Which Episode of Bones Does Vincent Die?

Based on the Temperance Brennan novels by Kathy Reichs, 2005’s Bones focuses on the forensics anthropologist of the same name. With expertise in solving crimes by examining the bones of victims, Brennan is surrounded by a wide cast of characters, from her best friend, Angela, to her love interest Booth. While the show maintains a generally upbeat tone, it also has a long list of tragedies — including the death of a fan-favorite recurring character.

Bones focuses on Dr Temperance “Bones” Brennan as she, through her work as a forensic anthropologist for the Jeffersonian Institute, aids the FBI in murder investigations. With a keen eye and brilliant recollection of facts, her examination of a victim’s remains allows her to see clues that aren’t detectable to others. From the smallest of imperfections or marks, she’s able to piece together everything from an identity to the motive for killing someone, making her an indispensable asset to the FBI. Unfortunately, the expertise and skill of the team has made them the target of serial killers throughout the show — some of whom claimed lives.

Who Is Vincent Nigel-Murray?

Bones focuses on a large team of characters, one that undergoes changes between seasons. The cast is led by Dr Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz). Brennan is aided by her best friend, Angela Montenegro, as well as a team of assistants nicknamed “squinterns” by Booth, who, despite being a great agent, is guided more by his gut than intellect. The Jeffersonian is headed by Camille Saroyan, and includes experts like Jack Hodgins and psychologist Lance Sweets to aid in the investigation, each bringing their own expertise. While there is a core main cast, the series also has a variety of recurring characters, some of whom offer support to the protagonists while others include relatives and allies.

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After Zack Addy betrayed the team by becoming Gormogon’s apprentice, Bones saw the influx of a variety of new squinterns to assist Brennan. This revolving door of characters included the likes of Clark Edison, Colin Fisher and Wendell Bray, each of whom brought a unique personality to the table, replete with their own comedic quirks. One of the best remembered of Zack’s potential replacements is Vincent Nigel-Murray (Ryan Cartwright), an intelligent Brit, with many of the same talents as Addy, such as his impressive memory. First appearing in the episode “The He In the She” (season four, episode seven), he quickly became one of the audience favorites to become a long-term recurring character.

What Episode Does Vincent Die?

In the sixth season of Bones, the team encounter Jacob Broadsky, an expert sniper who shares history with Booth. Committed to his own warped vision of justice, he carries out a series of executions of people he feel has escaped justice, and has no issue targeting those in the way of his mission. Nicknamed the Hand of God by his old teammates from his time in the military, he was considered a loose cannon for his readiness to execute targets without authorization. Although wanted for murder by the US government, many of his old allies believed he was being unfairly persecuted, and still viewed him as one of the good guys. This even continues as the FBI pursue him for his vigilante-style murders.

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When Booth and Brennan realize that a US Marshal, Paula Ashwaldt, is Broadsky’s girlfriend and is using her office to feed him information, they confront her. Overcome by guilt for the loss of innocents, she takes her own life before they can find their target — leaving the killer determined to seek revenge against Booth. After a confrontation between the two in the agent’s apartment, it becomes clear that neither man can let the other continue as they are, building towards a highly-anticipated showdown for the penultimate episode. Drawing on his own past as a sniper, the agent works with Brennan to try and locate their enemy, leading to a couple of near misses in the manhunt.

In Season 6, Episode 22 of Bones — titled “The Hole in the Heart” —Broadsky targets Booth at the Jeffersonian, using a heat vision scope and a phone call to target him. Unfortunately, Booth hands his phone to Vincent, asking him to take the call so he can set up a trace — inadvertently causing the killer to mistake him for his target. As he answers the phone, Broadsky fires his shot, the bullet shattering the skylight of the building and prompting Booth to spring into action to try and save Vincent. Initially believing he’s saved the squintern, the agent is horrified when he looks down to see Vincent laying in a pool of blood. Believing he’s killed his target, the villain leaves his position, and the team tries their best to save Vincent before he bleeds out, something they’re ultimately unable to do.

Vincent’s Death Reminded Audiences the Series Has Stakes

Season 6, Episode 22: “The Hole in the Heart”

While some recurring characters had departed the series before, such as Zack and Director Goodman, Vincent was the first death of a significant character on the show. This is particularly surprising as it took a full six seasons for the show to finally pull the trigger (literally and figuratively) on a permanent departure. In killing Vincent, audiences were reminded that the series had stakes, something tough to do considering the sitcom-style comedy that had been the norm in some episodes (in spite of the show’s grim subject matter). Vincent had very much been one of the faces of the series’ more absurdist nature, at one point leaving the institute after winning a million dollars on Jeopardy!. If anything, his return after the win only made his death all the more tragic.

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While audiences didn’t believe characters like Booth or Brennan could be killed, Vincent’s death did let them know that almost anyone could be a potential target. Considering the large number of interns featured throughout the show, the series effectively teased that these characters could become the “red shirts” of the show. When the series killed off Lance Sweets in season ten episode “The Conspiracy in the Corpse,” it took the show’s stakes to an even greater level, delivering the most heartbreaking blow of the show. Had the series waited until season ten to kill someone off, it could have been seen as too off-brand, but the death of Vincent along the way meant it was to be expected.

Bones makes for an interesting balance of tone and expectation, with some of the show’s darkest episodes still beginning with an upbeat direction. From the series’ music to Booth’s jokes, the series was far more lighthearted than the average procedural of its time. This, however, only made the tragedies more unexpected, and the death of Vincent in an episode that highlights the silly side of his character is a great example of this. Viewers aren’t given any reason to suspect that the death of their beloved squintern is imminent, instead seeing him engage in some fun office hijinks. When the moment does finally roll around, they’re left in tears as the dying man begs Brennan not to make him leave the institute. The episode is left on a bittersweet note as the team sing Vincent’s favorite song as they bid a final farewell to his coffin.

Vincent’s Death Wasn’t the Series’ Only Tragedy

Unlike other procedurals, which typically make a point of retaining characters as long as possible, Bones has never shied away from giving devastating conclusions to a variety of smaller characters. From the imprisonment of Zack Addy to the limited screen time of his replacements and the death of Sweets, fans never knew who was going to remain to the finale, save for Bones and Booth. When Hodgins was injured to the point of needing a wheelchair in “The Death in the Defense,” audiences were dealt yet another blow to the comfort they enjoyed in earlier seasons.

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The Jacob Broadsky arc remains one of the best in the series, and is told over the course of three main episodes; “The Bullet in the Brain,” “The Killer in the Crosshairs” and “The Hole in the Heart.” Together, they form a feature-length story that adds to Booth’s past, while giving the team one of their most ruthless villains, a man who introduced himself by assassinating the series’ last major villain, the Gravedigger. That being said, his out-in-the-open style lacked the mystique and gravitas of past killers, such as Gormogon, instead leaning on the action-based side of the show represented by Booth. Where Heather Taffet had been designed to give Brennan her perfect match, Jacob Broadsky did the same thing for Booth — and it cost Vincent Nigel-Murray his life.

Release Date

September 13, 2005

Cast

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

Main Genre

Crime

Seasons

12

Creator

Hart Hanson

Number of Episodes

246

Network

FOX

Streaming Service(s)

The Roku Channel , Amazon Freevee , Hulu

Expand