FBI Agent Booth needs forensic anthropologist Dr. Brennan's help to solve the case of a decomposed body found in a pond in Arlington National Cemetery. She agrees to help if she is a full partner in the case.
A condemned man's lawyer makes a last minute appeal to Bones and Booth to re-examine his case. After looking over the evidence, they determine that the man may not be guilty.
Bones and Booth travel to Los Angeles to investigate a body found on a beach. The case leads them to call girls and plastic surgeons. Back in Washington, Hodgins and Goodman clash while authenticating the remains of an Iron Age warrior.
Bones and Booth investigate a body found in an alley that is dressed in a costume. The case leads them to a missing teen involved in comic books and a role playing game.
Bones and Booth investigate the body of a woman found in the car of a gang member. The case leads them to a dangerous Central American gang and a Senator.
Bones is told to investigate a plane crash involving Chinese delegates, but she is more interested in bone fragments from a person who was not on the plane. The fragments lead to a man whose father has been missing for five years.
After Bones narrowly avoids being shot while on the way to a blind date, the shooter is thought to be connected to one of two murders she's investigating: one of mob boss James Cugini, the other a victim of serial killer Kevin Hollings.
When Brennan's mother is found in the Jeffersonian's storage for unidentified remains, Booth opens an official FBI investigation to find out who killed her.