‘Bull’ episode 3 review: Victory despite distractions

After a week off the air, “Bull” returned to CBS with a new episode on Tuesday, one where we learned a considerable about not only the title character, but some of those close to him. In particular, we are speaking here about Freddy Rodriguez’s Benny Colon, a man who was with the D.A.’s Office prior to him teaming up with his former brother-in-law, Jason, to help analyze juries and change the course of trials.

The case tonight was a powerful one, as a woman found herself accused of murdering a popular athlete, someone who she had previously accused of sexual assault. There was a strong case that was presented against her, and this is what made matters so difficult for Benny, Jason, and the rest of the team. There were also two other issues that the team was forced to contend with:

1. “The Good Wife” alum Sarah Steele playing the role of a true-crime podcast host, one who routinely had a habit of getting in Bull’s way.

2. Amanda, a woman with past connections to Benny who proved herself to be a thorn in his side.

Potential jury bias because a threatening presence in this case because of the nature of the victim, and that is made all the worse in an age of social media where almost everything gets out there, and almost everyone has an opinion. Eventually, Bull’s team was able to find some elements to get her on the path to victory, and eventually she was freed on a “not guilty” verdict. We do wonder when or if we will ever see Bull lose a case, but it’s hard to say that it is something we necessarily want when we root for these people.

By and large, this was the strongest episode of the show to date in terms of the weight of the case, and the distractions that got in the way. Also, we learned enough about the characters to make us think that this is a show about more than just the case. Benny looked back on his past regrets with Amanda, and we learned that Bull may have had a difficult childhood. There were scenes that could eventually blossom into something more down the line. The show may need more variety from week to week, but at the moment, it’s certainly enjoyable enough. Grade: B.

For some other news when it comes to “Bull,” head over to this link. (Photo: CBS.)