Bones S05E09

First of all, I would like to thank the writers of today's episode for copious amounts of fan service. Bones undressing Booth may have been a little hard to justify, but - "I should warn you, he's very hard to resist."

On a more serious note, I'd like to draw attention to the theme of the episode - namely, why people hate to be alone at Christmas. Max claims that it's "because it means that nobody loves you." An oversimplification, perhaps, but not too far from the truth. The truth is that the holidays are billed as a time to be with the people who mean the most to you. Whether or not someone actually spends this time with those people, the expectation means that being excluded from a loved one's holiday plans can sting terribly. Being alone at Christmas then doesn't literally mean that nobody loves you, but it feels as though, to each of the people most important to you, someone else matters more.

Bones S05E08

The comparison of the relative merits of quality and quantity was haunting dear Sweets after Fisher shared his Casanovic number of conquests. According to my extensive research on the subject (which could also be described as talking to a few friends and extrapolating), this is a not uncommon problem for serial monogamists. The real fear is that quantity of partners has a direct impact on quality of sex for the current partner. This may manifest as regret that past opportunities were missed, or contemplation of going elsewhere, likely behind the back of one's current partner, to improve one's technical skills. The reality of the situation is that a vast number of different partners, while it may be desirable for men from an evolutionist's standpoint, is not going to directly improve anyone's in-bed manner. There are numerous resources available demonstrating various techniques, but the most efficient and effective way to increase your partner's sexual pleasure is improving communication.

Sweets shouldn't be feeling jealous of Fisher (really, REALLY shouldn't), he should be asking Daisy what works for her. Although from the sounds of it... that's probably not a problem.

House S06E09

This episode dealt with the issue of doctors treating friends, clearly demonstrating why it doesn't usually happen. It's impossible to be appropriately objective about anyone you have a personal relationship. Furthermore, even if you can identify problems accurately, it can be difficult and even painful (even more than usual) to deliver bad news. There is even the possibility of a friend asking you to break rules or laws for them, leaving you in a very awkward position (Vicodin, anyone?).

Although the consequences of doctors mixing the personal and professional can clearly be devastating, the same idea applies, to some degree, to any position of authority. It can be difficult to teach a family member a new skill, for example, for fear that corrections to technique will be taken as personal criticisms. Similarly, being a friend's boss can put a strain on the friendship. Performance reviews, the use of sick days... sometimes it's easier not to know all the details of a co-worker's life.

In any case, Wilson's refusal to believe cancer was the cause of his friend's new symptoms shows that sometimes a little distance is necessary to see things clearly and do what has to be done.

NCIS S07E09

Poor Ducky took me right back to the subject of last week's Bones when he said of his mother that, "She barely recognizes me when I visit." It hurts terribly when that happens. It can be particularly difficult to have lost or be losing a loved one when a holiday rolls around, because holidays are built on tradition and memories, just the things to make you miss him or her more. And so Ducky is desperate to fill up his Thanksgiving with the other people in his life, to create new traditions that might help ease the pain of old traditions fading.

This idea of actively creating new traditions to cope with the loss of old ones is new to me and somewhat overwhelming, but I hope it will prove useful and worthwhile this holiday season.

House S06E08

Throughout history, intelligence has arguably been one of the most divisive traits humans exhibit. On a gross scale, you have highly intelligent people looking down on less intelligent people for failing to think critically and acting like sheep, while less intelligent people look down on highly intelligent people for causing trouble and acting superior. I must say, though, the less intelligent seem to have the advantage of numbers. And it isn't just the two extremes battling it out. In the metaphorical locker rooms of schools for the "gifted," the numbers being jealously compared are not inches, they're IQ points and grade scores. It's especially lonely at the top, where the socially awkward don't often manage to stand in solidarity.

It's no wonder, then, that the genius in this episode of House liked living without the pressures of intelligence. As House explained to the man's wife, "He's smart compared to you. He's a moron compared to what he was." This couple managed to make it work despite a significant intelligence gap, but only so long as that gap was artificially minimized by the young physicist's drug use.

It can be incredibly difficult for people at opposite ends of the intelligence spectrum to get along. Brains that function so differently can't always communicate with each other. People with high IQs often find it frustrating to slow their thought processes enough to be understood, and may leave out important information because they assume it's obvious. People with low IQs, on the other hand, can get understandably upset by the rude treatment they sometimes receive if they don't immediately grasp what they're being told.

The only reasonable solution, as things stand, is for everyone to learn to be a little more patient.

Bones S05E07

I don't feel up to tackling the really big problem - the pain when someone who used to look after you needs you to look after them - from tonight's episode, but that's okay, because I think the episode itself handled that beautifully. There are a couple of lesser things worth noting, though.

Nicknames. It may seem trivial, but what someone is called, and the motivation behind the tag, can have a significant impact on the way someone feels. Nicknames can spark a feeling of warmth, comfort, and perhaps nostalgia as well if they're old nicknames. Perhaps it's something a parent called you when you were a child and they were playing with you. Hearing the nickname used can bring happy memories flooding back. It works the other way, too, though. If someone calls you by a nickname that the school bully used, you may feel fear or nausea. Whether good or bad, the way you're addressed can have a strong impact on your mood.

The other thing that struck me in this episode was a quote from Booth's grandfather: "He's big and strong, but he's gonna need someone. Everyone needs someone." I thought this was beautiful. It doesn't matter if someone's strong and can look after him or herself, they still need support. Everyone does. That means it's not a weakness to ask for help, or to want to be held. Everyone does.

NCIS S07E08

The real baddie in this episode was a power outage. And while it was entertaining (as it was supposed to be) to watch the team flail helplessly when they first found themselves... well... powerless... it also left me wondering (again, no doubt, as it was supposed to), why on earth are we so dependent on electricity? Power outages are not uncommon, and they can be absolutely devastating when they happen. So why are we, in the developed world, not better equipped to cope with them?

Unfortunately, that is a question I have no good answer for, but it does bear thinking about.

There was one other thing worth mentioning, a Gibbs-ism that put me in quite the reflective state. "She had a choice. That's what makes her a hero." Incredibly poignant, quite true, and again... it bears thinking about. Making the difficult decision can definitely make you a hero. Maybe in the eyes of one person, or maybe in the eyes of the world - the point is that choosing to protect the vulnerable, the choiceless, is what makes a hero.