Bull Review: Prior Bad Acts (Season 3 Episode 13)

On Bull Season 3 Episode 13 “Prior Bad Acts,” a black widow’s handling of romance is only slightly worse that of Bull himself.

When our case of the week has film noir-esque music playing in the opening scenes along with the actual line

I’m going to love you to death

It’s hard to have any doubts about the answer to the question of whether a grieving widow is really just that. True, the promo also literally tells us she’s killed three husbands, but if it didn’t, it wouldn’t have to.

At least the team moves forward pretty quickly with this assumption, meaning the meat of the case comes from better questions, like answering how she did it.

There are a few typical manipulations, like placing Chunk (not a lawyer yet) and Taylor (not a lawyer at all) as lead counsel during Benny’s brief absence, but things generally move forward as we expect them to.

By the way, if the final argument, focusing on Caroline’s financial expertise, sounds familiar, that may because TAC used a very similar approach with yet another woman who killed her husband in season 2’s first episode, “School for Scandal.”

It’s a solid case, even if it isn’t terribly original. Still, the lion’s share of the drama doesn’t have anything to do with murder, even though death is involved.  Specifically, the death of Benny’s father.

In the extremely unlikely event you’ve forgotten, Benny’s sister is still Izzy, who is still Bull’s ex-wife. She is grieving, too, and Jason handles it in the classically professional way you’d expect, given his previous relationship experience.

Yes, that’s sarcasm.

You almost certainly haven’t forgotten about Diana, either. But when Izzy kisses him in a moment of grief, Bull seems to, at least for a moment. There’s a lot packed into such a moment, but very little of it is good.

First, this is a dubious scene on its own, with the question of judgmental ability for someone in Izzy’s emotional state. Second, the plotline of Bull’s inability to separate completely from his ex keeps coming up without any resolution.

Once again, the answer to whether these two could ever have a future again seems to be a pretty firm “no”. It seems to be the answer each time, and yet here we are again.

Of course, the matter of Diana is far more significant now that she and Bull are now trying to make a go of something real. Is this the death knell for that, too? Nothing is looking too hopeful given these circumstances.

While the decision to not give into the same old trap is made, it’s Izzy who makes it. She’s always been the one to remind Jason that they wont work, and he always seems to agree only with reluctance.

I will say that he and Diana have overcome bigger hurdles in the past. Their relationship isn’t necessarily even official. I think Diana herself will be less bothered by Bull’s actions and more by the sentiment that allows them.

At some point, we’ll have to see these hurdles overcome if the romance is ever going to work. That means Jason needs to make some more serious changes. Even after all the ones we’ve seen, I’m afraid that might still be a stretch.

 

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Bull airs Mondays at 10/9c on CBS.

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