Savvy legal gambles make ‘Bull’ a standout viewing treat
“Bull” cast (from left): Geneva Carr, Michael Weatherly and Freddy Rodriguez
The new “legal action” drama series, “Bull,” is gaining quite a following—and with good reason.
We caught an episode recently, and found the show a relatively fresh viewing experience, because it derives its plots from a new development in legal matters: the rise of legal consultancy that involves the use of psychology in determining the outcome of court cases.
If that sounds highfalutin and offputtingly esoteric, rest assured that the new series does everything possible to make its stories understandable to “ordinary” viewers.
The show’s protagonist is Dr. Jason Bull, a psychologist and expert jury consultant who uses his advanced skills and technology to deduce the intentions of the jurors, his client, and everybody else involved.
His very high rate of success proves that he knows what he’s doing—and fully deserves the hefty fee he charges for his services.
The specific episode we viewed had Bull (Michael Weatherly) being hired to help secure the exoneration of a female pilot whose aircraft was caught in a storm and crashed, killing practically everyone on board.
Quite predictably, the airline sought to shift the burden of guilt onto the female pilot’s shoulder, and Bull was determined to flout its crassly commercial scheme.
He does so by using his psychological acumen to first move the pilot from “guilty” mode to seeing the liberating possibility that other factors may be more pertinently “culpable.”
Another major bone of contention is the fact that the pilot is a woman in a traditionally man’s world. There is the unfair presumption that she’s weaker, softer and less focused and dynamic than her male counterparts, which is why she “allowed” her plane to crash!
To address and counteract this sexist bias, Bull has to first “force” everyone to admit that it exists. He does so by pointing out witnesses and experts’ giveaway statements and terminology in sharply critical terms.
After making everyone admit to the existence of the sexist elephant in the room, Bull and his client have an easier time making “stand-in” jurors change their minds on point of “inherent” culpability.
Also a powerful tool in his arsenal is Bull’s readiness to do a lot of research to undermine the airline’s position. He’s able to discover that the pilot’s lawyer was assigned to her by the airline—and that his contract gave him a much bigger fee if she lost the case!
After belatedly realizing that her trusted lawyer was in fact her “embedded” foe, the pilot fired him—and Bull instantly got her a lawyer who genuinely had her best interests at heart.
Due to these and other savvy gambits, “Bull” holds our attention from start to finish—that’s one of the early hallmarks of a regular and standout viewing treat!
