The BEST episodes of Bones

Every episode of Bones ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Bones!

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan and cocky F.B.I. Special Agent Seeley Booth build a team to investigate murders. Quite often, there isn't more to examine than rotten flesh or mere bones.

Last Updated: 3/17/2024Network: FOXStatus: Ended
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The Recluse in the Recliner
star
8.13
2022 votes

#1 - 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.

Directors: David Boreanaz
Watch Now:Amazon
The Past in the Present
star
8.12
3424 votes

#2 - The Past in the Present

Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/14/2012

Evil tech genius Christopher Pelant, a suspect in a previous case Brennan and Booth handled, is back in court on appeal. Knowing what he is capable of, Brennan and Booth inform the judge that he is a suspect in two murder cases. Then, Brennan and Booth are called to the scene of a new murder. After determining the victim is Brennan's friend, who also is linked to Pelant, the Jeffersonian team works to prove he is guilty once and for all. But when law enforcement examines the team's findings, key pieces of evidence are tied to Brennan and suspicion falls on her.

Directors: David Boreanaz
Watch Now:Amazon
The End in the End
star
8.10
1918 votes

#3 - The End in the End

Season 12 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/28/2017

With Kovac still at large, the team searches for evidence to track him down. After Brennan experiences a setback, the rest of the team must figure out how to find Kovac without her, putting everything she has ever taught them to the test. When all signs point to Kovac having outside help, as well as a hideout, Booth and Brennan go searching for him.

Directors: David Boreanaz
Watch Now:Amazon
The Day in the Life
star
8.06
1831 votes

#4 - The Day in the Life

Season 12 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/21/2017

In the series' penultimate episode, each leading character's final story begins to unfold. Brennan testifies for Zach in trial, Angela reveals some big news, while Aubrey and Jessica come to terms about their future together. All the while, the team discovers Kovac has escaped, leaving Booth in a race against the clock to protect himself and those closest to him from what may be Kovac's most dangerous plan yet.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:Amazon
The Change in the Game
star
8.04
4145 votes

#5 - 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.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Nightmare Within the Nightmare
star
8.01
1702 votes

#6 - 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.

Directors: David Boreanaz
Watch Now:Amazon
The Conspiracy in the Corpse
star
7.97
2008 votes

#7 - The Conspiracy in the Corpse

Season 10 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/2014

The Jeffersonian team works diligently to get Booth out of jail and absolve him of crimes he did not commit. Meanwhile, Daisy and Sweets have a surprise for the rest of the Jeffersonian team.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Pain in the Heart
star
7.96
2534 votes

#8 - The Pain in the Heart

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 5/19/2008

The Gormogon serial killer is back again, and the silver skeleton from the basement vault has gone missing. All the Jeffersonian employees become suspects, with the scary possibility that one of their own is working with Gormogon.

Directors: Allan Kroeker
Watch Now:Amazon
Big in the Philippines
star
7.93
2154 votes

#9 - Big in the Philippines

Season 9 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/17/2014

The Jeffersonian team investigates the death of Colin Haynes, a struggling country music singer whose remains were found in a shallow grave. When the team learns about the victim's music career, it leads them to his record label, which, they discover, was deceitful in its dealings with him. Meanwhile, squintern Wendall Bray breaks his arm during a hockey game and Brennan takes a closer look at his injuries, only to discover some shocking news.

Directors: David Boreanaz
Watch Now:Amazon
The Woman in White
star
7.93
2362 votes

#10 - 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.

Directors: Kevin Hooks
Watch Now:Amazon
The Corpse at the Convention
star
7.91
1679 votes

#11 - The Corpse at the Convention

Season 10 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/30/2014

Evidence points to Dr. Hodgins as the suspect when the Jeffersonian team investigates a murder that occurs during a forensic science convention they are all attending.

Directors: Chad Lowe
Writer: Dave Thomas
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Corpse on the Canopy
star
7.89
2411 votes

#12 - 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.

Directors: Rob Hardy
Watch Now:Amazon
The Master in the Slop
star
7.88
2090 votes

#13 - The Master in the Slop

Season 9 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/24/2014

When the Jeffersonian team discovers the body of a renowned but disliked chess master amidst pig slop, Sweets surprises the team with his chess skills and goes undercover in the world of professional chess to find the killer. Cam is being recognized in the "Outstanding Woman of Science" issue of a noted science publication but is hesitant to participate since she does not want to offend Brennan who knows she should be the one to be honored. Meanwhile, much to Brennan's annoyance, Dr. Douglas Filmore, the always sunny Canadian forensic podiatrist fills in as a lab intern.

Directors: Dwight Little
Writer: Dave Thomas
Watch Now:Amazon
The Fury in the Jury
star
7.88
2223 votes

#14 - The Fury in the Jury

Season 9 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/15/2013

Brennan is a juror on the case of professional soccer player Peter Kidman who is accused of murdering his wife. When she uses pure objectivity to help prove the killer not guilty, his best friend and a key witness in the case turns up dead. The Jeffersonian team must work together to prove that the soccer star was in fact guilty of killing both his wife and his friend.

Directors: Dwight Little
Watch Now:Amazon
The Hole in the Heart
star
7.87
3894 votes

#15 - 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.

Directors: Alex Chapple
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Wannabe in the Weeds
star
7.87
2498 votes

#16 - 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.

Writer: Josh Berman
Watch Now:Amazon
The Woman in Limbo
star
7.86
2187 votes

#17 - 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.

Directors: Jesus Trevino
Writer: Hart Hanson
Watch Now:Amazon
The Hope in the Horror
star
7.86
2137 votes

#18 - The Hope in the Horror

Season 12 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/3/2017

Brennan has been kidnapped by her former assistant, Zack Addy, as Booth and the rest of the lab desperately search for her.

Directors: Emily Deschanel
Watch Now:Amazon
The Dude in the Dam
star
7.85
2191 votes

#19 - The Dude in the Dam

Season 9 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/11/2013

The Jeffersonian team investigates the murder of Sean Nolan, a failed model whose body is found intertwined in a beaver dam. The team soon discovers that Nolan's fruitless modeling career left his sperm donations as his only source of income. However, when the team learns that he falsified records, they start to suspect anyone who was jilted by his donations. Meanwhile, Brennan struggles with social niceties and tact when she is drawn into a feud with author Tess Brown and Hodgins gets in touch with his motherly instincts when he plays host to a fly larva.

Directors: Kevin Hooks
Watch Now:Amazon
The Friend in Need
star
7.85
2268 votes

#20 - The Friend in Need

Season 8 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/18/2013

The Jeffersonian team investigates the remains of a 15-year-old boy. Although his mother and few close friends saw him as intelligent with poor social skills, the team discovers that this seemingly innocent boy was actually involved in illegal activity and had attended a high school party two weeks prior where drugs were present. The investigation takes an ugly turn when an underage girl confesses to being raped and the deceased boy’s reputation is compromised. Meanwhile, with the case’s spotlight on deception, intern Finn Abernathy contemplates telling Cam that her daughter Michelle is in town visiting for the weekend.

Directors: Jeffrey Walker
Writer: Dean Lopata
Watch Now:Amazon
The Lance to the Heart
star
7.85
1837 votes

#21 - The Lance to the Heart

Season 10 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/2014

The investigation into who framed Booth for murder leads the Jeffersonian team to a conspiracy within the government that dates all the way back to J. Edgar Hoover. After additional DNA discovered on a previous victim is linked to the case, the team narrows down the list of suspects, leading them closer to cracking the case.

Directors: Dwight H. Little
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Aliens in a Spaceship
star
7.84
2314 votes

#22 - 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.

Directors: Craig Ross Jr.
Writer: Janet Tamaro
Watch Now:Amazon
The Beginning in the End
star
7.83
3581 votes

#23 - The Beginning in the End

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/20/2010

The team works to uncover clues buried under a life’s worth of possessions saved by a hoarder in order to solve the mystery of his death. Meanwhile, Angela’s father has a specific purpose for his most recent visit, and Brennan and Booth are confronted with unique opportunities.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Nail in the Coffin
star
7.83
1963 votes

#24 - The Nail in the Coffin

Season 9 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/21/2014

The Jeffersonian team investigates the death of Stephanie McNamara, the daughter of a wealthy family whose remains were found in a national park. When the team digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding her death, clues from the case lead them to believe she may be the Ghost Killer’s latest victim, with a surprising connection to a previous victim. Meanwhile, the FBI Deputy Director takes a special interest in the team’s high-profile case and Booth’s career may be in for some changes.

Directors: Ian Toynton
Writer: Dean Lopata
Watch Now:Amazon
The Boy with the Answer
star
7.83
3415 votes

#25 - 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.

Directors: Dwight Little
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV