Bull Review: Pillar of Salt (Season 3 Episode 22)

Another season winds up with a tragic case and a life-altering revelation on Bull Season 3 Episode 22, “Pillar of Salt.”

There’s little reason to the raw emotions faced in the wake of the loss of a child. Add tense relations between parents and stepparents to the mix and its easy to see how blame comes up for a terrible accident.

After watching her 3-year old stepdaughter die of an overdose of salt, Angela finds herself at the mercy of both her husband’s ex and a court of public opinion more than willing to see her as a monster, albeit through a bit of force.

The fuss about Angela “wanting to leave Lizzie in a cab” feels like much ado about (almost) nothing. There’s no evidence she meant it, and as an ingenuine statement of frustration, many parents have said worse.

Slightly more concerning is a rather extreme form of behavior modification. Even this, though, feels like a way for the show to find a way to make Angela unduly judged, especially as it makes more sense in the context of a yet-to-be-revealed eating issue.

The initial mention of the ex-wife also brings up a pet peeve for me—the idea that seeking any kind of professional help for a child suggests there’s something “wrong” with them. We’ve seen it before, and it’s just not true.

Given all this, I wonder why it takes so very long to realize that there was indeed something “wrong” with Lizzie. Well before we hear of her eating lip balm, we know about plenty of other food-related issues.

Finally, though, a posthumous pika diagnosis is made. With a few bumps, it leads to a not guilty verdict. The case is gutting enough to work for a season finale, but in the end, we’re paying attention to the sidelines.

What’s happening on those sidelines? Once again, it involves the seemingly endless cycle of Bull’s romantic relationships. Yet this one might bring about a real closing, at least where Diana Lindsay has been concerned.

I’m sure you’ll be shocked to learn that the unintended consequences of Bull sleeping with ex-wife Izzy soon after her father’s death are the opposite of positive.  You might actually be surprised to learn they’re downright childish.

Benny does not handle the news well, which is understandable in itself. Fist fights in the middle of the office are less sympathetic. Storming off without letting Izzy take responsibility for her own actions is even less so.

Good news: this is not the only personal drama that comes in around the case. Better news: we continue to explore Marissa’s interest in motherhood. Not so good news: there are a few more obstacles along that path.

When an issue arises with Greg’s ability to have biological kids, Marissa instead says she’s changed her mind. She almost definitely has not. With another season, this can’t and shouldn’t be a complete story. Hasn’t Marissa herself championed adoption?

And then said personal drama comes full circle. If nothing else, we know we won’t have to worry about a cliffhanger involving Bull and Benny’s relationship. Benny’s coming back and so is his sister. She is pregnant, after all.

For those holding out hope that Bull and Diana might actually communicate and make things work, this is extremely bittersweet. I don’t think they had much of a chance, but there was still something there.

There’s also no way for the suddenly renewed relationship between Bull and Izzy to realistically move forward without a hitch. I can’t imagine they’ll go through another miscarriage, but the last one as a marriage-ender must loom large.

Yet in spite of all this, I can’t help being moved by Bull’s stunned but happy reaction. It’s also one of the few things that might draw me back to season four despite this show’s lingering ethical issues in the real world.

I’m not sure if I will return, but Bull and co as fictional characters have a world beyond their actor’s problems that I still care about. This is a game changer for everyone, and I can’t help wanting it to be a great one for them all.

 

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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