Interview: Deschanel, Boreanaz Discuss Challenges in BONES Season 10

Few shows have had the longevity of Fox's hit crime drama BONES. When the show kicks off it's 10th Season tonight at 8:00pm/7:00pm CT, will see FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth still in prison, as his wife, Dr.Temperance "Bones" Brennan, works to get him exonerated and freed.

Recently I participated in a conference call with BONES Stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz. They spoke openly about the challenges the couple will face which result from Booth's incarceration. Despite the fact that he does get out and uncovers the government conspiracy that put him there, the experience throws his entire out of balance, including his relationship with Breenan.

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Can you first just talk about how Booth and Brennan are going to deal with everything that's going on with him in starting the season jail, and then after he gets out?

Emily: Booth is in trouble. We're worried about him. We think he's not going to survive being in prison. We have different ideas about how we're going to get him out. Being in prison brings up a lot of stuff for Booth, as David can follow up on. He's suffering from PTSD because of being there, as well as being tortured, and what not, being in the military and the Army Rangers in his past. He's gone through a lot in his life.

We're dealing with a lot when we come back from this season. He's in prison or jail. We're working to get him out. He's not safe and all these people want to kill him there. It puts a real strain on the relationship even when he does get out of prison and it's a big deal. It's not just going to be healed in one episode or something. It has long lasting repercussions. David, do you want to add anything?

David: Yes. I think it'll last throughout the season. I don't think it will necessarily be as dark as some people might think it will be. I think the first two episodes really have the sense of how dark it could be; who he trusts inside the FBI, how he decides to take things into his own hands, and how BONES deals with that and gets him back.

There's a great moment in Episode Two, that is a very strong moment between both of them and she really a strong case, to a point where he has to decide what to do. I'm not going to really say what that is, but it is definitely... it's a page turner for their relationship and to see how that unfolds.

If we look at the way last season ended, and the way this season is beginning, obviously it's been among some of your most intense episodes. Could you talk about what it's been like these past couple of months filming these episodes?

David: Well, I know there is some light at the end of the tunnel, once we got through Episode Two, and went into Episode Three. It was, for me, it was long and arduous, even towards the end of last season, and to go into it this season again; figuring out this whole conspiracy within the FBI, and playing this arc that went on for some time. It's always difficult when you're in demand, challenging, when the storyline is of that nature. It's been fun, rewarding, as well as different.

I think that we've really been able to examine the characters' relationships, when they're at home, and when they're dealing with the conspiracy. Things have changed dramatically, and I think that this season we will see that the reward for going through this fire in their relationship, and how it affects them and how it changes things and also opens up new doors.

Emily: Yes, very similar to David, except for the fact that last season, we ended the season with the season finale. David directed that episode and that was incredibly intense. The shootout scene took three days to shoot. We shoot five scenes in a day on the show. It's not like we take multiple days to shoot one scene. It's been really intense, that means long hours. That means intense emotions. It takes its toll on you, emotionally and physically.

We've come back in a similar space for these characters. I can't say there were happy times shooting these episodes. They're intense, but in a way, nice to jump into some strong emotions. There's some really big conflicts that Booth and Brennan have in these first couple episodes that you don't really see very often. It's nice to do something different in that way, but it is demanding, and a bit exhausting. But I think that there's new dynamics in this show, taking new, different directions and you'll see as you see the first few episodes.

This season, we're not just resting on our laurels here. We are taking this to a new level. We always try and challenge ourselves as actors. The writers are always taking things to the next level and doing different things and taking the show in a different place and changing the dynamics of the characters. It does keep it interesting.

What can you share about the upcoming undercover episode?

David: Well, I know that, it's funny, because we were actually discussing that yesterday. We were planning to shoot that a little bit earlier in the season, but now we're going to (be) shooting it a little bit later in the season. I don't know too much about it.

I do know that it'll be a blast, because I really enjoy shooting those episodes. I think it's just become this thing now that Emily and I really enjoy doing. It's a lot of fun, and the two of us have a blast stepping into whatever those characters are at times. I really enjoy those episodes.

What can you share about the 200th episode?

David: I know that we're prepping now, and we start shooting that in October, so it's going to be pretty big.

Emily: Yes, it's going to be big. I don't know how much we can say about it. They're still figuring out some details; we know some of what's happening, but I know we want to keep it a bit of a surprise for everyone. It's going to be a big episode. It's going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be very different, but still great characters. You're going to see a lot of some (characters) you might not have seen in a little bit. It'll be great.

David: Yes, it'll definitely be a throwback to a time when things were a little bit simpler and light, but yet something that's a flair of classic, how should I say, film expose of love and laughter?

Emily: David's directing that episode, so we're super psyched about that.

David: Yes, it's going to be fun. I think it's going to be a great opportunity to enjoy the 200th episode, but on top of it, give something back to the fans, that they'll watch and go, "Oh my God, that and this," whatever this and that may be, just hold on. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Emily: This and that and this.

David: Emily is going to look so beautiful as she always is, but classically beautiful.

Emily: You're going to look very handsome.

David: Thank you.

Do either of you make suggestions, based on your own parenting experiences about things that the couple could go through? Does the drama that happens at the beginning of this season impact anything in the family area?

Emily: It definitely impacts the relationship, and therefore the family. I haven't made many suggestions. David, you can tell them if you've made suggestions about things you've experienced as a parent to use in episodes. I have to say, I've come across what you're dealing with at school, choosing a school for the child, now we're even looking at ELEMENTARY schools for our daughter because she's a little older. We've moved ahead in time.

With preschool, I certainly was similar to Brennan, in that I'm researching as many schools as possible, and maybe have different criteria than she has. I find it interesting when we address the parenting things, because I do see some similarities to my own life. I don't know if, David, you have too?

David: Anything to do with travel hockey, I'm in.

Emily: There you go.

I was wondering now that Booth is suffering from PTSD, will this open the door for the audience to learn more about his past trauma?

David: I think that we will. I think that through the challenges that he has being in prison, trying to get out of prison, trying to deal with the people in prison, and obviously trying to deal with his life outside, and how his relationship is with Bones; I think that you'll get an insight into how he reacts to certain things, and maybe why he's not the same when he comes out, and how (Bones) may tiptoe around him, and not understand him certainly.

I think that that will creep in and out throughout the season. I don't want to say that it's going to be (a) really heavy arc. I think that we'll play it out in the beginning of the year, and realize that these characters are there for each other. What's great is that we solve crimes, and we do it in an open-end kind of style. I don't think it will be a major, major, hard season that way.

Being that this case is so big with the government conspiracy, is there going to be a surprise how it unfolds or ends? Is there a big shock to it?

David: You know what, we've been dealing with this towards the end of last season. It was kind of started in Episode... I think 17 or whatever, and it just slowly built and built. It exposed itself in a major ugly way at the end of the season, and then we start off with it again, where I can't really do much about it because I'm stuck in prison; but when I do get out, I think that there will be a sense of closure that will wrap things up in a very neat way, and it will kind of show it in a way that's like as, "Wow, it was right under our nose the whole time," but how that affects their relationship, and how it affects Booth, and whether he continues to work in the FBI is still to be determined, and worked out throughout the first half of the season.

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BONES kicks off Season 10 tonight at 8:00pm/7:00pm CT on Fox. Are you excited to see Booth and Breenan reunited? Let me know what you think in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. Also, don't forget to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps.

Photo Credit: Patrick McElhenney | Fox

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