Bones: Season 2 (DVD)

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I'm thinking maybe "Gristle" might be a better title for this popular Fox series, which is crafted from the "CSI" mold. That's because the characters who examine half-decomposed remains do so with all the gusto of Emeril dangling a piece of bacon in front of his audience.

Based on the forensic crime novels by Kathy Reichs (one of only 50 board-certified forensic anthropologists, by the way), "Bones" combines the dark and grisly elements of those medical investigative dramas with the kind of snappy, borderline flirtatious buddy banter we got from he/she caper shows like "Remington Steele," "Moonlighting," and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King." And there's more gross shots and joking around during their medical examinations than you ever saw on "Six Feet Under."

Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) works well with FBI Special Agent Seely Booth (David Boreanaz), and the actors have a nice chemistry that makes this unlikely pairing seem less off-the-wall. Brennan and Booth have developed such a bond working together that they defend each other as often as they jibe at each other. This season finds Brennan with a new boss at the Jeffersonian, where she is based, and the usual new boss friction results until they become tolerant of each other's way of working. Tamara Taylor appears as Dr. Camille Saroyan, a no-nonsense, "I wish you'd do it my way" type who butts heads with the stubborn Brennan. Sometimes it's all a bit too reductive for my tastes, as when Booth tells Saroyan that Brennan was a foster child, and that's supposed to explain everything and pave the way for total acceptance. Other times, it's so familiar that there's not nearly the interest in the subplot that the writer anticipates. And the characters just aren't as well developed as I'd prefer. "Bones" has that slick look that network TV shows get, where a knowing glance seems to substitute for a richer dialogue or deeper investigation into character.

Overall, though, it's an engaging series if you can get past the blood and guts and gristle. Apparently, though, people are tuning in to SEE all of that, so what do I know?

1) "The Titan on the Tracks"--Brennan and Booth investigate the death of a senator involved in a train crash/suicide where bodies have been switched. Meanwhile, Brennan learns disturbing facts about her mother's killer.

2) "The Mother and Child in the Bay"--The duo studies the year-old body of a pregnant newlywed found in the bay, with all the evidence pointing to an abusive husband.

3) "The Boy in the Shroud"--The foster care system takes center stage in this episode, as the duo investigates the murder of a teenaged runaway.

4) "The Blonde in the Game"--When a serial killer plays Hannibal games with Brennan and Booth, a young girl's life could be at stake.

5) "The Truth in the Lye"--Who killed a man found decomposing in a vat of acids-a man suspected of leading a double life, with two families?

6) "The Girl in Suite 2103"--Diplomatic immunity gets in the way of a case involving a Columbian and (what else?) drug trafficking.

7) "The Girl with the Curl"--The duo tries to crack the case of a missing 10-year-old beauty pageant contestant; meanwhile, Angela is talked into dating Hodgins.

8) "The Woman in the Sand"--Booth has to box in order for the duo to get closer to solving a particularly brutal case.

9) "Aliens in a Spaceship"--The pair goes up against a serial killer called The Grave Digger, and are buried alive.

10) "The Headless Witch in the Woods"--Hansel and Gretel was never like this. The duo investigates the violent death of a documentary filmmaker and fuels rumors of a headless witch haunting the area.