[Please welcome guest contributor Kevin Dillon who wrote up the first half of the current season of The Good Wife in anticipation of its return from hiatus tonight. This piece was supposed to go up several days ago, but there was a snafu in getting it posted. The poorly trained chimpanzee in charge of guest posts has been sacked and this won’t happen again.]
The Good Wife is back!
There are few shows that get better with time. Breaking Bad was a good example; it was a slow burn that built to a fantastic conclusion. Outside of Bad, however, the only drama I have seen that has aged this well is The Good Wife which returned to CBS tonight from its midseason hiatus.” People were put off on the title of the show which makes it sound like the lead character is one of those Stepford wives who does not have a brain of her own. Julianna Margulies is no Stepford wife, however, and she has dazzled in the role of Alicia Florrick for almost 6 full seasons now. This season began with Alicia on a new mission: the fight to win States attorney in Chicago.
Alicia Florrick Fights to for States Attorney
The first episode of the season started with Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) asking Alicia if she would run for States Attorney; she laughed off the idea. As the season opener unfolded, she found out that Eli had tested her polling numbers which were 8 points above the incumbent States Attorney.
As a regular viewer for 6 seasons I do not think I ever expected the show to take Alicia into the political arena, but I think it makes a lot of sense. Her journey started with her embarrassment as her husband openly admitted to compromising the States Attorney’s office so it’s logical Alicia would up in that position doing right by “the people.” Showrunners Michelle and Robert King have taken things full circle.
Alicia is a fighter as well, whether that be with her opponent Frank Prady (David Hyde Pierce) or James Castro (Michael Ceveris) the current States Attorney. One of my favorite exchanges this season was between Alicia, and Castro, there is so much animosity, and it sent shivers down my back. Here is the teleplay:
Alicia: “You have something to say to me?”
Castro: “No.”
Alicia: “[Laughs] I doubt that. Men always have something to say.”
Castro: “No, after I put your partner away for 15 years, then I’ll have something to say.”
Alicia: “If you’re still in office.”
Castro: “[Laughs] So, that’s why you’re running – to get your partner off the hook. Or so you can keep your client, Lemond Bishop, out of jail…”
[Alicia walks away.]
Castro: “Or because your lover was gunned down in one of my courts. That’s the rumor anyway. Will Gardner was your lover. you blame me for his death. That’s why you’re running. Retribution.”
Alicia: “Anything else?”
[Alicia gets right in Castro’s face.]
Castro: “What do you want?”
Alicia: “No, get it all off your chest.”
Castro: “I have a lot on my chest. I’ll save it for the campaign.”
Alicia: [Casually] “Talk to you.”
The other thing I like about this case, and what it highlights strongly within this show, is the difficulty women face while running for office, or while holding positions of authority. This show has some of the strongest female characters on television, and this storyline highlights the burdens Alicia faces as someone who works hard in every aspect of her life.
Florrick/Agos and Lockheart
Speaking of strong women, Diane Lockheart (played with gumption by the amazing Christine Baranski) left LG (the law firm she started) along with her partners Louis Canning (Michael J. Fox) and David Lee and headed to Florrick/Agos to lay claim to the legacy she built with Will (Josh Charles).
I have liked watching Diane’s somewhat fish out of water story this season, but she is not getting the material she deserves to sink her teeth into. It also did not take long for her to become a name partner at Florrick/Agos, and make them resemble her old firm. I hope the fact that her television husband Gary Cole is scheduled to come back means she will have more to do towards the end of the season.
Matt Czuchry aka Cary Agos finally gets a story
The biggest story of most of the season involved Cary Agos, who was arrested. LG’s private investigator and (kind of) girlfriend to Cary was the first person alerted to his arrest and she raced against time to figure out how Cary ended in trouble with the law. She and Alicia figured out that the charges were in connection with Cary’s work with their client, the drug dealer Lamont Bishop. Cary is said to have helped coach him on how to traffic drugs, and avoid getting in trouble. Kalinda was privy to a recording of Cary doing just that, but we do not hear the tape.
Throughout the season most of the tension centered on Cary’s arrest was well executed and this is a testament to the strong writing, but also the direction, which I feel is often overlooked on this show because it is network television.
Kalinda put a lot on the line to help Cary including risking jail because she doctored materials which helped clear Cary of his crime. Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) is my favorite character. She brings ambiguity to the television landscape. Kalinda has never defined her sexuality, and when they tried to define her past on the show it did not work, so they moved on quickly. Panjabi is fantastic in the role though unfortunately she has announced that she will not be back next season.
Is this the end?
The show has run a lot longer than most expected, but the critical acclaim has kept this show going. I think the biggest question in my mind is: do I have to prepare myself for a series or season finale? I am hoping that CBS gives this show one more season, because I am just not ready for it to end and I can’t wait to see what happens when it starts up again on March 1st.
