This season of Bones is the hit Fox series’ 10th, which is a milestone most shows will never achieve, let alone do so while still feeling fresh and like there’s so much further to go.  After the events of Season 9, there will be huge ramifications that everyone will be dealing with, testing Booth (David Boreanaz) and Brennan (Emily Deschanel) more than ever before.

During this recent interview to promote the show’s return, actors/producers David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel talked about how Booth and Brennan will be dealing with Booth being in jail, how long they see the show continuing for, how they’re feeling about where the show is at now, the addition of new characters, their upcoming 200th episode, and how the relationship between Booth and Brennan will continue to evolve.  Check out what they had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

Question:  How are Booth and Brennan going to deal with everything that’s going on, with Booth being in jail, but also after that fact?

DAVID BOREANAZ:  Bones has got to help Booth out.  He has problems.  There are problems.

EMILY DESCHANEL:  Booth is in trouble.  We’re worried about him.  We think he’s not going to survive being in prison.  We have different ideas about how we’re going to get him out.  Being in prison brings up a lot of stuff for Booth.  He’s suffering from PTSD because of being there, as well as being tortured, being in the military and the Army Rangers in his past.  He’s gone through a lot in his life.  We’re dealing with a lot, when we come back for this season.  He’s in prison, or jail.  We’re working to get him out.  He’s not safe, and all these people want to kill him there.  It puts a real strain on the relationship, even when he does get out of prison, and it’s a big deal.  It’s not just going to be healed in one episode.  It has long-lasting repercussions.

BOREANAZ:  I think it’ll last throughout the season.  I don’t think it will necessarily be as dark as some people might think it will be.  I think the first two episodes really have the sense of how dark it could be where he is, who he trusts inside of the FBI, how he decides to take things into his own hands, and how Bones deals with that and gets him back.  There’s a great moment in Episode 2 that is a very strong moment between both of them.  I’m not going to really say what that is, but it is definitely a page-turner for their relationship, seeing how that unfolds.

Ten seasons in now, how long do you think you can keep this show going?

DESCHANEL:  It’s hard because the character’s named Temperance Brennan, but it’s really based on Kathy Reichs.  There are definitely similarities between Temperance in the show and Tempe in her books.  The book version is in her 40s.  I’m about to turn 38, myself, so if we keep going, I may catch up to the books.  Maybe the writers won’t have to come up with new storylines.  We can just start doing episodes based on each of her books, and go from there.  I don’t know.  But, that would be a wonderful problem to have.

With the way the last season ended and the way this season is beginning, it’s been among some of your most intense episodes.  What’s it been like, these past couple of months, filming these episodes?  Do you think it’s maybe among your most rewarding work on the series?

BOREANAZ:  There is some light at the end of the tunnel, once we get through Episode 2 and into Episode 3.  For me, it was long and arduous, from even towards the end of last season.  Going into it this season, it was about figuring out this whole conspiracy within the FBI, and playing this arc that went on, for some time.  It’s always difficult when the storyline is of that nature.  It’s been fun and rewarding, as well as different.  I think that we’ve really been able to examine the characters’ relationships, when they’re at home and when they’re dealing with the conspiracy.  Things have changed, dramatically.  This season, we will see that the reward for all of it is going through this fire that they went through in their relationship, how it affects them, how it changes things, and also how it opens up new doors.

DESCHANEL:  David directed the season finale last season, and that was incredibly intense.  The shootout scene took three days to shoot.  We shoot five scenes in a day on the show.  It’s not like we take multiple days to shoot one scene.  It’s been really intense, that means long hours.  That means intense emotions.  It takes its toll on you, emotionally and physically.  We’ve come back in a similar space for these characters.  I can’t say there were happy times to be shooting these episodes.  They’re intense, but in a way, nice to jump into some strong emotions.  There are some really big conflicts that Booth and Brennan have, in these first couple of episodes, that you don’t really see very often.  It’s nice to do something different, in that way, but it is demanding and a bit exhausting.  There are new dynamics in this show, that are taking new, different directions, and you’ll see that in the first few episodes.  This season, we’re not just resting on our laurels.  We are taking this to a new level.  We always try to challenge ourselves, as actors.  The writers are always taking things to the next level and doing different things, and taking the show in a different place and changing the dynamics of the characters.  It does keep it interesting.

How will FBI Agent James Aubrey come into play and affect everybody?

BOREANAZ:  Right off the bat, he’s definitely somebody who works within the FBI and someone who needs to gain trust from Booth.  In the past, we’ve really focused on the squints, and I think it’s a great opportunity to dive into some of the FBI people and maybe start a rotation of looking at some FBI people that work with Booth.  We’ll see how that unfolds.

DESCHANEL:  He’s originally sent to watch out for Booth because the FBI is not trusting Booth now either.  He’s in a really awkward situation.  Aubrey’s character is sent to spy on Booth, and then we’ll see if Booth can trust him, at some point.  He comes back in other episodes, and he’s interesting fresh blood to have on the show.

What can you share about the upcoming undercover episode?

BOREANAZ:  Well, I know that we were planning to shoot that a little bit earlier in the season, but now we’re planning on shooting it a little bit later in the season.  I don’t know too much about it.  I do know that it’ll be a blast because I really enjoy shooting those episodes.  I think it’s just become this thing now that Emily and I really enjoy doing.  It’s a lot of fun and the two of us have a blast, stepping into whatever those characters are at times.  I really enjoy those episodes.

What can you share about the 200th episode?

BOREANAZ:  I know that we’re prepping now, and we start shooting that in October.  It’s going to be pretty big.

DESCHANEL:  Yes, it’s going to be big.  I don’t know how much we can say about it.  They’re still figuring out some details.  We know some of what’s happening, but I know we want to keep it a bit of a surprise for everyone.  It’s going to be a big episode.  It’s going to be a lot of fun.  It’s going to be very different, but still have great characters.  You’re going to see a lot of some that you might not have seen in a little bit.  It’ll be great.

BOREANAZ:  Yes, it’ll definitely be a throwback to a time when things were a little bit simpler and light, but yet have the flair of a classic film expose of love and laughter.

DESCHANEL:  David’s directing that episode, so we’re super psyched about that.

BOREANAZ:  Yes, it’s going to be fun.  I think it’s going to be a great opportunity to enjoy the 200th episode, but also give something back to the fans.  They’ll watch and go, “Oh, my god, look at that and this.”  It’s going to be a lot of fun.

What can you say about some of the struggles that Booth and Brennan are going to have and what their relationship is going to be like, as the season evolves?

BOREANAZ:  Well, they’re going to have to deal with their different types of reactions to certain things.  Bones is going to really have to re-evaluate their relationship.  Booth takes some things in his own hands, and there will definitely be some conflict there.  I think there will be a tipping point, at the end of Episode 2, that will look at it and see that it’ll obviously bring them closer together.  Throughout these seasons, we’ve always maintained their relationship and always gone back to their relationship.  There will be some conflicting moments and some emotional moments, as well as trying to figure each other out again because things are going to be much different when he gets out.

DESCHANEL:  There’s lots of conflict, but we’re still a solid couple.  We’re really dealing with some strong differences of opinion.  Booth is clearly hurting, and Brennan doesn’t understand.  They’re trying to figure out how to address it all.  It’s hard on both of them.

Bones airs on Thursday nights on Fox.

Bones Season 10 David Boreanaz Emily Deschanel Interview