Intrigue

The milestone 100th episode takes viewers back in time six years as Brennan and Booth recount the first case they worked on together. With Sweets finishing his book on their partnership, Brennan and Booth take this opportunity to set the record straight. A young and rebellious FBI Agent Booth seeks the help of a team of anthropological scientists and a street artist to find the evidence that will prove his high-profile suspect guilty. Although in unfamiliar territory, Dr. Brennan, her grad student Zack and Hodgins get right to work, impressing Booth with their knack for uncovering new leads and substantiating his theory about a well-connected district judge. While the case cements a foundation for a successful future partnership, it also reveals the convoluted romantic beginnings of the formidable duo - whose feelings for each other almost destroyed the team but still linger years later.—Fox Publicity

Rather than discussing with Sweets their romantic relationship component, Booth and Bones tell him about their first case together. Washington DC grill Gemma Arrington's body was found in a New York dumpster. Her mother, Jocelyn, asked Booth for FBI help as the jurisdiction problem made the police give up searching for the killer after three years. Camille, then coroner, suggested to him to consult the Jeffersonian expert, Bones. Zach and Hodgings are teamed up, unwillingly, and start experimenting. Angela, then a street artist, is recruited.—KGF Vissers

Booth (David Boreanaz) and Bones (Emily Deschanel) walk to the office carrying manuscripts of Sweets' book. They talk about how Sweets (John Francis Daley) has his facts wrong. Bones explains that the first case B&B worked on together is NOT the one mentioned in the tome. Booth is disappointed. He thought the mistake was "the whole 'love thing.'" Says Bones: "I don't care about that." Inside, Sweets is aghast. Turns out his entire thesis about the Bones-Booth dynamic was based on that erroneous first case. "Please tell me all about that real first case to see if my conclusions are valid," the psychologist begs. FLASHBACK time!

We open with cocky, short-haired Booth playing pool for cash -- and winning. He gets a call from a murdered girl's mother who complains that the cops are about to close the unsolved case. So Booth heads to meet Camille (Tamara Taylor), who suggests he partner with Brennan (not yet known as Bones). "Forensics don't solve crimes," Booth says. "Cops do." But the FBI guy agrees to meet Brennan anyway -- and is surprised to discover she is not only brilliant, but also HOT. "Do you believe in fate?" he asks. Nope. Not at all, she says. Funny how little has changed since.

Cut to Brennan examining the body with Zack (Eric Millegan). Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) approaches -- and gets very excited to learn his colleagues are working on a body which isn't 200 years old. Later, Brennan visits Angela (Michaela Conlin), working as a street artist. The former asks the latter to draw a caricature based on the victim's skull. "You will be paid," Brennan says. Angela immediately agrees as she is saving to "go back to Paris."

So Brennan brings Booth a super-detailed sketch -- along with news the victim was 16 years old, bi-racial and probably a singer. Booth is awestruck. Naturally, Brennan doesn't notice. "I'm sorry we couldn't find a name," Brennan says. Booth then reveals he knew the identity of the victim all along -- he was simply testing the Jeffersonian team. He then says he knows a federal judge is responsible for the death. How? "I just know -- and I'd like you to ask me to catch him," Booth says. Brennan only agrees to find the truth. She later suggests Hodgins and Zack work together while examining the remains for clues -- even though the two have long disliked each other.

Hodgins quickly finds a splinter of wood in the body -- and the girl's boyfriend was in town to try out for a minor-league baseball team four years ago when she was killed. And what do baseball players use? Bats made of wood! Booth isn't excited about bringing in the boyfriend because -- again -- he "knows" that the judge did it. But they still question the young man, who protests his innocence and still appears to be grieving.

Later, Hodgins concludes a baseball bat could not be the murder weapon (he repeatedly takes swings at a padded Zack to do so). Cut to Booth and Brennan investigating the performance hall where the victim performed before she went missing. Booth decides to call Brennan "Bones." They two then begin to mercilessly flirt. Bones indicates she would be interested in dating Booth, who explains such "fraternizing" is against bureau policy. They then stop at a flight of wooden stairs. It's possible the victim fell down the stairs -- or was dragged down. An exit to an alley is nearby.

Booth presents his case to Caroline (Patricia Belcher), skeptical as usual. She doesn't believe the judge dragged the victim to his car in the alley and then drove to the dump site. Caroline then more or less kicks B&B out of her office. So Booth decides to question the judge, inviting him to the performance hall. Not surprisingly, the judge denies everything. "You're ridiculous," he sneers at Bones. So she PUNCHES him in the face! Booth is smitten. Caroline is NOT -- and advises Booth to "cut all ties" with the doctor. Angela, meanwhile, notes the head had a noticeable dent in it -- perhaps from a car door.

Later, Booth and Bones are getting drunk at a bar together. "You're fired," Booth says. "You assaulted a federal judge." He explains it was "hot," but he is just following Caroline's orders. "If we don't work together anymore, we can have sex," Bones whispers. The two rush outside into the rain -- and begin MAKING OUT! Cut to present day: Sweets is completely distraught. "My book is crap," he says. "How long did this affair last?" FLASHBACK to the make-out session. Bones breaks the kiss and declares they're "not spending the night together" because she is drunk.

The next morning, Bones is hung over -- and informs the team it has been fired because of the assaulting-the-judge incident. "Take all the evidence back to Booth at the FBI and let's all go back to our normal jobs," Booth says. So Zack takes a file folder to Booth and calls the agent "stupid" for firing the team. Why? Because all the proof to nail the judge is in the folder. Sure enough, the victim was killed by the locking mechanism in the judge's distinctive car. Caroline tells Booth to hire back the Jeffersonian team. So B&B use their warrant to tear apart the judge's classic vehicle. After Booth's people can't find anything, Bones steps in and immediately discovers a bone fragment. She is also upset at Booth for getting her drunk -- and tells him as much. The two bicker like an old-married couple as Booth arrests the judge. Later, he admits the victim caught him snorting drugs -- and he only tried to catch her when she ran. It was accidental.

Case closed ... but not the episode.

Cut to the present. "It's like you two missed your moment and you ended up punishing each other for it," Sweets observes. In fact, B&B explain how the two began to argue soon after the judge's confession, causing Bones to slap Booth across the face. She then swore never to work with him again, calling him a "bully." "It took us a year after we kissed to be in the same room with each other," Bones explains. Sweets urges Booth to break the stalemate -- be a gambler -- and declare his love for Bones. The two smirk and leave.

Outside, Booth stops and faces Bones. "I'm the gambler," Booth says. "I want to give this a shot." He then leans in and KISSES Bones. "I knew -- right from the beginning," he confesses. Bones backs away -- terrified -- and begins to cry. "I am not a gambler," she says. "I'm a scientist. I can't change. I don't know how." The two cry. Booth says they can still work together, but he "has to move on" when it comes to romance. "I know," Bones says. They walk together into the night.