Bull Review: Security Fraud (Season 3 Episode 15)
On Bull Season 3 Episode 15 “Security Fraud,” the death of a man in witness protection pits TAC against the federal government.
Given the reputations of some of the people Jason likes, someone he genuinely idolizes might give us pause. It’s not just him, either. The way all of TAC watches Walter Franklin is honestly a bit creepy.
Despite all that, Walter generally seems like a good guy. He’s earned his reputation, he’s great with Taylor’s kid (much more so than Bull himself,) and he has a sense of humor.
He’s also here, like so many other players, mainly to bring a case to our team. Key word: “mainly.” Someone with this kind of pull on our characters is going to leave an impact.
The hints of his Alzheimer’s, while they do appear and snowball quite abruptly, are subtle and smooth enough to feel real. It works, even if we don’t want it to.
In many plots, such a development would steer us completely away from the actual trial at hand. It’s to the show’s credit that it doesn’t happen here.
For one thing, both Walter and Bull remain good at their jobs when they aren’t affected, directly or indirectly, by the former’s condition. For another, they have the right approach to their case.
The daughter suddenly tasked with helping find justice for her father—after having her life twice uprooted in WitSec—brings heart to the case, and the young actress is strong in all her scenes.
There is a moment where the plan seems to backfire, as happens so very often on Bull. The scenes that follow are a little too heavy-handed, the opposing counsel nearly villainous as she questions a grieving teenager.
Still, it’s an approach that engages us and evokes sympathy for all involved. The girl’s mother is rightly identified as too angry to appeal to a jury, but her anger is vindicated instead of mocked.
The case feels like one we might have had in the first season, when the show worked to establish TAC as do-gooders above all. I’d like to see more like it again.
I also really liked the twist involved with the killer and their motive. It’s not jaw-dropping (and doesn’t need to be), but it still gets your attention.
Of course, we can’t expect a completely happy ending, as it becomes clear to us and to Walter himself that he can’t continue his work as he does presently.
His acceptance of that fact comes easier for him that it does for most, but the brief moments of emotion we get from him nail the terrible life sentence of the disease.
With everyone seeming not only to worship but also to genuinely care about him, I do wonder if we might see Walter again. If so, with his progression, I can’t foresee a very uplifting reunion.
That sobering thought in mind, my only other real criticism of the episode is the same as the past several episodes. I still really want to see more out of every main character whose name isn’t the title of the show.
It does look like some of that should be coming up very soon, along with some tensions between the main characters. I suppose we shouldn’t expect Chunk working as a lawyer to go off without a single hitch, but…
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.