After the chaos of the last few weeks, it was only natural for the The Good Wife to settle down with a more low-key, straightforward hour. I guess it would be foolish of us to expect the show to sustain the war between the two firms with unwavering thrills on a weekly bases, so the case-of-the-week format had to pop back up eventually. The Next Month might not have made for terribly riveting television, but it did supply the show with a status quo again.
This week’s case didn’t exactly thrill me, but I was certainly entertained by Alicia and Carey hopping from court to court as they struggled to protect an almost-snitch from a pissed-off kingpin. The case was brought to Alicia and co by Nathalie Florres played by returning guest-star America Ferrera. Now I don’t remember much of Eli and Nathalie’s dynamic way back in season two, but Ferrera and Cumming are charming enough together to make it work. Eli has always been closely guarded, so it was amusing to watch him struggle to open up and ultimately make a move on Nathalie. These two could actually develop into quite the loveable duo if handled properly, so this subplot hasn’t lost me for now.
Can someone please explain to me why Marilyn still exists? Regardless of the fact that I inexplicably like Melissa George, the character is immensely grating. Why give her the whole pregnancy shtick if it’s not going to affect the plot in any way? Do the writers think it’s funny to have her constantly on the verge of puking while munching on Pop Tarts? It’s so painfully unnecessary, and it brings the show to a screeching halt.
I honestly don’t mind the fact that Kalinda is getting so little screen-time this season. The character used to be an engaging little enigma, but the writers did such a terrible job with her over the years (last year’s Nick debacle springs to mind with utmost precision), that I can honestly see the show thriving without her. Thankfully there’s Robin to take her place, and the frisky blonde really came into her own this week by making herself “indispensable”. Her placing a fake bullet was definitely controversial, but it was also undeniably awesome. More Robin shenanigans please.
Cases & Bits
– Yes the new offices are a dump at the moment, but I love them anyway.
– Lockhart/Gardner’s new branding is LG. Seriously? It’s not like a gargantuan electronics empire already owns that iconic name.
– Heartwarming/adorable moment: Alicia high-fiving the gang over their first new client.
– Will’s girlfriend Isobel returned this week, and we got finally proof that she unfortunately wasn’t a figment of his imagination as David Lee immediately told her about Alicia in his bid to cause some trouble.
– Since Marilyn annoyed me quite a bit this week, I absolutely loved Eli going berserk on her after she tattled on him to Peter over his Nathalie-infused decision.
– I get that every judge on this show has to have a quirk or two, but this episode’s justice needlessly quoting Bob Dylan was a bit lame.
– Whenever Howard Lyman gets more screen-time, I’m pleased. This week, he got to be tremendously inappropriate with Nathalie and his Mexican stereotypes, before apologizing and finally messing things up again by fist-bumping Nathalie’s black boss. Hilarious.
– Apparently, Josh Charles (Will Gardener) directed this episode. I guess the best compliment I can give him is that it felt like any other Good Wife episode in tone and style. I just wish he added some of his own flourishes to the proceedings.
– Lovely final scene with Alicia unwrapping her new chair and spinning around as Peter arrives for his visit and tells her that she’s going to “take over the world”. I genuinely love these two.
Good Lines
Marilyn: Eli what is going on?
Eli: I’ve changed my mind. Haven’t you ever changed your mind?
Marilyn: No
Eli: Well this is what it looks like.
Woman: We have rules.
Carey: Let me tell you something lady, your rules are right out of 1984 – the book not the year!
Conclusion
While not as explosive as the show’s latest stretch of episodes, The Next Month is an effective transitional hour into the next stage of The Good Wife‘s Journey.
Nad Rating
B
I'm really annoyed at Marilyn too. And not just because of this whole ethics thing that's actually bringing down florrick agos rather than helping them. Surely there's something other than pop tarts that she could eat? And why doesn't she just take a few days off work or something? She could even work from home!
It's such a mess the way Alicia left the firm. And i don't like that Kalinda is getting less scenes. I think there should be more Kalinda. And if there's gonna be more Alicia it should be with her kids. They're really interesting and now Alicia has more opportunity to be there for them. And when am I going to see more of these other associates?
Yes, thank god for the Robyn shenanigans. I think she's a great addition to the cast. I think it was really sad the way she went to see Kalinda. I really pitied her. When are the investigators going to get more appreciation? And didn't Kalinda tell Carey that she wanted to join him? What's going on?