It was the crossover event that wasn't actually a crossover. In 2009, during the peak of the procedural drama era, fans of Bones finally got what they’d been asking for since season one. Zooey Deschanel stepped onto her sister Emily’s set.
Most people assume she played Temperance Brennan’s sister. Honestly, it would’ve made the most sense. They have the same striking blue eyes and that specific "Deschanel" cadence. But the writers went a different way, and it made for one of the most meta episodes in the show's twelve-year run.
The Secret Identity of Margaret Whitesell
Zooey Deschanel didn't play a sibling. Instead, she was cast as Margaret Whitesell, Brennan’s distant second cousin from Minnesota.
The episode, titled "The Goop on the Girl" (Season 5, Episode 10), is a classic Bones holiday special. It involves a mall Santa blowing himself up during a bank robbery. You know, typical lighthearted Christmas stuff for the Jeffersonian crew.
Margaret is brought into the fold by Brennan’s father, Max Keenan (played by the late Ryan O’Neal). Max is desperate to have a real family Christmas, so he tracks down this long-lost relative and invites her to DC. The dynamic is immediately hilarious because Margaret is basically a walking, talking quirk-machine—even by Brennan’s standards.
Why the Resemblance Jokes Actually Worked
The writers didn't ignore the elephant in the room. They leaned into it. Hard.
Throughout the episode, characters kept pointing out how much Margaret and Brennan looked alike. Brennan, being Brennan, dismissed the notion with cold, hard logic. She essentially argued that since they were only second cousins, the statistical likelihood of sharing such distinct phenotypic traits was negligible.
Then you had Seeley Booth.
David Boreanaz played Booth with a mix of confusion and mild irritation. Watching him navigate the "uncanny resemblance" was a highlight for fans. At one point, Max even deadpans, "It's an uncanny resemblance. You're practically sisters."
It was a total wink to the audience.
Behind the Scenes: Working with Family
Before this 2009 guest spot, Emily and Zooey hadn't actually worked together professionally as adults. They’d done plays together as kids, but their careers took very different paths. Emily was the queen of the long-running network procedural, while Zooey was becoming the "Indie Dream Girl" and heading toward her New Girl era.
Zooey has mentioned in interviews that she was actually pretty nervous about it. She’s used to films where you have months to prep. TV moves fast. Plus, she was technically an employee of her sister, since Emily was a producer on the show.
Emily later joked in a BuddyTV interview that Zooey was one of her "favorite employees."
The Ben Franklin Obsession
If you haven't seen the episode in a while, you might have forgotten Margaret’s weirdest trait. She’s obsessed with Benjamin Franklin.
She spends a good chunk of the episode quoting him. It’s a perfect foil to Brennan’s hyper-rationality. While Brennan is focused on the "goop" (the literal remains of the Santa bomber), Margaret is trying to find deeper meaning through 18th-century proverbs.
It’s the kind of role Zooey excels at—slightly detached, undeniably charming, and just a little bit "off" in a way that makes you like her.
Why She Never Came Back
Fans spent years waiting for Margaret Whitesell to return. It seemed like an easy win for a season finale or another holiday special.
So, why didn't it happen?
- Scheduling: Shortly after this, Zooey landed New Girl. When you're the lead of your own sitcom, filming 22+ episodes a year, you don't have time to guest star on a grueling procedural schedule.
- The "One-Off" Magic: Sometimes, bringing a character back ruins the novelty. Margaret served her purpose: she gave Brennan a sense of family during a season where Brennan was finally starting to open up emotionally.
- Creative Directions: Bones eventually moved toward much darker, more serialized plotlines involving serial killers like Pelant. A quirky cousin from Minnesota didn't really fit the vibe of the later seasons.
The Impact on the Deschanel Legacy
Looking back, this episode remains a time capsule. It caught both sisters at a pivotal moment. Emily was cementing her status as a TV icon, and Zooey was on the verge of becoming a household name.
It also served as a reminder that the show wasn't just about bones and gore. At its heart, it was about family—the ones we're born with and the ones we build in a lab.
If you’re planning a rewatch, keep an eye out for the scene where they’re all sitting around the Christmas table. It’s one of the few times in the series where Brennan looks genuinely overwhelmed by the concept of "home." Having her real-life sister there clearly added a layer of authenticity that you can't just script.
If you want to dive deeper into the Deschanel filmography, here’s how to spend your weekend:
- Watch Bones Season 5, Episode 10 for the guest spot.
- Check out the Season 2 episode "The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House," which was actually directed by their father, Caleb Deschanel.
- Compare the "sisterly" chemistry here with their real-life interviews on The Ellen Show or the Physicians Committee videos they've done together for vegan advocacy.
It’s rare to see that kind of family synergy on screen without it feeling forced. In this case, the "Goop" was actually pretty great.
