Billy McBride (Billy Bob Thornton) is in love with two things: the law and alcohol. He would like to spend his days drinking uncontrollably at a bar next to his home, which happens to be a small hotel room at the Ocean Lodge. There may be a nightcap with a lovely lady in his room or just a battle over a crossword puzzle, but there's a simplicity to his life that includes passing out next to the Pacific Ocean and feeding leftovers to the neighborhood dog.
There's just one problem: Billy can't avoid doing the right thing when a friend or good person is in need. Once a hotshot lawyer at a big-time law firm, McBride burned out a short while ago and doesn't defend much outside of a bottle of bourbon when you first see him in the pilot of Amazon Prime's Goliath, David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro's new television series that returned with a second season on Friday.
When a woman approaches McBride for legal advice for a wrongful death case based on his reputation of being a killer in the courtroom, he denies it at first before finding out the opponent is his former business partner, Donald Cooperman (William Hurt), who heads up the major law firm that Billy helped build. A chance for a down on his luck lawyer to get it all back and do so against his brother is too hard for him to pass up. Here's a guy who lost his job and wife in an instant and now chases easy open and shut cases. Add in the fact that an innocent man lost his life and it's being covered up, and that's how Goliath's first season got its legs moving.
Ladies and gentlemen, I implore you to give this show a look for one reason: Thornton. He's easily one of cinema's most underrated talents (most people know him for Sling Blade), but McBride is perfectly tailored for his talents. There's a lot of the actor in the anti-hero who seemingly can't avoid picking up the good fight and giving the opposition all that it's got. The easygoing movement, sharp-tongued wit, and reliance on old-school methods.
McBride is the pest that the best corporations can't hide their wrongdoings from, and Thornton nails the courtroom scenes as well as the quieter moments. You believe every step he takes and word that comes out of his mouth-a decrepit blend of snark for the system, contempt for the less fortunate, and ability to cut through the nonsense. The fly on the back of the giant buffalo that doesn't know what's coming.
Kelley and Shapiro layer the drama with expected twists and turns, but the writing team that includes Banshee's Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner packs it with pulpy dialogue and setups that set it apart from the usual rundown of Law and Order: Los Angeles. Kelley knows the territory well, having brought his talents to The Practice, Boston Legal, and a few other lawyer-centric shows. He knows what his specialty is, so like a cook in the kitchen who knows one dish incredibly well, he leans into it here with premium talent.
The supporting cast is top notch. Hurt lends his devious abilities to the relationship that truly anchors season one, and that's the bittersweet rivalry between McBride and Cooperman, two guys who share just enough similarities to embrace the hatred that grows between them. Nina Arianda and Tania Raymonde are great as two of Billy's best weapons, a real estate agent with a similar weakness for good people and a former prostitute who still knows how to manipulate people. It's a band of imperfect people coming together to help the weak, and the actors make it fun to watch.
The show's name comes from the fact that every case Billy takes seems to be another rendition of David vs. Goliath, with the burnt out lawyer standing as the little guy in a sea of corruption. That is endlessly watchable without having to be cutting edge original. Most of the plot twists will be familiar to the addicts of courtroom drama, but the writing and acting lift the material up.
Season 2 is more of the same. McBride and his band of misfit toys taking on the venomous Mexican cartel with an ambitious politician and innocent young kid caught in the crossfire. It gives the cast a chance to expand with veteran talents like Morris Chestnut, Paul Williams, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfio to join the action. Get ready for a Mark Duplass that you've never seen before, playing a billionaire real estate tycoon with a wicked temper and dark side that gets put on display. Diana Hopper adds a little extra edge to McBride's daughter, Denise.
Goliath doesn't do anything fancy or blow your mind, but it's extremely watchable and has a swagger that every drama series with suits and bad guys needs to have. Having a never-better Thornton also helps, especially one that can drop Bob Gibson and Gashouse Gang references (a hat tip from the fact that the actor is a diehard Cardinals fan). You'll get a kick out of McBride defying the odds and facing down the dirtiest scum that evil has to offer. He's the Han Solo of the courts.
You get everything that other courtroom dramas give you in Goliath, only done at the best level and with the best cast. The big speeches, action-packed moments of violence, and deft cuts of humor abound plenty, but the drama never wavers or betrays your commitment.
If you were wondering, Season 2 does leave plenty of room for further plot development, which I hope Amazon Prime runs with, because I need more Billy McBride tales.
Thanks to Billy Bob Thornton pulling out his best work in years, Goliath should be the next show you binge. It's hot outside, so brew a pot of coffee and enjoy a potent drama that doesn't waste your time.
