Dr Lance Sweets was an FBI agent and psychologist to Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan. He was portrayed by John Francis Daley.
Background
Lance Sweets was brought into the series in the fourth episode of season three ("The Secret in the Soil") as a psychologist to Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan. His presence provided a bit of comic relief, as he was often the target of insults from both Booth and Brennan. His youth and inexperience with police work also proved to be a challenge for him, while his psychoanalysis of Booth and Brennan was typically quite accurate.
Sweets was a caring character who was well-liked, although his personality could be a contrast to the scientific, analytical personalities of the squints. He could be seen as immature sometimes, which made his job difficult, and had a habit of slipping into Valleyspeak ("totally") when under extreme pressure.
Sweets was also depicted as a skilled piano player on several occasions, although the first time his musical skills came into discussion (on the phone with Daisy), he didn't mention anything about playing piano, only saying that he played "a little bass". This is a reference to Daley playing piano in real life.
Sweets is also a former master at chess as shown in season 9
Education
- Undergraduate - Degree in psychology from the University of Toronto
- Masters - Degree in abnormal psychology from Temple University
- Doctorate - Degrees in clinical psychology and behavioral analysis from Columbia University[1]and University of Pennsylvania[2]
Writing
It was initially learned Sweets was writing a paper on Booth and Brennan's relationship because he thinks it's not supposed to work but it does, which is why he asked them if he could continue his analysis of them. While they constantly mock him and, sometimes join together to turn against him, Booth and Brennan really understand Sweets does like them and that is why he wanted to work with them after their therapy ended - in exchange, he would occasionally provide psychological profiles of the killers they encounter. He vehemently denied emotional attachment to them, but they are all aware of the emotional connection, though they would hide it with banter.
In the episode "Mayhem on the Cross", Dr. Sweets receives a review by Dr. Gordon Wyatt of his book on the relationship between Booth and Dr. Brennan. Dr. Wyatt explains he feels Sweets has misinterpreted the relationship between Booth and Brennan, mostly by looking on a somewhat superficial level. The primary focus of the work is how Booth and Brennan are opposites, yet their sexual attraction is limited due to their primary responsibility to their careers. Dr. Wyatt explains he feels Booth and Brennan are much more similar than Sweets understands, and there is an underlying sexual attraction only one of the two sees. He also tells Brennan and Booth Sweets is using his book as a way of finding his place in the world, and he has created his emotional connection with them as a way of finding a family, something Brennan compares to "imprinting" like a baby duck, though they eventually accept it. At the end of "Mayhem on a Cross" it is learned Sweets has changed the title of his work to "Bones - The Heart of the Matter," which obviously alludes to the physical bones Brennan works with, and the person Bones (Dr. Brennan) herself.
Character history
Lance Sweets was brought into the series early in the third season (episode 4 - "The Secret in the Soil") as a psychologist to Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan. The FBI forced them to seek therapy because Booth had arrested Brennan's father and as such were considering severing their partnership but instead ordered the two of them to see Sweets for couples therapy on a regular basis.
Sweets' presence provided a bit of comic relief, as he is often the target of insults from both his clients, though they do show sympathy for him when he broke up with his girlfriend (and on other occasions). His youth (according to Angela, Sweets is often required to show his ID at bars to drink, and he states that he is twenty-two years old in his first appearance) and inexperience with police work also prove to be a challenge for him in the series, as many don't take him seriously (especially Booth), although his psychological analysis of Booth and Brennan was typically quite accurate. Booth is very suspicious of his ability to predict behavior using psychoanalysis, calling it "Jedi mind tricks." Although Booth grew to accept his ability and expertise at psychology throughout the show and begins to ask for his advice during interogations. Brennan was also skeptical of his ability. She calls psychology a soft science and thinks it has no credence. Both came to respect his ability on some level.
Despite his aptitude for behavioral analysis, he believed for a time all the members of the team hated him and found him annoying due to their behavior toward him. However, all of them have came to him for advice at least once, a fact he has to be reminded of by Cam and in the episode "The Cinderella in the Cardboard" However, Sweets seemed annoyed by the fact that they always meet up with him for counseling whenever they wish instead of making an appointment or anything, basically treating him as their personal, on-call therapist. Brennan stated she "likes Sweets" and could not bring herself to lie to him. Also, while able to quickly recognize when someone is lying, (Booth has described him as a "portable Polygraph",) he himself did not appear to be very good at lying himself; when he lied about his personal life, both Booth and Brennan were able to tell easily.
Through Fox online special features, it is implied Booth and Brennan continue to see Dr. Wyatt (Stephen Fry) through "Soccer Mom in the Mini-Van" before seeing Sweets solely.[3]
In the season 4 episode, "Double Trouble In The Panhandle," it is revealed Dr. Sweets is adopted, and his birth mother was a Psychic working in a circus in South Florida.
In the episode "Mayhem on a Cross", it is also revealed that Sweets has whip scars on his back and he was, like Brennan and Booth, abused as a young child before being adopted at six years old. This is contrary to Booth's first impression of Sweets, conjecturing that, based on his youth, the worst thing that ever happened that he "lost at Mortal Kombat." His loving but elderly adoptive parents died shortly before Dr. Sweets began working with Booth and Brennan, but this left him with the belief that broken people can be saved by people with good hearts, which is why he becomes a psychologist. Consequently, Dr. Wyatt proclaims he has a calling, and a good heart making him a brilliant psychologist. However, their deaths left him to figure out on his own how to transition from adolescence to adulthood without a family. He becomes close to Booth and Brennan, and, after a moment in the "Mayhem on a Cross" where they share something of their abusive past they become almost surrogate parents to him but continue to hide their emotionally close connection with banter.
"Mayhem on a Cross" also brought to light Sweets had been a fan of death metal as a teenager, and continues to listen to it after a bad day, an additional hint his past might be more complicated than his chipper office persona suggested.
In "The Critic in the Cabernet" when Booth was in the hospital, he is visibly upset about Booth's predicament. This shows he isn't always the emotionally in control person he appears to be most of the time. Throughout season 4, Booth and Sweets's relationship has grown into something resembling that of a father-son kind of relationship, with Booth being the father-type figure.
In the season 4 finale "The End in the Beginning", he is presented as the lead singer and keyboardist of a band called "Gormogon", a reference to a character in a previous story arc. He states he "is not Gormogon" and it is simply a name. This is ironic because many fans of the show thought Sweets was Gormogon for a long time. Even in this alternate world, Booth is still a surrogate father, and Sweets is still in a relationship with Daisy. He is also protective of Brennan, having burnt evidence he thought would implicate her.
During the 7-month break between seasons 5 and 6, Sweets went on a sabbatical and took a job as a lounge pianist, even growing a beard in the process. He, like the rest of the team, was later called back to Washington D.C at Caroline's request to help Cam who was in trouble.
In the episode "The Shallow in the Deep", while on the party boat for "cougars" (women who like younger men), several of the women on board find Sweets attractive.
In the episode The Prince in the Plastic, Sweets gained a permit to carry a firearm. Booth conducted Sweets's qualification test himself to determine if Sweets was going to be a help or hindrance in the field, a test Sweets aced because from that episode onwards, Sweet is seen carrying a gun although it is not sure what his weapon is. For his examination, he uses a Smith & Wesson M&P, most likely a .40S&W version. However, it is equally possible that his sidearm is either a Glock 22 or 23, as they are the official FBI-issued handguns.
For most of Season 8, from "The Method in the Madness" to "The Doom in the Gloom", Sweets lives with Booth and Brennan, staying in Parker's room, with its Wolverine sheets. He is referred to as "Uncle Sweets" when the parents address Christine, and Bones mentions that, when he finally and truly is moving out, she will miss his contribution to their daughter's care. One of Lance's new room-mates thinks that "Your dad is hot.", speaking of Booth, who is too shocked at being taken for Sweets' parent to correct the misunderstanding.
In Season 9 Sweets slowly breaks away from the group and tries to use his psychology to help others for awhile, like in the episode "El Carnicero en el Coche". But Sweets comes back and in season 9 even hooks up with squintern Jessica Warren.
Death
In the final moments of "The Conspiracy in the Corpse", Booth and Bones arrive to a parking garage after Booth received a distress call.They arrive to find Dr. Sweets lying on the ground, bloodied and bruised. Also on the scene is junior agent James Aubrey, who had arrived moments after the incident, having heard the shots Sweets fired at his assailant. After a brief discussion between Booth, Bones and a fading Sweets, he finally succumbs to his wounds and dies as an ambulance is heard arriving in the background. His last words were "The world is a lot better than you think it is. It's..." (To Brennan and Booth)
In the subsequent episode, "The Lance to the Heart", his killer is revealed to be a Navy SEAL named Kenneth Emory, who acted on the orders of Glen Durant. Durant then fatally stabbed Emory, who was wounded by Sweets' shots, to cover up his involvement in the murder.
Relationship
Platonic
Booth
Booth and Sweets had a brotherly relationship, as shown in 'El Carnicero en el Coche' when Booth says "To Sweets, the little brother I never wanted but am glad I have". Sweet's was going to make Booth his unborn son his godfather, showing that Sweets loves Booth greatly. Booth was the most saddened of Sweet's death, willing to do anything to avenge him. Sweets was even going to name his son Seeley, Booth's first name.
Bones
Although she thinks he shouldn't call her "Bones", according to the episode Fire in the Ice; it is shown in the episode Mayhem on a Cross that he is writing a book about Bones' behavior and attitude, by the end of the same episode, Bones shows that she treated Sweets like a real friend, and maybe even as a part of her family. Bones seemed saddened of Sweets's death, showing that she cared for him very much. Bones also told everyone that none of us would be who we are if it weren't for Sweets.
Hodgins
Sweets is more like a helper for him, and always tried to help him solve his problems, especially the ones involving Angela. For example, he tried to figure out what was wrong with Angela's father while he was in town to teach Hodgins a lesson in the episode The Science in the Physicists, but Sweets was unable to get any information from him. Hodgins seemed very saddened about Sweet's death, and called Sweets a good man.
Gordon Wyatt
In the episode Mayhem on a Cross, Sweets showed a great interest in Wyatt's job, and shows him that he read his book, giving the idea that he is a big fan. Although, minutes later, Sweets shows that Dr. Gordon is more like his mentor, as Wyatt not only helped Lance with his book, but also helped him with his childhood problem, by doing that, also helped a little bit more with Sweets' book about Bones' behavior.
Clark Edison
Not much is known about Clark and Sweets's relationship, but Clark seemed very hurt about Sweets's death, but tried to keep a calm mind. Clark also felt that the person who killed Sweets got exactly what he deserved. He also felt that it was a shame that not all of them could have hit Durant (the man responsible for Sweets's death), showing that Clark was truly angry about Sweets's death. Clark also attended Sweets's funeral and sang Coconut, (Sweets's favorite song), showing that Clark respected Sweets.
Romantic
April
He dated April, a tropical fish specialist until she broke up with him in "The Man in the Mud".
Daisy Wick
See also: Sweets and Daisy
In season 4, he is shown to be dating one of Dr. Temperance Brennan's interns, Daisy Wick, though he is
forced to fire her on Cam's behalf. The relationship is hinted at the end of "The Man in the Outhouse," when he calls her after a session with Brennan and Booth, and confirmed at the end of "The Skull in the Sculpture". It is clear he is quite protective of her, quickly disparaging the notion he could be ashamed of her by kissing her in front of the team—something surprising them all greatly.
In one episode The Cinderella in the Cardboard, Daisy is viewed fitting a wedding dress with an unknown male by Booth and Brennan. After much deliberation, Sweets confronts her, at which point they quickly resolve the fact Daisy is not having an affair, and she was simply fitting the dress for her cousin, and the unknown male was her cousin's fiance. At that point, Daisy closes the blinds to Sweets's office and they begin disrobing as the camera pans to another point of view. In The Bones on the Blue Line, he proposed to Daisy.
Daisy's nickname for Lance is her "Sweet Lancelot"--a reference to his name, Lance Sweets, and to the romantic character, Lancelot, of Arthurian Myth.
They subsequently broke up in The Mastodon in the Room, but shortly got back together with Lance even contemplating proposing to her a second time but not going through with it. Ironically, twice Lancelot wanted to propose and each time he left her. Later on during the next season, she admits sometimes she misses him. Bluntly, she also admits to missing the sex they had.
In season 10, "The Conspiracy in the Corpse", it is revealed that he and Daisy reconnected over the past year. The reconciliation of their relationship, resulted in her pregnancy. She's seen approximately 5 months pregnant with their son; whom she calls "Little Lance" affectionately. Sweets, unforunately, never gets to see his son born. He's killed by an unknown assailant later in the episode. One of his last thoughts were of Daisy, and he requested to Dr. Brennan to tell her "not to worry", stating she worried too much.
Olivia Sparling
See also: Sweets and Sparling
In the Season 8 episode "The Gunk in the Garage," Sweets turns down a fellow FBI agent, Olivia Sparling, who is obviously interested in him, citing his serious relationship with Daisy; however, Special Agent Olivia (Danielle Panabaker) plants a huge kiss on Lance Sweets after shooting him accidentally. After his break up with Daisy, he did start a one time thing with Olivia, but it did not last long.
Trivia
- He had a "father and son" relationship with Booth.
- He called Brennan "Bones" twice.
- He liked all kinds of rock music.
- He used to have a 'thing' for Angela.
- He sponsored water buffalo in the Philippines.
- Sweets is the first main character to die on the show.
References
- ↑ "TV.com - Bones: The Verdict in the Story" Retrieved on June 26, 2008.
- ↑ "[1]" Retrieved on June 4, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.fox.com/bones/