The Ending Of Bull Season 2 Explained

Beginning in 2016, Michael Weatherly made the jump from his longtime role as Special Agent Tony DiNozzo in "NCIS" to starring in CBS' new series "Bull" as Dr. Jason Bull, a brilliant psychologist who runs the Trial Analysis Corporation (TAC), a team that analyzes trials in order to help their client win the case. The series also stars Freddy Rodriguez as Benny, Geneva Carr as Marissa, and Christopher Jackson as Chunk, who make up the rest of the main TAC team. 

Although the show didn't impress critics, earning a 22% on Rotten Tomatoes for Season 1, "Bull" was CBS' most-watched new show (via TV Series Finale), and it continues to be successful years later. In 2017, the show began its second season, which features more of Bull and his team's many complicated cases, as his personal life — or lack thereof — begins to take a toll on his health. With 22 episodes in Season 2, there's a lot that goes on, but how exactly does the season end? 

With a major emotional cliffhanger, the ending of Season 2 of "Bull" leaves fans with many unanswered questions. To help you out, here's the ending of the second season explained. 

While "Bull" has a procedural-style structure, with new cases almost every week, there are still many important emotional storylines that carry over throughout the whole season. In Season 2, one of these is Dr. Bull's continually building stress level, as his intense work ethic and lack of self-care begin to affect him both physically and mentally. In the final few episodes of the season, this is amplified by an encounter with his ex-wife Isabella (Yara Martinez), also known as "Izzy," and a very difficult case.

Known as somewhat of a cocky guy, Bull usually has a good reason for this attitude, as he's very good at his job. But in the Season 2 finale, Bull faces a case in which his client has been convicted of a horrible crime. Initially, the last hope Bull has to help him is to prevent his client from being given the death sentence, but thankfully, more clues show up throughout this process that point to a way he might be able to prove his client's innocence. 

By the end of the finale, Bull succeeds in saving his client's life, but at the same time, he begins to finally realize that he needs to take a good hard look at the life he's leading. Sure, his work is important, but not if he can't also have things like happiness and love, which Bull has been severely lacking lately. Seeing his ex-wife happy is just another reminder that he doesn't have it all together.

One constant in Dr. Bull's life is the presence of Marissa Morgan, a fellow psychologist and one of the main forces behind the creation of the TAC. In Season 2 of "Bull," Marissa begins to reevaluate her co-dependent relationship with Bull and attempts to create a life for herself outside of work — something Bull should be doing as well. Marissa and Bull are very close friends and they have built a successful career together, but Marissa is starting to question whether or not it's what she wants for her future. 

In Season 2, a lot of this comes up as she sees Bull start drinking more and not taking care of himself, relying on her to pick up the pieces. In fact, in the finale, Marissa must wake him up after he drinks himself to sleep so that he can get to work. This reevaluation goes so far that Marissa considers leaving the TAC, even writing a letter to Bull announcing her resignation, which she never gives him. 

In the end, Marissa decides to stay, but her whole journey in Season 2 highlights the fact that there are some things in Bull and Marissa's relationship that need to be addressed, especially if Bull doesn't want to drive Marissa away, both in their professional and personal lives. Going into "Bull" Season 3, fans are still wondering whether or not Marissa makes the right decision.

At the end of "Bull" Season 2, the finale ends on a major cliffhanger. Dr. Bull manages to prove that his client is innocent, but just as the verdict is read, he suffers a heart attack. This happens as a result of all of his unhealthy behavior this season, with high stress levels, constant drinking, sleepless nights, and Bull's inability to address his personal issues. This man could definitely use some good therapy. 

Although the show doesn't show whether or not Bull survives the health crisis before the end of the final episode, it seems safe to say that he lives, as he is the title character. Still, the aftermath of such a traumatic experience is sure to play into the story of Season 3, with Bull essentially forced to take a break and look at how he has been living, (hopefully) making some positive changes. With executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron's statement that there's a time jump of around four months between Season 2 and Season 3 (via ET), fans don't see the immediate recovery from the heart attack, but instead, "Bull" focuses on the long-term effects of the traumatic experience.

Of course, one of the reasons CBS and the team behind the series likely chose to end "Bull" Season 2 this way was to entice fans of the show to tune in for the next season, and it probably worked. As the cocky yet likable protagonist of the popular CBS show, viewers want to know that Bull will be okay, and still able to take on and win tough cases as part of the TAC.