House and Bones - Reindeer Games

Bones - The Santa in the Slush - Ep. 310
House - Games - Ep. 409

Bones killed Santa (the show, not the character). And again, somehow it's the one of the most sentimental shows (without being shlocky) around. Explain that?

A dead Santa is found in an alley and his name is Kris Kringle. For real. Apparently. He was killed by a reindeer, he claims to have come from the North Pole, and he lives above a toy store (with a big secret wad of cash). But the most shocking part is, Bones believes it could be true while it's Booth who seems skeptical this time.

But let's talk about the REAL story. Max wants a REAL Christmas while he's in jail, but to do that, Bones needs a favour from AUSA Caroline Julian (an always amusingly unamused Patricia Belcher). In turn, Caroline blackmails Bones... to kiss Booth underneath a mistletoe for a good 5 seconds. On the lips.

The kiss? Was hysterical. Booth and Bones described it like kissing your brother or sister. Caroline seemed half bemused and half grossed out and half hot and bothered (yes, I know that makes 3 halves) and I thought it looked like they were kissing their workmate/co-producer but the look AFTER the kiss sold me on the potential chemistry. Now those two just need to practice their kissing a bit more.

Anyways, Max, Russ and the kids want a tree but that's a no-no in the conjugal trailer but Booth comes through in the end to help out Bones in a nice sweet Christmacy moment.

Meanwhile the killer was another DeLuise. Isn't it always a DeLuise? (How many of them ARE there anyways? Where they keep all appearing from?)

Plus, John Francis Daley is in the opening credits as a main cast! Freaking Geeky Do! (Wait, was he in last week? I only noticed this week).

On House: 4 new ducklings. 2 spots. House wants all 4. Cuddy says he can have 2. Let the games begin!

New case. Diagnose it correctly, become the winner! Winner gets a job! And through various misdiagnoses, everyone gets fired at some point. Evil Bitch works too hard. 13 actually cares. Points are lost, points are gained. Foreman is appalled that helping a patient has become a game, but House insists the game works.

In the end, Kutner and Taub are hired leaving both girls out of a job, until Cuddy allows for 13, giving House the three new ducklings he always wanted. Cutthroat Bitch cries. Eh, oh well, she was entertaining during the competition but I'm not sure I could deal with a whole season of it. Though apparently she will be back.

So after 9 episodes, we finally have a new team, though I think the fun was in trying to find the new team. Let's hope House doesn't fall back into its old procedural ways.