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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 7d 12h•Peaking at 9.3/10

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 2 Episode 9 - Aliens in a Spaceship
    9.3/10(2656 votes)

    #1 - Aliens in a Spaceship

    S2:E9

    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

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  2. Bones Season 6 Episode 22 - The Hole in the Heart
    9.1/10(2087 votes)

    #2 - The Hole in the Heart

    S6:E22

    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:Unknown

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  3. Bones Season 8 Episode 6 - The Patriot in Purgatory
    8.9/10(2040 votes)

    #3 - 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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  4. Bones Season 9 Episode 24 - The Recluse in the Recliner
    8.9/10(1200 votes)

    #4 - The Recluse in the Recliner

    S9:E24

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Bones Season 11 Episode 22 - The Nightmare Within the Nightmare
    8.9/10(966 votes)

    #5 - The Nightmare Within the Nightmare

    S11:E22

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Bones Season 5 Episode 16 - The Parts in the Sum of the Whole
    8.8/10(1757 votes)

    #6 - The Parts in the Sum of the Whole

    S5:E16

    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

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Bones

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  7. Bones Season 6 Episode 9 - The Doctor in the Photo
    8.8/10(1872 votes)

    #7 - The Doctor in the Photo

    S6:E9

    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

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  8. Bones Season 6 Episode 21 - The Signs in the Silence
    8.8/10(1563 votes)

    #8 - The Signs in the Silence

    S6:E21

    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
    Writers:Stephen Nathan, Janet Lin

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  9. Bones Season 1 Episode 9 - The Man in the Fallout Shelter
    8.7/10(2086 votes)

    #9 - 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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  10. Bones Season 1 Episode 22 - The Woman in Limbo
    8.7/10(1698 votes)

    #10 - 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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  11. Bones Season 4 Episode 14 - The Hero in the Hold
    8.7/10(1702 votes)

    #11 - 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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  12. Bones Season 7 Episode 13 - The Past in the Present
    8.7/10(1338 votes)

    #12 - 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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  13. Bones Season 2 Episode 11 - Judas on a Pole
    8.6/10(1618 votes)

    #13 - Judas on a Pole

    S2:E11

    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

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  14. Bones Season 2 Episode 12 - The Man in the Cell
    8.6/10(1508 votes)

    #14 - The Man in the Cell

    S2:E12

    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

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  15. Bones Season 10 Episode 1 - The Conspiracy in the Corpse
    8.6/10(1305 votes)

    #15 - The Conspiracy in the Corpse

    S10:E1

    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
    Writers:Stephen Nathan, Jonathan Collier

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  16. Bones Season 3 Episode 13 - The Verdict in the Story
    8.5/10(1439 votes)

    #16 - 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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  17. Bones Season 3 Episode 14 - The Wannabe in the Weeds
    8.5/10(1528 votes)

    #17 - 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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  18. Bones Season 4 Episode 22 - The Double Death of the Dearly Departed
    8.5/10(1561 votes)

    #18 - 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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  19. Bones Season 5 Episode 12 - The Proof in the Pudding
    8.5/10(1397 votes)

    #19 - The Proof in the Pudding

    S5:E12

    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

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  20. Bones Season 5 Episode 21 - The Boy with the Answer
    8.5/10(1273 votes)

    #20 - The Boy with the Answer

    S5:E21

    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

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  21. Bones Season 6 Episode 11 - The Bullet in the Brain
    8.5/10(1273 votes)

    #21 - The Bullet in the Brain

    S6:E11

    The city anxiously anticipates the arrival of Heather Taffet, more notoriously known as "The Gravedigger," for her final appeal after being sentenced to death for a kidnap-murder and a series of similar coldblooded crimes. But when a bullet targeted at The Gravedigger is fired from a distance and hits her, the Jeffersonian team is tasked to piece together the sniper's precise location as well as identify the suspect and his motives. With the help of probing investigator Caroline Julian, Booth and Brennan put together a list of likely suspects, but the evidence and the remarkable skill needed to pull off the crime leads the team to believe that the crime was an inside, professional job, leaving Brennan's father Max and even Booth as plausible suspects. Meanwhile, Sweets attempts to put on a brave face after being caught in the firestorm just moments following a chilly encounter with The Gravedigger.

    Director:David Boreanaz
    Writer:Karyn Usher

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  22. Bones Season 6 Episode 23 - The Change in the Game
    8.5/10(1635 votes)

    #22 - The Change in the Game

    S6:E23

    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
    Writers:Stephen Nathan, Hart Hanson

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  23. Bones Season 7 Episode 6 - The Crack in the Code
    8.5/10(1349 votes)

    #23 - 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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  24. Bones Season 8 Episode 1 - The Future in the Past
    8.5/10(1316 votes)

    #24 - 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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  25. Bones Season 8 Episode 12 - The Corpse on the Canopy
    8.5/10(1203 votes)

    #25 - 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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Best Episodes Summary

"Aliens in a Spaceship" is the best rated episode of "Bones". It scored 9.3/10 based on 2656 votes. Directed by Craig Ross Jr. and written by Janet Tamaro, it aired on 11/15/2006. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Hole in the Heart".