Goliath-New Amazon series starring Billy Bob Thornton

Quite enjoyed it, but Hurt needed a moustache to twirl.

 

Despite its faults (and there are quite a few) the show was still engaging. Many have been pointed out already, but one that bothered me was the

Spoiler

re-tracing the steps stuff in episode 8 where they find either people dead or disappeared. Felt like I was watching North by Northwest when they went back to the hacienda. Perhaps they should have asked to see Lester Townsend.

The real evil genius in this is Marisol, populist mayor who just happens to have people killed and owes a debt to a drug king-pin. And she skates, at least until season 3. Ouch!

 

I'm in the minority here but I really didn't like season 2, I couldn't get past the plot holes and paper thin characters. I really hope that if there is a season 3 it returns to Billy using his skills and instincts as a lawyer to drive the story and less of this type of story. One of the aspects that kept me interested in season 1 was his legal maneuvering and the fact that is was more of a courtroom drama.

 

I liked the second season enough. Especially brave to not have our David beat Goliath this time. Could've gone into more details about the cartell and some of the characters were paper thin.

 

Just watched the first two episodes of season 2 and am not feeling it at all. But in case I continue, can someone refresh my memory on Brittany's betrayal from S1? I know that she did something and there was a falling out, I just can't remember what she did.

 

She was bought off and testified against Billy’s side and hurt their case.

 

Only the bad guys won. I thought the writers set up a conundrum that they couldn't write their way out of it. Lazy.
And I have issues with shows that have no redemptive value. Need something/someone to root for.
Now assuming that a season 3 will involve toppling that new mayor....

 

Watched Season 1 and almost all of Season 2. This show is a mixed bag. Definitely worth watching. But it’s pretty flawed as well.

Thornton is solid; I actually wish (especially in the second season) they gave him more to do. In Season 2, up until the surreal Episode 9, he seems kind of inert. It may have been by character design, but he seems to be not really doing much. His performance is inert, and his “relationship” seems extra implausible considering he doesn’t even have the energy of something like his “Bad Santa” character.

I like Thornton’s acting, even if he is kind of just “playing himself” to some degree. But I do wonder if he is attracted to projects where females *immediately* either pursue him/jump his bones or talk about how he *clearly* is desirable despite his flaws, etc. It happens in “Bad Santa”, and it happens in both seasons of “Goliath.” It takes until near the end of Season 2 for his character to finally point out that it’s insane that a mayoral candidate is into an alcoholic with no personality living in a motel.

It was interesting that as I started watching Season 1, I didn’t pay attention to David E. Kelley being involved. Once I realized that, Season 1 made a ton more sense. Super-over-the-top quirky characters, saying and doing things completely unrealistically. Like goofy “Ally McBeal” caricatures. On the “legal” side of things, Season 1 was pretty questionable. They didn’t show enough of McBride in court being a lawyer. People just saying that he used to be an amazing lawyer didn’t quite cut it. But the stuff he did do was compelling enough. A lot of the other legal stuff was inaccurate and unbelievable. Stuff being allowed in deposition and in court that wouldn’t ever be allowed, people saying and doing things a good lawyer never would, and then other stuff being objected to in court that was seemingly just fine.

Besides Thornton, the standout in Season 1 *and* Season 2 is Nina Arianda as Patty. She’s more entertaining and, usually, more realistic than any of the other characters. She’s probably the full-on star of Season 2.

All of the people at the Cooperman law firm with the exception of a rather inert Maria Bello are ridiculously over the top. Again, very “Ally McBeal-ish.” A lot of mustache-twirling and sassy, mean comments. Not that that stuff never happens at a law firm, but the 24/7 backstabbing and unprofessional behavior of everybody at the firm is just not believable.

As for Season 2, it’s weirdly less over the top (in terms of sassy dialogue and the like), and also of course more over the top with characters like Duplass. Yes, he’s effectively creepy as he showed, not coincidentally, in his two “Creep” films. But when it gets into his fetish stuff, that’s just like way over the top. When he dupes another main cast member into, “indulging” him in his fetish, it’s even less believable. Too many characters are either unbelievable or shown to be extra, extra clueless.

I haven’t finished the last episode of Season 2 yet, but the show ironically picks up steam in the last few episodes. The stuff with McBride at the mansion in Mexico was pretty dumb and unbelievable (on numerous levels), but I have to admit, while it may have been a bit on the nose and pretentious and trying to rip off other “weird” episodes of shows like “Breaking Bad”, that Episode 9 where McBride wakes up and the first half of the episode is totally confusing and surreal was, if nothing else, compelling.

 

I really don't try too hard with these shows. Reality, whatever that is, is not an expectation nor do I want it with shows like Goliath. Maybe some semblance here and there so it's not completely science fiction, which I'm not a fan of, but overall as long as the characters and story line are engaging and watchable that's all that's important to me. I understand that for many watching a show like Goliath that is not watchable and engaging if it somehow doesn't match up with what the viewer believes is real. I get that. But again, not needed for my enjoyment. Billy Bob is the classic anti-hero. No simpler then that. He's smart, he's mostly cool under pressure, he does his own thing and basically doesn't give a rats ass what others think. I've known people like that, many of them in fact, in my life, and I've almost always admired them. And I've seen them being attractive to some of the most desirable(read beautiful, smart and wealthy) folks around. And I never questioned why. It was obvious. They were cool. Yup, as simple as that. Some people that live more ordinary lives like to be with those that don't. Some call it slumming, some don't. But it happens all the time.

I agree with the Nina Arianda sentiments. A gifted actor, and her and BBT make a very watchable team. Real or not.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the show, and frankly I don't think I could've without BBT. I never get tired of him, and there are very few actors these days that I can say that about.

 

Ya, that was both disgusting and shockingly creepy. At least it was the only isolated WTH moment on the show.