BULL 2x04 "The Illusion of Control"

At some point in season 2 I'm going to have to cease making comparisons to season 1 in order to reiterate how good season 2 has been so far, but it feels very much like season 2 is picking up exactly where season 1 should have kicked off the show entirely: good and consistent characterisation, thin but developed subplots and side characters, and a general sense of progress each episode. But there's also been a (deliberate?) theme over the past four episodes: TAC being on the edge. Mostly, this is finance-related, but in "The Illusion of Control", the impact is Bull and TAC's reputation.

   A huge film actress, Amaya Andrews, is approached at the unveiling of her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the father of her adopted Ethiopian son; when she asks Bull for counsel, he recommends she converse with the father, leaving open the option for his son, Alexander, to visit him in Ethiopia. But when Abel Bekele doesn't return his son to Amaya, she sues Bull. It's something the show hasn't done before, and it's somewhere the show definitely needed to go. And it works in collaboration with the slight redefinition of Bull's character this season; I don't remember a moment in season 1 where Bull was ever really rattled, but since TAC has come under financial stress in season 2, Bull has been a more authoritative, short-tempered figure. Throwing his reputation and his business under the bus because advice he gave to someone who could barely be defined as a client panned out incorrectly was a brilliant way to push buttons we haven't seen pushed yet.

Getman argues with Bull in court
Image: CBS

  Take the early scene when the eccentric lawyer Bull hires to represent him presents his case to an empty mock courtroom with TAC looking on: when Bull over-zealously suggests they ruin Amaya's reputation, TAC are horrified. Watching it, even I felt this was a significant and uncomfortable difference from the cool, calm, collected Bull we are so used to seeing. And that was a feast in many other ways too: Bull the defendant meant Bull the trial scientist was out of commission. His shtick in court didn't wash for too long with his lawyer, Ron Getman, and it didn't wash with the judge who found him in contempt of court after far too many interjections.

   The final straw that sent Bull to lock-up for a short while was his refusal to turn a seemingly damning email Marissa had sent him warning him of potential repercussions after giving Amaya the advice, into a story that would reshape the jury's perception of the email. This was because that would involve Marissa having to reveal deeply personal information about her childhood to the court, something Bull, after breaking her confidence in the first place, would not allow.

   And yet, TAC won the trial anyway. The business was saved and Bull's reputation remained intact. This outcome was a certainty, but I felt the way it was handled to be rather weak. In my opinion, Bull, Getman and TAC had not done enough to sway the jury into a not guilty verdict, and not even exposition regarding a sensational off-screen closing argument could convince me otherwise. Equally, the about-face made by Amaya when TAC returned her child to her, with her setting up a foundation to aid international adoptions and thanking Bull for his help, felt super hypocritical, as Benny pointed out. But as Cable pointed out, "Who cares?"

Benny is furious Bull didn't want him as his representation
Image: CBS

   Me. I still care. A little.

Overall, this was another in a line of solid Bull episodes this season, with the most solid character development of the season. We learned much more of Marissa's background, revisited Danny's old FBI partner Harrison (I think that's what he is to her), saw Benny angry Bull hadn't chosen him to be his lawyer and seen Bull when pushed into a corner. Add the powerful performance of Brad Garrett as Ron Getman, another exceptional guest star in Cara Buono as Amaya Andrews, and an interesting plot, and you get something close to the best Bull has achieved thus far.

RATING: 9/10

POINTS OF NOTE

• With Bull the defendant, Marissa had to step in to make calls on who to allow on the jury. While she wasn't perfect, she did pretty well. I'm confident to reiterate the fact that Bull seems to be making very clear how much more dependent Bull is on Marissa than vice versa.
• Did anyone see Chunk this episode?
• Danny's trip to Addis Ababa made for a refreshing setting change.
• We definitely need to see Brad Garrett on this show again. One of the best guest stars this show has had so far.

BULL 2x05 "Play The Hand You're Dealt" PROMO