The Good Wife - Running, S01E23 - Season Finale

The Good Wife is perhaps the best new show of the year...I'll give my final word on that in my evaluations of this past year's television series (at least the ones I've been watching). It's finale continued to promise it made at the beginning of the season, to deliver a good procedural with just the right amount of personal drama.

The case wasn't just another case. It never is. This cases are complex, and always involve a certain amount of moral questioning. But this case also brought out more complications on the personal side; exactly what I wanted before being made to wait 4 months for the next episode.

Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) found herself more involved in the case than she wanted to be when one of the cops accused of corruption was her lover. Things got even more difficult for her when the FBI agent (the female FBI agent, I should stress) who had shown interest her earlier in the season confronted her with the affair. Kalinda's questions was whether she was concerned about a possible information leak or whether she was jealous. The moments that followed confirmed that Kalinda is, at least, not only into men. Whether she is in fact bisexual, or whether she has a definite preference, or whether her love affairs are merely tools remain uncertain, and her sexual interest a mystery. But, as she so casually put it, what does it matter?

Cary (Matt Czuchry), meanwhile, put the screws to Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and his former employers by siding with Glenn Childs (Titus Welliver). He is so clearly angry about not being chosen; it's actually sad how little prepared he was for that possibility and how much he blames Alicia for his loss. And his inside knowledge allowed him to make Diane (Christine Baranski) choose between solid cross examination (outside the courtroom) or violation of the trust her lover, Kurt McVeigh (Gary Cole). Naturally, Diane's cross examination was to the point and perfect, and McVeigh had the sense to not take it personally.

Finally, Alicia. With Peter (Chris Noth) poised to run again, Alicia is a critical part of his campaign strategy. She practically promised Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) her cooperation when he switched to her law firm (the move that secured the job for her rather than Cary). And yet, Will (Josh Charles) has slowly been waking to the realization that he regrets nothing ever happened between them.

The last few moments of the episode were perfect. Moments before Alicia is to join Peter on stage, Will finally confesses his feelings. I loved, LOVED her response. She wants a plan. And although Will told her that not everything needs a plan, she insisted that everything important does. I could not agree with her more.

She has kids, she has a husband, she has the press breathing down her neck. Plans get us what we want, not wishful thinking.

And so, she hangs up, prepared to join Peter, only her phone starts ringing again. It's Will.

Does he have a plan?

Will she join Peter on the stage?

The perfect end to a fantastic first season of a series I love. Were you equally pleased?

The Good Wife - Hybristophilia, S01E22

While Lockhart & Gardner continue to downsize, Alicia (Julianna Marguelies) is relieved to know that her job is safe. Things are starting to look good for the Florricks, with Peter (Chris Noth) almost in the clear, and Alicia secure in her employment. But if everything always worked out perfectly without any difficulties, that The Good Wife would not be a very interesting drama.

Slightly drunk, Alicia is asked to get some final contracts from Colin Sweeney (Dylan Baker), whom we met earlier in the season and who is famous for having killed his wife even though he was never convicted of the crime. She's not looking forward to the encounter, and is even more upset when she walks in to find him cuffed to the naked dead body of a woman. That man is SO disturbing.

And while she is again forced to combat her personal sense of decency and morality to defend a man she is certain is guilty, if not of this crime at least of some crime, she also has to fight her own revulsion about playing the game of getting ahead in a law firm. Did she make a deal with the Devil when she began recruiting for Lockhart & Gardner through Peter? I suspect we'll see that develop next season.

Meanwhile, Cary (Matt Czuchry) joined Glenn Childs (Titus Welliver), clearly bent on revenge against Alicia, and Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) and Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston) worked to clear Peter of the charges once and for all.

Poor Eli. Elsbeth gives off the illusion of incompetence, which encourages everyone around her to underestimate her. Eli was in quite a panic about how his trial was going (and when I say "his" I am indicating that Eli clearly is a control freak and possessive over all aspects of any of his jobs), but Elsbeth impressed him tremendously when she showed him just how competent she really is.

Also, I loved when Eli confronted the FBI about their spying on Peter. Pins, magnets, posters on buses. What ever he does, he does to just the perfect degree of over the top.

With only one episode left of the season, I'm excited to discover the cliffhangers we are offered to keep us desperate for Season 2.

The Good Wife - Unplugged, S01E21

The Good Wife combines the 2 most important things for a successful television program, brilliant writing and a phenomenal cast. I spend every minute loving every character and every choice, even if I find myself upset or angry at the same time.

After months of watching, the decision Diane (Christine Baranski) and Will (Josh Charles) had to make between Cary (Matt Czuchry) and Alicia (Julianna Marguelies) finally had to be made. It was delayed and delayed, and I was never certain who they would pick. Yes, Alicia is the lead, and choosing to not have her as part of the team would have made it difficult to have plot lines integrating her personal story with the goings-on at the law firm, but it could have been done. Cary certainly earned our regret over his having been passed over.

Still, I likely would have chosen Alicia myself. That's just the kind of person I am. I respect Cary for always putting himself first, for being there to win, but he doesn't have loyalty. Alicia wants to win, and has loyalty which I will never doubt. Cary made choices specifically to try to win the competition; Alicia made the same choices she will make now that she has secured the job. And the thing that made the difference was her making the effort to do what was asked of her so she could keep that job. She made a deal with Eli Gold (Alan Cummings) and proved she was ready to take those steps for her job and for her company. Loyalty wins out.

The only question is, Does this mean no more Cary?

The Good Wife - Mock, S01E20

And it's a win for Team Florrick. Peter (Chris Noth)'s desperate and crazy move of following Alicia (Julianna Margulies) out of the apartment to try to get her back seems to have worked, and I'm sure many of us have mixed feelings about this.

Peter's move, provoked by raw emotion rather than any kind of thought, is the sort of action we all wish a man would take to prove that he loves us. That is, if we ignore the fact that such a move was very likely to get him thrown in jail. And if his move didn't get your heart going with excitement and terror, his children's actions following his choice just made the heart melt. Grace (Makenzie Vega) and Zach (Graham Phillips) did what they could, including Zach breaking his arm, to keep their father home with them. And who didn't love Elsbeth Tascioni (True Blood's Carrie Preston)? Lawyers with that much sass get what they want very easily.

The rest of the episode didn't have the same flare or energy as those first moments, which was a little disappointing. I'm not sure if it was the unstructured nature of the case Alicia was pursuing on her own time, or the lack of interaction between the firm partners and the juniors, but it didn't have the same magic as The Good Wife usually does. But by the end of the episode, when returning to the family drama, we were back at the edge of our seats when a man who threatened to inform on Peter was found dead...apparently having committed suicide.

Despite one case I wasn't enthralled by, The Good Wife is one of the best new shows, and promises to have some great episode concluding the rest of the season, as well as more excitement in season 2.

The Good Wife - Boom, S01E19

The drama in the court room and the drama at home are both heating up, and it's hard to say which is going to go up in flames first.

Stern (Kevin Conway) returned not only to screw with Lockhart & Gardner by taking them on in court, but also tried to poach some of their lawyers. Cary (Matt Czuchry) used the attempt to get him to transfer to prove his loyalty to Will (Josh Charles) and Diane (Christine Baranski), while Alicia (Julianna Marguelies) defeated Stern in court because of her inside information about his mental deterioration. Both Cary and Alicia are continuing to prove their worth, and it will not be an easy decision for Will and Diane to make.

At home, Peter (Chris Noth) continues to pursue finding God, but when he finally was able to take his family to church, he used to opportunity to meet in secret with someone who was trying to hurt him politically. Alicia caught him, and, absolutely sick of being used by Peter for his political agenda, finally arranged to have that dinner with Will we've all been so excited about.

Peter, realizing that he was in dangerous water, followed her out of the apartment, despite the fact that this set off his ankle monitor. My question, does this constitute a win for Team Florrick or for Team Gardner?

The Good Wife - Doubt, S01E18

Although the timeline between what was being discovered by our regular players and what the jury was considering was a little confusing at time, I absolutely loved how the two played off each other. The expectation of the jury members, and their considerations, were wonderfully timed with the revelations to fill me with great doubt about what their verdict would be.

I never doubted for a moment the innocence of Bianca Price (Kelli Barrett). I'm not sure why this was, why I never thought her guilty even when McVeigh (Gary Cole) indicated that the evidence revealed her as such. Still, I could understand the doubts of the jury members as they debated what happened.

Gardner & Lockhart did botch the trial a little. Their first ballistics expert was just not useful, and when they brought in McVeigh, although he had determined her innocence based on a new piece of evidence, the revelations that he had slept with Diane (Christine Baranski) completely compromised his testimony. I don't know much about the law, but I feel like there must be some cause in all of that for an appeal or a request for a retrial even if Bianca had been convicted and sentenced for 45 years.

I was really saddened by Bianca's choice to take the plea bargain, even before it was certain that the jury would actually have found in her favour. I think she could have appealed, I think she should have help up hope that the jury would at the very least have reasonable doubt, and I think that 10 years in jail and a 2nd degree murder charge does not remotely mean she will have her life back at 34.

Doubt permeated this episode, from the trial, to Diane's relationship, to the tension between Will (Josh Charles) and Alicia (Julianna Marguelies). And the lesson is don't let doubt rule you, just stick to good judgement.

The Good Wife - Heart, S01E17

What an amazing episode - this show continues to improve week after week. And the sensitive topics brought up, bringing out the vulnerability of our least vulnerable characters...now that is good television.

The moment we discover that Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and Will (Josh Charles) are working on a case that involves a pro-life/pro-choice debate, the tension is up. Invariably, this subject must be approached with caution, or else a show is likely to alienate about half its viewers.

And as always, The Good Wife approaches the case, and there fore the subject, from the point of view of the law. Feelings will not sway the course of judgement - only law can do that.

For the first half of the episode, Will is, as always, certain that the case will be won. He, therefore, refuses to make a deal, which would involve dropping a civil suit involving over 60 couples who were denied the insurance for life-saving surgeries performed on their babies while the baby was still considered a fetus.

And when the judge is forced to rule against the couple, Will cannot be indifferent.

Our big tough lawyer, who is willing to make a deal with drug dealers to keep his firm from going under, is reduced to tears because he did not choose to drop the civil suit. He could have, and the insurance company would have paid, but he did what he had to do for the many. And he hates himself that it hurt that one family. To see him at such a moment of weakness and vulnerability, his strength not fully and always for show, just gave another layer to the character.

It was also a perfect moment for that first kiss between him and Alicia. Had it happened in any other way, I doubt I would have believed it. Despite everything, Will has a real sense of honour, and he never would have done anything to hurt Alicia in regards to her husband or her job if he had not been in such pain, in such need of the love and reassurance of another human being.

And when she fled, and came back, and left again, she went to Peter (Chris Noth). She too needed the reassurance of another human being, preferably her husband whom she still wants to love.

The scene where Alicia begs Will not to hate her, and he admits that they've never had good timing, was also expertly performed. Such honest moments are rarely shown on television, and my heart went out to both characters, both who are subject to the whims of fate and timing.

The Good Wife continues to be amazing; I can't wait to see how the rest of the season develops and how they will top the whole thing next season.

The Good Wife - Fleas, S01E16

As Lockhart and Stern continues to suffer financial concerns, they take up a cause that is more than a little morally dubious. A drug dealer's lawyer is accused of allowing his client to see a witness list, resulting in the murder of one of those witnesses.

Though I far prefer Will (Josh Charles) to Diane (Christine Baranski), the latter has been gaining my affections of late. She is not pleased with the idea of working for people whom they suspect strongly t0 be guilty, regardless of the fact that the guilty have equal right to representation. She wants to stay above board, whereas Will just wants to keep the firm afloat.

By the end of the episode, though, they are both in agreement that a better solution than having multiple drug-dealing clients would be to get a new third partner who would bring new clients into the firm, and therefore increase the revenue.

Diane's treatment of Alicia (Julianna Margulies) has also settled. And this at the same time as Will has become more skittish. He has no real idea of how to behave towards Alicia now that Peter (Chris Noth) has been released from prison, so thank God Diane is no longer against our heroine, or she'd be in real trouble.

And, if we weren't already well aware of the strain of Peter and Alicia's relationship, this episode highlighted it brilliantly. We don't really know why Alicia had condoms in her bedside table. Though we know that Zach (Graham Phillips) searched for them at the end of the episode, we don't know that he put them there in the first place. But Peter's reaction to the condoms was so full of jealous pain that we know he could not really blame Alicia if she was sleeping with someone else.

Alicia stayed with Peter when most women would have left, but that does not mean she has forgiven him, or that he has forgiven himself. He wants his wife back. He wants her to want him. But she is still to mad. And he can't trust her because he cannot blame her if she did want someone else, and he knows, as we all do, that Will would be more than willing to help her out there.

Alicia's reaction, though, was perfect. So angry and defiant! She let Peter know that she is not the one who has to earn his trust, and that she is going to do what she wants.

Finally, though, I want to again commend Alan Cumming's character, Eli Gold. When they discovered that Zach's horrid girlfriend, Becca (Dreama Walker) was spreading rumours on Twitter, he shut her down so fast! As he confronted her, she screamed to a passing police officer, but he did nothing as he recognized Gold. Whether Gold hired a police officer he knew to pass at that moment, or whether he knows so many of the police officers in the city is actually hard to guess, considering the type of man he is. But his comment to her was even better than any other part of his plan. "Have you seen Drag me to Hell? It will be just like that."

Mad Men may just have to look out; there's another drama that is hitting the mark every time.

The Good Wife - Bang, S01E15

The Good Wife is one of the best shows on television, and as such does not necessarily generate as many comments as the worst. It is far easier to pinpoint and mock shows that are abysmally bad than to intelligently express why one is such a success, but I will endeavor to do it nonetheless.

Julianna Margulies.

Does that sum it up well for you? While there can be no denying (thanks to a SAG award) that the ensemble of the Good Wife is excellent, Margulies is the focal point of that talent, and she is able to bring out the best in everyone she works with.

In Bang, when Alicia (Margulies) and Will (Josh Charles) have their brief...discussion, let's call it, about why he removed her from the case she was working, the chemistry and tension between the two was so potent and powerful that I immediately wanted to cast my chips in with the Alicia/Will shippers. But then Peter (Chris Noth) has a scene with Alicia, and I'm right back to wanting the couple to properly reconcile. Must be nice to be able to generate those kind of emotions with two such attractive men, and then go home to your real-life husband at the end of the day.

While I could go on about Margulies' portrayal of Alicia for a good longtime, there were some terrific moments for the other cast members in this episode which I cannot neglect.

First of all, Cary (Matt Czuchry) had a very small, but unforgettable moment with Santa Claus on the stand. That's right, an old man named Nick was testifying, and he was making the prosecution look good because who doesn't love a man who looks like Santa and plays him at malls. But Cary, in a brilliant delivery at the court room, managed to make Santy go from resembling Kris Kringle at the end of Miracle on 34th street to the man Kris replaced as Santa Claus in the parade. Bad on the prosecution for putting someone who couldn't take the heat up on the stand.

I also cannot neglect the appearance of a new character, Eli Gold. Portrayed by the delightful Alan Cumming, Gold immediately set the stage for the kind of character he is - efficient and not willing to put with with any bs - but pulling his pants down so that someone who was pissing him off could kiss his ass. I am very excited about his appearance because it certainly looks like it will be a lot of fun.

Finally, my favourite subplot of the night was between Diane (Christine Baranski) and the ballistics expert, Kurt McVeigh (Gary Cole). The play between their two attitudes and personalities was simply wonderful. And the gifts they sent each other at the end, Going Rogue for Diane; Going Rouge for McVeigh...perfect. Absolutely perfect.

The writers are giving something solid to terrific actors who continue to hit it out of the park. Do you love it?

The Good Wife - Hi, S01E14

This episode, the last before the two week Olympic hiatus, was an obvious game changer. The structure of the show must now pull the focus away from Alicia (Julianna Margulies)'s independent life as a lawyer, and focus on her family life, because Peter (Chris Noth) came home.

Despite Peter's hearing, Alicia was working a case - one in which a baby sitter had been murdered, and the father of the children looked to be guilty. As always, the case gave us mystery. Who had killed the girl? Why? What could be proven? And even more interesting, the case brought up questions of ethics. Was there anything actually illegal about Alicia removing certain items from a studio that would likely soon be called a crime scene? After all, it wasn't a crime scene yet, so while morally ambiguous, the Law did not come into play.

But those aspects were not the most interesting of the episode.

Instead, a conversation between Alicia and Cary (Matt Czuchry) reminds us that these two are on probation, and at the end of that 6 months, one of them is going to go. We finally get to see the tender side of Cary, who despite wanting the job so badly, admits that he doesn't want Alicia to go. And she feels the same way. What will the writers to do keep Cary in the picture, while not making us, the audience, roll our eyes if it is contrived?

And then Peter had his trial. Was I the only person cheering when Kalinda (Archie Panjabi), who seemed to have sided with Glenn Childs (Titus Welliver), used her knowledge to alert the judge that if he allowed the evidence in, he would be on the list of clients? Client 12 was pissed off, and I have to think that he granted Peter a new trial not only because he did not want that evidence to be admissible, but because he refused to allow another man to be manipulated by someone or something that could manipulate him too.

And so, Peter comes home. What a brilliant end to the episode, with Peter at the door, home at long last.

So what happens now? How do Peter and Alicia, who still have so much love for each other, but still have so much scar tissue, move forward? Tune in tomorrow night and we can find out together.

The Good Wife - Bad, S01E13

Though Peter(Chris Noth)'s trial was an important part of this episode, I was far more drawn by the confusion over Alicia (Julianna Margulies)'s case.

Colin Sweeney (Dylan Baker), which is a name that makes me think serial killer the moment I hear it, was found not guilty of killing his wife, but everyone believes he did do it. Now, his step-daughter is suing him in civil court - he should not inherit any money from a death that he caused.

Alicia believes that Sweeney killed his wife, yet she still does her best to defend him. Even at the end of the episode, when it looks like the daughter was the one who committed the murder when the body was finally found on her farm, Alicia is still convinced that he is the murderer.

And I can't decide whether or not she is right. Dylan Baker knows how to maximize his creep-factor, and his portrayal of Sweeney was not meant to be sympathetic - the S+M, the other women, the violent paintings on his wall. Many people are very uncomfortable with what he considers normal sexual behaviour, and he makes no effort to hide who he is or make himself more socially acceptable.

And thus my confusions. Is this man, though in many ways a social deviant, a murderer? Do his different social norms go so far as guiltless murder? Or is the sweet and pathetic step-daughter the actual killer, insinuating herself so carefully into society that no one would suspect her first? The best defense is not to be noticed or suspected, which Sweeney clearly did not do, but perhaps he could not, or it was too late anyway.

Though at the end of the episode, Alicia still believed Sweeney to have murdered his wife, framing the step-daughter, I still cannot be sure. Often, the most obvious suspect - the cheating, bondage-loving husband - is the murderer, but sometimes, he is not.

Who do you think killed Sweeney's wife?

The Good Wife - Painkillers, S01E12

I feel like a change is coming for The Good Wife, like in Mary Poppins, when the wind turned, and suddenly everything was different, and yet still the same.

And I'm not worried that this change is going to be detrimental to my enjoyment of the show, but rather that is means we are now going to have events occurring that cannot be undone.

Since the series began, there has been an excellent balance between Alicia (Julianna Margulies)'s home life and her work life. And these lines have not yet begun to blur, despite the possibility that Will (Josh Charles) has feelings for Alicia. Quite impressively, the two worlds have not intersected any more than they would in reality.

The focus of her home life, however, is coming into view. While it started with the hazy idea that her home life was upset by her husband's affair and arrest, now that aspect of her personal life is taking over. Even the issues with Zach (Graham Phillips) and his girlfriend, Becca (Dreama Walker), revolves around Peter (Chris Noth). And a choice has to be made - will Peter be freed? If he is, how will that change things? If he is not, how will that change things?

Most importantly, who's side is Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) on? Will she help Peter, or is her intention to roll on him?

The Good Wife - Infamy, S01E11

We are in January and shows are back after the Christmas break, starting with the highly acclaimed The Good Wife. Despite the ever increasing expectations, this show continues to deliver with interesting court cases, unique moments, and an intriguing conspiracy.

The last episode before the break (which I blogged about yesterday), had nothing to do with Peter Florrick (Chris Noth) and the reasons he finds himself in jail, and, at first, Infamy seemed equally directed elsewhere. Alicia (Julianna Margulies), although interested in a slander case which she had been preparing for two months, was sidetracked to consult on a divorce case. As she sat in the office with the lawyer and would-be divorcee, her attention was distracted by the shenanigans of the accused reporter bursting into what was supposed to be a settlement in a conference room across the hall. The divorce case had no interest for her, and thus even less for us, until we all discovered that the husband of the woman seeking divorce was Glen Childs, the man who put Peter in jail.

What a brilliant beginning, particularly after a lengthy break. There is still a case for the firm which makes us confront the morality of the law and our rights, but we cannot forget Alicia and Peter as individuals, as well as unfortunates caught up in someone else's game.

To miss an episode of this show, and thus to miss another reveal about Childs' plot or a discovery that the new information this episode will lead Alicia and Peter to is unthinkable.

Plus, seeing Will (Josh Charles) in a romantic situation with another lawyer, and not only to have it interrupted by the rumour that he slept with Alicia, but to discover that he has not been his usual sexual active self the last 6 months can only make me ask why! What were his previous habits and why did they change! And what was it about this lawyer, other than her tattoos, that made him bounce right back into his old habits?

What do you think? And where do you think Alicia and Peter's arch is going?

The Good Wife - Lifeguard, S01E10

From the sampling of mid-season finales I've seen so far this season - and I will admit I'm behind and there are several I have yet to view - it no longer appears to be common practice to have game-changing cliff-hangers. And, frankly, I'm disappointed with that.

Don't get me wrong; I am still excited to see the next episode of The Good Wife, and I quite liked Lifeguard...but, and yes there is a but, I want something more. Maybe it's that I want a reveal about the general direction of the over-arching plot line, and all I got was another solid episode, developing the story at the same pace as previous episodes. I almost think that leaving things as they stood at the end of episode 9, with that kiss, might have been more appropriate.

Lifeguard aired, however, and there is no reason to regret it.

This particular episode was rife with recognizable guest stars, so check out the Star Count. It is interesting how actors always carry their past roles with them, and so the minute I saw Tony Goldwyn, whom I recognize best as Patrick Swazye's deceitful best friend in Ghost, I was apprehensive. And I was right to be, since he, playing Judge Baxter, sent a young defendant off to juvie despite a plea bargain decided upon by his lawyers.

The plot of the episode was not original. I watched an episode of Law and Order not too long ago where a Judge was also sending children to juvenile detention centers for a kickback. Despite the quality of The Good Wife, there are only so many court room plots, however, the use of this device to develop our main characters was fantastic.

Diane (Christine Baranski) was asked to become a judge, but when she refused to ignore the possibility that Baxter was corrupt, she was asked not to run.

Will (Josh Charles), despite his friendship with Baxter - it was good to finally see Will in a context outside the office, and to have someone call him on his attraction to Alicia (Julianna Margulies) - also held to his morals. He may defend pharmaceutical companies against the common people, but he sticks to the law. Sending children to jail for money just doesn't work for him, and his friend was made to face the law for his crime.

Alicia had the least amount of focus this episode, but sometimes that is important. An audience needs to love not only the main character, but also those who surround her and create her universe. While the success of The Good Wife is largely due to Julianna Margulies creation of a vulnerable but powerful, easily relatable woman, the rest of the cast supports her perfectly.

Enjoy tonight's episode as The Good Wife resumes!

The Good Wife - Threesome, S01E09

I am never disappointed by this show. It is not at all my usual fare, but I am glad to be catching up and am very excited for Tuesday's new episode. As I power through the end of the first half of season 1, I suspect I will be quite upset when I must once again wait week to week for the next episode.

We finally met the third partner at the law firm where Alicia (Julianna Margulies) works. Stern (Kevin Conway) is a man who was at his best during the 70s, fighting against social inequalities and the like, but he was still quite a success until about a year ago. Will (Josh Charles) and Diane (Christine Baranski) are concerned with the effect that his current behaviour will have on the firm, but in the end, Stern chooses to leave the firm without a fight to start another.

It's not a good idea. Though Alicia had him cleared of an accusation of a DUI, the reason Stern crashed his car is because he has dementia. The firm is better off without him, and Alicia, though she stated her admiration for the man throughout the episode, declined the opportunity to go with him. He suspects this is out of loyalty to Will, though I know it's because she is too ethical to practice law with a man who is no longer fit to do so. Still, Stern tells her that Will will stab her in the back if it benefits him.

And so let us now address the question of Will. This is not the first time Alicia has been warned against him, though Peter was the first, and, as her husband, his comments had to be taken with a grain of salt. Stern's too, really. Still, what kind of man is Will? What motivates him, and what will he do to accomplish something? One also has to question the danger Alicia is in from him - he seems to have a particular affection for her, which might be romantic. Then you have to ask yourself if that means he might undermine Peter (Chris Noth) any way he can if his goal is Alicia.

As for Alicia and her family, the call girl Peter was sleeping with decided to get a book published and was giving interviews about her affair. Peter was genuinely concerned about Alicia's reaction to the mess, and when she, distressed, told him that the call girl was harassing her at work, he made her stop. He threatened her with telling a previous lover, with criminal connections, that her book included information on him. She went crying to Alicia, telling her that her husband was a monster, but how stupid do you have to be to tell your lover the secrets of another lover. As a woman, if you want to play that game, you have to have all the secrets and divulge non of your own. I can't really have any sympathy for her.

And so the episode ended with Alicia showing up, kissing Peter, and leaving again. Is this a return of trust? A good bye? Or simply a thank you?

The Good Wife - Unprepared, S01E08

If you haven't already heard, Julianna Margulies has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress based on her performance in the first 10 episodes of The Good Wife.

The show is well written, and the ensemble is solid, but it is truly Margulies performance as Alicia Florrick that has made this show a success.

In Unprepared, she is shocked to learn that her husband, Peter (Chris Noth), may be released on bail and that she is to testify on his behalf. While most episodes to date have had a solid balance between Alicia's personal life and her new career, the court case Alicia worked in this episode received far less attention than Peter's did. But that is how it should be.

Yes, Alicia continued to work, and we had some delightful moments for both Cary (Matt Czuchry) and Will (Josh Charles), with Cary demonstrating an improvement in his questioning tactics and Will saying "No pain, no gain." To which Diana (Christine Baranski) responded "Did you really just say that?" "Yes, I did." The case was won, and the awkward accused was allowed to continue her life and her research. The show did not neglect this side of the plot, but the focus was on Peter in force.

Zach (Graham Phillips) and Grace (Makenzie Vega) got a little more screen time as well, though it is obvious that Phillips is still a young actor. His scene with Grace lacked commitment, and his timing and reactions were off. Later, however, in a scene between Zach and his mom, he held is own. Young actors always benefit when playing opposite talented and experienced ones.

The absolute best moment of the episode was when Alicia was on the stand. Until then, she had been uncertain about the potential of Peter's release and how that would affect the new life she was building, but the moment she took the stand, she was confident. She absolutely destroyed the prosecutor with the grace and accuracy that she always demonstrates in the court room.

Our certainty about how well she would manage had earlier been put into question when Peter's lawyer told her that lawyers often made the worse witnesses, knowing what they were supposed to say and how, but failing to put it into practice.

In the end, Peter was not granted bail. Whether because a friend betrayed him and he was innocent or because a friend betrayed him and he was guilty, we don't know. We don't know that Peter is innocent or guilty, and in many ways we don't care. I am far more interested in his relationship with Alicia. They were so happy - why did he have affairs? Why did he risk his family like that? What do you think?

The Good Wife - Unorthodox, S01E07

I never know what to expect every week on the Good Wife. Certainly a court case and some development in Alicia (Julianna Margulies)'s life, but what direction that will take. And despite this, though I don't feel like I must watch the next episode to discover the result of x, y, or z, I want to watch the next episode because it will be intelligent, exciting and it will teach me somewhere new.

This week's episode, not only did we deal with a case that at best was considered fraud and at worst antisemitism, but we also faced the question of why Alicia did not divorce Peter (Chris Noth).

When Alicia was paired with an independent lawyer, Ryan Alprin (Chris Bowers), to defend the daughter of one of the partners - she and her husband were orthodox Jewish and had not repaired a cable on the sabbath because they were not allowed to - a strange connection developed between the two. There was definitely some chemistry, though Alicia continued to ask Ryan to stop pursuing it as she is married. And there's the question. Why is she still married to Peter after everything? Because, as we learned by the end, you don't throw a good marriage away over one mistake, even if it's a very bad mistake.

As the reactions over the end of Don and Betty's relationship on Mad Men show us, people would much rather watch a couple in trouble end their relationship and move on than try to salvage it. Apparently it's too much work. But every marriage is a lot of work, and the point is that when you make those vows, you mean you will put in all the work that is possible before you abandon ship. And a ship can take a whole lot of hull damage and still float, still be brought to shore and repaired. I like Alicia all the more for her refusal to simply cut the cord when things got bad.

Still she and Ryan's connection was intriguing, and Will (Josh Charles) showed some bristly jealousy. Plus, Ryan undercut Will with comments about a court case won through delays rather than in court. Ryan was doing very well unlike Alicia discovered his secret - he never actually passed the bar exam. And then it was done. While Will, for all the secrets he has and the misgivings we may have despite liking him very much, follows the letter of the law to help his client, whether the corporate monster or the vulnerable human, Ryan did not respect the law at all, risking every court case he fought.

The other man in Alicia's life, her son Zach (Graham Phillips) also gave her grief this week when he stole his grandmother's credit card and called a sex line. He was, of course, trying to figure out who faked some inappropriate pictures of his dad, but that's not the way it looked. But I love how Alicia is not the type of mom to freak out about it. He's 13, of course he's going to be interested in porn and sex and all that stuff. It's so normal that it's hilarious that that's not what he's up to.

Can't wait till next week, though who knows what developments may take place. Can you?

The Good Wife - Conjugal, S01E06

The Good Wife continues to be terrific television, as we not only examine the inner workings of a law firm and courtroom, but also the personal tragedies involved with wrongful convictions.

Alicia (Julianna Marguelies) and Cary (Matt Czuchry) worked together for once, trying to successfully get in a last minute appeal. Though they submitted the appeal on time, it was rejected. Still, both having been approached by the wife of the convicted man, Alicia and Cary convinced the firm to try an appeal based on the fact that the man was entirely innocent, and not just that the case had not been tried fairly.

The most interesting part of the episode was the demonstration of how difficult it is to be an eye witness and to actually recognize someone in a line up. We watched brief videos, and then had to identify who we'd seen from 6 photos. I did not succeed on any, and neither did the characters, even though we had just seen the video and most line ups take place days or even weeks after the initial event.

What do we actually see or notice when we see a person once, for only a moment. A t-shirt or a hat is easier to place, rather than the person wearing them.

To win the case, Alicia again went to her husband, Peter (Chris Noth), and got advice that eventually won them the case and freed an innocent man from jail. Margulies and Noth have such amazing chemistry, you can't help but want to see them together, but is Peter actually innocent? And even if he is, can they get over the even bigger issue of his affairs?

The draw to this show is two-fold - the interesting court cases and Alicia's personal life. So far, both have maintained an average of excellence that exceeds expectation.

Do you agree?

The Good Wife - Crash, S01E05

This was the first episode where Alicia (Julianna Margulies) had to make a personal decision in regards to the court case she was working.

The situation? After a train crash, the widows of the three operators who died in the crash are suing the company for compensation, but the company claims the husbands were the cause of the crash. Digging through the information, Alicia gets a tip that the engineer was already aware of the problem that caused the crash. The problem? The tip came from a woman who knew only because she was having an affair with the engineer, and she doesn't want to testify or her husband and family will find out. Alicia will have to put this woman and her family through the same hell that Peter (Christ Noth)'s case caused the Florricks.

And she does her job, puts the woman through hell, but gets justice for the widows. And her young daughter, Grace (Makenzie Vega), told her to do it.

Things also began to develop in Alicia's personal life as the tension between herself and her mother-in-law grows. Jackie (Mary Beth Peil) does not like Alicia much, and defied her by bringing the children to jail to visit Peter though Alicia told her not to. Peter is also aware of the issues, though his mother is also feeding him concerns. When Alicia went to visit him, he became concerned that her relationship with her boss, Will (Josh Charles), was becoming personal. He still loves Alicia and doesn't want her to give up on him. He is terribly jealous, which is almost typical from a man who cheated on her.

His comments on Will were that the man is not exactly as he seems. That may be so, and I can't wait to see where that goes. After all, a good looking, high powered lawyer must have some reason he's still single.

Finally, Diane (Christina Baranski) and Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) had an interesting side plot. Diane had Kalinda follow her boyfriend, under the pretext that he might soon join the firm as a partner. In reality, he was her boyfriend. Kalinda discovered that he was not faithful, and told Diane that, though keeping up the pretense. She also managed to get herself a raise, pointing out how useful she could be, and Diane accepted.

It was nice to see a softer side of Diane, since I'm so used to seeing her as a sort of enemy to Alicia and not as her own multidimensional character.

Can't wait for next week.

The Good Wife - Fixed, S01E04

This show continues to impress me. It is a great mix of court room and family drama. You care about the developments in Alicia's life, but you also get an interesting, self-contained court case. I would not want to miss an episode, but if I did, I could pick up the next week without suddenly being completely confused.

The case this week involved a young husband suing a pharmaceutical company because, after taking a drug, he went from being an Iron Man to being in a wheelchair. If he and his wife won this case, than over 100 other athletes and young people who had been also affected by the drug would be able to bring a class action lawsuit against the same company and have precedence to win.

Diane (Christine Baranski)'s case was going well, and the defendant's attorney (True Blood's Chris Bauer*) does not have a particularly strong defense. Then, Alicia (Julianna Margulies) finds a piece of paper which indicates that either juror #2 or #11 is being bribed. They don't know which one, and they can't even know for sure that it is true. In their pursuit to find the truth, juror #2 is removed from the jury, though when this occurs, they are certain she is not bought. Juror #11 is being paid though, but when they bring this to the attention of the judge, he is fed up and says it's too late and the jury's decision will rest.

The jury finds in favor of the young couple, and Alicia is quite pleased until she realizes that it was the couple who bribed the jury. She brings her findings to Diane, thinking something must be done, but Diane reminds her they already brought their concerns to the judge, they have fulfilled their legal duty. Alicia's reaction to the entire case is a very unique combination of naive expectations and legal requirements. She wants to find the corrupted juror, for the integrity of the case, not to prevent a possible loss, and she is surprised to discover that the law only requires so much.

But she really had bigger personal concerns this week. Hounded by Peter (Chris Noth)'s lawyer, Daniel Goldson (Joe Morton*), she tries to find letters from Peter's past. If information exists that Peter was not being bribed, it is up to her to find it. Worse is the fact that the new tactic is to prove that Peter's lies during the investigation were to prevent Alicia from discovering his affair, to protect her, and not to hide any other legal issues. No one seems to realize just how hurt Alicia still is over the affair. Peter really has so much to do if he ever wants to return to her good graces, and it hasn't even occurred to him.

Can't wait to find out what happens next week, can you?