The Source in the Sludge is the sixteenth episode of the ninth season of Bones.
Summary[]
The murder of a CIA informant sends Booth and CIA agent Danny Beck on the trail of an Afghan terrorist. Meanwhile, Brennan wants to spend more time in the field with Booth, but they wonder what impact it will have on their family.
Summary[]
Two guys attempting to “plant” fish in order to win a fishing competition stumble upon a canvas bag holding a skeleton. Booth, Brennan, Cam, and Hodgins examine the area and skeleton and determine the victim was a woman whose body had been there for approximately 4 days. They begin to move the canvas bag, and water and a lamprey eel escapes.
After identifying a pin in the victim’s leg due to bone surgery, the team traces the serial number from a shipment in Afghanistan. The victim is Sari Nazeri, a teacher who also helped American forces locate terrorists. She was a proponent for education and wanted to be a role model for younger women; she emigrated from Afghanistan to the US with her brother, Aziz.
Booth and Brennan pay a visit to Aziz, who is shocked to learn Sari is dead. B&B meanwhile are shocked when CIA agent Danny Beck is in Aziz’s home. Aziz accuses Danny of not protecting Sari, and Danny admits to Booth and Brennan that Sari was recruited by the CIA and helped identify a high value target, Ibrahim, whose location was bombed.
At the FBI, Booth, Sweets and Caroline talk with Danny, whose initial hesitance to offer up information annoys them. Danny insists that Ibrahim is dead from the bomb blast, so he can’t be in the US to enact revenge on Sari. Booth is more suspicious, knowing that unless there is a physical body identified, it can never be official that someone is dead.
At the lab, Brennan, Cam, and Daisy determine that Sari’s body was violently dragged, but there is no evidence of bone fracturing or a weapon. Angela pulls up information on Derek Johannesson, the US guard on duty when Ibrahim’s location was bombed. When Booth and Danny, he says he didn’t have much interaction with Ibrahim, but reveals that people referred to him as The Chameleon — he could blend in anywhere.
Cause of death continues to elude the Jeffersonian team. It seems Sari was tied up for several days before she was killed; there is evidence she attempted to escape her bindings. Hodgins analyzes lamprey droppings and finds a piece of fiber, possibly twine, that includes traces of blood, tissue, and morning glories. Since Aziz is a landscaper, this makes him a prime suspect.
Booth posits this scenario to Danny, who doesn’t buy it. Booth feels like Danny isn’t telling him the whole truth; Danny admits that Aziz and Sari did fight sometimes, but nothing above the normal brother/sister way. Brennan informs them that Aziz’s credit card report lists a recently purchased disposable cell phone used to make calls to Afghanistan, to an Ibrahim supporter, Jamal Ahmad. Danny is surprised, which makes Booth even more suspicious. But Danny insists that Sari was his asset, not Aziz. Booth wants to question Aziz. Brennan wants to come along, and when Danny thinks it might be too dangerous, Booth agrees. Brennan disagrees.
Aziz runs when they ask him about the phone calls. When they catch him, he admits he was trying to go back to Afghanistan. Danny is shocked, stating that Sari would never want that. When Booth suggests Aziz would never be readmitted to Afghanistan, Brennan posits that if he killed his sister, it would prove his loyalty. Aziz insists he didn’t kill Sari and accuses Danny of not doing his job to protect her and not noticing warning signs that Sari’s behavior was erratic. Booth and Brennan sort of gang up on Danny as well, and when Danny accuses Brennan of being unhelpful, Booth takes her side.
Booth grows increasingly annoyed, sure that Danny knows something he’s not telling them. Sweets and Caroline caution him not to just go out and arrest a CIA agent, but he’s not hearing it. He knows things can happen in a war that people aren’t proud of, but he wants to know the truth.
At the lab, Daisy notices a microscopic v-shaped nick on a rib bone. Hodgins and Angela determine that the wound could only be caused by a high end tactical knife — one part of a special issue assigned only to special forces. The evidence against Danny continues to mount up. Booth approaches him on the street later that night, calling for his gun and knife. Danny plays dumb and says he lost his knife in a move. Booth isn’t buying it and tells him that they know that knife was used to kill Sari. Danny realizes he is actually a suspect and gets angry. He admits he gave Sari the knife. When Booth calls him on it, reminding him that he would never give away something that once saved his life, Danny admits that’s exactly why he did give it to Sari. Booth realizes Danny was in a relationship with Sari. He’s stunned but agrees not to inform the CIA.
It turns out the knife wound was not the cause of death. Cam cuts open one of Sari’s eyeballs (read: gross) and uses the eye serum to determine that Sari died of dehydration. Booth, Sweets and Caroline agree that Danny likely wouldn’t kill Sari in that way, and that maybe Ibrahim was getting payback on Sari — perhaps someone in his family was also killed by dehydration as part of the bombing. Meanwhile, Daisy and Cam find some skin tissue in Sari from where she bit her attacker. The analysis indicates a Nordic male. Signs now point to Derek, the US guard.
Derek is guilty, but in exchange for his confession that he was working with the terrorist group to make people think Ibrahim was still alive and information on the terrorist network, he will get to walk free with a hefty financial settlement. This leaves a sour taste in each person’s mouth, especially Booth’s. He confronts Derek as he’s leaving the FBI. Derek is smug, but Booth lets him know that because the military is paying for his rehab, he is susceptible to being court martialed, and because he aided a terrorist, he will face the death penalty for murder and treason.
Cast[]
Main Cast:[]
- Temperance Brennan - Emily Deschanel
- Seeley Booth - David Boreanaz
- Jack Hodgins - T.J Thyne
- Angela Montenegro - Michaela Conlin
- Camille Saroyan - Tamara Taylor
- Lance Sweets - John Francis Daley
Intern of the Week[]
Recurring Cast[]
- Caroline Julian - Patricia Belcher
- Danny Beck - Freddie Prinze Jr.
Guest Cast[]
- Derek Johannessen - Chris Browning
- Aziz Nazeri - Homie Doroodian
- Sari Nazeri - Nazneen Contractor
- Kyle Stanley - Chris Coppola
- Pete Dineen - Patrick Renna
Featured Music[]
- Lift Me Up by Mree
Notes[]
- At the end of the episode, Bones and Booth drink 30 Year Old GlenCallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky, a fictional brand from ISS.[1]
- Freddie Prinze Jr. is married to Sarah Michelle Gellar who was on Buffy the Vampire Slayer with David Boreanaz.
- The actor who plays Derek Johannessen played a villain in The Inheritance in the spin-off series, The Finder.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Independent Studio Services (ISS) Graphics: Products: Liquor: Whisky