Dr. Temperance Brennan
ALSO KNOWN AS: "Bones", "Tempe"
ALIAS(ES): Joy Keenan
AGE: 32
DATE OF BIRTH: 1976
EDUCATION: Assumed to be normal elementary-middle-high school. The name of her elementary school, Woodside Elementary, was revealed in 1x22 (The Woman In Limbo). She also went to college at Northwestern University, where she had an affair with her professor (1x8, The Girl In The Fridge).
OCCUPATION: Certified forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
FAMILY: Mother, Christian Brennan (a.k.a. Ruth Keenan) - deceased
Father, Matthew Brennan (a.k.a. Max Keenan)
Brother, Russ Brenann (a.k.a. Kyle Keenan)
At least one known grandfather, who got her out of the foster-care system
Two aunts (her mother's sisters) who are still alive (2x22, Stargazer In A Puddle)
PORTRAYED BY: Emily Deschanel
FIRST APPEARANCE: 1x01 (Pilot)
Dr. Temperance Brennan is the main female protagonist of Bones. Her character is loosely based on the life of real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs. Brennan works in the forensics lab in the fictional Jeffersonian Institution, parodied off the real-life Smithsonian institution, in Washington, D.C., USA.
Out of all the characters in Bones, the most is known about Brennan's past life before the beginning of the series. In 1x01 (Pilot), it is revealed that Brennan's parents walked out on Brennan and her older brother, Russ, when she was fifteen and he was nineteen. She says that she chose to work in forensics in the hopes that she could solve cases like that of her parents, where the trail goes cold and the case is rarely solved. In the Season 1 finale (1x22, The Woman In Limbo), remains that have been held at the lab since roughly the time Brennan began working there in 1998 are discovered to be those of Christine Brennan, Brennan's missing mother. As the case progresses, Brennan learns that her parents were actually bank robbers living under assumed names, and the entire family actually used to be the Keenan family before Brennan's parents testified against other robbers in their "group" and were forced to become the Brennans to protect themselves and their children. Until this discovery, Brennan was distant from her brother, Russ (due to the fact that he left her alone to find work, which put her in the foster system for years), but they managed to reconcile with each other.
At the end of 1x22, a message is left on Brennan's answering machine at her apartment, from her father. He instructs Brennan and Russ to stop looking for him or they'll all be in trouble. This chain of events plays out in 2x11 (Judas On A Pole), where it is discovered that Brennan's father, Max, has killed two men who were attempting to get to him through his children, Russ and Brennan. Max is put on trial for the murders in 3x13 (The Verdict In The Story) but Brennan sacrifices herself to create reasonable doubt that she or Russ could have also managed the murders. Even though most everyone knows that Max indisputably did commit the murders, as implied in 2x11, Brennan manages to create the reasonable doubt needed (a person cannot be convicted of murder if reasonable doubt of their guilt stands) and Max is acquitted of the charges.
Brennan has extremely limited social skills and takes everything very literally, but she is best friends with her co-worker, Angela Montenegro, though they are extremely different people. Brennan may be a bit of a loner because her parents' disappearance has dulled her ability to trust in others. In Season 2, Brennan agrees to be the Maid of Honor at the wedding Angela and Jack Hodgins, though she never completely fulfills this task when the wedding is called off.
Brennan does date occasionally but never too seriously. In 1x8 (The Girl In The Fridge), it is revealed that she had an affair with her professor, Michael Stires, while she was in his college class. They rekindle their relationship in 1x8, but later part ways when Michael offends her and criticizes her findings. In 1x15 (Two Bodies In The Lab), Brennan meets a man named David Simmons online and goes to dinner with him. They appear to be serious about each other and David appears again, briefly, in 1x22 (The Woman In Limbo) but is never mentioned again after that. Her most serious relationship on the show began in 2x13 (The Girl In The Gator) after Booth was forced to see a psychiatrist to deal with his job stress, and Brennan began a romance with her temporary-replacement partner, Agent Tim "Sully" Sullivan.
Brennan is partnered with Special Agent Seeley Booth, working with the FBI. The two of them have obvious sexual tension between them, but never move must past an occasional "moment." Clearly they care for each other - Booth even took a bullet for Brennan to save her life (3x14, The Wannabe In The Weeds), but perhaps are unwilling to give up their non-romantic friendship to pursue a romantic relationship with each other. They did share a kiss, albeit a blackmailed one, under a sprig of mistletoe in the Season 3 Christmas episode (3x10, The Santa In The Slush) after Caroline Julian promised to help Brennan's father, Max, have a happy Christmas if Brennan would kiss Booth on the lips for "five steamboats" (five seconds). Both Brennan and Booth are shown to be discreetly jealous of each other's romantic relationships with other people, but will not admit their feelings for each other even though they are asked quite frequently about it. Occasionally, they are even assumed to be a couple by strangers, but they vehemently deny it. However, they value their partnership and spend time together outside of work, occasionally meeting at Wong Foo's Chinese restaurant or the Royal Diner for drinks or for Booth to get pie.
Brennan is an atheist and is skeptical of religion and faith in general, because in her opinion, believing something that cannot be proven scientifically is irrational. However, she does seem vaguely curious about the notion of religion and accompanies Booth, who himself is Catholic, to church on one occasion ("It might help me understand," she explains to him).
Brennan writes books in her spare time, and her crime-novels feature a heroine named Kathy Reichs. In real life, Kathy Reichs writes crime-novels featuring a heroine named Temperance Brennan. One of her books is mentioned by name in 1x01 (Pilot) and is called "Bred In The Bone." She also writes the manuscript for another book and it is introduced in 1x22 (The Woman In Limbo). Brennan had originally titled this second book "Bone Free" but changed the title when Booth said he didn't like it. Booth finds the manuscript at the end of the episode with the title crossed out and a new dedication: "This book is to my partner and friend, Special Agent Seeley Booth."
Brennan is trained in three types of martial arts including karate, and is a registered NRA marksman in four (unspecified) states (1x19, The Man In The Morgue). She explains that she only hunts when necessary, for food.
Brennan also has a band of "squints" as they are dubbed by Booth (1x01, Pilot) because he believes that scientists spend their time squinting at things. Brennan is initially insulted by this generalization, but as the series progresses, the term "squints" becomes more affectionate and Brennan begins to refer to them as such, too. The squints at the Jeffersonian include Dr. Zack Addy, Brennan's former grad student who got his doctorate but stayed at the Jeffersonian (2x11, Judas On A Pole); Angela Montenegro, the resident forensic artist who recreates the faces of dead bodies for identification; and Dr. Jack Hodgins, the lab's entomologist. The group has two bosses through the show: Daniel Goodman (Season 1) and Camille Soroyan (Season 2 - ).