Bull Review: Leave It All Behind (Season 3 Episode 14)
On Bull Season 3 Episode 14 “Leave It All Behind,” the team defends a friend of Jason’s accused of a terrible crime. Let’s hope it goes better than last time they did so.
The old “red herring” is nothing new to crime or courtroom dramas, including Bull itself. When it’s the main plot of an episode, there tends to be some kind of elaborate set up involved. That’s certainly the case here.
It’s one thing to have a suspect’s alibi sound highly dubious. Incriminating evidence is common, too. Problematic behavior from all involved? Why not? Yet having all of those at once is stretching it a bit.
So Nathan is not a perfect husband, thinks it normal that his wife is absent for days, and dismisses evidenced dropped in a lake. Then we learn about an “agreement” for both spouses to seek, um, outside companionship.
Is this starting to sound eerily reminiscent of the plot of a novel like Gone Girl to anyone else?
By time the circumstances have mounted up this much, I’m almost expecting a pure shock value moment in which Ashley walks back in, alive and well. Alas, her presumed fate is one of the few things that is as it appears.
It’s probably good to avoid such a plot twist—spoiling the image of a female victim—given both the needless shock value and recent circumstances on the set of the show. A part of me would have liked to see them try it, though.
(Also, a small fun fact: in the press release, the same actress is listed as playing both Ashley and a juror, so they even had the circumstances at hand. Imagine that reveal.)
Regardless, the real twist is another red herring: an assistant seeking revenge for crushed dreams of her own acting out over perceived betrayal. It makes more sense, but is a little mundane.
There are a few awkwardly handled aspects to this episode. One that stands out is the jury selection of people who believe what they see at first glance. Have we forgotten just how bad this case looks on its surface?
There’s also the looming elephant in the room. This is the second time TAC has made the case for a friend of Bull’s who seems to be a good man accused of causing a person’s death.
That first time, Jason won the case before learning that his friend was not only guilty but proud of his actions. Since then, there’s always been a question mark hanging over people from the past, no matter how much the boss likes them.
Here, too, it’s probably better that we don’t wander down a path we’ve traveled before. But that doesn’t stop us from wondering almost until the very end.
The biggest reason I’m not thrilled that we wind up with perhaps the most mundane option is that by the time we see it, we’ve already given every bit of available time to the case. That time could instead be spent on the team outside of work.
And yes, we know there is a lot going on with Bull right now. But, as I’ve mentioned, I want more. What about Taylor and her daughter? How are Marissa and her husband doing after his arrest? Will Gabriel ever come back to Danny?
These are the kinds of things I’d like to see more of. I’m happy to spend time with old friends someday, but I’d like that day to come after ones focusing on the people we see each week.
What did you think of this episode of Bull? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Bull airs Mondays at 10/9c on CBS.
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.