In the latest episode of Bones, the title hints to the viewer that the show’s about to get political and “The Senator in the Street Sweeper” does just that. But what is surprising is who is killed off and why.
After a body is found by a pair of street sweepers, it is identified by the professionals at the Jeffersonian as a freshman senator from Virginia. First surprise: He’s a Democrat. You’d think liberal Hollywood writers would revel in creating a right-wing Republican to kill off. Instead they make the victim, Senator Rick O’Malley, a moderate, blue-collar, pro-coal, man of the people who earned the admiration of FBI Agent James Aubrey (John Boyd) because “he wasn't one of these career politicians…the guy actually cared about his constituents.”
As the team investigates, the Democrat Senate Majority is busy preparing a bill to raise the debt ceiling - as the Whip says, “Last thing we need is another government shutdown.”
Wherein Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) gets in a good line: “It must be quite difficult for your staff to put all that into their work, knowing it is unlikely for any senator to actually read it before a vote.” Paging Nancy “You have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it” Pelosi.
With this high-stakes backdrop, it is revealed that the Democrats attached an amendment to the bill that would reduce coal emissions and Sen. O’Malley was being pressured to be loyal to the party. It seems as though the senator was one of the few sane Democrats left who would protect his constituents, their jobs, and the country’s interests against environmentalist hysteria – and he was murdered for it. Appropriately enough, the murder weapon turns out to be a petrified piece of coal in the shape of Virginia.
So who did it? It was Sen. O’Malley’s Chief of Staff Eric who was counting on the governor appointing O’Malley’s widow (with whom he was having an affair) to fill the deceased senator’s vacant seat.
And why? Hard to believe you’d see this coming out of Hollywood, but liberal environmentalist wacko Eric killed his boss, a sitting senator, for the Democrat Party and “the greater good.”
A Democrat killing another Democrat for not being sufficiently liberal – wow, how did that get through the network censors?!
There was another little surprise nugget in the episode. Hippy dippy new intern Jessica Warren (Laura Spencer) reveals herself to be a member of the Peace and Freedom Party. “Yeah, there's a vote that counts,” another character snarks. Afterwards, Aubrey confronts her about her past environmental activism. It is suggested that Greenpeace is an aggressive, even violent, organization. It is so rare for Hollywood to sing anything but the utmost praises for this sacred cow of the left.
A politically surprising episode all around.
Transcript Video 1:
Aubrey: I can't believe the victim is Rick O'Malley.
Booth: Oh, you know him?
Aubrey: I don't know him know him, but I follow the news. O'Malley was different. Before his time in the Senate, he worked mostly blue-collar jobs.
Booth: Yeah, he was the general manager for a coal mining company. Look, you're not the only one who reads the file, you know.
Aubrey: I-I'm just saying that he wasn't one of these career politicians. He was a throwback. A Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, if you will. And I kind of dig that. I mean, aren't you sick of these politicians who are just out for themselves?
Booth: Not as sick as you.
Aubrey: Well, I just think it's inspiring that the guy actually cared about his constituents.
Booth: Oh. Sounds like maybe Mr. Aubrey should go to Washington.
Aubrey: That's the plan. Not this election cycle, of course, but there's a seat opening in 2020.
Booth: (Chuckles): Wow, wow, okay. You're... You're serious. So you got, like, what, a five-year plan?Aubrey: It's more like ten years. But something I've been eyeing for a while.
Booth: "Congressman Aubrey."
Aubrey: Senator.
Booth: Oh.
Aubrey: Yeah, don't shortchange me, man.
Booth: Right, Mr. Senator.
Transcript Video 2:
Winters: This is such a tragic day. Rick was a dear, dear man. I want you to know you have the full power of my office behind you during the investigation.
Brennan: Well, that is very sensible of you, particularly if we discover that the crime involved any other members of your party.
Booth: I think what my partner here is trying to say is that politicians like to get ahead of the problem, before it kind of blows up in their faces.
Brennan: Indeed. Naturally, it also behooves you to prepare the necessary lie for the public.
Booth: Speaking of which, is that the uh, damage control room in there?
Winters: No, actually, my aides are rushing to prepare a bill to increase the debt ceiling. Last thing we need is another government shutdown.
Brennan: It must be quite difficult for your staff to put all that into their work, knowing it is unlikely for any senator to actually read it before a vote.
Winters: I must ask if we could return to the investigation.
Transcript Video 3:
-Eric: Rick was gonna vote against the party. I tried to tell him, but no. He's just so damn stubborn. He was gonna ruin our future, for what? A handful of jobs? I couldn't let that happen.
-Booth: You knew about the Widow's Mandate.
-Lynette: Eric, how could you?
-Eric: I did it because I knew. You and me, working together-- we could have made a real difference. You understand how to make sacrifices for the greater good.
Transcript Video 4:
-Aubrey: Were you involved with Greenpeace in college?
-Jessica: Yeah, so?
-Aubrey: So you were engaged with an activist group known for its aggressive tactics. Now, is that you in the crowd?
-Jessica: Mm-hmm. Look, brillo-head, you're getting me kind of nervous here.
-Aubrey: So were you present five minutes after this photo was taken when a pipe bomb exploded outside of the building?
-Jessica: Greenpeace had nothing to do with that, and neither did I. We were the victims. Just check the police reports.
