The Good Wife Season 4 (1 Viewer)

[Stan]

Canning always getting the last laugh in is beyond old at this point. Also, unless Canning has other backers his ability to buy up the firms debt is a continuity error as it was well established in previous episodes that he does not have that kind of money.

My first thought also, he's never been shown to have the kind of money to do this. I enjoy Michael J. Fox, but the Canning character is becoming extremely unlikeable. I think it's time for the series to move on and gradually write his character out of future episodes. Concentrate more on the originals, Alicia, Peter, Diane, Kalinda, Cary, etc. The occasional guest star like Martha Plimpton is great, but it's time for the Canning character to leave. Even Nathan Lane has become very annoying, time to get back to normal. It's a very well done show, but when they make a mistake, take care of it, do some re-writes and get back on track.

 

[Matt Hough]

Well, Michael J. Fox will have his own series next season, so if The Good Wife gets picked up for season five, he likely won't be around, at least not much.

 

[DaveF]

Wow. What a strange and fascinating episode. My pet theory is that it was Ingersol's daughter who has cancer; not Ingersol's himself. He mentioned his daughter and showed some empathy to the plantiff at the start. He appeared to be in good health and energy. And his abrupt exits for emergency phone calls...this felt more like a father worried about his daughter than a man scheduling to meet a specialist. I loved the attorney doing th deposition for the Ingersol's back in Chicago. Without fail, a side character is given her own bit of unique personality. And I love Canning. He's so...psychopathic. He always been despicable, and I enjoy having him pop up from time to time. WSC...so Umbridge. Her self righteousness is marvelous to watch. Makes you want to scream, knowing shed just smile and condescend to you. Kalinda: it's so quiet, "I'd kill someone" Ahem. Yes.

 

[Matt Hough]

The always great Carrie Preston is a circus all her own and made the episode one of the season's most entertaining. And with Eli calling on her, I hope that means we'll be seeing more of her in upcoming episodes.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The always great Carrie Preston is a circus all her own and made the episode one of the season's most entertaining. And with Eli calling on her, I hope that means we'll be seeing more of her in upcoming episodes.

Absolutely. Elsbeth is a delight every time she appears, and tonight's hour was a good time from beginning to end. It's nice when the show takes a breather to just have some fun.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt
Absolutely. Elsbeth is a delight every time she appears, and tonight's hour was a good time from beginning to end. It's nice when the show takes a breather to just have some fun.

Her confrontations with Wendy Scott-Carr last season were among my highlights of the entire season. The Good Wife in its four seasons on the air has managed to introduce the widest array of eccentric albeit memorable characters of any show in recent memory. I can't begin to describe how much I love this show.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Could someone refresh my memory why Diane, Will and Alicia all love Elsbeth enough to come to her aid at the drop of a hat?

 

[Matt Hough]

She helped Will last year when he was under scrutiny by Wendy Scott-Carr. Didn't keep him from suspension, but it could have been so much worse, and they all owe her a debt. She helped Alicia beat a hard-nosed lawyer (Bob Balaban) who was coming after her.

 

[PhilipG]

She is by far my least favourite guest star on the show. That whole episode was an absolute chore to sit through - and all the French "comedy" plain embarrassing. The Good Wife, while I still watch it, is not nearly as good as it used to be. Which is a real shame.

 

[Patrick Sun]

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?

 

[DaveF]

Elsbeth is great, always fun on the show. Where is everything going? Kalinda and her recently departed husband? Alicia and Peter's marriage? Eli under investigation by WSC?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Great episode tonight. Finally, Lockhart/Gardner gets an unqualified win over Canning. I also really enjoyed Nathan Lane as Hayden; he reached a moment where he had to decide what kind of man he wanted to be and what kind of professional life he wanted to lead. He chose clarity over the Chicago muck that all of the other characters are mired in. I also loved the final sequence; Canning's restated offer, the difference in how Alicia reacted this time, Diane's tough love speech, Alicia's reaction to that, and Diane's mistrustful reaction to that reaction. Wheels within wheels, this show at its best.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, I was simply delighted that for the first time, a victory over Canning ended up feeling like a real victory and not a compromised one. Indeed, Alicia's Cheshire Cat smile and manner certainly seemed calculated but to what end only future episodes will tell. Superb episode and series.

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt
Great episode tonight. Finally, Lockhart/Gardner gets an unqualified win over Canning. I also really enjoyed Nathan Lane as Hayden; he reached a moment where he had to decide what kind of man he wanted to be and what kind of professional life he wanted to lead. He chose clarity over the Chicago muck that all of the other characters are mired in. I also loved the final sequence; Canning's restated offer, the difference in how Alicia reacted this time, Diane's tough love speech, Alicia's reaction to that, and Diane's mistrustful reaction to that reaction. Wheels within wheels, this show at its best.

I loved Diane's spiel though: it doesn't mean squat how you got it, you're still getting it. I thought that was an interesting moment.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Cary was delivering the goods this episode. Diane should be concerned about arm-twisting Alicia, and that she's got options, and with the election coming up, even more options.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yep, this was a good show for Cary even though the last we heard he had huge student loans he was still paying back, so where he'd get the buy-in money is anyone's guess (obviously not from that constipated father).

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Yep, this was a good show for Cary even though the last we heard he had huge student loans he was still paying back, so where he'd get the buy-in money is anyone's guess (obviously not from that constipated father).

The episode definitely had Cary saying that sure he'd go for it, if he could raise the $600 grand. So it's not like the show waved off that concern.

 

[Matt Hough]

YYes, I heard him say that, but since he didn't specifically reference the loans, I wondered if that was information forgotten or ignored? Working for the State's attorney for a year and a half certainly didn't put big bucks in his pocket.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

That's true, but on the other hand, he had an upper-crust upbringing, so he probably has rich friends that'd be willing to loan him the money on favorable terms.

 

[DaveF]

Great episode. Everything was pitch perfect Good Wife. It was even more meta than usual. Alicia commenting to a hovering Eli about how Jordan is awkward: and Eli awkwardly grunts assent. Cary telling Kalinda about the partnership offer, acknowledging that its a money-grab by the partners, then saying sure thing he'll take it. And then idealistic Alicia coming to appreciate the situation, and being counseled by Diane to the same effect as Carey's conclusion. But followed by Alicia's inscrutable crocodile gratitude! And Nathan Lane has been a marvel. His character portrayal could have gone terribly wrong. But his performance, straddling that line of the dispassionate technocrat, who (like all geeks) is truly emotionally invested in what they're doing, was brilliant. He was both powerful and the underdog. He wandered through supreme confidence and a meek self-doubt, without betraying the reality of that character. Good writing and acting to match.