[7.1/10] “And Justice for All” is a little corny, but I liked it. There’s something noble about Goliath’s Socrates-like stance, that however much he may disagree with the outcome in certain cases, he has agreed to live under these laws and this system and must abide by what it decides. The way he eschews “legal tricks” and wants to stand trial before a fair judge rather than use his power to break out scans as a little dopey given all the bias against Gargoyles, but endearingly, idealistically so from the Gargoyle.
I also like his public defender, Amy, who is an overworked veteran of the system who keeps warning Goliath about how things are likely to go. It’s a little odd to say, but this is one of the more realistic depictions of how these sorts of courtroom situations work, any Amy’s a big part of that.
Granted, I find it a little hard to believe that if a Defendant broke out of prison (or was forced out, to be more generous), rounded up another suspect, and got them to confess to the crime under duress, any judge would accept the confession or use that as a reason to dismiss the charges against the defendant. But everything has to be simplified for T.V., and I’m willing to accept that as part of the broad strokes tale of this judge and others recognizing that Goliath’s word and commitment to true justice are both golden.
As has often been the case, the action-y parts of this were forgettable and inessential. I honestly zoned out a bit anytime Goliath wasn’t on screen. We do get to see more of a glimpse at the anti-gargoyle sentiment and how that could affect things, though. I was particularly struck by the scene where the court security officer bails when a mob descends on a truck with Goliath in it, because he doesn’t want to risk his life for an undesirable.
Overall, there’s a certain cheese factor to this one, with all of Goliath’s speeches about justice and fairness. But there’s also an earnest and aspirational quality to it, which helps the episode’s story go down smooth.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-09-02T19:36:26Z
[7.1/10] “And Justice for All” is a little corny, but I liked it. There’s something noble about Goliath’s Socrates-like stance, that however much he may disagree with the outcome in certain cases, he has agreed to live under these laws and this system and must abide by what it decides. The way he eschews “legal tricks” and wants to stand trial before a fair judge rather than use his power to break out scans as a little dopey given all the bias against Gargoyles, but endearingly, idealistically so from the Gargoyle.
I also like his public defender, Amy, who is an overworked veteran of the system who keeps warning Goliath about how things are likely to go. It’s a little odd to say, but this is one of the more realistic depictions of how these sorts of courtroom situations work, any Amy’s a big part of that.
Granted, I find it a little hard to believe that if a Defendant broke out of prison (or was forced out, to be more generous), rounded up another suspect, and got them to confess to the crime under duress, any judge would accept the confession or use that as a reason to dismiss the charges against the defendant. But everything has to be simplified for T.V., and I’m willing to accept that as part of the broad strokes tale of this judge and others recognizing that Goliath’s word and commitment to true justice are both golden.
As has often been the case, the action-y parts of this were forgettable and inessential. I honestly zoned out a bit anytime Goliath wasn’t on screen. We do get to see more of a glimpse at the anti-gargoyle sentiment and how that could affect things, though. I was particularly struck by the scene where the court security officer bails when a mob descends on a truck with Goliath in it, because he doesn’t want to risk his life for an undesirable.
Overall, there’s a certain cheese factor to this one, with all of Goliath’s speeches about justice and fairness. But there’s also an earnest and aspirational quality to it, which helps the episode’s story go down smooth.