Summary

• The dynamic of the crime drama Bones is shaken up by a rotating cast of interns, some of whom fit in well with the main characters and some who do not.
• The best Bones interns are those who embed themselves in the team, offer their own knowledge, and become a larger part of the narrative.
• Wendell Bray is the best intern because he becomes part of the team's personal lives, battles cancer while excelling in the lab, and is an integral part of the family dynamic.

The main characters in the crime drama Bones have great chemistry, which helps contribute to the successful solving of so many cases, but the Bones cast interns frequently shake up the dynamic on the show. After the departure of Brennan's (Emily Deschanel) original intern Zack (Eric Millegan), the series has a rotating cast of interns. These characters are all pursuing degrees in forensic science with various specialties, and they each offer a different perspective and a unique personality when introduced.

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Some of the Bones cast interns stick around for longer episode arcs, and some get jobs at the Jeffersonian working with the group after they've graduated from intern status. The worst Bones interns are those who don't fit in well with the eccentricities of the main characters and the rules of a criminal investigation. On the other hand, the best Bones interns are the characters that truly embed themselves in the team and become a larger part of the narrative while offering up a lot of their own knowledge and learning from their experiences. Unlike Bones guest stars Betty White and David Alan Grier's characters, who might be fan favorites, all of these Bones interns also appear in multiple episodes.

Douglas Filmore

Played by Scott Lowell

Since he was Canadian and usually worked on a transfer program, forensic podiatrist Douglas Filmore didn’t appear as much as the other interns. The audience didn't have a chance to truly get to know him as a result. He was also a stereotype of an overly polite and humble Canadian instead of a fully fleshed-out character.

What little of his personality was shown in the series revealed he had an extreme inferiority complex where Dr. Brennan was concerned, with his confidence sometimes affecting his work. He did appear to be as imaginative as the other interns either, so he never quite fit in with the rest of the team.

Jessica Warren

Played by Laura Spencer

The last Bones cast intern to join the Jeffersonian during the run of the show, Jessica Warren isn’t intimidated by working with Dr. Brennan. As a matter of fact, she often ignores the rules, which angers Cam (Tamara Taylor) and Brennan. She grew up in a free-spirited co-op, so she doesn’t always fit in with the more structured ways of the lab, which is a problem when it comes to things like preserving chain-of-evidence and making sure no evidence is damaged.

She and Aubrey (John Boyd) had a romantic relationship, but it always seemed a little forced. It was as if Aubrey was supposed to make her character more likable. Truth be told, she was introduced too late in the series’ run to really feel like one of the team, and the relationship didn't help her gel with the group.

Oliver Wells

Played by Brian Klegman

Oliver Wells was meant to be unlikable among the Bones cast interns, but there’s a point where unlikable becomes unwatchable. Whereas Brennan knows she lacks certain social skills and strives to improve them, Oliver has zero interest in being well-liked. That can even make him appear hostile at times. He also didn't earn himself any fans when he decided to read a book in the middle of an autopsy instead of focusing on the task at hand.

He’s extremely intelligent and very good at his job, but his personality makes him the intern the audience is least excited to see show up in the lab. There’s nothing wrong with being the smartest person in the room, but the way he constantly challenges Brennan borders on being disrespectful. He's also a little too open-minded for the very scientific approach the team takes. He tried to convince everyone to consider time travel at play during a case where two sets of remains were similar rather than think that the two bodies could have belonged to relatives. Having a theory is one thing, but facts are needed to support the theory.

Vincent Nigel-Murray

Played by Ryan Cartwright

With his endless knowledge of obscure facts, Mr. Nigel-Murray was a fount of useless information. Turns out he used these tidbits to help him focus on the case. He gave the audience such interesting and helpful pieces of information on cases such as tongue prints being as distinctive as fingerprints. Mr. Nigel-Murray made the cases he worked on even more fascinating as he drew connections between seemingly unconnected things. He was charming and funny, making him a fan favorite among the Bones cast interns.

When actor Ryan Cartwright joined the show Alphas, Vincent became a casualty of Bones criminal sniper Jacob Broadsky. His demise was difficult for Brennan, as she couldn’t understand why someone so young and promising would be taken away. It was a shocking moment that changed the show forever, as his loss sparked Brennan and Booth (David Boreanaz) to finally act on their feelings for one another.

Rodolfo Fuentes

Played by Ignacio Serricchio

A doctor of forensic anthropology in Cuba, Rodolfo was actually the head of forensic anthropology for the Cuban government before defecting and moving to the United States. Now, he must start his career over in America, which leads him to work as an intern. Though his experience is a great benefit to the Jeffersonian, his flirtatiousness caused some issues with the staff. He initially attempted to charm every woman who worked at the Jeffersonian, which didn't make him beloved by the audience.

Hodgins (TJ Thyne) went out of his way to welcome Rodolfo to the team, offering viewers a chance to see the homesick yet determined man underneath the charming smile. Though actor Ignacio Serricchio is a bona fide heartthrob, it’s the humanity Rodolfo brings to the lab that keeps the audience interested.

Colin Fisher

Played by Joel Moore

Combining his intellect and obsession with death, forensic anthropology was the perfect field for Fisher. Though he spent some time in a few mental health facilities, he said his work was the only thing he enjoyed, so he had no problem being surrounded by death as one of the Bones cast interns.

While everyone else was put off by Brennan’s lack of tactfulness, Fisher liked knowing exactly where he stood. His appearances always provide a fun balance to the shenanigans in the lab. When actor Joel David Moore left the show for a while, other interns were introduced, but none of them could replace the dark humor Fisher brought. Fisher was one of the few interns who returned to help on cases even after finishing his internship, which showed how well he worked with the team.

Daisy Wick

Played by Carla Gallo

From her first appearance, Daisy was set up to be the most annoying of the Bones cast interns, and for a while she was. She was an overachiever who wanted to become exactly like her idol, Dr. Brennan. It was through her relationship with Sweets (John Francis Daley) that she became a more fleshed-out character. She became more than a Dr. Brennan wannabe, though she could still be thoughtless, putting her career ahead of the relationships in her life without taking a moment to consider the consequences.

After losing Sweets in season 10, and giving birth to his child, she stated that the Jeffersonian team was their real family. As she exhibited more normal human interactions and fewer teacher’s pet behaviors, she evolved into a better intern, with Brennan giving her more responsibility and trust in the lab.

Finn Abernathy

Played by Luke Kleintank

Finn joined the Bones cast interns in season 7 under a cloud of suspicion. The mysterious disappearance of his stepfather caused the team to think he killed him. They eventually came around, appreciating his grounded view on life. His unflinching honesty is what endeared him to the audience as well. When Brennan asked him point-blank if his interest in forensics was a result of thinking about killing his abusive stepfather when he was younger, he admitted it was.

As the youngest intern, the team looked after Finn, helping him navigate life without a father. For example, advising him on how to enjoy having a significant amount of money for the first time. Though he was only on the show for two seasons, Finn was always a breath of fresh air in the overly scientific world.

Zack Addy

Played by Eric Millegan

Brennan’s original assistant, Zack Addy, cast a large shadow for the other interns to fill. It was so big that it took 11 new characters to replace him. Though he was a genius, his naive social skills often got him in trouble with the rest of the world. Often in the series, his social mistakes would cause either Brennan, Hodgins, or Angela (Michaela Conlin) to explain the situation to him.

It was his lack of real-world knowledge that made him the perfect victim of serial killer Gormogon. Zack was manipulated into working for the criminal, which led to a murder and Zack being locked up in a mental health facility. Zack was so smart that he was able to undermine the work being done at the Jeffersonian for the Gormogon while still helping to solve cases as well. His huge intellect, and him fitting so well in with the team, made him being Gormogon's accomplice a huge blow to the audience and the Jeffersonian. The twist is what perpetuated the need for a rotating Bones cast of interns.

Arastoo Vaziri

Played by Pej Vahdat

Arastoo began his career at the Jeffersonian by pretending to have an accent, so no one would question him about his faith. Once the truth came out, fans got to know how complex he really was. His faith and his background in forensics are treated as two separate aspects of his personality, so his faith doesn't impact his work.

He was considered a political exile in Iran for writing poems about love and democracy. Following this revelation, fans discovered that Arastoo was romantic, especially when he started dating Cam in Bones. Though he was just as devoted to science as the rest of the team, his big heart made him a very likable and essential member of the lab.

Clark Edison

Played by Eugene Byrd

Clark was the first of the Bones cast interns to take over after Zack, making him the measurement on whether this rotating intern experiment would work. Clark immediately established himself as different from Zack. He was all about work, with no interest in the personal lives of those working at the Jeffersonian. His efforts to remain disconnected from the team might have initially seemed jarring, but it made sense when he was the first intern brought in after the last one was arrested. Of course, he constantly kept getting drawn in anyway.

Once Clark got his doctorate and a regular position, he became Brennan’s equal and was treated as such by the rest of the lab. In fact, he stepped in for Brennan on several occasions when she was unavailable. He became the head of Historical Anthropology for the Jeffersonian, working in a different division, but willing to help with crime scene work when needed.

Wendell Bray

Played by Michael Grant Terry

The best Bones cast intern is Wendell Bray. While all the interns made an impact, Wendell is the only one who really became part of the team’s lives away from work while still being successful in the lab. He dated Angela, was close friends with Hodgins, considered Booth a role model, and leaned on them all while he battled cancer.

The trust he gained in their personal lives extended to his work in the lab, as Brennan and Hodgins often let him perform tasks outside his job description. His 'everyman charm' combined with his work ethic and down-to-earth point of view made him an integral part of the family. Interestingly, his balanced interests outside forensic anthropology were actually what led to him leaving the field. He was encouraged by Brennan to find a field that he's more interested in for work, but he still returns in the final episodes of Bones to help solve a case.

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  Bones

  Summary:

  Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Deschanel) teams up with FBI agent Steeley Booth (Boreanaz) to investigate death causes, with little more than rotten flesh and bones left to examine.

  Cast:

  Emily Deschanel, T.J. Thyne, Michaela Conlin, John Francis Daley, David Boreanaz, Tamara Taylor

  Genres:

  Comedy, Drama, Crime

  Release Date:

  2005-09-13

  Seasons:

  12

  Story By:

  Hart Hanson

  Writers:

  Hart Hanson

  Network:

  FOX

  Streaming Service(s):

  Hulu, Disney+

  Directors:

  David Boreanaz

  Showrunner:

  Hart Hanson