9.2/102,454 votesLoading...#1 - Aliens in a Spaceship
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 11/15/2006
The bodies of twin boys, kidnapped five years earlier, are discovered. The investigation lead Booth and Brennan to a notorious kidnapper known as the Grave Digger. During the investigation, Brennan and Hodgins become the Grave Digger's next victims.
Director: Craig Ross Jr.
Writer: Janet Tamaro
9.1/101,918 votesLoading...#2 - The Hole in the Heart
Season 6 Episode 22 - Aired 5/12/2011
Rogue sniper Jacob Broadsky returns once again, claiming another victim and making Booth determined to put him away once and for all.
Director: Alex Chapple
Writer: N/A
8.9/101,114 votesLoading...#3 - The Recluse in the Recliner
Season 9 Episode 24 - Aired 5/19/2014
The team investigates the death of a man who had offered Booth information on a possible government cover-up related to a previous case, but was killed before their meeting took place. As Booth and the Jeffersonian team dig deeper into the burgeoning conspiracy surrounding the man’s death, it’s evident Booth may be in over his head, and his future with the FBI is put in question.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.9/10892 votesLoading...#4 - The Nightmare Within the Nightmare
Season 11 Episode 22 - Aired 7/21/2016
The team dives back into investigating a serial killer from the past, attempting to find “The Puppeteer,” who lives with his victims’ bodies before disposing of them. Meanwhile, Brennan works through her guilt over her retirement last year, blaming herself for not stopping the serial killer earlier. However, little does she know she might be in some trouble of her own.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.8/101,708 votesLoading...#5 - The Doctor in the Photo
Season 6 Episode 9 - Aired 12/9/2010
Brennan gets a glimpse into her own life when the body of a brilliant and career-driven surgeon is found in a rough neighborhood with multiple fractures in her skull and no indication as to how or why she was there. While the team investigates the case objectively, Brennan struggles to separate her own life from the victim’s as she perceives many parallels between them the more she learns about the victim’s past. Meanwhile, evidence found at the crime scene brings the team closer to solving the case, but it’s Brennan’s unique perspective that propels her to retrace the final events of the victim’s life. With the reassurance of a new friend and Jeffersonian security guard, Micah Leggat, Brennan makes a discovery about herself and learns a lesson about taking chances.
Director: Ian Toynton
Writer: Carla Kettner
8.8/101,880 votesLoading...#6 - The Patriot in Purgatory
Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 11/12/2012
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
8.7/101,556 votesLoading...#7 - The Woman in Limbo
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 5/17/2006
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
8.7/101,627 votesLoading...#8 - The Parts in the Sum of the Whole
Season 5 Episode 16 - Aired 4/8/2010
When Dr. Sweets' book gets published, both Booth and Brennan read it and tell him about the first time they met: 6 years ago. The episode will give a new perspective on Booth and Brennan's relationship, and will also give viewers the chance to see Zack Addy again, and Dr Saroyan as a New York Coroner.
Director: David Boreanaz
Writer: Hart Hanson
8.7/101,419 votesLoading...#9 - The Signs in the Silence
Season 6 Episode 21 - Aired 5/5/2011
When a 15-year-old Jane Doe is found on the streets, it is up to Brennan, Jeffersonian Intern Arastoo Vaziri and the entire Jeffersonian team to figure out her history and if she is responsible for a recent murder
Director: Dwight H. Little
Writer: Stephen Nathan, Janet Lin
8.7/101,230 votesLoading...#10 - The Past in the Present
Season 7 Episode 13 - Aired 5/14/2012
"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
8.6/101,920 votesLoading...#11 - The Man in the Fallout Shelter
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 12/13/2005
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
8.6/101,558 votesLoading...#12 - The Hero in the Hold
Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 2/5/2009
While trapped and trying to escape from a ship in the middle of the ocean, Booth is haunted by strange hallucinations.
Director: Ian Toynton
Writer: Karine Rosenthal, Janet Lin
8.5/101,489 votesLoading...#13 - Judas on a Pole
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 12/13/2006
Booth and Brennan are called to the scene where a man's body was found hung like a scarecrow, gutted, and burned on the roof of a building used by the FBI to hide witnesses.
Director: David Duchovny
Writer: Hart Hanson
8.5/101,387 votesLoading...#14 - The Man in the Cell
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 1/31/2007
The notorious serial killer, Howard Epps, sets his prison cell on fire as part of a daring prison escape. Brennan is his target and her entire team is placed in danger.
Director: Jesús Salvador Treviño
Writer: Noah Hawley
8.5/101,415 votesLoading...#15 - The Wannabe in the Weeds
Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 5/12/2008
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
8.5/101,434 votesLoading...#16 - The Double Death of the Dearly Departed
Season 4 Episode 22 - Aired 4/20/2009
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
8.5/101,280 votesLoading...#17 - The Proof in the Pudding
Season 5 Episode 12 - Aired 1/21/2010
Mr. White and his team of government agents put the Jeffersonian Lab on lock down and demand that Brennan and her forensics team determine a cause of death for an unidentified, but highly classified set of remains. As the team gets to work, their findings lead them to suspect they are investigating one of the most famous presidential assassinations in history. Meanwhile, Booth's boss, Andrew Hacker, helps him break into the lab and determine the motive behind the mystery investigation, and a frustrated Cam worries that Michelle may be keeping a big secret from her.
Director: Emile B. Levisetti
Writer: Bob Harris
8.5/101,166 votesLoading...#18 - The Boy with the Answer
Season 5 Episode 21 - Aired 5/13/2010
The trial of The Gravedigger hits close to home for members of the team, and everyone at the Jeffersonian must work overtime to uncover the forensic evidence to elicit a conviction.
Director: Dwight H. Little
Writer: Stephen Nathan
8.5/101,520 votesLoading...#19 - The Change in the Game
Season 6 Episode 23 - Aired 5/19/2011
In the 6th season finale, the team investigates the disturbing, unidentifiable remains of a bowler that were found jammed in one of the bowling alley's automatic pinsetters. After hitting a dead end in the case, Booth and Brennan decide to go undercover and join a competitive bowling team in search of answers.
Director: Ian Toynton
Writer: Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan
8.5/101,250 votesLoading...#20 - The Crack in the Code
Season 7 Episode 6 - Aired 1/12/2012
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
8.5/101,210 votesLoading...#21 - The Future in the Past
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 9/17/2012
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
Writer: Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan
8.5/101,105 votesLoading...#22 - The Corpse on the Canopy
Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 1/21/2013
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
8.5/101,154 votesLoading...#23 - The Woman in White
Season 9 Episode 6 - Aired 10/21/2013
The Jeffersonian team investigates the murder of Nancy Handelman, whose body was discovered at the time of Brennan and Booth's wedding rehearsal. When the case becomes more serious than the team anticipated, Cam and Angela do everything in their power to keep the details of the investigation from Brennan in order to ensure that she will stay focused on her big day. Tensions run high when unfortunate events occur to stall the wedding temporarily, and Max comes to town with a suspicious duffle bag full of money.
Director: Kevin Hooks
Writer: Karine Rosenthal
8.5/101,201 votesLoading...#24 - The Conspiracy in the Corpse
Season 10 Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/2014
Brennan and the team attempt to absolve Booth and get him released from prison. The remains of a man who has been dead for over sixteen years prove to be significant.
Director: Ian Toynton
Writer: Stephen Nathan, Jonathan Collier
8.5/10752 votesLoading...#25 - The Doom in the Boom
Season 11 Episode 10 - Aired 12/10/2015
The team investigates a police officer's murder and decides what is important to their futures.
Director: Michael Lange
Writer: Keith Foglesong
The Best Episodes of Bones
Every episode of Bones ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Bones!
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...
Genres:CrimeDrama
Network:FOX
Best Episodes Summary
"Aliens in a Spaceship" is the best rated episode of "Bones". It scored 9.2/10 based on 2454 votes. Directed by Craig Ross Jr. and written by Janet Tamaro, it aired on 11/15/2006. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Hole in the Heart".