‘Bones’ Season 12, Episode 1 Spoilers: "The Hope in the Horror" - Zack’s Intentions Revealed; Booth Races Against Time to Save Kidnapped Brennan

‘Bones’ season 12’s episode 1, titled "The Hope in the Horror," is set to reveal Zack’s true intentions. Booth and the team will have to race against time to save a kidnapped Brennan.

The twelfth season of Fox’s crime procedural drama starring David Boreanaz as FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth and Emily Deschanel as forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan is set to premiere on January 3, 2017.

The synopsis for episode 1 posted on Spoilers Guide reads, “The Final Chapter of BONES picks up where last season's cliffhanger left off - Brennan (Emily Deschanel) kidnapped by her former assistant, Zack Addy (guest star Eric Millegan), as Booth (David Boreanaz) and the rest of the lab desperately search for her. Brennan's rescue is, however, just the beginning of their problems.”

Season 11 ended with a major cliffhanger as Brennan’s former assistant Zack revealed himself to be Brennan’s captor in the final moments of episode 22, titled "The Nightmare within the Nightmare.” Zack was a former member of the Smithsonian team and was last seen sent away to a mental hospital after he was framed for the murder of a lobbyist. He hasn’t been seen on the show since.

During an interview with TV Guide, Millegan talked about how his character changed since his last appearance on the series. He said, “[Zack] has done a lot. I say at the end of the episode, "We have so much to talk about." Obviously, we don't know what that is and the audience won't find out until January.”

He continued, “I start shooting on Monday and he's been doing a lot. I wish I could say, but he's been through a lot. He's done a lot. It's amazing how they've developed my character from the beginning of Season 1. I can tell you, you're going to love it and people will not be disappointed.”

When asked about Zack’s goal with taking Brennan captive, he replied, “The last time we saw Zack in real time was 8 years ago. There's a big hole with what's going on with him. He respects her. He is innocent of murder. He does feel that he was the accomplice to a serial killer so he feels like he would go to jail if people found out what he did. He wants to stay at the mental hospital where he feels he would do better.”

Millegan added, “He is not crazy. Sweets knew he wasn't crazy. Now, we have to deal with the fact that two years ago Sweets was murdered so nobody knows that Zack didn't kill anyone. In episode 1 of Season 12, everyone is going to find out exactly what Zack has been up to. It's a big episode. You find out everything.”

‘Bones’ season 12’s episode 1, titled "The Hope in the Horror," was directed by Deschanel and written by Michael Peterson. It is scheduled to air on Fox on January 3, 2017.