Mob mentality is a scary thing, whether it causes riots in the streets, or allows a group of otherwise normal individuals to stand back watching someone die.

On Bull Season 2 episode 3, Dr. Jason Bull referred to it as the threshold principle. If enough people say that something wrong is actually okay, even if that something wrong is horrific, others will eventually follow.

Or as Bull put the question…

How many fraternity brothers had to say they were okay walking away from this kid drowning before everybody else was willing to join in?

Bull

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I am both fascinated and appalled when otherwise rational and intelligent people turn into mindless drones when they are convinced that they are following someone superior to them, or that they’ll receive some sort of great reward for their submissiveness.

These kids were willing to be rousted out of bed, darn near drink themselves to death, and then be forced into the water for an hour by their supposed peers just to be accepted into the “special” group that was the fraternity.

And then they all walked away, knowing they were leaving one of their own most likely dead in that dark water, simply because they were told to do so.

People act differently in groups, they just do. You add alcohol to the mix and they are capable of doing things they would never do if they were alone.

Bull

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Sadder still was the fraternity leader somehow equated the stupidity of “Hell Week” with his grandfather’s stories of serving his country in World War II.

Wow! I’m still trying to wrap my mind around how you can compare risking your life while serving your country during a war to being an entitled binge drinker who orders other students to do more of the same.

Once again, voir dire held my favorite moments. 

I couldn’t help but laugh when Jason Bull declared “a pox on her house” when one of the potential jurors was found to be a part of many clubs, including her school’s PTO.

It was intriguing to consider how much can be gleaned about a person from the groups and organizations they join, or simply the fact that they join any at all.

I couldn’t quite tell if ADA Richmond Abernathy was opposed to Dr. Jason Bull’s ability to be a “human lie detector” on principle or that he was simply offended that his mother thought he needed someone’s help on the case.

Either way, it was fun to hear Bull put the man in his place.

Hey, I'm not selling anything. You asked what I thought. Take what you need and leave the rest.

Bull

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Also, Bull was correct when he said the man had either absolutely no people skills or he lacked the ability to tell a "good lie" when it was needed.

At the very least, Sam Whalen's mother needed to hear that ADA Abernathy was going to do everything in his power to find the truth and get justice for her son, but he couldn't even bring himself to offer that. 

And this truly was every mother's worst nightmare.

She sent her son off to college in the hopes of furthering his education and securing him a successful future. Instead, he ended up choking on his own vomit after a drunken binge and left dead and alone in a cold lake by his so-called fraternity brothers. 

I was going to have to live the rest of my life knowing that one day I had a child and then the next day I didn't but I would never know why.

Mrs. Whalen

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The very least the woman deserved was some answers about how that occurred. 

I hated that the defense attorney used the argument that all college kids drink, so that, more or less, makes it okay, or that it is something that should be overlooked. Using one person's bad behavior to justify another person's bad behavior is a lousy argument and just plain wrong.

The two years in prison that the fraternity ringleader got was a gift, as was the community service the rest of them received. Any one of those young men could have grown a conscience and tried to get help, but none of them did. 

That's a disturbing sentence on humanity, but it made for a compelling episode of Bull. 

The side story was Marissa Morgan's mysterious irresponsible night.

So are we to assume that Marissa went out on a date and ended up getting to work late doing a walk of shame?

It was obvious that Cable and Benny knew some of the details, but Marissa didn't want Bull to know. 

In my interview with Geneva Carr, the actress mentioned that Bull and Marissa had a brother and sister dynamic. Perhaps that's why she felt the need to keep the dirty details away from Bull. 

But his response was very sweet when he told her that she could call on him anytime, day or night, with anything. 

The disappointment in his voice as he ran through the office, eager to share news about their latest win, only to find out that she had left early for supposedly another date, was a little heartbreaking. 

It appears we'll all have to wait and see if Marissa's "Irresponsible night" turns into something more permanent. 

So are you enjoying Bull Season 2 so far? 

Don't forget to check back for my review of Bull Season 2 Episode 4, and you can always watch Bull online here at TV Fanatic. 

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.