Fans of Bones were shocked--and heartbroken, angry and betrayed (#RIPSweets)–at the beginning of the new season when one of its most popular characters, Dr. Lance Sweets was killed off. Sweets’ death has allowed actor John Francis Daley to pursue other projects, including writing and directing a reboot of National Lampoon’s Vacation. When Daley and his writing partner, Jonathan Goldstein, had the chance to make the movie, it was hoped his schedule on Bones could accommodate it. But as he tells Vulture, it was decided it would be better for Sweets to get killed off. “We had been hired to write the sequel to the Vacation franchise, where Rusty is now grown up and taking his family back to Walley World. And then we got hired to direct it, and Bones was very accommodating, and they got me time off to be able to shoot it. But they pushed production on the movie by about a year. We didn’t know if it was ever going to happen again. But a few months ago, it started back up again. I told [showrunner] Stephen Nathan, and I told him this was a possibility, and I requested time off to be able to do it, and they gave it to me. But they also said it wouldn’t be satisfying for the fans for me to be gone for four months and then to return. The more satisfying conclusion to my character would be for Sweets to die.”
Daley understands why fans are upset. “It feels very nice. I have to remind myself it’s love for the character and not for me as a person, otherwise I’ll just get a big head. I’m very flattered by the response from the Twitter-sphere. It’s really cool. It’s really cool to know that it had an impact on a loyal fan base. I can’t believe how many Bones fans there are out there, who stop me on the street! Just last weekend, I went to a bar in Atlanta with my girlfriend, and the bouncer stopped me, and I thought I was in trouble for something, And he said, ‘I can’t believe you died, man. I can’t believe you died.'” It’s good to know there are tender-hearted bouncers out there. Since his departure from the show, Daley has been busy having fun on the Vacation set. “I have no control over who is going to see it, but I’m having such an amazing time. We’re finishing our third week now, and we’ve got some big names coming in next week. We’re working with Chevy [Chase] and Beverly [D’Angelo] next week, and Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Mann. It’s pretty cool because we have a rotating cast every week, the dailies look funny, and we’re having such a good time.” He is also bringing in his old Freaks and Geeks co-stars, Samm Levine and Martin Starr for cameos. “I just wanted a chance to get the three geeks back together, in the same project.”
