Amazon Prime’s Goliath Season 3 TV Series Recap & Review [It’s Good]

S3 E1 – The Subsidence Adventure

The unexpected death of an old friend takes Billy McBride to California’s Central Valley, where a record drought has made water more valuable than human life.

We meet Gene and Bobbi, who are sitting in their house. Gene appears to be doing some home accounting, while Gene is reading the paper. All is not kosher in paradise, though, because they are having a tough year. Their very cute doggo walks in with some roadkill. Yummy yummy. But the crow comes back to life, scaring the bejesus out of Bobbi. The thing must have been a really bad omen because she can’t sleep. Noodles (the doggy) starts barking, and Bobbi goes to check on what the matter is. When she is outside amidst their farm … what is up with this show and farming? … some big ass sinkhole opens up and takes poor Bobbi to the other side of the crow’s nest.

Billy shows up, a little worse for the wear it seems. Looks like he hitchhiked out to his car, which is in the middle of nowhere. He passes a water truck that has some kind of issue. This is a foreshadow, showing the almond trees that are the center of this season’s dispute. He goes to see Gene, who shows Billy the big ass hole. We find out that Bobbi is dead, and she used to be an attorney. We find out that the almond farmers drill into the ground “left and right,” which makes the ground unstable. Gene wants to sue. FYI, the name Bobbi is funny to me since Billy Bob is starring in Goliath. 

The pair drive and see Wade Blackwood (Dennis Quad, who was f’n awesome in this season btw). The problem with the case is that property lines are man-made, but water kinda goes everywhere. (This is only half a legal fact. Water rights are always hotly disputed, especially between states or counties. Especially if someone is being cut off.) Billy gets a ceramic gift that Bobbi made. 

Billy calls the office, and we see the annoying AF lady we met in Season 2 (Lauren Tom … holy crap is she annoying AF). Billy tells things are fishy and wants Blackwood County Water Board’s address. Otw home, Billy stops to what I assume is the Blackwood County Water Board … and he sees a picture of Wade up on the wall! He goes into an office, who is Central Valley Tallgrass Farming Company. Billy meets Delores, who is a super bitch. He leaves his name and phone number on the bitch’s “Will Return” sign.

Another stop at a gas station. The attendant tells him that Blackwood is mostly at the Casino. Guess where Billy is going? Wade explains something called “subsidence” (basically a sinkhole) that is apparently common in California. National Ocean Service described subsidence as:

Subsidence – sinking of the ground because of underground material movement—is most often caused by the removal of water, oil, natural gas, or mineral resources out of the ground by pumping, fracking, or mining activities.

Wade gets on his soapbox about water, how his grand daddy had the balls to bring water to Blackwood County in the first place. A very strange interaction with Littlecrow (Graham Greene) … a wonderful little drop of subtext right there. The entire Goliath show is an awesome lesson in subtext. We also meet Rita (Illeana Douglas), the Indian barfly.

Littlecrow tells Wade that Billy does not remember being at the casino, so there’s a mystery we need to solve. Littlecrow is to keep an eye on Billy. The gambling table is comprised of Wade, Gerry Kernen (Marshall Cook), Warren Hebb (Peter Holden), and Wheeler (Beau Bridges). (I think this is the Water Board.) Littlecrow made them all up some kind of smokie thing. Some Indian magic, and they are all stoned outta their brains. Cut to a weird stoner scene, who just happens to have Diana Blackwood (Amy Brenneman), Wade’s sister, in it. I swear, these half-baked incestuous scenes are creepy as all get out.

Wakie wakie. “Diana is not the answer. Not this time.”

Marisol is on the TV with a big rock. Marriage to Matthew (Matthew Weiner). Billy gets comped at the Casino. Watch out, Billy, it might be bugged! I would so not trust a room at this casino. It’s name is Casino. Ultra-suspicious. Anyway, this will be Billy’s home base for a while. The hotel room is quite large. Billy sits down on the bed and unwraps Bobbi’s gift to him, which is an owl. The owl has deep symbolism in the Native American culture, of wisdom, death, and the afterlife. (Crows also hold the same symbolism FYI.)

There is this weirdo water thing where everything in the hotel overflows with water. Billy moves the mirror, which has a saying: “The last person you will see before you die is you.” Aaaaand I’m right. They are watching Billy on camera. Tbh, I have this suspicion that all hotels have hidden cameras, watching you. Billy is woken up by a crow knocking at the door, and when he looks out the window, he sees Denise and Wade walking around. Billy follow them and walks up to a dig site. He then gets whacked over the head.

S3 E2 – Happiness From The Ground Up

Billy’s investigation into the Central Valley’s water problem threatens the launch of Diana Blackwood’s almond-based lifestyle brand.

A commercial featuring Denise and Wade. Billy wakes up to the voice of Anton (Shamier Anderson), one of Denise’s adopted sons. Billy is at the Blackwood Enrichment Center, owned by Diana Blackwood. Somehow, they have the owl. Which should ring some alarms in your head because he put the owl on the table beside him. On the almond ride back to the main gates (in an almond, btw) … Anton mentions Billy’s daughter, Denise.

Some people by the side of the road are trying to get water. He meets Dr. Mindy Levine (Anna Carini), who is apparently a water expert. Billy and Patty discuss possibly cases. Wrongful death is out (because they can’t pin the drilling on any one person or corporation), so is unreasonable use. Patty runs off the road (she is looking down at her GPS) to avoid a turtle. In Native American culture, the turtle represents health and fertility. In just a little bit, you’ll figure out the symbolism there. Up drives someone, who moves the turtle and then takes off.

Brittany and Denise at college. He gives his daughter $700 for emergency snacks … and he’s picking up the college tab, too. Back to Patty, who is freaking out about a bug. Violet (Marisa Echeverria) rescues Patty. Violet is dropping off water everywhere because no one has any. They deliver three cases of water to Hugo, whose well dried up. He’s doing the dishes. (I kinda wonder why he’s doing dishes … and not just using paper plates and plastic ware. I mean, if water is the hot commodity … don’t you think they would eat off of stuff they can throw away?) The whole town is in the same way.

Wade driving a big ass tractor. Wheeler says he has a source that Diana is still drilling … on federal land. That’s a big no-no. Wheeler wants to pump the breaks until Gene’s situation blows over. Which is sage advice imho.

Patty meets Anton, who has repaired her car. Patty is exactly what the Blackwoods need, actually. We now see the other brother, although we don’t know his name yet.

Wade taking a bath in almond milk. Diana puts a toaster oven on the side of the bath. Wade tells Diana that they need to stop drilling on reservation land (the federal land) rn. They have this sexually tense scene with the toaster oven. Yeah, their relationship is creepy.

Billy shows up at the launch party at Wade’s house. And here comes Marisol (and Matthew). So things just got a little more complicated. Tons of people are wearing these turban-like things and look stupid. 

S3 E3 – Good Morning, Central Valley

As Billy and Patty begin a class action lawsuit against the corporate farmers, the Blackwoods start dealing with everyone who gets in their way, including Billy.

Patty’s on the air and drops an F bomb ahaha. Billy and JT at the casino. Problem getting their hands on the NDA. Patty at the gas station. She wants to post a community meeting flyer, which gets thrown out. Diana and Anton roll up. Diana somehow knows that Patty is pregnant. 

Underground at the drill. Someone comes out … and then sits at the casino and looks at Littlecrow. Stephanie (Littlecrow’s daughter) shows up. No love lost there. Rita tells Billy that Littlecrow is a warlock. JT at the diner again. Delores does not show up, and she no longer works at the company. Stephanie shows up, giving Wheeler some numbers. Sounds like Wheeler is Stephanie’s stepfather. As she is leaving, creepy Anton is taking photos of her. Meanwhile, Wheeler is checking a map against the numbers.

Gene comes home. Diana is there, doing some dishes. What a wack-a-doodle. They “talk,” with Diana acting like the empathetic person. She tells Gene that Bobbi wants him to move forward, and sometimes, moving forward means leaving things behind.

At the community meeting. Gene isn’t there. Ruh roh. The class action. Some person starts some shit, saying that they would get fired for suing their boss (Wade Blackwood). The underhanded bitch is the attorney for the Blackwood County Water Board. As this is Goliath, she’ll eventually get her ass kicked. I’m looking forward to it.

Just as a side note, Patti says that the meeting was privileged as attorney-client, and the mean lawyer lady says something to the effect that nothing has been filed yet. However, that’s not the definition of an attorney-client relationship, so unless the rules are way different for class-actions, then she’s in outer space there. Of course, that doesn’t make for good television.

Next scene, we see Donald. Mean lawyer bitch is working with him. With Wade Blackwood in the other seat. Donald wants to crush Billy like a bug, and Wade says, we only need to win.

Wheeler arrives at Diana’s business. Her tunneling has reached his property. If she doesn’t stop, he will go to Billy McBride. If looks could kill, Wheeler would be dead from Diana’s. Diana follows Littlecrow in the tunnel, has some kind of cryptic message for Joe to have a little crow talk with Wheeler.

Gene yells at Billy, if Billy took the water case in the first place, Bobbi would still have been alive.

Back at the casino. He listens to the voicemail that he sent to Denise … telling her that about the writing behind the mirror (the last thing he will see before he dies is himself). Billy sees Littlecrow, Wade, and Wheeler go into the backroom. He also sees himself, staring back at him.

Back in the Littlecrow smoking table. Weird shit hallucinations. Wheeler’s is panicky bad tripping, though. Wade wakes up from trip land, but Roy is … dead. I guess Diana’s looks do kill. Wade shows he isn’t a total asshole … and he starts crying.

Billy and Patti. (LOL Patti is on the toilet.) Whelp, she’s preggers.

Billy walking in the orchard. Meets Stephanie, who tells him about the numbers. She tells his map is wrong and drives off.

Anton bangs on JT’s trailer. Apparently, he can’t park anywhere in Blackwood County. The lead plaintiff in the class action is now Violet (the water delivery lady), but her girlfriend Gloria is not on board (Aahahaha, get it? Water Board?) because Diana Blackwood owns the restaurant Gloria works at. The two have a spat. Brittany goes after Gloria to talk. Patti wins over Violet.

Billy walks into Wheeler’s house, and Wade is sitting at the kitchen table. Wade offers to settle. Billy sees JT at the casino. JT is leaving because he feels that he screwed up. JT thinks he got Delores killed.

Wade kinda accused Diana of killing Wheeler. We have another creepy ass scene between the siblings. Wade says to Diana that he doesn’t want to lose her again. She responds that he might feel better after a bath, but Wade declines. What is it with these f’n baths???

Billy driving. He sees something glowing on the horizon, and he hears the howls of coyotes. In Native American culture, coyotes represent cleverness, trickery, and adaptability.

Back at the hotel room. Annoying girl (Applebees) is there. She says they were in the hotel before in the suite. Fade out.

S3 E4 – Full Circle

Flashing back to before the events of the season, Billy has a drunken weekend at the Rising Sun Hotel and Casino, crossing paths with the Blackwoods and their scheme to steal water.

Billy back at Chez Jay in a flashback scene. Bobbi walks in, and she talks about starting a winery. We find out that she and Billy were in law school together, dreaming about starting a law firm in a funky motel to keep the overhead low. She asking for his help on the no-water situation. The Husband and I talked about owning one, but this entire situation makes me never want to start a winery. She tells him of the premonition about seeing a glowing on the horizon before she dies. (It’s the same glowing on the horizon that Billy saw in the last episode.)

Next scene, Billy declines Bobbi’s case. He doesn’t do property and water rights, and he just got off a case that nearly killed him, so this is probably after the events in Goliath Season 2. Bobbi is upset. Billy is upset because he liked her in law school, and she took off. (I suppose this is the first time they saw each other since law school.)

I can tell you that it’s difficult to turn people down, when they are asking you for help. Attorneys see people at their worst: after a car accident, when a client is getting divorced, after being charged for a crime. Hiring an attorney is expensive. And you can’t help the entire world, even if you want to. I get it.

There’s also something to be said about trying to get an old friend … one that you haven’t seen in at least 30 years … to take your case.

Brittany Gold talking to a law professor to get into law school. Her admission about blackmail and the Borns Tech thing will not let her get admitted to the bar. Her only shot is for Billy to testify on her own behalf. 

Patti is outside her ex-boyfriend’s (Jeff) house. Ingrid (Angie Patterson) walks up. Awkward exchange. Brittany speaks to Billy about going to law school, but she needs him to vouch for her in front of the bar association. He takes out a picture of Bobbi from his ConLaw book (who the F keeps their ConLaw book from law school … uh, no). 

Applebees in his hotel room, looking at him while Billy sleeps. (Her name is Janet, so idk why everyone calls her Applebees. Or at least I don’t remember.) She needs a ride somewhere to pick up some money from someone who owes her (Lenny). Dude is pretty burnt. 

Patti at her family’s. She has an interaction with her cousins. She seems happy about the kids.

Back to Janet and Billy. Someone recognizes Janet as “Dan’s ex-wife.” Billy drinks something called Pink Fuck. And it really f’ed him up. That’s apparently how they went to the casino the last time. Billy at the bar in the casino (we’re still in the flashback) where Littlecrow asks him to move over one seat. Billy is majorly tripping out, and Janet wants some waffles with a smiley face for good luck at the machines. Janet wins the jackpot.

While he is tripping, Littlecrow comps him a room and then tells Billy that he senses Billy’s death. Billy meets Spencer Jackson, who makes “big fucking water deals” and gets paid to keep his mouth shut. Somehow Janet burned (yes, actually burned) her money after losing most of her earnings. Janet accidentally sees the digging when they are escaping.

S3 E5 – Argus 2: Battledome

As Billy and Patty make their first appearance in court, their class action is threatened when they walk into traps set for them by the Blackwoods.

At a dirt bike event … but it’s Stephanie doing a stunt on set. Wade shows up. Wheeler willed everything to Stephanie. But Wade wants to buy it. Stephanie isn’t buying what he is selling, though.

Room service is there. Janet makes him drink some juice. They say goodbye. She gives Spencer’s card to Billy. 

Diana approaches Stephanie, who isn’t as nice to Diana as she was to Wade. Stephanie bluntly tells Diana that everyone is after a seat on the Water Board. Stephanie is holding onto her land and everything else.

Gloria was fired. In court. The judge says, your class is limited to those in the county who don’t have working water. But Billy is talking about some crow in the window that only he can see, and then he sees an owl. Sumi Sen (Shelby Rabara) chimes in that she is moving to dismiss based on professional misconduct.

Apparently, Billy is still tripping during the court proceedings. They play the television footage of Patti on the talk show. Ms. Sen boxes Patti into a corner to soliciting clients in violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Billy then has a trip about Don and all of his paranoia. He flounders on cross because he’s still trippy dippy.

While the judge is granting the motion and threatening Patti with the state bar, Billy says he will do it for free because there is no prohibition against solicitation if it’s pro bono. 

Brittany calls about Denise, who is passed out in the middle of the day and drinking a lot. He f’s up and tells Brittany that he loves her. Billy breaks the owl that Bobbi gave him and finds a key. 

Stephanie at Wheeler’s house. Anton shows up and trips Stephanie down the stairs. He then throws a rock at her. She basically makes him her bitch. They have some dirt bike thing, which of course she will win because she’s a damn stunt double. The other brother (Dario) is there. Dario and Stephanie have a conversation. 

Janet outside the casino sitting in a parking spot. She tells Billy about some of the tripping she was doing, and they figure out that they were given something in the juice. Billy confronts Littlecrow. Littlecrow calls Diana.

Patti goes by to Diana to talk about Gloria’s restaurant. Diana found out some information about Patti’s birth mother. Some weirdo drives up to Gloria and hands her a $20,000 check. Gloria calls Brittany.

S3 E6 – Fer-De-Lance

Billy and Patty grill the Blackwoods in their depositions, shining a light on their complicated relationship and how they obtained ownership of the county’s water supply.

S3 E7 – Conscious Uncoupling

Billy puts Wade Blackwood on the stand and under oath, forcing him to admit every detail of his scheme to steal the state’s water.

S3 E8 – Joy Division

As Billy and Patty close in on the Blackwoods, Wade tries to cover up their crimes while Diana makes one final, desperate play, regardless who gets in her way.