The Promise Bones’ Creator Made To Emily Deschanel (And Broke For One Of Its Best Episodes)

“Bones” creator Hart Hanson made one distinct promise to Emily Deschanel ahead of the series’ legendary 12-season stint, one that allowed her character to become a major role model for young women – but he also broke that promise for one of the show’s strongest episodes.

“I had to promise to Emily right at the beginning [of the series] that Brennan would save Booth as much as Booth saved Brennan. This was not gonna be a show about Prince Charming saving the princess,” the showrunner explained to Gold Derby. “They would save each other. But in this case, she was a damsel in distress, and we were going for the sheer [emotion].”

The case in question came in Season 2, Episode 9, “Aliens in a Spaceship.” During the 2006 episode, one of the show’s most iconic villains, serial killer The Gravedigger, is introduced with a horrifying plot: the killer buries Deschanel’s Dr. Temperance Brennan and her colleague, entomologist Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne), alive. Brennan’s partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), ultimately spearheads the effort to rescue them, breaking Hanson’s original promise to Deschanel in the process.

It appears Hart Hanson wanted to make the most of breaking his promise to Emily Deschanel — and there’s no denying it paid off big time for the series. The episode currently holds a 9.3 rating on IMDB and is widely considered one of the best episodes of “Bones.” 

That reputation makes complete sense, as Deschanel actually went underground for the scene to ramp up the authenticity of the moment — which is exactly the level of commitment required to create a gripping episode of television. “I didn’t love it,” she told Gold Derby. “I don’t mind doing it for the show, for the drama, but it’s not my favorite.”

In Hanson’s eyes, the episode’s excellence came from the final moments when Booth realized Bones was buried underground — which would’ve never happened if the showrunner hadn’t broken his promise to Deschanel. “He saw that little puff, and then we had one of the greatest moments you’d ever seen in ‘Bones,’ as far as I was concerned,” Hanson, who also served as executive producer on the series, noted. “David Boreanaz can run better than Tom Cruise. Oh my God, it was beautiful.”