My husband and I just finished watching season 2 of Goliath, an Amazon Prime original show starring Billy Bob Thornton.
Thornton
plays Billy McBride, a talented but disgraced lawyer living in L.A. He
drives an old convertible, drinks way too much, and takes on small
cases, nothing like what he used to do in the huge law firm that he
helped start. Little by little, we find out about the case that sent
Billy into a tailspin. Meanwhile, Patty, a real estate agent and
part-time lawyer played by Nina Arianda, approaches him to ask his help
on a case: a woman whose husband was killed in an explosion on a boat.
The man's employer, a large and powerful corporation and the Goliath of
the title, claims it was an accident, but his wife suspects something
far more sinister. Patty convinces McBride to take the case, and against
his better judgement, Billy finds himself drawn into it. Tania Raymonde
plays Brittany, a prostitute who Billy has helped in the past and who
sometimes serves as his legal secretary. The large corporation they are
suing is represented by Billy's old firm (another Goliath), now run by
Donald Cooperman, Billy's old partner played by William Hurt, who is a
creepy recluse who spies on his employees and holds a grudge against
Billy. Maria Bello plays Michelle McBride, Billy's ex-wife who still
works for his old firm.
The plot is intricate and
engaging, as each episode goes deeper and deeper into the legal case and
the circumstances surrounding the man's death, providing plenty of
suspense. The cast is outstanding and really pulls this show up to a
higher quality than most TV shows. Billy is a screw-up in many ways, but
you can't help but like him, with his crooked smile and fervent belief
in justice. The rest of his team is just as likable, while William
Hurt's performance as Cooperman is the perfect bad guy you love to hate
(he's super creepy). Season 1 of the show follows this case through to
its conclusion.
In season 2, Billy and his team are
back, though I won't say much more about their circumstances to avoid
spoilers of the first season. This time, Billy is drinking more than
ever but is asked by his friend Oscar, played by Lou Diamond Phillips,
to represent his 16-year old son, who is being held as a murder suspect.
Oscar is certain his son is innocent, and Billy has known the boy for
years, so he reluctantly gets pulled into the case. This time, the
Goliaths and conspiracies are even bigger, involving the police, a drug
cartel, and politics. This second season was far more gruesome and
violent, with a couple of really warped people at the center of things.
My husband and I were joking about needing to watch something more
uplifting after watching Goliath this season, like an episode of Breaking Bad!
It's pretty dark. I definitely preferred season 1, though season 2
still had a compelling plotline. It's really worth watching just for
Billy Bob Thornton. Interestingly, though season 1 was enjoyed equally
by critics and viewers, Rotten Tomatoes shows that for season 2, critics
rated it an average of 86%, while regular viewers gave it only 53%.
Season 1 and Season 2 each feature 8 episodes and are available exclusively through Amazon Prime (at the links provided).
Here is the trailer for season 1, to avoid any spoilers:
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