What I’m Watching: Goliath

Goliath: Season 2, Episode 2 “Politics” (B)

I didn’t watch the season premiere until a month after it was released on Amazon, and it’s been a full three months since that time. I’m now feeling like I can pick back up my streaming shows again, but I’m having a bit of trouble getting back into this series. I really liked season one and the vast array of complex supporting characters, and I’m just not sure if we have that anymore. Seeing Patty is always a highlight, and watching her family try to get Billy into business deals or to take on a high-profile bunion case was entertaining. Her plan not to ever interact with Brittany is going to make things at the office exceptionally awkward, and Billy seems to be especially relieved to have Brittany back even after what she did. Denise confiscating all of Billy’s alcohol as a low-key attempted wake-up call for him to take a look at his life was an interesting instance of reverse parenting, but as usual, Billy seems to have too much to think about to really stop and notice. I knew I recognized the voice in the opening sequence, which turned out to be David Cross, and I’m still not sure that Mark Duplass is the right person to play Tom, whose reactions in certain situations appear unnecessarily comic. I’m much more impressed with Ana de la Reguera, whose Marisol is caught in a complicated situation where she’ll definitely have to compromise her principles to stay alive, and is only making things much grayer by sleeping with Billy.