S02.E10: Home for the Holidays

[MyAimIsTrue]

As Christmas approaches, Bull is amused when he meets a 9-year-old girl who wants to hire him to help her divorce her parents, but he’s shocked when a judge appoints him her temporary guardian. Also, Marissa discovers disturbing information about her boyfriend, Kyle.

[transitfan]

So Michael Weatherly, as Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo Jr,. is the biological father to a toddler girl, and now as Dr. Jason Bull, he will be a temporary guardian for an older girl.  Talk about typecasting  :)

 

Since Michael is a father in real life, shouldn't be that difficult to play one on TV

[JessDVD]

Disturbing information about Kyle:

1) SHUT UP THAT IS A TOTAL SURPRISE.

2) "Discovers"? Present tense? I believe that the discovering happened about 4 episodes ago when he was rifling through her files in the middle of the night. Show, stop writing Marissa so dumb.

[aguabella]

On 12/3/2017 at 9:58 AM, tvaddict44 said:

This new episode better have Marissa going after him full court press to reclaim all her money and prosecute the creep for fraud and whatever else applies.  I hope she can muster the strength to do it - even using her homeland security clearance to help catch him.  What kind of information could she have gotten from whatever that was she was searching at the end of episode 9?

???  Don't know - would that be worth her time?  How about she turns over everything discovered to date and then moves on with her life?  And, doesn't the team have actual work to do?  Bull needs to replenish his coffers, right? 

Although they'd lose the tv drama storyline, Marissa keeps her personal life separated from work.  (Kyle, the character, can always reappear in a future season, soap-opera style, lol)  And, how stupid does she look, in front of her team members!

Most importantly, as they say:  living well is the best revenge!

[marina to]

2 hours ago, aguabella said:

???  Don't know - would that be worth her time?  How about she turns over everything discovered to date and then moves on with her life?  And, doesn't the team have actual work to do?  Bull needs to replenish his coffers, right? 

Although they'd lose the tv drama storyline, Marissa keeps her personal life separated from work.  (Kyle, the character, can always reappear in a future season, soap-opera style, lol)  And, how stupid does she look, in front of her team members!

Most importantly, as they say:  living well is the best revenge!

A most excellent point. Writing 101 dictates that won't happen though.

[Dowel Jones]

Personally, I detest Hallmark-style Christmas episodes, but I was glad to see that Marissa came out on top, though.  You think Kyle would entertain hiring TAC for his trials?

On the down side, I almost turned the tv off after 15 minutes when the writers had Bull not only following a minor into her own house, but putting her to bed (at her own request) and waiting around in said apartment until the father arrives.  Bull, have you no sense whatsoever?  Can you say molestation accusation?  Those do carry some weight, you know. 

With regards to questions about Marissa, she was out $75,000, so, yeah, it's worthwhile.  The betrayal is probably even more important. 

[JackONeill]

I’m no fan of Christmas stories because too many times they disappoint. As this one did. 

I agree, it was downright icky (and positively stupid) that Bull would go into a 9-year-old’s apartment with NO chaperone. C’mon!!!

And I think we all saw Marissa’s story a mile ahead. (To think nailing that guy the way they did in, what, 2 days time, stretched believability. (Yes, Kyle just “happened” to be coming back to the US. Oh, please.)

The three best things in the show were little things. Cable’s reaction when she heard the bells. The song at the very end. And also at the end, when Bull was walking home dressed as Santa and he passes the woman dressed as an elf. He said, “Nice outfit.” She responded, “Back at ya.” Pure New York Christmas.

[Netfoot]

55 minutes ago, JackONeill said:

I agree, it was downright icky (and positively stupid) that Bull would go into a 9-year-old’s apartment with NO chaperone. C’mon!!!

It is a sad reflection on modern life, but I totally agree as to the danger.  There is no way I would allow myself to to fall into a position that placed me in such jeopardy.  The type of allegations that could follow from Bull's actions could have terrible consequences for him.    Further more, I very much doubt the judge would be able to force me to accept any responsibility for the child or what becomes of her.  

[dttruman]

8 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

On the down side, I almost turned the tv off after 15 minutes when the writers had Bull not only following a minor into her own house, but putting her to bed (at her own request) and waiting around in said apartment until the father arrives.  Bull, have you no sense whatsoever?  Can you say molestation accusation?  Those do carry some weight, you know.

So much for realism when it comes to these court cases. I guess the writers don't keep up with current events when it comes to these kinds of incidents. Why doesn't the father have a full time nanny considering he makes a lot of money, instead of one that only works 4 days a week.  I wonder if this event may bring into question Bull's integrity later on in another episode.

[dttruman]

2 hours ago, Netfoot said:

   Further more, I very much doubt the judge would be able to force me to accept any responsibility for the child or what becomes of her.  

The writers manipulated the story line so badly and unrealistically to make it so Bull would be taking care of the kid. They really need to think through these court cases better.

[shrewd.buddha]

As far as Christmas episodes go, it wasn't nauseating. Who doesn't enjoy seeing the disgustingly rich having a happy Christmas ending? (Santa coming up the private penthouse elevator, and all that..)
Is this Dr. Phil's fantasy version of himself ?: No family, no wife, no steady girlfriend, no extended family - - spending Thanksgiving and Christmas doing nothing for no one and just livin' single?  Okay. 

Was there some point to Marissa never mentioning being conned to Dr. Bull? And finally, when she opens up to Benny and he tells her to do the obvious : ask her co-workers for help - the conman is caught in about 48 hours (apparently). Is that story all wrapped up now? 

For some reason, because of  the way Marissa handled things, the "gotcha !" moment at the end felt anticlimactic. 

Edited December 13, 2017 by shrewd.buddha

[HurricaneVal]

Benny is becoming my favorite character.  The look on his face when he realized Marissa was having personal problems and was really upset was very well done by the actor.

That whole child emancipation/divorce storyline was just bad.  So, so, so very many thing wrong with it.  What obscenely rich father wouldn't call the cops when they find a disheveled man sleeping on their penthouse couch with their 9yo daughter down the hall?

Were the church bells supposed to symbolize something?  Was this episode supposed to be some sort of avant garde version of A Christmas Carol?  If so, it was entirely too esoteric and obscure for me to figure out.

[LuvMyShows]

I don't think the church bells were supposed to symbolize something...they were just a plot device so that Cable could mention Christmas out loud, and it could jar Marissa to think of Christmas as an occasion that Kyle would be coming back to his home in the U.S. for, so she could arrange for him to be arrested.

[Madame Crabanda]

The storyline about the kid was horrible. Many more like this and I'll be done with the series. It was one of the kinds of plots I absolutely hate, where if anyone had acted or reacted remotely like a normal person, there would be no story. Um, if the guy was that rich, why did he just have a busy student as a part time nanny? If the mom had been dead for three years, wouldn't that be enough time to find a real caregiver for the kid? And seriously, after being this way ever since she was born, a random judge and Bull show the dad the light and he magically turns into the perfect father? And why was there no mention of the fact that the kid had told Bull her mom was in Europe? I really think that would have called for at least some therapy. (At first I thought the dad had been hiding the mom's death from the kid, but no, when it was mentioned in front of her, she didn't bat an eye.)

There were a few seriously creepy moments. I find it difficult to believe that any child who hadn't routinely experienced some type of major personal boundary violations would want a total stranger to see her in her nightgown and tuck her in.  Also, maybe my mind just goes to these dark places, but why was the dad carrying her up the steps at the end, in a very strange straddled position? She's nine years old, not nine months. Why did she need to be carried like a tiny child? And when she ran up to Bull, dressed as Santa Claus, and hugged him, he said, "Somebody's excited," in a weird voice and then said Santa could only give her her present after she was asleep. Good grief, was this a Very Special Episode for pedos?

I had a moment of hope when the nanny said the little girl was loving seeing everyone twisted up in knots over her. At that point I was thinking that maybe the girl was some sort of tiny sociopath who was doing this for her own enjoyment. The way the child actress played it, this could have been the case.  But two seconds later, the nanny was all smiles. Weird nanny to throw her ward under the bus like that for no reason other than that she had a term paper due.

I was left thinking that perhaps the writers had written it the way I had hoped to see it, then chickened out, or were overruled by those who wanted the Hallmark syrup to prevail. But IMO, it would have been awesome if she had been The Bad Seed. Or if maybe Bull had just passed out from too much eggnog and this was his Christmas nightmare.

[Sarah 103]

Where I was hoping the episode would go was that Bull would be responsible for the child/have to spend time with her and we'd actually get to see each team member interacting with the girl. I was kind of disappointed it didn't work out that way. It would have been a cliche, but this episode was just strange. 

[Litnit]

I'm new to watching Bull, but I spent this whole episode wondering what planet the writers were visiting from. As someone upthread said, any 9 year old girl who wants a grown ass man stranger to tuck her in has probably had boundaries violated in the past. The nanny situation made no sense. Many people will hire two nannies to allow for breaks. This guy obviously has the money for that.

Then, at the end, to have Bull say "Give her a kiss for me". Really? Does he have no sense of self-preservation?  

Is the show always this ridiculous?

[marina to]

6 hours ago, Litnit said:

Is the show always this ridiculous?

This is a new low for ridiculous. But yes, most episodes are but vastly more entertaining.

[sinkwriter]

There were so many plot holes in the writing for this episode, I have to eyeroll. I agree with all the points risen in the posts above, plus... I can't believe they made it through an entire hearing and the lawyer who was against the dad didn't even once bring up the daughter making it all the way to the airport and almost getting on a flight to London! That alone would have gotten him into trouble, and shown that he wasn't there for his daughter. 

Surely her trying to get on a flight out of the country would have started some sort of investigation, right there, no matter how much money the dad has. Or, even if he paid off the right people and his letter that he gave the nanny (to allow her to pick up the kid from airport security) was somehow enough for airport security to let her go home without filing a report, I can't imagine the girl wouldn't have told her lawyer that in an attempt to give reasons why she wanted a "divorce" from her father. I couldn't believe it never got mentioned. 

And... a little girl shows up to TAC, asking to hire Bull the trial PSYCHOLOGIST, and he never once asks her WHY she wants a divorce from her parents? Shouldn't alarm bells have been ringing in his head, that maybe she was being abused or that something else not good was at play here? For him to try repeatedly to send her on her way, planning for her to be picked up by the very people she says she wants nothing to do with, without even sticking around to make sure those people are safe for her to go home with... that's so outside the realm of reality, especially for someone in his profession. I don't care how driven he is or how focused he was on money from the tech job. He wouldn't be that clueless to not even ask the questions to make sure she's safe. It was ridiculous.

Quote

Benny is becoming my favorite character.  The look on his face when he realized Marissa was having personal problems and was really upset was very well done by the actor.

That was probably my favorite scene in the whole episode. I still can't believe Marissa hasn't told Bull, or that he's clueless enough to not notice anything's up with her. So I loved that Benny found out and was properly empathetic and angry on her behalf, and wanted to jump in and do whatever it took to help.

The only reason I can appreciate that Bull hasn't found out yet is that I'm glad Marissa got to catch Kyle herself, rather than have Bull be her "white knight in shining armor." It was pretty cool that Kyle was ultimately caught because of three women - through Danny and Cable's research, and Marissa figuring out how to catch him coming back into town. Though I really don't believe he'd ever come back if he'd found a way out of the country and knew Marissa was probably looking for him under the name Kyle Anderson (and authorities were looking for him under his real name). He would have needed an entirely new identity to come back into the country in any way, and even that would have been risky and foolish after what he'd done to Marissa. I honestly think he would have stayed out of the country. 

On a side note, it's interesting that ego plays a role in Bull's plot line, but in a way it also plays a role in Marissa's, because she's too proud and too embarrassed to tell her own colleagues what happened, because she'll look stupid for not catching on that Kyle was a con man. Between those similarities in their behaviors, and the little girl asking if Marissa was Bull's girlfriend, I wonder if the writers / showrunners are aiming for that to happen (Bull + Marissa) at some point in this series.

Edited December 18, 2017 by sinkwriter

[Netfoot]

30 minutes ago, sinkwriter said:

Shouldn't alarm bells have been ringing in his head, that maybe she was being abused or that something else not good was at play here?

I don't know...  When I encounter a child of single-digit age trying to do something silly, I don't immediately assume parental abuse.  Especially when she appears to be healthy, well dressed, relaxed and in good spirits.  Parental abuse just isn't my go-to conclusion.

[sinkwriter]

Perhaps. But a psychologist would do well to make sure. Not just blow her off as being a silly kid. Would a kid playing jokes really go through all the trouble of coming all the way to his office (in NYC!), trying to get him to help her separate from her parents? That alone should have signaled that something wasn't right. A nine-year-old shouldn't be wandering the city alone.

At the very least, I would - in the midst of initial conversation - ask, "Why is it that you want to divorce your parents?" I couldn't believe he didn't even bother to ask. If she gives a silly answer, okay, maybe it's a big prank, but if she indicates that she's alone and being neglected... that's a huge red flag. 

Edited December 19, 2017 by sinkwriter

[mythoughtis]

Marissa was out much more than $75,000. That was the amount she gave him to invest. He then drained her bank accounts and maxed out her credit cards.  Benny still needs to loan her rent money because she may never get any of what she lost back.  How does a former Homeland Security analyst who sees trials every day get taken like  this ?  Seriously, show writers? 

[Sake614]

Damn this is a tough crowd lol! I can see Marissa not telling Bull or anyone else at TAC. She’s deeply embarrassed that she allowed herself to fall for Kyle’s scam and does t want her boss or coworkers to see her as stupid. Of course we know they would never view her that way, but she also doesn’t want their pity.  In the end, it worked out although I doubt she’ll get her money back. I’m sure that’s all gone.

i do agree about Bull going back to the girl’s apartment and staying there, when he doesn’t know her and vice versa. Really bad idea because even if he meant well, all it would take is for her to allude to something happening and he’d be in jail and probably have his license suspended pending an investigation.  Where I disagree is that her father shouldnt have carried her or that Bull’s line about not getting gifts until she was asleep should be perceived in any way as inappropriate. I’m not sure where it’s written that a 9-year-old can’t ever be carried by her father. He was obviously thrilled that she called him and wanted to see him. And everyone knows Santa won’t leave presents while the kids are awake. It ruins the mystique! ? 

so while I was hardly blown away by the episode, I was okay with the resolution.

[aguabella]

On 12/6/2017 at 8:47 PM, marina to said:

A most excellent point. Writing 101 dictates that won't happen though.

That's right, marina to, unfortunately moving on with your life doesn't translate to the screen!  There's no Kyle (the villain) to play off of, unfortunately ...

[JessDVD]

I hated the girl at about the moment she came on the screen and marginally warmed up to her about halfway and then not by the end. What, exactly, was the point of all that? Her trying to get her dad to notice her? The excessive plotholes have already been presented; the primary I would like to harp on is that no way in the effing world does someone that rich, not have a full-time nanny. A college student who does after school care and 2 nights a week, is what a single mom working as a server has for her kid, not Daddy Warbucks over there. You can afford a penthouse, you might even have a staff of full-time nannies.

I could have bought that she felt like she had no attention whatsoever and all of that was a plea for attention (I could have bought sociopathic also, she reminded me of that kid from that one NCIS who killed her mom), if it had been addressed as such other than the one throwaway line from the nanny.

So the kid was trying to fly to London, and she also said that her mom was gone in Europe? I feel like two sets of writers were working on this show and they forgot to coordinate the details.

Marissa's story was just about too idiotic to even discuss because it was telegraphed from a mile away about two months ago so I don't really feel all that sorry for her.

[JessDVD]

Also, I'm not a social worker but I thought that the general wisdom of removal is if the child is unsafe in the home and better off elsewhere. I think we all probably agree that Daddy Warbucks was a lousy parent but that's not illegal. It's not ideal for a 9 year old to be at home by herself that long and I would never do that with my almost 9 year old, but a kid that age can prepare simple food, knows how to use the phone, at least has some survival skills. I think that's a pretty flimsy case to warrant removal, especially on a first offense. And all that with him not knowing anything about her. Again, lousy dad but it's not actually a parenting requirement to know any of those things and it doesn't make him abusive. 

[Netfoot]

18 minutes ago, JessDVD said:

I think that's a pretty flimsy case to warrant removal, especially on a first offense.

It isn't an offense at all.  

When I was nine years old, my parents left the country for four days, leaving me home alone.  My mum made sure there was plenty of food in the kitchen, and I looked after myself just fine.  Nine is plenty old enough for a kid to look after themselves in a non-hostile environment.

[JessDVD]

Occurrence, occasion, then. But I don't think leaving a nine year old at home alone for 4 days would be considered acceptable parenting now, considering all the cases of removal or at least investigation when a kid that age does things like walk home from school, be at a park without parents, riding bike to the corner store. I know I struggle with figuring out what growing up things to let my almost 9yo do that I know she's perfectly capable of, but that won't get me arrested if some busybody decides to call the cops.

Back to the episode, I remembered that at the beginning, the kid said she needed to divorce her parents plural. That plus what I mentioned about Mom went away to Europe and kid trying to go to London, something is way off here and did anyone even edit this???

[Netfoot]

55 minutes ago, JessDVD said:

I don't think leaving a nine year old at home alone for 4 days would be considered acceptable parenting now...

I'll admit that fifty-some years have passed, but I can assure you that I was just fine for the four days, walking to the beach or up into town, catching the bus to visit friends, and generally playing in the neighborhood or reading at home.  Of course, there was an auntie whose house could call in an emergency, but that wasn't necessary.

The fact that it may no longer be safe to leave your nine year old alone is a sad commentary on life today.  But not so sad as to think that there are busy-bodies who would make a fuss about it.  I can assure you that back then, anybody who had been so bold would have felt my father's ire, and probably his knuckles.

[JessDVD]

I don't think it's unsafe, necessarily (I'm not sure if *I personally* consider 4 days safe, but I don't have to agree wit), but I'm pretty certain that it's not considered "acceptable" now. There was a huge uproar a few years ago when a lady living in NYC let her 9yo ride the subway, something he had done with her since birth, by himself from school to home rather than her meeting him at school. She got a TON of flak for letting her son do something that up until not too long ago was considered completely normal (see: your examples about walking to the beach, catching the bus to visit friends). It's not that the world is less safe (said lady has started a campaign called Free-Range Kids, and she cites a lot of statistics about how the world is actually MORE safe, crime is down, and with cell phones, we can much more easily contact people), it's that people are more paranoid. I agree, it's sad. All my friends with young kids are much less scared that something will happen to their kids, but that some busybody will call the cops and some bored cop will decide to make a case out of it.

[auntiemel]

Through that segment of the court scene where the dad didn't know anything about the daughter, all I kept thinking about was this video: