The Good Wife - Season 7 (1 Viewer)

Let's have a totally different Spinoff following Kalinda on the run.

Having the show all under one roof again, more or less, was a nice reminder of what "The Good Wife" can do with a singular narrative spine.

Diane's opening speech to the new associates, a complete revisionist narrative that makes it sound like Florrick, Agos & Lee was the latest iteration of Diane's carefully nurtured plan going back to Jonas Stern, completely omitting the role of the firm's newest junior partner in its founding, was a delicious spash back into the deep end of the pool, telling us right off the bat that this isn't going to be a kumbaya reunion.

I liked that Lucca had more trouble adjusting to the change than Alicia did. Alicia, for all that she didn't want to return to the firm, knew exactly what she was signing up for. Lucca, who has never worked for a big corporate firm, didn't.

It was good to see John Benjamin Hickey back as Neil Gross, after the rather generic stand-in character we got for Chumhum's last couple of appearances on the show.

Man, that conversation in Diane's office where Diane tries to put Alicia in her place and Alicia politely and passive-aggressively makes it clear that she knows every one of Diane's tricks and all of the levers than maneuver outcomes in the firm. Alicia is not the same person that was forced out, and that's a good thing. I hope Diane's antagonism comes back to bite her in the ass before the show's over.

The scenes with Lucca and Monica paired up together as, presumably, the firm's only two associates of color were as awkward as the storyline's been all season. It almost beggars belief that Diane and Cary would continue to be so tone deaf after all they went through earlier in the season. But because Lucca's been so well developed over the course of this season, it happening to her has more impact than the "micro-aggressions" that solely impacted Monica.

It was nice seeing one of Marissa's many jobs that occupy her time between appearances in Alicia's life, but this week it was the odd story out. It built toward a scorcher of a scene at the end, but throwing us in with Marissa cold just serving coffee was pretty jarring until the context started to accumulate.

That scene at the end between Alicia and Ruth Eastman sort of announced the show's intentions for the show's final arc: The federal government is looking to destroy Peter Florrick. Does Alicia continue to be the good wife, standing by his side, presenting a united front? Or does she finally break free again? It's a question I'm interested in seeing answered, and it's a far more interesting narrative engine than we've had since she first agreed to run for State's Attorney.

I am enjoying this season of The Good Wife a great deal. It has been a bit disjointed...a bit different from those seasons which came before...but, nevertheless, a huge enjoyment.

One thing I find myself doing when watching The Good Wife is making sure all distractions (the phone, the laptop, family conversations) are set aside for Sunday night @ 9pm (or whenever the latest episode gets underway).

I, too, enjoyed Alicia's reaction to Diane's "talk" and the sense that she totally understood what was going on and how she was going to deal with her new situation.

A superb episode and one that sets up the series' final episodes deliciously. The angst is so tick it's almost overpowering (I was fidgeting in my chair during the entire Alicia-Diane scene), and there are so many complex emotions coming from every direction and involving so many different people.

Will be so sorry to see this masterful show breathe its last.

I'm a little disappointed Cary doesn't seem to be more on Alicia's "side"--even though it's apparent he was a prime move behind the effort to re-open the doors at the law firm to her.

Maybe that comes later...

Fabulous episode tonight. Genius idea to cast Will Patton as ex-husband to Elsbeth. She was as kooky and delightful as ever. The NSA stuff finally revealed some motives. And the secret committee delved into another aspect of the law that had my eyes wide open and hanging on every word.

Superlative hour of television.

Matt Hough said:

Superlative hour of television.

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Honestly...right?!?

These final few episodes are shaping up to be so exciting. This is IT for me in terms of "Must-See TV."

The investigation into Peter. Alicia...Florrick/Agos/Lee...Jason...Eli. It's ALL so good.

Most episodes this season, even the really good ones, I've had at least one caveat. "This episode was really good, but..." Tonight, there was no "but..."; it was a sheer pleasure from beginning to end.

I enjoyed the contrast between cannibalizing paranoia of the Lockhart/Agos/Lee stuff and the apparently plain-spoken professionalism of the secret military committee. Nobody in that room can ever speak of what took place in that room, so the usual political maneuvering to advance professionally is completely absent. But as the episode goes on, it becomes clear that the games being played with the committee are no less ludicrous than the games being played between the name partners at Lockhart/Gardner, they just take different forms. By excluding different "nay" votes from the proceedings at different times, the administration got the outcome it was seeking and the legal sheen of an impartial determination.

And then the added cynical touch of the worm eating its own tail, with the dubious NSA wiretap of Alicia Florrick inadvertently causing a leak of confidential information. And then the final beat with the new NSA guy sending the surviving NSA guy a video, just like the one who was escorted from his desk used to do. It really emphasized what faceless, interchangeable cogs the listeners are, not immune from the monster they've unleashed on the country.

Matt Hough said:

Fabulous episode tonight. Genius idea to cast Will Patton as ex-husband to Elsbeth. She was as kooky and delightful as ever.

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I agree completely! He was consistently the best thing about the consistently underwhelming "Falling Skies" on TNT. I loved that he was an Elsbeth whisperer, and wily and eccentric in his own way while being far more directly spoken than Elsbeth is. It's a shame that the show could only get Carrie Preston back for this one episode, but Patton is a hell of a consolation prize. Now that the vote rigging has been ruled out, I have no idea where the storyline that will presumably end with Peter (and Alicia?)'s downfall is heading.

I love how small the firm infighting feels now, when it used to feel like epic gladiatorial combat. The big difference is that Alicia is less invested, so we're less invested.

Just a wonderful episode. Those NSA guys really like the Alicia Florrick soap opera - still listening even after being told not to.

Adam Lenhardt said:

I loved that he was an Elsbeth whisperer, and wily and eccentric in his own way while being far more directly spoken than Elsbeth is. It's a shame that the show could only get Carrie Preston back for this one episode, but Patton is a hell of a consolation prize. Now that the vote rigging has been ruled out, I have no idea where the storyline that will presumably end with Peter (and Alicia?)'s downfall is heading.

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I hope that if they do a spin-off it involves Elsbeth and her ex at the very least as recurring characters.

How risky a move to bring in a new character to complement Ellsbeth...yet be able to pull it off as a solid addition rather than a negative. Bold and assured on the part of the Kings.

I want to see a spin-off with Kalinda, Eli, and Ellsbeth.
How 'bout that?

Elsbeth back, and Will Patton as her husband? OMG!!! Loved it. Seeing Captain Weaver as the man would passionately married, and divorced, Elsbeth was an utter delight. That was TGW at its best in casting and writing supporting characters.

And last week's episode with the Judge and the Ants was another great supporting character with an oddball but somehow believable situation.

Overall this was a satisfying episode, especially between Alicia and Jason (and who couldn't listen to Jason Kraus read a phone book?) "But..." I was confused by the revelation of the "Kill" order. Alicia had swayed back to "No" with someone else on her side. And while the implication initially was the group had expelled Capt Hicks for being a "No" vote, it seems it really was because he was suspected of the NSA's leak. And then, it's done. And I have no idea if Alicia changed her vote of legal considerations, out of expediency, or because she was out maneuvered by the group's leader. It wasn't a satisfying conclusion to me; usually they do a much better job on ambiguous moral stories.

And mostly, I'm not thrilled with the FBI investigation and time that's taking away from Alicia, Jason, Lucca and Dianne. In the final season, TGW gives us not one, but two superb recurring characters in Jason and Lucca. Don't add non-essentials to the mix. Give me more of them. (And honestly, I'd hoped for much more in Lucca. They implied mystery and surprises in her background in the beginning. But there's nothing, and then we get a cardinal sin "telling, not showing" from Alicia as she tells Diane that Lucca "is a prodigy".)

The driving assumption is that the FBI is investigating Peter. First, I hope not. I don't care anymore about Peter. To hang the final episodes on his drama would be a let down. But, it's too obvious. The show is leading us by the nose to Peter, so I don't think it's him. It might be Eli. That's more interesting. But I'm waiting for it to be about Alicia. Everyone so pointedly ignores the fact that Agent Devaro (?) asked Marissa about Alicia seems telling.

Love the show. Looking forward to how it's all going to be concluded. But glad it's ending now, rather than shamble into mediocrity.

NeilO said:

I hope that if they do a spin-off it involves Elsbeth and her ex at the very least as recurring characters.

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Oh, my opinion is so different. I'd love a spin-off, but please, oh please, can somebody shoot Elsbeth first?

David Lee is annoying, but fun to watch. Elsbeth is just painful, get rid of her.

Besides the amusing business with Alicia's mother getting cheated, everything else about the episode seemed to be exposition to set up the remaining episodes: Peter's indictment, the resolution of the in-fighting at the firm, and Alicia's love life.

Enjoyed it, of course, but this kind of set-up episode for things to come is a necessary evil, I guess. The cast is so talented that it was still wonderfully entertaining.

PROCESS SERVER: Alicia Florrick?
ALICIA FLORRICK: Would you believe no?
PROCESS SERVER: You've been served.
VERONICA LOY (TO PROCESS SERVER): Come on in, we've got bagels!
PROCESS SERVER: Okay!

It was definitely a setup episode, but I'm not sure you can call it a "necessary evil" when the entire hour was such a joy. I unabashedly loved it from beginning to end in a way I've unabashedly loved too few episodes this season. They're two for two in this final run of episodes, which bodes well for the grand finale.

The firm antics with the musical chairs of name partners have ceased to provide a sense of jeopardy, but do provide an anarchic sense of joy. I liked that Lucca was loyal to Cary, trying to break the wheel of backstabbing and one-upmanship that got them to this place.

Everything with the bathroom vent providing a very unreliable glimmer into the goings on of the grand jury proceedings delighted me. Especially Eli's desperate need to hear what was going on being outmaneuvered by his basic human impulse to let a seemingly endless stream of physically impaired people use the handicap facilities designated for their use.

It looks like Will Schuester's gunning to take down a governor. The nice thing about the writers knowing that they're writing the final run of the series is that Matthew Morrison's Patrick Fitzgerald-esque special prosecutor. In earlier seasons, he would have been yet another Chicago figure embroiled himself in the sleaze machine that keeps Illinois's largest city running. But because the end is in sight, he can be an outside figure whose sole purpose is to try and take down the Florrick governorship.

Liked the episode a lot--for me, especially, Alan Cumming's never-ending brilliance.

HATED the trite device of the bathroom vent allowing insight into the grand jury work. C'mon. We already had that earlier this season as Eli was using a vent to overhear conversations between Peter and Ruth. These writers can do better than that.

Wouldn't common sense dictate that every time the toilet was flushed in that bathroom it would be audible in the grand jury room??

Mike Frezon said:

Wouldn't common sense dictate that every time the toilet was flushed in that bathroom it would be audible in the grand jury room??

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If the jury were all standing on a trashcan with bated breath and their ear to the vent like Eli.

Distance disperses diffused audio signals pretty quickly,

Will be sad to se it go, but nice that it's leaving while still putting out very classy, well written and acted episodes. No going on for several more seasons where it starts to go downhill like other shows have done.

Completely different genre, but "Roseanne" was pretty good in its early years, but the last few seasons were awful. Even something like CSI. William Peterson left, Marge Helgenberg followed. Lawrence Fishburne joined the cast, then Ted Danson and the show became terrible.

Mentioned this in other posts, but the old MTM show bowed out gracefully, looks like "The Good Wife" is doing the same thing.

Good episode. Despite the contrivance, I liked the duct scenes. Doubly so when they placed the construction working in the courtroom

And back to season 1 or 2 with Cary about to be steamrolled by Alicia.