Michael Weatherly portrayed Tony DiNozzo as early as 2003
and 2 episodes of JAG. That led to his playing the same character on the hit
series NCIS from 2003-16, a 13 year run which is something worth noting. Then
he left. He wasn’t forced out, he wanted to try something new. So he became
part and parcel of a new series called BULL, about a jury consulting company
called Trial Analysis Corporation (TAC) run by the psychologist Jason Bull
(Weatherly). Based on the real life assistance of jury consultant Dr. Phillip
McGraw the series was a hit and just started its fourth season. But it is
season three that’s just been released on disc.
Fans who have been following the show remember that at the
end of season 3 Dr. Bull collapsed on the courthouse steps having an apparent
heart attack. The drinking, bad food consumption and sleepless night had caught
up with him. Season three opens with him paying the price for that by having to
change his ways. More exercise, less bad foods and no more drinking binges. The
character is faced with changing his way of life in more ways than one.
In addition to the lifestyle change Bull must face a crisis
at work. Longtime computer expert Cable McCrory (Annabelle Attanasio) who was
fired and then rehired has disappeared. It doesn’t take long for the group to
discover that she was one of the many victims of a tragic bridge collapse in
town. It’s an emotional journey for all cast members but Bull in particular as
he’s dealing with his own demons at the same time.
The series likes to take current events in and use them as
plot points as well as items that have been used in the past with a new spin on
them. In one episode Bull finds himself on the other side of the coin when he’s
selected for jury duty. Another case finds him aiding in the defense of an
officer involved in a shooting.
But Bull isn’t the only member of TAC that faces issues this
season. Office manager and second in command Marissa (Geneva Carr) calls on TAC
to help her husband when he’s charged with manslaughter when his restaurant
catches fire and an employee dies, supposedly by negligence. Danielle
"Danny" James (Jaime Lee Kirchner) seeks the help of TAC when her
boyfriend is faced with deportation. And an incident at the funeral of
counselor Benjamin "Benny" Colón (Freddy Rodriguez) and Bull’s
ex-wife Isabella (Yara Martinez) leads to the season finale with Benny walking
away from TAC.
So what makes the series so good? First and foremost is the
congregation of solid actors in the series that work together as a team not
just as characters but as an ensemble as well. In addition to the
aforementioned performers the team has Christopher Jackson as Chunk Palmer, a
gay ex-football player who is their fashion coordinator and now learning to be
a lawyer himself who recently learned he had a daughter. Then there is
Mackenzie Meehan stars as Taylor Rentzel, a cyber expert who once went to
school with Marissa before going to work for the NSA who joins the team as a
replacement for Cable this season.
The series also works because when tackling tough issues
they cover all sides of them rather than taking just one. In most cases there
is no clear cut side with which to lean on. The world is filled with gray
areas. While some might present black and white most land somewhere in the
middle and the characters here seems to always have a back and forth with the
issues at hand, resulting in a solution before the final credits.
The series is a joy to watch each week but even better to
watch on disc. Why? Because you don’t have to wait a week to find out what’s
going to happen next. You can binge watch to your heart’s content until that
final episode and THEN you can become anxious waiting for that next season to
begin. Or you can go back and start with season one all over again. Each viewing
is sure to entertain and season three is certain to be on your playlist.
Click here to order.
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