Monday, April 2, 2007

Bones and Catholics

No, not skeleton bones. The television show featuring David Boreanaz who used to be on Angel and is the reason Rose and I first tried watching Bones. Ahem ... I think it is pretty clear why we followed him from one show to the other.

Anyone else watching Bones? Until this season it has been a guilty pleasure. However, this season's writing has kept the enjoyable aspects of characters' interaction while improving on the plots. One of the most pleasing things for me is that Agent Booth (David Boreanaz' character) is unabashedly Catholic and not backwards about defending his faith in the face of Dr. Brennan's detached scientific atheism.

The last episode's murder was discovered in a Catholic cemetery and focussed on the old-style priest as a main suspect. He was everything that makes someone dislike that "old-style" yet in the end, as the real murderer confessed to him, he took responsibility for his attitudes of anger and pride that influenced their actions. I was afraid that he would be portrayed simply as a stereotype but they moved beyond that.

As well, there was a moment when Dr. Brennan says that the younger priest seems like a sensible man who didn't believe in superstition. I was stunned when he smiled and said, "Superstitious? Well if you mean believing in the resurrection, the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the transubstantiation of the Host ... I do." (This is from memory as is all dialogue from this ... funny ) I'm trying to think of when I ever heard someone use the word transubstantiation ... and then respectfully ... on a regular television show.

Or how about when Dr. Brennan was going to step on the altar and Booth cries out, "Don't step on the altar. Have some respect." A few minutes later, when it becomes apparent that the chalice is the murder weapon and Dr. Brennan is going to grab it, Booth yells, "No! Don't touch that chalice. That's where the wine changes into the Sacred Blood of Christ."

How about that? Nothing about "we believe" or "it is supposed to." Just simply stated as a fact from a believing Catholic. Granted, a Catholic who has strayed as we see in other shows, but one who knows the nuts and bolts of what's important in being Catholic. Refreshing and a welcome change!

1 comment:

  1. In this day and age, religion is almost a "taboo" subject, but as a practicing Roman Catholic I take great joy in being one, it gives me a great sense of peace that I believe in God, I also love the fact that David Boreanaz "Seeley Booth" brings his faith to the show and stands by it, we need more people to stand up for what they believe in.

    ReplyDelete