Following in footsteps of last year’s shocking finale, the Bones season 6 finale not only managed to top the 6-month separation storyline, but also entirely shift the tone of one of the most fanatical shows on television.

A death at a bowling alley sets the stage for the sixth season finale, entitled "A Change in the Game." With a dead body laughably being found in a pin setter, Booth and Brennan go undercover to find whoever is behind the murder. After Booth proves to dominate the lanes, the two stumble on to the mysterious tale of the bowling alley.

For its length and production value, one would have expected the bowling alley storyline to somehow lead-in to the others. Unfortunately, both Brennan’s pregnancy reveal and the birth of Angela and Hodgins' baby felt completely separate from the main storyline.

That being said, the principle plotline was interesting enough for an episode of Bones, but it ultimately felt more like the typical episodic installment, instead of something that one would expect to see in a season finale – even with Booth and Brennan’s undercover performances.

While I’ll admit that Angela and Hodgins’ delivery was incorporated in the investigation with the use of a webcam, their inclusion felt forced and sloppy - if anything, Angela and Hodgins' baby and Brennan’s pregnancy reveal had more to do with each other than the main storyline.

Bones season 6 finale - Bones Booth Bowling

With this past season perfectly setting up the coupling of Brennan and Booth, one would have almost certainly expected the last scene in the finale to show Booth and Brennan sharing a long-awaited kiss. To the surprise of many (even if that surprise resulted in happiness), Hart Hanson once again tossed in one of his infamous plot twists with the revelation that Brennan is pregnant with Booth’s baby.

Throughout the series, Hanson’s “twists” have ranged from the great (Gormogon, The Gravedigger) to the, well, not so great (Hannah). Depending on your feelings on the matter, an impending Booth/Brennan offspring might be what you’ve been hoping of. Whether or not you’re a fan of the pregnancy, one question still remains: why?

While a Booth-initiated Bones pregnancy certainly satisfies the many fans wishing to see the two together, the manner in which it was accomplished may not have been the best. Considering lead-character coupling is one of the most difficult story elements to pull off, one would have assumed that, given Hanson’s record, he would have been weary of attempting to undertake the even more difficult storyline of a baby.

Bones season 6 finale - angela

Since the announcement of Emily Deschanel’s pregnancy, fans have often wondered whether or not it would be incorporated in the series. Even though the most obvious decision would be to follow the lead of many other television series and simply hide the pregnancy with props, sets and camera angles, Hanson decided to forgo any further production problems and reveal that Brennan was, in fact, pregnant.

Like last year’s surprising finale, I’m going to reserve judgment in regards to whether or not a Brennan and Booth baby will help or hurt the series. Even though Hanson has, at times, let fans down when it comes to seasonal story-arcs, one cannot deny that the famed creator still has the ability to deliver wonderfully original stories.

With a child now forever part of Booth and Brennan’s life, it will be interesting to see how Hanson handles the challenges that await him.

Of course, there was that whole “Hannah” thing.

-

Bones season 7 will air Thursdays @9pm on Fox

Follow Anthony on Twitter @anthonyocasio