Would that the “Convention” in “The Corpse at the Convention” had been some kind of Comic-Con. Alas, fate isn’t quite that on the nose, so far as Gunn turning up on the heels of the original “Guardians” goes. Instead, it’s a convention for forensic scientists with Bones herself delivering the keynote speech, only for a dead body to be uncovered, causing everyone to nerd out about having the chance to put their products and know-how to good use. It sounds kind of bad when you word it like that, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles when you stick a bunch of weirdos who love examining dead stuff in a room together. (This isn’t a mean-spirited jab either; I studied forensics for a while myself, and it’s a fascinating field.)
Among those weirdos is Gunn as Dr. Howard Fitch, who ends up lending his expertise to the investigation (“I can’t tell you how flattered I am that you asked me to be here,” he assures T.J Thyne’s Jeffersonian workman Jack Hodgins) — that is, when he isn’t squabbling with his rival Aldus Carter (Gabriel Tigerman), who takes unbridled delight in besmirching his name. Watching Gunn portray an uppity, pompous ass makes for a fun change of pace from his usual quirky or oddball comedic roles, and “Bones” does its part to play him squarely for laughs.
It’s assuredly not the best use of Gunn as a supporting player (it’s hard to top him bringing the bug-eyed, naked Weasel to life in “The Suicide Squad,” even if he is entirely unrecognizable due to visual effects), but at least both he and the show are firmly in on the joke. That’s far from a given when you’re guest-starring on a network crime procedural.
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