Bull Season 3 Episode 13
This week, Bull was confused.
Me too.
During the first season, Bull focused on the science of, well, trial science. It picked Dr. Jason Bull’s (Michael Weatherly) brain to get the case solved.
The second season rolled in and Bull turned its eye to the cases themselves.
At the beginning of the third season, there was more of the team reacting and interacting to cases on a more personal level.
Later on, the cases grew meatier even if the resolutions were still somewhat bland. But there was a leaning towards the tougher cases as the show settled into their later hour.
This week’s episode has its standout parts, but with little cohesion. It left the episode feeling a tad indecisive and freshman: are they trying to be character-driven or case-driven?
The case started interesting enough, though. After a naughty behind closed doors ‘meeting,’ the man later keeled over in what appeared to be a heart attack. The grieving brother came to TAC and asked Bull to help him with his case against the man’s doctor after it was discovered it wasn’t.
The case sounded straightforward. The twist on the mystery, later on, was good. However, the case and subsequently, the trial felt more like an afterthought because parallel to the case, we have another storyline happening.
You should go see Benny first.
Benny (Freddy Rodriguez) and Isabel’s father died in his sleep that very morning.
The episode volleyed back and forth between both storylines: the death of Izzy and Benny’s father and the death of Jason Weeks.
The real tragedy here was that both stories were interesting. Bull was suddenly beset with doubt as his feelings for Isabel resurfaced. Or did they? And were they returned?
In the funeral and wake, it felt like they weren’t one-sided as Izzy collapsed against Bull first at the funeral and then at the wake. With Diane flying over that weekend—implying their relationship was continuing—the return of Izzy and a recently absent husband left Bull conflicted.
My brother did not die of heart failure.
As for the case, the team uncovered a black widow who may have already done this to two men two previous times. Suddenly, what was going to be a malpractice suit suddenly became a trial and investigation about a homicide.
In other episodes, Bull either concentrated on the personal side or the case side. During the current season, it looked like Bull finally got a balance of the two. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the same case here.
It’s not a complicated case and frankly, the black widow twist wasn’t a complete surprise. The elements of the mystery like where’s the money if it was the MO of the black widow and how to catch her on the witness stand made for an engrossing story.
I wanted to save her; I’ve always wanted to save her.
But then we abruptly switched back to Bull leaving Izzy yet another unanswered voice message. Bull confessed to Marissa he “wanted to save her.”
Luckily or unluckily, Izzy was taking a siesta close by and heard everything. They kissed—oh boy, did they— and the next day, Bull’s calling and texting which Izzy ignored.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m starting to sense you’re a very unlucky lady to be around.
Both storylines were interesting. I get these two didn’t have enough to carry an episode on its own. I only wished they transitioned from court to emo better.
The episode felt cobbled together. A line of dialogue or two could have bridged the scenes together.
As it is, the episode contained a lot of the elements that made them a great show. There was a return of the witty banter among them. The team supported each other, especially Marissa slipping back into the role of concerned close friend. And Bull and Benny shared some important scenes outside the courthouse.
He doesn’t live here anymore.
However, like with the black widow case, there were only scant scenes, making Bull/Izzy’s storyline felt just as incomplete. I thought they could have used them to tie back into the case.
The team has been reacting and interacting with their cases on a personal level, reacting and responding to something due to his or her feelings.
I have to be honest with you; I don’t know what to do with this.
The emotional scenes were insular, turned inward. Understandably, Benny wasn’t about to breakdown in front of a jury about his father, nor Bull was going to dash out of TAC simply because Izzy didn’t return his calls.
Everyone remained professionals throughout the case. But it would have been nice to see a bit of their emotional turmoil bleed into the case.
I got a hot date tonight, and I know what that black widow did and how she did it.
First, hats off to Freddy Rodriguez’s performance both in and out of the courts. Like Bull later said, no matter how many times he witnessed it, Benny’s take charge yet suave control in court was a sight to behold. And like Bull: sorely missed. We really don’t get enough of this smart, sharp talk, culprit reveals in the episodes of late.
Marissa and Bull’s friendship was back full force here, like the way they were on the first season. Chunk and Taylor’s bit playing attorneys during Benny’s absence was fun and logical why they were there.
The ice is getting paper-thin where you’re standing.
I really wanted to love this episode; I did. The episode had everything that made Bull a great watch: great team interaction, compelling case, emotional payback and clever dialogue.
However, this felt like two episodes, no, two halves of two episodes. The way Bull jumped from the case to the Bull/Izzy situation was jarring.
One scene that gelled perfectly was when Bull, hiding in a bedroom during the wake, was updated on the case by Marissa.
The interchange of both case and personal over their phone call meshed. It made the transition to the next scene smooth.
If the rest of the episode was like that—instead of each scene jump feeling so self-contained—it would have pulled the scenes together and built a whole episode.
I get to save you, but we never actually get to go swimming together anymore?
Ultimately, I liked the episode. As I mentioned, it contained all I wanted.
But, I couldn’t love the episode. Not really. Not when the episode, like Bull, couldn’t make up its mind what it wants to be.
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