‘Bones’ season 9, episode 13 review: David Boreanaz directs a winner

Sometimes, “Bones” makes some episodes that are great at making you laugh … but this is one that probably made you cry. While there have been a number of better character moments throughout season 9, “Made in the Philippines” may very well be the show’s best overall episode in quite some time. It was emotional, dark, questioned mortality, and made you want to see if the writers can keep this momentum going for a long time.

This episode was really a winner for director David Boreanaz, who really did an expert job at crafting one emotional moment after enough. The story of a dead singer who tried so hard to make it was really heart-wrenching, in particular when we learned that this struggling singer had actually become a big star in the Pacific country (which does actually happen, and it has to a few “American Idol” stars in particular), but never knew about it until the last minute.

The reveal of the killer was the most anticlimactic moment of the hour, but that really didn’t matter too much. The power of the case came in that he had finally realize that he had promise and hope for a career in country music, but he couldn’t convince anyone to believe him … in particular the woman he loved. We still like to think that in this fictional world, he composed some sort of legacy.

The other major story this week was equally sad, as Wendell learned that he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that only gave him a 10% chance of survival. We saw Brennan struggle with the announcement, and then we saw Wednell decide that he wanted to take off and find a way to enjoy the world before he died. In the end, though, he chose to stay and fight it at all costs, just to inspire others and give him a great shot.

By far, this was the saddest “Bones” in some time … but it was one that was so easy to connect to that we’ll be thinking about it for some time. Grade: A.

What did you think about this “Bones” episode? Share your thoughts below.