FoxThe beginning of the end is almost here, Bones fans.
Fox announced that the 12th and final season of the long-running procedural, appropriately titled Bones: The Final Chapter, will premiere on Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 9 p.m. Per the network, these final 12 episodes will both celebrate the series and bring a close to the stories of Brennan (Emily Deschanel), Booth (David Boreanaz) and the entire Jeffersonian-FBI team, allowing plenty of time for viewers to say goodbye.
The announcement was especially forthcoming about what we can expect in this final season, and let's just say: It's a lot.
Throughout the final chapter, fans will see the return of fan-favorite guest stars and squinterns, as well as an old flame from one of the team's past. Fans also will experience a wedding, follow an epic serial killer storyline, go undercover in a lumberjack competition and see Booth and Brennan's marriage get put to the test. As always, new guest stars will be introduced, as well as a final round of gory murders, from which brand-new investigations will arise. It's going to be a busy 12 weeks!
"From the very first season, Bones was called 'The Little Engine That Could.' So we could not be prouder of ending up as Fox's longest-running scripted drama," creator and executive producer Hart Hanson said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "And we got there because of an insanely loyal, loud, lovely, lively audience."
"A show this beloved by fans worldwide deserves a proper send-off, and that is just what we intend to do," David Madden, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, added. "These final 12 episodes will wrap up storylines and bid farewell to characters who have become part of the fabric of popular culture. Once again, we'd like to thank David, Emily and the entire Bones cast, as well as Hart, Stephen Nathan, Barry Josephson, and this season's showrunners, Michael Peterson and Jonathan Collier. In the pantheon of Fox series, Bones has carved out a unique place for 12 incredible seasons, and we couldn't be more grateful for its continued success over the course of this past decade."
Are you ready to say goodbye? Let us know in the comments below.
Bones premieres Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 9 p.m. on Fox.