The Good Wife Season 4 (1 Viewer)

[Stan]

Thanks. I find I can't really recall a lot of the story points of this show, but it's entertaining to watch. Does that make sense?

Makes perfect sense, I'm right there with you. Sometimes this show can be very complicated and hard to follow, but still one of my favorites. Pretty much guaranteed another season, hopefully even a couple more after that. The writers/producers seem to be setting up things that can't be finished up in an episode or two, maybe helping it get another season or more. It would be a shame to just have it come to an end with some quick finale like "Heroes" and its' rushed ending. This show has great one-time episodes, but at the same time sets up long story arcs that I hope will keep it going. Do Peter and Alicia get back together? Who are the three other people who were offered partnerships? Does the firm raise the $60M they need? What will Maddie do running against Peter? Will they finally kill off Peter's mother? (just kidding, but wow is she an annoying character)

 

Hello, I was hoping someone could help with a question I have? Back on the episode titled "Boom de yada", there was a snipit of a rock song at the very beginning of the episode. Would anyone know the name and artist of the song? Thanks, Mark

 

[GregC]

Very interesting couple of scenes. Alicia handled it poorly by going to Diane with the canned Thank You speech, betraying the internal negativity. What she should have done was thank all the partners, leaving Diane for last, thanking her for the good advice NOT the offer. In effect, she had already thanked her when the offer was made. Will be interesting to see if they play up a rift between Diane and Alicia as the series progresses. I also wonder if Diane has some latent personal issues with Alicia, seeing her as a young, smart, beautiful, 'connected' ... soon to be rival?

 

[DaveF]

Diane has been shown to be somewhat conflicted about Alicia, but predominantly supportive. She's largely given Alicia good advice and strong opportunities. The conflicts have been over Alicia's desire to maintain a home life (that I recall). I was suprised that Alicia used the wording of "You won't be disappointed". I expected something slightly vaguer, that didn't mean she was definitely taking the offer. Though I can't imagine she'd take the Louis Kanning offer. It would be crazy from how the show operates.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

John Noble coming to The Good Wife

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, I read that this morning. Can't wait to see how he meshes with the ensemble.

 

[Matt Hough]

The episode had much to like and recommend. I especially loved seeing Alicia and Cary firing away at their bosses in mock court and taking no prisoners. Elspeth was, as always, a welcome part of the story. However, I have to say I was deeply disappointed in Alicia for taking the offer and offering Cary the feeble "I can work for you on the inside." I didn't buy it and neither did he. I honestly wanted them to have their own firm for the rest of the season and let the writers find someway to let Will and Diane buy the firm or absorb it near season's end or next season.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

There was a great moment at the beginning of the episode where the equity partners vote to rescind the partnership offers to the five fourth years, and the camera moves in on Diane's face. You can see that she immediately grasps how short-sighted and self-destructive the move is, and how it will open up a new vulnerability for the firm just when things seemed to finally be back on firm footing.

Elspeth was, as always, a welcome part of the story.

Given how dark the rest of the episode was, her storyline provided some much needed levity. Kyle MacLachlan was equally great as the Elsbeth-like US attorney. He plays dirty pool, but he doesn't take it personal.

However, I have to say I was deeply disappointed in Alicia for taking the offer and offering Cary the feeble "I can work for you on the inside." I didn't buy it and neither did he.

There a moment mid-way through when she's saying it that she realizes that she doesn't buy it herself. She sort of throws in the towel on it. Yeah, she's caving on their cause, but at least she was decent enough to be up front about it. I don't think Cary disrespects her for it, since he would have likely done the same in her shoes. Certainly one of the equity partners would have if she'd let the 24 hours pass. But if I were Will and Diane, I'd be very nervous about what Cary's going to do next.

I honestly wanted them to have their own firm for the rest of the season and let the writers find someway to let Will and Diane buy the firm or absorb it near season's end or next season.

That would have been the neat and tidy solution where everybody ends up happy, but this show doesn't go for that. Even the happy endings have troubling consequences. Sometimes the show knows what the audience wants and deliberately goes the other way. The outcome I was hoping for is that Cary's offered the equity partnership, and then Alicia picks up Louis Canning's "get out of jail" free card and gives him a call...

 

[mattCR]

Yeah, I would have loved to see her and Cary strike out on their own. I knew it wouldn't happen, but I would have loved that. I also would have preferred they give the partnership to someone not Cary or Alicia, but that also wasn't going to happen. Still, as a whole I loved the episode. I loved everything about the Elspeth storyline in that it gets Eli off the hook, but it doesn't make him "innocent", just someone who managed to work the system to get off. I tend to like that about the show. I also loved the entire mock trial. I've been through one of those - and it had a feeling exactly like it.. really solid.

 

[DaveF]

A beatifully tragic episode. I didn't know if then equity offer would go to Alicia or Carey; but going to Alicia I'm not surprised she accepted it. She has been pragmatic from the start of the show. Despite her idealism, she has accepted the necessity of representing the likes of Lamont Bishop, in shading the truth in defending the firm. And following the prior episode, its not about how she gets the offer, its about getting it. She has Zack and Grace to support, an expensive condo, and I believe she would accept the offer. But it was sad. Watching the firm kill its own; equity partners drowning in their own debt, using the fourth years as life preservers. But then not pulling the, out of the water once safe. And once again, pulling Alicia further down into their moral mire. The Good Wife is very cynical in this way. This also fractures her and Carey, again. It's the second time she's been (unfairly) jumped ahead of him, and at his expense. I didn't like the idea of Alicia joining Louis Kanning; I couldn't see the story on that. But Flockhart Agos could have been fantastic.

 

[Marc_Sulinski]

The costume designers have got to stop matching Cary's pocket square to his tie.

 

[Matt Hough]

What a jam-packed episode! What with the Elspeth/Eli case bouncing between two different courtrooms, Alicia being placed in an impossible position of becoming another Diane when she's clearly not made that way, and Peter's topsy-turvy debate, what a full hour! And we got Jackie and Will and Amanda Peet's character making eyes at one another. Whew!

 

[Stan]

What a jam-packed episode! What with the Elspeth/Eli case bouncing between two different courtrooms, Alicia being placed in an impossible position of becoming another Diane when she's clearly not made that way, and Peter's topsy-turvy debate, what a full hour! And we got Jackie and Will and Amanda Peet's character making eyes at one another. Whew! 

Excellent show. Sure hope this is setting things up for another season, I'd hate to see this cancelled.

 

[Matt Hough]

The most recent interview with the producers didn't seem to raise any red flags at all, and they're proceeding as if another season is a given. I hope so, too.

 

[DaveF]

Good episode. I always enjoy Elsbeth. Looking forward to the inevitable failed relationship with Amanda Peet's character and Will. Wasn't wild about Jordan (T.R. Knight's character) suddenly being less competent to Eli. I enjoyed the tension created by a PR wunderkind. I guess he's gone now? And Jackie, mixing it up, putting Eli through the ringer for her own ends!

 

[Matt Hough]

According to the most recent interview with the producers that was published this week, T. R. Knight's character is not gone, just wounded.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The most recent interview with the producers didn't seem to raise any red flags at all]TVLine has renewal as a "sure thing." Part of that is sheer economics. A show that's had four seasons is almost always guaranteed a fifth because the fifth season is the milestone for syndication deals. It's the reason "Chuck" got a fifth season and it's the reason "Fringe" got a fifth season. By season four, the studio's invested so much money in a show that they're willing to practically give away the fifth season to the network because the fifth season makes the show so much more profitable long-term. So it's definitely a safe bet "The Good Wife" will be back next season. After that? Much rockier prospects.

And Jackie, mixing it up, putting Eli through the ringer for her own ends!

That was a lot of fun, but I knew where Jackie would come out in the end. As much as she disdains Eli, she knew him getting indicted would hurt Peter. And Jackie always puts Peter's interests above all else.

 

[DaveF]

So it's definitely a safe bet "The Good Wife" will be back next season. After that? Much rockier prospects. I wouldn't say he's less competent, he just plays a different ball game--one that's less suited to Peter's campaign style. Jordan saw that they were ahead, and wanted to play a defensive game, because offense is always risky and Jordan didn't think the risk was warranted from a point of advantage. But Peter doesn't play defense, and that's why Eli is a better fit for him.

Misunderstanding Peter's strengths and recommending a losing approach to him is less competent. With the pay-for-play seemingly finished, I assume Eli returns to the campaign full time. He won't want Jordan around. Peter shows he doesn't truly trust Jordan, as Jordan asked him to, going into that debate. Does he stay with the campaign in a diminished capacity? Maybe he flips to Maddy's team?

 

[Matt Hough]

I had thought that maybe he was already on Maddie's team, but maybe I'm just being cynical thinking he's a mole.

 

[Stan]

I had thought that maybe he was already on Maddie's team, but maybe I'm just being cynical thinking he's a mole.

Tend to agree with that, there's something sneaky about him I don't trust. Must say he's lost a lot of weight since his pudgy Grey's Anatomy days, sometimes I almost don't even recognize him in certain scenes. He'll probably be around a while, he's likeable though something's off with his character. Unlike Nick, Kalinda's husband who thankfully left pretty quickly. Unlikeable characters are needed in shows like this, but they went to far with him. Maybe audience opinion actually had something to do with him being written out. Hope he never returns for some weird cameo and causes problems again.