All "Hail" THE GOOD WIFE

Article first published as THE GOOD WIFE Review Season 6 Episode 11 Hail Mary on Seat42F.

This week’s mid-season premiere of THE GOOD WIFE on CBS, titled “Hail Mary,” is a fine example of what the series does best: rollercoaster drama. It’s Cary’s (Matt Czuchry) last day of freedom, but as he prepares for prison, the firm scrambles with a last ditch effort to overturn his guilty plea. They find something, then it falls through, then they fake something, then they find something else, and the whole time Cary’s fate rests on the whims of one finicky judge, Richard Cuesta (David Paymer).

I love THE GOOD WIFE for exactly this type of episode. It’s emotionally draining, to be sure, but it’s so well-crafted that viewers won’t know the outcome until the end. We feel the characters’ ups and downs as they experience them, and the stakes are such that we care deeply about the outcome. Cary is one of the most likeable people on the show, and to see him go through this mess he doesn’t deserve… well, it’s rough.

The frustration Alicia (Julianna Margulies) must feel, unable to participate, is palpable. She is being prepped for a debate by Eli (Alan Cumming) and Johnny (Steven Pasquale), with some help from Finn (Matthew Goode), Peter (Chris Noth), and a stoned professor (Chris Elliott, How I Met Your Mother, There’s Something About Mary). Cuesta hates her, so she’s no good in the trial room, and Diane (Christine Baranski) understands how important Alicia’s prep is, so makes Alicia the lone staff member working on Cary’s case.

On a side note, Alicia’s happy kiss with Johnny in “Hail Mary” is a fluke, right? She’s just happy because Cary is saved. Her real chemistry is with Finn, whose practice sparring could not be more charged, the polar opposite of the way Alicia coldly slays Peter. I like Johnny, but I just don’t see him and Alicia together. Double side note, I love watching Eli desperately cling to the almost-completely-disintegrated marriage of Alicia and Peter.

Anyway, when Judge Cuesta finally apologies to Cary and dismisses the charges against him, it’s a great relief to everyone watching at home. I doubt many thought Cary would spend the next two seasons behind bars. Then again, the show doesn’t like to let its characters stay stagnant, so you never know. Still, Cary crying and hugging his friends is moving, and we’re glad to see justice prevail.

“Hail Mary” completes one of the most interesting story arcs of the show thus far: an innocent man, a main character no less, suffering because of the flaws of the system and unlucky circumstance. Cary never did do anything wrong, but there’s no way to prove it for the longest time, and as it looks more and more certain that he will be locked up, it gets harder and harder to watch. Now to realize that what Cary, a character on a television show, goes through happens in real life, to real people with family and friends, it just tears at one’s soul. I hope something can be done to make things better for any individuals suffering a similar fate.

There will likely be repercussions from “Hail Mary.” Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) does find actual evidence to clear Cary’s name, but before that, she fakes some. It’s understandable why she does this. Kalinda will do anything for Cary, whether it be making a deal with the almost-literal devil, Lemond Bishop (Mike Colter), or showing up when Cary’s prison preper, Bill Kroft (Domenick Lombardozzi, The Wire), asks her to make a booty call to Cary. But forging evidence is crossing a serious line that will surely come back to haunt Kalinda. If she’s still alive to answer for it.

It has been publicized that season six will be Panjabi’s last on THE GOOD WIFE. That means the show needs a way to write Kalinda off. She and Cary have never been closer, really seeming in love with one another in a way they (or at least she) hasn’t been before. This makes it less likely she will choose a new career path, and more probably that she will be killed or jailed. Neither option is pretty, but both could make a heck of a good story, depending on what THE GOOD WIFE wants to do with her. Dream scenario: Lemond kills her and it spurs the firm to rally against him and shut him down once and for all, guilt hanging on the decisions made that led to this point.

Besides the major arcs, “Hail Mary” answers the prayers of those longing for the small moments of fun between the various excellent players on this show. From Johnny telling off Eli, to Geneva (Renee Elisa Goldsberry) calling out Diane for playing to Cuesta’s love of the dramatic, to Marissa (Sarah Steele) declaring she’s not Alicia’s fluffer, there are many, many scenes that beautifully illustrate the chemistry of the many recurring players seamlessly connected to our core crew. THE GOOD WIFE is an extremely realized world, and every moment in it is magic.

THE GOOD WIFE airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. And now that football is coming to a close for the season, it might actually get to air at the proper time every week!

How I Met Your Mother's trickery

CBS ends this season of How I Met Your Mother with the two part episode, "The Magician's Code." It doesn't really make sense to list this as a two-parter because they really are two completely separate stories. None of the major plots continue from one half hour to the next. One wonders if, after deciding to grant 2 Broke Girls a full hour last week, someone just went and renamed the first of these two episodes.

But the title "The Magician's Code Part 1" is not the only thing that doesn't work about the first half of the finale. The entire story is dumb. Marshall (Jason Segel) is plastered as he tries to make his way home for the birth of his daughter. Big event in Atlantic City or no, surely someone would have found him some type of transportation if he explained the situation. Granted, Marshall is in no condition to explain anything, but Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) could. Unfortunately, Barney is acting so far inept that he's way out of character.

Worse is the other plot, where Ted (Josh Radnor) and Robin (Cobie Smulders) try to distract an in-labor Lily (Alyson Hannigan) with stories. These are nothing more than rapid punchlines shown in quick succession, Family Guy style. Even the larger tale of the mysterious door, while essentially clever, doesn't work in this context. Robin's insistence on treating Lily like a farm animal is horrible. And why is Lily told by her doctor to wait to go to the hospital until it is too late to administer the drugs? Not to mention, Mickey (Chris Elliott) is a terrible character.

Fans have come to expect better than this from How I Met Your Mother. Despite a weak season or two in the middle, the series has gotten relatively consistent at being good again. "The Magician's Code Part 1" does not at all live up to this high standard. The fact that the episode features something as momentous as the birth of Lily and Marshall's child makes this mistake of an episode nearly criminal.

Thankfully, "The Magician's Code Part 2" is excellent. Barney and Quinn (Becki Newton) head off on a trip, but are detained in airport security because of Barney's mysterious box. Now, at face value, Barney cannot possibly be stupid enough to act the way he does in front of these security agents, who are also unnecessarily bad at their jobs. However, the charming tone and sweetness of the situation, which ends in a proposal, is more than enough to make up for any flaws. How exciting that Barney has finally found true love!

Too bad Barney's love is not with Quinn. It's actually a little disappointing when Robin is revealed to be Barney's bride. For years, a Barney-Robin pairing has been something to root for. As Barney matures and moves on with Quinn, that changes, which is a testament to what Newton is bringing to the party. It's kind of a step backwards for Barney to return to Robin now. However, this takes place in the future, so there is time to build to the wedding properly. And fans still want Robin to be happy. As such, while it's sad that Quinn, as predictable as that would have seemed in the context of this episode, is not going to marry Barney, it's also great to see that Robin finds happiness. Bittersweetness.

Also in "The Magician's Code Part 2," Ted gives Victoria (Ashley Williams) a call. Robin tells Ted that he is not dating the right girls for building a family, something he claims to want, and Victoria is the only possibility he has squandered a chance to fulfill his dreams with. But it's Victoria's wedding day, and she shows up dressed for the ceremony, asking Ted if he wants to run off together. It seems Victoria is no longer the type of girl Ted needs to settle down with, either.

Ted pledges to do the right thing and take her to the church. Though, if she is actually considering running off with another guy, is that really the right thing? Which is why it's not so sad when Ted drives past the church and off into the sunset with Victoria. Such terrible circumstances do not point to Victoria being the likely titular mother. But she is such a delightful character that it would be good just to have her around again for awhile. And Williams makes her so wonderful that, if Ted does reveal her to be the mother, any mistakes and bad ideas would be forgiven anyway.

How I Met Your Mother will return next fall to CBS.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! To buy How I Met Your Mother DVDs or streaming episodes, please click here. Article first published as How I Met Your Mother's trickery on TheTVKing.com

How I Met Your Mother goes "Tailgating"

     CBS's How I Met Your Mother celebrates New Year's with "Tailgating." After the holiday, Marshall (Jason Segel) visit his father, Marvin's (Bill Fagerbakke), grave to tailgate a Vikings game and tell the story of the most recent New Year's Eve he and his friends celebrated. Lily's (Alyson Hannigan) dad (Chris Elliott) has an unexpected reaction upon learning of his daughter's pregnancy. Ted (Josh Radnor), Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), and Kevin (Kal Penn) open a bar in the apartment. Robin (Cobie Smulders) gets back on the air while covering for a drunk, disgraced, Sandy (Alexis Denisof). And Marshall learns to honor his dad's spirit of generosity.

     The framework story, at first, seems unnecessary. Just because the episode airs a couple of days past New Year's Eve doesn't mean that the night needs to be told in flashback. However, upon further reflection, Marshall's story with his dad fits into the larger themes of the episode. There's a parallel between Marshall and Lily's fathers, and how they react or would react to a grandchildren. There's an element, like in Robin's story, of Marshall realizing his proper place in life. Marshall also acts stupidly, like Ted and Barney, by trying to hog his father, when, really, it honors Marvin more to share what he has with others. Thus, it works.

     Lily's dad, Mickey, is a strange one. But he does show up when he needs to. With Lily's life falling into place so nicely, it's no wonder that she looks back upon her disappointing childhood as something she'd rather forget. It also ruins her ability to believe, as Marshall discovers when telling her of cool enigmas he thinks might be true, and that he can't wait to share with their child. Assuming that her father has not changed, and cannot be counted on, she doesn't even tell Mickey about her pregnancy until Marshall pushes her. But it's a good thing he does, because Mickey has gotten Lily's message. He needs to step up, and step up he does, driving all night to deliver a stuffed bear. He may still have trouble expressing himself, as evidenced by the phone call, but he will be a better grandpa than he was a dad.  Which is a good thing, since the baby's other grandfather will not be around to do the same.

     Side note, anyone else catch that Mickey is selling a boxed game called Slap Bet, an inside joke for HIMYM fans? But how is that played?

     There is a healthy layer of emotion hanging over the story in "Tailgating" that shows How I Met Your Mother's maturation. It is still a comedy, shown amply in the non-Lily and Marshall plots. But finding heart and growth is what is rejuvenating the series after it has slide into a rut for a year or two. It's how How I Met Your Mother needs to move forward, and sets up a more moving ending than may have been expected at the outset. This is a furthering of the strategy beginning last year to make the series get "more real," and it's working.

     Robin's bit is geared a little more towards comedy, in that Sandy acts in a ridiculous manner. But there is also an undercurrent of her most recent story, dealing with the news that she can never have children. Robin always puts her career before family, but learning that family is not an option is still a hard blow to take. Before, it was a choice, and now it's not. She, surprisingly, does not instantly redouble her efforts in her job, demonstrating a healthy attitude of dealing with her problems, rather than avoiding them. Encouraged by Kevin, and with few other choices, she bravely takes back to the air, setting the stage for the next step in her career. It's a great moment, one very fulfilling for Robin as a character.

     Barney and Ted's time in "Tailgating" is much less serious, providing the light touch the sitcom wants to, and should, hang on to. They go back to an earlier, alcohol infused dream to own a bar. Of course, they go about it in very different ways, with Barney wanting to have lots of sex in Ted's room, and Ted seeking intellectual discussion. They do agree that a theme song is needed. The bar doesn't work, because, let's face it, bars just don't flow that way. Instead, the patrons trash the place, and the clueless proprietors have to keep raising the drink prices--something they vowed not to do--just to break even. It's a reality check that ends their fun little experiment gone wrong.

     Interestingly, after a couple of false starts, Kevin just falls into place as Ted and Barney's bitch in "Tailgating," which is, admittedly, the only way to really break into this heavily co-dependent group. An outsider cannot come in and shake things up without turning off the main characters. But one who happily goes along with whatever they choose to do is welcome, and through this, Kevin begins to make himself a part of the whole. It's unclear if it will last, but he's the first significant other in a long time that seems to have a real chance to join. He judges the friends a little, but mostly silently, and without trying too hard to change anything. And he's good for Robin, encouraging and supportive, without being too pushy.

     Overall, "Tailgating" is not a super memorable episode that will go down as one of the How I Met Your Mother greats. But it's also not a disappointment, furthering several stories, and holding up relatively well throughout. It captures a lot of the trends working for the show right now, and delivers an interesting plot. As such, it is a fine "standard" episode between the big event weeks, which will surely happen in February sweeps.

     Watch How I Met Your Mother Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

     To buy How I Met Your Mother DVDs or streaming episodes, please click here.

Article first published as TV Review: How I Met Your Mother - "Tailgating" on Blogcritics.

How I Met Your Mother meets "Noretta"

     This week's How I Met Your Mother, "Noretta," delves into the chemistry of relationships. James (Wayne Brady) comes to visit, and is grossed out by just how much his brother Barney's (Neil Patrick Harris) girlfriend, Nora (Nazanin Boniadi), is like their mother, Loretta (Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under, American Horror Story). Kevin (Kal Penn) says this is perfectly normal, that people often end up with spouses who have similarities to their parents. Suddenly, the whole group begins seeing their significant other this way, and all sexual attraction dissipates.

     Is this true? Do people really end up with their parents? It's certainly possible. Kids imitate the adults in their lives. Watching their parents interact shapes much of who they are, and it's what they grow up thinking of as normal. So, of course, they would seek out a similar person, so that they can have a similar relationship as their parents do. Even if the parents get don't along, it's still what the child is used to, which is why there are negative repeating patterns as well as positive. Luckily, in this series, and in the case of these characters, those qualities are overwhelmingly positive. Obviously, this does not hold true for everyone, or society would be stagnant, but it's a valid trend, and one worth noting.

     The conceit is great because it gives How I Met Your Mother the chance to bring back some of the wonderful performers who play the characters' parents, and all in one episode. Besides Loretta, there is Ted's (Josh Radnor) mother, Virginia (Christine Rose, Heroes), Lily's (Alyson Hannigan) father, Mickey (Chris Elliott, Everybody Loves Raymond, Eagleheart), a glimpse of Kevin's unseen-before mom, and best of all, the return of Marshall's (Jason Segel) deceased father, Marvin (Bill Fagerbakke, SpongeBob SquarePants, Coach). Robin's (Cobie Smulders) father, Robin Sr. (Ray Wise, Reaper, 24) sits this one out, but that's OK, because he appears in last week's episode. Each of these actors are great in various roles, and having them together in one episode is a wealth of riches.

     It should be noted that Fagerbakke's return, the subject of much sorrow and grief last season, is done in a lightly comedic way. There are no tears or sadness accompanying it, and that's a good thing. Marshall has really begun to move on with his life, something he needs to do.

     Hilarity ensues when the characters have to play opposite their parents in sexual situations. The elder performers give it their all, fully committing to the scene, leaving their "children" to shrink back in disgust. It's equal parts disturbing and funny. Perhaps the best gag, though, comes as Marshall and Lily both get the complex at the same time. This leads to Marvin and Mickey on screen together, leaning in for a kiss. It's not sexy, but it will have viewers roaring with laughter. Thank goodness the camera stops before it happens! To show that would turn into pure silliness, and ruin the moment.

     Of course, because this is a point that hits home with a lot of people, it would be uncool of How I Met Your Mother to leave viewers hanging without resolution. Thus, it's left to Barney to say that his mom is the coolest person he knows, and that any similarity between Nora and Loretta is wonderful. This is a healthy, mature attitude to take. Nora and Loretta don't look alike, so there's no conflict there. All Barney is saying is, you love your parents; why not pick someone who shares their best qualities? And he's right. One doesn't want someone exactly like one's parents, but it's impossible to imitate their relationship without a partner who is looking for the same things as you. Thus, it works on a number of levels.

     In "Noretta," Barney is looking forward to finally having sex with Nora. He's been patient, something unusual for the character, but necessary for the growth he is experiencing, and the level of effort he puts into the relationship. Because How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom, zany events pop up to try to derail his sexy night with his girl. Barney pushes through, as he always does. What's unusual here is that Barney isn't just pushing through for the sex, as he has numerous times before. Instead, there are real emotions present, and care for Nora in his actions. Which is why, despite everything, it appears that things work out in the end for the couple. Love wins the day, and can overcome anything. A nice message leaving viewers feeling good.

     "Noretta" is significant because there is a real focus on where Ted stands in the group. The entire theme of How I Met Your Mother involves Ted finding his future children's mother. Yet, at this point in season seven, he is the only one currently single. Lily and Marshall have been together since well before the series begins. But with commitment-phobic Barney and Robin now getting serious with Nora and Kevin, respectively, it reminds Ted just how much he is failing in this mission. He may very well end up being the last one left alone. It's not his fault, it's just the way the characters have developed.

     It's true that Ted is not in the right place in his life to settle down for most of the series thus far. As much as he wants a partner, he isn't emotionally ready. He goes through a series of mistakes, has trouble finding himself, and ends up acting like a jerk many times. This isn't the right attitude to have when finding the woman of one's dreams. But now Ted is turning things around, and finally getting to the soul of who he is. He is satisfied professionally, and not desperate but open to love. It's in this state that he is ready to meet the mother, and hopefully he soon will. How I Met Your Mother will be running at least through the spring of 2013, but the mystery cannot be stretched out that long. It's time to end it.

     Kevin is still an enigma in terms of how he fits into the group. He's rapidly getting past the creepy stage, which starts because he is Robin's therapist when they meet. But he can't help that encounter, and he's moved past it. He is correct in his criticisms of the codependent group, but that also makes him more of an outsider. The central characters aren't likely to change their behavior, so he either needs to get with the program and join in, as Nora does to some degree, or move on, as so many others have. What points to the former possibility is that he does make effort, such as this week when he pretends to be a Weird Al (who cameos a 1980s version of himself) fan to make Ted happy. It's a generous, compassionate move that bodes well for Kevin. 

     How I Met Your Mother is back on the right track, so for fans who gave up on it during the rocky last couple of years, it's time to come back. Watch How I Met Your Mother Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

     To buy How I Met Your Mother DVDs or streaming episodes, please click here.

Article first published as TV Review: How I Met Your Mother - "Noretta" on Blogcritics.