"Wanna" Watch THE GOOD WIFE

Article originally written for Seat42F.

The title of THE GOOD WIFE’s season finale, “Wanna Partner?,” seems to refer to Alicia (Julianna Margulies) asking Finn (Matthew Goode) to start a law firm with her. But in the delightfully twisty hour, that doesn’t end up being what the quote is lifted from at all, and as much as this installment doesn’t feel like a season ender, it does indeed push a number of things forward.

First of all, as most people have known since last fall, “Wanna Partner?” serves as Kalinda’s (Archie Panjabi) final episode on the show, at least for now, most probably forever. Charles Lester (Wallace Shawn) comes looking for her, threatening Alicia, Cary (Matt Czuchry), and Diane (Christine Baranski) in the process. Still, it’s a surprise when Kalinda shows up to confront him in the frozen pizza aisle, and even more of one when Alicia burns Kalinda’s confession right in front of Lester. Kalinda is off to who-knows-where, her friends are decently protected, and the Lemond saga is over. For now, anyway.

Before Kalinda leaves for good though, THE GOOD WIFE decides to finally give fans what they’ve been longing for: a Kalinda / Alicia drink. For three years, these former best friends have barely been on speaking terms, and have not been sharing scenes together like they constantly did in the early days. The behind-the-scenes conflict between the actresses does dampen the moment slightly, but for the characters, apologizing and declaring their feelings for one another (sort of) feels right and the perfect way to say goodbye to the badass investigator. She will be missed.

Kalinda is far from the only thing on Alicia’s mind. Peter (Chris Noth) tells her that he wants to run for President of the United States. Well, technically he’s angling for VP. At first, Alicia is happy for him. But after realizing this means she gives up any chance for happiness and fulfillment on a personal level, Grace (Makenzie Vega) reminding Alicia that she will have to continue pretending to be married to him, she turns on the idea. Eli (Alan Cumming) pushing for it and “massaging” Alicia’s memoir doesn’t help, either, the campaign manager finally going too far.

Let’s be honest: Peter has no realistic shot at the White House. He’s spent time in prison, he cheated on his wife, who is herself implicated in voter fraud, and the two live apart. No matter what Eli does, Peter could not succeed in the real world. But THE GOOD WIFE, as grounded as it usually is, does make leaps from time to time, and this may just be its biggest yet. How far will they take it?

Alicia also has work to worry about. Finn does initially accept her partnership offer, and two go on a crusade to free Jacob Rickter (Seth Gilliam, The Walking Dead) – a client last seen on the show four years ago. They attack a bad cop (Danny Mastrogiorgio, Gotham), manipulate a good one (Kevin Bigley, Sirens), and finally prevail, only to have Finn back out of the arrangement.

It makes sense for Finn to do so. The reason he wants to work with Alicia is the same reason he can’t. She threatens his tenuous relationship with his ex-wife, whom he is trying to get back together with. The electricity between the lawyers is too intense and cannot be ignored. Finn doesn’t trust himself around Alicia, and as regrettable as it is for him to step away, not doing so would definitely have led to some bedroom scenes next season that might not have been a good idea for either one of them, especially if Peter runs.

“Wanna Partner?” ends much the same way THE GOOD WIFE concluded season four, with a knock on Alicia’s door from a potential new partner. This time it’s Louis Canning (Michael J. Fox) instead of Cary, sadly, but might Alicia take him up on the offer? She doesn’t want to work alone, and she’s always had a strange kind of friendship with the slime ball. Is that enough to tempt her?

There’s a very real chance Louis is coming for Alicia because he sees her as a way to get even with Diane, Cary, and David Lee (Zach Grenier), whom he feels wronged his wife, Simone (Susan Misner), by firing her. Whether Simone was a corporate spy or not (she probably was not, but Louis may have tried to trick her into being one), her tears are genuine, and Louis wants revenge. Alicia is on good enough terms with Diane and Cary I don’t see her willingly participating in their downfall, but Louis is a master manipulator. How far can his scheme go before Alicia is clued in to the truth and ends their sure-to-be-temporary partnership?

While “Wanna Partner?” may not feel conclusive enough to close the sixth year on, it is a very good episode with a lot of interesting stories and some threads that are just getting started. The hour is yet another brilliant example of how the writers on this show juggle a lot of balls at once, letting them pass right through one another, and keeping them in the air for a very long time. CBS had better bring the show back.

THE GOOD WIFE has not yet been renewed, but a decision from CBS is expected no later than Wednesday morning. Chances currently look slightly better than even.

THE GOOD WIFE "Don't Fail"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

As soon as this week’s episode of THE GOOD WIFE opens on CBS with Alicia (Julianna Margulies) working on her memoirs, it’s clear that she isn’t ready for such a tedious, end-of-career task. Alicia is a lawyer, a do-gooder, restless and in need of a project. So when she stumbles upon a former client of hers, Brett Tatro (Dorian Missick, Southland), who needs assistance, though she does try to pawn him off on others at first, it’s no surprise that she ends up taking the case herself. She “Don’t Fail.”

THE GOOD WIFE is never one to grow stale, constantly changing up the structure of the characters’ lives in the series, but that doesn’t mean they don’t stay true to who they are. Alicia isn’t about to start a new career path, outside of the law, at this stage. She has her calling, what she’s meant to do, and despite major setbacks, she is going to find a way to do it. Even if her idea to do so may not be financially feasible, something Grace (Makenzie Vega) asks about and Alicia doesn’t have a good answer for.

This revelation comes to her when revisiting a story set in season one. The events of “Don’t Fail” are not recycled from the freshman run; the case has not been seen on screen before, it just takes place during that time period. This is a really poignant time to evoke the past, though, with Alicia feeling aimless and Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) gone. It’s with a certain amount of nostalgia that flashbacks show Alicia and Cary (Matt Czuchry) working for this client, and reminds both Alicia and the fans of the tone of those early days, which is long gone. Alicia thinks it’s time to get it back, at least sort of.

As usual, the courtroom is well-stocked with talent. You’re the Worst’s (an excellent FX sitcom) Aya Cash plays the naïve, young attorney who needs Alicia’s help to defend Brett. Kurt Fuller returns as cranky Judge Peter Dunaway, who hasn’t been seen since late 2013. The prosecutor is Matan Brody (Chris Butler), who appears much more frequently in past seasons than of late. These people make “Don’t Fail” a great episode as much as Alicia herself and what she’s going through.

I think Alicia is also nostalgic for her family, evidenced by the way she calls Zach (Graham Phillips) after hearing an old, taped conversation he has with Jackie (Mary Beth Peil), another recurring character whose frequency has majorly dropped off. But Alicia isn’t stuck in the past either, proven when she converts Zach’s room into her new office with nary a thought about him coming home, which of course he says he wants to do as soon as she has cleared the space. She is evaluating what she can get back and being happy with what she chooses to do now.

Will Alicia embark on this latest adventure alone? Well, she does ask Finn (Matthew Goode), the dispenser of the advice “Don’t Fail,” to join her. I don’t know if he will. He certainly likes Alicia and she is starting something he can get behind, so that leads me to believe he will accept. But he’s also practical and already has a job. It’s too bad Cary is in no position to leave the firm, as it’s awesome to see him pitch in and help Alicia, sharing a glass of wine together. But I don’t think he’d join a new startup with Alicia again so soon. And Grace offers to intern for her, but Alicia doesn’t jump at her daughter’s words, so I don’t know if that’ll happen.

My wish, and this is purely a wish, with no basis in any inside information, is that Cary and Diane (Christine Baranski) will acquire Alicia’s little office in the near future as a pro bono segment of their own organization, which solves everyone’s problems. It gives the firm a positive win that might even overcome R.D.’s objections to having Alicia there, helping repair the image caused by the leaked emails, and it means Alicia wouldn’t have to worry about money. This twist would make sense to come about mid-season next year, but we’ll see. I’m no fortune teller, and I’m sure whatever happens is something the writers are deciding or have already decided independent of whatever anyone says on the internet.

“Don’t Fail” is an inspiring hour that gets back to the roots of THE GOOD WIFE and the character of Alicia. It ends one chapter and begins another, while acknowledging that these people do not exist in a vacuum and cannot separate their lives into actual, stand-alone chapters. This is far from the procedural format that dominates so many broadcast networks, especially CBS, and truly has a special place in the television landscape.

THE GOOD WIFE’s season sixth season finale airs next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET and will feature the return and final appearance (at least as a main cast member) of Kalinda!

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.

No "Loser" With THE GOOD WIFE

Article originally written for Seat42F.

CBS’s THE GOOD WIFE was one of the few broadcast network shows airing on Easter Sunday, but those who ignored this installment, “Loser Edit,” because of the holiday missed out. Alicia (Julianna Margulies) grants an interview to Petra Moritz (American Horror Story’s Lily Rabe), who is doing a profile on her. But when Petra gets a hold of the firm’s hacked emails, which reveal Alicia’s affair with Will, it becomes a race not to hide the truth, but to deflect and minimize damage.

The persona of Saint Alicia has always been an interesting one. Those who know Alicia know that she’s not a saint, but in general, she’s a very respectable woman deserving of much of the praise she gets. Still, she is human, and there are temptations. Will is one of those temptations, and while we viewers, who witness what Peter (Chris Noth) does and how their marriage is basically over before anything happens with Will, understand Alicia’s choices, the public, who only see that packaged image, will not.

Is spin the best way to handle this? Eli (Alan Cumming) and Josh (David Krumholtz) think so, having Alicia deny as much as possible, admitting only to a flirtation, while scooping Petra in a petty way by distracting her and setting up other interviews in the meantime. But this dodging, this outright lying, while it does protect Alicia’s public image to some degree, also sends her further down the path of a politician. Alicia doesn’t settle in naturally to the role, but the more she compromises herself, the more she seems like Peter and others we’ve seen in that arena, and the further detached she becomes from Saint Alicia.

Even as “Loser Edit” finds Alicia weathering this storm OK, it spins up an even greater one as accusations of election tampering are lobbied against her. It’s certain that Alicia is not at all involved in voter fraud in her own election, but because there have been strong suspicions that Peter has rigged results in the past, this story carries a lot of potential damage for THE GOOD WIFE. The show is great at pulling skeletons out of closets, picking up threads long forgotten about, and this is the latest continuation of a story from an earlier season. It should be quite exciting.

While Alicia undergoes all of this, Diane (Christine Baranski) gets to work for her new client, R.D. (Oliver Platt). R.D. brings her into a mock trial on civil protection for homosexuals versus religious rights. It’s definitely another ripped-from-the-headlines case, this being a contentious issue of our day. After being given permission, nay, orders, to take the kid gloves off, Diane fights hard and wins the day, though seeing how she does so gives R.D. ideas on how to fight for the other side in a real court of law.

What I love about the way that THE GOOD WIFE handles this is that we get to see thoughtful opinions on both sides from nuanced characters. I agree with Diane, as will many viewers of the show. Her position is well known and, I think, well understood. What’s interesting about R.D., though, is that he approaches the issue from an argument I haven’t heard very well-articulated, someone who respects people who keep consistent values, and who can separate the individual from a widespread practice. He may not be doing right by his nephew (Wesley Taylor, Smash), nor the country in general, but one would be hard-pressed to argue that R.D. is stubborn or hate-filled. Very well done articulating a position that is so often misunderstood or miscommunicated.

The third subplot brings back Andrew (Tim Guinee), who is able, without much effort, to expose Kaldina’s (Archie Panjabi) data falsification. Even if the intention behind it is correct, Kalinda does something very, very wrong that will have bad ramifications for her, Diane, and likely the firm as a whole. Finn (Matthew Goode) tries to help a bit, because he apparently is the most understanding, nicest guy in the world, as anyone else in his place would be furious, but it won’t be enough. Kalinda is about to leave the show for good, and she will not be going quietly.

These three threads, all of which continue serial stories on THE GOOD WIFE, are all excellent, as is par for the program. It always impresses me how THE GOOD WIFE can churn out twenty-two high quality episodes a year, a feat that seems to elude practically every other broadcast network drama, staying timely, engaging, and surprising. Only a few weeks remain this year, but I am ready for the ride!

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

THE GOOD WIFE Fans "Recipients" of Another Great Installment

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Thank you for your advice. All options are open to me, and I’ll make a decision within 48 hours.

That’s the repeated refrain on this week’s installment of THE GOOD WIFE on CBS, “Undisclosed Recipients.” Alicia (Julianna Margulies) has won the State’s Attorney election, but that is just the beginning of her problems. She tries to play open and honest with everyone, donors and her partners at the law firm alike, but it doesn’t work too well. It’s time for her to start being a politician, and Eli (Alan Cumming) makes that very clear to her.

As much as one roots for Alicia to stand up to influence and do the right thing, it’s easy to see why Lemond (Mike Colter) and Redmayne (Ed Asner) think they should have influence over her. They did pour a lot of support into her campaign with the expectation of getting something in return. Alicia may not have agreed to terms, but she did take the money. She could have refused or made a stink about it, but she wouldn’t have won. Perhaps THE GOOD WIFE goes too easy on politicians and the influence of money, or perhaps they are just showing that even the best person is put in a difficult position within this broken system.

Eli provides a way out, backing up the stereotype that politicians are slimy liars. He tells her to deflect and appear to appreciate advice she won’t seriously consider. This works on Redmayne, and it works on Castro (Michael Cerveris), who is looking for professional respect. A variation of this also works on Alicia’s partners, whom are trying to lowball her in buying her out of the firm. But I don’t think it will work on Bishop.

Bishop isn’t a part of that world. He isn’t a public figure in the same way the rest are, preferring to dwell in the shadows. He also uses violence to fight, not words, giving him a different set of tools. Redmayne may forget that Alicia doesn’t choose who he wants, but Bishop won’t overlook Alicia refusing to call of an investigation on him. She could wind up hurt, or worse.

Alicia needs assistance in dealing with Bishop. I think it’s time she brings Eli and Marissa (Sarah Steele) fully into the loop here. Perhaps she puts them at risk by coming clean, but both have been very valuable advisors, different sides of the same coin with varying opinions. If the brain trust of these three can’t figure a way out of this, I’m not sure no one can.

The other thing that happens in “Undisclosed Recipients” is that a hacker leaks the firm’s emails because they are representing a client suing a file sharing site. Because these people let off steam, and also because they work with people they don’t always like, there are many damaging comments made that now come to light. Cary (Matt Czuchry), Diane (Christine Baranski), David Lee (Zach Grenier), Kalinda (Archie Panjabi), Lyman (Jerry Adler), and just-returned-from-New York Julius (Michael Boatman) all succumb to infighting over this. Alicia is spared only because the released emails are from the time of her campaign.

It’s interesting to see dirty laundry brought to light in this particular environment. The type of job and the sort of people who do this work create a much more tumultuous atmosphere than in most offices. Not everything said is what the authors are really thinking, though some of it is. I think it reminds us that we all find ways to work with people we don’t agree with or like, and we can’t condemn others for being no better than ourselves. It’s quite a thought-provoking story, as much as it is a juicy, dramatic one.

That Finn (Matthew Goode) lets comments Alicia pre-emptively admits to making about him roll off his back shows that he’s a different type of person that the rest of the cast. Or he just trusts Alicia more than he would most people, her actions speaking louder than words. He would be a great ally for her to have, a reasonable, logical individual who cares about her. I hope he takes the job as her deputy. Marissa, too, shows no judgment as she reads Alicia’s messages, so she also needs to stick around, given her considered take on the world (though it’s worth noting none are about her).

I also don’t think THE GOOD WIFE has seen the last of these emails. Alicia’s are not released, but they could be, as the hacker says they have two years’ worth of stuff. Given Alicia’s new job and how much more damaging this could be to her in the high-morality role, it seems too tantalizing a bait to not toss in the water. Expect this to come back up at some point, whether it’s sooner or later.

Once more, THE GOOD WIFE gives us excellent, engaging plot with authentic, layered characters in a very real situation. It rips from the headlines, but also stays true to the individuals created. I can find no flaw with “Undisclosed Recipients,” another excellent hour from the stellar series.

THE GOOD WIFE airs Sundays on CBS.