THE GOOD WIFE Turns "Ugly"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

CBS’s THE GOOD WIFE frequently drops surprises, but I’d be hard-pressed to name one recently that rocks the show as much as the voter fraud scandal surrounding Alicia’s (Julianna Margulies) election as State’s Attorney. This week’s episode, “Winning Ugly,” begins that battle as a legendary political figure, Spencer Randolph (Ron Rifkin, Alias), takes on her case in the name of the democratic process. But Spencer may really be supporting the Democrats’ process, as he turns on Alicia when she refuses to play ball with the party.

Alicia has long struggled with getting into politics, but the events of “Winning Ugly” are likely to turn her off of them entirely, whether she ends up in the State’s Attorney’s office or not. Alicia did not cheat, but that won’t stop the party from ruining her reputation if she goes against their interests, both sides in the city being famously corrupt. These movers and shakers have built a system that works for them, and they are not about to let some idealistic woman screw it up.

Alicia’s natural ally should be Prady, but he is no longer accessible to her, and may not believe she’s innocent, anyway. Instead, she is sent lawyer Martin Parillo (Remy Aubjeronis), who battles it out with Spencer in front of Ken Boxer (Lawrence Gilliard Jr., The Walking Dead, The Wire) and the panel. Until Spencer turns on Alicia, Martin is taking a beating. But now that Martin seems to have the upper hand, there is no way he will allow Alicia to broker a deal with Prady.

So it looks like Alicia may need to try to return to the law firm, assuming she loses, but there are some complications there. First, we’d have to see if the firm would take her back. Alicia still has her office, but considering that we’ve seen the settlement talks, she may have already cashed out and hurt feelings might block her from buying back in. Second, will there even be a firm left to come back to?

The second major plot in “Winning Ugly” finds Diane (Christine Baranski) learning about Kalinda’s (Archie Panjabi) forgery. To Diane’s credit, the first thing she does is not protect herself so much as clear Detective Prima’s (John Ventimiglia) name. Prima is a jerk, but he doesn’t deserve to lose his job over something he didn’t to. After that, though, Diane discusses strategy with Finn (Matthew Goode), David Lee (Zach Grenier), and Cary (Matt Czuchry), and it doesn’t look good.

I’m surprised Diane doesn’t immediately fire Kalinda. I don’t care that Kalinda has done a lot for the firm; she crossed a line with faking evidence, even if she didn’t intend Diane to use it. Panjabi will be leaving THE GOOD WIFE at the end of the season anyway, but this is the hour in which she should have been terminated from her job.

I also hope this doesn’t blow back on Cary. There is other evidence to clear his name, but it will be much harder to convince people he is innocent after this fiasco.

The current State’s Attorney isn’t focused on destroying the law firm, though, so much as he wants to go after drug kingpin Lemond Bishop (Mike Colter). Geneva Pine (Renee Elise Goldsberry) says as much, offering to drop all charges against Diane if Diane will just testify against Bishop. The problem is, every viewer and main character knows that going up against Bishop is a death sentence, so Diane doesn’t want to risk it.

For a minute in “Winning Ugly,” it looks like Kalinda might step up. She is closest to Bishop and can get him jailed. This would also go a long way towards making up for her wrong doings. And who knows? She might survive. But it’s Cary that goes to Geneva and says that if Kalinda makes the offer to speak in court, he will do it in her place. Cary loves Kalinda, despite her flaws, and that’s truly a noble sacrifice he is willing to make.

Since Kalinda didn’t go to Geneva, though, where did she go? Did she flee and abandon those taking the fall for her mistakes? Or is she going to kill Bishop, hoping that will end the fight. I don’t know that I actually want to see Kalinda murder anyone, but there’s no way she can convince him to confess to wrong doings, no matter what she has on him. Whatever Kalinda is doing, she’s playing a dangerous game.

In both of these stories, I just don’t see how it can end well. There is no clear way out, and only a scant few hours left to tell the story this year. THE GOOD WIFE has not been renewed yet, either, and those at CBS would be awful, awful monsters if they didn’t let the tale conclude satisfactorily. We’ll see how it plays out.

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

"What Happened" on THE WALKING DEAD?

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 9 What Happened and What's Going On on Seat42F.

Fans of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD eagerly anticipated last night’s mid-season premiere, wondering “What Happened and What’s Going On.” We get an answer to the strange title of the episode, some time after the events of last season. The group goes to Richmond, Virginia, where Noah’s (Tyler James William) mother and brothers were last known to be. But there’s been a cost to this journey, to this life, and there’s a fatal price for looking for hope in this place.

With Eugene (Josh McDermitt) now a known liar, the group lacks direction. Noah provides a little bit of it with a pipe dream, tales of a place protected by walls. It’s better than any other idea offered, so it’s understandable they would give it a shot. This, despite the fact that several of the characters don’t bother to buy into the hope at all. They are too jaded, have been disappointed too many times. They don’t see an attractive path left open to them.

Michonne (Danai Gurira) is not one of those. Listening to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Glenn (Steven Yeun) debate if killing Dawn even matters, she reaches a breaking point. Of course taking a life matters. Of course one must try to hold onto their humanity. The guys may not agree in “What Happened and What’s Going On,” but at least Rick has the good sense enough to listen to Michonne’s concerns. Maybe he’s past caring, but he recognizes the wisdom in trying to do so.

Michonne is now the de-facto moral compass, which is a precarious position to be in. Those who have shouldered the mantle in the past tend to have a limited lifespan. I desperately hope Michonne’s days aren’t numbered, but I felt the same about Hershel and about THE WALKING DEAD’s most recent victim, and have been disappointed both times. Disappointed not because their stories aren’t fantastic; they are. Disappointed because I mourn for and miss those players. True, there’s no impending demise for her if the show echoes the comics, but ask Andrea, who is still alive in the paper version, how believing the TV adaptation will follow the books works out.

As THE WALKING DEAD returns this week, it’s Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) who tries to hold on. He offers to stay with Noah as Rick, Glenn, and Michonne hunt for supplies. And in Noah’s house, Tyreese is taken in by the photos of Noah’s brothers, innocents. It makes Tyreese remember his own family, his own father, and it saddens him.

Unfortunately, THE WALKING DEAD is cruel to those who take the time for such sappy reminiscing. Tyreese is bitten while distracted, and despite everyone’s best efforts to save him, it’s too late. Another moral compass gone, passing the torch to Michonne.

Tyreese is a beloved and fascinating character, and his death in “What Happened and What’s Going On” is worthy of him and of Coleman, who brings him to life so brilliantly. We see flashes of Tyreese’s past over the last few seasons. We see mementos of happier times. It’s almost a victory lap, a life flashing before one’s eyes, reminding Tyreese of what’s important.

As he lies bleeding, he’s visited by the ghost of many a departed friend and foe, including Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), Beth (Emily Kinney), Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino), Mika (Kyla Kenedy), Martin (Chris Coy), and The Governor (David Morrissey). Some of them are there to comfort him and usher him out of this life. Others are there to accuse him of wrongdoing and make him take stock of his situation. In the end, though, the comfort wins out, and while Tyreese fights if for awhile, we eventually see him go away peacefully, surrounded by those who care.

Not every death on THE WALKING DEAD is this pretty, but if there’s a soul that deserves this type of demise, it’s Tyreese. Out of the action, his passing is unexpected, but it also makes sense, given the type of guy he is. If it didn’t happen here, it would have happened soon enough anyway. Having all of those actors return makes it that much sweeter, lending importance to the passing, and delighting viewers who miss them. Yes, even The Governor is missed, if for Morrissey’s performance alone.

“What Happened and What’s Going On” is a way-stop on the way to D.C., the place where an ounce of hope might still remain. Still, it’s an important one. The Walking Dead skips over 500 miles of the journey, but I’m glad it chooses now to take a brief respite and deliver a compelling narrative.

Next week, they will go the last 100 miles and find something new. If the next stage is anything like the comic books, the show is about to change dramatically, and this hour serves as a fine transition between two distinct halves of a major series, starting to close the book on what the characters have been dealing with thus far.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

THE WALKING DEAD - "Four Walls and a Roof" Review

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 3 Four Walls and a Roof on Seat42F.

This week’s installment of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD is an emotional rollercoaster. Much of the series deals with finding morality in a much-changed world, debating what values can be held onto and which must be dropped to survive. What defines a good person in this new age? It’s surely not the same as what modern viewers are used to. This most recent hour, “Four Walls and a Roof,” finds many characters struggling to find that line.

First, a quick recap of events: Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) delights in telling his kidnapper-cannibals that they have eaten tainted meat, revealing he has been bitten by a walker. Gareth (Andrew J. West) and the others are disgusted, but have a new plan. They drop Bob back at the church to enrage Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the group, luring a strike force away from the main contingent. As soon as Rick et al. leave, Gareth and his men sneak in to finish off those left behind. But Rick is smarter than that and doubles back, brutally ending the Terminus survivors once and for all.

The scene in which Rick, Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), Michonne (Danai Gurira), and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) savagely beat several of the Terminus guys to death, including Gareth, is stomach-turning. Fans might expect a triumphant moment of enemies being defeated, but that’s not what “Four Walls and a Roof” delivers. Instead, it’s an ugly side to these characters. Yes, Gareth and his followers are bad people and cannot be trusted to be set free again, so no one is arguing they don’t deserve to die. But the method of execution seems more cruel than necessary even if Rick’s excuse of not wanting to spend bullets makes sense, and there’s poetic justice in Rick fulfilling his promise to Gareth involving the red-handled machete.

Of course, this leaves hanging the question of if it’s safe to eat someone who has been bitten, with the diners dead before digestion completes.

Does this mean Rick and the others are bad people now? Even some of their friends look away in disgust, uncomfortable with what they are seeing. Yet, no one defects from Rick because of this. Everyone agrees it is necessary. This is where the line between right and wrong gets blurry, and one wonders if humanity can be held onto.

Bob provides that string of hope for the audience to keep liking our group. He tells Rick how awesome it is that Rick takes him in, making him a part of the family. Some other marauders are only looking out for themselves and would not allow anyone new to join them. Rick and his friends rescue Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) as recently as last week, proving they haven’t completely gone to the dark side. They only murder those who deserve it. Rick should keep looking for others to save.

One cannot say Gareth is redeemable. There is a certain charm to him, and his chilling oratory makes much more sense than it should. He is wronged in the past, and much of his killing is done to keep his people alive. The difference is, he slaughters those who have done nothing to him. And he is fine with using people and creeping them out in a sadistic manner, drawing an A on the church like the one on the train car in which he imprisoned the group. Gareth crosses the line of decency, and that’s why he must die.

In fact, we actually look down on the characters whom cannot kill someone like Gareth. Father Gabriel reveals his cowardice, hiding in the church as his parishioners are devoured, and that makes him pathetic and detested, not a man to look up to as he cannot kill even a walker. Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) leaves a Terminus guy alive in a cabin, and that paints him in a poor light, even if he is able to spare Sasha the pain of taking Bob out, only proving he can kill walkers, not humans. Those who cannot step up the plate the way Rick does seem doomed to perish, sooner rather than later. Brutality, as hard to stomach as it is, is a necessary part of this world.

Still, without that scene in “Four Walls and a Roof” in which Bob tells Rick what a good man Rick is, Rick balancing his baby daughter on his hip, it would be hard for the heroes of THE WALKING DEAD to come back from this. There has to be good mixed in with the bad. Rick has to have a moral line about who is judged worthy of being put down, and we have to know he won’t do the same to whoever they meet next. Justified or not as killing Gareth’s band is, it’s hard to watch a good man do it, and that is part of why this series is the best drama on television.

The only thing that bothers me about this episode is when Abraham takes Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and Rosita (Christian Serratos), along with Glenn (Steven Yeun), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and Tara (Alanna Masterson), off on their own. His goodbye to Rick is great. Glenn and Maggie’s decision to join up makes sense. But why can’t Abraham wait? It’s clear that Eugene wants to. The immediate threat of Gareth is gone, so there’s no rush to move on, right?

I guess Abraham is a man on a mission who suddenly feels his mission has been delayed too long. I get it; I really do. He is out to save the world. But the group would be so much stronger if he’d just give Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) a day to get back. The fact that Daryl shows up soon after the others leave makes it all the more groan-worthy. It’s true that Abraham has no way of knowing the wait would be so short, but still…!

Speaking of Daryl, who is behind him in that final scene? If it’s Carol, why doesn’t she come out? Is it Beth (Emily Kinney) and a group of other captives Daryl has rescued? I want to know more about this right now!

“Four Walls and a Roof” is a fantastic episode, made all the better by setting it inside of a church, which is, as one character says, just “Four Walls and a Roof.” It really plays to the strengths of the series, and both significant deaths are affecting, in different ways. Seven days is a long wait for the next installment.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

New "Strangers" Among THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 5 Episode 2 Strangers on Seat42F.

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD has conditioned us to be wary of any new face, as the group has been burned so often by “Strangers” in this post-apocalyptic landscape. That’s why, even as our group comes together more solidly, viewers are likely be nervous around the new cast member introduced this week, Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam, The Wire, Teen Wolf).

Fans of the comic book already know who Father Gabriel is, but that may not help them. While never yet introducing a comic villain as a hero or vice versa on TV, it’s bound to happen sooner or later, given the huge license the television writers take with the source material. Last night’s episode, “Strangers,” does a fine job of both introducing Father Gabriel, and making fans and characters alike suspicious of his intentions and back story. Could he really survive alone in the woods all this time? Why are there strange words written on the wall of the building? The car with the cross that kidnapped Beth (Emily Kinney) seems like it could easily be connected to him. These questions are not answered fully this week, but Gilliam already makes a strong impression with his memorable take on the character.

It’s pretty neat that our heroes still rescue Father Gabriel, despite what they’ve been through. Rick ignores a man Carl (Chandler Riggs) wants to help at the end of last season. Granted, that man is already being torn to bits and they likely couldn’t save him. But even after recently being badly betrayed by Terminus, they take a chance on this new guy, which is a sign their humanity remains intact, if skewed.

Rick’s “three question” test is usually a pretty good way to judge a person’s character, checking their attitude towards others. It doesn’t work on Father Gabriel. If he’s telling the truth, he hasn’t killed anyone, human or Walker. This makes him a very, very rare exception in a world where everyone kills to survive. Thus, he remains an enigma, which is an interesting new take for the story.

As Father Gabriel helps our people find food, the episode spends a lot of time smoothing out the dynamics of the group. The cast has spent quite awhile splintered, and only at the end of last week’s premiere, have they come back together again. This means no one knows that Carol (Melissa McBride) killed a girl. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) banished Carol previously; is that still a factor between them? Some may wonder why Tara (Alanna Masterson), who is seen with the Governor’s people, has joined them. Some characters have motivations that could pull them away from the rest. These are all burning questions that demand an answer.

“Strangers” starts giving us those answers, thankfully not making us wait weeks to deal with them. Rick and Carol have a lovely scene where Rick asks if they can all join Carol on the road. He doesn’t exactly apologize, but that is in the subtext of his words, and it’s obvious that he bears no grudge towards her. Can she get over the past and say the same? Well, the episode doesn’t tell us if Carol is mad or just no longer feels like part of the ensemble (it hints the latter), but she does try to sneak off on her own, so she isn’t fully integrated back in, at least not yet. Hopefully she will be soon.

Carol could be worried about what the others will think if they learn that she murdered a child. The only one that knows is Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), who seems to have forgiven her, and has no desire to remember it, nor tell anyone. Carol’s guilt would be the only thing blocking her here, but that just might be enough to do her in, as she’s, at heart, a good person.

So Carol tries to flee, and of course it’s Daryl (Norman Reedus) that goes after her. They are besties, if not more, and it would suck to see them separated again. Daryl won’t be willing to leave the others behind, even for her, but he also isn’t going to let her go without a fight. Their side trip to rescue Beth when they see the cross car only forestalls this confrontation, but whether Carol chooses to stay or go, at least we can look forward to at least one more adventure together for the two of them.

Tara’s path is smoothed by the fact that she saves Glenn’s (Steven Yeun) life and he vouches for her. Everyone likes Glenn, so if he says she’s good people, they’ll accept her. End of story.

What’s weird is the love triangle that seems to be brewing between Tara, Glenn, and Maggie (Lauren Cohan), considering Tara likes girls but she’s eyeing Glenn. I guess maybe sexuality gets a little more fluid when the choices are so limited, and saving one’s life creates a bond that defies gender? Still, I can’t help but feel that this dynamic may end up like the version of Carol in the comics – a young woman who wants to insert herself into a couple (it was Rick and Lori on the page) just so she isn’t alone in the scary reality, which is an understandable emotion, but not one Maggie and Glenn are likely to be willing to help Tara satisfy (as Rick and Lori refused Carol).

Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) has a different problem than the others. He is accepted well enough, but he has a mission to complete: get Eugene (Josh McDermitt) to Washington D.C. to save the world. Most of the group is sympathetic, but now that they have in Rick the leader they’d always hoped for, they all defer to him and will stand by him. Thus, Abraham only has to convince one man, albeit a man who isn’t very optimistic about their outlook, making it a hard sell. Abraham is right to bide his time, waiting for a moment where Rick will be willing to consider it, and by doing so, Abraham gets what he wants. He’s a smart cookie.

Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) is the one with the cheery outlook on life in “Strangers.” He keeps spinning things positively, and always wants one more kiss from Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green). As a fan of THE WALKING DEAD, this signals his demise to me. He isn’t killed this week, but when he’s captured and his leg is amputated by The Hunters (Gareth (Andrew J. West) and his fellow Terminus survivors finally being confirmed to be this group), it’s not a surprise. No one is allowed to be so happy on this show. Bob’s cheeriness is his undoing.

There is a twist hinted at in “Strangers” concerning Bob. Remember, he leaves the church on his own volition and is crying when they find him. I think he was bitten in the basement, which I kept expecting to be revealed, but never was. What happens to people who eat the flesh of a man turning into a Walker? I think we’ll soon find out.

So much unfolds in one short hour, and so much of it is rich, character-driven stuff. THE WALKING DEAD is an excellent show because it can balance these dramatic moments with the action scenes, and by doing this well, “Strangers” is an excellent entry for the series.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

THE WALKING DEAD Stands "Alone" on TV

Article first written for Seat42F.com.

No one wants to be “Alone” after a zombie apocalypse. Yet, this week’s episode of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD takes two small groups and splits them up until all five characters are on their own, wandering the abandoned landscape, dangers at every turn. It’s a particularly bleak scenario, one most fans hope will be corrected by the season finale in three weeks.

“Alone” opens with Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) by himself, prior to being found by the prison crew. It’s a sad time for him, and by the time that Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) find him, he’s ready to join any group just to have company again. It’s with this mindset that Bob goes into the episode, happy that, unlike the previous two times the settlement he was in fell, he’s not by himself, and determined to make sure he doesn’t get that way again.

That’s why when Maggie (Lauren Cohan) sets off on her own, having overheard Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) tell Bob that Glenn is most likely dead and they should stop looking for him, Bob insists on going after her. Bob knows how it feels, and he’s not about to put Maggie through that. Even when a kiss can’t convince Sasha to give up a building she has picked for their new home, Bob sets off solo, sure he can catch up with Maggie and stop either of them from being “Alone.”

This episode is really interesting because neither Bob, Sasha, nor Maggie want to be alone. Maggie’s insistence on going to Terminus is about finding Glenn, not abandoning her friends. Sasha wants Bob to stay with her, and in that moment where she is by herself, we see her vulnerabilities laid bare. And the reunion at the end, after Sasha finds Maggie and the two catch up to Bob, is just about the happiest we’ve seen any character in quite some time. Their own motivations, each valid, pull them apart, but their loneliness and affection for one another bring them back together.

Would THE WALKING DEAD have been more interesting if they hadn’t become a trio again? I doubt it. For one, that would have increased the odds of one or more of them dying in the near future, something I thought might happens this week and am relieved to see did not. For another, the cast is already fractured enough. We don’t need more individual stories to follow!

“Alone” does do a great job of hammering home these emotions and how it feels to be in this situation. I’ve long said the best hours of this series are character-development-driven, and “Alone” is all character development.

Best of all, we see Glenn find the map to Terminus at the close so we know yet another group of our heroes are heading for the same place. Only Beth (Emily Kinney) and Daryl remain unaware that there is a convenient gathering spot everyone else is moving towards.

The other story this week is of Daryl and Beth, again. It’s a lot more upbeat than last week, the two finding a funeral home that has been stocked and taken care of. Beth keeps trying to tell Daryl there are good people left, and through her, he begins to agree, even considering staying at the house to await the owners’ return. That is until walkers break in, shattering yet another haven.

In the ensuing chaos, Beth seems to get kidnapped by a car with a cross on it, making one wonder if the funeral home, the one-eyed dog, and the walkers aren’t a planned trap. And Daryl, after evading the dead, is found by a group of roughnecks who quickly proclaim they like hurting people and probably only leave Daryl alive because he looks like he belongs with them. We know he doesn’t, but at least he can stay alive until an escape opportunity presents itself.

I’m not a fan of the growing Beth / Daryl romance. Seeing them as a friends is fine, and if they were truly the only two left, I’d root for them. But even though Daryl doesn’t think he’ll ever see Carol (Melissa McBride) again, she’s out there and that’s who he should be with. Sure, Carol may be a little old for Daryl (well, seems it in action, if not in years), but Beth is a little young for him. More importantly, though, Carol has similar sensibilities and is more likely to stay alive, thus sparing Daryl some heartache. Though a strong friendship between Beth and Daryl, as such a relationship seems to benefit and round out both, is welcome.

It’s pretty clear Daryl has grown very fond of Beth as he runs after her, even leaving their supplies behind. We’re left to think that Beth has become more important to Daryl than food, and her departure leaves him listless, without direction. That’s too bad because he is a survivor and even this should not make him give up. The good thing is, at least Beth will have someone looking for her.

Yes, “Alone” leaves both Beth and Daryl in precarious situations. I don’t know that she will survive, though Daryl’s extreme popularity as a character makes his continued existence more likely. This also means, more than anyone else, we’re likely to see the two of them again before the Terminus reunion at the end of the season. As much as I miss the others, I can’t find any reason to complain about that, the two having been made loads more interesting these past couple of weeks.

It’s rough to go several installments without Michonne (Danai Gurira) or Carol or Rick (Andrew Lincoln) or Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman). However, I’m also really enjoying this season. The disappointment at waiting so long to glimpse certain players again is made up for by how well the show handles those it is focused on in any given week. This half-season has definitely been a departure from the typical WALKING DEAD structure, but it’s also been extremely enjoyable and well done.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.