Spoilers ahead for the series finale of Bull on CBS, called "Goodbye."
Unconventional legal drama Bull has officially come to an end after six seasons, which also marks the end of an era with Michael Weatherly as a leading man on CBS after his many years on NCIS. So, now that the show is over and the fates of Jason Bull and the rest are established, did he get a happy ending or not?
Well, there was a lot of back-and-forth during "Goodbye," and some fateful decisions had to be made to determine where the show would leave off. So, with Bull done, let's break down the main character's ending.
What Happened
"Goodbye" picked up where last week's penultimate episode left off: after Bull's client Ed Wilson told Bull that he killed a college student years ago, and then killed again more recently to cover it up. It was privileged information, however, and Bull couldn't tell the authorities. Even after he and the TAC tried everything to force a mistrial (since Chester had done such a good job with the defense that Ed was sure to be acquitted), all signs pointed toward Ed walking free. Bull couldn't break privilege without tanking his own career.
At the end of the day, however, he decided that justice for the murdered student and getting Ed behind bars was more important than his keeping his courtroom privileges (and job), and he announced to the jury that Ed was guilty. The judge obviously declared a mistrial and gave Bull the boot from being present in any courtroom in New York.
Where Bull Ended Up
Bull was out of a job with no immediate plans to find a new one as of the end of the series finale. He was immediately resigned to his career in trial science being over, even when Marissa tried to convince him that they could fight back. Ultimately, she bought him out of TAC, and Chunk agreed to stay on (even though he wanted Bull's office). Taylor was also leaving the team to go to Hawai'i for her son's sake – which, as Bull pointed out, wasn't the worst place to move to.
He ended his series out of work, and his decision to break privilege was such a drastic move that Marissa and Chunk may need to fully denounce his actions if they want TAC to pick up and carry on. All things considered, TAC is in good hands with Bull's longtime right-hand woman (with actress Geneva Carr opening up about working with Weatherly) in charge and Chunk as the lawyer, but what about Bull himself?
Was It A Happy Ending?
On paper, "Goodbye" seems like it should be a pretty miserable ending for Jason Bull. Sure, he has his family, but he had to give up his company and his job. Considering how much his friendships with the team were forged by their tireless work on cases, those friendships may fade with time. He doesn't have any immediate job prospects, and him breaking privilege might well follow him around for the rest of his professional life.
On the whole, though, I would say that Bull got an ending that was more happy than sad. He wasn't heartbroken about having to leave his company and job, and had no regrets that he gave it up to get justice for some victims and prevent Ed from striking again. He's not exactly living hand-to-mouth either, and seemed content with the idea of taking a break for a while. Besides, the show had to come up with a way to go bigger than ever with its series finale, and I would say that this qualified.
So, what's next? There's no sign that CBS was trying to set up a Marissa/Chunk spinoff by the changing of the guard at TAC, and "Goodbye" was likely the last time that fans see these characters. The end of Bull does open up the possibility of Michael Weatherly returning to his old NCIS stomping grounds as Tony DiNozzo (and the NCIS boss weighed in on the idea), but for now, fans may have to content themselves with a Paramount+ subscription and rewatching the full run of Bull. For some viewing options in the coming days and weeks, be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule.
