No "Issues" With THE GOOD WIFE

Article first published as THE GOOD WIFE Review Season 6 Episode 2 Trust Issues on Seat42F.

Florrick, Agos, & Associates, one of the law firms at the center of THE GOOD WIFE is quite messy right now. I guess that’s why, as this week’s episode title suggests, some are having “Trust Issues” with the company. With a named partner in jail, a couple of big clients become hard to hold onto, even while the staff is about to expand greatly, with some very good lawyers joining up. One wonders how this will all shake down, given the show’s penchant for not playing it safe, making stability a true uncertainty.

First, there’s Cary’s (Matt Czuchry) case. Despite a tape suggesting Cary’s guilt, he insists he never directly told clients how to do illegal things, meaning the tape is likely edited. The problem is, Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) can’t investigate because the firm’s drug kingpin client, Lemond Bishop (Mike Colter), will hurt someone and take his much-needed business away if she does. And when he does allow her to talk to some of his crew, supervised, she then has to make a decision to protect Cary’s case and condemn someone to death, or tell the truth and leave Cary locked up.

One guesses Kalinda will probably tell Bishop whom his mole is. We don’t see that in “Trust Issues,” but Kalinda’s OK with moral ambiguity, and she cares about Cary, who clearly isn’t doing well in jail. While Cary would never choose to let a person die for his freedom, Kalinda doesn’t have the same qualms. The question is, though, once Cary is out and knows what Kalinda has done, and that Kalinda is now an employee of his that he can’t fire, how will it change their relationship? This is sure to be an ongoing problem with far-reaching consequences.

At the same time Bishop is threatening to pull out, Deena Lampard (Megan Ketch), who has a considerable say in Chumhum’s future, is also losing faith in her team. Cary is supposed to be handling things for her, and Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and Carey Zepps (Ben Rappaport) have to try to step into an ugly class action. They manage to pull it off and she’s satisfied for now, but they also expose something Deena would rather keep secret, and her confidence in the firm is surely shaken. Without Chumhum, there may be no Florrick, Agos, so her continued happiness is vital.

Into all of this come the newbies. Diane (Christine Baranski), voted in as new named partner against Cary’s wishes, asks a mentee at her old organization, Dean Levine-Wilkins (Taye Diggs, Private Practice), to come along. He is skeptical at first, visiting Florrick, Agos’ under-construction offices and seeing scrambling to cover for Cary, but Diane’s insistence that there is promise here prompts him to not only join up, but bring along six department heads.

This many veterans will definitely change the way business is done at the startup, and not everyone is going to like that. Many of the founding members left to escape the big firm and its stifling practices. Now, those former bosses have followed, and Dean, at least, has been told he can help direct the new business. I assume Dean is a good man or Diane would never have told him her secret before the move. But it still makes me extremely uneasy, again, mostly because of Cary’s lack of involvement in these decisions. There will be drama here.

“Trust Issues” doesn’t show how Cary reacts to all this yet, but he is out of jail and the episode ends with him giving Alicia a hug, a first for THE GOOD WIFE. These two have been through so much together, and it’s a testament to their continued bond that they hug. This is after Cary knows Diane has been voted in, but perhaps before learning of Dean and the others. Will that knowledge change things? Or does Cary know Alicia has the firm’s best interests at heart, even when he disagrees with her? Even if the relationship goes sour, it’s nice to see this moment now.

Will Alicia stick with this firm she, more than anyone, has created? The pressure mounts for her to run for State’s Attorney, mostly because of Eli (Alan Cumming) pulling strings behind her back. He even has Valerie Jarrett (herself, a good cameo get, but not a great actress) call Alicia! Alicia is insistent that she will not get involved in politics, but as this plot keeps coming back over and over again, and we know that Eli is good at his job, one wonders if he might finally find a way to get her to break. And if she does leave Cary with the things she has done against his will, will he resent her for it? He certainly would have a right to.

Coming back to Diane, there is a beautiful scene in “Trust Issues” when she, Dean, and the others leave her former company. She steps into the elevator and whispers goodbye. There is a real sense of finality here. Diane is the last original main character left in this place, and her departure closes the door on the law firm that had been THE GOOD WIFE’s main setting for a very long time. David Lee (Zach Grenier), who was promoted to main character last season, remains behind, which implies that there could still be story left for Lockhart, Gardner, Canning. But it’ll never be the same, and for now, it feels more like an evil place than the warm home fans remember.

THE GOOD WIFE is excellent for its continued bold storytelling and its interesting characters, who have very different personalities, causing drama and strife even when no one is at fault. It’s an intense series, with many weeks seeing major developments, and an ongoing serial that is as engaging as anything on the broadcast networks. I continue to find it among the very best on the Big Four, and am glad it has managed to not only maintain quality, but get better with age.

THE GOOD WIFE airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

THE GOOD WIFE Is "Hitting the Fan" This Week

Article first published as THE GOOD WIFE Is "Hitting the Fan" This Week on TheTVKing.

Ever since fans of CBS's The Good Wife learned that Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and Cary (Matt Czuchry) were splitting off to form their own firm, there's been a tension as we wait to see it happen. We knew it wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be pretty, but it's hard to imagine most pictured it getting as rough as it does in this week's installment, "Hitting the Fan."

First of all, the associates are not able to deliver the news on their own terms. Days before Alicia and the others can offer their resignations, Diane (Christine Baranski) finds out and tells the other partners. This is why it was a bad move to wait weeks after making the plan. Secrets don't stay secret, and Alicia and Cary should know better. They wanted to leave themselves in a great position to kick off the new firm, but they sacrifice trust and relationships in being sneaky and holding out.

And, as Anthony (Bhavesh Patel) obsesses over all along, they still don't get their bonuses. Greed hurts them.

What happens after Diane tells Will (Josh Charles) and David Lee (Zach Grenier) is exciting and dramatic. Will rails on Alicia, then fires her. Cary, Carey (Ben Rappaport), Robyn (Jess Weixler), and the others scramble to get client files, knowing Lockhart Gardner will delay handing them over, while Will and David Lee rush to figure out who else is leaving and get rid of them. With a sweeping score and excellent character moments in conflict, this is one of the most brilliant sequences The Good Wife has done yet.

This series excels at the big things. Shunning the case-of-the-week format, for the most part, on CBS, of all places, it focuses on larger arcs that move people along, never afraid of shifting the status quo. "Hitting the Fan" is the messiest example of that so far, and everything the producers, editors, writers, etc. have learned in previous years have prepared them well for this. For nearly fifteen solid minutes before the title card, viewers are on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the next line or the next development.

It's why I love The Good Wife, while shunning its peers. It does something different, and it's the best at doing so. Here, we see a variety of viewpoints, Alicia wants to build something of her own, Will feels betrayed, Diane understands but wants to protect the firm she's built, Cary is bitter over what was done to him, some of the associates just want all they can milk from their employer, and all are balanced without demonizing anyone. Yes, I want Alicia and Cary to succeed, but I don't want Will's business to collapse in the process.

Not to mention, the show rocks the humor. The scene where Grace (Makenzie Vega) leads her bible study through the chaos of Florrick Agos is hilarious, and so is the repeat restraining order delivery just as a meeting is about to happen. So much of the magic is in the details, and they are strongly delivered.

What follows the initial mass exodus is a supreme battle of wits in the new firm versus the old. Lockhart Gardner slaps a restraining order against Florrick Agos so they can't talk to Chum Hum's Neil Gross (John Benjamin Hickey), the biggest client in play, and Florrick Agos fights back hard. If this is any indication of what the rivalry will be for the rest of the season or beyond, it's going to be great.

Of course, the older firm is more experienced and gains the upper hand. But the new one is run by the governor elect's wife, and Peter (Chris Noth) can't resist getting involved, stacking the deck to push Chum Hum into Alicia's hands.

It's not fair, and it does leave Peter open to charges of improper use of office and violating the public's trust. Eli (Alan Cumming) somehow doesn't see it coming, but it'll be his job to clean up the mess. Peter is a stubborn man and he is protective of Alicia, but I can see how Eli would think Peter wouldn't cross such a major line until he does. This has trouble written all over it, and there will surely be negative repercussions for Peter's actions.

In the meantime, Peter is continuing to screw up, considering going back on his word to Diane about a judgeship. This is really vindictive and immoral, and Diane simply doesn't deserve it. Although those outside her firm are not privy to all of Diane's actions, Diana is the one that is reluctant to fire Alicia and brokers a deal to drop the restraining orders. Unlike Will, who feels personally betrayed, she does see the associates' side of things, and isn't angry. The fact that the whole brouhaha could cost her her dream career is heartbreaking. It's a good thing she hasn't officially quit her old job yet.

The backstabbing that may be most surprising in "Hitting the Fan" is that of Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) towards Cary. In service to Will, Kalinda pretends to change her mind about leaving for the new office to pump Cary for information, then turns around and blabs it all. There is definitely a line in the sand drawn and Kalinda has chosen sides. However, after staying above the fray for so long, it's unfortunate Kalinda has to wade into it now, especially against Cary, whom she obviously cares about.

And Cary is naive to believe her. It's not his only screw up of the hour, slipping in a charged conversation with Diane earlier. I didn't expect Cary to be the weak point, but it's nice that his honesty and good-naturedness are his downfall. At least he gets to keep our respect and affection, and it's more his kind soul than his stupidity than does him in.

Basically, "Hitting the Fan" is a masterpiece of an episode, which serves all of the main players effectively, and changes the makeup of the show forever. A lot happens, and it's a really rocky roller coaster, with uncertainty hanging in the air until the very end. Best of all, this is not over yet, with more to be worked out in the coming weeks.

The Good Wife airs at approximately 9 p.m. ET (depending on the network's ridiculous ineptitude in scheduling stupid football accurately) on CBS.

Outsourced shows how "Rajiv Ties the Baraat"

     NBC's Outsourced ends its freshman year with a bang. Literally, lots of bangs, because there are fireworks at the end of the one-hour wedding episode. Rajiv (Rizwan Manji) finally walks down the aisle with his love, Vimi (Noureen DeWulf). All of Rajiv's co-workers are there to witness, as well as alternatingly hinder and help the ceremony happen. Happen, it does, and while the series may not return for a second season, at least it doesn't end quietly.

     Outsourced struggled to find its groove right off the bat. A sitcom about an American call center manager transferred to India, it has been accused of being offensive, but mostly by those who don't watch it. Instead, what has emerged is a heartfelt workplace comedy that has plenty of fun in a unique environment. There is a cultural education to be had, too, as the Indian employees celebrate their varies holidays, and teach the boss, Todd (Ben Rappaport) the rules and customs of their country. Although Todd's fellow manager friend Charlie (Diedrich Bader) often disrespects the Indian way of life, it is he who comes off as a fool, not the locals.

     In "Rajiv Ties the Baraat," assistant manager Rajiv gets married to the woman he has spent all season wooing. He invites many of his co-workers, and even asks Todd to be in the wedding party, a touching moment considering the derision Rajiv usually holds for Todd. Todd, on the other hand, has been supportive of Rajiv, so it is with a sense of satisfaction the two find some mutual respect on Rajiv's wedding day.

     The only main character not invited initially is Gupta (Parvesh Cheena), but as much as Gupta is sure to be an embarrassment at the wedding, Todd realizes it would be worse for the company to leave him at the office without supervision. Poor Gupta is good natured, but bumbling. He doesn't really try hard, but he sure wishes he did, and is so darn persistent.

     Big disaster strikes when Vimi catches Rajiv at a bachelor party. More accurately, Charlie, Todd, and the others tie Rajiv up and surround him with dirty novelties from the company they all work for. Vimi admits to indiscretions of her own when she forgives Rajiv, but his over thinking what she may have done nearly destroys the wedding, too, until Todd convinces Rajiv he's still a lucky man.
 
     This may seems like a familiar story or complication in a love story, and that's because it is. The stories on Outsourced are not alien or strange. They are highly relatable. If nothing else, this series gives faces to the other end of those frustrating tech support phone calls, and helps Americans see the people with the heavy accents are just like us. OK, not just like. But their emotions are the same as anyone's, and that's something people can understand.

     The other side of the coin, of course, are the differences, which is the reason to watch the show. Outsourced presents a rich Indian culture, at no time on better display than the wedding featured in "Rajiv Ties the Baraat." There is dancing, colorful clothing, beautiful decorations, and fireworks set off over the ocean. The groom rides to the ceremony on a decked out elephant! All of the elements combined to make an exciting, unusual wedding not usually glimpsed in American sitcoms.

     While Outsourced's attempts to put India in the best light, and still make the show funny, have been mixed, those elements gelled very well in the finale. For the first time, an episode made a case for renewal, and gave something to be missed should it be canceled, as will likely happen. Too bad Outsourced didn't capture that magical spirit sooner, or it could have joined the strong lineup of NBC sitcoms in a more permanent way. At least it got a full year. Many shows have not.

     For fans, there is a last minute love story tossed in for Madhuri (Anisha Nagarajan) and the previously silent Ajeet (Guru Singh), some wild comedic moments for Pinky (Thushari Jayasekera), love found, lost, and found again by Manmeet (Sacha Dhawan), and a shared hand holding moment for Todd and Asha (Rebecca Hazlewood), so every character went out satisfied. Except Tonya (Pippa Black), who didn't appear in either part, but doesn't usually fit in all that well anyways. Should the show get renewed, it would not be surprising if Tonya is dropped.

      NBC should give Outsourced a second season to see where it might go from here. It is still on the bubble, and a final decision is expected any day now. If not, at least it did its best, and could not have gone out any better than with "Rajiv Ties the Baraat," the best episode of the season.

UPDATE: Outsourced has been canceled.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     To watch streaming episodes of Outsourced online, please click here.

Article first published as TV Review: Outsourced - "Rajiv Ties the Baraat, Parts 1 & 2" on Blogcritics.

"Guess Who's Coming to Delhi" on Outsourced?

     Many critics weren't instant fans of NBC's Outsourced when it premiered last fall, and that may be putting it mildly. However, I found it slightly amusing, and worthy of some time to grow. Months later, while it remains the weak point in a very strong night of sitcoms, Outsourced has become pretty darn enjoyable, and I don't think the racial humor is excessive, as some have accused. Or at least, the offensive stuff isn't all there is to the show.

     Take last night's "Guess Who's Coming to Delhi," for instance. Sure, the cultural insensitivity was still there. Charlie (Diedrich Bader) even got a complaint about it from one of his staff. Jerry (Matt Walsh) arrived in India for the first time to check out the operation, and he completely disrespected customs by kissing women's hands, taking a bunch of his employees to a bar and buying them shots, and tipping a cow, which landed himself and others in jail. But the characters who did those bad things were looked upon by the others as fools. Jerry spent time behind bars! What better payback is that? It's not like the show is condoning that sort of behavior.

     The nice thing is, now that the series has had time to flesh things out, the characters are getting better defined. Rajiv (Rizwan Manji) is still a tool who hates Todd (Ben Rappaport), but he also shows signs of compassion now and then, and really wants to marry the woman he loves. Todd himself has begun to embrace the culture around him, respecting traditions and boundaries, once he is aware of them, anyway. Gupta (Parvesh Cheena) is still the workplace idiot, but his efforts to help Charlie for no benefit to himself demonstrates what a big heart he has. I have really started liking these people.

     Plus, the humor can be pretty funny. Yes, it was wrong for Charlie to rip arms off a statue of a god after using it as a back scratcher, but it was also fairly humorous. Watching Pinky (Thushari Jayasekera) dance or Ajeet (Guru Singh) barely tolerate Jerry were both pleasures. Gupta realizing that a picture of tourists in front of the Eiffel Tower was taken in Vegas instead of Paris because of the drinks in their hands was also pretty good. These are just a few examples.

     If you gave up on Outsourced last fall, give it another try. You might like what you see. Outsourced airs Thursday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Article first published as TV Review: Outsourced - "Guess Who's Coming to Delhi?" on Blogcritics.


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Outsourced a bit better than expected

     I was quite perturbed to learn that NBC was holding Parks and Recreation until mid-season.  I admit that, because it shows that I was already biased against the network's newest sitcom, Outsourced, for pushing a great show off of the fall schedule.  The cheesy commercials for Outsourced didn't help, either, so when I sat down to watch it, I wasn't expecting much.  It wasn't terrible.  I'm not saying it's great.  But this cast of pretty much all newcomers delivered a few funny gags, but also, unexpectedly, some real heart.

     Ben Rappaport stars as Todd Dempsy.  Fresh out of manager training, he learns that the call center that he worked at has been outsourced to India, with all of the American employees being let go, save for him.  That is, as long as he is willing to move halfway around the globe to run the center where it is not based.  Reluctantly, because he is saddled with college debt and needs the job (highly relatable to today's audience), Todd takes the promotion and is off.

     The first worked Todd meets is Rajiv (Rizwan Manji, Privileged), the assistant manager who wants Todd's job.  Whether he gets it because Todd is promoted back to the states, or fails miserably and is fired, he doesn't care.  Because of that, he has hired a staff that isn't exactly the best in the business.  And yet, they don't seem that bad.  Perhaps it's Todd's inspired leadership, but whatever the reason, by the end of episode one, most of them were doing quite well.  That's where the heart comes in.  Todd refuses to give up on any of the misfits, believing that they can all succeed.  He may still be on a high from his management training, but it works.  Even Madhuri (Anisha Nagarajan), whom Rajiv hired just to fire in front of the other employees to scare them, manages to sell an add-on.

     The cast is populated with a few interesting characters.  One is a man in a turban who had no lines, but always left the room when Todd showed up.  I am curious what that is about.  I also liked Manmeet (Sacha Dhawan), despite his terrible name.  He just seems so enthusiastic about life, the job, and women, it's hard not to catch a little of his good spirits.  I'm sure many of the other minor characters will begin to stand out over time.  It's sort of like The Office with a competent boss.

     Of course, there is romantic tension already set up in the pilot.  Todd's two love interests are clearly going to be beautiful native Asha (Rebecca Hazlewood), who seems like the smartest person on his staff, and the Australian manager of another call center in the building, Tonya (Pippa Black, Neighbours).  Todd's foil will be the far less tolerant Charlie (Diedrich Bader, The Drew Carey Show), another call center manager.  His part seemed unnecessary, and unless they improve his dialogue, I'm hoping that his tenure on Outsourced is short lived.

     I am still wishing that Parks and Recreation gets back on the air soon.  It is far superior to Outsourced.  However, the latter delivers more than just stereotypes (more jokes were had at the expense of Americans than Indians), and it will be worth watching at least a couple more episodes.

     Outsourced airs Thursday nights at 9:30 on NBC.