The essential episodes of Bones

Watch these 15 in order and you've got Bones — each pick states its reason.

  1. 01

    S01E01 · Pilot · September 13, 2005 · 1h

    Pilot7.3

    FBI Special Agent Seely Booth teams with Dr Temperence Brennon from the Jeffersonian Institute to solve the murder of an ex-aide of a Washington, DC, congressman.

  2. 02

    S01E09 · Season 1 peak · December 13, 2005 · 1h

    The Man in the Fallout Shelter7.9

    The Jeffersonian Christmas party is interrupted when Booth arrives with the remains of a body from the 1950s recently discovered in an old fallout shelter. The team is then quarantined inside the lab after they are inadvertently exposed to Valley Fever.

  3. 03

    S02E07 · Top rated · November 1, 2006 · 1h

    The Girl with the Curl8.0

    Brennan and Booth investigate a young beauty queen's remains that are discovered at a water filtration plant; Hodgins asks Angela out on a date, which she accepts.

  4. 04

    S02E09 · Season 2 peak · November 15, 2006 · 1h

    Aliens in a Spaceship8.3

    Booth and Brennan search for a killer who buries his victims alive and leaves them to die if ransom demands are not met.

  5. 05

    S03E13 · Season 3 peak · May 5, 2008 · 1h

    The Verdict in the Story8.4

    When Max goes on trial for the murder of FBI Deputy Director Robert Kirby, all the team members but Brennan are called as expert witnesses for the prosecution.

  6. 06

    S04E10 · Season 4 peak · November 19, 2008 · 1h

    The Passenger in the Oven7.9

    While en route to China to identify prehistoric anthropological remains, Booth and Brennan are called upon to solve a murder in midair when the flight attendant discovers a fully cooked human body in the plane's microwave.

  7. 07

    S05E12 · Season 5 peak · January 21, 2010 · 1h

    The Proof in the Pudding8.1

    The Jeffersonian team are essentially kidnapped when a mysterious Mr White arrives with a set of remains. The team is told they need to discover the cause of death, but their findings lead the team to suspect they are investigating one of the most famous presidential assassinations in history.

  8. 08

    S06E21 · Season 6 peak · May 5, 2011 · 1h

    The Signs in the Silence8.0

    15-year-old Jane Doe, who is hearing impaired and unable to communicate, is found on the streets covered in blood and wielding a knife, leading the team to believe she is responsible for a recent murder. Meanwhile, Angela keeps Hodgins in the dark regarding the details of her pregnancy.

  9. 09

    S07E07 · Season 7 peak · April 2, 2012 · 1h

    The Prisoner in the Pipe7.5

    The remains of an escaped convict are found in a residential sewer, but an examination of the sewer pipes indicates that the murder occurred within prison walls. Brennan insists on solving the crime - despite Booth's pleas for her not to overexert herself - and the expectant couple experiences a very untraditional arrival of their baby daughter.

  10. 10

    S08E12 · Season 8 peak · January 21, 2013 · 1h

    The Corpse on the Canopy7.6

    After Hodgins and Angela were drugged and woke 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.

  11. 11

    S09E24 · Season 9 peak · May 19, 2014 · 1h

    The Recluse in the Recliner7.4

    In the season finale of BONES, the Jeffersonian team investigates the death of Wesley Foster, a conspiracy blog writer who had arranged to meet up with Booth to discuss a previous case before his untimely death. Realizing that whoever killed Foster did not want him talking to Booth, the team has to try to figure out who is behind the death and how the previous case is relevant. 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.

  12. 12

    S10E01 · Season 10 peak · September 25, 2014 · 1h

    The Conspiracy in the Corpse7.0

    In the Season 10 premiere of BONES, Brennan and the Jeffersonian team are desperately working to get Booth out of jail, clear his name and absolve him of crimes he did not commit. The remains of a man who has been dead 16 years could be the point of origin in the entire government conspiracy that ultimately put Booth in jail. Meanwhile, Booth is faced with a challenge from a new and politically ambitious FBI agent. As he awaits trial, Booth also realizes that many of the convicts with whom he is locked up are criminals he put in there, and Daisy and Sweets have a surprise for the rest of the Jeffersonian team.

  13. 13

    S11E13 · Season 11 peak · April 28, 2016 · 1h

    The Monster in the Closet7.1

    The Jeffersonian investigates the decomposing body of a social worker in the park, but evidence suggests the killer lived with the body for months before dumping it. Things get even more complicated when they determine another set of remains has similar details which link the multiple victims to a serial murderer who had sinister interactions with his victims' bodies. Booth and Aubrey consult with behavioral analyst Karen Delfs to help with clues to the killer's identity while Cam tries to determine what (and who) she wants in her romantic life.

  14. 14

    S12E01 · Season 12 peak · January 3, 2017 · 1h

    The Hope In The Horror7.0

    The episode picks up where last season's cliffhanger left off - Brennan kidnapped by her former assistant, Zack Addy, as Booth and the rest of the lab desperately search for her. Brennan's rescue is, however, just the beginning of their problems.

  15. 15

    S12E12 · Series finale · March 28, 2017 · 1h

    The End in the End6.7

    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.

Shows like Bones

The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.

  1. 01Drama·Crime·MedicalThe essential episodes of Harrow2018–2021·ABCAlso on HuluHarrow tells the story of Dr. Daniel Harrow, who is no ordinary forensic pathologist.7.6
  2. 02Drama·Crime·MedicalThe essential episodes of Rosewood2015–2017Same network — FOX·Also on Hulu7.4
  3. 03Drama·Crime·MedicalThe essential episodes of Coroner2019–2022·CBCAlso on Amazon Prime VideoJenny Cooper, a former ER doctor and newly appointed coroner, investigates suspicious deaths.7.2
  4. 04Drama·Crime·MedicalThe essential episodes of Mary Kills People2017–2019·GlobalSet in the morally grey world of assisted suicide, Mary Kills People is an intense, controversial, and thought-provoking drama.7.7
  5. 05Drama·Crime·MedicalThe essential episodes of Third Watch1999–2005·NBCThe exploits of a group of men and women who serve the City of New York as police officers, firemen, and paramedics in the fictional 55th Precinct.7.7
  6. 06Drama·Crime·MedicalThe essential episodes of Diagnosis: Murder1992–2002·CBSAlso on PhiloDr. Mark Sloan is chief of internal medicine at Community General Hospital in Los Angeles and a L.A.P.D.7.5
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