Goliath Recap: This Town Is F—ed Up

This recap of Amazon Series Goliath Season 3, Episode 2, “Happiness From the Ground Up” contains spoilers. You can read the recap of the previous episode by clicking these words.

I think we can establish that Billy (Billy Bob Thornton) has entered a strange county of California. As he wakes up, he is greeted gleefully by Diana Blackwood’s son. He hit him over the head as he claims he didn’t know it was Billy. He gives Billy a tour and describes the new Almond company. Billy wryly says, “it must take a lot of water”.

Billy then meets a geologist in Episode 2, who claims water is lower below the ground than ever before. Patty then rings him and suggests that it may be a dead case. But as Goliath has always taught us, nothing is a dead case for Billy McBride.

And some of the landowners are getting a little shaky with Billy sniffing around — Roy has a problem with Diana Blackwood going full steam ahead with the almond company and asks her brother Wade to try help delay her business ventures.

One thing I noticed in Episode 2, “Happiness From the Ground Up”, is that Wade has a strange relationship with his sister. In a disconnected scene that almost felt like a dream, he is bathing in almond water, and Diana decides to toast bread right next to the water.  I assume that the two have a toxic sibling relationship.

We finally get to see Patty in action in Episode 2, but she is quickly stopped en route by a burst tire after evading a turtle crossing the road. Eventually, a woman named Violet helps. Violet’s role in the story is dropping water bottles off for people suffering from the drought.

Billy ends up at a party organized by Diana. He tries having a conversation with Wade, but he does his usual evasion tactics and leaves him to drink instead. Billy’s evening turns sour as he ends up seeing his corrupt ex Marisol with her new fiance. Roy turns up and tells Billy that looking into the water is a waste of time.

There’s more tension between Billy and Marisol as he leaves the party; outside he sees her waiting for a ride, and he asks where her fiance is. The conversation is staggered and one-worded until he asks her if she’s engaged. She says yes.

After receiving information from JT that does not shed a good light on the Blackwoods, Billy and Patty meet Gene about a class action lawsuit. Gene accepts to go ahead with the case.

Goliath Season 3, Episode 2, “Happiness From the Ground Up” ends with Billy confronting Wade about his share of the water as President — he should only have 12%, but he is using shell companies to use up 75%. Billy has a case on his hands.

Drunken, Scrawly Notes

• Billy rang Denise while drunk about seeing the writing on the wall and how he is going to die.
• Brittany helps Denise move into her student apartment. Billy tells Britanny he’s better off alone in life.
• James meets someone about Bobby Bennet and gets information.
• A Blackwood company fixes Patty’s tire.
• Patty rings Billy and says the town is f—ed
• Patty asks Billy why he doesn’t want to go back to LA.

You can read the recap of the third episode by clicking these words.