'Bull' Season 4 premiere takes new approach after Spielberg's departure as Jason genuinely apologizes to Freddy Rodriguez's Benny
This review contains spoilers for 'Bull' Season 4, Episode 1: 'Labor Days'
"Sometimes, things just happen." seems to be the theme of Bull's Season 4 premiere. The show may not have Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television as part of the CBS drama anymore, but it still gets off to a decent start.
It may not be the nail-biting finishes we are used to seeing, but there's novelty and a moral compass in the episode that brings a smile by the end of it. 'Labor Day' has its talking points as not all of the plotline picks up from the previous season. We've split them up for you
The case:
The opening shows a crowded pub on New Year's eve. People are happy and celebrating, except for one disgruntled man, Eugene Hobbs (Jeremy Landon Hays), who's had more than just quite a bit to drink. In fact, he's drunk thrice the average limit, much to the concern of the bartender, Patricia Delaney (Monique St. Cyr ).
She follows him as he gets into his car until he reaches home. A satisfied Patricia leaves, unaware of what follows next. Hobbs slaughters his estranged wife and four guests who had gathered at his place to welcome the year. The cops then kill the man after he tries to turn on them. This leads to Patricia pulled up for involuntary manslaughter.
The TAC and Bull need Benny:
Jason Bull (Michael Weatherly )is all set to be a dad. That ought to make him happy, but when Patricia's case hits the desk, the man and his team at Trial and Trial Analysis Corporation (TAC) are at a loss. Without their top attorney, Benny Colon (Freddy Rodriguez), they cannot mount a defense.
Bull meets with Benny and pleads to put aside their past differences, but Benny is firm on his stand that until Bull recognizes him as an attorney and shows him the respect he deserves, there's no teaming up. Eventually, Bull's attempts to make the trial go away fails and Benny is his last hope.
Any viewer at this stage who's followed 'Bull' religiously can connect to the apology that's offered to Benny. It's got enough to show Bull's genuinely sorry and Benny comes back.
Benny, the superstar:
He may not be a Harvey Specter from 'Suits', but the man has some skills. He shreds apart all of the rival attorney's theories and witnesses with absolute elan. His theory to all this was, "Sometimes, things just happen".
For Benny, it wasn't about having a cause all the time. "There's no causation" he states matter-of-factly. Eugene was beyond punch drunk, his life was in shambles, his wife had stopped loving him and things weren't just the same for him anymore.
That Benny goes after every detail shows he is an asset to TAC. He questions Patricia's cab driver, the owner of a firearms store, Eugene's friends and a shooting ranch owner where Eugene spent his time five weeks leading up to the manslaughter.
The jury goes to a split decision. 6-6 to be precise when Benny concludes Eugene was crystal clear with his intentions, and it wasn't really Patricia's fault. Plus, he adds in an emotional tidbit about how his falling out with Bull was something of an example of "No causation".
Problem solved? Looks like it
This is where it gets baffling. Benny's theory proved no one was to blame, but the jury was deadlocked. The episode flashes forward three days first and then seven days, only for Bull and Benny to give up.
However, the next flash-forward, 27 years later, sees Bull's daughter (now pregnant) narrate the tale to her husband. Apparently, the District Attorney’s office later decided to drop the charges against Patricia. They saw how she wasn’t at fault in this whole mess. Patricia was free and both Benny and Bull walked away with a new New Year’s Eve story.
The verdict:
It may not be the typical 'Bull' ending if you know what we mean. There isn't an "Oh, my" moment, nor are there any gripping and intriguing factors it usually brings in. However, 'Bull' promises to be an engrossing drama and we'll have to see how the rest of the episodes pan out.
Freddy Rodriguez is the man of the hour in 'Labor Days'. He is smart, accurate with his theory and his presence on screen is an absolute refresher. His chemistry with Weatherly is a treat to watch, and while they don't get a "win" exactly, it's a pleasant feeling to know they're back together.
The ending sure had the fans confused. 'Bull' fans on social media are still concerned about how the show ended, and maybe that's the approach the drama is planning to take. Quite novel we must say.
'Bull' airs Mondays at 10 pm ET on CBS.