This week’s offering starts with probably the most shocking murder act we’ve seen so far – a son taking a golf club to his father’s head in the middle of a driving range.

Cut to Benny arriving for a client meeting, weaving through NYC traffic on what Bull terms “a mid-life crisis”, better known as a motorcycle. Bull has been invited by a Dr. Amy Levin (Meryl Jones Williams, ZEB: The Zombie), a forensic psychologist who treats the “interesting” patients. I immediately perked up when I saw this credit as I’ve been waiting since “E.J.” to meet the mysterious “Amy” Bull phoned at the end of that episode.
Turns out they used to work together (sort of). Amy quickly fills Bull and Benny in on Troy Dickerson (Brendan Dooling, The Carrie Diaries), by all accounts a good kid who enrolled in a cult and then killed his father with a golf club. He has no memory of the incident, captured by the driving range’s security camera. Both Bull and Dr. Levin notice a physical demeanour shift in Troy before he attacks his father.

Meeting with Troy, Bull has him focus on a spinning quarter to basically hypnotize him. In the trance, Troy admits that he can’t remember what happened despite trying everyday since his father was killed. Bull decides to take the case because he believes that Troy was brainwashed to kill.
At T.A.C. headquarters, a debate breaks out on the merit/effectiveness of hypnosis. Bull insists that they aim to have Troy acquitted on an insanity plea. Both Marissa and Benny are skeptical but Bull is adamant that Troy is not responsible for the murder, whoever hypnotized him is. “We find the trigger,” he says,”we find the real killer.”
Bull brings in Reed Kenwood (Desmin Borges, You’re the Worst) to defend Troy which makes Benny raise an eyebrow. Bull hints that Reed has a faith in the case that he doesn’t feel Benny is quite on board with. Benny and Cable head out to investigate the driving range instead, both riding there on Benny’s mid-life crisis. (Cable declines the return trip.)

Meanwhile, Chunk and Danny are checking out the Lumansic Academy, the cult Troy enrolled in, and its charismatic, black-turtleneck-and-blazer-clad leader, Thornton Grey (James McCaffrey, Rescue Me). Danny is unimpressed but Chunk points out that the presentation is staged to be stimulating and inspiring. He gives Grey full props for fronting a good show.
During the mingler, Thornton zeroes in on Chunk and gives him the V.I.P. treatment – oatmeal cookies, tour, and all. Danny tracks down the co-founder of the Academy, Thornton’s daughter, Rachel (Caroline Kaplan, Proof), to see what she can find out about Troy’s involvement in the cult.

Dr. Levin pops in for a quick chat with Benny, revealing her knowledge of motorbikes and the fact that she and Bull never dated before sharing some drawings of tridents that Troy had started producing, indicating that the programming he’d undergone was battling his subconscious as his mind tried to recall what he’d been made to forget.
Voir dire this time around involves an unscented candle, the power of suggestion, and the prosecution miscalculating their target personalities. Bull seems a little concerned with Reed’s lack of a poker face, but overall a smooth process.

Chunk’s success with Thornton is double-edged as evidenced by Bull’s endorsement. “Congratulations, you’re joining a cult. Now, please don’t kill us.” He’s about to go under deep cover in an organization designed to brain-wash and reprogram its participants. His mission is to find out every technique the Academy uses on its students, mostly by undergoing them himself.
When the case takes a twist and it appears that Thornton might’ve been the actual target of Troy’s programmer, Chunk is immediately (and oddly intensely) concerned for the cult leader. Bull is worried he’s getting too drawn into the Academy but Chunk shakes off his concern and heads back to meet with Thornton.
While Benny is prepping Amy for testimony, their conversation veers towards the issues that Benny’s been having with his professional confidence since being investigated. When she asks him to dinner, he demurs, citing a recent break-up (awww, so long, Erin) but it turns out that Bull had engaged her to be Benny’s therapist (paying her in baked goods, lol… so what does a “Better Than Robert Redford” taste like?). Benny is nonplussed. Bull is unrepentant.

Amy’s testimony goes well, swaying a couple of jurors, despite Reed’s clumsy application of Bull’s instruction to work the word “RED” into his examination.
Events speed up suddenly here. Bull and Danny recreate the day of the murder at the driving range and figure out the trigger while Chunk finds himself trapped in a flotation tank being interrogated by Thornton about T.A.C. and Dr. Bull. By putting Rachel on the stand, they prove that the ringtone on Troy’s phone for her caller ID was the trigger that caused him to kill his father (although she’d planned for him to kill her father).

Outside the courtroom, Thornton confronts Bull about sending spies into the Academy.
“Helps you to think of me as a cult leader, doesn’t it? Â Makes it easier for you to send people into my house to spy on me, to destroy my life’s work, to condemn my daughter as a killer.”
But Bull fires right back and, man, does Weatherly *ever* deliver it with intensity.
“Just as it helps you to think of your victims as students? Makes it easier to steal their lives and call it tuition?”

The episode’s wrap up is really satisfying, even more so than usual. The true Amy reveal is that she used to be Bull’s therapist which makes SO much sense when you consider the responsibilities he takes upon himself. Chunk and Danny commiserate about the “Cult of Bull” they’ve both bought into. And finally, Benny comes clean with Bull about the investigation on him and Bull steps up with the assertion that “if they come after [Benny], they’ll have to go through [Bull] first”. Bro-mance 4-eva, folks.
Bull airs Tuesday nights at 9pm PT/ET on CBS.
Diana Keng
Related posts
Classics
Alison Sweeney Talks About What’s Next for Hannah and Mike After Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
[Warning: Spoilers for Carrot Cake Murder.] Everybody OK after that Hannah Swensen Mystery twist? Thankfully, our favorite crime-solving couple is still on speaking term, even if they’re on a break (hopefully not that kind of break). Most importantly, we already know this isn’t the last film in the series. No…
Counting Down to From Season 2
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] We’re just shy of two weeks away from Season 2 of last spring’s obsession, From, which premieres at 9 pm/8c, Sunday, April 23rd, on MGM+ (formerly EPIX). If you never picked it up last year, now’s your chance, and you can do it for free, catching…
Thank Me Later: Will Trent
[Warning: spoilers ahead.] I’m on record as loving and losing shows over at ABC so I’m usually very reticent to pick something up on the network until it’s been renewed, and I seriously hope I’m not jinxing it, but I took a chance on the deeply odd and very sweet…
Dennis Heaton Talks The Imperfects
Longtime readers at TV Goodness will know that Motive is one of my ride-or-die series, and as such, I am fiercely loyal to its creator, Dennis Heaton. He followed up that fantastic reverse procedural with Netflix’s The Order and is back on our streaming screens with The Imperfects, which dropped…
Kelly McCormack Talks Favorite Moments in A League of Their Own
[Warning: Mild spoilers for season 1.] Now that you’ve had a chance to watch A League of Their Own, here’s the rest of my chat with Kelly McCormack about her favorite moments of the season. Seeing the iconic Peaches uniforms for the first time wasn’t just a goosebump moment for…
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People [streaming on Global TV in Canada and Roku…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
Pegah Ghafoori Talks From “All Good Things…”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode] Tonight on From, Fatima’s anniversary celebration turned into a Colony House of horrors when a misguided Kevin let his monster bae in and she promptly killed him and left the window open for her crew. While the party devolved into terror and sent everyone running,…
Shaun Majumder Talks From “Book 74”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight on EPIX’s From, Father Khatri made a bold move, kidnapping Sara instead of turning her in, and then recognizing her as a vessel for some big messages. That startling realization speaks to him on multiple levels–as a man of faith, a man trapped in…
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…