'Bones': Season 8, New Tonight. Premiere.

'Bones' is back! The show's eighth season is premiering tonight on FOX at 8/7 C.

FOX's decision to have it's shows return a week earlier than most other networks may be one of their smartest moves yet. Monday nights are going to be a tough crowd this year...'How I Met Your Mother' and 'Dancing with the Stars' will be 'Bones' main competition in the same time-slot.

'Castle', a show which attracts the same type as viewers as 'Bones', had a strong season last year. Arguably last season was one of 'Bones' weakest. There was a combination of:

a shortened season (due to Emily Deschanel's pregnancy)

writing said pregnancy into the series (meaning fewer case investigation with the show's lead duo)

a decrease in chemistry between the two main characters (unclear if this is because Deschanel and Boreanaz can play subtext better than they can play main text)

'Castle', meanwhile, offered:

a moving PTSD episode (leading to a PRISM award win by Katic and Huertas)

a rift between it's two main characters (which only lead fans to want them to get together more)

further investigation into the murder which propels the series (that of Beckett's mother)

a coupling of the show's main characters that was intense and steamy (proving that Fillion and Katic can do main text as well as they can do subtext)

If fans of both shows are going to choose only one series to watch this season, it's probably going to be 'Castle'. Because of that, it makes perfect sense to start airing episodes of 'Bones' tonight (a full week before the premiere of 'Castle'). If the season opener of 'Bones' is strong enough, it may sway some of the audience toward watching 'Bones' live each week, and leaving 'Castle' the the DVR.

The premiere episode of 'Bones' promises a couple of things: a blonde Brennan, a pissed-off Booth, a reveal of which members of the gang have been aiding fugitive Brennan, and a reunion.