Angela Pearly-Gates Hodgins-Montenegro is a specialist in forensic facial reconstruction at the Jeffersonian Institute, frequently working with Dr. Temperance Brennan, who is her best friend. She is an extremely talented and professional artist. She developed and maintains the Angelator, the lab's three-dimensional graphics and computer simulation system. Later, she replaced it with the Angelatron, which uses flat, transparent displays. She eventually marries Jack Hodgins, and the two have a son Michael. She is the godmother of Christine Booth.
Personality
Throughout the series, Angela Montenegro has been described as a "free spirit", "good-time girl" and is a "wild child" at heart. During Season 2, Hodgins was quoted as saying Angela "was the heart of the team." She is the center of life and passion among the team, although not quite the one of normalcy and stability. Although she may not exhibit the same social traits as her colleagues, she is well-suited intellectually to them, providing a sense of balance to the team as a whole. While Hodgins, Brennan, and Zack all have science deeply ingrained into their thought patterns, Angela is an artist at heart. In one episode she was quoted as saying "this time, art made science her bitch". Early on in Season 1, she considered leaving the Jeffersonian, feeling that her work was unimportant and unsure if she could handle the graphic nature of the work done there. Despite every member of the team trying (in vain) to convince her otherwise, it was the Jeffersonian's director, Dr. Goodman, that managed to change her mind. He spoke of the vital importance of her work in the respect that it provides an element of humanity to the victim, giving the victim a face and thus returning their identity. This rather emotionally provocative description by Dr. Goodman seemed to satisfy Angela.
She is open, friendly, and caring, seeming to have taken on a nurturing role in the team, considering Dr. Brennan her best friend (referring to her as "Sweetie"), and acting as adviser and "social coach" to Zack. Later when Zack is found to be an apprentice to a cannibal she blames herself. Her rapport with Hodgins appears to be that of a colleague, the two of them being the closest to socially normal within the team. Her appreciation for the well-scrubbed appearance of Seeley Booth is obvious for anyone within sight or earshot of her.
Her personality according to her coworkers is "quirky" which she seems to be aware of herself. In fact, it is revealed in season three that Angela Montenegro is not her real name; she changed it when she was 18 after the name came to her in a dream. She once told Dr. Brennan, "I don't know how to talk to crazy people unless I'm dating them."[2] She is also the most socially sophisticated of the team, especially on matters pertaining to love and romance. Rarely an episode goes by when her sexual expertise does not come up in some conversation with the team. She was once advising Zack Addy on a sexual relationship and told him to "reap the benefits of my sexual wisdom Z-man." She also frequently shows attraction to a man who turns out to be guilty of the crime they are investigating. Her sexuality is portrayed as fluid, she has engaged in relationships with both male and female partners throughout the series.
She has also frequently visited many places, particularly islands. She has made mention of going to Jamaica, and was once a magician's assistant during which she states that she was often sawed in half.
Brief Character History
Angela Montenegro is a specialist in forensic facial reconstruction at the Jeffersonian Institution, frequently working with Dr. Temperance Brennan and Camille (Cam) Saroyan, her best friends. With her indispensable artistic prowess, and her fluent understanding of the Angelatron, she continues to maintain and improve it, often developing programs to assist in solving cases with a minor degree in computer science and biomedical illustration at American University. Angela Montenegro is not her birth name; rather, it came to her in a dream when she was younger, and she made it her legal name on her 18th birthday.
Like the other characters in the series, Angela's background is revealed in various subplots as the series progresses. Little is known of her family, although it was revealed she is the daughter of Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top and she is half-Chinese. In the same episode, it was revealed that her full name is Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro (her middle name a reference to the name of Billy Gibbons' guitar, "Miss Pearly Gates").[3] It was also revealed during her testimony at the Gravedigger's trial that she has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual arts with a minor in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin. She also studied biomedical illustration at American University.[4] Apart from this and the parade of faces and anecdotes from her love life, not much is known of her background.
It is revealed at one point, she married in an alcohol-influenced ceremony in Fiji. She was unsure whether the marriage "took" (was legal) and had no knowledge of where her husband was after the ritual. It was revealed on the last episode of Season 2 the U.S. State Department considers the marriage valid, and halted her impending marriage to Hodgins.
Angela once was asked by Jack Hodgins on a date. She broke it off and went back to being just friends because she was afraid if things got "messy," it would affect their co-workers negatively. Later, after he was found buried alive, they kissed, and at the end of the episode they went home together. Additionally, Angela asked Hodgins if she could sleep at his place one night after being spooked by restored video footage. Angela and Hodgins became romantically involved again and in the second to last episode in Season 2 [5], Angela proposes to Hodgins after refusing his two previous marriage proposals. Their wedding is cut short in the season two finale when it is revealed Angela is technically married to a man from Fiji named Grayson Barasa.
This is Angela
During Season 3, both Angela and Hodgins attempt to locate Barasa, even going so far as to hire a private detective, and he is eventually found. However, he refuses to give Angela the divorce, and she and Hodgins are left with nothing they can do.
In Season 4, Barasa comes to Washington, D.C., and gives Angela her divorce. However, due to Hodgins' overprotective and distrusting behavior, she feels it would be better if their engagement were canceled.
Angela is bisexual. In episode 8 of Season 4 [6] it is revealed about eight years prior she was in a long-term relationship with a woman named Roxie (previously described in Season 3 as someone "whose heart [Angela] broke in art school"[7]) who happens to be this episode's main suspect. Angela and Roxie share a passionate kiss at the end after it is proven Roxie was innocent. The two resume their relationship for a while, but Roxie breaks up with her – explaining she wants someone who thinks of the future instead of always living in the moment – in episode 17 of Season 4[8]. After she sleeps with Hodgins in Season 4 she does not know what is ahead for them. Angela tries to get Brennan aka "Bones" to admit how she feels about Booth. She becomes very angry at Angela so Angela becomes very worried for Brennan so she goes to ask Sweets for advice. She becomes celibate, something she finds quite difficult.
Characterization
Throughout the series, Angela Montenegro is described as a "free spirit", "good-time girl" and is a "wild-child" at heart. Season 2, Hodgins was quoted as saying Angela "was the heart of the team." She also talked about it was ok to have sex at 16,and that being the age she lost her virginity.She is the center of life and passion in the team, although not quite of normalcy and stability. While she may not exhibit the same social traits as her colleagues, she is well suited intellectually to the team. Angela also provides a sense of balance to the team as a whole. While Hodgins, Brennan, and Addy all have science deeply ingrained into their thought patterns, Angela is an artist at heart. In one episode, after Brennan says "Angela, with all due respect to your art, facial reconstruction is a science," she says "It's both babe, but this time, art made science her bitch"[9]. Early on in Season 1, she considered leaving the Jeffersonian, feeling her work was unimportant, and she was unsure if she could handle the graphic nature of the work done there. While every member of the team tried (in vain) to convince her otherwise, it was Dr. Goodman, the director of the Jeffersonian, who managed to change her mind. He spoke of the vital importance of her work in the respect it provides an element of humanity to the victim; she gives a face to the victim, returning their identity. This rather emotionally provocative description by Dr. Goodman seemed to satisfy Angela.
Angela Montenegro
She is open, friendly, and caring, seeming to have taken on a nurturing role in the team. She is the best friend of Dr. Brennan and constantly tries to draw her out (referring to her as "Sweetie"), and she often explains "normal things" to Brennan. She acts as an adviser and "social coach" to Zack. Her rapport with Jack seems to be that of a colleague, the two of them being the closest to socially normal within the team. Her appreciation for the well-scrubbed appearance of Seeley Booth is obvious.
Her personality according to her coworkers is "quirky" which she seems to be aware of herself. In fact, it is revealed in season three 'Angela Montenegro' is not her birth name; she adopted it when she was 18, after the name came to her in a dream. She once told Dr. Brennan, "I don't know how to talk to crazy people unless I'm dating them."[10]. She is also the most socially sophisticated of the team, especially on matters pertaining to love and romance. Rarely an episode goes by when her sexual expertise does not come up in some conversation with the team. She was once advising Zack Addy on a sexual relationship and told him to "Just do it, Z-man. Reap the benefits of my sexual wisdom." She also frequently shows attraction to a man who turns out to be guilty of the crime they are investigating.
She has also visited many places, particularly islands. In one episode it was revealed over the past eight years, she has lived at twenty-five different addresses in six different countries. She has also made mention of going to Jamaica, and was once a magician's assistant during which she was often sawn in half. She also loves to party till morning.
Relationship with Grayson Barasa
It is revealed that at one point, she married in a fire-water-influenced ceremony in Fiji. She was unsure whether the marriage was legal and had no knowledge of where her husband was after the ritual. It was revealed on the last episode of the second season that the U.S. State Department considers the marriage valid, and halted her impending marriage to Hodgins. Finally, they find Mr. Barasa in season three and eventually get him to sign divorce papers so she can marry Jack.
Relationship with Roxie Lyon
In episode 8 of Season 4 [6] it is revealed about eight years prior she was in a long-term relationship with a woman named Roxie (previously described in Season 3 as someone "whose heart [Angela] broke in art school"[7]) who happens to be this episode's main suspect. Angela and Roxie share a passionate kiss at the end after it is proven Roxie was innocent. The two resume their relationship for a while, but Roxie breaks up with her –
explaining she wants someone who thinks of the future instead of always living in the moment – in episode 17 of Season 4[8].
Relationship with Wendell Bray
For a short period of time Angela has a relationship with Wendell Bray in season 5. In season 5 episode Tough Man in the Tender Chicken where Angela asks him for money to help save a piglet. Even though he is a professed meat eater and is deep in debt with student loans, he still contributes $45 to the cause and Angela kisses him in return, sparking a relationship and ending Angela's almost six month celibacy kick. Their
relationship continued throughout the middle portion of Season 5. Angela had a pregnancy scare during The Proof in the Pudding, though a second pregnancy test run by Dr. Saroyan,who thought it was Michelle's reveals the first to have been a false positive. When Wendell eventually finds out, he tells her that had she actually been pregnant, he would have supported no matter what she chose regarding the baby because it would be his duty and "the right thing to do." Seeing that Wendell views the prospect of raising a family with her as a duty to be carried out on moral and ethical grounds rather than something he actually wants, Angela realizes that while Wendell is a great guy, he is not "[her] guy" and she subsequently ends their relationship. The break-up is amicable.
Relationship with Jack Hodgins
Angela once was asked by Hodgins on a date. She broke it off and went back to being just friends because she was afraid that if things get "messy", it would affect their co-workers negatively. Later, after he was found after being buried alive, they kissed, and at the end of the episode they went home together. Additionally, Angela asked Hodgins if she could sleep at his place one night after being spooked by restored video footage. Angela and Hodgins became romantically involved again and in The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House, Angela proposes to Hodgins after refusing his two marriage proposals. Their wedding is cut short in the season two finale when it is revealed that Angela is technically married to the man from Fiji, Grayson Barasa.
After Grayson signs the divorce papers in season 4 episode "Yanks in the U.K.", Angela and Hodgins realize that they do not trust each other and they break up.
Later, in the season 5 episode "The Witch in the Wardrobe", the two share a kiss and ask to be married in the jail cell they are being held in.
In the first episode of season 6, "The Mastodon in the Room" Angela reveals to Bones that she is pregnant and later tells Hodgins about this. He seems to be very happy with the idea of becoming a father and the two decide to keep the pregnancy a secret.
In the episode "The Killer in the Crosshairs", Angela's father visits and tells her "I heard his name (the baby) in one bad, get down, boogie in the blues number. ... between an E 7th Heaven and a A Minor Genus. It was like hearing it from the lips of God himself." Hodgins is reluctant to allow Angela's father to name the child. She reminds him that her father does have some say over the name, which, of course, he brushes off.
Her father then surprises Hodgins in his lab and reveals the name, "... it could work for either a boy or a girl, that's the beauty part.": Staccato Mamba. Hodgins responded "I didn't see that one coming ... it's not going to happen." Hodgins then tells him that him that they will name their child Michael Joseph if it's a boy or Catherine Temperance if it's a girl. He grumbles to himself and walks off.
As the episode ends, we find Hodgins passed out in an alley with Angela's father sitting on an amplifier next to him. When he starts to come to his senses, Jack rolls up his sleeve to find a new tattoo of his father-in-law's face and the word Dad underneath. "I tried to talk you out of it [the tattoo], but you insisted. You said it was a sign of your gratitude."
He says it was in gratitude for allowing Jack to name his children "... whatever boring, non inspiration name you like." And out of his jacket he pulls two Bamileke Nudu beanie hats (like the one he wears) with the names Katherine (on a pink headband) and Michael (on a blue one).
Trivia
- Angela was the first main character ever shown on the show. Pilot
- When Angela was legally old enough, she changed her name because she was embarrassed with her original name that her father chose. Her birth name is never stated, but she did keep the middle name, "Pearly Gates".
- She can spit with deadly accuracy.
- She had never gone 6 weeks without sex since she lost her virginity until Sweets advised celibacy.
References
- ↑ "The Witch in the Wardrobe", Bones Season 5 Episode 20.
- ↑ "The Woman in the Tunnel", Bones Season 1 Episode 16.
- ↑ "The Man in the Fallout Shelter", Bones Season 1 Episode 9.
- ↑ "The Boy with the Answer", Bones Season 5 Episode 21.
- ↑ "The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House", Bones Season 2 Episode 20.
- ↑ "The Skull in the Sculpture", Bones Season 4 Episode 8.
- ↑ "Mummy in the Maze", Bones Season 3 Episode 5.
- ↑ "The Salt in the Wounds", Bones Season 4 Episode 16.
- ↑ "Stargazer in a Puddle", Bones Season 2 Episode 21.
- ↑ "The Woman in the Tunnel", Bones Season 1 Episode 16.