Why Bones Fans Think Angela Was Toxic

Though Bones is a crime procedural drama that revolves around forensic anthropology and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it's not without its romantic elements. The most famous of which is surely the relationship between main characters Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) that forms over several seasons of the pair working together. But it's not the only relationship that bridges the work-home gap on the show. Hodgela, the aptly named relationship between Jack Hodgins and Angela Montenegro, has just as many ups and downs and spans the entirety of the show's 12 seasons in one form or another.

Hodgins, played by T. J. Thyne, and Angela, played by Michaela Conlin, had already been working together at The Jeffersonian Institute when the series kicks off, furnishing the pair with a wealth of history. Their relationship wasn't apparently very stable in the pre-Bones era, and part of that is due to Angela's inappropriate nature. It's that very nature that has fans thinking the character is toxic.

The fan thread "Angela" on the Bones subreddit begins with a bang as the original poster, u/emertainment, lays a heavy accusation on the forensic reconstruction artist. "I feel like she gaslighted [Hodgins] a lot and seemed to present it as being a strong female but to me was just being inconsiderate of his feelings," the user posts. They also cite a few key moments from the show: Angela flaunting "her relationship with Roxy in front of Hodgins in his workplace" after the pair had broken off their engagement, the time she "gets mad at him when she finds out her dad tattooed" her face onto Hodgins arm, and the time she told Hodgins that he didn't trust her after she'd just jumped on and kissed her ex-husband.

A powerful accusation to unpack all at once, but other users agree with u/emertainment's assessment. "She kissed her ex, and then accuses Hodgins of not trusting her. I mean I don't blame him for having a bit of doubt when she literally kissed another man," comments u/Awkward_Dog. And, as u/ashrwebb points out, "She also kissed a random art dude in an episode and they write it off as her quirk or something. Hodgins is just supposed to be okay with it because that's just who she is???"

But it's not just Angela's treatment of Hodgins that fans find the most toxic; it's her treatment of everyone else.

Several fans on the Bones subreddit find the character's most toxic trait to be the way she goes about expressing herself sexually with the other characters, and they cite plenty of examples to back up their belief. u/ashrwebb says, "[Angela] straight up flirts with booth allllll the time, even after he is married. She even says 'your lucky I love bones because I would be all over you' and that make me want to strangle her. It's not endearing, it's just toxic."

"The fact that she sexually harassed basically everyone because she hadn't gotten laid in a while is just messed up," says Reddit user dudemann, referring to the period in season four when Angela chooses to go celibate at Sweets' advice. Other fans think the problem started long before then.

u/Stannette12 believes Angela has been "problematic" on both a personal and professional level for a long time. "She flirts with everyone, both before and after she gets married," the user comments, "and she encourages everyone else to sleep together too to the point where it would be really awkward working with her." Lucky for Angela, the Jeffersonian HR department seems to be pretty hands-off.