While on vacation in the desert, Angela comes across a skull. Fretting that it's her boyfriend, she calls in Brennan, revealing the victim was murdered and uncovering a counterfeiting ring.
Tropes
- Best Friend Manual: Angela interprets between Brennan and the sheriff, Ben.Brennan: (holding skull, gesturing towards the sheriff's desk) You mind?Ben: Be my guest. (goes to hand her a plate with a pastry)Angela: No, no. She wants the plate, Ben. Not the muffin. (Ben removes the muffin, Brennan rests the skull on the plate for easier examination.)
- Busman's Holiday: Angela is on vacation when someone drops a skull on the sheriff's porch.
- Counterfeit Cash: Wayne, an artist who appropriates Navajo culture to sell art, is found to be part of a counterfeiting scheme for Venezuelan money. Kirk was killed when he stumbled across a drop site.
- Family Relationship Switcheroo: Booth and Brennan are initially led to believe that Alexander Joseph, Dahni's boyfriend, is reluctant to work with them because he's in a Love Triangle with Ben, the sheriff. Turns out Ben is Dahni's brother, and doesn't much like Alexander Joseph because of his criminal activity.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Dahni is found because Angela sees an apparition of her in the desert, demonstrating which way she went.
- Now Allowed to Hug: Inverted. Brennan, who is not demonstrative, goes to hug Angela. Angela rebuffs her, because O.O.C. Is Serious Business and the only reason Brennan would be hugging her is because she thinks Kirk is dead. Brennan denies this, saying she just wants to offer comfort, which Angela allows.
- Precision F-Strike: Brennan tries to get Booth to come out to the desert to help her liaise with the local law enforcement, because she's being stonewalled by the sheriff. Booth is resistant, and asks her what she expects him to do. Annoyed, she tells him she wants him to "get federal on his ass," which delights him and convinces him to get the next flight out.
- Remember the New Guy?: Played With, as this is still the first season, but Angela is so in love with Kirk that he was "the guy I compare other guys to" and that she "can't even breathe" after his death, but he's never been mentioned before and Brennan (her best friend) doesn't know much about him.
- Shout-Out:
- Brennan gives a rundown of why outsiders taking over the official investigation wouldn't work out due to distrust with the locals, and Booth accuses her of being Dr. Phil. Brennan doesn't know who that is, and asks if he's "some kind of expert." Booth scoffs that "he likes to think he is."
