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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 9h•Peaking at 9.1/10

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 10 Episode 1 - The Conspiracy in the Corpse
    9.1/10(1353 votes)

    #1 - 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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  2. Bones Season 6 Episode 21 - The Signs in the Silence
    8.9/10(1594 votes)

    #2 - 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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  3. Bones Season 2 Episode 9 - Aliens in a Spaceship
    8.8/10(2738 votes)

    #3 - 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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  4. Bones Season 1 Episode 22 - The Woman in Limbo
    8.7/10(1734 votes)

    #4 - 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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  5. Bones Season 2 Episode 11 - Judas on a Pole
    8.7/10(1657 votes)

    #5 - 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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  6. Bones Season 3 Episode 13 - The Verdict in the Story
    8.7/10(1472 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 5 Episode 16 - The Parts in the Sum of the Whole
    8.7/10(1806 votes)

    #7 - 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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  8. Bones Season 6 Episode 22 - The Hole in the Heart
    8.7/10(2124 votes)

    #8 - 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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  9. Bones Season 11 Episode 22 - The Nightmare Within the Nightmare
    8.7/10(1002 votes)

    #9 - 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:David Boreanaz
    Writer:Michael Peterson

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  10. Bones Season 12 Episode 1 - The Hope in the Horror
    8.7/10(868 votes)

    #10 - 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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  11. Bones Season 2 Episode 12 - The Man in the Cell
    8.6/10(1547 votes)

    #11 - 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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  12. Bones Season 3 Episode 9 - The Santa in the Slush
    8.6/10(1557 votes)

    #12 - 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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  13. Bones Season 4 Episode 2 - Yanks in the U.K. (2)
    8.6/10(7 votes)

    #13 - Yanks in the U.K. (2)

    S4:E2

    With the case of the murdered heiress solved, Booth and Brennan prepare to head back home, but are shocked to learn of another murder - and this time it's someone they know. Meanwhile, with Birimbau unexpectedly coming back into Angela's life, things get complicated between her and Hodgins.

    Director:Ian Toynton
    Writers:Scott Williams, Stephen Nathan

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  14. Bones Season 5 Episode 17 - The Death of the Queen Bee
    8.6/10(1331 votes)

    #14 - The Death of the Queen Bee

    S5:E17

    The team’s latest case takes Brennan back to her alma mater, Burtonsville High School, where she and Booth investigate the discovery of an unidentified skull and upper torso. With Angela’s help, they identify the victim as one of Brennan’s classmates, and notice a possible connection to a second murder committed 15 years prior. Brennan and Booth go undercover as a married couple at her class reunion to interrogate a set of suspects, where even as an adult, Brennan is still predictably misunderstood and her only friend lies in a strangely dark and offbeat janitor. Meanwhile, Hodgins spills a lab secret

    Director:Allan Kroeker
    Writer:Mark Lisson

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  15. Bones Season 2 Episode 4 - The Blonde in the Game
    8.5/10(1444 votes)

    #15 - The Blonde in the Game

    S2:E4

    After digging up the skeletal remains of a young girl, the investigation points to a convicted serial killer on death row. The team follows cryptic clues that lead to another body, an accomplice, and a victim who may still be alive.

    Director:Bryan Spicer
    Writer:Noah Hawley

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  16. Bones Season 3 Episode 5 - Mummy in the Maze
    8.5/10(1478 votes)

    #16 - 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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  17. Bones Season 3 Episode 14 - The Wannabe in the Weeds
    8.5/10(1543 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 5 Episode 21 - The Boy with the Answer
    8.5/10(1295 votes)

    #18 - 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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  19. Bones Season 10 Episode 2 - The Lance to the Heart
    8.5/10(1059 votes)

    #19 - The Lance to the Heart

    S10:E2

    Aubrey works alongside the team to investigate a government conspiracy. DNA found on a previous victim helps the team to narrow down the suspects.

    Director:Dwight H. Little
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Bones Season 2 Episode 18 - The Killer in the Concrete
    8.4/10(1334 votes)

    #20 - The Killer in the Concrete

    S2:E18

    Booth and Brennan investigate the case of a partial skeleton found in cement. Booth thinks a member of a crime family is responsible.

    Director:Jeff Woolnough
    Writer:Dean Widenmann

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  21. Bones Season 3 Episode 12 - The Baby in the Bough
    8.4/10(1367 votes)

    #21 - The Baby in the Bough

    S3:E12

    A woman's car is run off the road and she is killed, but her baby miraculously survives the accident. Booth and Brennan go to the woman's hometown to try to find out who's responsible for running her car off the road. Bones, with help from Booth, takes care of the baby until the team finds out who killed the mother.

    Director:Ian Toynton
    Writer:Karine Rosenthal

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  22. Bones Season 4 Episode 7 - The He in the She
    8.4/10(1351 votes)

    #22 - The He in the She

    S4:E7

    Booth and Brennan go to investigate a body found in the Chesapeake Bay. After arriving, they find only the upper torso, giving the team little to work with other than remnants of the victim's breast implants. Brennan and Booth are led to a small church in Maryland, where they find that the victim was a pastor. When the team finds the lower half of the body, they learn that their initial assumptions may not been incorrect.

    Director:Craig Ross Jr.
    Writer:Karina Csolty

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  23. Bones Season 4 Episode 25 - The Critic in the Cabernet
    8.4/10(1383 votes)

    #23 - The Critic in the Cabernet

    S4:E25

    The team is on the case when human remains are found inside a barrel of wine during a wine tasting. When the victim turns out to be a wine critic whose scathing reviews were capable of sending a vineyard to its ruin, everyone from the winery's owner to the victim's own wife becomes a suspect.

    Director:Kevin Hooks
    Writer:Stephen Nathan

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  24. Bones Season 5 Episode 10 - The Goop on the Girl
    8.4/10(1406 votes)

    #24 - The Goop on the Girl

    S5:E10

    When a man dressed as Santa Claus blows himself up during a botched bank robbery, Brennan and Booth work to identify the bomber and determine his motives. Meanwhile, Brennan makes plans to spend Christmas in El Salvador, but her father convinces her to spend the holidays with him and Margaret Whitesell, a newly discovered distant relative.

    Director:Tim Southam
    Writer:Carla Kettner

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  25. Bones Season 1 Episode 9 - The Man in the Fallout Shelter
    8.3/10(2142 votes)

    #25 - 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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Best Episodes Summary

"The Conspiracy in the Corpse" is the best rated episode of "Bones". It scored 9.1/10 based on 1353 votes. Directed by Ian Toynton and written by Stephen Nathan, Jonathan Collier, it aired on 9/25/2014. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Signs in the Silence".