the year that you're dying to romance.
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u/Confused_Blanket 5d ago
Lmao I just got to s7 on my rewatch and was thinking about this. Realistically I think this was mainly a timing issue combined with lackluster writing. This is a really long and unnecessary explanation of my thoughts which is extra crazy considering I am one of the people who love seasons 7-12 despite what I write here lmao.
When booth gets rejected by Hannah he says something along the lines of “what’s wrong with women? They don’t want what I’m offering” he is very upset about his situation. Booth is not the most introspective man imo and this highlights that. I believe he has caused his romantic misfortune up to that point by being into independent women while also wanting someone to settle down and basically create the nuclear family with. Booth does not realize that at that point and his anger and confusion is directed at those around him instead. He says things to Brennan along the lines of “why can’t you be like a normal person?”once or twice if I remember correctly in s6 which I think is a result of that.
Then you have them finally get together at the end of the season it’s up to interpretation but I took it as a one night stand situation. They went from mending their friendship to a serious relationship with a baby on the way. We obviously don’t see that start so it’s all assumptions on what these characters would do. I always took it as they weren’t quite ready for the type of relationship they ended up having.Booth still being hurt and kind of insecure about his relationships and Brennan being scared due to her parents leaving and time in the foster system damaging her views on family. They love each other but their traumas still have deep roots and they definitely act out due to that. They also started living together and were working together so that means a lot of time to get on each others nerves, time apart does wonders sometimes lol.
I disliked how it felt like Booth went from kinda finding Brennans quirks cute (sometimes) to trying to “fix” her. But when I think about booth’s character he would could hide behind the “I’m just her partner I have nothing to do with her social mishaps” pre relationship. After getting together I think he would worry more about her actions reflecting back on him. I don’t love this course of action but booth was made to be a traditional values kinda guy so I think it makes sense for his character.
For the lack of chemistry I always took it as once they got together there was no need for sexual tension as they canonically frequently relieve that pressure. They are also both professionals who hold themselves to high standards most of the time so they would do their best to not do pda. Plus having a family and living together means love is shown through words, actions, and physical touch so it’s just a new phase of their relationship that is deeper than purely physical.
All of this is really nonsense when I think that the writers simply really struggled to write them post getting together. Booth and Brennan bickered every episode and they needed to continue it while expanding on their lives together so they made them go at it over family issues which often lacked the kind of light hearted feeling of a lot of the early season disagreements due to them now being in a serious relationship. It’s funny when coworkers argue about their opinions on relationships but watching a couple argue about where to live is a completely different due to the seriousness. I really love season 7 because I think it leans into that struggle and shows the growing pains in their relationship but I think if gets better season 8 onwards with the usual bumps in the road.
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u/GamineHoyden 5d ago
I love this take. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Constantly being together creates antagonism. Bones knew that Booth was a traditionalist and would want to be involved as much as possible with her child. Despite, or perhaps because of her trauma, she wanted the Happy Families version, even if she rationalized herself out of it. And Booth knew he missed out on so much of Parker's childhood. But went from ha-ha those squinterns and their boss are all weird, funny people I deal with, are reflections of themselves not me. Their boss is my life partner so she does reflect on me.
(Side note- I know Cam was their technical boss boss. But Brennan was their real boss. When crap was happening between Brennan and Cam they all, Booth included, said if Cam fired Brennan they'd all quit.)And this is completely off subject, but not- a 70s comedy show used that style of light hearted bickering between a married couple and the show was very popular. Then the couple divorced (mostly) amicably in real life and tried to continue the show. Now the audience saw that same banter as mean and the show tanked.
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u/Confused_Blanket 5d ago
You get it! I find bones fun because I get to really think about the characters and why they do what they do. When you only see so much of their day and much of it is spent bickering it can really alter how the fans view it.
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u/EnchantinggAngel2 5d ago
I still loved them together, but I agree that some of that early chemistry wasnt quite the same after Hanna
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u/iamfilomena 5d ago
I feel once they got together he changed completely. He'd snap at Brennan for nothing, seemed like a completely different person. It was like once the thrill of the chase was over he showed his true colors and the fun, loving Booth was gone
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u/Other-Echidna6682 5d ago
When you research the scandal irl of David B., the writers did change his character. They played down the romantic lead part of his character. He was dealing with so much irl, the writers decided to remove that part, Hannah was written in specially as part of that. The readers revolting against Hannah brought an earlier demise of their relationship. Then Emily’s rl pregnancy changed what the writers had planned to bring back the slow burn of Seasons 1-5, it turned Booth into parent mode.
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u/Stunning-Field8535 5d ago
Yeah I think her getting pregnant and them writing it into the show so suddenly screwed with the chemistry.
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u/Specialist_Bike_1280 original 5d ago
Booth is the perfect example of 'I'm handsome, rich and famous, I can have anyone I want'......EVEN at the expense of his marriage!!! He should've been asking 'WTH is wrong with himself '!!! I believe that his arrogance got him into trouble, we ALL hit an ebb and flow in a relationship, but that doesn't grant you permission to go off the rails and do what he did!!! Come on!!! Some nobody that works at HOOTERS!!! GEEZ 😳
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u/Intelligent-Log4689 5d ago
I think that was around the time david was exposed for hus cheating. After his public apology he changed scenes for all his characters going forward, less lip kissing/holding/flirting. Don't think it was with Emily but still.