Emily Deschanel on 'uncomfortable' and 'lovely' parts of rewatching 'Bones'
This story was updated to correct a typo.
Bones has some thoughts on "Bones."
Well, Emily Deschanel, who played Temperance ("Bones") Brennan on 12 seasons of the Fox crime drama "Bones" from 2005-17, has some thoughts on the 200-plus episodes of the series. With her friend and co-star Carla Gallo, who played the later season role of Daisy Wick, Deschanel is on a mission to rewatch the entire series and talk about it on her new podcast, "Boneheads," out Wednesday from Lemonada Media.
The pair will watch all 245 episodes in order (if the podcast lasts that long) and add commentary for fans. Topics range from a cynical appreciation for the fashion choices of the early 2000s to behind-the-scenes gossip. (You'll have to tune in to find out which actress booked the part of Brennan before Deschanel but then dropped out.) And occasionally, they'll train a critical eye on a series that hasn't always aged well when it comes to stereotypes and the sexualization of female characters.
It's become something of a cliché for stars to look back on their most successful series in podcasts, from "Office Ladies" to "Talking Sopranos," and that's something Deschanel keenly understands. "Everyone's done a rewatch podcast," she said in an interview last year, before the podcast was delayed by the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike. "Including my husband and my sister," she added, referring to "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" actor/writer David Hornsby and sister Zooey Deschanel ("New Girl"), respectively. "We decided to jump on the bandwagon."
Deschanel is the ultimate "Bones" insider: She was never absent from a single episode in the series' long run, but Gallo was only around for a small portion of the series and never watched it regularly, which Deschanel sees as an asset. "We have not just inside stories, but someone watching it with fresh eyes saying, 'Wait, what were you guys thinking? Why did you do that?'"
And in a long running and somewhat dated series, there are plenty of chances to ask "what were you guys thinking?" In the podcast's first episode, Deschanel recounts a story about an unnamed executive who told her "Bones" only got on the air because of Deschanel's décolletage.
She knew there would be things she didn't like when she revisited "Bones."
"Things that felt uncomfortable at the time feel even more uncomfortable" now, she said. "(Carla and I) knew going in that there'd be some uncomfortable things or some things we didn't like about the show. It's a bit daunting. It's hard to know how to address things like that when our ultimate goal is to entertain 'Bones' fans. But we didn't want to not criticize when things felt weird or wrong."
Deschanel believes she and Gallo are tough but fair, and that others involved in the show, many of whom will later appear on the podcast, would agree. Future guests include T.J. Thyne (Jack Hodgins), Michaela Conlin (Angela Montenegro), Tamara Taylor (Camille Saroyan), Eric Millegan (Zack Addy) and series creator Hart Hanson. Deschanel also promises her co-star David Boreanaz, who played steely FBI Agent Seeley Booth (whom Brennan eventually wed), will hopefully stop by for an episode when his schedule allows.
The podcast also provides Deschanel an opportunity to look back at her own life, which has changed dramatically (including marriage and motherhood) in the nearly two decades since she first put on Temperance Brennan's lab coat.
"I'm glad to look at it now, (19) years later, because I have more of a perspective on it," she said. "It's nice to feel like I was part of something that I really liked. I'm curious to examine what the show meant to the world of television and to my life as well. It was a good experience overall, doing 'Bones.' I wouldn't want to do a rewatch podcast if it wasn't."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Emily Deschanel on 'Bones' rewatch podcast: 'Uncomfortable'
