Courtroom Dramas & Legal Thrillers

Goliath TV Show Review and Summary

Looking for a new TV show to binge-watch? Check out our review and summary of Goliath, the legal drama series starring Billy Bob Thornton.

goliath tv show

Want the total scoop on the Goliath TV show? Prime's very own legal drama TV series Goliath starring Billy Bob Thornton as a very screwed up lawyer Billy McBride. He used to be the named partner of a powerful law firm along with the burned guy (Donald), who is the arch-nemesis and former partner. He is given this case, and it's to bring down the big bad Goliath. And so it continues in each season.

MidJourney prompt: billy bob thornton --s 250 ... I thought this picture came out crazy good.

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Goliath TV Show

This synopsis is part of my courtroom drama television series reviews.

The Goliath TV show follows "a down-and-out lawyer" (Billy Bob Thornton) as he finds his way back to what he loved to do: practice law. The lawyer as an alcoholic, worn out, or disbarred is kind of a cliche plot line at this point, but the characterization transformations in this show are spot on. Meaning, they aren't magically delicious by the end of the series.

We aren't told the backstory of how or why Billy McBride lost his way, but the viewer will find out throughout the show's 4 season run. While the setup might seem over done, this show is filled with a supporting cast of unconventional characters that light up the screen. Just do a lot of fast forwarding through Season Two because that season sucks.

My Recaps

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

(Coming shortly)

Season 4

Goliath Series Cast: Reoccurring Characters

Billy Bob Thornton as Bill McBride, a formerly a successful and personable lawyer who co-founded the law firm Cooperman McBride with Donald Cooperman, and with whom he made it a successful legal firm. He walked out of his firm and became an alcoholic, after a murder suspect he was acquitted on a technicality, went on to kill an entirely family.

He lives in the Ocean Lodge Hotel, by the Santa Monica Pier. McBride is also a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and Indiana University.

Nina Arianda as Patty Solis-Papagian, a DUI lawyer and real estate agent, who brings Rachel Kennedy's case to McBride.

William Hurt as Don Cooperman, Billy McBride's business partner and former friend Donald Cooperman is the main antagonist in Season One, and a recurring antagonist in Seasons Two, Three, and Four. Cooperman is a recluse who rarely leaves his office. Most people at the firm have not seen him. He monitors meetings, trials, and even body cams remotely without anyone else's knowledge. He has the entire firm (and a lot more places) bugged, giving him full access to everything that happens there. He hates Billy McBride.

Tania Raymonde plays Brittany Gold, a sex worker who often helps him with his cases. Her character goes through a dramatic arc throughout the seasons.

Diana Hopper as Denise McBride (recurring season 1, main seasons 2–4): Billy and Michelle's daughter.

Maria Bello as Michelle McBride, Billy's ex-wife, a partner at Coopelman McBride. She is mentioned only in Seasons Two, Three, and Four. She is angry with him, but seems to respect his legal skills. Their divorce is often a source of conflict throughout Season One, although they operate better than any other divorced couple that I have ever met in my life (especially for attorneys!).

Ana de la Regueira, a city councilwoman in East Los Angeles, is running for mayor of Los Angeles. She's the first Latina mayor. She is introduced in Season Two, acts in Season Three, and is mentioned in Season Four.

Why Goliath Is Ending Now

According to Newsweek, Thornton confirmed he only signed up for four seasons, and that it was always the long-term plan to complete those four seasons of Goliath.

Is Chez-Jay Real?

Goliath is set and filmed in Santa Monica, California. The venue Chez Jay, which Billy McBride frequents and often works out of, is a real-life bar and restaurant. So is the Ocean Lodge, where he lives. I read, though, that they made up the insides on set. Honestly, I can't imagine that living in that hotel room was cheap (despite the run-down look of the hotel). With housing prices in California, that place by the beach could easily set him back like $5,000 per month.

Of course, we were never told how much money he actually had. I can't imagine that a named partner of one of the most successful law firms in the world didn't walk out with a nice tidy payout. No matter how crazy he went after a case.

You can, however, see how successful he used to be. Billy and Michelle co-own that huge house. Easily in the 8 figures?

Where Did the Filming of the Four Seasons Happen?

Season One: Santa Monica, California, which included many beautiful shots of the beach and Santa Monica Pier.

Season Two: Los Angeles, California. We also see some shots still of Santa Monica (and the Ocean Lodge).

Season Three: Santa Clarita, California

Season Four: San Francisco, California.

Which season of Goliath is the best?

Definitely the first. Read the recap.

Maureen's Legal Bottom Line

After How To Get Away With Murder, Goliath is my second choice for a legal courtroom drama TV series. It has dynamic, nuanced characters, great legal strategies, and great acting.

The legal stuff is sometimes incorrect, or at least a stretch of the truth. But, hey, we're in the times of John Grisham and the legal fantasy. The sex scenes are implied rather than explicit, which I appreciated if not for watching with the family. Although we did have one raunchy sex tape scene. The reason it did not overtake How To Get Away With Murder is because of Season Two.

Season Two ... is awful. Just simply awful. Makes me want to throw up awful.

In Season Two, Billy dates Marisol Silva (Ana de la Reguera), who turns out to be a psycho crazy woman. Her brother likes to chop off body parts with anyone who does anything that pisses him off. He gets pissed off a lot. We also have this other dude that likes to jerk off to women whose body parts are chopped off. Yeah, sicko.

You can basically skip the entire season and go to the third season. (Read my recap of it instead.) You won't be able to thank me enough. Because you won't know how truly awful season 2 actually was.