The Soldier on the Grave (1-21)

Originally aired: Wednesday May 10, 2006 on FOX

Writer: Stephen Nathan
Director: Jonathan Pontell
Show Stars: T.J. Thyne (Dr. Jack Hodgins), Michaela Conlin (Angela Montenegro), Jonathan Adams (Dr. Daniel Goodman (Season 1)), Eric Millegan (Zack Addy), Emily Deschanel (Dr. Temperance Brennan), David Boreanaz (Special Agent Seeley Booth)
Guest Stars: Rick Fitts (Col. Phillip Seymour Shore) , Kirk B.R. Woller (Peter Lefferts) , Stacy Hogue (Private Jody Campbell) , Matt Battaglia (Captain WIlliam Fuller) , Mitch Longley (Hank Lutrell) , Erica Tazel (Karen Merton) , Aldis Hodge (Jimmy Merton) , Jasmine McNeal (Kiara Marshall) , Monnae Michaell (Regina Marshall) , Eddie Allen (Bradley Kent) , Cyd Strittmatter (Tina Kent) , Adam Lieberman (FBI Agent)
Production Code: 1AKY20

Brennan and Booth arrive at a cemetery where a charred body was found on the grave of deceased soldier Charlie Kent on the one-year anniversary of his death. Charlie, a former NBA hopeful, was killed while serving in Iraq. Agent Booth is troubled by strong memories of his time in the service.

Back in the Jeffersonian lab, the team examines the charred remains of the corpse found on Kent's grave in an effort to identify the body. Dr. Hodgins and Dr. Goodman begin arguing about the politics of the war in Iraq. Angela quickly identifies the charred remains as Devon Marshall, a former National Guard member who served in Iraq with Charlie Kent. Dr Brennan believes that Marshall did not commit suicide, but was murdered and burned on Kent's grave to make it look like a suicide protest.

Bones and Booth go to visit Devon's Mother and sister to see if they can uncover some information. Devon's mother says he was a firm supporter of the war. Devon's sister said when he returned from Iraq he only saw a few people including herself and a combat buddy, Jimmy Merton.

They arrive at the V.A. hospital to talk to Devon's friend Jimmy. Jimmy checked back into the hospital after Devon's death. Bones suspects Jimmy as a potential suspect much to Booth’s chagrin. As a precaution, Dr. Brennan took one of Jimmy's cigarette butts to pull DNA.

Back at the Jeffersonian lab, Zack, Angela and Jack examine Marshall's bones. Jack and Angela get into a heated argument about the legitimacy of the Iraq war, which ends in Angela leaving the room offended by one of Jack’s conspiracy arguments.

Bones and Booth visit the National Guard base to see if they can glean some information about Marshall and Kent’s experience in Iraq and talk to other soldiers who served alongside them. National Guard Capt. Fuller explains an incident in Mosul that Kent, Marshall and Jimmy experienced. The platoon was on a routine patrol when they encountered a household containing insurgents. The group moved in to investigate when Kent charged in attacking when he saw an insurgent wielding a weapon. The conflict ended with 3 dead Iraqi insurgents and the death of Charlie Kent, shot by insurgent AK-47 fire. Booth explains Marshall was murdered.

Back at the lab there is conjecture regarding the information in the combat medical records as to the number and nature of bullet wounds on Kent's body. Bones decides there is no choice but to exhume Charlie Kent's body for examination, which Booth does not approve of.

Booth continues to have difficulty dealing with the situation, as he is constantly reminded of his tour of duty. The Jeffersonian team continues the investigation on the body of Charlie Kent while Booth goes to talk to Jimmy again about the details of the combat resulting in Kent's death. Booth then interrogates Campbell, another member of Kent’s platoon who was there during the fire-fight. She gives the exactly same account of the incident, nearly word for word. Booth suspects that they've been coached on their responses. Booth interrogates the remaining member of the Platoon, Peter Lefferts, the national guard soldier who was the first to find Kent. Again, the same account of the incident.

Back at the lab, Bones discovers M-14 rounds were the source of Kent's death, not the AK-47 rounds. M-14 is an American weapon carried by national guard soldiers: friendly fire. Bones and Booth race to go question Lefferts again, who they now believe to be the person responsible for Kent's death in Iraq. They arrive to find Lefferts dead, suicide by hanging. He couldn't live knowing he killed Kent, and his assistant says Leffert was out of town when Marshall was killed, so the murderer is still out there.

After some careful detective work of piecing together the details of the fire-fight, the team learns that someone tried to cover up the friendly fire incident. They go to confront Fuller about covering up the friendly fire incident. They learn Devon's killer had access to medical instruments and potent narcotics to knock out Devon. It all points to private Jody Campbell who readily admits to the crime when Booth and Brennan show up. She claims Devon was going to report the incident and this was all she could do to keep the incident under wraps.

Quotes

add » Brennan: This is hard for Booth, he's idealistic.
Angela: Oh, it's nice to know someone who wants to keep honor and responsibility alive.
Brennan: I feel like Booth thinks I'm taking that away from him.
Angela: You're just doing your job. He knows that.
Brennan: I guess. I tell Booth we're on the same side, I'm not the one who's disillusioning him, it's my findings. But when I look at him I - I don't know what else I can do.
Angela: I do.
Brennan: Ange.
Angela: As a friend, Brennan.
Brennan: Yeah, the whole friends with benefits thing. That's, that's not happening.
Angela: I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about being there for him. Knowing when a simple touch is enough. (edit) Hank: Look at the two of us. You with the badge, me in the court room, both trying to find justice, ey?
Booth: That's why we fought, right?
Hank: That's what they told us.
Booth: What, you don't believe it?
Hank: Sure I do. You don't look like you do. You're not gambling again, are you?
Booth: Nah, man. No, I've been good. I've been going to my meetings, haven't even played a game of monopoly. Listen, Hank, this case, Charles Kent? It's a friendly fire.
Hank: God.
Booth: Yeah, covered up. Two other members of the squad are dead, one murdered. You know, whatever went down must have been pretty ugly. (thoughtful and hesitant) You know, Hank, what, you know, what we did?
Hank: Don't go there, Booth.
Booth: Was it worth it? I mean, look at you.
Hank: You saved my life! I got a great family because of you.
Booth: Yeah, but I mean, why was it always a secret?
Hank: We were given a choice. They always gave us a choice.
Booth: Yeah, but that last time...
Hank: Well, you knew what was at stake.
Booth: Yeah...yeah.
Hank: You never talked to anybody about it? (Booth shakes his head) You've got to. How about your girlfriend? That doctor.
Booth: No, she's, you know, she's just my partner. You know, I got work, I should go. (edit) (Booth is looking at Kent's exhumed body)
Booth: He's just a kid.
Brennan: It's always the young. Anthropologists have theorized that wars break out when there's an increase in the population of unmarried men under the age of 25. (Booth looks at her very hurt, as if she just slapped him in the worst manner) I'm sorry. I need to create a distance from the victim, it's how I deal. I didn't mean -
Booth: (pain written all over his face) Just...you know, do what you have to do. I'm gonna go do my thing. (edit) Booth: You know I'm just gonna be asking his mother a few questions. You could have just stayed back there and played with your bones.
Brennan: I know. Just wanted to keep you company, that's all.
Booth: Company?
Brennan: Yeah, I'm trying to be more sociable, you know?
Booth: Lousy liar.
Brennan: I just think inside you're still military, Booth. You might be too close to this one. I just wanna make sure you stay objective.
Booth: I know how to do my job. Ok? I was doing it just fine long before I met you.
Brennan: You're angry.
Booth: Well, because I have people all around me with opinions about the war who don't know what the hell they're talking about.
Brennan: I've been in Sudan, Rwanda. For two months I sifted through the wreckage of 9/11 trying to help the families of the victims.
Booth: All I'm saying is that this is just another case, that's all, it's just another case.
Brennan: You're not such a great liar yourself. I'm your partner. Let me be your partner. (edit) (Booth is standing in front of Jamie Richards' grave, thoughtful and sad. Brennan sees him and joins him)
Brennan: What?
Booth: It's Jamie Richards. We were in the Rangers together. He was hit by a roadside bomb just outside the Green Zone. You know, he left a wife, two kids. The fact that he was near this...
Brennan: You believe somehow he's still here, watching?
Booth: Yeah. You don't, I get that.
Brennan: I know you think he was a good man, that's...that's enough for me. (edit)

All The Soldier on the Grave Quotes »

Trivia

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It is revealed that when he was in the military, Booth was sent on a mission to kill a Serbian General who was destroying entire villages in order to ethnically purify his country. (edit) The war story Booth tells Bones in the end of the episode is probably the same one alluded in episode 1x16 "The Woman in the Tunnel" when they're discussing about the homeless leader who was in the army and had killed a woman holding a baby in an arm and a grenade in the other hand.. and later Booth says he understands what the guy's going through.. that's probably related to the story he told Bones at the end of this episode.. (edit) As Booth and Bones are in the cemetery at the beginning of the episode, Bones asks Booth "what?", Booth replies "It's Jamie Richards..." (James Richards) at that time the second headstone from the camera (right row) is moving in the wind. Solid stone wedged into earth shouldn't move. (edit) It is revealed that Booth used to have a gambling problem. (edit)

Allusions

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Zack: I could have done better with a crayola.

Crayola is a brand of crayons and other writing and drawing utensils, such as markers, chalk, and colored pencils invented by Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith and manufactured by Binney & Smith Inc. (edit) Stagecoach is a 1939 western starring John Wayne, AKA the Duke. The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The story is about a group of strangers who are on a stagecoach, which is attacked by Apache Indians.