Is Fox’s Bones an Aspie

I have been watching Fox’s tv drama Bones since it’s debut. The show is made up of an ensemble cast that centers around the two characters Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and FBI agent Seeley Booth. Bones is a highly intelligent woman that has difficulty interacting socially with her co-workers, is a very literal thinker, and has problems displaying emotions.

Now, I don’t think the producers and writers wrote the character with the intention of her having Asperger’s Syndrome. I have noticed that she has some of the traits that you would find with a person diagnosed with Aspie’s. I have noticed how she has difficulties picking up on conversational cues and needs help from her friends to understand what is considered a “typical” conversational progression when the discussions are not directly related to her area of expertise. Bones is a forensic scientist. She can carry on an analytical conversation that is centered around science. When emotions, or personal interests, come up into conversation, she struggles and often misses what she is “supposed” to be saying. She drops the conversational ball and how she should have contributed to the conversation explained to her.

Dr. Brennan has a deep emotional attachment to her co-workers, but has trouble displaying these emotions. They know and accept this. I enjoy watching when the character Angela Montenegro and Bones sit together and Angela explains to Bones the emotional and behavioral reasons that were behind a situation that Bones doesn’t understand. It is like watching an adult explain to a child how to react in different situations or why others had reacted the way they did.

I just find Bones’ quaky characteristics to be similar to that of a person diagnosed with Asperger’s. The show has established that the reasons are because of her intelligence and upbringing. I’m just wondering, if anyone else has noticed the similarities, too. Like I said, I love this show. I am looking forward to the new season starting and will continue to ponder the question, Is she or isn’t she an Aspie?