The Bones Character Who Took A While To Win Fans Over
Over the course of its mostly marvelous 12-season run, Fox's kooky procedural drama "Bones" was undoubtedly the goriest show on network television. Indeed, it may ultimately go down as the goriest to have ever graced the network realm. So frequently did blood, guts, bugs, and bile (and often worse) spill from the bodies of murder victims on "Bones" it was sometimes easy to forget that all the gory bits were there to help bolster the comedy, mystery, and character-driven drama at the heart of the show.
Amid all the procedural turmoil, "Bones" was always about its characters. Unlike most shows that have crossed the decade mark on the airwaves, "Bones" managed to keep the bulk of its primary cast largely unchanged from its pilot episode, with stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz front and center for every single episode. And as the crime-solving drama played out over the series' primetime tenure, fans came to genuinely adore both the cast and their characters. Seems, however, there was one series regular who took a little longer to earn the adoration of "Bones" fandom than others. And it may surprise you to learn which one.
It took some Bones fans a while to warm up to Dr. Camille Saroyan
The "Bones" character fans had trouble warming up to was none other than Dr. Camille Saroyan (Tamara Taylor), who showed up early in Season 2 as the new big boss of the crime-fighting crew. And according to a recent Reddit thread, the Jeffersonian gang weren't the only ones who had trouble accepting her. Titled, "Wish They Had Done Cam Differently," that thread was begun by u/KHGOB13, who further added, "I wish they had introduced Cam differently since she comes off as controlling and trying to throw her weight around in the worst way."
Supportive posts soon filled out the comments section, with u/ellecellent adding, "I thought the same thing. It took me awhile to like her and I probably would have from the start if they didn't do it that way," and u/surprisedbananna dropping in with, "I didn't really like her much at first either. She seemed really rude and I thought she was constantly acting inappropriately towards the others in the team... in later seasons she settles down, but it never completely goes away."
Many users were quick to note Cam's authoritarian approach to leading the team as the reason they were put off, though some, like u/Awkward_Dog, were quick to note it wasn't completely unfounded, "... she kinda has a point in wanting to be an authoritative leader, what with Hodgins 'borrowing' stuff from other departments, Bones not being completely transparent, Booth following his gut, etc."
Whether they loved or hated Cam early on, most "Bones" fans still agreed with u/GeezBones' assertion that the actress who played the role was great every step of the way, "I hated her so much in the beginning!!" they wrote. "But she ended up growing on me... TT did one hell of a job with the character."
Apparently, Tamara Taylor wasn't supposed to be a Bones regular
Yes, the hate for Dr. Camille Saroyan is still quite real among fans. But Cam's prickly approach to shaking things up in the Jeffersonian may have initially been part of the plan, as Tamara Taylor's character was not supposed to be a mainstay in the series cast. In fact, according to comments made by "Bones" creator Hart Hanson in a behind-the-scenes video, Cam was only supposed to be around for a few episodes. "The original idea was to bring her in for six [episodes] and then die," he said. "Ya know, just for drama."
Part of the Cam shake-up drama, of course, involved her briefly rekindling a past fling with David Boreanaz's FBI bad boy Seeley Booth. That tryst undoubtedly upset "Bones" fans invested in his by then well-constructed "will-they or won't they" romantic arc with Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel). This was not lost on Taylor, who quipped in the same behind-the-scenes video, "I was hated when Cam and Booth were together," adding that some of the hate subsided when the pair parted ways. As for Cam being ticketed for a deadly exit from "Bones," said exit almost came to fruition, with the character narrowly surviving being poisoned midway through the show's 2nd season. As for why the "Bones" creative team pivoted, in Hanson's own words, the change was made because Taylor was "... just too good to let go." In the end, it's safe to say most "Bones" fans came to agree — even if some did so begrudgingly.