‘Bull’ episode 7 review: Celebrating different; Marissa’s secret
Through the first six episodes of “Bull” this season, we did find a lot to like in between Michael Weatherly’s charisma, Freddy Rodriguez being amazing as always, and having a premise that was at its core different than any other that is out there on television.
The struggle entering tonight’s episode “Never Saw the Sign” was fairly simple: How in the world do you find a way to mix things up? Can you make every one of Jason Bull’s clients get the desired verdict? We presume that there is quite the push and pull there that the series has to figure out in some shape or form. The writers need to ensure that Bull remains well-regarded and ultimately rather good at his job; if that is not the case, then all of a sudden we get into in a position where we end up seeing him lose some of his clients.
The man at the center of the case tonight was John, someone who found himself accused of manslaughter over an accident that happened behind the wheel. For Bull and company, they had to find a way to prove that he was not overly agitated at the time of the accident … and that it was truly was an accident. He was not driving under the influence, and that was a point in his favor. Meanwhile, Bull and Benny’s strategy in court included also pointing out the relationship between the accuser and some of his friends in high places. despite car accidents rarely ever being prosecuted, John still found himself in this position … and was his own worst enemy in many ways, given that fighting with his son’s coach added fuel to the prosecution’s fire.
Over time, we learned that much of John’s quick temper was as a result of being over-protective of his son after he suffered from some difficulties — and that an argument with his wife before the crash was about whether or not he was “ashamed of his own son.” Bull pushed him to make this confession in front of the jury, and we reached what we felt was a key tipping point in the case. After all, John did not want to exploit his son for the jury’s sympathy. Yet, at the same exact time if he didn’t try to make such a move, his son could end up in foster care.
Eventually, Bull did manage to get through to John enough for him to discuss Carter’s disorder on the stand. This was certainly good news for his case, but the bad news is that he didn’t remember seeing a hacked sign that could’ve been a smoking gun for the case and blown everything out of the water. Still, somehow the team was able to twist around said sign to the client’s favor, trying even further to ensure that had the sign said something further, his client would have remembered and followed orders. The only reason that he didn’t remember was because the sign carried a message that was inconsequential in the moment.
The verdict – Not guilty. Surprise, surprise! We suppose that the big takeaway from this case beyond that is that Carter should be celebrated for what he has rather than what he doesn’t. This is something that John needs to learn to embrace even more than he has to date.
Marissa’s secret – It’s a little coincidental that there were two straight episodes on CBS tonight regarding a character trying to keep their dating life a secret. First, it was Bishop on “NCIS” … and now we have this show and Marissa. Eventually, it was Bull himself who cracked the case! He determined that she was back seeing her ex-husband, which led to a nice moment between the two where he told her that she “could always come to him” if she’s got any problem.
Overall – Another solid episode of “Bull” with some emotional moments, but nothing altogether different than what we’ve seen before. We do think it feels surprisingly like a well-oiled machine for it only being a short distance into the season, but even procedurals tend to have more variance than this. Grade: B-.
Want more news on what lies ahead on “Bull” this season? Then be sure to head over here, since that’s where you are going to have a chance to check out a new preview! (Photo: CBS.)