Missing

"**Missing**" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season and the eighty-third episode overall of the legal drama series *Bull*, which was aired on March 9, 2020.

## Summary

FBI agents arrest Elena Smith for kidnapping her 3-year old niece, Sarah Cooper, 12 years ago because of overwhelming evidence that Sarah's father, Jim Cooper, was abusing both Sarah and his now-deceased wife (Elena's sister). Sarah, now 15 and known by the name Chloe Smith, has been raised by Elena as her daughter. Bull and Benny anticipate a difficult trial, given that there is no doubt Elena is guilty of the crime, so Bull hopes to select jurors who will see the act as a rescue instead of a kidnapping. Marissa proposes that Jim, now living in Florida with a new wife and 2-year old son, could still be abusive, so Danny goes to investigate. Danny finds evidence from the son's preschool that he has been abused, but the judge will not let Benny call any witnesses who did not see Jim abuse his wife or son first-hand. Danny locates the wife, Sofia, and coaxes her to appear as a witness, which turns the case around.

## Recap

Two teenage girls are shopping. One of them steals something, they get caught and are brought to the police station. One of the mothers is called to the station. The police questioned her because her daughter’s identity doesn’t match her prints.

Benny comes to see Bull who is trying to sleep because his baby girl has been keeping him up. Marissa interrupts their conversation. They have a new case. Their potential new client is in the penitentiary, she’s been accused of stealing her niece years ago and raising her all this time. The woman tells them that her sister was in a car accident so she picked up the baby at daycare and went from there. The father was abusive and had impulse control issues.

They tell her that she has to explain to her niece Sarah what really happened. They’re going to have to know how she is as a mother if they’re gonna take her case. Later, they pick up Sarah. She looks very distraught and confused. Back at the office Marissa and the team look into the case and the dad who is accused of being abusive.

The trial has begun. They coach the client not to show extreme emotion when Sarah‘s dad takes the stand. Benny cross-examines him. He is better now and has a child but he never stopped looking for Sarah. Benny focuses on his past issues, his employment history, and relationship issues. Benny also discusses how he stayed on assistance and never told his caseworker that his daughter was missing.

The father’s lawyer cross-examines an old social worker who shares that she went to the hospital to check on Sarah but she went missing. Benny takes the floor and shares how 79 children died because social services failed to monitor them properly and that Sarah could’ve been number 80 if her aunt didn’t take her. Sarah is called to the stand.

Sarah shares that she was told her dad died in Afghanistan. She was also told that he was abusive to her mother. She is open to having a relationship with her father, saying he seems nice. She also shares that her aunt was a wonderful parent who has never been violent or aggressive.

Bull is trying to burp the baby but she poops instead. Marissa calls. They have found two new witnesses, a teacher who formally cared for the biological father’s new child and a dermatologist who has cared for the biological father‘s new wife who they have yet to contact.

Benny has to fight the judge to add the two witnesses the next day at court. It appears those witnesses won’t be good enough because they didn’t actually witness the biological father being abusive. They talk to the client. It looks like they’re stuck and she will most likely have to go to prison but she could go for less time if she takes the witness stand.

Danny tracks down the biological father’s wife at a hotel. She talks her into testifying. She finally admits that her husband is abusive to her son. The next day she goes to court and takes the stand. She shares how her husband is abusive to her and their two-year-old son. They win the case with Benny planning to help the wife.

## Cast

### Main

* Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull
* Freddy Rodriguez as Benjamin Colón
* Geneva Carr as Marissa Morgan
* Christopher Jackson as Chunk Palmer
* Jaime Lee Kirchner as Danielle James
* MacKenzie Meehan as Taylor Rentzel

### Guest

* Marjan Neshat as Elena
* Salena Qureshi as Chloe
* Michael Genet as Judge Hopkins
* Sandra Thigpen as AUSA Knight
* Tarek Bishara as Jim Cooper
* Christina Bennett Lind as Sofia Cooper
* Eve Plumb as Joan Lawson
* Skye Radcliffe Grayson as Nina
* Bristol Pomeroy as Agent Arnold

## Trivia

* When Bull was burping his baby, saying he needed a burp before he could put the baby down, kept hitting the baby's rear end. He needed to hit her back rather than the back end.
* During the private strategy meeting in the empty courtroom AUSA Knight was referred as an ADA. Assistant US Attorneys preside over federal cases, Assistant District Attorneys preside over cases in a district within a city.

## Quotes

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