For those who can recall the tragic cases that have happened in real life, “Goliath” Season 3 noticeably touches on a ripped from the headlines story. Billy (Billy Bob Thornton) is soon embroiled in the case as he discovers that there is more to what happened to his friend’s wife than it appears at first glance.
There is a potential conspiracy among a group of farmers, and it involves water. Enter Dennis Quaid’s, Wade Blackwood. A farmer and businessman with a hand in everything in the northern California territory. Billy is suspicious, and a subtle investigation is soon underway.
If you thought “Goliath” was going for a straightforward courtroom ready case in Season 3, it does not. There is a massive twist as the premiere gets underway that will have viewers questioning almost everything.
It is nice to see “Goliath” never being afraid to rest on its legal drama, procedural-esque roots. There is a strong gumshoe aura about it. As a whole, it continues to shift into different forms that keep it from becoming complacent. In Season 3, it still shows signs of trying to find its exact groove.
Following the upsetting way that “Goliath” ended its previous season, Season 3 starts off with the promise of improvement. Billy is put together as Season 3 gets started, so the show gets down to business fairly quickly.
The execution of the mystery at Season 3’s core feels heavily reminiscent of David Lynch. It is a seeming influence that “Goliath” has flirted with before. The imagery and overall verve of the premiere calls Lynch to mind in a way that sets the series on a precarious edge, which is not a bad thing.
Still present is the same that feeling emanated throughout “Goliath’s” previous seasons. Despite the disturbing way that its last one ended, Billy McBride does not seem all that enthused about righting its wrongs.
As of the Season 3 premiere, Marisol (Ana de la Reguera) is still living the high life as the Mayor of Los Angeles. Leaving Julio (Diego Josef) and Oscar Suarez (Lou Diamond Phillips) without any justice. Instead of taking further action, Billy sadly looks on the television to see Marisol’s latest red carpet outing.
It is a personal hope that as Season 3 continues, the Marisol storyline will flow back into the central narrative. “Goliath” is about surmounting seemingly impossible obstacles. However, “David” has not had a win since the first season.
As of the start of Season 3, it is still 1-David and 1-Goliath. Yes, in life, some battles cannot be won, but I was hoping to see Billy try harder to win his second one for Julio and Oscar's sakes. “Goliath” went too far with the storyline to have it go ignored, and showing Marisol indicates it is not entirely over.
As for Season 3’s big bad, “Goliath” has an intriguing one in Dennis Quaid’s Wade. He is tough to read at first, and the storyline should appeal to those already wrapped up in the profound Kevin Costner series, “Yellowstone.” Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton play off each other brilliantly, and there is a fantastic tête-à-tête between them in the Season 3 premiere.
The thing with “Goliath” is that every season has brought on a more or less anthological vibe. It never seems to stay the same. Take, for instance, Billy and his daughter’s relationship, which heavily influenced the first two seasons. In the Season 3 premiere, she is sadly nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile, integral cast member, Patty (Nina Arianda), barely gets any screen time. “Goliath” not highlighting these relationships more in the Season 3 premiere is disconcerting. That said, a season tends to build to include other characters, so these things could change.
“Goliath” is getting off to a slow boil start that needs Patty to help ignite it. Billy Bob Thornton remains ever watchable, giving a performance that remains relentlessly compelling to watch. The Season 3 premiere should hook long-time fans. Time will tell if their efforts watching previous seasons pays off for those dangling plot threads.
Rating: 7.5/10
Season 1 through 3 of “Goliath” is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
[Featured Image by Amazon Studios]
Comments
Post a Comment