A Few Words just might be one of my all-time favorite episodes of The Good Wife.
Alicia’s flashbacks were extraordinary, and they did a tremendous job of showcasing her inspiring journey. I particularly loved that these moments gave us a look into her pre-pilot life and the direct aftermath of her husband’s scandal. Julianna Margulies gave an absolutely astonishing performance (was there anything more gut-wrenching than watching her break down in the elevator after discovering her job had turned into an internship?) and I found myself genuinely proud of the character and everything she’d managed to accomplish.
I’ve said it a million times before, but Elsbeth Tascioni is one heck of a spectacular guest-star, and her appearance this week was no different. Not only did she hilariously accuse Nelson Dubeck’s video of being a GIF, she recorded his confession, and ultimately ran off with Rita Hect to form a two-woman firm. I can’t wait for these two to butt heads with our cast of characters in the near future. And the “dirty stinkin’ jew” debacle with the bear? Let’s just say I’d watch Carrie Preston in any subplot, no matter how whacky it may be.
Quite wonderfully, A Few Words was also an outstanding episode for Will, as we got several incredible gems between him and Alicia. Chief among them was their meeting the coffee shop. Not only was it beautifully staged with the two opposing one another, but it was immensely satisfying to hear them lay out everything on the table. The cherry on top? Alicia concluding that they “could never make it work” and calling the waitress a bitch before the two finally shook hands. Yep, much like everything else on The Good Wife, this scene was impeccably layered and glorious.
The final flashback with Will giving Alicia her original post at Lockhart/Gardner was also astounding. It brilliantly reminded us that Will did indeed take a chance on her (he was obviously very much in love), which was an intriguing parallel to their relationship today. Did Alicia in fact betray Will by leaving the firm? That’s completely up to us to decide, and just like life, the answer is far from obvious.
Cases & Bits
– Loved Alicia’s mini-celebration in the elevator before Will walks in.
– Terrific shot of Alicia in the waiting room surrounded by young interviewees.
– Alicia sees a picture of herself in a magazine under the headline “Collateral Damage”. Damn.
– Very real moment with Alicia being unable to find a wine bottle opener.
– Amazing sequence with Alicia imagining the different ways she called Will to land the job. Was she a feminist? Was she soft? Quite appropriately, her guilt is then manifested through Jackie who calls her a whore and a slut.
– I couldn’t help but notice that Juliana had to do a lot of staring into space while filming all those flashback transitions.
– Alicia’s first meeting with a smug Carey made me smile. My how things have changed.
– So Nelson Dubeck now has a video of Will with Jim Moody. I guess he’s going to be forced to testify against Peter now; brace yourselves people, this is going to get ugly
– Awesome continuity with Kalinda taken aback after flashback Will asks her to investigate Alicia Florrick (since she slept with her husband). The investigator later tells Will that Alicia lacks “killer instinct”, something we obviously know she has in spades today.
– It’s funny how Alicia’s speech wasn’t a total success, with people actually walking out. It’s that kind of realism that makes me adore the show; just because Alicia is our heroine, doesn’t mean everything she does will always turn out perfect.
– How great is a tipsy Alicia during the Rita Hect interview? “Crapital Structures”. Epic.
– Loved Alicia running into the original interview woman, Lorraine. The latter naturally tries to seduce Alicia with a high-powered job, which our heroine declines. So darn satisfying.
– Gorgeous final shot of Alicia smiling.
Good Lines
Host: Is there anything you’ll need for tomorrow?
Alicia: A speech.
Host: (nervous laugh). No I meant bottled water?
Elsbeth: By the way, you should look into a costume anti-semitic furry bear in Times Square.
Alicia: Of course the advantage of being a woman opting back in is that no one ever question why you opted out in the first place.
Alicia: She doesn’t like me and I don’t give a flying crap.
Will: Flying crap.
Alicia: Go to hell.
Alicia: (to Will) You’re enjoying your pain way too much.
Conclusion
Insightful and tremendously absorbing, A Few Words is a milestone hour and one of The Good Wife‘s finest episodes ever.
Nad Rating
A+
Believe it or not, Julianna Margulies just became my favorite actress OF ALL TIME. She does so much with her face without having to speak a single word. Just the way she moves her eyebrows is fascinating to watch sometimes. She needs to be on a new show STAT!
This episode restored my faith in Alicia/Will. I was Team Florrick for this entire season, but I'm definitely sold on Alicia/Will now. It's such a realistic (if not bittersweet) relationship and even if they don't end up together by the end of the show (ahem, if sometimes dies for example) it's still quite a beautiful relationship to watch.