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The Best Episodes of Bones

Every episode of Bones ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Bones!

Binge this in 3d 10h•Peaking at 8.9/10

Dr. Temperance Brennan and her colleagues at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab assist Special Agent Seeley Booth with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Bones Season 8 Episode 6 - The Patriot in Purgatory
    8.9/10(2043 votes)

    #1 - The Patriot in Purgatory

    S8:E6

    Brennan's new fascination with basketball and legendary coach Phil Jackson's thoughts on teamwork prompts her to gather five of her best "squinterns" to analyze remains that have never been identified.

    Director:François Velle
    Writer:Stephen Nathan

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  2. Bones Season 1 Episode 9 - The Man in the Fallout Shelter
    8.7/10(2090 votes)

    #2 - The Man in the Fallout Shelter

    S1:E9

    Brennan and her team are brought in to identify the body of a man found in a fallout shelter. While cutting into the bones of the man, Zach accidentally releases a deadly fungus, causing the team to be quarantined over Christmas.

    Director:Greg Yaitanes
    Writer:Hart Hanson

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  3. Bones Season 1 Episode 22 - The Woman in Limbo
    8.7/10(1701 votes)

    #3 - The Woman in Limbo

    S1:E22

    Brennan receives some bones to identify, but is stunned when she discovers that the remains are those of her mother who disappeared when she was 15 years old. The determined date of her mother's death leaves Bones confused and angry.

    Director:Jesús Salvador Treviño
    Writer:Hart Hanson

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  4. Bones Season 4 Episode 14 - The Hero in the Hold
    8.7/10(1705 votes)

    #4 - The Hero in the Hold

    S4:E14

    While trapped and trying to escape from a ship in the middle of the ocean, Booth is haunted by strange hallucinations.

    Director:Ian Toynton
    Writers:Karine Rosenthal, Janet Lin

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  5. Bones Season 7 Episode 13 - The Past in the Present
    8.7/10(1339 votes)

    #5 - The Past in the Present

    S7:E13

    "Hacktivist" and suspected serial killer Christopher Pelant is back in court, but the team's efforts to pin another murder on him don't go as planned.

    Director:David Boreanaz
    Writer:Carla Kettner

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  6. Bones Season 3 Episode 13 - The Verdict in the Story
    8.5/10(1442 votes)

    #6 - The Verdict in the Story

    S3:E13

    Brennan's father Max Keenan is on trial for the alleged murder of FBI Deputy Director Kirby. Everyone on the team, except for Brennan, is called as a witness for the prosecution during the trial. Brennan on the other hand is the forensics advisor for the defense, and she must rely on both her dedication to her family and her skill as an anthropologist to help free her father.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc
    Writer:Christopher Ambrose

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Bones

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  7. Bones Season 3 Episode 14 - The Wannabe in the Weeds
    8.5/10(1531 votes)

    #7 - The Wannabe in the Weeds

    S3:E14

    A wannabe singer Tommy Sour was found on a grassy location. The investigation leads Brennan, Booth, and Cam to the Checker Box Restaurant where Tommy used to sing. There are several suspects who took part in the open mike contest there, with talent scouts in the audience. The group comes together with a startling revelation for Brennan.

    Director:Gordon Lonsdale
    Writer:Josh Berman

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  8. Bones Season 4 Episode 22 - The Double Death of the Dearly Departed
    8.5/10(1564 votes)

    #8 - The Double Death of the Dearly Departed

    S4:E22

    When a Jeffersonian coworker dies of heart failure, the entire team goes to the wake where, upon viewing the body, Brennan realizes the death was no accident.

    Director:Milan Cheylov
    Writer:Craig Silverstein

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  9. Bones Season 7 Episode 6 - The Crack in the Code
    8.5/10(1350 votes)

    #9 - The Crack in the Code

    S7:E6

    A cryptic message penned in human blood is discovered at a national monument. As the Jeffersonian team embarks on a scavenger hunt to solve the case, they realize their tech-savvy suspect remains one step ahead of them. Meanwhile, Booth and Brennan search for the perfect home for their new family.

    Director:Ian Toynton
    Writer:Carla Kettner

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  10. Bones Season 8 Episode 1 - The Future in the Past
    8.5/10(1319 votes)

    #10 - The Future in the Past

    S8:E1

    Having been accused of murder, Brennan is on the run from the FBI, with help from her father Max. Booth and the Jeffersonian team are convinced evil tech genius Christopher Pelant has manipulated key evidence in the case to pinpoint Brennan as the prime suspect. Then, an anonymous tip leads the team to the remains of a high school guidance counselor that may hold the key to proving Brennan's innocence.

    Director:Ian Toynton
    Writers:Stephen Nathan, Hart Hanson

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  11. Bones Season 8 Episode 12 - The Corpse on the Canopy
    8.5/10(1204 votes)

    #11 - The Corpse on the Canopy

    S8:E12

    After Hodgins and Angela are drugged and wake up to a bloody corpse hanging in the canopy of their bed and flower petals around their son Michael's crib, they are forced to believe that Pelant is back for revenge against Hodgins. Although Hodgins wants to go after Pelant directly, Booth knows it's best to work within the system and not go against protocol. Meanwhile, as the Jeffersonian team investigates the corpse, they discover the victim was a Special Forces agent working for the world's biggest supplier of mercenaries, and Angela and Hodgins decide to start an investigation without the rest of the Jeffersonian team for the sake of their family.

    Director:Rob Hardy
    Writer:Jonathan Collier

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  12. Bones Season 12 Episode 11 - The Day in the Life
    8.5/10(810 votes)

    #12 - The Day in the Life

    S12:E11

    Brennan testifies for Zach in trial, Angela reveals some big news, while Aubrey and Jessica come to terms about their future together. All the while, the team discovers Kovac has escaped, leaving Booth in a race against the clock to protect himself and those closest to him from what may be Kovac's most dangerous plan yet.

    Director:Ian Toynton
    Writers:Yael Zinkow, Eric Randall

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  13. Bones Season 1 Episode 15 - Two Bodies in the Lab
    8.4/10(1778 votes)

    #13 - Two Bodies in the Lab

    S1:E15

    When Brennan decides to give online dating a try, she ends up the target of a shooting at the local restaurant where she's meeting her date. The resulting investigation reveals that the shooter could be connected to either of the two cases she's currently working on.

    Director:Allan Kroeker
    Writer:Stephen Nathan

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  14. Bones Season 3 Episode 9 - The Santa in the Slush
    8.4/10(1532 votes)

    #14 - The Santa in the Slush

    S3:E9

    Booth and Brennan investigate a mall Santa named Kris Kringle who was found dead by two elves. A series of clues makes the murdered mall Santa seem like he's the real deal.

    Director:Jeff Woolnough
    Writers:Scott Williams, Elizabeth Benjamin

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  15. Bones Season 3 Episode 15 - The Pain in the Heart
    8.3/10(1713 votes)

    #15 - The Pain in the Heart

    S3:E15

    The Gormogon serial killer is back again, and the silver skeleton from the basement vault has gone missing. All the Jeffersonian employees become suspects, with the scary possibility that one of their own is working with Gormogon.

    Director:Allan Kroeker
    Writers:Stephen Nathan, Hart Hanson

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  16. Bones Season 8 Episode 23 - The Pathos in the Pathogens
    8.3/10(1064 votes)

    #16 - The Pathos in the Pathogens

    S8:E23

    The Jeffersonian team rushes to prevent a viral outbreak while investigating the murder of journalist Mia Garrett after her infected body is found at a biohazard facility. When the mutated virus that killed Mia infects Jeffersonian intern Arastoo Vaziri, their only chance of saving him is by solving the murder. Tension and passion build as the team races against the clock to find the killer - and the cure.

    Director:Chad Lowe
    Writer:Kim Clements

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  17. Bones Season 12 Episode 1 - The Hope in the Horror
    8.3/10(838 votes)

    #17 - The Hope in the Horror

    S12:E1

    Booth and the rest of the lab desperately search for Brennan who was kidnapped by her former assistant, Zack Addy. Brennan's rescue is, however, just the beginning of their problems.

    Director:Emily Deschanel
    Writer:Michael Peterson

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  18. Bones Season 12 Episode 12 - The End in the End
    8.3/10(1023 votes)

    #18 - The End in the End

    S12:E12

    With Kovac still at large, the team searches for evidence to track him down. After Brennan experiences a setback, the rest of the team must figure out how to find Kovac without her, putting everything she has ever taught them to the test. When all signs point to Kovac having outside help, as well as a hideout, Booth and Brennan go searching for him.

    Director:David Boreanaz
    Writers:Karine Rosenthal, Jonathan Collier, Michael Peterson

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  19. Bones Season 1 Episode 20 - The Graft in the Girl
    8.2/10(1530 votes)

    #19 - The Graft in the Girl

    S1:E20

    The team helps Deputy Director Sam Cullen's daughter, Amy, when she contracts a rare form of lung cancer after receiving a bone graft. Booth and Brennan learn she is not the only victim with this rare form of cancer.

    Director:Sanford Bookstaver
    Writers:Laura Wolner, Greg Ball

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  20. Bones Season 3 Episode 5 - Mummy in the Maze
    8.2/10(1437 votes)

    #20 - Mummy in the Maze

    S3:E5

    On Halloween, two mummified bodies are discovered and found to be people reported missing the past two Halloweens. When Booth and Bones learn about a missing girl, linked to the suspect of the previous murders, the race is on to save her life.

    Director:Marita Grabiak
    Writer:Scott Williams

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  21. Bones Season 3 Episode 8 - The Knight on the Grid
    8.2/10(1272 votes)

    #21 - The Knight on the Grid

    S3:E8

    After the body of an archbishop is found, missing the kneecaps, the team concludes the murder is related to the Widow's Son case.

    Director:Dwight H. Little
    Writer:Noah Hawley

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  22. Bones Season 4 Episode 10 - The Passenger in the Oven
    8.2/10(1347 votes)

    #22 - The Passenger in the Oven

    S4:E10

    While en route to China to identify prehistoric anthropological remains, Booth and Brennan are called upon to solve a murder in midair when the flight attendant discovers a fully cooked human body in the plane's microwave.

    Director:Steven DePaul
    Writer:Carla Kettner

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  23. Bones Season 1 Episode 7 - A Man on Death Row
    8.1/10(1669 votes)

    #23 - A Man on Death Row

    S1:E7

    A death row inmate asks for Booth's help to prove his innocence before he is scheduled to be executed. Booth agrees and asks Brennan and her team to help him out.

    Director:David Hugh Jones
    Writer:Noah Hawley

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  24. Bones Season 4 Episode 5 - The Perfect Pieces in the Purple Pond
    8.1/10(1286 votes)

    #24 - The Perfect Pieces in the Purple Pond

    S4:E5

    The pieces of a dismembered body are found lying in a purple pool of water, except the head is missing. The team finds that the body belongs to Jared Addison, a science fiction writer who had several mental problems. With Sweets' help, several suspects are hunted down, however the team has trouble finding enough evidence with the victim's head still missing.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc
    Writer:Josh Berman

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  25. Bones Season 4 Episode 12 - Double Trouble in the Panhandle
    8.1/10(1432 votes)

    #25 - Double Trouble in the Panhandle

    S4:E12

    A shallow grave holds the remains of conjoined twins; Booth and Brennan infiltrate a circus community after they discover that the twins were jugglers there.

    Director:Dwight H. Little
    Writer:Lyla Oliver

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Best Episodes Summary

"The Patriot in Purgatory" is the best rated episode of "Bones". It scored 8.9/10 based on 2043 votes. Directed by François Velle and written by Stephen Nathan, it aired on 11/12/2012. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Man in the Fallout Shelter".