A Big Moment In Bones Was Kept Hidden From The Cast Until Last Minute
For an impressive 12 seasons, Hart Hanson's sweet-and-scary procedural crime series "Bones" kept viewers on their toes with a colorful assortment of forensically baffling mysteries, terrifying villains, and unpredictable character arcs. That last quality might very well be key to the series' longevity. Yes, fans tuned in every week to see Bones (Emily Deschanel), Booth (David Boreanaz), and the Jeffersonian gang use their great big brains to crack an intriguing new case, but the who- and howdunnit elements were often secondary to the simple pleasure of watching characters viewers grew to love fall in love with each other.
The camaraderie was endearing in and of itself, but when workplace romances blossomed into full-blown relationships, the will-they-or-won't-they tension gave when to a when-will-they-put-a-ring-on-it anticipation. Given the show's healthy ratings, Hanson and his writers were never in a rush to get their characters to the altar. In some cases, they let things simmer for seasons at a time before making it official. And sometimes, when it came time to make it official, they hid these character-critical developments from the cast.
How did the actors feel about this? Michaela Conlin had a rather strong opinion on this subject.
A jailhouse surprise for Angela and Hodgins
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly following the conclusion of season 5, Conlin revealed that the Angela and Hodgins' (T.J. Thyne) getting-hitched twist took her completely by surprise. The big moment comes at the end of episode 20, "The Witch in the Wardrobe," after the characters work a case from a jail cell to which they've been consigned due to a reckless driving arrest. Their relationship has hit the rocks at this point, so, at the outset of the episode, a wedding is the last thing on anyone's mind.
For Conlin, it was the most welcome of shocks. "I thought for the longest time it'd be Sweets and Daisy getting married," she told EW. That said, she had an inkling as the big scene drew closer. Per Conlin:
"I think I heard rumblings of it only one or two episodes prior to getting the script. So it was kept pretty under wraps for a while, which is good. Normally, we have more of an idea of what may or may not happen. But that was a true surprise, which I liked. It was really fun to shoot. My father called and told me, 'Why didn't you tell me that you were going to get married?' And I was like 'Well, I wanted you to be surprised.' There are very few real surprises left in life so I figured [shrugs]."
Tragically, Sweets (John Francis Daley) was killed before he could tie the knot with Daisy (Carla Gallo). She did, however, give birth to their child, which gave fans one of the series' most bittersweet moments. Once again, "Bones" kept its loyal viewers happy by keeping them guessing.