Bull Review: The Good One (Season 3 Episode 20)
It’s a tale of two brothers and some very complicated family dynamics on Bull Season 3 Episode 20, “The Good One.”
What do we think of a mother who would sacrifice a child lost to his own behavior in order to save the one she can? If it’s a difficult question for us, it certainly is for the mother and son in question.
A mob family, as Bull points out, will always face bias, but Brendan, the son who kills a judge, has earned this. Connor is guilty only by forced association and is still too trusting for his own good.
Like the opposing attorney in the previous episode, the lawyer in this one presses the realms of reality in lashing out at TAC, this time through Benny. She may well be biased, but as a judge, it’s her duty to withhold that.
Thankfully, there’s only one scene where this strange quirk is on full display. Less thankfully, Connor’s willful ignorance about his brother’s true nature lasts much longer.
It’s one thing to be reluctant to testify against one’s own brother, even if one is truly innocent while said brother is a cold-blooded killer. It’s another to stick with that when the killer throws you under a bus.
All these terms are overseen by mother Colleen, who is very…diplomatic about everything. She’s a complex and well-acted character and Bull’s own reservations about her testimony initially seem odd, especially for him.
Perhaps more notably, this is a man who once made an open declaration of making promises and working on keeping them later. That he instead remains so dismal here feels off for him.
It may be that is just seeing more than we do at this stage. The next thing we know, Brendan is dead. While we don’t know right away who ordered a hit on him, the answer shouldn’t surprise us.
For most of the episode, the whole “crime family” aspect seems a bit like overkill. One brother is a murderer, the other isn’t. The bad reputation of their mob boss father is present, but only indirectly mentioned.
Said father is eventually brought in, but only in the “last ditch effort” stage of the case. Still, he serves the plot well and does wind up being an asset. I’m just not sure he needs to be.
In the end, this all comes down to Colleen. Colleen, who has her own son killed—and who, after saying she was trying to save the child she could, seems strangely unmoved that she may really have put Connor at risk.
The last scene between her and Bull is ominous. At another point in the season, I’d call it the start of an antagonist arc. But it seems late to launch one now, and, as ever, the possibility for next season is no guarantee.
Other Notes
- Most shocking reveal of the episode: the one juror showing that newspapers still print actual movie listings.
- Why doesn’t an eyewitness saying Connor was forced into his role as Brendan’s getaway driver help at all? This isn’t explained well enough, at least not for me.
- We all get the tone of the episode very clearly. Is the cheesy, Godfather-esque music strictly necessary? (Okay, I admit: I like it a bit)
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.
One thought on “Bull Review: The Good One (Season 3 Episode 20)”
what’s that reference to the overall interest of God in our lives?
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