I saw this season of Goliath back when it came out, and liked it (and the second season) enough to struggle through an awful season 3 and 4. Those were so bad that I forgot all about this show, until I recently picked it up and started watching it with my wife. This show is so engaging that we broke off halfway through the first season of the Sopranos because we were enjoying this significantly more.
The main characters are all highly flawed, and Billy Bob Thornton is a natural at being someone who deserves a punch in the mouth. Yet, all of the main protagonists are still easy to root for, which is not an easy feat. On the other side, there is a wide variety of villain to root against. From the super evil Cooperman, corrupt cops, and murderers down to ladder-climbing lawyers willing to turn a blind eye, the antagonists on this show do an excellent job of making you hate them for the full range of reasons. This unsurprisingly relies on excellent acting. William Hurt is an excellent classic villain, while Molly Parker plays one of the best backbiting corporate lawyers I’ve seen. On the other side, Nina Arianda crushes every scene she is in, and makes me want to look up her other work.
As far as the plot, it is a compelling legal drama that makes me want to binge the entire thing. I wish the ending was a bit stronger, but otherwise it is a great legal show.
The disappointing last episode drops it down to a 7 for me, it’s a good season of TV.
Spoilers
The last episode was surprisingly boring, which isn’t a spoiler. I didn’t care about most of the wrap-up, and with how good the villains were I think there are missed opportunities here.
I would have liked a stronger case as well, but realize this is more realistic.
My Score
IMDB Series Score
RT Critics
78
RT Audience
90