After the new Bones spin-off, The Finder, aired as a backdoor pilot a few months back, the general consensus was that the new offering from Hart Hanson would find its way onto FOX’s fall line-up. It may not have quite lived up to expectations, but it certainly seemed good enough to find a regular audience. Over the last few weeks, though, the tide started turning a little bit. Some of FOX’s other pilots gained steam, and many experts were predicting The Finder may be dropped entirely. In the end, it was picked up for midseason but not without a few network-demanded changes.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the most pressing of those demanded alterations was the removal of female lead Saffron Burrows. In the backdoor pilot, her character worked as a helper to the lead, a sexy counterbalance who brought a snarky, no-nonsense female point of view, but she did not go over well with audiences at all.
At least 60 percent of the people I know watch Bones. There are more popular shows out there, and there are more culturally relevant shows out there. For whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to matter. Everyone I know happens to watch Bones. I watch it. My girlfriend watches it. My grandmother, my roommate, my roommate’s girlfriend, my girlfriend’s sister, my aunt, five or six of my friends, some chick who sat next to me last semester in anthropology, all of ‘em watch it. If the Nielsen ratings only measured people associated with me, Bones would be the most popular show on television. It would be putting up Mash finale-like numbers every week, but even though there’s a clear consensus on its watchability, none of these people seem to agree on anything else.
My favorite intern is the emo guy. My girlfriend likes Clark. Her sister likes Vincent Nigel-Murray. My grandmother likes Wendel. I even know people still pissed off that Dr. Zach Addy was given the boot, but no one, not one single person I’ve talked to, liked Saffron Burrows in The Finder. Nothing against the actress herself, but she just didn’t mesh with the other characters. Every time Geoff Stults and Michael Clarke Duncan interacted, there was clear chemistry and potential. Whenever either addressed her, there was a noticeable disconnect.
Normally, I’m opposed to network meddling, but this was that right decision. Saffron Burrows needed to go. Without question, she will be replaced by an alternate female lead playing a new character before the show debuts midseason. Let’s hope the new lady works out a little better.
