Zack Addy
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| Dr. Zack Addy, PhD | |
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| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Last appearance | (As a regular) "The Pain In The Heart" |
| Created by | Hart Hanson |
| Portrayed by | Eric Millegan |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Zackaroni, King of the lab |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 26 |
| Occupation | (Former) Graduate student; Dr. Brennan's former assistant; Forensic anthropologist; (Former) Gormagon's apprentice |
| Title | Doctor (PhD) |
| Family | 3 brothers, 4 sisters |
Zachary Uriah "Zack" Addy PhD is a fictional character in the television series, Bones. He is portrayed by Eric Millegan. The character was introduced as Dr. Temperance Brennan's brilliant young assistant at the beginning of the series before he received his doctorate in Forensic Anthropology in the series' second season and became a professional forensic anthropologist.
[edit] Brief character history
Coming from a large Michigan family (with three brothers and four sisters), Zack is a former child prodigy, a genius with an I.Q. well above 163 and a supposed photographic memory. He has started two doctorates, one in Forensic Anthropology, which he has completed, and one in Engineering, which he has yet to finish.
His specialty, like Dr. Brennan, is in the analysis of remains, especially identifying cause of death and weapons from marks remaining on skeletal remains. It is usually his task to remove the flesh from the bones, a process known as debriding. Because of his tremendous intellect, he has a strong broad-based knowledge of many of the specialties in the Jeffersonian lab.
Zack's only friend seems to be Jack Hodgins, with whom it was once thought he was roommates. In fact, he rents from and also carpools with Jack, since he can't drive or ride a bike, simply because he refuses to learn. He once made a comment to Booth that if he (Booth) had the same understanding of structural engineering, he would be afraid to drive as well.
Episodes towards the end of the first season of Bones reveal that Zack's colleagues, especially Dr. Goodman, feel he has become too comfortable as Dr. Brennan's assistant and is therefore not completing any of his Doctorates to avoid having to grow into a new position. Goodman and Hodgins conspire to make Zack less comfortable in his position to motivate him to complete his studies and assume a role above that of an assistant.
Right before he was about to complete his doctorate, Zack asks Dr. Saroyan if he could have a job working at the Jeffersonian, but she replies that she could not put him in front of a court to testify because people would not take him seriously. Zack then goes to ask Angela for fashion advice and she completely redoes his look including a new haircut and suit. After completing his doctorate, and getting a makeover from Angela, Zack again asks Dr. Camille Saroyan for a job, and she gives it to him.
At the end of the second season, Zack receives a request from the office of the President to ship out to Iraq. What his duties there would be is not revealed, and he only tells Hodgins and Booth about it. He initially seems inclined to go, but after talking about the reality of war with Booth, he seems less sure, asking Booth for advice because he "knows more about duty and honor than anyone else" he knows. He also turns down the offer to be best man at Hodgins and Angela's wedding in case he decides to go to Iraq and is killed, because he doesn't want Hodgins's memories of the wedding to be tainted with sadness. In the first episode of season 3, it is revealed that he did in fact go to Iraq but returned in that same episode.
In the final episode of season three,"Pain in the Heart", Zack receives third-degree burns and massive tissue damage (the cartilage on his left hand was destroyed, among other things) on both hands after an explosion in the lab. It is later revealed that he is working as the apprentice of the The Gormogon serial killer, and the explosion was intended as a distraction so Gormogon could break into the lab and steal a skeleton. Zack's weaker personality was manipulated by the Gormogon (whom he referred to as "the Master") so completely that Zack believed his belief system irrefutable, even killing a lobbyist and dividing his bones among the Jeffersonian's storage units. However, he still maintained a loyalty to his friends, willing to injure himself to keep Hodgins safe and giving up the location of Gormogon's house.
At the end of the episode, the prosecutor Caroline Julian says that while Zack has confessed to killing the lobbyist she is willing to work out a deal to have him declared non compos mentis, a decision which will commit him to an asylum rather than prison. Zack will no longer be a regular character on the show, but series creater Hart Hanson said that he may become a recurring character to provide consults to the team with "certain talents we can use in a 'Hannibal Lecter' kind of way." [1]
[edit] Characterization
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This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (February 2008) |
Despite his intelligence, Zack is unsure of himself and though he has come up with crucial insights vital to some of the team's cases, he is unable to forcefully express his opinion to Dr. Brennan. This may be due to hero worship and also to romantic feelings toward her. When he discovered that Temperance's own Forensic Anthropology professor had become her lover, Zack repeatedly wondered aloud whether he might enter into a similar relationship with Dr. Brennan. He was quickly disabused of the notion by his colleagues.
Zack appears to have an on-again, off-again relationship with "Naomi in Paleontology", despite hints in the first season that she was dissatisfied with his sexual prowess. In the third season, they accompany each other to the annual Jeffersonian Institute Halloween party, agreeing to dress as the front and back half of a cow.
In "The Wannabe in the Weeds" episode of Bones, it was discovered that Zack was a singer during his childhood as a way for his parents to help integrate him socially. Though it did not appear so, this fact becomes evident in a scene with Hodgins as a way to prove himself when Hodgins doubted him.
According to Emily Deschanel, Zack "almost definitely has Asperger's syndrome", a high functioning brand of autism.[2] Although well-meaning, helpful, and friendly, when a situation calls for social interaction or intuition, he is often lost. Further evidence of his social ineptitude can be seen in the frequent, on-screen coaching in social matters he gets from Jack and Angela.
As seen in the episode "The Man in the Fallout Shelter" Zack has a large family and greatly values them, remarking that the true meaning of Christmas is "Brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews; forty people who love you and are happy to see you."
[edit] References
- ^ Mitovitch, Matt Webb. "Exclusive: Bones Boss Responds to Finale "Zack-lash"", TV Guide, May 21, 2008.
- ^ Gray, Ellen, "Boreanaz says 'Bones' is not procedural", Philadelphia Daily News, January 31, 2007.
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