The Benny Scene That Went Too Far On Bull
Drawing storylines from the actual experiences of trial science consultant Dr. Phil McGraw, the CBS legal drama "Bull" launched in 2016 and quickly established itself as a reliable ratings' performer during its six seasons on the network (per Deadline). Centered on the elite trial consulting company TAC (Trial Analysis Corporation), the series features a crack team of legal experts and investigators headed up by Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull. Assisting the brash, genius-level Dr. Bull in his efforts to help select the optimum jury members for any given trial are former NYPD detective Danny James (Jamie Lee Kirchner), computer expert Taylor Entzel (MacKenzie Meehan), neurolinguist Marissa Morgan (Geneva Carr), and — last but not least — the attorney Benny Colon (Freddy Rodriguez).
It's safe to say that during the show's multi-season run, "Bull" may have included narrative arcs where the scriptwriters' dramatic license pushed the envelope of legally sanctioned procedures or involved the team in sketchy ethical choices. But in the wake of a real-life scandal that hit the show later in its time on the air, what happened to Rodriguez's Benny Colon turned into the one development on "Bull" that, for some fans of the show, took things too far.
Benny Colon's exit from Bull had fans seeing red
As a key player on the team of experts tasked with selecting the juries on "Bull," Freddy Rodriguez's Benny Colon is the in-house counsel and go-to person for fine-grain legal advice. But after being fired from the production following a "workplace investigation" (per The Hollywood Reporter), Rodriguez was let go at the end of Season 5. His absence was then mentioned briefly in the Season 6 premiere, where viewers learned he has supposedly moved to Italy (via TV Line). Fan response to this unexpected plot-bomb was prompt and salty.
Reacting on a Reddit thread discussing the issue, user u/Jojo1206515 wrote, "Super disappointed. Benny was one of my favorite characters." Redditor u/Jl8888 agreed the loss of Rodriguez didn't sit well, saying, "Yah this sucks a lot, Benny is a fairly critical character." Another poster also felt it was a major let down, complaining "I can't imagine Bull without Benny..." And Redditor u/Legitimate_Break2438 correctly foresaw Benny's absence as a mortal blow to the show's future, saying, "Benny is pretty much the most important character besides Bull himself. Very sad to see he will not be returning [...] Unfortunately, I don't think Bull will be going beyond Season 6."
So in the end, the Benny scene that clearly went too far for loyal "Bull" viewers was the scene where they got the news he'd left the show and wouldn't be coming back.