Prime Video's overlooked epic legal thriller series is gaining new fans thanks to its lead star

The author Jonathan Klotz
| Published 33 seconds ago

Billy Bob Thornton is once again racking up award nominations thanks to his starring role in Taylor Sheridan's latest hit, Landmanbut it's not his first streaming series. In 2016, Billy Bob Thornton starred in the Amazon Prime Original, Goliathas Billy McBride, an ex-lawyer who found his way to the bottom of a bottle. The series was largely ignored by both critics and the public, but thanks to Landmanit's finally getting the attention it deserved.

One man against the titans of industry

Goliath begins to pit Billy against his old law firm, Cooperman McBride, when he takes on the case of a man killed in an explosion. Born Technology, a large corporation and one of Cooperman's biggest clients, claims he committed suicide, but the man's sister is convinced there's more going on and forces Billy to take the case. It's immediately clear that powerful men want the case to never even go to trial, but Billy, with an ax to grind and a need to atone for a past mistake, isn't about to go away quietly.

Before the series began, Billy helped defend a murder suspect, and although he won the case, the suspect used his newfound freedom to kill his family. Leaving Cooperman McBride, Billy made enemies of his former partner Cooperman, played by William Hurt, and his ex-wife Michelle, played by Maria Bello, who remained with the firm. Basic setup Goliath not earth-shatteringly original, but it's well-acted and the writing is what you'd expect from creator and mega-producer David E. Kelly.

Each subsequent season, Billy takes on a different “Goliath” that includes a Mexican cartel, Los Angeles politics, and a huge agricultural conglomerate. The role is a mirror in Billy Bob Tronton's Tommy Norris film Landmanconfident and confident prospect working for one of the biggest players in the oil industry. Both shows share a lead and many of the same themes, but are different enough that it's easy to get caught up in them at the same time.

Goliath was ignored by everyone

With Billy Bob Thornton, actor Goliathwhich changes almost every season and features many familiar faces including Dennis Quaid, J.K. SimmonsJena Malone, David Cross and Haley Joel Osment. It only ran for four seasons, with each subsequent season receiving less attention, but the show maintained the same level of quality throughout. Every season on Rotten tomatoes was reviewed by fewer and fewer critics, with a total of five reviewing season 4, but those who did watch it rated it as a perfect 100% new experience.

It's easy to forget that a series is out streamingor simply ignore it in the first place, because every week another streamer releases another expensive show with at least one major Hollywood star. There is no science behind what will or will not become a hit; for example Goliath fell between the cracks while Landman has already earned Billy Bob Thornton another Golden Globe nomination.

Goliath is streamed only Amazon Main video.