The Bones That Weren't Episode 5 Sides

MI_Bonesgirl wrote:I don't want to burst anyone's bubble but I think it is wishful thinking that it is Hannah who has the surgery. We don't have enough of anything really to go by, maybe it is, maybe it isn't..I have fallen into twisting the scenario to fit a problem with Hannah, but I don't think we should jump to that conclusion or get our hopes up...Last time I twisted a scenario to fit what I wanted to believe it was the S5 finale. I learned my lesson.

We don't know for sure how many episodes Katheryn Winnick is contracted for. 5 was the original number, but when Marisa asked SN outright he didn't have a direct answer (surprise, surprise) So for all we know, it could be 5, it could be 8, it could be 20. I hope it's sooner rather than later, but I wouldn't hold my breath...

This may just be wishful thinking, but I really don't think Hannah will last long...because seeing the promo and watching that crappy kiss screams "rebound girl" to me...and I don't wish it is Hannah who has surgery because then Booth would want to be with her and be a good "boyfriend" ...so I hope it's Pops or Jared and Booth is upset because Hannah isn't there for him because she has her story to work on (it's not like she would be there for him because she probably hasn't met his family yet). At least, it could start to drive a wedge between Booth/Hannah

elyon wrote:Another thing that should be added is that like Brennan, Booth was abandoned by his parents as a child. Either his mother died or left him with an abusive father who was then run off by his grandfather. But he doesn't know that; he only knows his father vanished. Then Rebecca, the mother of his son, refused to marry him because as he tells the ghost of Teddy Parker, 'She didn't love me.' Tessa appears to have been the one to break up that relationship as well when she refused to go to Costa Rica with him. So Booth has as long a history of abandonment and betrayal by those he's loved as Brennan does. He just doesn't go on about it as much.

Booth probably doesn't go on about it as much because, unlike Brennan, he was raised afterwards in a seemingly loving home by his grandparents whereas Brennan was in the foster system. Of course, his alpha male ego probably wouldn't let him go on about it either...it's apparent he holds it in, because it has surfaced...his fear that he's going to turn out like his father, in the hockey episode for example.

Back to the episode, I, too, hope it's not Hannah and that she was too busy with her story to "be there" for Booth and he's hurt.

..and if Hannah is too busy to "be there" for him, it would give Brennan an opportunity to show him that she does care about him.

jro54 wrote:I agree with you. I don't believe they missed their moment. They simply weren't ready yet. Brennan has to be able to admit her feelings for him...I think Booth has always loved Brennan, but I don't think he was never really IN love with her. He never showed any romantic interest in her until after he woke up from his coma. He’s more in love with the idea of being love and having someone who will love him for 30 or 40 or 50 years. He didn’t even say “I love you,” he just said “Let’s give it a shot.” He wouldn't have even said that if Sweets didn't push him to. You don’t bet on something you are willing to lose. First roll of the dice-he quit … If he wanted SPECIFICALLY Brennan, he would have pushed harder to get her to admit her feelings to him and told her she was wrong, but instead, he gives he 30, 40 or 50 year speech and just gives up...And he wouldn’t have moved on that quickly. In real life, if a man is really in love with a woman who rejected him, he would have try to move on-gone out on a couple dates and realize that it's not working out, but he wouldn't have "moved in" with her and be in bed with her "glistening" and "grinning like a thief." Booth was never really sure that Brennan was the ONE. He just wanted someone to love him....and when she balked, he gave up and found someone else...If B&B do get together, Booth has to realize that he doesn't just want someone to love him-he ONLY wants Brennan and she has to ADMIT her feelings for him.

happylama2 wrote:
Oh, my. I completely (respectfully) disagree. Booth has issues. He is the child of an abusive alcholic. He struggles with feelings of insecurity that are very very deeply rooted.
tSitP "...I'm afraid you'll find out how stupid I am..."
tBitE "...I thought you already had [decided to go to Maluku without consulting me because I am not important to you]"
and about a thousand more. Compare the Booth we saw in the flashback in tBitE to the current. Finding a woman that he wanted so much, that he feels fated to pursue, caused major changes for him. He stopped gambling, he got that office, he became a rebel with his socks and belt buckle. He began trying to make himself worthy of her, IMO.

Booth ALWAYS underestimate how important he is to Brennan, both because Bren is crappy with emoting and because all events are filtered through the lens of our own perception. Booth feels that he is unworthy and undeserving and at the same time, he grapples with a deep longing for family. Children of abusive parents often struggle with this paradox.

Now, add in that the object of his affection is beautiful, successful, scary brilliant, and a MILLIONAIRE. Yeah, his move was crappy. But you can't say that you've never said the wrong thing, even when the outcome matters SO much. So, he works up the nerve to make an awkward, desperate move, and she says "no." No, I'm scared, no you're too important for me to mess this up, I love you and I don't want to jeopardize that. All Booth can hear is "No, you're not good enough to love for 50 years, no I don't want a family with you, no; but you are good enough to work with."

Booth's desire to be loved, be validated, and have a family are still there. He is hurt, terribly, by her rejection. Hannah is beautiful and successful and wants him, pursues him. Oh, that's the sweet spot. She is telling him that he's someone worth having, that she wants a life with him, and so, yeah, he's grinning like a fool. He needs that validation in the darkest places of his heart.

It's very real life, and very sad, and very painful and I'm sad for all of them.

Dear Happylama2,
This is THE BEST and FAIREST analysis of the Booth and Brennan situation I have read, EVER. I don't think anyone has ever given such a clear, honest portrayal of Booth's issues and dilemmas without bashing Brennan, nevermind giving her side of things a fair look.

I read through some of the further debates. It seems that you do agree with the point that Booth's romanticism of love and marriage blinds him to the realities of what those things mean. However, you also made this statement:

Also, what exactly are you expecting of Booth? Should he take vows of chastity and pine for Brennan? If she does not want him, does not find him worthy of her after five years of close contact, what is he supposed to do? If she only finds him acceptable as a work partner, does he not deserve some relaxing companionship and some good sex? 'Cause these are definitely the thoughts in Booth's head. If you can't have what you want, should you not try to be happy with what you have?

For clarity on my part, is your point that because of his past and low-self worth, this is how he sees the situation with Brennan? That does make sense to me. Many people have made the argument that BRENNAN was saying she only saw him as a work partner, which, given the tears and levels of emotion in general through her speech, clearly wasn't the case. Saying that it is how BOOTH heard it, that is a different, and IMO a legitimate point, and certainly valid if one considers that Booth may have never felt worthy of her.

However, objectively speaking, IMO the idea that Brennan would fall into his arms after he has basically avoided the topic and put it off-limits for five years, is ludicrous. Romantic, certainly, but it doesn't take into account who Brennan is and how her relationship has developed with him. It begs the question: has Booth really SEEN Brennan? So many of her vulnerabilities and flaws have been exposed, and Booth seems to have been privy to them all. Yet…his own insecurities seem to have blocked any memory of them in the 100th. Assuming that your assessment of how he compares himself to her is correct, he doesn’t seem to include any of her flaws in that comparison, despite having worked through many of them with her. This speaks again to a kind of romantic idealism, vs. loving the real person. LIKEWISE, so much of Booth’s background remains hinted and and unexplored. It begs the question of how well Brennan truly KNOWS Booth? I don’t think it would every occur to her that Booth was in awe of her. He's been her knight in shining armour, thus, SHE’S in awe of HIM, and doesn’t want to tarnish his star. [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />

Not to say that there isn't genuine love that B&B have for each other. It's simply clouded by their veils of insecurities and personal defenses. Your explanation of Booth in this situation, really was enlightening for me in how to look at the 100th as a whole. I still have a difficult time with some of the writers choices and backpedaling, but I can also see more of a star-crossed lovers quandary: The unknown princess, who pined for this prince for years, feels unworthy of love and can't believe the prince who's been chatting and comforting her from beneath her window is suddenly truly interested in climbing up. She's terrified for his life, for if he does attempt to climb the tower and falls...she loses him completely. So, she refuses to let down her hair, and watches him from her tower window...[Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />Likewise, unknown prince feels unworthy of this princess and therefore sees her refusal to help him ascend the tower as rejection, gives up on his first attempt and searches for a different princess, one more easily attainable [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />.
In truth, neither one is really to blame, and I, too, happylama2, feel sorry for them both. [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />
Thanks for all the input and thought put into this, I really found it thought-provoking. Welcome to the Aby!

joybrennan wrote:

I read through some of the further debates. It seems that you do agree with the point that Booth's romanticism of love and marriage blinds him to the realities of what those things mean. However, you also made this statement:

Also, what exactly are you expecting of Booth? Should he take vows of chastity and pine for Brennan? If she does not want him, does not find him worthy of her after five years of close contact, what is he supposed to do? If she only finds him acceptable as a work partner, does he not deserve some relaxing companionship and some good sex? 'Cause these are definitely the thoughts in Booth's head. If you can't have what you want, should you not try to be happy with what you have?

For clarity on my part, is your point that because of his past and low-self worth, this is how he sees the situation with Brennan? That does make sense to me. Many people have made the argument that BRENNAN was saying she only saw him as a work partner, which, given the tears and levels of emotion in general through her speech, clearly wasn't the case. Saying that it is how BOOTH heard it, that is a different, and IMO a legitimate point, and certainly valid if one considers that Booth may have never felt worthy of her.

However, objectively speaking, IMO the idea that Brennan would fall into his arms after he has basically avoided the topic and put it off-limits for five years, is ludicrous. Romantic, certainly, but it doesn't take into account who Brennan is and how her relationship has developed with him. It begs the question: has Booth really SEEN Brennan? So many of her vulnerabilities and flaws have been exposed, and Booth seems to have been privy to them all. Yet…his own insecurities seem to have blocked any memory of them in the 100th. Assuming that your assessment of how he compares himself to her is correct, he doesn’t seem to include any of her flaws in that comparison, despite having worked through many of them with her. This speaks again to a kind of romantic idealism, vs. loving the real person. LIKEWISE, so much of Booth’s background remains hinted and and unexplored. It begs the question of how well Brennan truly KNOWS Booth? I don’t think it would every occur to her that Booth was in awe of her. He's been her knight in shining armour, thus, SHE’S in awe of HIM, and doesn’t want to tarnish his star. [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />

Not to say that there isn't genuine love that B&B have for each other. It's simply clouded by their veils of insecurities and personal defenses. Your explanation of Booth in this situation, really was enlightening for me in how to look at the 100th as a whole. I still have a difficult time with some of the writers choices and backpedaling, but I can also see more of a star-crossed lovers quandary: The unknown princess, who pined for this prince for years, feels unworthy of love and can't believe the prince who's been chatting and comforting her from beneath her window is suddenly truly interested in climbing up. She's terrified for his life, for if he does attempt to climb the tower and falls...she loses him completely. So, she refuses to let down her hair, and watches him from her tower window...[Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />Likewise, unknown prince feels unworthy of this princess and therefore sees her refusal to help him ascend the tower as rejection, gives up on his first attempt and searches for a different princess, one more easily attainable [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />.
In truth, neither one is really to blame, and I, too, happylama2, feel sorry for them both. [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />
Thanks for all the input and thought put into this, I really found it thought-provoking. Welcome to the Aby!

Hey, thanks for the props!
I was actually referring to him having a casual relationship with Hannah. What he wants with Brennan is that epic love that he really is longing for. Brennan is that desire that he holds close and quiet, that he thinks he does not deserve. Having that insecurity, in his eyes, validated is gonna send him scurring back to what he thinks he can have - leggy, blond, smart and a shallow relationship. Hannah is going to make him feel good about himself. HANNAH is a REBOUND. His injured ego (and I don't mean vanity, I mean sense of self) will not allow him to pine for Brennan; what self-respecting person would wait for someone that doesn't want them? His wings have melted and he has fallen back to earth.

And I do have a little problem with Booth being an inuitive people person that cannot understand that Brennan DOES love him and is just terrified, but I think that it can be understandable. HitF, Avalon says that Booth knows the truth of Brennan and is dazzled by her. "Dazzled" implies a little sun blindness, don't you think? Yes, he knows her flaws, he's been there, but I think that in BitE his insecurities were screaming so loudly that he couldn't hear her at all. (I totally think that Brennan was saying that she was terrified of loosing their relationship by changing it so drastically and that she actually loves him dearly.)

It's interesting because as an audience we know very little about Booth and we do not know what exactly Brennan knows about him that we do not. When they play out his backstory, I'll be really twisted if they authors play it like Brennan is as in the dark as we are.

Also, I like your princess analogy. Very cute, what with the Ivory Tower of academia.

happylama2 wrote:

joybrennan wrote:

I read through some of the further debates. It seems that you do agree with the point that Booth's romanticism of love and marriage blinds him to the realities of what those things mean. However, you also made this statement:

Also, what exactly are you expecting of Booth? Should he take vows of chastity and pine for Brennan? If she does not want him, does not find him worthy of her after five years of close contact, what is he supposed to do? If she only finds him acceptable as a work partner, does he not deserve some relaxing companionship and some good sex? 'Cause these are definitely the thoughts in Booth's head. If you can't have what you want, should you not try to be happy with what you have?

For clarity on my part, is your point that because of his past and low-self worth, this is how he sees the situation with Brennan? That does make sense to me. Many people have made the argument that BRENNAN was saying she only saw him as a work partner, which, given the tears and levels of emotion in general through her speech, clearly wasn't the case. Saying that it is how BOOTH heard it, that is a different, and IMO a legitimate point, and certainly valid if one considers that Booth may have never felt worthy of her.

However, objectively speaking, IMO the idea that Brennan would fall into his arms after he has basically avoided the topic and put it off-limits for five years, is ludicrous. Romantic, certainly, but it doesn't take into account who Brennan is and how her relationship has developed with him. It begs the question: has Booth really SEEN Brennan? So many of her vulnerabilities and flaws have been exposed, and Booth seems to have been privy to them all. Yet…his own insecurities seem to have blocked any memory of them in the 100th. Assuming that your assessment of how he compares himself to her is correct, he doesn’t seem to include any of her flaws in that comparison, despite having worked through many of them with her. This speaks again to a kind of romantic idealism, vs. loving the real person. LIKEWISE, so much of Booth’s background remains hinted and and unexplored. It begs the question of how well Brennan truly KNOWS Booth? I don’t think it would every occur to her that Booth was in awe of her. He's been her knight in shining armour, thus, SHE’S in awe of HIM, and doesn’t want to tarnish his star. [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />

Not to say that there isn't genuine love that B&B have for each other. It's simply clouded by their veils of insecurities and personal defenses. Your explanation of Booth in this situation, really was enlightening for me in how to look at the 100th as a whole. I still have a difficult time with some of the writers choices and backpedaling, but I can also see more of a star-crossed lovers quandary: The unknown princess, who pined for this prince for years, feels unworthy of love and can't believe the prince who's been chatting and comforting her from beneath her window is suddenly truly interested in climbing up. She's terrified for his life, for if he does attempt to climb the tower and falls...she loses him completely. So, she refuses to let down her hair, and watches him from her tower window...[Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />Likewise, unknown prince feels unworthy of this princess and therefore sees her refusal to help him ascend the tower as rejection, gives up on his first attempt and searches for a different princess, one more easily attainable [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />.
In truth, neither one is really to blame, and I, too, happylama2, feel sorry for them both. [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />
Thanks for all the input and thought put into this, I really found it thought-provoking. Welcome to the Aby!

Hey, thanks for the props!
I was actually referring to him having a casual relationship with Hannah. What he wants with Brennan is that epic love that he really is longing for. Brennan is that desire that he holds close and quiet, that he thinks he does not deserve. Having that insecurity, in his eyes, validated is gonna send him scurring back to what he thinks he can have - leggy, blond, smart and a shallow relationship. Hannah is going to make him feel good about himself. HANNAH is a REBOUND. His injured ego (and I don't mean vanity, I mean sense of self) will not allow him to pine for Brennan; what self-respecting person would wait for someone that doesn't want them? His wings have melted and he has fallen back to earth.

And I do have a little problem with Booth being an inuitive people person that cannot understand that Brennan DOES love him and is just terrified, but I think that it can be understandable. HitF, Avalon says that Booth knows the truth of Brennan and is dazzled by her. "Dazzled" implies a little sun blindness, don't you think? Yes, he knows her flaws, he's been there, but I think that in BitE his insecurities were screaming so loudly that he couldn't hear her at all. (I totally think that Brennan was saying that she was terrified of loosing their relationship by changing it so drastically and that she actually loves him dearly.)

It's interesting because as an audience we know very little about Booth and we do not know what exactly Brennan knows about him that we do not. When they play out his backstory, I'll be really twisted if they authors play it like Brennan is as in the dark as we are.

Also, I like your princess analogy. Very cute, what with the Ivory Tower of academia.

This is brilliant!!! And so very sad.

happylama2 wrote:

joybrennan wrote:

I read through some of the further debates. It seems that you do agree with the point that Booth's romanticism of love and marriage blinds him to the realities of what those things mean. However, you also made this statement:

Also, what exactly are you expecting of Booth? Should he take vows of chastity and pine for Brennan? If she does not want him, does not find him worthy of her after five years of close contact, what is he supposed to do? If she only finds him acceptable as a work partner, does he not deserve some relaxing companionship and some good sex? 'Cause these are definitely the thoughts in Booth's head. If you can't have what you want, should you not try to be happy with what you have?

For clarity on my part, is your point that because of his past and low-self worth, this is how he sees the situation with Brennan? That does make sense to me. Many people have made the argument that BRENNAN was saying she only saw him as a work partner, which, given the tears and levels of emotion in general through her speech, clearly wasn't the case. Saying that it is how BOOTH heard it, that is a different, and IMO a legitimate point, and certainly valid if one considers that Booth may have never felt worthy of her.

However, objectively speaking, IMO the idea that Brennan would fall into his arms after he has basically avoided the topic and put it off-limits for five years, is ludicrous. Romantic, certainly, but it doesn't take into account who Brennan is and how her relationship has developed with him. It begs the question: has Booth really SEEN Brennan? So many of her vulnerabilities and flaws have been exposed, and Booth seems to have been privy to them all. Yet…his own insecurities seem to have blocked any memory of them in the 100th. Assuming that your assessment of how he compares himself to her is correct, he doesn’t seem to include any of her flaws in that comparison, despite having worked through many of them with her. This speaks again to a kind of romantic idealism, vs. loving the real person. LIKEWISE, so much of Booth’s background remains hinted and and unexplored. It begs the question of how well Brennan truly KNOWS Booth? I don’t think it would every occur to her that Booth was in awe of her. He's been her knight in shining armour, thus, SHE’S in awe of HIM, and doesn’t want to tarnish his star. [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />

Not to say that there isn't genuine love that B&B have for each other. It's simply clouded by their veils of insecurities and personal defenses. Your explanation of Booth in this situation, really was enlightening for me in how to look at the 100th as a whole. I still have a difficult time with some of the writers choices and backpedaling, but I can also see more of a star-crossed lovers quandary: The unknown princess, who pined for this prince for years, feels unworthy of love and can't believe the prince who's been chatting and comforting her from beneath her window is suddenly truly interested in climbing up. She's terrified for his life, for if he does attempt to climb the tower and falls...she loses him completely. So, she refuses to let down her hair, and watches him from her tower window...[Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />Likewise, unknown prince feels unworthy of this princess and therefore sees her refusal to help him ascend the tower as rejection, gives up on his first attempt and searches for a different princess, one more easily attainable [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />.
In truth, neither one is really to blame, and I, too, happylama2, feel sorry for them both. [Only admins are allowed to see this image][Only admins are allowed to see this link] alt="" />
Thanks for all the input and thought put into this, I really found it thought-provoking. Welcome to the Aby!

Hey, thanks for the props!
I was actually referring to him having a casual relationship with Hannah. What he wants with Brennan is that epic love that he really is longing for. Brennan is that desire that he holds close and quiet, that he thinks he does not deserve. Having that insecurity, in his eyes, validated is gonna send him scurring back to what he thinks he can have - leggy, blond, smart and a shallow relationship. Hannah is going to make him feel good about himself. HANNAH is a REBOUND. His injured ego (and I don't mean vanity, I mean sense of self) will not allow him to pine for Brennan; what self-respecting person would wait for someone that doesn't want them? His wings have melted and he has fallen back to earth.

And I do have a little problem with Booth being an inuitive people person that cannot understand that Brennan DOES love him and is just terrified, but I think that it can be understandable. HitF, Avalon says that Booth knows the truth of Brennan and is dazzled by her. "Dazzled" implies a little sun blindness, don't you think? Yes, he knows her flaws, he's been there, but I think that in BitE his insecurities were screaming so loudly that he couldn't hear her at all. (I totally think that Brennan was saying that she was terrified of loosing their relationship by changing it so drastically and that she actually loves him dearly.)

It's interesting because as an audience we know very little about Booth and we do not know what exactly Brennan knows about him that we do not. When they play out his backstory, I'll be really twisted if they authors play it like Brennan is as in the dark as we are.

Also, I like your princess analogy. Very cute, what with the Ivory Tower of academia.

Thanks! I thought the Rapunzel story fit best for Brennan - not only because of the Ivory Tower imagery, but because it's one of the few fairytales where the princess actively denies herself pleasure out of fear for the prince's life. In the fairytale, she fears if the witch catches him with her, the witch will kill HIM. Ultimately, he convinces her, and sure enough, the witch finds out, cuts off Rapunzel's hair and banishes her to the wilderness to fend for herself. THEN the witch waits in the tower for the prince, pretends to be Rapunzel, lets down Rapunzel's hair, and pulls the Prince up. She then informs the Prince he shall never see Rapunzel again. Before she can kill him he leaps from tower, falls into a bed of thorns, and becomes BLIND. The ending varies a bit, but both involve being separated and miserable for years on end, wishing and longing that the other were still alive. Finally, one day, the prince hears a voice that sounds exactly like Rapunzel's and follows it. Upon seeing the prince, the princess weeps with joy - and her tears heal his eyes... and they live happily ever after.

Of course, Brennan is still terrified of the damn witch and the prince just gave up - so we've got a ways to go!

(incidently, one version's ending is that, the prince got the princess PREGNANT in the tower [those brothers Grimm ] and when the prince finds Rapunzel she presents him with a pair of twins! Hmmmmm.... )

happylama2 and joybrennan Thank you so much for your analogies.This makes the most sense! Reading your posts made me see things much clearer.

happylama2 wrote:

I agree with you. I don't believe they missed their moment. They simply weren't ready yet. Brennan has to be able to admit her feelings for him...I think Booth has always loved Brennan, but I don't think he was never really IN love with her. He never showed any romantic interest in her until after he woke up from his coma. He’s more in love with the idea of being love and having someone who will love him for 30 or 40 or 50 years. He didn’t even say “I love you,” he just said “Let’s give it a shot.” He wouldn't have even said that if Sweets didn't push him to. You don’t bet on something you are willing to lose. First roll of the dice-he quit … If he wanted SPECIFICALLY Brennan, he would have pushed harder to get her to admit her feelings to him and told her she was wrong, but instead, he gives he 30, 40 or 50 year speech and just gives up...And he wouldn’t have moved on that quickly. In real life, if a man is really in love with a woman who rejected him, he would have try to move on-gone out on a couple dates and realize that it's not working out, but he wouldn't have "moved in" with her and be in bed with her "glistening" and "grinning like a thief." Booth was never really sure that Brennan was the ONE. He just wanted someone to love him....and when she balked, he gave up and found someone else...If B&B do get together, Booth has to realize that he doesn't just want someone to love him-he ONLY wants Brennan and she has to ADMIT her feelings for him.[/quote]

Oh, my. I completely (respectfully) disagree. Booth has issues. He is the child of an abusive alcholic. He struggles with feelings of insecurity that are very very deeply rooted.
tSitP "...I'm afraid you'll find out how stupid I am..."
tBitE "...I thought you already had [decided to go to Maluku without consulting me because I am not important to you]"
and about a thousand more. Compare the Booth we saw in the flashback in tBitE to the current. Finding a woman that he wanted so much, that he feels fated to pursue, caused major changes for him. He stopped gambling, he got that office, he became a rebel with his socks and belt buckle. He began trying to make himself worthy of her, IMO.

Booth ALWAYS underestimate how important he is to Brennan, both because Bren is crappy with emoting and because all events are filtered through the lens of our own perception. Booth feels that he is unworthy and undeserving and at the same time, he grapples with a deep longing for family. Children of abusive parents often struggle with this paradox.

Now, add in that the object of his affection is beautiful, successful, scary brilliant, and a MILLIONAIRE. Yeah, his move was crappy. But you can't say that you've never said the wrong thing, even when the outcome matters SO much. So, he works up the nerve to make an awkward, desperate move, and she says "no." No, I'm scared, no you're too important for me to mess this up, I love you and I don't want to jeopardize that. All Booth can hear is "No, you're not good enough to love for 50 years, no I don't want a family with you, no; but you are good enough to work with."

Booth's desire to be loved, be validated, and have a family are still there. He is hurt, terribly, by her rejection. Hannah is beautiful and successful and wants him, pursues him. Oh, that's the sweet spot. She is telling him that he's someone worth having, that she wants a life with him, and so, yeah, he's grinning like a fool. He needs that validation in the darkest places of his heart.

It's very real life, and very sad, and very painful and I'm sad for all of them.
[/quote]
I had thought long and hard and you came up with points I hadn't yet thought of mainly cause I have trouble moving past my total protection and defence of anything that Brennan does... and Booths hot bod. But you are so right they ARE equally flawed and your point has actually given me more hope and faithin this upcoming season. Hannah is Booths catalyst his attempt to move on, can't wait to see it fail kiss #1 in front of Brennan is just the start hopefully to where we see all their chinks in the armor and they both see them in each other too