Never in a million years would I have ever imagined Grace Florrick as the highlight of a Good Wife episode. But that’s exactly what she was this week, and I couldn’t be happier.
Every detail in Grace’s subplot was impeccable, from her setting up her bedroom with numerous laptops emitting various office noises, to those hilariously on-point phone conversations with Diane’s unhappy clients, and finally her bookending the hour by asking Alicia for payment (over 30,000 dollars). She genuinely brought a smile to my face throughout the entire episode, and that’s not something I could have said on any season of The Good Wife. Bravo writers, you absolutely managed the impossible with this previously irritating character.
After seven episodes of Diane being completely relegated to the sidelines, it was definitely a breath of fresh air to see Christine Baranski receive so much screen-time. It’s always great to see her maneuverer her way around a case and kick ass with her special brand of smarts. This week’s case forced her to stand up free-speech at the cost of her own ideals, and it culminated beautifully with her attacking a judge and getting herself thrown out of the case so she wouldn’t compromise her reputation any longer. It was brilliant and satisfying in every way. Plus, who doesn’t love it when Diane lets loose and explodes at someone?
Restraint also developed Florrick/Quinn beautifully by having the latter play Canning. I was terrified that Lucca was actually being lured by that snake, so it was a pleasant surprise to see her rush back to Alicia with a list of clients to pursue (unsuccessfully). On the bright side, the dynamic duo did discover that they could just rent out Courtney Page’s conference room to fancy up their game a little bit.
Thankfully, Vanessa Williams was not under-utilized this week as Courtney Page stepped up and made it clear to Eli how she really felt. The awkwardness and sexual tension in that final sequence was glorious to behold, and I absolutely loved watching a shy Eli abide by Courtney’s orders and walk in for a kiss. I can’t remember the last time this character had a love interest, and the fact that Alicia is also interacting with Williams, makes the prospects all the more exciting. Here’s hoping she sticks around for quite a while.
Cases & Bits
– Loved the contrast with Diane telling Jason there’s no “cap” on the number of hours he can work (as opposed to poor Alicia and Lucca cutting coupons).
– Did anyone else notice that Diane walking out of the testimony and being asked if she was “bored” was the EXACT replica of what happened to Alicia during the smart-car case? So bizarre. I can’t tell if this was purposeful by the writers, or just a lack of originality.
– Hilarious physical comedy: Eli crawling over Courtney Page in his tiny office.
– Diane’s face when her client said “God bless you.” I love Baranski’s facial expressions.
– The judge clearing the court over and over – too funny.
– Alicia heard Diane with Jason didn’t she?
– Alicia saying the wrong firm name in the meeting; can’t say I’m surprised since the names have changed so much.
– Seriously, I loved that Grace ending. Pay her Alicia!
Good Lines
Grace: How do I know it’s mid-level?
Alicia: Look at the size of the ad, see how big it is.
Client: Are we boring you, Diane?
Diane: No, quite scintillating.
Courtney: Well, you sound serious.
Eli: Oh, well, that’s just who I am. I’m working on that. I… I told a joke yesterday.
Diane: Why do I have to be so damn convincing?
Conclusion
A whole lot of charm and some great developments make this a terrific hour of The Good Wife.
Nad Rating
A-
Watching this episode made me realize how lukewarm this season of The Good Wife has been so far. Besides the excellent current use of Grace, for the most part, the show feels like it's going through the motions and parts of the series seem somewhat disconnected from each other. The season finally needs something to get the show's act together like it did for at least the first half of Season 6 and throughout Season 5.