How brilliant was Eli’s focus group this week? I love that The Good Wife was able to pull off such a meta subplot which poked fun at its heroine with viewpoints that a large portion of the audience might believe themselves. Why did Alicia stand by her husband after everything he did to her? Is she in love with her own pain, and does she often act “entitled”?” In addition, having Alicia incessantly flash back to that singular focus-group girl criticising/complimenting her decisions gave us a fascinating look into our heroine’s psyche: as much as she wants to be a good person, she is often selfish (that soup kitchen shtick wasn’t exactly selfless), and she alway’s wondering what people think of her at any given time. Kudos writers, this entire storyline was stunning realized.
Although I’m utterly sick of Kalinda and whatever female agent she has in tow for the week, I will say that this episode’s ending was certainly intriguing. It definitely feels like Kalinda’s decision to not hide Bishop’s hearing device in Delany’s purse will signal the character’s eventual downfall. Will Kalinda get offed by Bishop by the end of the season? Or perhaps she’ll have to ditch town? Whatever happens, I’m actually interested in a Kalinda subplot for the first time in years, and that’s a miraculous achievement.
The rape case wasn’t the most thrilling subplot, but I enjoyed watching Alicia work around the system and text her client (since she wasn’t allowed to speak). And while Canning might be the first Good Wife guest-star I’m actually bored of seeing, I love how layered his dynamic with Alicia is. The two might butt heads at every turn, but she still seems to genuinely care for him – as evidenced by her asking about his health issues. Equally affecting was his request for her to visit his wife after his death. Yup ladies and gents, The Good Wife is real and so very poignant.
Bits & Cases
– Did they change the opening credits? They sure looked cool!
– Finn has indeed moved in to the office space above the firm! Loved Alicia dropping by for a drink and discussing her focus group paranoia.
– Can I just say that Diane picking Viola Walsh to cross-examine Carey is the most perfect choice ever? That woman is downright cut-throat. And Howard playing the judge was perfect. Give this guy a spinoff.
– Canning using his medical issues to get what he wants in court is getting old. But hey, anything that gets Alicia rolling her eyes is fine with me.
– Alicia’s spell-check goof was priceless.
– I knew that woman taking a picture of Alicia doing the dishes in the soup kitchen was going to bite her in the ass. Oh Alicia, so naive.
– Carey confronting Kalinda was a long time coming. I loved it.
– Lovely little scene between Alicia and Carey as she brings up “entitlement” and offers some advice.
– A rape wall? Damn.
– In a throwaway line, we learned that Castro has withdrawn from the race, and it was pretty anticlimactic. So it’s just Prady vs Alicia. Do we really think she might lose?
Good Lines
Alicia: Okay.
Owen: Oh, that sounds like a get-out-of-my-office okay.
Eli: That’s just her. Stuck-up bitch. Everybody liked you.
Eli: Let me do my job, Alicia. I’m good at it. And if you really want to be a good person, I’ll tell you where to send the check.
Alicia: Can you tell us the level of training you received to sit on this panel?
Lawyer: We all attended a weekend seminar.
Alicia: An entire weekend?
Finn: Wow, look at you, best-dressed in the soup kitchen.
Alicia: I just came from court. You dress down well.
Alicia: I can feel the selfishness melting away.
Conclusion
A compelling and rewarding hour of The Good Wife, particularly for long-time fans.
Nad Rating
A-