Why Some Bones Fans Didn't Fully Trust Lance Sweets In The Beginning
Somewhere between all of the murder and mayhem, one of the most intriguing aspects of "Bones" has always been analyzing the romantically charged connection between Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel). Throughout the show's run, while Brennan's squinterns were monitoring data, fans were waiting on the edge of their seats to see when the crime solving duo would finally give in to their feelings for one another. Perhaps the biggest Booth and Brennan shipper of them all is Dr. Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley). As his name suggests, Sweets is one of the most hardworking and kindhearted characters the show has to offer. His keen psychological insight helped to solve numerous cases until the character was killed off in Season 10.
Longtime fans of the show will recall that Sweets was not a part of the original team that was introduced in the first season. Much like Camille Saroyan (Tamra Taylor), Sweets came onto the scene after the show already had a few seasons under its belt. His first appearance occurs in the Season 3 episode "The Secret in the Soil," and his tenuous workplace relationship with Booth and Brennan slowly evolves into genuine friendship. He constantly pushes the pair to take a harder look at their relationship, typically to no avail.
Sweets was dedicated to using his profession to help people, whether it be patients, suspects, or his colleagues, so it may come as a surprise that some fans didn't fully trust the character at first. With that said, there is a logical reason for these doubts.
Viewers thought Sweets was Gormogon's apprentice
One of the many killers the team investigates is Gormogon (Laurence Todd Rosenthal), a mysterious figure with cannibalistic tendencies who harbors obsessions with secret societies and government conspiracies. Gormogon manages to evade capture for a while, though it soon becomes evident that he's not working alone. Gormogon has an apprentice to help him commit crimes and before their identity was revealed, viewers suspected that Sweets could be the culprit. At first glance, it's not a bad theory.
Even though Sweets is known for his mild-mannered demeanor, his work as a psychologist gives him access to the inner workings of the people around him. He is adept at observing body language, a valuable skill for a killer trying to evade detection. As Reddit u/findingscarlet pointed out, Sweets was introduced "to specifically poke and prod at Booth and Brennan, find their weak spots, and evaluate them for the FBI."
For some viewers, both Sweets and his girlfriend Daisy Wick (Carla Gallo) raised suspicion. "I was fully convinced of Sweets or Daisy. The former started asking really strange questions, and the way that he was talking about getting into the mind of Gormogon and defending him from these random suggestions made it seem pretty shady," writes Reddit u/dangerouslyaware. Sweets' late introduction combined with his professional abilities seemingly make him a great candidate to be Gormogon's apprentice. Even Booth and Brennan even suspected as much at one point.
However, the apprentice's true identity proved to be even more shocking.
Unveiling the true culprit
In a surprising turn of events, Zack Addy (Eric Millegan) is revealed to be Gormogon's apprentice in the Season 3 finale "The Pain in the Heart." When key pieces of evidence start showing up and disappearing around the Jeffersonian, the team realizes that one of their own must be helping the killer. After an experiment gone wrong causes an explosion, Zack ends in the hospital with horrible burns. With Zack laid up, suspicion turns on pretty much everyone else in the lab. Hodgins (T.J. Thyne) is known for his fascination with conspiracies and Sweets can't provide a concrete alibi, but everyone is quickly cleared.
However, Zack doesn't avoid his fate for long. When Brennan discovers that Zack lied about his findings in the case, it becomes clear that he's the suspect they've been looking for. Zack is an incredible scientist, but his meekness and social naivete make it hard to believe that he's working with a cold-blooded cannibal. However, once Gormogon's flawed logic worked its way into Zack's mind, there was nothing to be done. Even though the revelation came out of left field, it was a stunning realization that forced the characters to reevaluate and mourn a person they'd come to care about. Even the ever-stoic Brennan was shaken by Zack's betrayal. Despite his incarceration, the character returns in later seasons, allowing Zack to be reintroduced into the narrative in a new context.