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"The Foot in the Foreclosure" is episode eight of season five of Bones, the forensic drama television series loosely based on the novels and life of anthropologist Kathy Reichs. In this episode, burned human remains are found on an intact bed.
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Not a Good House Viewing
A real estate agent is showing a couple around a house they are interested in buying. The couple comment on the smell, and the estate agent suggests it's the neighbours, who like barbecuing. Just before entering the master bedroom, she says it's to die for. Which turns out to be a poor choice of words. On the bed is a pile of ash. There is also an foot that hasn't been burned. The couple leave the room hastily; the estate agent is more concerned about the loss of the sale.
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Spontaneous Human Combustion?
Only the body is burned, not the bed, so Booth suggests Spontaneous Human Combustion. Brennan has no other answer, but Hodgins mentions the wick effect. They have a badly burned hand and a intact foot belonging to an obese woman. And a pile of ash. Identifying the victim will be a challenge. Angela recognises the colour of a clothing remnant from the fire, and traces it to a chain store, making it easier to identify the victim than expected. Only the victim is a lot thinner than would be explained for by the amount of ash, even if she used to be substantially heavier. That means that there's a second victim. The second victim is a man, and one that was fairly substantial.
The Victims Were Dead Prior to the Fire
Once the victims are identified, there is still the matter of how, and why, they died - and they seemed to have died prior to the actual fire.
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Personal Matters - And Clark Gets Involved
Booth's grandfather (played by the late Ralph Waite, who also played Gibbs' father in NCIS) has arrived in town, after having to leave the nursing home he was at, after hitting a male nurse who wouldn't let him light up a cigar. It's suggested that Booth's grandfather - who raised him after his father left - might be staying with Booth permanently and Clark, in a manner which stuns the others, says that this is admirable. Given that Clark hates the personal matters that always arise, for him to make a comment on colleague's personal affairs is unprecedented. It seems that caring for the elderly, especially grandparents, is something Clark feels strongly about. Not that it's easy telling when he's feeling strong emotion. Brennan and Booth's grandfather get on well, but he ends up tagging along quite frequently with them. He also thinks that Booth and Brennan should be more than just friends.
Bones - The Foot in the Foreclosure Trailer
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